• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.39 no.12
• /
• pp.1769-1775
• /
• 2010

Menopause is often associated with the incidence of several chronic diseases including osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. The purpose of this study was designed to evaluate the possibility of osteoporosis prevention in postmenopausal women. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ecklonia stolonifera (ES) extracts on bone turnover markers in ovariectomized rats. For this study, the following four groups of 9-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were evaluated over 6 weeks: normal rats (SHAM), ovariectomized rats (OVX-CON) and ovariectomized rats that were treated with ES extracts. We measured the osteocalcin and C-telopeptide of collagen cross-links (CTx) content, enzyme ALP activity in serum and collagen content in the cartilage, bone, skin and lungs. We found that the levels of indicators of bone metabolism such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin and CTx were lower in rats in the ES extract group than the OVX-CON group. In addition, the collagen contents in the bone, cartilage, skin and lungs decreased in response to ovariectomy, but the levels of collagen were greater in the bone of rats that were treated with ES extract than in the bone of rats in the OVX-CON group. These results suggest that the ES may be an effective functional food to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.394-402
• /
• 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic unpredictable stress on the reproductive function and ovarian luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) expression. 9-week-old C57BL/6 female mice were randomly divided into two groups: control group and stressed group. Mice have been stressed twice a day for 35 days with 12 different stressors which were randomly selected. The results demonstrate that there is significant increase in the anxiety-related behaviors (P < 0.05), decrease body weight gain rate (P < 0.01) and decrease in the average of litter size in stressed mice compared with control group (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the rate of primary, secondary and early antral follicles in stressed mice significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas that of atretic follicles significantly increased compared with control mice (P < 0.01). The immunohistochemical analysis revealed that reduced LHR expression in granulosa cells of follicle and luteal cells of corpus luteum in response to chronic unpredictable stress. The western blot analysis revealed significantly decrease in LHR expression in the stressed mice ovaries compared with the control (P < 0.05). These results suggest that ovarian LHR expression affected by chronic unpredictable stress and the modulated ovarian LHR is responsible for ovarian follicular maldevelopment and reproductive dysfunction.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.91-112
• /
• 2021

This study aimed to explore the influence of family characteristics on the work-life balance of early adolescents. A series of data analyses was conducted on adolescents' use of time in daily life on the basis of 2018 Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS 2018). We found that the work-life balance of youth is related to their parents' health status, presence of older siblings, household income, parenting attitude, parent-child communication time, and mother's occupation. The work-life balance of the fifth graders is more likely to be influenced by family characteristics compared with that of the eighth graders. In particular, the fifth graders' sleep deprivation is affected by the mother's occupation, but there is no significant effect on the eighth graders' sleep deprivation. An important factor in skipping breakfast is household income, with adolescents from low-income families tending to skip breakfast more than five days a week. In addition, parents' health status and parenting attitude are significantly related to skipping of breakfast in early adolescents. Household income is related to the after-school private tutoring hours of both the fifth and eighth graders; however, parenting attitude and mother's occupation are also significant influencing factors of the fifth graders' after-school study. Mother's occupation is related to excessive cell phone use; specifically, the fifth graders whose mothers work white-collar jobs, sales and services or manufacturing are more likely to play with cell phones more than three hours a day than those whose mothers are full-time housewives. These results suggest that the work-life balance policies targeted at the family characteristics of adolescents can improve family environments in a manner that enhances adolescents' life balance, thus supporting the well-being of early adolescents and their families.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.225-233
• /
• 2021

This study quantitatively compares and analyzes lower extremity muscle activity and motor neurons by performing blood flow-restricting aerobic training in the lower extremities, which is closely related to aerobic capacity for health, in normal people, and provides basic data to suggest the effectiveness of an effective blood-restricting exercise program. would like to provide A group of 10 people who applied aerobic exercise on a treadmill by restricting blood flow to 140 mmHg of pressure was set as Experimental Group I. And 11 people who applied only aerobic exercise on a treadmill were randomly assigned as a control group. The intervention program was implemented on a treadmill for 4 weeks, 3 times a week, once a day, for 30 minutes once. In addition, muscle activity and motor neurons were measured and analyzed using surface electromyography before intervention. As a result of the study, the muscle activity of the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius was significantly increased (p<.001) in the pre-and-poster comparison within the group of experimental group I (p<.001). In the pre-and-poster comparison of the control group, the muscle activity of the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius was significantly increased (p<.001). In comparison of changes between groups, there was a significant difference in the activity of the rectus femoris muscle (p<.05). Combining aerobic exercise in parallel with lower extremity blood flow restriction can be developed into an injury prevention exercise program that can restore functional activity in rehabilitation training for elite athletes and elderly people with weak joints. In addition, based on these results in future research, it is considered that it is necessary to expand the scope of non-normal subjects and conduct various studies according to the pressure intensity.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.119-123
• /
• 1997

