• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.487-491
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• 2008

Purpose : Although Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) infection can cause wheezing in non-asthmatic children, the mechanisms of this symptom remain unclear. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major mediator of angiogenesis and vascular permeability, and is also known to be elevated in cases of chronic pulmonary disease such as asthma. We hypothesized that VEGF may increase in children with acute M. pneumoniae pneumonia and wheezing. Methods : Nine patients with clinical and laboratory evidence of acute M. pneumoniae pneumonia were enlisted from children admitted to Korea University Hospital. They had had more than one episode of wheezing during the illness, which was confirmed by a physician; they comprised the wheezer group. The individuals with M. pneumoniae pneumonia without wheezing were 63 in number, and they comprised the non-wheezer group. Patients with a history of asthma or who had received asthma medications were excluded. Serum concentrations of VEGF, total IgE, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and peripheral blood eosinophil counts were measured. Results : The serum VEGF concentrations were higher in the wheezer group ($mean{\pm}SD$; $650.2{\pm}417.9pg/mL$) than in the non-wheezer group ($376.5{\pm}356.2pg/mL$, P=0.049). M. pneumoniae antibody (1:1,380 vs. 1:596, P=0.048) and serum total IgE (591.8 IU/mL vs. 162.2 IU/mL, P=0.032) were higher in the wheezer group than in the non-wheezer group. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of serum ECP concentration or blood eosinophil count. Conclusion : In the presence of wheezing, serum VEGF concentrations were higher in the children with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. This finding suggests that VEGF may associate with wheeze-related symptoms in children with acute M. pneumoniae pneumonia.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.47-55
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the factors associated with electronic cigarette use by Korean adults. To accomplish this, data collected from 228,477 individuals during a community health survey conducted by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015 were analyzed by descriptive analysis, the Chi-squared test, and logistic regression analysis. The lifetime prevalence of electronic cigarette smoking was 11.1% for men and 0.8% for women. The current prevalence for electronic cigarettes smoking was 24.2% for men and 26.1% for women among lifetime users of electronic cigarettes. The lifetime experience rate of electronic cigarette smoking was significantly associated with age, educational attainment, occupation, income status and current smoking status, respectively. The current universal smoking e-cigarette is significantly related to the current smoking status, which shows a significantly higher number of current smokers than groups that have smoked in the past. The preference for electronic cigarette smoking was high. E-cigarettes were perceived by those who aimed to quit smoking as having a smoking cessation effect compared to regular cigarettes while also providing the pleasure of smoking and addressing the addiction. Therefore, e-cigarettes were highly favored because they were reflected as a solution to the dilemma of smoking. In 2014, electronic cigarette imports tripled from the previous year, and interest in electronic cigarettes is increasing worldwide. Accordingly, measures related to the prevention and discontinuation of e-cigarettes should be considered. Strengthening anti-smoking education and active promotion of anti-smoking risks is needed to improve smokers' wrong perception of smoking-related health. The WHO also reports that there is a lack of grounds to ensure or acknowledge that e-cigarettes are effective. Accordingly, it is important to identify environmental factors influencing the use of electronic cigarettes and explore the relationship between electronic cigarette recognition and use.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.57-69
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• 2023

The objectives of this study were to analyze the fish community structures and distribution characteristics of fisheries resources in the Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, fishery resources protection areas. For the study, we conducted fish samplings four times in the two streams from April to October 2019. In Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, we sampled 31 species and 29 species and the dominant species were Zacco platypus (28.6%) and Squalidus multimaculatus(41.7%), respectively. According to the life type of fish species, primary freshwater species were collected 18 species(58.1%) and 21 species(72.4%), and migration fishes were sampled 4 species (12.9%) and 6 species (20.7%) in Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, respectively. Fisheries resources species showed high relative abundance in June, and the fish biomass was highest in October. As a results of comparing the previous studies with this study, both rivers showed high biodiversity and were found to maintain stable populations of fishes. According to analysis of tolerance guilds, the proportion of tolerant species, based on the number of individuals, was composed of 14.4% and 1.1% in Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, respectively. This very low ratio of tolerant species confirmed that both streams have very good physiochemical environment conditions. From the above results, it was judged that the fishery resource protection areas of Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream have high ecological function and preservation value. For sustainable use and management of fishery resource protection areas of Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, it is suggested that biological disturbance management, fish discharge projects considering environmental capacity, efforts to improve the habitat environment, and establishing a fishery resource protection areas management system were necessary as considerations.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 2016

