• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.251-259
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• 2008

The plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHP) is one of the most well known endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) because of its strong anti-androgenic effects on the reproductive and developmental process in male rodents and human. The present study was performed to examine whether prepubertal exposure to DEHP can make any alteration during the maturation of accessory sex organs in male rats. As a result, there was no significant change in body weights, serum T levels and tissue weights except of seminal vesicle and ventral prostate in DEHP-treated animals compared to vehicle-treated ones. The seminal vesicle weights in high-dose group (200 mg/kg) were significantly lower than those from the control group (p<0.05), and ventral prostate weights were significantly lower than those from the control group (p<0.05) in both low-dose (20 mg/kg) and high-dose group. Histological studies revealed that the seminal vesicles from DEHP-treated groups showed reduced areas of mucosal folds. Pseudostratified columnar epithelia were observed in the ventral prostates of DEHP-treated samples while cuboidal epithelia were found in the control group. The transcriptional activities of ER-$\alpha$ in seminal vesicle from high-dose group (p<0.05) were significantly higher than those from the control group, and ER-$\beta$ expression was significantly decreased in low-dose group (p<0.05) compared to the control. In ventral prostate, ER-$\beta$ mRNA levels from low-dose group (p<0.05) were significantly lower than those from the control group, and significantly increased in high-dose group (p<0.01). AR expressions, however, were not significantly different in all experimental groups of both seminal vesicle and ventral prostate. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that (i) adverse effect (s) of DEHP on sexual maturation during prepubertal period could be limited, (ii) seminal vesicle and prostate gland were sensitive targets to DEHP in prepubertal rats and (iii) the deleterious effects of DEHP might be mediated through ER-associated mechanism.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.274-283
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• 2004

Six lumbrokinase (LK) fractions from Lumbricus rubellus lysates were purified by a series of column chromatographies. The molecular weights of the six LK fractions appeared to range from 24.6 to 33.1 kDa. In the experimental model of rat venous thrombosis, the thrombus weight and PAI activity decreased significantly when the LK was administered orally. However, the activities of APTT, PT and plasmin showed a significant increase. The aggregation of rat platelets pretreated with various LK doses was inhibited by thrombin, and the MDA generation decreased. The rat thoracic aorta and mesentric arteries contracted with phenylephrine relaxed due to the treatment of the LK fractions. These results suggest that the fibrinolytic effects of LK were mediated not only by proteolytic activity, but also by the inhibition of platelet agregation and the relaxation of blood vessels. It is concluded that the LK may be useful as a hemolytic agent for treatment of fibrin clot.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2009

The proposal of the $CO_2$ ocean sequestration necessitates a thorough understanding of its consequences to aquatic organisms. This paper describes acute toxic responses to high $CO_2$ environment of a cephalopod, Octopus vulgaris. O. vulgaris was chronically cannulated in the abdominal aorta and recovered in a restrained chamber. Acid base variables as well as ion concentrations were estimated in samples of the blood collected from recovered O. vulgaris. 100% mortality occurred within 72h during exposure to 3%-$CO_2$ environment. Hemolymph pH significantly decreased after 30 min during exposure to 1%-$CO_2$ environment without any compensation thereafter. $[HCO_3^-]$ significantly increased from 2.2 mM at 0h to 7.8 mM at 8h, but gradually decreased thereafter. Hemolymph ions $([Cl^-],\;[Na^+],\;[K^+])$ showed no significant changes. O. vulgaris may be more sensitive than teleost, yellowtail, flounder and dogfish.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.117-125
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• 2002

