• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2023

The underlying action of policosanol in lowering cholesterol level has not yet been clearly elucidated. Several recent studies have suggested that sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP)-1c play a role in the regulation of cholesterol synthesis via the fatty acid synthesis pathway. To date, no study has evaluated the effects of policosanol on SREBP-1c-mediated fatty acid synthesis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether the SREBP-1c-mediated fatty acid biosynthetic pathway is associated with the cholesterol-lowering effects of policosanol. Seven-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into 7 groups (n=7 per group) and treated for 8 weeks as follows: 1) normal diet (normal control), 2) high-fat diet (HFD), 3) HFD+ethanol (Pol-0), 4) HFD+policosanol 1 mg/kg (Pol-1), 5) HFD+policosanol 2 mg/kg (Pol-2), 6) HFD+policosanol 4 mg/kg (Pol-4), and 7) HFD+simvastatin 50 ㎍/kg (positive control). Policosanol and simvastatin were administered at the same time every day while maintaining the HFD. Body weight and food intake were measured weekly for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, serum cholesterol levels were measured, histological analysis was carried out, and the expressions of SREBP-1c and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in the liver tissues were examined. Policosanol reduced body weight and the amount of food intake in a dose-dependent manner. Serum cholesterol levels were significantly lowered in the Pol-1 and Pol-4 groups. The expression of SREBP-1c and FAS was also significantly decreased in the Pol-4 group. These results suggest that the cholesterol-lowering effects of policosanol can occur due to the inhibition of the expression of SREBP-1c and FAS.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.315-327
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• 2023

Purpose: Oxaliplatin, a component of the capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) regimen, has a more favorable toxicity profile than cisplatin in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). However, oxaliplatin can induce sensory neuropathy and cumulative, dose-related toxicities. Thus, the capecitabine maintenance regimen may achieve the maximum treatment effect while reducing the cumulative neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin. This study aimed to compare the survival of patients with advanced GC between capecitabine maintenance and observation after 1st line XELOX chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Sixty-three patients treated with six cycles of XELOX for advanced GC in six hospitals of the Catholic University of Korea were randomized 1:1 to receive capecitabine maintenance or observation. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), analyzed using a two-sided log-rank test stratified at a 5% significance level. Results: Between 2015 and 2020, 32 and 31 patients were randomized into the maintenance and observation groups, respectively. After randomization, the median number of capecitabine maintenance cycles was 6. The PFS was significantly higher in the maintenance group than the observation group (6.3 vs. 4.1 months, P=0.010). Overall survival was not significantly different between the 2 groups (18.2 vs. 16.5 months, P=0.624). Toxicities, such as hand-foot syndrome, were reported in some maintenance group patients. Maintenance treatment was a significant factor associated with PFS in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.472; 95% confidence interval, 0.250-0.890; P=0.020). Conclusions: After 6 cycles of XELOX chemotherapy, capecitabine maintenance significantly prolonged PFS compared with observation, and toxicity was manageable. Maintenance treatment was a significant prognostic factor associated with PFS.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.363-373
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• 2022

On April 29, 2021 (1st), June 2 (2nd), and August 17 (3rd), we surveyed benthic macroinvertebrates fauna at Muljangori-oreum wetland in Bonggae-dong, Jeju Island, Korea. Muljangori-oreum wetland was divided into four areas. The survey was conducted in three accessible areas (areas 1-3). As a result of habitat environment analysis, the average monthly temperature from 2017 to 2021 was the highest in July and August and the lowest in December and February. This pattern was repeated. As a result of analyzing changes in vegetation and water surface area through satellite images, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) increased from February to July and decreased after July. Normalized difference water index (NDWI) was analyzed to show an inverse relationship. A total of 21 species from 13 families were identified in the qualitative survey and a total of 412 individuals of 24 species from 15 families were identified in the quantitative survey. A total of 26 species from 17 families, 8 orders, 3 classes, and 2 phyla of benthic macroinvertebrates were identified. The dominant species was Chronomidae spp. with 132 individuals (32.04%). Noterus japonicus was a subdominant species with 71 individuals (17.23%). As a result of comparative analysis of species identified in this study and the literature, it was confirmed that species diversity was high for Coleoptera and Odonata. Main functional feeding groups (FFGs) were found to be predators. Habitat orientation groups (HOGs) were found to be swimmers. In OHC (Odonata, Hemiptera, and Coleoptera) group, 17 species (73.91%) in 2021, 23 species (79.31%) in 2016, 26 species (86.67%) in 2018, and 19 species (79.17%) in 2019 were identified. Cybister japonicus, an endangered species II, was confirmed to inhabit Muljangori-oreum wetland in the literature. Ten individuals (2.43%) were also confirmed to inhabit Muljangori-oreum wetland in 2021. Therefore, continuous management and habitat protection are required to maintain the habitat environment of C. japonicus in Muljangori-oreum wetland.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2023

