• Anxiety and mood
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2009

Objective : SCP-20, a yeast hydrolysate from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has exhibited anti-stress, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant effects in animal studies. The objective of this study was to test the effects of SCP-20 on healthy controls and to assess its effects on stress response, depression and, anxiety. Methods : Sixty-one healthy volunteers (30 male, 31 female) were recruited and screened for significant psychiatric and medical conditions. Baseline measures of stress, anxiety, and depression were taken using questionnaires such as the Stress Response Inventory (SRI), Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), and the physiological measure of heart rate variability (HRV). Each subject was assigned randomly to a group taking capsules containing either 70% SCP-20 (i.e. the SCP70 group), 99.5% SCP-20 (i.e. the SCP99.5 group), or a placebo. Follow up measures were taken at week 4. Results : Subjects taking SCP-20 showed significant improvement in SRI and BAI scores compared to those taking placebo. For BDI scores, there was no significant difference between groups. No significant adverse effects were reported. Conclusions : This study suggests that SCP-20 is effective in alleviating stress and anxiety symptoms in healthy individuals, and has little or no side effects. However, the role of of SCP-20 in alleviating depression needs further clarification. Studiess examining its effects in psychiatric populations are needed to establish its role in alternative medicine.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.87-93
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• 2009

Purpose: TThis study examined the effect of repetitive magnetic stimulation (RMS) on the viability and proliferative response of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (hATSCs) in vitro. Methods: The hATSCs were cultured primarily from human adipose tissue harvested by liposuction and incubated in a $37^{\circ}C$ plastic chamber. The cells were exposed to a repetitive magnetic field using a customized magnetic stimulator (Biocon-5000, Mcube Technology). The RMS parameters were set as follows: repetition rate=10Hz, 25Hz (stimulus intensity 100%= 0.1 Tesla, at 4cm from the coil), stimulated time= 1, 5, and 20 minutes. Twenty four hours after one application of RMS, the hATSCs were compared with the sham stimulation, which were kept under the same conditions without the application of RMS. The cells were observed by optical microscopy to determine the morphology and assessed by trypan blue staining for cell proliferation. The apoptosis and viability of the hATSCs were also analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of Annexin V and MTT assay. Results: After RMS, the morphology of the hATSCs was not changed and the apoptosis of hATSCs were not increased compared to the sham stimulation. The viability of the cells was similar to the cells given the sham stimulation. Interestingly, the level of hATSC proliferation was significantly higher in all RMS groups. Conclusion: The application of RMS may not cause a change in morphology and viability of hATSCs but can increase the level of cell proliferation in vitro. RMS might be useful as an adjuvant tool in combination with stem cell therapy without adverse effects.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.83-88
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• 2004

The present study was carried out to investigate the potential adverse effects of CKD-602 by a 5-day repeated intravenous dose in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test article, CKD-602, was administered intravenously to male and female rats at dose levels of 0.07, 0.22, 0.67, 2.0 and 6.0 mg/kg/day for 5 days consecutively. Mortalities, clinical findings, and body weight changes were monitored for the 14-day period after cessation of the administration. At the end of 14-day observation period, all animals were sacrificed and complete gross postmortem examinations were performed. There were 2 and 5 treatment related deaths in the 0.67 and 2.0 mg/kg/day dose groups of both genders, respectively. Treatment related clinical signs, including hair loss, skin paleness, decreased locomotor activity, emaciation, and changes in stool were observed in a dose-dependent manner from the third day after initiation of the injection. Decrease or suppression of body weight was also observed dose-dependently in males and females of the treated groups. Gross postmortem examinations revealed a dose-dependent increase in the incidence and severity of atrophy or hypertrophy and white membrane formation in the spleen, atrophy of the thymus, diffuse white spots and paleness of the liver, paleness of the lung, kidney and adrenal gland, and dark red discoloration and dark red contents in the alimentary tract. Based on these results, it was concluded that the 5-repeated intravenous injection of CKD-602 to male and female rats resulted in increased incidence of abnormal clinical signs and death, decreased or suppressed body weight, and increased incidence of abnormal gross findings. In the present experimental conditions, the $LD_{50}$ value was 2.07 (95% confidence limit not specified) mg/kg/day in both genders and the $LD_{10}$ value was 1.72 (95% confidence limit not specified) mg/kg/day in both genders.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.93-103
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• 2010