This study was performed to investigate and monitor changes in aquatic ecological communities, particularly benthic macroinvertebrates from the upper reaches to the down reaches of Songchu valley before the project of Songchu valley translocation initiates. We aimed to verify the translocation effects of the valley on the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. A field investigation was conducted over three rounds from November 2012 to August 2013. A total of four sites were selected: one to represent the control site (St. 1), two for the translocation sites (St. 2, 3), and one for the downstream sites (St. 4). Our quantitative sampling revealed that the total number of benthic macroinvertebrates were 3,805, which belong to 62 species, 32 families, 9 orders, 5 classes and 4 phyla. As a result of the community analysis at the control site, dominant index was 0.52(${\pm}0.16$), diversity index was 1.95(${\pm}0.44$), evenness index was 0.81(${\pm}0.04$), and richness index was 2.25(${\pm}0.85$). Thus, the community structure was found to be relatively stable. For the EPT ratio of species and individuals that appeared, the control site showed the highest values at 67.60(${\pm}5.66$)% and 66.30(${\pm}2.06$)% respectively, but its value became lower towards the downstream sites. Upon the statistical analysis of the functional feeding groups, it was found that gathering-collectors and filtering-collectors increased toward the downstream sites while shredders decreased. From the point of habitat-oriented group evaluation, sprawlers decreased and burrows increased toward the downstream sites. According to the analysis using Korea Saprobic Index (KSI), the control site is categorized as grade A with average value at 0.75(${\pm}0.10$). However, the grade gradually falls from A to B toward the lower reaches, as the KSI value increases at the translocation and downstream sites.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.409-419
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to compare the differences in aboveground flora and underground flora between a forest road and a forest edge and to clarify each characteristic through ecological approach to a forest road. The study site was the forest planted with Pinus koraiensis and Abies holophylla, and located at an altitude of 45m($36^{\circ}36'23''N127^{\circ}21'45''E$). The width of the forest road is 3.2m. This research set the forest edge within the areas 5m away from the forest road and also conducted a survey on vegetation 5 times from september 2006 to August 2007. In addition, it installed thirty six quadrats to make an analysis of reclaimed soil seed bank. Soil amounting to 600$cm^3$ was collected from each quadrat using soil samplers(100$cm^3$),which was preserved in low temperature refrigeration for a month. Soil was thinly strewed evenly on trays and watered every four or five days; then, this research did experiment for six months until no more germination took place. Through this process, this research identified species and counted the number of germinating individuals by using emerging seedlings. The research result showed that on the whole, the similarity index between aboveground flora and underground flora was low. The correlation coefficient between the aboveground flora vegetations both on the forest road and on its edge was found to be 0.36, showing a correlation with each other(p<0.05). On the other hand, the correlation coefficient between underground flora vegetations through the analysis of reclaimed soil seed bank was 0.20, showing no correlation with each other(p>0.05). As the survey result of naturalized plants, there existed 7 species of naturalized plants on the forest road in case woody plants were included, showing 11.11% naturalization rate and 2.61% urbanization index(UI). On the other hand in case woody plants were not included among the naturalized plants, the naturalization rate on the forest road was 12.50% while the naturalization rate on the edge of the forest was 9.09%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2005