This experiment was carried out to determine effects of seed rate of native grasses, called native summer forage crops (NSFC), on their growth characteristics and yields in no-tillage paddy fields in central provinces. NSFC cultivation was performed according to the agricultural guidelines of the Rural Development Administration (RDA) during 2020 to 2022. Echinochloa crusgalli 'Jeju native', Setaria viridis 'Korean native type', Digitaria sanguinalis 'Korean native type') were sown by various seed rate in the experimental field (3m × 4m plot) of Department of Animal Resources Development, Seonghwan-eup, Cheonan, Korea in late-May or early-June for 3 years and harvested in middle-September. Dry matter yields (DMY) in Echinochloa crusgalli and Setaria viridis increased as increasing seed rate. DMY in 40 kg ha^-1 of Echinochloa crusgalli was the highest and DMY in 60 kg ha^-1 of Setaria viridis was the highest. However, All treatments of Digitaria sanguinalis showed similar DMY. Yields of NSFC were the order of Echinochloa crusgalli (9,681~11,092 kg ha^-1) > Digitaria sanguinalis (8,311~9,023 kg ha^-1) >etaria viridis (3,145~4,749 kg ha^-1). The contents of crude protein in NSFC were the order of Digitaria sanguinalis > Echinochloa crusgalli > Setaria viridis. The contents of ADF and NDF in NSFC were the order of Echinochloa crusgalli > Digitaria sanguinalis > Setaria viridis. As shown in above results, we suggest that introduction of NSFC is one of the most important skills in order to stably increase yields of forage crops for utilization of the double cropping system in no-tillage paddy fields.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2023

This experiment was carried out to examine double cropping system using Italian ryegrass (IRG) 'Kowinearly', whole crop rice 'Yeongwoo' and barnyard millet 'Jeju native' during the Oct. 2020 to Oct. 2022. Three kinds of forage crops were cultivated at paddy field in Livestock Institute, Jeollanamdo Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Jeollanamdo, South Korea. Whole crop rice (WCR) was sown in late May and barnyard millet (BM) sown early June each year after harvesting IRG. We examined dry matter yield and feed value of forage crops depending on harvest time of forage crops during the experimental period. The plant height in heading stage of IRG ranged from 108 to 112cm and dry matter yield ranged from 6,783 to 11,530 kg ha^-1. The crude protein (CP) of IRG ranged from 6.0 to 8.44%, acid detergent fiber (ADF) ranged from 55.6 to 60.2% and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ranged from 32.58 to 36.7%, The dry matter yield of WCR increased as the harvest stage was delayed (14,310 kg ha^-1 in milk, 16,167 kg ha^-1 in yellow ripen, and 18,891 kg ha^-1 in mature). Similar to results of dry matter yield of WCR, dry matter yield of BM increased as the harvest stage was delayed (11,194 kg ha^-1 in late heading. and 14,308 kg ha^-1 in mature), However nutrient content of WCR and BM showed a decreasing trend. As shown in above results, the productivity of WCR after harvesting IRG was shown to be high at paddy field in the southern region. However, BM also was appeared to have potential as summer forage crops.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2022

This study was carried out to evaluate the growth characteristics and forage yield potential for warm season grass as emergency forages. The experimental design was a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Two barnyard millet (Echinochloa species cv. Shirohie and Jeju native), a pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum cv Feed milk 2) a proso millet (Panicum miliaceum cv Native), a teffgrass (Eragrostis tef cv. Tiffany) and a kleingrass (Panicum coloratum cv. Selection 75) were compared for forage production and quality at the Mid regions of Korea. Warm season forage crops were sown on May 21 and June 23 respectively, and in 2021, it was sown twice on May 21 and June 21 The number of days to seedling emergence for barnyard millet and teffgrass was observed approximately 10 and 3 days after seeding, respectively. The cultivation period from seeding to harvest was within 60 days for all entry spices except for the late-heading type barnyard millet (within 84 days). As for the dry matter yield by seeding date, the dry matter yield of the late-heading type barnyard millet in May seeding was the highest at 23,872 kg/ha, and the kleingrass was the lowest at 3,888 kg/ha. For the June seeding, the dry matter yield of the late-heading type barnyard millet was 17,032 kg/ha, the highest, and the proso millet, teffgrass and kleingrass showed the lowest at 5,468, 5,442, and 5,197 kg/ha, respectively. The crude protein (CP) content was varied by warm season grass species, but the early-heading type barnyard millet, teffgrass, and kleingrass showed the highest tendency, and the late-heading type barnyard millet showed the lowest at 5.7~5.9%. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) content did not show a significant difference between the seeding in May, but kleingrass in June sowed lower than the others.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.1
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• pp.150-164
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• 2022