This study investigated the potential effects of amitraz on the pre- and postnatal development, behavior, and reproductive performance of offspring of parent rats given amitraz during pre-mating, gestation, and lactation. The test chemical was administered via the drinking water containing 0, 40, 120, and 360 ppm to male rats from 2 weeks before mating to the end of 14-day mating period and to females from 2 weeks before mating, throughout mating, gestation and lactation up to weaning. Based on fluid consumption, the male rats received an average of $0,\;5.7{\pm}1.33,\;13.2{\pm}2.08,$ and $35.8{\pm}3.42$ mg/kg/day amitraz, and the female rats received an average of $0,8.7{\pm}4.42,\;20.1{\pm}9.60,\;and\;47.6{\pm}22.38$ mg/kg/day amitraz, respectively. At 360 ppm, an increase in the incidence of abnormal clinical signs, a suppression in the body weight gain, a decrease in the food consumption and litter size, an increase in the post-implantation loss, and a decrease in the seminal vesicle weight were observed in the parent animals. In addition, a suppression in the body weight gain, a decrease in the grip strength, a delay in the negative geotaxis, an increase in the pre- and post-implantation loss, and a decrease in the number of live embryos were observed in the offspring. At 120 ppm, suppressed body weight gain and reduced food consumption were observed in the parent rats. Suppressed body weight gain and decreased grip strength were also observed in the offspring. There were no signs of either reproductive or developmental toxicity at 40 ppm. Under these experimental conditions, the no-observed-adverse-effect level of amitraz for parent rats and their offspring was estimated to be 40 ppm in rats.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.38-48
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• 2010

Adverse weather (e.g. strong winds, snow and ice) will probably appear as a more serious and frequent threat to road traffic than in clear climate. Another consequence of climate change with a natural disastrous on road traffic is respond to traffic accident more the large and high-rise bridge zone, tunnel zone, inclined plane zone and de-icing zone than any other zone, which in turn calls for continuous adaption of monitoring procedures. Accident mitigating measures against this accident category may consist of intense winter maintenance, the use of road weather information systems for data collection and early warnings, road surveillance and traffic control. While hazard from reduced road friction due to snow and ice may be eliminated by snow removal and de-icing measures, the effect of strong winds on road traffic are not easily avoided. The purpose of the study described here, was to design of amber information the relationship between traffic safety, weather, user information on road weather and driving conditions in local-scale Geographic. The most applications are the optimization of the amber information definition, improvements to road surveillance, road weather monitoring and improved accuracy of user information delivery. Also, statistics on wind gust, surface condition, vehicle category and other relevant parameters for wind induced accidents provide basis for traffic control, early warning policies and driver education for improved road safety at bad weather-exposed locations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.892-897
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• 2013

We investigated the acute toxicity from a single dose of crude anti-fungal compounds produced by Lactobacillus plantarum AF1, a lactic acid bacterium isolated from kimchi, on ICR male and female mice in vivo. The test article was orally administered once to both sexes of mice. The mortality rate, clinical findings, autopsy findings, and body weight changes were monitored daily for 14 days. In the oral acute toxicity test, male and female mice were gavaged with four doses (5, 50, 300 or 2,000 mg/kg) of the crude anti-fungal compounds. The oral $LD_{50}$ of the crude anti-fungal compounds was higher than 2,000 mg/kg. No significant changes in general conditions, body weights, clinical signs, or appearance of gross lesions were observed. In conclusion, our results suggest a low toxicity and no-adverse-effects from crude anti-fungal compounds produced by Lactobacillus plantarum AF1 up to 2,000 mg/kg via the oral route.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.207-230
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• 2001

This paper uses the Korean Labor Panel data to investigate changes in the employment types of male workers following their job changes with the classification of workers into three categories: regular wage workers, non-regular wage workers, and self-employed workers. It also estimates a competing-risks hazard model to analyze the determinants of employment types of workers. The results show that the type of employment of a worker at an immediate previous job has a critical importance in determining his employment type at a new job and that the types of employment at jobs other than the immediate previous job also play some role in determining the type of employment at a new job, although their impact declines as the number of intervening jobs increases. A job loser, who worked as a non-regular worker at his immediate previous job, for example, is considerably less likely to find a regular job, but more likely to get reemployed at another non-regular job than one who worked as a regular worker at his immediate previous job. Similarly, a worker who quit self-employment is much less likely to find a regular job but more likely to restart his own business than one who worked as a regular worker at his immediate previous job. These findings suggest that it is not easy at all for a worker who worked as either a non-regular worker or self-employed worker to become a regular worker, although it might be premature to assert that non-regular jobs or self-employed jobs are dead-end jobs. Another interesting finding of this analysis is that a high unemployment rate lowers a probability of reemployment at either regular jobs or self-employed jobs, but raises a non-regular job reemployment probability, which strongly implies that as labor market conditions become adverse to workers the proportion of non-regular employment can rise rapidly.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1761-1768
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• 2006

