• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.491-500
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• 2007

Two experiments were used to determine the effects of environment-friendly diets on growth performance, fecal excretion, nitrogen excretion and emission gases in manure for growing pigs. In experiment 1, ninety six crossed pigs(Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) were allocated into four treatments. Treatments were AME(adequate ME diet, 3,265 kcal/kg), LME(lower ME diet, 3,100 kcal/kg), LME 0.05(lower ME diet+α- galactosidase & β-mannanase 0.05%) and LME 0.10(lower ME diet+α-galactosidase & β-mannanase 0.10%). Pigs fed AME diet had lower ADFI(Average Daily Feed Intake) than pigs fed other diets(p<0.05). DM(Dry Matter) digestibility in pigs fed AME and LME 0.10 diets had greater than pigs fed LME diet(p<0.05). Energy digestibility is higher in pigs fed AME and LME 0.10 diets than other treatments(p<0.05). In experiment 2, twenty four crossbred pigs(33.71 kg average BW) were used in a 14-d metabolism experiment. The pigs were housed in individual cages equipped with plastic bed flooring. Treatments were CP(Crude protein) 18% without Bacillus sp., CP 18% diet+Bacillus sp. 0.05%, CP 14% without Bacillus sp. and CP 14% diet+Bacillus sp. 0.05%. Nitrogen intake was higher for CP 18% diets than CP 14% diets(p<0.05). DM, N(Nitrogen) and energy digestibility were affected by probiotics(p<0.05). With the high CP in diets, Energy and N digestibility, urine N percent, urine N excretion and total N excretion were increased significantly compared to low CP in diets(p<0.05). Among the treatments, DM and N digestibilities, feces N excretion, N absorption were decreased significantly(p<0.05), however, feces excretion, feces N, urine N percent, urine N excretion and total N excretion were increased significantly(p<0.05) when pigs fed without probiotics diets compare to pigs fed with probiotics diets. DM and N digestibility, feces excretion, feces N excretion, urine N percent, urine N excretion, total N excretion, N absorption and N adsorption ratio were CP×probiotic interactions in p<0.05. Ammonia(p<0.01) and H2S(p<0.05) in manure were lower in CP 14% diets than CP 18% diets. Also, ammonia and H2S in manure were CP×probiotic interactions in p<0.05. In conclusion, low energy and reduction of CP dietary added enzyme and probiotics improved nutrient digestibility and reduced odors emission in manure for growing pigs.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.545-552
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• 2005

The major protocol features of the rodent uterotrophic assay have been evaluated using a range of reference chemicals. The protocol variables considered include the selection of the test species and route of chemical administration, the age of the test animals, the maintenance diet used, and the specificity of the assay for estrogens. The rodents were ovariectomized under general anesthesia via bilateral flank incisions and randomly assigned to groups of 5 animals. Chemicals were DEHP, DBP, BPA and NP, were injected sc once daily with combinations of chemicals treatments for 3 days. In the results, the reported estrogenic chemicals DEHP and DBP were both negative in the single dose treatments. But, in the combinations of chemicals treatments, DEHP and DBP increased in bud number of mammary gland. Treatment of ovariectomized mice with combinations of other chemicals resulted in uterine and vaginal hyperplasia. The additive estrogenic effects were seen with the combinations of $17{\beta}$-Bestradiol and DBP treatment. the competitive estrogenic effects were seen with the combinations of $17{\beta}$-Bestradiol and nonylphenol, $17{\beta}$-Bestradiol and bisphenol-A treatments. These results offers a sysmatic and mechanistically informative approach to assessing estrogenicity. it provides a useful profile of activity using a reasonable amount of resources and is compatible with the study of individual chemicals as well as the investigation of interactions among combinations of chemicals. The results described illustrate the intrinsic complexity of evaluating chemicals for estrogenic activities and conform the need for rigorous attention to experimental design and criteria for assessing estrogenic activity.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.323-333
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• 2009

Parabens are alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which are widely used in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutic products as preservatives. Absorbed parabens are metabolized fastly and excreted. Actually human body is exposed to complex mixture of parabens. Safety assessment at various toxicological end points revealed parabens have a little acute, subacute and chronic toxicities. Some reports have argued that as parabens have estrogenic activity, they are associated with the incidence of breast cancer through dermal absorption by cosmetics. There is an inference that antiandrogenic activity of parabens may give rise to a lesion of male reproductive system, but also there is an contrary. At cellular level, parabens may inhibit mitochondrial function of sperms and androgen production in testis, but also there is an contrary. Parabens seem to have little or no toxicity in embryonic development. Parabens can cause hemolysis, membrane permeability change in mitochondria and apoptosis, suggesting cellular toxicity of parabens. Parabens evoked endocrine disruption in several fish species and have toxic effect on small invertebrates and microbes. Therefore, the toxicity of parabens should be considered as a potentially toxic chemical in the freshwater environment. In conclusion, though parabens may be considered as a low toxic chemical, more definite data are required concerning the endocrine disrupting effect of parabens on human body and aquatic animals according to route and term of exposure as well as the residual concentration of parabens.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2020