This study was conducted to provide basic information for the development of silvicultural guidelines and manuals. This was achieved through analysis of tree and stand characteristics according to the first and second thinning in Korean white pine plantations. Data were collected from permanent plots installed at Korean white pine plantations according to thinning intensity, and residual tree and stand variables, including diameter at breast height (DBH), volume, and mortality at age 19-43, were analyzed using data repeatedly collected in 4-5 measurements by experiments. According to one-way variance of analysis, tree DBH and volume were significantly different according to thinning intensity (p<0.05). DBH distribution was skewed to the left side over time as thinning intensity was heavier. Thus, tree DBH values were larger in heavy thinning plots with increased age. The periodic annual increment (PAI) of DBH was higher with heavier thinning intensity and fewer years after thinning. The PAI range by thinning intensity was 0.48-0.95 cm/year at age 19-24. In addition, the PAI increased in heavy thinning plots after the second thinning; The PAI range by thinning intensity was 0.29-0.67 cm/year after the second thinning at age 37-42. The PAI of tree volume differed according to thinning intensity, and the PAI value did not decrease obviously, in contrast to the pattern of the DBH PAI. Stand volume was generally higher in high-density stands, and the PAI of stand volume was high in unthinned and light thinning plots. Mortality was highest in unthinned plots, and the differences in mortality according to thinning intensity increased over time. Consequently, the growth of DBH and tree volume was lower as stand density increased, but this growth was facilitated with appropriate first and second thinning operations.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.1
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• pp.125-135
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• 2022

In this study, growth changes of the diameter at breast height (DBH), height, basal area, volume, and biomass of Korean white pine (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc.) on a plantation were examined via long-term monitoring. In addition, this study was performed to provide the basic data for timber production in line with DBH class by comparing the growth of the relative DBH size. Growth characteristics according to DBH class were analyzed by categorizing trees into five classes based on sorted DBH rankings: class I (1%-20%; upper 20%), class II (21%-40%), class III (41%-60%), class IV (61%-80%), class V (81%-100%; lower 20%). A total class (0%-100%) was also used. Total increment and mean annual increment (MAI) were calculated using data from nine measurements taken over 39 years. Tree characteristics based on average values and stand characteristics based on unit area per hectare were examined. According to the total increments of variables, the differences in DBH, basal area, volume, and biomass among classes I-V increased over time, whereas the height difference did not continually increase. According to MAI, the maximum DBH value was 0.92 cm·yr^-1 at age 23 in class I, whereas the maximum value in all trees was 0.69 cm·yr^-1 at age 17. The maximum value of height MAI for class I was 0.52 m·yr^-1 at age 23, whereas that for all trees was 0.49 m·yr^-1 at age 20. In terms of basal area, volume, and biomass growth at tree-and stand-level, the maximum MAI of class I and all trees was not observed during the measurement period. Therefore, additional long-term monitoring data are required to determine the maximum MAI of the variables.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2022

In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and antidiabetic effects of buckwheat. The diabetic animal models were divided into four groups: normal mice group (NOR), streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice group (STZ), group treated with seeds of common or tartary buckwheat (SCB or STB), and the group treated with whole plants of common or tartary buckwheat (PCB or PTB). Rutin content was 44-48 times higher in STB or PTB than in SCB. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin resistance were significantly reduced by treatment with STB, PCB, and PTB. Treatment with PTB also decreased the serum glucose level significantly and the serum insulin levels slightly compared with the STZ group. These results suggest that rutin content and antioxidant activity are closely related to the antidiabetic effect of the treatment. Our results demonstrate that the seeds of tartary buckwheat and whole plants of either common or tartary buckwheat have antidiabetic effects-attenuating blood glucose in an animal model of type II diabetes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.197-206
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• 2023

Recently, the international community, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has strengthened regulations on air pollution emissions of ships, and eco-friendly ships are actively being developed to reduce exhaust gas emissions. Among them, rotor sail (RS), a wind-assisted ship propulsion system, is attracting attention again. RS is a cylindrical device installed on the ship deck, that generates hydrodynamic lift using a magnus effect. This is a next generation eco-friendly auxiliary propulsion technology, and Enercon company, which developed RS-applied ships, announced that fuel savings of more than 30% are possible. In this study, optimal installation conditions such as RS spacing and arrangement type were selected when multiple RSs were installed on ships. AR=5.1, SR=1.0, and D_e/D was fixed at 2.0 according to the RS arrangement, and the wind direction was considered only for the unidirectional +y-axis. Regarding arrangement conditions, five conditions were set at 3D intervals in the +x-axis direction from 3D to 15D and five conditions in the +y-axis direction from 5D to 25D. C_L, C_D and aerodynamic efficiency (C_L/C_D) were compared according to the square(□) and diamond(◇) shape arrangements. Consequently, the effect of RS on the longitudinal distance was not significantly different. However, in the case of RS flow characteristics according to the transverse distance, the interaction effect of RS was the greatest when the two RSs almost matched the wind direction. In the case of the RS flow characteristics according to the arrangement, notably, when the wind blew in the forward (0°) direction, the diamond (◇) arrangement was least affected by the backward flow between RSs.