• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2023

The leopard plant has the characteristic of being used for ornamental purposes when there are yellow spots on the leaves, and is widely used as a bed plant for viewing flowers. To set several indicators to predict the growth of crops with ornamental value, and to quantitatively express the relationship between the indicators are necessary. In this study, we determine a model that estimates the leaf area and the number of flower of Farfugium japonicum Kitam. using leaf length and width, and conducting a regression analysis on some regression models. As an indicator for estimating the leaf area and the number of flower, the leaf length and width of F. japonicum were measured and applied to 8 regression models. As a result of regression analysis of 8 models that estimated leaf area and the number of flower, R² values of the linear models were all higher than 0.84 and 0.80. As a result of validation, using the most reliable model among the models for estimating the leaf area and the number of flowering, R² was 0.90 and 0.82, respectively. Using a model that estimates various indicators that can be used for quality evaluation from easy-to-measure morphological factors, the evaluation of ornamental plants will be facilitated.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.845-856
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• 2011

In order to establish fundamental data for stream restoration and environmental flow, we investigated inhabitation and species diversity of fish to substrate size in the typical streams of Geum River Basin. Field monitoring including fish sampling was conducted from October 2007 to October 2009. Substrate size was determined according to six different : silt (Si), sand (Sa), fine gravel (Fg), coarse gravel (Cg), cobbles (Co) and boulders (Bo). A total number of fish caught in the 18 sites was 7,649 representing 10 families 50 species, and Si, Sa, Fg, Cg, Co and Bo stations occupied 30, 29, 38, 30, 27 and 17 species, respectively. The most frequently found species in number was pale chum (Zacco platypus, 29.7%, n=2,275) followed by Z. koreanus (22.5%, n=1,720) in total stations. Biological diversity with increase of substrate size from the dominance of part species showed higher values as dominance index, lower and diversity, richness and evenness index. Index of biological integrity (IBI) and qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI) scores decreased with increase of substrate size. Therefore, it is necessary to make an effort on stream rehabilitation with evaluation of physical habitat condition by indicator species in order to maintain biodiversity and perform ecological restoration.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2009

Measurement of hemoglobin A1c is used as an objective indicator of long-term blood glucose control in diabetic patients. We evaluated recently introduced Norudia$^{(R)}$ HbA1c (Daiichi Pure Chemical Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) test reagent using enzyme method for HbA1c assay. Linearity, precision and correlation with VARIANT$^{TM}$ II Turbo HbA1c analyzer (BIO-RAD, Hercules, CA, USA) were evaluated. The reference range was determined from 201 healthy subjects. The Norudia$^{(R)}$ HbA1c test reagent was founded to be linear in a range of 5.6% to 14.0% ($r^2=0.9885$). The within-run and between-day precision were 0.954% and 1.03% for low level (HbA1c 5.24%), 0.67% and 1.28% for high level (HbA1c 9.01%), respectively. Comparison study between Norudia$^{(R)}$ HbA1c test reagent and VARIANT$^{TM}$ II Turbo showed good correlation with a slope of 1.0489. an intercept at -0.9717, and coefficient of correlation was 0.9907. The reference range of HbA1c obtained from this reagent was 4.07-5.50%. The Norudia$^{(R)}$ HbA1c test reagent showed good linearity, precision and correlation with HbA1c analyzer with HPLC method. In addition, the exclusive analyzer is not required for assay and then this kit may be useful for HbA1c assay in clinical laboratory.

• ALGAE
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.265-275
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• 2011

This study examined the bioaccumulation of the heavy metals copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) by the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, by exposing meristematic kelp tissue to elevated metal concentrations in seawater within laboratory aquaria. Specifically, we carried out two different experiments. The first examined metal uptake under a single, ecologically-relevant elevation of each metal (30 ppb Cu and 100 ppb Zn), and the second examined the relationships between varying levels of the metals (i.e., 15, 39, 60, 120, 240, and 480 ppb Cu, and 50, 100, 200, 300, 500, and 600 ppb Zn). Both experiments were designed to contrast the uptake of the metals in isolation (i.e., when only one metal concentration was elevated) and in combination (i.e., when both metals' concentrations were elevated). Following three days of exposure to the elevated metal concentrations, we collected and analyzed the M. pyrifera tissues using inductively coupled plasma atomic emissions spectroscopy. Our results indicated that M. pyrifera bioaccumulated Cu in all treatments where Cu concentrations in the seawater were elevated, regardless of whether Zn concentrations were also elevated. Similarly, M. pyrifera bioaccumulated Zn in treatments where seawater Zn concentrations were elevated, but this occurred only when we increased Zn alone, and not when we simultaneously increased Cu concentrations. This suggests that elevated Cu concentrations inhibit Zn uptake, but not vice versa. Following this, our second experiment examined the relationships among varying seawater Cu and Zn concentrations and their bioaccumulation by M. pyrifera. Here, our results indicated that, as their concentrations in the seawater rise, Cu and Zn uptake by M. pyrifera tissue also rises. As with the first experiment, the presence of elevated Zn in the water did not appear to affect Cu uptake at any concentration examined. However, although it was not statistically significant, we observed that the presence of elevated Cu in seawater appeared to trend toward inhibiting Zn uptake, especially at higher levels of the metals. This study suggests that M. pyrifera may be useful as a bio-indicator species for monitoring heavy metal pollution in coastal environments.

