• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.494-499
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• 2002

The objectives of this study were to document the reproductive traits of mares as influenced by the month of the year in Taiwan. Reproductive records, lactation traits, foal birth weight (FBW) and foal height (FBH) were collected from Holi Equine Station of Taiwan. The effects of month on these parameters were analyzed. The length of estrus (LE) was shortest in December each year. The increasing trend was recorded from January to September with a significantly (p<0.05) longer period of $12.4{\pm}0.4$ days in September than in January and February. A gradual shortening in LE was observed from September to December ($10.1{\pm}0.6$ days, p<0.05), when the shortest period of the year was observed. Mares showed signs of estrus throughout the year, but more than 80% were found in estrus during March through October. The FBW was significantly (p<0.05) affected by the breeding month of the year. The lowest foal weights were recorded in both September ($36.7{\pm}0.7$ kg) and December ($36.8{\pm}0.9$ kg), which were also significantly lower than those in other months except in March, August, and November. A trend of lower FBH from September to December (93.5-93.8 cm) than those from January to August was observed. The greatest FBH was in June (96.2 cm). Breeding months and onset of estrus of the mares exerted a significant effect on the incidence of agalactia during the lactation period. These analyses provide fundamental information on adaptive processes in respect to reproductive characteristics of mares, which indicated an extent of acclimation by these animals in subtropical Taiwan.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.493-500
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• 2003

The effect of reductive treatment with elemental iron on the extent of mineralization by Fenton oxidation was studied for the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-l,3,5-trinitro-l,3,5-triazine (RDX) using a completely-stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The results support the hypothesis that TNT and RDX are reduced with elemental iron to products that are oxidized more rapidly and completely by Fenton's reagent. Iron pretreatment enhanced the extent of TOC removal by approximately $20\%\;and\;60\%$ for TNT and RDX, respectively. Complete TOC removal was achieved for TNT and RDX solutions with iron pretreatment under optimal conditions. On the other hand, without iron pretreatment, complete mineralization of TNT and RDX solutions were not achieved even with much higher $H_2O_2$ and $Fe^{2+}$ concentrations. The bench-scale iron treatment-Fenton oxidation integrated system showed more than $95\%$ TOC removal for TNT and RDX solutions under optimal conditions. The proposed zero-valent iron-Fenton process was evaluated with pink water from the Iowa Army ammunition plant. Results from batch and column experiments show that TNT, RDX, and octahydro-l,3,5,7-tetranitro-l,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) were completely removed from the pink water and that triaminotoluene (TAT) and ${NH_4}^+$ were recovered as products in reduction with zero-valent iron. By using an integrated system, $83.3\pm4.2\%$ of TOC was removed in a CSTR with 10 mM of $Fe^{2+}$ and 50 mM of $H_2O_2$. These results suggest that the reduction products of TNT and RDX are more rapidly and completely mineralized by Fenton oxidation and that a sequential iron treatment-Fenton oxidation process may be a viable technology for pink water treatment.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.9 no.1 s.21
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• pp.25-45
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• 2005

Background Phenomenography suggests that more variation is associated with wider ways of experiencing phenomena. In the discipline of mathematics, broadening the 'lived space' of mathematics learning might enhance students' ability to solve mathematics problems Aims The aim of the present study is to: 1. enhance secondary school students' capabilities for dealing with mathematical problems; and 2. examine if students' conception of mathematics can thereby be broadened. Sample 410 Secondary 1 students from ten schools participated in the study and the reference group consisted of 275 Secondary 1 students. Methods The students were provided with non-routine problems in their normal mathematics classes for one academic year. Their attitudes toward mathematics, their conceptions of mathematics, and their problem-solving performance were measured both at the beginning and at the end of the year. Results and conclusions Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the problem-solving performance of students receiving non-routine problems improved more than that of other students, but the effect depended on the level of use of the non-routine problems and the academic standards of the students. Thus, use of non-routine mathematical problems that appropriately fits students' ability levels can induce changes in their lived space of mathematics learning and broaden their conceptions of mathematics and of mathematics learning.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 2009