In this study, the comparative effects of transgenic corn (Mon 810 and Event 176) and isogenic corn (DK729) were investigated for their influence on in vitro rumen fermentation. This study consisted of three treatments with 0.25 g rice straw, 0.25 g of corn (Mon810/Event176/DK 729) mixed with 30 ml rumen fluid-basal medium in a serum bottle. They were prepared in oxygen free conditions and incubated at $39^{\circ}C$ in a shaking incubator. The influence of transgenic corn on the number of bacterial population, F. succinogenes (cellulolytic) and S. bovis (amylolytic), was quantified using RT-PCR. Fermentative parameters were measured at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h and substrate digestibility was measured at 12 and 24 h. No significant differences were observed in digestibility of dry matter, NDF, ADF at 12 and 24 h for both transgenic and isogenic form of corns (p>0.05) as well as in fermentative parameters. Fluid pH remained unaffected by hybrid trait and decreased with VFA accumulation as incubation time progressed. No influence of corn trait itself was seen on concentration of total VFA, acetic, propionic, butyric and valeric acids. There were no significant differences (p<0.05) in total gas production, composition of gas (methane and hydrogen) at all times of sampling, as well as in NH3-N production. Bacterial quantification using RT-PCR showed that the population number was not affected by transgenic corn. From this study it is concluded that transgenic corn (Mon810 and Event 176) had no adverse effects on rumen fermentation and digestibility compared to isogenic corn. However, regular monitoring of these transgenic feeds is needed by present day researchers to enable consumers with the option to select their preferred food source for animal or human consumption.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.37
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• pp.197-220
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• 2013

To develop the tourism industry, which is a 'no smoking environment-friendly green industry' and can contribute to creating jobs, it is the goal of top priority to resolve foreign tourists' discomfort and fear by allowing them to look around the country satisfactorily without fear and return to their home and inducing them to naturally promote tourism in South Korea to people around them. No matter how great tourist attractions a country has, there is not many foreign tourists who will go on a tour trembling with fear of crimes such as thefts, frauds, threats and blackmail. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the conditions of tourism free from various illegal acts and inconveniences for domestic and foreign tourists, and for this, it is urgently necessary to make efforts to improve laws and institutions. Domestic tourists can report their complaints themselves through the Tourist Complaint Center of Korea Tourist Service, Inc. or Korea Consumer Agency, or to the police through the 112 Crime Report. In contrast, there are a lot of cases in which foreign tourists cannot receive compensation as it is not easy for them to report due to the differences in language, culture and the criminal justice system though they have suffered illegal acts or inconveniences. This, consequently, has an adverse effect that would disturb the tourism in South Korea as the tourists may spread its bad images to people around them after they return to their home countries with discomfort, so it is urgently necessary to establish a foreign tourist-centered tourist police system.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.445-452
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• 2006

Aralia elata, a common medicinal and culinary herb, has beer consumed for centuries without any reported adverse effects. However, due to its limited safety information, we decided to investigate the repeated-dose toxicity of ethanolic extract of Aralia elata. The test was administered once daily by the gavage to male and female rats at doses of 0, 250, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg/day for four weeks. Throughout the study, no treatment-related deaths or clinical signs were observed. Also, no apparent changes were detected in ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, serum biochemistry, hematology and gross necropsy. The test result showed a significant decrease in body and heart weight of males treated with 250 mg/kg of extract of Aralia elata compared to normal control, a significant increase in relative brain weight and adrenal weight in females treated with 250 mg/kg of extract compared to normal control. However, all these changes were not considered toxicologically important due to irrelevant dose-response relationship to gross and microscopic findings. Histopathologically, abnormal changes were not observed in any target organs. On the basis of these results, the NOAEL of extract of Aralia elata was estimated to be more than 1,000 mg/kg/day under the tested conditions.