• Journal of Korea Association of Health Promotion
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.12-27
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• 2006

"본 논문은 대한내과학회지 2006년 제70권 제3호에 실렸던 논문으로 대한내과학회 편집위원회의 승인을 득하고 본 협회지에 게재함. Background : Diabetes mellitus is a major independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. In recent years non-invasive high resolution B-mode ultrasound methods have been developed to measure the intima-media thickness(IMT) of the carotid artery as an indicator for early atherosclerosis. Itis known that obesity plays a role in the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and it has also been reported that not only the amount but also the distribution of body fat is important. This study investigated the relationship between obesity and the development of carotid atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: Carotid IMT was measured by ultrasound B-mode imaging in 144 patients with type 2diabetes mellitus. All subjects underwent assessment for the degree and distribution of obesity, the presence of coronary artery disease risk factors, and the presence of diabetic complications. Resuts: Carotid IMT was increased in the abdominal obese group defined by waist circurference. However, there was no significant difference in carotid TMT between the non-obese group and obese group as defined by body mass index, waist to hip ratio, and total body fat percent measured by bio electrical impedance analysis. There were positive correlations between carotid IMT and age, duration of diabetes, systolic blood pressure, and waist circumference. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed the variable that interacted independently with carotid IMT was age in type 2 diabetic patients. Carotid IMT was significantly increased in type 2 diabetic patients with macrovascular complications and microvascvlar complications .Conclusion: This study suggested that abdominal obesity rather than general obesity was associated with carotid atherosclerosis reflected by increment of carotid IMT in type 2 diabetic subjects.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.29
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• pp.2.1-2.7
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• 2014

Objectives Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone important in the maturation of a broad spectrum of protein. In this study, an HSP90 gene was isolated from Asian paddle crab, Charybdis japonica, as a bio-indicator to monitor the marine ecosystem. Methods This work reports the responses of C. japonica HSP90 mRNA expression to cellular stress by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as bisphenol A (BPA) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) using real-time. reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results The deduced amino acid sequence of HSP90 from C. japonica shared a high degree of homology with their homologues in other species. In a phylogenetic analysis, C. japonica HSP90 is evolutionally related with an ortholog of the other crustacean species. The expression of HSP90 gene was almost distributed in all the examined tissues of the C. japonica crab but expression levels varied among the different body parts of the crabs. We examined HSP90 mRNA expression pattern in C. japonica crabs exposed to EDCs for various exposure times. The expression of HSP90 transcripts was significantly increased in C. japonica crabs exposed to BPA and NP at different concentrations for 12, 24, 48 and 96 hours. The mRNA expression of HSP90 gene was significantly induced in a concentration- and time-dependent manner after BPA or NP exposures for 96 hours. Conclusions Taken together, expression analysis of Asian paddle crab HSP90 gene provided useful molecular information about crab responses in stress conditions and potential ways to monitor the EDCs stressors in marine environments.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.555-565
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• 2019