Most studies defined microplastic (MP) as plastic particles less than 5 mm. The ubiquity of MP is raising awareness due to its potential risk to humans and the environment. MP can cause harmful effects to humans and living organisms. This paper review aimed to provide a better understanding of the sources, pathways, and impacts of MP in the environment. MP can be classified as primary and secondary in nature. Moreover, microplastic can also be classified as based on its physical and chemical characteristics. Stormwater and wastewater are important pathways of introducing MP in large water bodies. As compared to stormwater, the concentrations of MP in wastewater were relatively lower since wastewater treatment processes can contribute to the removal of MP. In terms of polymer distribution, wastewater contains a wider array of polymer varieties than stormwater runoff. The most common types of polymer found in wastewater and stormwater runoff were polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The continuous discharge and the increasing number of MP in the environment can pose greater hazards and harmful effects on humans and other living organisms. Despite the growing number of publications in relation to MP, further studies are needed to define concrete regulations and management strategies for mitigating the detrimental effects of MP in the environment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.426-433
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• 2024

The environmental stress that plants are most susceptible to is water stress. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone synthesized by plants to counteract environmental stress. The role of stomata in plants is to allow the synthesis of sucrose by absorbing CO₂, which greatly affects photosynthetic activity. In addition, stomata are pathways for transpiration, which releases H₂O and help establish a water potential gradient that allows plant roots to continuously absorb water and inorganic substances from the soil. Plants have a mechanism to minimize water loss by closing their stomata when exposed to water-stressed environments. The most well-studied hypothesis concerning the mechanism of stomatal closure is the response to water stress. When a plant receives sufficient water, its stomata open during the day and close at night due to its circadian rhythm. In addition, stomatal closure occurs when the concentration of CO₂ in the intercellular space increases. However, the mechanism of stomatal closure due to circadian rhythm and increased CO₂ concentration in the intercellular space is not well understood. When plants undergo water stress, the increased concentration of ABA in the guard cell cytoplasm induces an increase in Ca²⁺ concentration, resulting in cytoplasmic depolarization. As a result, the outward K⁺-channel of the tonoplast and the slow-type anion channels SLAC1 and SLAH3 are activated, releasing K⁺, Cl^-, and malate^2-, causing the stomata to close. Therefore, in this paper, the mechanism of stomatal closure caused by water stress was investigated.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2021

Antibiotics are compounds broadly used to treat patients with infectious diseases and to enhance productivity in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock industries. However, due to the overuse of antibiotics and their low biodegradability, a substantial amount of antibiotics is leaking into the sewer, subsequently resulting in pollution and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study explores biodegradable serum albumin's potential as an adsorbent to remove antibiotics from water. Serum albumin is a natural blood protein that transports various metabolites and hormones to all tissues' extravascular spaces. While serum albumin is highly water-soluble, it has intrinsic binding sites which readily accommodate ionic, hydrophilic, or hydrophobic molecules, rendering it a good building block for a nano-adsorbent. To induce coacervation, a desolvating agent, ethanol, was added dropwise into the aqueous albumin solution, resulting in dehydration and liquid-liquid phase separation of albumins into albumin nanoparticles within a size range of 150 ~ 170 nm. The addition of glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker improved the size stability and homogeneity of albumin nanoparticles. Adsorption of amoxicillin antibiotics on albumin nanoparticles was dependent upon glutaraldehyde concentration used in desolvation and pH during adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity measured by spectrophotometry was found to be 12.4 micrograms of amoxicillin per milligram of albumin nanoparticle. These results demonstrate serum albumin's potential as a building block for fabricating a natural nano-adsorbent to remove antibiotics from water.