This study experimented a possibility of advanced treatment through microorganism that converts $NH_3-N$ to organic nitrogen in wastewater contaminated by ammoniac nitrogen unlike conventional nitrogen removal process. After distributing three kinds of special bacteria that use $NH_3-N$ as a substrate, when those bacteria were cultured in no salt condition and salt condition (3% NaCl), M11 showed better growth in salt condition and M12 showed better growth in no salt condition. However M7l grew well in both no salt condition and salt condition. In the test of glucose effect, maximum growth and removal rate were observed in glucose concentration of 5g/L but in high concentration (1000mg/L as $NH_3-N$) of $NH_3-N$ growth and removal rate were low. Removal rate was the highest in 100mg/L $NH_3-N$ and the fact that concentration of $NO_2-N$ and $NO_3-N$ didn't increase assumed $NH_3-N$ was converted to organic nitrogen. Optimum concentration of $K_2HPO_4$ for phosphorous supply and buffer was 5g/L. Special bacteria distributed could use $NO_2-N$ and $NO_3-N$ as well as $NH_3-N$ as substrates. This study showed that when growth rate of bacteria was high removal rate also was high. It is possible to apply as a method to treat wastewater polluted by $NH_3-N$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.651-660
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• 2007

Acid drainage has been recognized as an environmental concern in abandoned mine sites for long time. Recently, the environmental and structural damage by acid drainage is a current issue in construction sites in Korea. Here, the author introduces the type of damages by acid drainage in construction sites and emphasizes the importance of geoscience discipline in solving the problem. Metasedimentary rock of Okcheon group, coal bed of Pyeongan group, Mesozoic volcanic rock. and Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks are the major rock types with a high potential for acid drainage upon excavation in Korea. The acid drainage causes the acidification and heavy metal contamination of soil, surface water and groundwater, the reduction of slope stability, the corrosion of slope structure, the damage on plant growth, the damage on landscape and the deterioration of concrete and asphalt pavement. The countermeasure for acid drainage is the treatment of acid drainage and the prevention of acid drainage. The treatment of acid drainage can be classified into active and passive treatments depending on the degree of natural process in the treatment. Removal of oxidants, reduction of oxidant generation and encapsulation of sulfide are employed for the prevention of acid drainage generation.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.269-277
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• 2022

With the recent development of the biological enzymatic reaction industry, lactic acid (LA) can be mass-produced from biomass sources. In particular, a catalytic process that converts LA into acrylic acid (AA) is receiving much attention because AA is used widely in the petrochemical industry as a monomer for superabsorbent polymers (SAP) and as an adhesive for displays. In the LA conversion process, NaY zeolites have been previously shown to be a high-activity catalyst, which improves AA selectivity and long-term stability. However, NaY zeolites suffer from fast deactivation due to severe coking. Therefore, the aim of this study is to modify the acid-base properties of the NaY zeolite to address this shortcoming. First, base promoters, Ca ions, were introduced to the NaY zeolites to tune their acidity and basicity via ion exchange (IE) and incipient wetness impregnation (IWI). The IWI method showed superior catalyst selectivity and stability compared to the IE method, maintaining a high AA yield of approximately 40% during the 16 h reaction. Based on the NH₃- and CO₂-TPD results, the calcium salts that impregnated into the NaY zeolites were proposed to exit as an oxide form mainly at the exterior surface of NaY and act as additional base sites to promote the dehydration of LA to AA. The NaY zeolites were further treated with KOH before calcium impregnation to reduce the total acidity and improve the dispersion of calcium through the mesopores formed by KOH-induced desilication. However, this KOH treatment did not lead to enhanced AA selectivity. Finally, calcium loading was increased from 1wt% to 5wt% to maximize the amount of base sites. The increased basicity improved the AA selectivity substantially to 65% at 100% conversion while maintaining high activity during a 24 h reaction. Our results suggest that controlling the basicity of the catalyst is key to obtaining high AA selectivity and high catalyst stability.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.763-768
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• 2002

This study was performed in the airlift bioreactor using the nitrifier consortium entrapped in polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) for removing low concentration total ammonia nitrogen(TAN). At the superficial air velocity of 0.83 cm/sec, TAN removal rate and removal efficiency was $316.6{\pm}7.2g/m^3{\cdot}day$ and $92.8{\pm}2.2%$ respectively. Removal rate was continuously increased with decreasing hydraulic residence time(HRT) from 0.5 hr to 0.05 hr, whereas removal efficiency decreased with decreasing HRT. The optimum temperature for nitrification was $30^{\circ}C$ at which removal efficiency was $95.5{\pm}1.5%$. Nitrification was effectively performed at low temperature, $10^{\circ}C$. In the pH range from 7 to 9 in the bioreactor, removal rate and removal efficiency was $310{\pm}10g/m^3{\cdot}day$ and $94{\pm}3%$ respectively.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2006

