• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.36-40
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• 1989

The eels, Anguilla japonica, were reared in a tank with daily feeding for up to 97 days, and otoliths were regularly collected for the observation of their microstructures. Microscopic observation of the thin-sectioned otolith under dark field provided significant information on daily growth increments as well as the difference in visual contrast shown by the increments. Clearly defined elver mark formed during the metamorphosis from leptocephalus to the elver can be considered as the origin of the age for the sedentary yellow eel in continental water. The close correspondence between the number of increments outside elver mark and chronological age in days from the beginning of feeding indicates that increment deposition on a daily basis was initiated with the start of feeding for the sedentary yellow eel. Either 7 or 14 daily growth increments were grouped together into 2 alternative units, each distinguished by prominent checks or by visual contrast. The absence of any apparent environmental variations with 7 or 14 day period in the reared tank implies that the phase of the moon could be a zeitgeber for the endogenous rhythm.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.12
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• pp.169-181
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• 2021

The study aims to investigate the direct effects of business management practices in terms of financial, marketing, human resources, and logistics operations practices on sales revenue and profitability growth of freight forwarding businesses. A quantitative research design and partial least square-structural equation modeling were used to examine the direct effects of the exogenous and endogenous variables. The study reveals that financial, marketing, and human resources practices have a positive and significant effect on sales revenue growth. Furthermore, marketing and logistics operations have a positive and significant effect on profitability growth in the context of freight forwarding in the Philippines, particularly in its country's capital. As the current study only examines the direct effects of business management practices, other researchers may also want to consider identifying other variables as mediation and moderation to test other indirect effects on the financial performance of the business. The findings of the study can significantly benefit the freight industry to consider addressing other challenges or make use of the paper to further develop their strategies and practices to improve their financial performance.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.117-126
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• 2021

Microfinance focuses on economic development at a minute level. Microfinance is adopted to reduce the poverty level in the economic system. This study is conducted to investigate the microfinance institutions' outreach, its growth, and challenges faced by the Microfinance Banks (MFBs) and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). Data is collected from MFBs and MFIs working in Muzaffarabad as well as from interviews and focus group discussions. Findings are based upon lending, headcount ratio, offers, the value of their offer, and the possible growth chances of microfinance in Muzaffarabad. In addition to this, the challenges associated with microfinance outreach have been highlighted during analysis and guidelines have been provided to the MFBs and MFIs to increase their outreach. The sector is financially unstable which is attributable to its reliance on conventional sources of funding. The industry faces several endogenous as well as exogenous challenges from its environment which obstructs its growth. Further, it helps the policymakers to work on the development of the region and provide the base for further future research work.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2021

This study investigated the IGF-1 signal in specific tissues using Pacific oysters artificially matured via water temperature elevation. Pacific oysters were subjected to water temperature elevation from March to June, and 20 were randomly sampled each month. The condition index (CI) and tissue weight rate (TWR) were examined by measuring shell length, shell height, shell width, and soft tissue weight. The IGF-1 signal in tissues (adductor muscle, digestive glands, gills, labial palps, mantle edges, and gonads) was analyzed by sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting. From April to June, the TWR of females and males increased from 19.1±2.9 to 21.0±3.6 and 18.2±2.0 to 19.2±2.5, respectively, while the CI remained the same. The IGF-1 signal in each tissue differed. IGF-1 was expressed in the adductor muscle, while tyrosine was expressed in all tissues. The phosphor (p)-ERK and p-AKT activities were high in the adductor muscle, mantle edge, and gonads. IGF-1 signaling affected the growth and maturity of the Pacific oysters examined.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2014

Ordinary heterotrophic organism (OHO) active biomass plays key roles in biological wastewater treatment processes. However, due to the lack of measurement techniques, the OHO active biomass exists hypothetically within the design and simulation of biological wastewater treatment processes. This research was purposed to develop a quick and easy quantifying technique for the OHO active biomass applying a modified batch aerobic growth test. Two nitrification-denitrification activated sludge systems, with 10- and 20-day sludge ages, were operated to provide well-cultured mixed liquor to the batch tests. A steady state design model was firstly applied to quantify the "theoretical" OHO active biomass concentration of the two parent systems. The mixed liquor from the parent systems was then inoculated to a batch growth test and a batch digestion test to estimate the "measured" OHO active biomass concentration in the mixed liquor. The measured OHO active biomass concentrations with the batch growth test and the batch digestion test were compared to the theoretical concentrations of the parent system. The measured concentrations with the batch growth test were generally smaller than the theoretical concentrations. However, the measured concentrations with the batch aerobic digestion tests showed a good correlation to the theoretical concentrations. Thus, a different microbial growth condition (i.e., a higher food/biomass ratio) in the batch growth test, compared to the parent system or the batch digestion test, was found to cause underestimation of the OHO active biomass concentrations.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.581-589
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• 2020

Neurons have multiple dendrites and single axon. This neuronal polarity is gradually established during early processes of neuronal differentiation: generation of multiple neurites (stages 1-2); differentiation (stage 3) and maturation (stages 4-5) of an axon and dendrites. In this study, we demonstrated that the neuron-specific n-glycosylated protein NELL2 is important for neuronal polarization and axon growth using cultured rat embryonic hippocampal neurons. Endogenous NELL2 expression was gradually increased in parallel with the progression of developmental stages of hippocampal neurons, and overexpression of NELL2 stimulated neuronal polarization and axon growth. In line with these results, knockdown of NELL2 expression resulted in deterioration of neuronal development, including inhibition of neuronal development progression, decreased axon growth and increased axon branching. Inhibitor against extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) dramatically inhibited NELL2-induced progression of neuronal development and axon growth. These results suggest that NELL2 is an important regulator for the morphological development for neuronal polarization and axon growth.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.280-286
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• 2007