This study was performed to evaluate the influence of composting process with an intermittent aeration on the variation of rhizosphere soil temperature, $CO_2$ and $NH_3$ release, and the growth reponse of tomato plantlet in traditional and composting greenhouse. As the temperature of composting materials increased, rhizosphere soil temperature in 30cm depth rose up to $32^{\circ}C$ at one week after introduction. This was $18^{\circ}C$ higher than that of traditional greenhouse. After 20 days of active composting, temperature of rhizosphere soil started to decrease and remained constant at $23^{\circ}C$ after 35 days. For the traditional greenhouse, the averaged temperature ranged at $14{\sim}15^{\circ}C$. This results showed that composting greenhouse had the greater effect on increasing the underground temperature. Average value of evoluted $CO_2$ from the composting greenhouse for 70 days was $782{\sim}1154ppm$. This was $1.7{\sim}2.6$ times higher than that of the traditional greenhouse with an average of $440{\sim}462ppm$. $NH_3$ release was highest during $2{\sim}10$ days in intermittent aerated composting and reached to 134 ppm maximum on the 5th day, then decreased rapidly, and maintained at $3{\sim}4ppm$ after 17 days. Increased photosynthesis due to the $CO_2$ gas and a favorable rhizosphere environment due to the increased underground temperature resulted in improved growth, yield, and Brix degree of tomato fruit.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.84-90
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The effect of concurrent chemoradiotherapy was analyzed in elderly patients when used in the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: The retrospective analysis included 28 elderly patients aged 65 or older, with histopathologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy from January 2001 to July 2007. The squamous cell carcinoma disease stages included 8 patients (28.8%) in stage IIa, 10 patients (35.7%) in stage IIb, and 10 patients (35.7%) in stage III. Fractionated radiotherapy was performed with a 6 MV or 10 MV X-ray for 45~63 Gy (median: 59.4 Gy). Chemotherapy was applied concurrently with the initiation of radiotherapy. A 75 mg/$m^2$ dose of Cisplatin was intravenously administered on day 1. Further, 5-FU 1,000 mg/$m^2$ was continuously administered intravenously from days 1 to 4. This regimen was performed twice at 3-week intervals during radiotherapy. Two cycles of consolidation chemotherapy was performed after radiotherapy. Results: The follow-up period was 3~72 months (median: 19 months). The treatment responses after concurrent chemoradiotherapy included a complete response in 11 patients (39.3%), a partial response in 14 patients (50.0%), and no response in 3 patients (10.7%). The overall response rate was 89.3% (25 patients). The overall 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 55.9%, 34.6% and 24.2%, respectively. The median survival time was 15 months. Two-year survival rates of patients with a complete response, partial response, and no response were 46.2%, 33.0%, and 0%, respectively. The stage and tumor response after concurrent chemoradiotherapy were statistically significant prognostic factors related with survival. No treatment-related deaths occurred in this study. Conclusion: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a relatively effective treatment without serious complications in elderly patients with locally-advanced esophageal cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.22 no.10
• /
• pp.1407-1414
• /
• 2012