To investigate the effect of feeding rare earth (RE) on the performance of breeder hens a feeding trial with sixteen thousands of 158 day old Ross broiler breeder hens was conducted for thirty weeks. A mixture of RE- chlorides containing mainly La, Ce, and Pr was mixed into corn-soy based diet at two levels, 300 and 600 mg/kg, All the hens were housed in flat layer houses and the ratio of male to female was maintained at one to ten. Dietary supplementation of the of RE at a level of 300 mg/kg made the hens reach egg production peak higher by about 6% and earlier by about two weeks. As a result, it made higher hatchable egg production by 3.5%. It also reduced dramatically the mortality of both male and female breeders(P<0.05). Egg weight was slightly increased but egg qualify was not much influenced by dietary supplementation of RE. Egg albumin hight and Haugh unit were significantly improved while egg shell thickness, egg breaking strength and yolk color were similar to those of the control. Experimental results appeared to show a good possibility that egg fertility and hatchability were improved by feeding RE. Dietary supplementation of RE at a level of 300 mg/kg should be acceptable but not the 600 mg/kg level for breeder hens. Further studies on the effect of RE on egg fertility and hatchability appears to be necessary.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.384-392
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to estimated nitrogen content and chlorophyll using RGB, Hyperspectral sensors to diagnose of nitrogen nutrition in apple tree leaves. Spectral data were acquired through image processing after shooting with high resolution RGB and hyperspectral sensor for two-year-old 'Hongro/M.9' apple. Growth data measured chlorophyll and leaf nitrogen content (LNC) immediately after shooting. The growth model was developed by using regression analysis (simple, multi, partial least squared) with growth data (chlorophyll, LNC) and spectral data (SPAD meter, color vegetation index, wavelength). As a result, chlorophyll and LNC showed a statistically significant difference according to nitrogen fertilizer level regardless of date. Leaf color became pale as the nutrients in the leaf were transferred to the fruit as over time. RGB sensor showed a statistically significant difference at the red wavelength regardless of the date. Also hyperspectral sensor showed a spectral difference depend on nitrogen fertilizer level for non-visible wavelength than visible wavelength at June 10th and July 14th. The estimation model performance of chlorophyll, LNC showed Partial least squared regression using hyperspectral data better than Simple and multiple linear regression using RGB data (Chlorophyll R²: 81%, LNC: 81%). The reason is that hyperspectral sensor has a narrow Full Half at Width Maximum (FWHM) and broad wavelength range (400-1,000 nm), so it is thought that the spectral analysis of crop was possible due to stress cause by nitrogen deficiency. In future study, it is thought that it will contribute to development of high quality and stable fruit production technology by diagnosis model of physiology and pest for all growth stage of tree using hyperspectral imagery.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2000

Zinc is one of the most abundant oligoelements in the living cell. It appears tightly bound to some metalloproteins and nucleic acids, loosely bound to some metallothioneins or even as free ion. Small amounts of zinc ions (in the nanomolar range) regulate a plentitude of enzymatic proteins, receptors and transcription factors, thus rolls need accurate homeostasis of zinc ions. Zinc is an essential catalytic or structural element of many proteins, and a signaling messenger that is released by neural activity at many central excitatory synapses. Growing evidences suggest that zinc may also be a key mediator and modulator of the neuronal death associated with transient global ischemia and sustained seizures, as well as perhaps other neurological disease stoles. Some neurons have developed mechanisms to accumulate zinc in specific membrane compartment ('vesicular zinc') which can be evidenced using histochemical techniques. Substances giving a bright colour or emitting fluorescence when in contact with divalent metal ions are currently used to detect them inside cells; their use leads to the so called 'direct' methods. The fixation and precipitation of metal ions as insoluble salt precipitates, their maintenance along the histological process and, finally, their demonstration after autometallographic development are essential steps for other methods, the so called 'indirect methods'. This study is a short report on the autometallograhical approaches for zinc detection in the central nervous system (CNS) by means of a modified selenium method.