• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.29.1-29.10
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• 2021

In our previous studies, we have demonstrated the association of certain variants of the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR), thyroid peroxidase (TPO), and thyroglobulin (TG) genes with congenital hypothyroidism. Herein, we explored the mechanistic basis for this association using different in silico tools. The mRNA 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) plays key roles in gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In TSHR variants (rs2268477, rs7144481, and rs17630128), the binding affinity of microRNAs (miRs) (hsa-miR-154-5p, hsa-miR-376a-2-5p, hsa-miR-3935, hsa-miR-4280, and hsa-miR-6858-3p) to the 3'-UTR is disrupted, affecting post-transcriptional gene regulation. TPO and TG are the two key proteins necessary for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones in the presence of iodide and H₂O₂. Reduced stability of these proteins leads to aberrant biosynthesis of thyroid hormones. Compared to the wild-type TPO protein, the p.S398T variant was found to exhibit less stability and significant rearrangements of intra-atomic bonds affecting the stoichiometry and substrate binding (binding energies, ΔG of wild-type vs. mutant: -15 vs. -13.8 kcal/mol; and dissociation constant, K_d of wild-type vs. mutant: 7.2E^-12 vs. 7.0E^-11 M). The missense mutations p.G653D and p.R1999W on the TG protein showed altered ΔG(0.24 kcal/mol and 0.79 kcal/mol, respectively). In conclusion, an in silico analysis of TSHR genetic variants in the 3'-UTR showed that they alter the binding affinities of different miRs. The TPO protein structure and mutant protein complex (p.S398T) are less stable, with potentially deleterious effects. A structural and energy analysis showed that TG mutations (p.G653D and p.R1999W) reduce the stability of the TG protein and affect its structure-functional relationship.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.1290-1298
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• 2001

A total of 371 weaned pigs were used in three experiments to evaluate the effects of spray dried plasma (SDP), soybean protein sources, and lactose on growth performance. In Exp. 1, 128 pigs (5.99 kg, $18{\pm}2d$) were used to evaluate the effect of SDP (0 vs 7%), lactose (0 vs 30%), and two soybean protein sources [soybean meal (SBM) and extruded soybean protein concentrate (ESPC)] in phase I (d 0 to 14) diets on pig performance in a $2{\times}2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement. Spray-dried plasma increased phase I ADG (p<0.01) and ADFI (p<0.05) in the SBM diets, but not in the ESPC diets. Lactose improved ADG and gain/feed ratio (G/F) in phase I (p<0.01). In Exp. 2, 144 pigs (5.50 kg, $17{\pm}3d$) were used to evaluate the effect of SDP (0 vs. 3.5%) and three soybean protein sources [SBM, ESPC, and soybean protein concentrate (SPC)] in phase I diets, and the effects of two different phase II (d 14 to 28) diets (simple vs complex) in a $2{\times}3{\times}2$ factorial arrangement of treatments. In phase I, SDP increased ADG (p<0.01) and improved G/F (p<0.05). Pigs fed SBM had the highest ADG and ADFI, with a G/F similar to the pigs fed ESPC. In phase II, pigs fed the complex diet had improved ADG (p<0.01), ADFI (p<0.05), and G/F (p<0.05) compared to the simple diet. In Exp. 3, 99 weaned pigs (5.77 kg, $17{\pm}3$d) were used to evaluate the effect of SBM, ESPC, and ESPC with SDP in the phase I diets. Pigs fed SBM with no blood product in the diet had the lowest ADG (p<0.01), ADFI (p<0.01), and G/F (p<0.05) in the first week of phase I. There were no differences in soybean protein sources fed in phase I diets on overall pig performance. These experiments are indicated that SDP and lactose improve the phase I performance. Soybean meal can be used as the major protein source in phase I diets with SDP.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.319-329
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• 1996

During the monsoon in Bangladesh, the possibility of preserving wet ($700g\;H_2O$) straw by urea (50 g/kg straw DM) with or without polythene cover has been studied. The quality of preserved straw (PS) in terms of colour, smell and fungal infestation were recorded. Nutritive value of the PS was compared to that of a dry straw (DS) in two separate feeding trials on growing bulls (about 290 kg) without (Expt. 1) or with (Expt. 2) concentrate supplements. Over 96% of the wet straw was excellently preserved for over 5 months when covered with polythene in horizontal heaps (of appx. 4 tons). Whereas only 33% of the straw was well preserved in the uncovered (dome shaped) heaps (of approximately 9.5 tons). Each ton of wet straw costed Tk. 1413 and its preservation cost incurred Tk. 345. Urea preservation increased the crude protein content (95 vs. 50 g/kg), dry matter (DM) degradability at all (8, 16, 24, 48, 72 and 96) hours of incubation and at 48 hours, DM degradability (%) were 45 and 25 respetively for the PS and the DS. When fed alone, DM intake (75 vs. $106g/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$), total microbial N yield (27 vs. 54 g/d) and growth rate (-379 vs. 283 g/d) were higher (p < 0.01) in the PS than the DS. Supplementation of concentrate reduced the straw DM intake both in the DS ($51g/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$) and the PS ($958g/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$), but the substitution rate (SR%) was higher in the PS (42) than the DS (27). Higher substitution rate was probably responsible for the reduction in the differences between the DS and PS in their nutrient digestibilities, total microbial N yield (62 vs. 64 g/d) and growth rate(669 vs 339 g/d) when supplemented with concentrate. On 28th day of Expt. 2, feeding PS from one of the polythene covered heaps resulted nervous disorder due to unknown reason(s). Further studies on the effect of size and shape of heap on the preservation quality need to be determined.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.62-66
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• 2022

