• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.18-32
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• 2013

Objectives: In this research, the effect of Gyogam-dan (GGD) on depression and immunity were assessed in ovariectomized rats subjected to repetitive stress. GGD is the prescription consisting of Poria cocos and Cyperi Rhizoma. Methods: Ovariectomized rats were repeatedly stressed over a 2-week period. After GGD (100 or 400 mg/kg) were orally administered, Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and forced swimming test (FST) were performed to evaluate depressive and anxiety response. As well, the change of corticosterone (CORT) and the change of interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in blood serum and in brain were mesured. Results: 1. In the EPM, there were no statistically significant differences among the groups. 2. In the FST, immobility time significantly decreased in rats of each experiment group compared with the control group (p<0.01). 3. Serum CORT level were decreased in 400 mg GGD group (p<0.05). 4. On IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-4 measurement in the serum and brain, there were not significant increase or decrease compared with the control group. Conclusions: These results suggest that GGD is effective to reduce depression-behavior in ovariectomized rats. However, GGD do not has significant efficacy to reduce anxiety-behavior in EPM test. Measurement of serum CORT level reveals significant decrease and it shows anti-depressant like effect. Results on immunity are not significant.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.243-252
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• 2007

Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract and its hydrolyzed fraction. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract (SCE) and its hydrolyzed fraction (SCE-40) on depression and anxiety-related behaviors in mice. Actions of SCE and SCE-40 on serotonin, norepinephrine and GABAergic systems in the rat cerebral cortex membranes were also examined. SCE and SCE-40 significantly reduced the immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension test in mice. Duration time of the open arms in the elevated plus maze test was significantly increased in the SCE and SCE-40-treated groups, compared with the saline-treated control group. SCE and its fraction SCE-40 significantly inhibited serotonin and norepinephrine transporter and GABA receptor binding, compared to the saline-treated group. In addition, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake were significantly suppressed by SCE and SCE-40. These results demonstrate that SCE and SCE-40 produce anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects through enhancing central serotonin, norepinephrine and GABAergic transmissions. These results suggest that SCE and SCE-40 as functional food might prove to be an effective antidepressant and anti-anxiety agent.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.263-271
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• 2009

This study evaluated the flocs forming characteristics in the mixing zone to increase the coagulation effect in the drinking water plant. As a measuring tool of formed flocs, on-line particle dispersion analyzer (iPDA) was used in Y drinking water plant. To evaluate the forming flocs, many parameters such as poly amine, coagulant dosing amount, raw water turbidity, and pH was applied in this study. During the periods of field test, poly aluminium chloride (PACl) as a coagulant was used. With the increase of the raw water turbidities, poly amine was also added as one of aids for increasing in coagulation efficiency. The turbidity and pH of raw water was ranged from 7 to 9 and from 25 to 140 NTU, respectively. The increasing of raw water turbidity brought the bigger floc sizes accordingly. From a regression analysis, $R^2$ value was 0.8040 as a function of T, raw water turbidity. Floc size index (FSI) was obtained from a correlation equation as follows; FSI = 0.9388logT - 0.3214 Also, polyamine gave the bigger flocs the moment it is added to the coagulated water in the rapid mixing zone. One of parameters influencing the floc sizes was the addition of powdered active carbon(PAC) in the mixing zone. In case of higher turbidity of raw water, $R^2$ value was 0.9050 in the parameters of [PACl] and [PAC]; FSI = $0.0407[T]^{0.324}[PACI]^{0.769}[PAC]^{0.178}$ On-line floc monitor was beneficial to evaluate the flocs sizes depending on the many parameters consisting raw water properties, bring the profitable basic data to control the mixing zone more effectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1002-1009
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• 2019

Early life stress (ELS) increases the risk of depression. ELS may be involved in the susceptibility to subsequent stress exposure during adulthood. We investigated whether epigenetic mechanisms of p11 promoter affect the vulnerability to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) induced by the maternal separation (MS). Mice pups were separated from their dams (3 hr/day from P1-P21). When the pups reached adulthood, we applied CUS (daily for 3 weeks). The levels of hippocampal p11 expression were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. The levels of acetylated and methylated histone H3 at p11 promoter were measured by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Depression-like behavior was measured by the forced swimming test (FST). The MS and CUS group exhibited significant decreases in p11 mRNA level and the MS plus CUS group had a greater reduction in this level than the CUS group. The MS plus CUS group also resulted in greater reduction in H3 acetylation than the CUS group. This reduction was associated with an upregulation of histone deacetylase 5. Additionally, the MS plus CUS group showed a greater decrease in H3K4met3 level and a greater increase in H3K27 met3 level than the CUS group. Consistent with the reduction of p11 expression, the MS plus CUS group displayed longer immobility times in the FST compared to the control group. Mice exposed to MS followed by CUS had much greater epigenetic alterations in the hippocampus compared to adult mice that only experienced CUS. ELS can exacerbate the effect of stress exposure during adulthood through histone modification of p11 gene.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.902-912
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• 2020