Human erythropoietin (EPO) is a leading product in the biopharmaceutical market, but functional EPO has only been produced in mammalian cells, which limits its application and drives up the production costs. Using plants to produce human proteins may be an alternative way to reduce the cost. However, a recent report demonstrated that overexpression of the human EPO gene (EPO) in tobacco or Arabidopsis rendered males sterile and retarded vegetative growth, which raises concern whether EPO might interfere with hormone levels in transgenic plants. In the present study, we demonstrated that overexpressing EPO with additional 5'-His tag and 3' ER-retention peptides in tobacco did not cause any developmental defect compared to GUS plants. With our method, all 20 transgenic plants grew on selective medium and, further confirmed by PCR, were fertile. Most of them grew similarly compared to GUS plants. Only one transgenic plant (EPO2) was shorter in plant height but had twice the life span compared to other transgenic plants. When 11 randomly selected EPO plants, along with the abnormal plant EPO2, were subjected to RT-PCR analysis, all of them had detectable EPO transcripts. However, their protein levels varied considerably; seven of them had detectable EPO proteins analyzed by western blot. Our results indicate that overexpressing human EPO protein in plants does not have detrimental effects on growth and development. Our transformation systems allow us to further explore the possibility of glycoengineering tobacco plants for producing functional EPO and its derivatives.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1386-1392
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• 2010

A bacterial strain designated GR5$^T$, previously isolated from a freshwater culture pond in Taiwan while screening for bacteria for antimicrobial compounds, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain GR5$^T$ was found to be Gram-negative, aerobic, greenish-yellow colored, rod-shaped, and motile by means of a single polar flagellum. Growth occurred at $10-40^{\circ}C$ (optimum, $35^{\circ}C$), pH 7.0-8.0 (optimum pH 8.0), and with 0-2.0% NaCl (optimum, 0.5-1.0%). The major fatty acids were $C_{16:1}{\omega}7c$(36.3%), $C_{16:0}$(16.6%), $C_{12:0}$ 3-OH (12.5%), and $C_{18:1}{\omega}7c$(9.1%). The major respiratory quinone was Q-8, and the DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 51.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain GR5$^T$ belongs to the genus Rheinheimera, where its most closely related neighbors are Rheinheimera texasensis A62-14B$^T$ and Rheinheimera tangshanensis JA3-B52$^T$ with sequence similarities of 98.1% and 97.5%, respectively, and the sequence similarities to any other recognized species within Gammaproteobacteria are less than 96.5%. The mean level of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain GR5$^T$ and R. texasensis A62-14B$^T$, the strain most closely related to the isolate, was $26.5{\pm}7.6%$. Therefore, based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic data, strain GR5$^T$ should be classified as a novel species, for which the name Rheinheimera aquatica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GR5$^T$ (=BCRC 80081$^T$=LMG 25379$^T$).

• Wind and Structures
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.133-150
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• 1999

Significant costs to the public and private sectors due to recent extreme wind events have motivated the need for systematic post-hurricane damage data collection and analysis. Current post disaster data are collected by many different interested groups such as government agencies, voluntary disaster relief agencies, representatives of media companies, academicians and companies in the private sector. Each group has an interest in a particular type of data. However, members of each group collect data using different techniques. This disparity in data is not conducive to quantifying damage data and, therefore, inhibits the statistical and spatial description of damage and comparisons of damage among different extreme wind events. The data collection does not allow comparisons of data or results of analyses within a group and also prohibits comparison of damage data and information among different groups. Typically, analyses of data from a given event lead to different conclusion depending upon the definition of damage used by individual investigators and the type of data collected making it difficult for members of groups to compare the results of their analyses with a common language and basis. A formal method of data collection and analysis-within any single group-would allow comparisons to be made among different individuals, hazardous events and eventually among different groups, thus facilitating the management and reduction of damage due to future disaster. This research introduces a definition of damage to single family dwellings, and a common method of data collection and analysis suited for groups interested in regional characterization of damage. The current state-of-data is presented and a method for data collection is recommended based on these existing data collection methods. A fixed-scale damage index is proposed to consider the damage to a dwelling's feature. Finally, the damage index is applied to three dwellings damaged by Hurricane Iniki (1992). The damage index reflects the reduced functionality of a structure as a single family detached dwelling and provides a means to evaluate regional damage due to a single event or to compare damage due to events of different severity. Evaluation of the damage index and the data available support recommendation for future data collection efforts.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.39-42
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• 2020

The Senior-Loken syndrome was first described in 1961 as an oculo-renal disease consisting of familial juvenile nephronophthisis and Leber congenital amaurosis. It is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with a prevalence of 1:1,000,000 caused by mutations in nine genes (NPHP 1-8 and NPHP 10). Ocular manifestations (e.g., photophobia, nystagmus, and extreme hyperopia) occur within the first few years of life while renal manifestations (e.g., formation of multiple cysts impairing kidney function and end-stage renal disease) appear in late childhood to adolescence. Here, we report a case of a Filipino male presenting with rotatory nystagmus and progressive deterioration of vision since childhood. He had congenital amaurosis and juvenile nephronophthisis that progressed to end stage renal disease by age 19. All laboratory and imaging findings were consistent with chronic kidney disease. Molecular genetic testing of ciliopathy-related genes was performed revealing a homozygous mutation in exon 11 of the IQCB1/NPHP5 gene, c.1090C>T (p.Arg364^⁎). This sequence change created a premature translational stop signal resulting in a truncated protein product, nephrocystin-5 and its consequent loss of function. His symptoms eventually improved with initiation dialysis. The prognosis of Senior-Loken syndrome remains dismal and a high index of suspicion, early diagnosis and timely intervention of renal complications are warranted.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.497-506
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• 2021