To date, the development of anticancer drugs has been conducted using two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems. However, since cancer cells in the body are generated and developed in three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments, the use of 2D anticancer drug screening can make it difficult to accurately evaluate the anticancer effects of drug candidates. Therefore, as a step towards developing a cancer cell-friendly 3D microenvironment based on a combination of vinylsulfone-functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEG-VS) with dicysteine-containing crosslinker peptides with an intervening matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-specific cleavage site, the types of MMPs secreted from human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells, a representative cancer cell, were analyzed transcriptionally and translationally. MMP3 was confirmed to be the most highly expressed protease secreted by HepG2 cells. This knowledge will be important in the design of a crosslinker necessary for the construction of PEG-based hydrogels customized for the 3D culture of HepG2 cells.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1004-1013
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• 2012

3D images and videos are required viewers to wear 3D glasses. According to the data, about half of Korean people wear glasses or contact lens and this implies 3D video viewers may have a trouble due to putting a pair of 3D glasses atop their glasses. The purpose of this study is to examine gamers' perceived characteristics, presence, and fatigue according to video gaming display (2D vs. 3D) and glasses whether wearing or not. The results show that the interaction effect of the display and wearing glasses was statistically significant in the perceived presence, and the main effect of the display was statistically significant in the perceived characteristics and fatigue.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2016

Cryopreservation has been applied successfully in many mammalian species. Nevertheless, pig embryos, because of their greater susceptibility to cryoinjuries, have shown a reduced developmental competence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival status of vitrified-warmed porcine embryos. Forced blastocoele collapse (FBC) and non-FBC blastocysts are vitrified and concomitantly cultured in culture media which were supplemented with/without fetal bovine serum (FBS). Porcine vitrified-warmed embryos were examined in four different methods: group A, non-FBC without FBS; group B, non-FBC with FBS; group C, FBC without FBS; group D, FBC with FBS. After culture, differences in survival rates of blastocysts derived from vitrified-warmed porcine embryos were found in group A~D (39.5 (A) vs 52.5 (B) and 54.8 (C) vs 66.7% (D), respectively, p<0.05). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level of survived blastocysts was lower in group D than that of another groups (p<0.05). Moreover, total cell number of survived blastocysts was higher in group D than that of other groups (p<0.05). Otherwise, group D showed significantly lower number of apoptotic cells than other groups ($2.0{\pm}1.5$ vs $3.2{\pm}2.1$, $2.8{\pm}1.9$, and $2.7{\pm}1.6$, respectively, p<0.05). Taken together, these results showed that FBS/FBC improves the developmental competence of vitrified porcine embryos by modulating intracellular levels of ROS and the apoptotic index during the vitrification/warming procedure. Therefore, we suggest that FBS and FBC are effective treatment techniques during the vitrification/warming procedures of porcine blastocysts.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.247-259
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of age and diet forms on growth-development patterns, serum metabolism indicators, and parameters of body fat deposition in Cherry Valley ducks. Methods: According to the hatching age and initial weight, a total of 150 1-day-old male SM3 Cherry Valley ducks were randomly assigned to two diet forms (pellet vs powder form). Each treatment had with 5 replicates per treatment and 15 meat ducks per replicate. The study lasted 42 d, which was divided into two periods (1 to 21 vs 22 to 42 d). Results: Our results showed that compared with powder group, ducks in pellet group had greater growth performance during different period (p<0.05). The inflection point was 24 d and was not numerically affected by diet forms. Increasing age (42 vs 21 d) significantly increased the weight of body fat and hepatic fat metabolism related enzyme activities in ducks (p<0.05), meanwhile, increasing age (42 vs 21 d) improved serum metabolism indicators and decreased mRNA expression levels of fat metabolism-related genes in liver (p<0.05). Ducks fed different diets (pellet vs powder form) increased growth performance as well as the weight of body fat and improved serum metabolism indicators (p<0.05). In addition, interactions were found between age and diet forms on the levels of serum metabolism indicators in ducks (p<0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, powder feed reduced growth performance of ducks, and the day of inflection point was 24 days old. Ducks with higher age or fed with pellet diet showed higher fat deposition. The effect of age and feed forms on body fat deposition might result from changes in the contents of serum metabolism indicators, key enzyme activity of lipid production, and hepatic gene expressions.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.313-321
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• 1998