Objective: Mongolia is one of a few countries that supports over 25 million goats, but genetic diversity, demographic history, and the origin of goat populations in Mongolia have not been well studied. This study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity, phylogenetic status and population structure of Mongolian native goats, as well as to discuss their origin together with other foreign breeds from different countries using hypervariable region 1 (HV1) in mtDNA. Methods: In this study, we examined the genetic diversity and phylogenetic status of Mongolian native goat populations using a 452 base-pair long fragment of HVI of mitochondrial DNA from 174 individuals representing 12 populations. In addition, 329 previously published reference sequences from different regions were included in our phylogenetic analyses. Results: Investigated native Mongolian goats displayed relatively high genetic diversities. After sequencing, we found a total of 109 polymorphic sites that defined 137 haplotypes among investigated populations. Of these, haplotype and nucleotide diversities of Mongolian goats were calculated as 0.997±0.001 and 0.0283±0.002, respectively. These haplotypes clearly clustered into four haplogroups (A, B, C, and D), with the predominance of haplogroup A (90.8%). Estimates of pairwise differences (Fst) and the analysis of molecular variance values among goat populations in Mongolia showed low genetic differentiation and weak geographical structure. In addition, Kazakh, Chinese (from Huanghuai and Leizhou), and Arabian (Turkish and Baladi breeds) goats had smaller genetic differentiation compared to Mongolian goats. Conclusion: In summary, we report novel information regarding genetic diversity, population structure, and origin of Mongolian goats. The findings obtained from this study reveal that abundant haplogroups (A to D) occur in goat populations in Mongolia, with high levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.4
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• pp.560-565
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• 2013

Population genetic structure and diversity of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica in South Korea were studied using ISSR markers. A total of 45 polymorphic ISSR amplicons were cropped from 7 ISSR primers and 171 individuals of 7 populations. The average of effective alleles and the proportion of polymorphic loci were 1.5 and 89% respectively. The Shannon's diversity index (I) was 0.435 and the expected heterozygosity from the frequentist's method ($H_e$) and the Bayesian inference (hs) were 0.289 and 0.323 respectively. From AMOVA, 4.2% of total genetic variation in the elm populations was explained with the difference among populations (${\Phi}_{ST}=0.042$) and the other 95.8% was distributed within populations. The ${\theta}^{II}$ value by Bayesian method which was comparable to the FST was 0.043. So the level of genetic diversity in the elm populations was similar to that in Genus Ulmus and the level of genetic differentiation was lower than that of others. No population showed a significant difference in the population-specific fixation indices (average of $PS-F_{IS}=0.822$) or the population-specific genetic differentiations (average of $PS-F_{ST}=0.101$). Seven populations were allocated into 3 groups in the UPGMA and the PCA, but the grouping patterns were different. Also, we could not confirm any geographic trend from Bayesian clustering.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.6 s.67
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• pp.938-950
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• 2004

We used portions of mitochondrial 125 ribosomal RNA gene sequences (339 bp) to investigate the phylogenetic and population genetic characteristics of the Japanese anchovy, Engraulis japonicus, in Korean waters. A total of 35 mtDNA haplotypes were obtained from the samples collected in 3 locations (the southern area of the Yellow Sea, the western coast of Jejudo, and the eastern area of the South Sea) in Korean waters. One haplotype, AN8T103, obtained from the southern area of the Yellow Sea, was formed according to an independent phylogenetic individual in the PAUP analysis, which was separated from the others by a $0.2-4.1\%$ sequence divergence. This distinct haplotype appeared to be one that was carried by immigrants from another study area, but further study is necessary. Genetic divergence, except for AN8T103, was moderate to substantial $(0.2-3.8\%)$ and nucleotide diversity within populations was 0.015 for Yellow Sea, 0.013 for Jejudo, and 0.D15 for South Sea, respectively. The female gene flow was substantial or high (Nm=25.5-36.4), and the genetic distances between regions were not statistically significant $(P>0.01)$. These results indicated that the Japanese anchovy populations occurring in Korean waters were consisted of individuals randomly dispersed over geographic areas.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2018

