• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.310-318
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate anti-arthritis activity using natural eggshell membrane (NEM). Methods: NEM was administered at 52 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg to SD-Rat, where arthritis was induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) at 3 mg. NO production in serum was measured using Griess reagent. Cytokines including IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6 were measured by Luminex and $PGE_2$, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, $LTB_4$, and hs-CRP were measured by ELISA. The cartilage of patella volume was examined and 3-D high-resolution reconstructions of the cartilage of patella were obtained using a Micro-CT system. Results: Production of NO, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, $PGE_2$, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, $LTB_4$, and hs-CRP in serum was decreased, respectively, in comparison with control. The cartilage of patella volume increased significantly. In addition, the NEM group showed a decrease in the cartilage of patella, synovial membrane, and transformation of fibrous tissue. Conclusion: The results for NEM showed significant anti-arthritis activity. These results may be developed as a raw material for new health food to ease the symptoms mentioned above.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.108-125
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• 2015

The agro-climatic index is one of the ways to assess the climate resources of particular agricultural areas on the prospect of agricultural production; it can be a key indicator of agricultural productivity by providing the basic information required for the implementation of different and various farming techniques and practicalities to estimate the growth and yield of crops from the climate resources such as air temperature, solar radiation, and precipitation. However, the agro-climate index can always be changed since the index is not the absolute. Recently, many studies which consider uncertainty of future climate change have been actively conducted using multi-model ensemble (MME) approach by developing and improving dynamic and statistical downscaling of Global Climate Model (GCM) output. In this study, the agro-climatic index of Korean Peninsula, such as growing degree day based on $5^{\circ}C$, plant period based on $5^{\circ}C$, crop period based on $10^{\circ}C$, and frost free day were calculated for assessment of the spatio-temporal variations and uncertainties of the indices according to climate change; the downscaled historical (1976-2005) and near future (2011-2040) RCP climate sceneries of AR5 were applied to the calculation of the index. The result showed four agro-climatic indices calculated by nine individual GCMs as well as MME agreed with agro-climatic indices which were calculated by the observed data. It was confirmed that MME, as well as each individual GCM emulated well on past climate in the four major Rivers of South Korea (Han, Nakdong, Geum, and Seumjin and Yeoungsan). However, spatial downscaling still needs further improvement since the agro-climatic indices of some individual GCMs showed different variations with the observed indices at the change of spatial distribution of the four Rivers. The four agro-climatic indices of the Korean Peninsula were expected to increase in nine individual GCMs and MME in future climate scenarios. The differences and uncertainties of the agro-climatic indices have not been reduced on the unlimited coupling of multi-model ensembles. Further research is still required although the differences started to improve when combining of three or four individual GCMs in the study. The agro-climatic indices which were derived and evaluated in the study will be the baseline for the assessment of agro-climatic abnormal indices and agro-productivity indices of the next research work.