The experiment was conducted to investigate the species composition of catches collected by the bottom trawl on June 24 to 26, 2004 in the southern waters of Korea using a trawler "DONGBAEK" belongs to Yosu National University. The investigation was carried out at the 5 stations and the towing speed was 3.4${\sim}$3.7k't. The catches were composed of 46 species from 37 families, 10 orders and 2 classes for fishes and 2 species, 2 families and 2 orders for Chondrichthyes and 44 species, 35 familes, 8 orders for Osteichthyes. The catches of Perciforms were the highest as 24 species and 18 families for fishes. The catches of Spear squid, Loli해 bleekeri and Red banded lobster, Metanephrops thomsoni were also the highest for mollusca and crustacea as 1 class, 3 species, 3 families, 2 orders, 1 class and 7 species, 5 families, 1 order, 1 class respectively. In the 5 stations, number of individuals and biomass were 1,144 and 376.0kg at ST-1, 908 and 240.3kg at ST-2, 666 and 90.1kg at ST-3, 2,050 and 300..4kg at ST-4 and 561 and 24.7kg at ST-5. The diversity index of each stations ranged between 1.49 and it showed the richness index of 2.13${\sim}$3.48, the evenness index of 0.48${\sim}$0.77 and the dominance index of 0.43${\sim}$0.8. Body length distributio of the dominant specise were 9${\sim}$32cm(fork length) for Japanese horse mackerel, Trachurus japonicus, 7${\sim}$23cm(mantle length) for Common squid, Todarodes pacificus, 9${\sim}$43cm(mantle length) for Spear squid, Loli해 bleekeri, 23${\sim}$36cm(total length) for File fish, Thamnaconus modestus, 10${\sim}$28cm(fork length) for Yellow porgy, Dentex tumifrons, 10${\sim}$36cm(fork length) for Target dory, Zeus faber and 8${\sim}$35cm(fork length) for Red seabream, Pagrus major.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.173-186
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• 2005

Genomic DNA was isolated from two geographic populations of largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) in Korea and the Atlantic Ocean. The eight arbitrarily selected primers were found to generate common, polymorphic, and specific fragments. The complexity of the banding patterns varied dramatically between primers from the two locations. The size of the DNA fragments also varied widely, from 150 bp (base pairs) to 3,000 bp. Here, 947 fragments were identified in the largehead hairtail population from Korea, and 642 in the largehead hairtail population from the Atlantic Ocean: 148 specific fragments (15.6%) in the Korean population, and 61 (9.5%) in the Atlantic population. In the Korean population, 638 common fragments with an average of 79.8 per primer were observed.; 429 common fragments, with an average of 53.6 per primer, were identified in the Atlantic population. The number of polymorphic fragments in the largehead hairtail population from Korea and the Atlantic Ocean was 76 and 27, respectively. Based on the average bandsharing values of all samples, the similarity matrix ranged from 0.784 to 0.922 in the Korean population, and from 0.833 to 0.990 in the Atlantic population. The bandsharing value of individuals within the Atlantic population was much higher than in the Korean population. The dendrogram obtained by the eight primers indicated two genetic clusters: cluster 1 (KOREAN 01~KOREAN 11), and cluster 2 (ATLANTIC 12~ATLANTIC 22). Individual KOREAN no. 10 from Korea was genetically most closely related to KOREAN no. 11 in the Korean population (genetic distance = 0.038). Ultimately, individual KOREAN no. 01 of the Korean population was most distantly related to ATLANTIC no. 16 of the Atlantic population (genetic distance = 0.708).

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.395-405
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• 2009