Brazzein is the smallest sweet protein and was isolated from the fruit pulp of Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon, native to tropical Africa. From ancient times, the indigenous people used this fruit in their diet to add sweetness to their daily food. Brazzein is 500 to 2000 times sweeter than sucrose on a weight basis and 9500 times sweeter on a molar basis. This unique property has led to increasing interest in this protein. However, it is expensive and difficult to produce brazzein other than in its native growing conditions which limits its availability for use as a food additive. In this study, we report high production yields of, brazzein protein in transgenic rice plants. An ORF region encoding brazzein and driven by the $2{\times}CaMV\;35S$ promoter was introduced into rice genome (Oryza sativa Japonica) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. After transformation, 17 regenerated plant lines were obtained and these transgene-containing plants were confirmed by PCR analysis. In addition, the selected plant lines were analyzed by Taqman PCR and results showed that 9 T0 lines were found to have a single copy out of 17 transgenic plants. Moreover, high and genetically stable expression of brazzein was confirmed by western blot analysis. These results demonstrate that recombinant brazzein was efficiently expressed in transgenic rice plants, and that we have developed a new rice variety with a natural sweetener.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1691-1699
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• 2018

Objective: In Korea, there are three main cattle breeds, which are distinguished by coat color: Brown Hanwoo (BH), Brindle Hanwoo (BRH), and Jeju Black (JB). In this study, we sought to compare the genetic diversity and divergence among there Korean cattle breeds using a BovineHD chip genotyping array. Methods: Sample data were collected from 168 cattle in three populations of BH (48 cattle), BRH (96 cattle), and JB (24 cattle). The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping was performed using the Illumina BovineHD SNP 777K Bead chip. Results: Heterozygosity, used as a measure of within-breed genetic diversity, was higher in BH (0.293) and BRH (0.296) than in JB (0.266). Linkage disequilibrium decay was more rapid in BH and BRH than in JB, reaching an average $r^2$ value of 0.2 before 26 kb in BH and BRH, whereas the corresponding value was reached before 32 kb in JB. Intra-population, interpopulation, and Fst analyses were used to identify candidate signatures of positive selection in the genome of a domestic Korean cattle population and 48, 11, and 11 loci were detected in the genomic region of the BRH breed, respectively. A Neighbor-Joining phylogenetic tree showed two main groups: a group comprising BH and BRH on one side and a group containing JB on the other. The runs of homozygosity analysis between Korean breeds indicated that the BRH and JB breeds have high inbreeding within breeds compared with BH. An analysis of differentiation based on a high-density SNP chip showed differences between Korean cattle breeds and the closeness of breeds corresponding to the geographic regions where they are evolving. Conclusion: Our results indicate that although the Korean cattle breeds have common features, they also show reliable breed diversity.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.251-257
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic characteristics, oral health awareness and oral health behavior of 1,356 Korean senior citizens based on the fourth raw materials of the 2008 national health and nutrition survey, and to analyze their DMFS, DMFT and FS-T indexes, which were oral health indicators. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. The mean DMFS index of the Korean senior citizens was 26.62, and their average DMFT index was 6.76. Their mean FS-T index was 21.51. 2. Out of the demographic characteristics of the Korean elderly people, education made statistically significant differences to the DMFS(p<0.05) and FS-T(p<0.001) indexes, and whether they worked or not made statistically significant differences to the DMFT(p<0.01), DMFS(0.001) and FS-T(0.001) indexes. There were no significant gaps according to gender, age and presence or absence of a spouse. 3. The oral health awareness of the Korean senior citizens(subjective oral health status, whether to need a dental treatment, concern for oral health and mastication) had no statistically significant relationship to their DMFS, DMFT and FS-T indexes. 4. Among the oral health behaviors of the Korean elderly people, whether they got a dental checkup over the past year made statistically significant differences to the DMFT(p<0.01), DMFS(p<0.001) and FS-T (p<0.001) indexes, and there were statistically significant gaps in the DMFT(p<0.010, FS-T(p<0.01) and DMFS(p<0.001) indexes according to yesterday's toothbrushing frequency. The time when they went to a dentist made a significant difference to the FS-T(p<0.01) index only.