Besides using for hair removal, depilatory agents have been considered to be used as a penetration enhancer for transepidermal drug delivery. To examine the effect in hair follicles (HFs), two commercially available depilatory creams were tested on the dorsal skin of mice to monitor the effect deep into the skin structure. Fifteen male BALB/c mice were used in this study. Depilatory creams were applied to the dorsal skin of the same animal using shaved and untouched treatments as controls to minimize individual differences. Skin samples were collected at three days, one week and two weeks (n = 5 for each) after the treatment, and subjected for hematoxylin-eosin staining, and immunohistochemical analysis for proinflammatory cytokines. The morphological examination showed an increase in the thickness of epidermal layer of the depilatory cream-treated skin at early time points and in the subcutis at two weeks. Depilatory cream promoted entry of anagen phase and increased the number of hair follicles in the subcutis at one and two weeks. Immunohistochemistry showed elevated percentages of dermal fibroblasts expressing interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and tumor necrosis factor-β. Shaving process increased the thickness of epidermis and dermis as depilatory creams did, but did neither induce the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the dermal fibroblasts nor the number of HFs. The results suggested that the commercially available depilatory creams caused a transient minor inflammatory response of the skin and increased the levels of cytokines that might subsequently affect hair growth.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.390-395
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• 2021

Background: Health-care providers typically undergo shift work and are subjected to increased stress. Night shift work may induce disturbed sleep cycles and circadian rhythm. The objective of this study was to explore if night shift workers (NSWs) show an increased risk of abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 574 employees without thyroid disease and abnormal TSH at baseline who underwent annual check-ups between 2007 and 2016 in a medical center. NSWs were defined as those with working time schedules other than daytime hours. We calculated the incidence rate and estimated the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for incident abnormal TSH and subclinical hypothyroidism compared with non-NSWs using a Cox regression model. Results: A total of 56 incident abnormal TSH cases and 39 subclinical hypothyroidism cases in NSWs were identified during 3000 person-years of follow-up. In models adjusted for age, sex, obesity, and working departments, we found no increased relative risk for incident abnormal TSH (HR: 0.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.33-1.60) or subclinical hypothyroidism (HR: 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.19-1.45) when comparing NSWs to non-NSWs; nor were incidence rates significantly different among exclusively medical employees after excluding administrative staff. Conclusion: In this hospital-based nine-year follow-up retrospective cohort study, NSWs were not associated with increased relative risk of incident abnormal TSH and subclinical hypothyroidism, in contrast to previous cross-sectional studies.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1088-1097
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• 2021

Grouper nervous necrosis virus (GNNV) infection causes mass grouper mortality, leading to substantial economic loss in Taiwan. Traditional methods of controlling GNNV infections involve the challenge of controlling disinfectant doses; low doses are ineffective, whereas high doses may cause environmental damage. Identifying potential methods to safely control GNNV infection to prevent viral outbreaks is essential. We engineered a virus-binding bacterium expressing a myxovirus resistance (Mx) protein on its surface for GNNV removal from phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), thus increasing the survival of grouper fin (GF-1) cells. We fused the grouper Mx protein (which recognizes and binds to the coat protein of GNNV) to the C-terminus of outer membrane lipoprotein A (lpp-Mx) and to the N-terminus of a bacterial autotransporter adhesin (Mx-AIDA); these constructs were expressed on the surfaces of Escherichia coli BL21 (BL21/lpp-Mx and BL21/Mx-AIDA). We examined bacterial surface expression capacity and GNNV binding activity through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; we also evaluated the GNNV removal efficacy of the bacteria and viral cytotoxicity after bacterial adsorption treatment. Although both constructs were successfully expressed, only BL21/lpp-Mx exhibited GNNV binding activity; BL21/lpp-Mx cells removed GNNV and protected GF-1 cells from GNNV infection more efficiently. Moreover, salinity affected the GNNV removal efficacy of BL21/lpp-Mx. Thus, our GNNV-binding bacterium is an efficient microparticle for removing GNNV from 10‰ brackish water and for preventing GNNV infection in groupers.