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an effective regimen that has been found to prevent these diseases in postmenopausal women. However, HRT is accompanied by an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Eisenia Bicyclis extract on lipids in ovariectomized rats. Fifty 7-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham-operated rats (SHAM), ovariectomized rats (OVX-CON), and ovariectomized rats that were treated with Eisenia bicyclis extracts. The extract-treated diets were fed to the rats for 6 weeks after operation. Antioxidant effects were measured by DPPH free radical scavenging activity. Antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract increased in a dose-dependent manner and was about 55.9% in a concentration of 100 ${\mu}g/ml$. We measured the total cholesterol content, triglyceride content, HDL-cholesterol content, LDL-cholesterol content, atherosclerotic index, cardiac risk factor in serum, and anti-platelet aggregation and blood rheology. The total cholesterol and triglyceride concentration in serum increased for the OVX-control group, but supplementation with the E. bicyclis extract caused these factors to decrease. Notably, the serum LDL-cholesterol concentration in the OVX-EB200 group was significantly lower than the OVX-CON group. In addition, the blood passage times in rats that received the E. bicyclis extract were more rapid than the times in the untreated group (OVX-CON). Microscopic evaluation revealed that whole blood passed more smoothly through the microchannels in rats in the E. bicyclis extract supplement groups. Our results clarified the effects of E. bicyclis extract on serum lipid content in ovariectomized rats, and consequently we expect positive effects from providing E. bicyclis extract to postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.5-15
• /
• 2011

Although iron is an essential mineral, excess iron intake during pregnancy may increase oxidative stress in tissues. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of iron overload during pregnancy on iron status and oxidative stress in maternal rats. Ten week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were mated with male rats. Non-pregnant (control) and pregnant rats were fed diets containing normal Fe (35 mg/kg diet), high Fe (350 mg/kg diet), or excess Fe (1,050 mg/kg diet) during pregnancy. Rats were sacrificed on pregnancy day 19. No significant difference in weight gain, diet intake, or litter size was observed according to iron intake levels. Furthermore, serum iron, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were not different among the rats administered the three levels of Fe both in the control and pregnant groups. However, the iron levels were lower in pregnant rats than those in the control. The liver and spleen iron contents increased significantly in the excess Fe group. An increase in liver ferritin levels with increasing iron intake was observed. Protein carbonyl content, as a marker of oxidative stress, increased significantly in liver with increasing iron intake but not malondialdehyde. Glutathione peroxidase activity in the liver of pregnant rats fed excess iron decreased significantly. Bcl-2 protein expression in the liver declined remarkably with increasing maternal iron intake in pregnant rats. Taken together, iron overload during pregnancy had little effect on hematology. However, the deposits of iron in the liver and the decline in antioxidant enzyme activity implied increased oxidative stress in tissues of the excess Fe group. These results suggest that excess iron intake during pregnancy increases oxidative stress in maternal tissues and may also affect fetal tissues.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of light intensity on the initial growth response of three woody plants for indoor landscaping; Ardisia pusilla, Clusia rosea and Fatsia japonica. The plants were planted in 10cm pots, the light intensities used were of four levels-15, 30, 60, $120{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$ PPFD-and light irradiation time was set to 12/12 (day/night). Growth responses including plant height, leaf length, leaf width, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), SPAD and Hunter values were measured at 4-week intervals, and shoot weight and root weight of fresh and dry plants were measured after completion of the experiment. Fatsia japonica tended to show greater leaf length and leaf width as light intensity became greater, while other plants did not show any significant differences at different light intensities. The Fv/Fm value of the Ardisia pusilla was found to be stressed at 60 and $120{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$, while the Fv/Fm values were within normal range with other plants or at other light intensity levels to show no stress. Only Clusia rosea showed significantly different SPAD values at $120{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$, and there was no significant SPAD value difference found with other plants or at other light intensity levels. While Hunter values of the Ardisia pusilla did not show any significant differences at any light intensity levels, Clusia rosea and Fatsia japonica showed specificity in L, a and b values at 60 and $120{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$, respectively. Ardisia pusilla showed a big stem growth at $120{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$, and Clusia rosea showed a steady growth at 60 and $120{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.641-647
• /
• 2014

In this study, we evaluated the effect of Capsosiphon fulvescens extract (CFE) and its active compound, pheophorbide A (PhA), on diabetic kidney failure. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ; 40 mg/kg body weight (BW)). After a week, the rats were orally administered CFE (4 and 20 mg/kg BW) or PhA (0.2 mg/kg BW) once a day for 9 weeks. After scarification, renal tissue samples were collected for biochemical and histochemical analyses. Our study showed that the treatment with CFE and PhA significantly decreased lipid peroxidation level and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase (p<0.05), but it increased glutathione level and the activities of glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in the renal tissues (p<0.05). The CFE- and PhA-treated rats with DM showed improved histochemical appearance and decreased abnormal glycogen accumulation. Therefore, we suggest that PhA-containing CFE could exert renal protective effects against STZ-induced oxidative stress.