• Mood & Emotion
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2012

Suicide is a complex behavior associated with various neurobiological and psychosocial factors. It is considered that genetic polymorphism combined with environmental stress such as child-adolescent trauma make differences in neurobiological systems, which cause psychiatric disorders or pessimistic personality, impulse-aggressive behaviors, lack of judgment, and finally result in suicidal behavior. Much progress in the neurobiology of suicide has been made over the several decades. There seems to be a hereditary disposition to suicide independent of psychiatric disorder. The changes in neurotransmitters, neurohormones, neurotrophic factors, cytokines, lipid metabolisms related with their genetic polymorphism can contribute to disturbance of signal transductions and neuronal circuits vulnerable to suicide. It is likely that the main factors are dysfunctions of serotonin (5-HT) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Our understanding about the neurobiology of suicide is still limited. However, clinical practice could be assisted by neurobiological findings capable of making the detection of risk populations with higher sensitivity and the development of new treatment interventions. The settlement of biological markers in suicidal behaviors and their relationships is required.

• Proceedings of the Korean Journal of Food and Nutrition Conference
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• 1997.06b
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• pp.8-10
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• 1997

종양은 아직 그 발생 원인과 기작이 정확히 밝혀져 있지 않으므로 정확한 정의를 내리는 것은 어려우나 일반적으로 종양이란 정상 세포가 갖고 있는 세포 분열의 특이성을 상실하여 일어나는 조직의 자율적인 과잉 성장을 말한다. 이와 같은 세포의 비정상적인 증식에 의한 종양을 임상 및 병리 형태학적으로 양서 종양과 악성종양으로 분류한다. 양성 종양을 일으키는 종양 세포는 정상 세포와 비슷할 뿐 아니라 그 주변 세포들과 확실한 경계를 이루고 있으며 증식도 느리며 다른 부위로의 전이가 없다. 이에 반해 악성종양은 일반적으로 증식도 빠르고 이형의 세포로서 주변의 조직으로 확산, 전이될 뿐만 아니라 최종적으로 숙주인 개체를 사망시킨다. 악성종양은 다시 상피 조직에서 유례한 암, 비상피 조직에서 유래된 육종, 백혈구에서 유래된 백혈병 등으로 구별하지만 그의 본질은 거의 같으며 모든 악성종양은 통속적으로 암이라고 불리운다. 종양의 발생원인으로 크게 3가지로 나눌 수 있는데 화학물질, 바이러스 및 유전적 요인에 의한 것으로 알려졌다. 최초의 발암물질로 알려진 benzopyrene에 의한 발암 등 연구에 의해 화학적 발암원들은 직접 발암 물질로 작용하는 것이 아니라, 일단 체내에서 대사된 후 이들 대사 산물일 DNA 등에 작용함으로써 발암이 유도 되는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 이와 같이 화학적 변화를 거친 후에야 DNA에 영향을 미치는 것외에 다른 화학물질들은 또 다른 기작을 통해 암을 유발하는데 쥐의 피부에 benzopyrene을 한 번 처리하면 암을 유발하지 않으나 여기에 phorbol ester를 처리하면 높은 빈도로 암이 형성된다. 여기서 benzopyrene과 같이 세포의 DNA에 돌연변이를 일으키는 작용을 하는 발암물질을 발암개시제라 하고 phorbol ester처럼 그 자체로는 발암능이 없으나 발암개시제에 노출된 세포에 영향을 미쳐 발암능을 크게 강화시켜 주는 것을 발암촉진제라고 한다. 암은 세포증식 제어계에 DNA가 이상을 일으킨 현상을 말하는 데 이와 같은 DNA의 변형된 유전정보에 의해 암과 관련된 단백질을 합성하므로 이 DNA를 암유전자라 부르며 바이러스에서 유래된 것을 V-one 그리고 세포에서 유래된 것을 c-one이라 한다. 암유전자는 본래 암을 형성하기 위한 것이 아니라 증식제어 유전자로서 변이나 비정상으로 활성화 됨으로써 암을 유발시키므로 proto-oncogene이라 부른다. 또한 고등동물의 유전자 중에는 세포성장을 억제하는 유전자들이 있으며 이들은 세포의 성장 생존 분화를 조절하는 것으로 생각되고 있다. 따라서 이들 유전자는 세포의 암변형을 억제하는 기능을 가지고 있다. 이들 유전자의 이상으로 세포성장 억제기능이 상실되면 세포의 과잉 성장이 초래되면 결과적으로 암으로 유발하는 것으로 추측되고 있다. 최근의 연구에 의하면 암세포에서 암억제 유전자의 이상과 암유전자의 활성화가 함께 발견 되면서 정상세포가 암으로 변형되는 과정에는 암억제 유전자의 이상과 암유전자의 활성화가 동시에 관여한 가능성이 높은 것으로 알려져 있다. 정상 세포가 암을 유발하기 위해서는 발암의 다단계설에서와 같이 여러 단계의 변과가 필요한데 여러 가지 요인에 의해 정상세포의 염색체가 변화되어 정상세포들이 가지고 있는 세포분열의 특이성을 상실하고 증식이 빠르고 저항력이 강한 세포가 선택 되어지고 비정상 서ㅔ포으 과잉 분여러에 의해 종양이 형성되며 이어서 혈관의 신생을 촉진하는 맥관형성, 전이 등이 과정을 거쳐 신체의 다른 부위로 전이된다. 20세기 초까지는 암은 노화와 함께 자연발생적으로 일어나는 피할 수 없는 질병으로 여겨졌으며 그 치료도 조기에 발견된 암환자에게 외과적인 치료를 하는 것이 최선의 방법 이었다. 그러나 현재에는 암환자의 80% 이상이 환경적 요인에 의해 암이 발생 된다고 믿어지고 있다. 과거 치료에 중점을 둔 것에서 점차 예방의 가능성과 그 방법의 모색에 관심을 갖게 되었으며 치료적인 면에서도 외과적 수술 이외에 방사선 치료, 항암제의 투여 등 약물요법, 면역요법의 이용 이외에 더 나아가 gene theraph 및 tumor vaccines 개발에 대한 관심도 증가되고 있다. 국제암연구협회에서는 인간에게 발암이 가능한 물질의 종류를 정기적으로 발표하고 있는데 지금까지 발암 가능성이 높다고 널리 알려진 위험요인을 크게 나누어 보면 다음과 같다. 흡연, 음주, 식이요인, 호르몬 및 기타 요인으로 약물, 자외선 등을 들 수 있는데 현재까지 이들 요인에 의한 발암 기작이 완전히 규명된 것은 아니지만 이들에 의한 발암의 확률이 높다는 것은 사실이므로 이 위험요인에 노출되는 것을 방지함으로써 암발생을 예방할 수 있을 것이다. 암발생의 예방법으로는 암발생 자체를 예방하는 것과 이미 발생한 암환자를 조기 발견하고 치료하는 방법이 있을 수 있다. 현재까지의 여러 연구 결과들을 보면 유전적인 요인을 제외한 대부분의 발암 위험인자들은 개개인의 생활습관과 밀접히 관련되어 있음을 알 수 있다. 이를 바탕으로 1992년 대한 암협회에서는 '암 예방 14개 권장 사항'을 발표하여 국민 홍보활동을 하고 있는데 그 내용의 반 이상이 식생활 습관과 관련되어 있을 정도이므로 암예방에 있어서의 식품의 역할이 매우 크다 할 수 있다. 따라서 건전한 생활습관과 더불어 적절한 식품의 섭취는 암예방을 위한 기본이 될 것이다.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.596-602
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• 2019

