• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to compare echocardiographic parameters of cloned beagle dogs with the previously reported reference range. Seven cloned dogs were assessed for anatomical features and cardiac function through left- and right-sided heart and right ventricle outflow tract from M-mode, 2D-mode, pulsed wave Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging. In all the cloned dogs, there were no abnormalities in anatomical structure and measurements were within the normal reference range. In addition, left- and right-sided myocardial function was within the normal reference range. Especially, pulmonary hypertension and right-sided heart failure frequently encountered in cloned animals were not recognized in cloned dogs. In conclusion, no evidence of cardiovascular dysfunction in mature cloned dogs could be identified either at birth or the growing stage in this study. Therefore, serious adverse effects of somatic cell nuclear transfer technology including transgenesis on cardiac morphology and function were not found in cloned dogs.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.195-200
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the melanogenesis inhibiting activity of the ethanol extract from Polygonum amphibium L. Firstly, the n-hexane (Hx), chloroform ($CHCl_3$), ethyl acetate (EA), n-butanol (BuOH), and water (Water) fractions were isolated from the P. amphibium L. ethanol extract. The efficacy of melanogenesis was found to significantly decrease via the EA and BuOH fractions when compared to the control in B16F10 cells. EA particularly showed the lowest melanin content in B16F10 cells when compared to all the other extracts. Concentration-dependent inhibition of melanin synthesis was also observed in the EA fraction at concentrations below $50{\mu}g/ml$, which did not exhibit cytotoxicity in B16F10 cells. Notably, the expression of three key proteins (tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2), which are involved in melanogenesis, were significantly decreased via the EA fraction. EA also inhibited body pigmentation in vivo in a zebrafish model. Overall, we demonstrated melanogenesis suppression using the EA fraction from P. amphibium L., which could be a potential candidate for an antimelanogenesis agent.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.209-221
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• 2015

Temperature is one of the most important factors affecting crop growth. The diurnal cycle of the scale factor [Tsc] for air temperature and the surface temperature of crop leaf and soil could be estimated by the following equation : $[Tsc]=0.5{\times}sin(X+C)+0.5$. The daily air temperature (E[Ti]) according to the E&E time [X] can be estimated by following equation using average (Tavg), maximum (Tm) and minimum (Tn) temperature : $E[Ti]=Tn+(Tm-Tn){\times}[0.5{\times}sin\;\{X+(9.646Tavg+703.65)\}+0.5]$. The crop leaf temperature in 24th June 2014 was high as the order of red pepper without mulching > red pepper with mulching > soybean under drought > soybean with irrigation > Chinese cabbage. The case in estimating crop leaf surface temperature using air temperature and soil surface temperature was lower in the deviation compared to the case using air temperature for Chinese cabbage and red pepper. These results can be utilized for the crop models as input data with estimation.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.81-93
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• 2021

Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is condition of cognitive decline shown in transition from normal aging to dementia. Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture (HPP) is a treatment that combines effects of medication and acupuncture by injecting Hominis placenta into acupoints. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HPP for MCI. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-center clinical trial. Eligible patients were randomly allocated to either the HPP group or the placebo group. HPP or saline as placebo was administered to participants for eight weeks. Changes in symptoms were observed. The primary outcome was difference in mean change of Korean Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) score between the HPP group and the placebo group. Cognitive function, overall status of mood and sleep, and quality of life (QoL) were also assessed. Safety assessment and economic analysis were then conducted. Results: Thirty participants were enrolled. One participant in the placebo group dropped out. The score of MoCA-K increased after treatment. Its mean change was smaller in the HPP group than in the control group. HPP ameliorated Global Deterioration Scale and Korean Dementia Rating Scale subtests for attention, organization, and memory compared to the placebo. However, none of them was significantly different between the two groups. Mood, sleep, and QoL all improved more in the HPP group than in the placebo group, although differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. There was no adverse event probably related to the drug. HPP treatment needed KRW 345,000 more than the placebo group in improving Geriatric Quality of Life scale-Dementia score by one point for one year. Conclusions: Although HPP treatment did not significantly improve cognition, it changed behavioral and psychological symptoms in MCI.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2009