In this study, a survey was conducted to determine consumer perceptions and satisfaction for onion hot-water extracts. Among the study subjects, females (53.3%) were in greater number than males, and individuals in their 40s (35.1%) made up the largest group. Cocerning the detailed efficacy of onion hot-water extracts, most respondents (84.5%) were aware of their efficacy and females recognized this more than males (p<0.001). Most consumers (67.3%) purchased onion hot-water extracts from 'health food stores prepared using a double boiler', and many consumers (47.4%) received information on the extracts from families and relatives. Of the respondents, 51.8% said they purchased 'quantities for $1{\sim}3$ months' at one time, and 33.1% stated that the price of onion hot-water extracts was expensive. They considered 'health' the most important aspect when purchasing, and preferred 'pouch packs' (60.3%) and considered 'easiness to open convenience to drink, and safety' (42.0%) the most important product features. Also, 62.8% of the respondents consumed onion hot-water extracts, and many drank them $1{\sim}3$ times a week, with '70 mL' as one dose, and drank them 'regardless of time'. The consumers were satisfied with the listing of health effects, but were not satisfied with the 'taste', 'smell', or 'color' of products. Concerning advertisements for the efficacy of onion hot-water extracts, 72.5% replied 'I trust them a little'. And concerning the expanding onion hot-water extract market, many respondents said it is difficult to choose an onion hot-water extract due to many similar products at the market. They also requested improvements of taste and flavor.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.229-246
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• 2023

The bitterling (Cyprinidae, Acheilongnathinae) is a temperate freshwater fish with a unique spawning symbiosis with host mussels. Female bitterlings use their extended ovipositors to lay eggs on the gills of mussels through the mussel's exhalant siphon. In the present study, in April of 2020, we investigated spawning frequencies and patterns of three bitterling fish species in host mussel species in the Nakdong River basin (Hoecheon). During field surveys, a total of four bitterling and three mussel species were found. We observed bitterling's spawning eggs/larvae in the three mussel species: Anodonta arcaeformis(proportion spawned: 45.5%), Corbicula fluminea(12.1%), and Nodularia douglasiae (45.2%). The number of bitterlings' eggs/larvae per mussel ranged from 1 to 58. Using our developed genetic markers, we identified the eggs/larvae of each bitterling species in each mussel species (except for A. macropterus): A. arcaeformis (spawned by Acheilognathus yamatsutae), C. fluminea (A. yamatsutae and Tanakia latimarginata), and N. douglasiae (A. yamatsutae, Rhodeus uyekii, and T. latimarginata). Approximately 57.6% of N. douglasiae mussel individuals had eggs/larvae of more than one bitterling species, suggesting that interspecific competition for occupying spawning grounds is intense. This is the first report on bitterling's spawning events in the Asian clam C. fluminea from Korea; however, it should be ascertained whether bitterling's embryo undergoes successful development inside the small mussel and leaves as a free-swimming juvenile. In addition, the importance of its conservation as a new host mussel species for bitterling fishes needs to be studied further.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.189-198
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• 2007

The reproductive cycle, egg capsules in the egg-mass, first sexual maturity, and sex ratio of the bladder moon, Glossaulax didyma ($R\ddot{o}ding$) were investigated. The gastropods collected from the intertidal zone of Biin Bay, Seocheon, Korea were studied by using histological analysis and morphometric data. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) of females and males began to increase in March and reached maximum in May. Then their values sharply decreased from late in May to August due to spawning. The condition index (CI) began to increase in February and reached maximum in May, then gradually declined in the spawning period. The CI calculated for determination of the spawning period was coincided with changes in the GSI and gonadal phases. Spawning occurred between late in May to August in females and early in May to August in males. Spawning peak was observed between July and August when the seawater temperature rose to 19 $^{\circ}C$. Reproductive cycle with the gonadal development phases of this species can be divided into five successive stages in females and four in males: in females, early active stage (December to February), late active stage (February to March), ripe stage (April recovery stage (August to November); in males, active stage (December to March), ripe stage (March to July), copulation stage (early May to August), and recovery stage (August to January). Fully matured oocytes were approximately 250-270 ${\mu}m$ in size. The egg-mass was a hat in shape, and a number of egg capsules were found in an egg-mass. An egg capsule was 0.53-0.57 mm in size. An embryo (veliger larva) hatched from an egg capsule. Percentage of first sexual maturity in females and males were over 50% for individuals that are 40.1-45.0 mm in shell radius, and 100% for those that are over 45.1 mm. The sex ratio of female to male was significantly different from 1:1 $(x^2\;=\;57.22,\;p\;<\;0.05)$.