In September 2017, the rhizospheric soil of Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze was further sampled. One hundred and thirty eight species of microorganisms were isolated from the soil. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, siderophore production, and phosphate degradation were examined in order to confirm bacterial growth from isolated microorganisms. As a result, most strains were able to produce auxins or siderophores and to solubilize phosphate. In addition, 138 isolated strains were treated with tobacco extract and conferred pathogen resistance to host plants upon treatment. As a result, 35 strains that were able to reduce pathophysiology by more the 60% were selected. Among them, 6 strains with high induced systemic resistance (ISR) activity were found. All of these strains belong to the genus Bacillus according to the 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Bacillus aryabhattai KUDC6619 showed outstanding effects with reduced infection in tobacco and pepper plants. Probably, these Bacillus species play a beneficial role by association with T. tetragonoides for its survival in the harsh conditions found on the island of Dokdo.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.252-259
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• 2023

A decrease in ovarian function and sex hormone production with aging results in hormone deficiency, which causes menopause in women. Natural products have been investigated to develop estrogen-like substances to improve menopausal status in women. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of Gastrodia elata Blume extract (TVB-1000) in ovariectomized rats. After a recovery period of 7 days, the TVB-1000 treatment group was orally administered at 16, 40, and 100 mg/kg for 12 weeks. In the OVX-positive control group, 17β-estradiol was injected subcutaneously into the dorsal region of rats at a dose of 10 ㎍/kg. Results show that TG and LDL-C, which are cardiovascular disease markers, were significantly decreased in all concentrations of TVB-1000 administration in the treatment group, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio significantly decreased in the medium and high TVB-1000 concentrations of the treatment group. In addition, in the high concentration TVB-1000 treatment group, the weight of abdominal fat decreased with statistical significance. The low-dose and medium-dose administration groups showed statistical significance and the expression level of their ER-α increased, but ER-β did not show a significant change. The above experiment shows that owing to the estrogen-like effect of TVB-1000, it can be useful as a functional food material to prevent cardiovascular disease, which is one of the menopausal symptoms.