Patulin, a mycotoxin mainly produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus, is found in various foods. In the present, a maximum acceptable level for patulin is established at $50{\mu}g/kg(ppb)$ in apple juices and apple concentrates in Korea. But patulin may be detected in foods produced with other fruits. In the present study, patulin contamination was analyzed in 520 samples of fruit juices and beverages, and 50 samples of fruit juice concentrates. High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was applied to quantitatively analyze patulin levels in samples and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC/MS/MS) was used to remove false positive results. The results showed that three samples of 520 fruit juices and beverages and five samples of 50 fruit juice concentrates were contaminated by patulin, $9.8-18.0{\mu}g/kg$ and $4.7-18.2{\mu}g/kg$ respectively. Contaminated samples were produced with apple, orange or pear. This indicates that it is necessary to extend the regulatory range of patulin. In the other hands, the present study confirmed the effectiveness of LC/MS/MS analytical method to remove false positive results.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2003

Backgroung : The incidence of penicillin-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae(PRSP) accounts for almost 70% of all pneumococcal pneumonia cases in Korea. It is still unclear as to whether the efficacy of penicillin or equally active beta-lactam agents is compromised in PRSP pneumonia. This study investigated the prevalence of PRSP in community-acquired pneumonia and its clinical course. Methods : A total of 42 patients with community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia were evaluated from July 1999 to May 2001. The cultured strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were divided into susceptible, intermediately resistant, and resistant strains by an E-test, and the effect of the clinical course was investigated. Results : From a total of 42 patients, 22 (52.4%) patients had an intermediate resistance (MIC $0.1-1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) and six (14.3%) showed a high resistance ($MIC{\geq}2.0{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) with current penicillin susceptibility categories. However, according to the classification of the DRSPTWG (Drug Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Therapeutic Working Group), there were 11 cases (26.2%) of intermediate resistance and no case of high resistance. Under empirical antimicrobial treatment, there was no difference in the clinical outcome between the penicillin susceptible and resistant group. Conclusion : The clinical outcome of PRSP pneumonia with empirical therapy was acceptable. These results suggest that the current MIC breakpoint for penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae has been set at a very low level and penicillin resistance according to the NCCLS classification does not significantly influence the outcome of the empirical treatment for pneumococcal pneumonia.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the applicability of the photostimulated luminescence (PSL), thermoluminescence (TL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) methods for various foods. The analysed samples consist of 11 items including dried fruits (6 items) and mushrooms (5 items). To compare between non-irradiated and irradiated food, all samples were irradiated with $^{60}Co$ gamma-ray source. In PSL study, the photon counts of all the unirradiated sample were identified negative (lower than 700). The photon counts irradiated (1, 5, 10 kGy) dried date-palm, dried jujube and mushrooms (Auricularia auricula, Phellinus linteus and Sarcodon aspratus) showed positive (higher than 5,000) and the results for the other samples were negative or intermediate (>700 and >5,000). In TL analysis most of items can be applicable to detect irradiated foods because of showing TL ratio above 0.1. The glow curves by TL method were estimated in the range of $150{\sim}250^{\circ}C$ in irradiated samples. In ESR measurements, the intensity of ESR signal (single-line) increased as the dose of irradiation increased. In particular, the specific ESR signals of irradiation-induced radical were detected in dried papaya, dried date-palm, dried banana, dried pineapple and S. aspratus. According to the results, PSL, TL and ESR methods were successfully applied to detect the irradiated foods. It is concluded that PSL, TL and ESR methods are suitable for detection of irradiated samples and a combined method is recommendable for enhancing the reliability of detection results.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.192-196
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• 2003