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of equilibration and dilution methods on the survival rate of vitrified IVM-IVF bovine blastocysts. Vitrification solution was composed with 20% glycerol, 20% ethylene glycol, 3/8 M sucrose and 3/8 M dextrose in D-PBS supplemented with 20% FBS (GESD). Embryos were equilibrated in 1 of 3 methods: 3-step (El), 2-step (E2), or 1-step (E3), and after loading into 0.25-ml straws, were plunged into liquid nitrogen. After warming in water bath at 2$0^{\circ}C$, cryoprotectants were diluted in 1 of 3 methods: 1) D1(VS+1/2 M sucrose, 1/2 M sucrose and l/4 M sucrose), 2) D2 (1/2 M sucrose and 1/4 M sucrose), or 3) D3(1/2 M sucrose only). All procedures except warming were conducted at room temperature. Survival and hatching rates of blastocysts and expanded blastocysts following equilibration methods were 50 and 83.6%, and 27.8 and 67.3%, respectively in El, which were significantly higher (P〈0.01) than those of E2 (16.7 and 23.2%, and 7.4 and 12.5%, respectively) and 23 (0 and 3.7%, and 0 and 0%, respectively). Survival and hatching rates of expanded blastocysts were significantly (P〈0.01) higher than those of blastocysts in El. Survival rates of blastocysts and expanded blastocysts following dilution methods were 52% and 80.6% in D2, which were significantly higher (P〈0.05) than those of D1 (29.6 and 48.3%) and D3 (47.2 and 63.8%). Hatching rates of blastocysts were similar in D1, D2 and D3, however in expanded blastocysts, that of D2(61.3%) was significantly higher (P〈0.01) than that of D1(34.5%). Survival rates of expanded blastocysts in D1 and D2, and hatching rates in D2 and D3 were significantly higher(P〈0.01) than those of blastocysts. These results indicate that the viability of vitrified blastocysts was improved by the several steps of equilibration, and by 2-steps dilution after warming, independently of their stage of development. The results also indicated that the expanded blastocysts are more profitable to vitrification than blastocysts.

• Journal of Information Display
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2010

A method of characterizing time-sequential stereoscopic 3D displays based on the measurement of the temporal behavior of the systems vs. the grey levels is proposed. An Nvidia 3D vision kit with a 3D-ready SAMSUNG 2233RZ LCD display is characterized in the paper. OPTISCOPE SA especially designed for the precise measurements of the luminance and temporal behavior of LCD displays was used. The transmittance and response time of the shutter glasses was first evaluated. Then the grey-to-grey response times of the display were measured. The 2D and 3D behaviors of the display were then compared. Finally, the temporal behavior of the complete system was modeled, and the grey-level variations on one view were deduced as a function of the synchronization and level of the other eye. The main sources of imperfection were identified and quantified, and a full computation of the system performances was done.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.432-444
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) on anthropometric measurements, quality of diets, and blood parameters through the weight loss program in over weight or obese women. The subjects (n=76, $age\;31.1{\pm}8.4y,\;weight\;70.3{\pm}7.9kg,\;BMI\;27.2{\pm}2.4kg/m^2$) without medical disease were treated with MNT 5 times for 12 weeks by dietitian. Anthropometric measurements included height, weight, fat mass, lean body mass, triceps and thigh skin-fold thickness, mid-arm, waist, hip and thigh circumference. Dietary assessments were accomplished using 3-days food records, diet quality index (DQI), and dietary pattern. The dietary pattern was assessed by daily energy intakes from breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks of calorie density, and numbers of eating. Blood levels of leptin, lipid profiles (total lipids, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol), and insulin were analyzed. Anthropometric measurements decreased significantly after MNT (p<0.001). Waist circumference was reduced most rapidly and tricep skin-fold thickness was reduced most effectively after 12 weeks of MNT. Daily energy intake, calorie density and numbers of eating incidence decreased significantly $0796.4{\pm}395.5\;vs\;1402.9{\pm}217.8\;kcal/day,\;162.3{\pm}56.5\;vs\;113.4{\pm}30.1,\;5.0{\pm}1.4\;vs\;3.8{\pm}0.4$, respectively, p<0.05). The daily energy intake from breakfast and snacks significantly decreased (p<0.001). Calories from snack, calorie density of snack and numbers of snacking also decreased (p<0.05). The mean scores of DQI significantly increased ($7.6{\pm}2.1\;vs\;6.5{\pm}1.6$, p<0.05). The plasma levels of total lipid, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and leptin decreased significantly after MNT ($489.8{\pm}100.4\;vs\;447.0{\pm}87.3mg/dL,\;187.7{\pm}34.0\;vs\;175.9{\pm}31.5mg/dL,\;115.2{\pm}29.2\;vs\;109.2{\pm}26.7mg/dL,\;15.7{\pm}7.6\;vs\;12.4{\pm}5.9ng/mL$, respectively, p<0.05). These results indicate that MNT efficiently reduced the body weight through the changes in dietary intake, dietary patterns and dietary quality. MNT also changed body composition and reduced the levels of plasma lipid, cholesterol and leptin.