We evaluated a commercial biopreparation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains Bacillus subtilis GB03 and B. amyloliquefaciens IN937a formulated with the carrier chitosan (Bio Yield) for its capacity to elicit growth promotion and induced systemic resistance against infection by Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in Arabidopsis thaliana. The biopreparation promoted plant growth of Arabidopsis hormonal mutants, which included auxin, gibberellic acid, ethylene, jasmonate, salicylic acid, and brassinosteroid insensitive lines as well as each wild-type. The biopreparation protected plants against CMV based on disease severity in wild-type plants. However, virus titre was not lower in control plants and those treated with biopreparation, suggesting that the biopreparation induced tolerance rather than resistance against CMV. Interestingly, the biopreparation induced resistance against CMV in NahG plants, as evidenced by both reduced disease severity and virus titer. The biopreparation also elicited induced resistance against P. syringae pv. tomato in the wild-type but not in NahG transgenic plants, which degrade endogenous salicylic acid, indicating the involvement of salicylic acid signaling. Our results indicate that some PGPR strains can elicit plant growth promotion by mechanisms that are different from known hormonal signaling pathways. In addition, the mechanism for elicitation of induced resistance by PGPR may be pathogen-dependent. Collectively, the two-Bacilli strain mixture can be utilized as a biological inoculant for both protection of plant against bacterial and viral pathogens and enhancement of plant growth.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.207-213
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• 1997

This study was conducted to correlate changes in plant growth and flowering behavior with inhibition of gibberellin synthesis following application of GA biosynthesis inhibitor. Two sorghum genotypes, wild-type and phyB-1(phytochrome B mutant) which grow fast and flowers early relative to the wild-type, were used. Both growth and floral initiation of these two genotypes were greatly affected by ancymidol concentration increased. However, these growth inhibition and delayed flowering are almost completely overcome by simultaneous applications of 31.6ppm $GA_3$. The ability of $GA_3$ to reverse the effect of the inhibition on both growth and floral initiation in sorghum suggests a role for native GAs in sorghum flowering. This result was contrast to the fact that in some long day plants GA biosynthesis inhibitors will inhibit shoot elongation but not floral initiation. In sorghum, inhibition of vegetative growth by GA biosynthesis inhibitor is accompanied by a delay in flowering. Ten ppm of ancymidol treatments drastically reduced all early-13-hydroxylation pathway GAs($GA_{12}$, $GA_{53}$, $GA_{19}$, $GA_{20}$, $GA_3$, and $GA_8$) levels.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 1995

The synthesis of betalain in hairy root cultures of Phytolacca esculenta van Houtte required the light, but the growth of hairy roots was inhibited 5 times under light condition(1500 1X) compared to dark condition. To investigate the growth inhibition of hairy roots under light condition, we surveyed the effects of several antioxidants on growth and betalain production if suspension cultures of hairy roots was increased 1.2-1.4 times under dark condition and 1.3-1.9 times under light condition by the treatment of ascorbic acid, glutathione, $\alpha$-tocopherol, sodium pyrosulfate and propylgallic acid. The betalain production was increased 1.2-2.1 times by antioxidants under light condition. The combination treatment of antioxidants didn't have any significant effect on the growth of hairy roots and betalain synthesis. The antioxidants of the betalain production were more effect under blue light than others. It was discussed that the endogenous oxidants may be produced under blue light.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.146-152
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• 2004

Ghrelin is an acylated peptide recently identified as the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone (GH) secretagogues receptor 1a (GHS-R1a) and is involved in a novel system for regulating GH release. To understand the long-term effects of ghrelin, here we constructed six myogenic expression vectors containing the cDNA of swine mature ghrelin (pGEM-wt-sGhln, pGEM-wt-hGhln), ghrelin mutant of $Ser^3$ with $Trp^3$ (pGEM-mt-sGhln, pGEM-mt-hGhln) and truncated ghrelin derivative (pGEM-tmtsGhln, pGEM-tmt-hGhln) encompassing the first 7 residues of ghrelin (including $Ser^3$ substituted with $Trp^3$) and adding a basic amino acid, Lys (K) in the C-terminus. The constructs, pGEM-wt-sGhln, pGEM-mt-sGhln and pGEM-tmt-sGhln were linked with the ghrelin leader sequence, while the pGEM-wt-hGhln, pGEM-mt-hGhln and pGEM-tmt-hGhln were linked with a leader sequence from the human growth hormone releasing hormone (hGHRH). Intramuscular injection of 200 ${\mu}g$ pGEM-wt-sGhln or pGEM-tmt-sGhln augmented growth over 3 weeks in normal rats and peaked at day 21 or 14 post-injection respectively, whose body weight gains were on average approximately 6% or 19% heavier over controls. However, other injectable vectors had no such enhanced growth effects. Our results suggested that the efficacy of the ghrelin leader sequence was more effective than that of hGHRH in our system. Moreover, the results indicated that skeletal muscle might have the ability to posttranslationally modify the in vivo expressed ghrelin. And the most strikingly, the short ghrelin analog seems to mimic the biological effects more efficiently when compared with the full-length ghrelin.