Objective of this study was to investigate the influences of harvest index and percolation water quality as irrigated the discharge waters from an industrial and a municipal wastewater treatment plants and seawater (1:5 seawater: tap water) as alternative water resources during tillering stage for drought stress. There were four different treatments such as the discharge water from an industrial (textile dyeing manufacture plant) wastewater treatment plant (DIWT), discharge water from the municipal wastewater treatment plant (DMWT), seawater (1:5) and groundwater as a control. For the initial chemical compositions of alternative waters, it appeared that higher concentrations of COD, $Mn^{2+}$, and $Ni^+$ in DIWT were observed than reused criteria of other country for irrigation, and concentrations of $EC_i$, Cl, and $SO_4$ in seawater were higher than that for irrigation. Harvest index was not significantly different between DIWT and DMWT with different irrigation periods in two soil types, but that of seawater (1:5) is decreased with irrigation periods in clay loam soil and not different between 10 days and 20 days of irrigation periods in sandy loam soil. For percolation water qualities, values of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) are increased with prolonging the irrigation periods of seawater (1:5) and DIWT, but those of DMWT were almost constant through the cultivation periods regardless of the irrigation period in both soil types. EG of percolation waters is eventually increased with prolonging days after irrigation regardless of irrigation periods in both soil types. Therefore, it might be concluded that there was potentially safe to irrigate the discharge water from municipal wastewater treatment plant relative to harvest index, SAR and $EC_i$ values of the ground water through the rice cultivation period at tillering stage for drought period.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2013

This paper suggested the improvement of marine environmental impact assessment in eastern coast as analyzing consultation on the coastal area utilization for development of ports and fishing harbors for 3years in the east coast. The results of survey are only 3cases, 12cases and 16cases each for ocean currents, wave and sounding data. However, for development of ports and fishing harbors in eastern coast, ocean characteristics in eastern coast different than in the West Sea, South Sea is considered to marine environmental impact assessment. For development of ports and fishing harbors in east coast where the influences of ocean currents, wind-driven current and waves are dominant, the effect of the current should be considered to improve the reproducibility of tidal current. The wave should also be considered as an assessment criteria to obtain the validity of project such as harbor tranquility, functionality of breakwaters and stability. In addition, sediment inflow in river and exact water depth data of the ocean should be applied to numerical modeling and set wave-induced current to external force of sediment transport to predict the problems such as the harbor siltation and the coastal erosion considering ocean characteristics in the east coast.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.553-558
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• 2012

A simple new method was developed for the determination of betaine in Fructus Lycii using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (HILIC-ELSD). Good chromatographic separation and reasonable betaine retention was achieved on a Kinetex HILIC column ($2.1{\times}100mm$, $2.6{\mu}m$) packed with fused-core particle. The mobile phase consisted of (A) acetonitrile and (B) 10 mM ammonium formate (pH 3.0)/acetonitrile (90/10, v/v). It was used with gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min. The column temperature was set at $27.5^{\circ}C$ and the injection volume was $10{\mu}L$. The ELSD drift tube temperature was $50^{\circ}C$ and the nebulizing gas (nitrogen) pressure was 3.0 bar. Stachydrine, a zwitterionic compound, was used as an internal standard. Calibration curve over $10-250{\mu}g/mL$ showed good linearity ($R^2$ > 0.9992) and betaine in the 70% methanol extract of Fructus Lycii was well separated from other peaks. Intraand inter-day precision ranged from 1.1 to 3.0% and from 2.4 to 5.3%, respectively, while intra- and inter-day accuracy ranged from 100.0 to 107.0% and from 94.3 to 103.9%, respectively. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was $10{\mu}g/mL$ and the recoveries were in the range of 98.2-102.7%. The developed HILIC-ELSD method was successfully applied to quantitatively determine the amount of betaine in fourteen Fructus Lycii samples from different locations, demonstrating that this method is simple, rapid, and suitable for the quality control of Fructus Lycii.