Development of a biomarker for predicting tumor-treatment efficacy is a matter of great concern, to reduce time, medical expense, and effort in oncology therapy. In a preclinical study, we hypothesized that the blood-flow parameter based on laser speckle flowmetry (LSF) could be a potential indicator to estimate the efficacy of breast-cancer treatment. To verify this hypothesis, a 13762-MAT-B-III rat breast tumor was grown in a dorsal skinfold window chamber applied to a nude mouse, and the change in blood flow rate (BFR) - or the speckle flow index (SFI) is used together as the same meaning in this manuscript - was longitudinally monitored during tumor growth and metronomic cyclophosphamide treatment. Based on the daily LSF angiogram, several BFR parameters (baseline SFI, normalized SFI, and △rBFR) were compared to tumor size in the normal, treated, and untreated tumor groups. Despite the incomplete tumor treatment, we found that the daily changes in all BFR parameters tended to have partially positive correlation with tumor size. Moreover, we observed that the changes in baseline SFI and normalized SFI responded one day earlier than the tumor shrinkage during chemotherapy. However, daily variations in the hypercapnia-induced △rBFR lagged tumor shrinkage by one day. This study would contribute not only to evaluating tumor vascular response to treatment, but also to monitoring blood-flow-mediated diseases (in brain, skin, and retina) by using LSF in preclinical settings.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.539-542
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• 2006

The objective of this paper is to compare the applicability of assimilable organic carbon (AOC) or biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) for quantifying biodegradable organic material (BOM) and bio-stability in distribution systems for a variety of finished waters. The study the data is derived from was part of an AWWARF and Tampa Bay Water tailored collaboration project to determine the effect of blending different waters on distribution system water quality. Seven different finished waters were produced from surface, ground, or brackish water on site and fed 18 independent pilot distribution systems (PDSs), either as single finished water or as a blend of several finished waters. AOC and BDOC have often been used as indicators of bacterial regrowth potential in distribution systems. In this study, AOC was the more useful assay of the two for the BOM concentrations observed in the PDSs. BDOC did not distinguish BOM while AOC did at the low BOM levels from many of the advanced treatments (e.g. RO, $O^3/BAC$). AOC in contrast allowed much more meaningful calculations of the consumption or production of AOC as the blends passed through the PDSs even for very low BOM blends. In addition, meaningful trends corresponding to changes in heterophic plate count (HPC) were observed for AOC but not for BDOC. Moreover, AOC stability was associated with waters produced from advanced membrane treatment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.207-215
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• 2011

In order to establish fundamental data for stream restoration and environmental flow, we investigated physical habitat conditions of Korean chub (Zacco koreanus) in the typical streams of Han River. Field monitoring including fish sampling was conducted from September 2008 to April 2010. A total number of fish caught in the 8 sites was 3,421 representing 8 families 31 species, and 17 species (54.8%) including Korean shinner (Coreoleuciscus splendidus) and Z. koreanus were Korean endemic species during the study period. The most frequently found species in number was pale chub (Z. platypus, 25.7%) followed by Z. koreanus (22.8%) and Microphysogobio longidorsalis (16.8%). Numbers of Z. Koreanus ranged from 8 to 10 cm of total length were the highest in size distribution of their population in all sites. They were widely found in ranges of flow velocity (0.2~0.9 m/sec, 89.6%), water depth (0.3~0.9 m, 91.6%), and different types of substrates except for silt, and they tended to prefer run (58.1%) and riffle (33.7%) with cobble bed (47.0%) microhabitat. Most of upper streams in Korea consist of riffles and runs that are repeatedly followed by another one. However, stream channelization and leveling have caused reduction of habitat diversity. Therefore, it is necessary to make an effort on stream rehabilitation with evaluation of physical habitat condition by indicator species in order to maintain biodiversity and perform ecological restoration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.114-123
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• 2010

The Environmental Conservation Value Assessment Map (ECVAM) is a five grade assessment map created with nationally integrated environmental information and environmental values. The map is made through the evaluation of 67 items, including greenbelt area and bio-diversity. The ECVAM assesses the stability of the community using forest maps. However, the existing assessment method is problematic because the assessment grades are evaluated using higher than practical values; in part because it uses even-valued overlay and minimal indicator methods. This study was performed in order to suggest an integrated assessment method that could complement the stability evaluation based on existing methods. Accordingly, this study added forest type information, including whether the forest was natural or artificial, to the overlay method using forest diameter maps and forest density maps. As a result, the proposed ECVAM indicated a drastic grade change. After applying the method in South Korea, Grade I areas decreased 12.1%, from 52.6% to 40.6%, Grade II areas increased 11.9%, from 17.4% to 29.2%, and Grade III areas increased 0.2%, from 17.1% to 17.4%, respectively. From the results of the field survey, we found differences between natural forest and planted forest with regard to the number of mortality, species of shrubs, and vine cover. This means that natural forests are more stable than planted forests. This study suggests an improved assessment methodology to complement the existing EVCAM method. The results are expected to be used in environmental evaluations and forest conservation value assessments in ecology and environmental fields.