• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a life-threatening condition that necessitates early identification and intervention and is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic burden. However, several diagnostic challenges remain regarding risk stratification and the optimal timing of endoscopy. The PillSense System is a noninvasive device developed to detect blood in patients with UGIB in real time. This study aimed to assess the safety and performance characteristics of PillSense using a simulated bleeding model. Methods: A preclinical study was performed using an in vivo porcine model (14 animals). Fourteen PillSense capsules were endoscopically placed in the stomach and blood was injected into the stomach to simulate bleeding. The safety and sensitivity of blood detection and pill excretion were also investigated. Results: All the sensors successfully detected the presence or absence of blood. The minimum threshold was 9% blood concentration, with additional detection of increasing concentrations of up to 22.5% blood. All the sensors passed naturally through the gastrointestinal tract. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the ability of the PillSense System sensor to detect UGIB across a wide range of blood concentrations. This ingestible device detects UGIB in real time and has the potential to be an effective tool to supplement the current standard of care. These favorable results will be further investigated in future clinical studies.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.337-342
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• 2017

The present study was aimed to determine the effects of green tea extract (GTE) and beta-mercaptoethanol (${\beta}-ME$) supplementation in boar sperm freezing extender on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH) levels of presumptive zygotes (PZs). Experimental groups were allocated into lactose egg yolk (LEY) without antioxidant (control), GTE (1,000 mg/l in LEY) and ${\beta}-ME$ ($50{\mu}M$ in LEY). In freezing, spermatozoa extended with LEY were cooled to $5^{\circ}C$ for 3 h and then kept at $5^{\circ}C$ for 30 min following dilution with LEY containing 9% glycerol and 1.5% Equex STM. The final sperm concentration was $1{\times}10^8/ml$. Spermatozoa were loaded into straws and frozen in nitrogen vapor for 20 min. For IVF, oocytes were matured in NCSU-23 medium and co-cultured with spermatozoa following thawing at $37^{\circ}C$ for 25 sec. At 12 h following IVF, IVF parameters (sperm penetration and monospermy) were evaluated. In addition, GSH and ROS levels of PZs were determined by Cell Tracker Blue CMF2HC and DCHFDA, respectively. IVF parameters did not show any significant difference among the experimental groups. GSH and ROS levels of PZs were not significantly different between groups. In conclusion, antioxidant supplementation in boar sperm freezing could not influence IVF parameters, ROS and GSH levels of PZs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2004

This study was performed to examine the effects of catalase and $\beta$-mercaptoethanol ($\beta$ME) on the establishment of clonal lines from porcine fetal fibroblast cells. Fibroblasts derived from a pig fetus (Day 50) were passaged two times before use. A single cell was seeded in 96-well plates and cultured in medium supplemented with or without catalase or $\beta$ ME. Cell colonies were passaged two times into 4-well dish. Cell lines with proliferating potential were classified as an established clonal cell line. In experience 1, the establishment efficiencies were examined by addition of catalase (100ng/$m\ell$) or $\beta$ME (100 uM) in culture medium. The establishment efficiency of $\beta$ME-added group (8.3％) was significantly higher than that of control group (3.2％, P<0.05). However, catalase did not have a positive efffct on the establishment efficiency. In experience 2, the establishment efficiencies were examined by addition of different concentrations of catalase (0-1,000 ng/$m\ell$) in culture medium. However, establishment efficiencies were not different among the different concentrations of catalase (0-2.6％). In experience 3. the establishment efficiencies were examined by addition of different concentrations of $\beta$ME(0-1,000 uM) in culture medium. The establishment efficiency was significantly higher in 100 uM $\beta$ME-added group (9.4％) compare to others (0-1.6％). The result of present study shows that the establishment efficiency of clonal cell lines can be enhanced by the culture in media supplemented with 100uM $\beta$ME. However, catalase did not have a positive effect on the establishment efficiency.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.361-371
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• 2013

The present study assessed the effect of FSH and LH on oocyte meiotic, cytoplasmic maturation and on the expression level and polyadenylation status of several maternal genes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were cultured in the presence of FSH, LH, or the combination of FSH and LH. Significant cumulus expansion and nuclear maturation was observed upon exposure to FSH alone and to the combination of FSH and LH. The combination of FSH and LH during entire IVM increased the mRNA level of four maternal genes, C-mos, Cyclin B1, Gdf9 and Bmp15, at 28 h. Supplemented with FSH or LH significantly enhanced the polyadenylation of Gdf9 and Bmp15; and altered the expression level of Gdf9 and Bmp15. Following parthenogenesis, the exposure of oocytes to combination of FSH and LH during IVM significantly increased cleavage rate, blastocyst formation rate and total cell number, and decreased apoptosis. In addition, FSH and LH down-regulated the autophagy gene Atg6 and upregulated the apoptosis gene Bcl-xL at the mRNA level in blastocysts. These data suggest that the FSH and LH enhance meiotic and cytoplasmic maturation, possibly through the regulation of maternal gene expression and polyadenylation. Overall, we show here that FSH and LH inhibit apoptosis and autophagy and improve parthenogenetic embryo competence and development.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.150-156
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• 2007

This study was conducted to analyze the genetic characteristics of Korean Native Pigs(KNP), and to establish an individual identification system comprising many microsatellite markers located on different pig autosomes. Genotype data from 13 microsatellites typed in 446 animals was used to determine the validation of a method of individual identification in 4 KNP. A total of 112 alleles of the 13 microsatellites were detected and average heterozygosities(polymorphic information content) ranged from 0.286(0.423) to 0.686(0.796) in this study. Comparing the pattern of allele frequency among the KNP, Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc breeds, there was specific differentiation between populations at multi-allelic loci. The cumulative power of discrimination(CPD) was 99.999% by including 10 microsatellite loci for the individual identification system. The probability that two different individuals incidentally have same genotype was estimated to be $0.36{\times}10^{-9}$. The system employing these 10 markers therefore proved to be applicable to the individual identification of KNP.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.553-558
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• 1997

Arterial allografts have known advantages over prosthetic vascular conduit for treatment of heart valvular disease, congenital heart disease and aortic disease. Cell viability may play a role in determining the longterm outcome of allografts. Endothelial cell is one important part in determining the allograft viability. To evaluate the viability of endothelial cells using current allograft preservation technique, porcine heart valve leaflets and arterial wall were subjected to collagenase digestion. Single endothelial cell suspension was labeled with GSA-PITC(Griffonia simplicifolia agglutininfluorescein isothiocyan te), a vascular, endothelial cell specific marker. The cell suspension was washed and incubated with Pl(Propidium iodide), which does not bind with viable cells, Endothelial cell viability was evaluated by calculating the percentage of GSA-FITC(+) and Pl(-) group using flowcytometric analysis. Allografts were treated with $4^{\circ}C$ antibiotic solo!ion for 24 hours for sterilization. After this, half of allografts were stored in $4^{\circ}C$ RPMI 1640 with HEPES buffer culture medium with 10% fetal bovine serum for 1 to 14 days(Group I). Another half of allografts were cryopreserved with a currently used technique (Group II). During the procurement and sterilization of arterial allografts, 22.8% and 24.4% of endothelial cell viability declined, respectively. In Group I, 11.9% of endothelial cell viability declined further steadily during 14 days of storage. In Group II, 13.7% of endothelial cell viability declined. These results show that largest loss of endothelial cell viability occurs during the nitial process. After 14 days of arterial allograft storage under $4^{\circ}C$ nutrient medium or cryopreservation, about 40% of endothelial cell viability is maintained. There were no differences between the endothelial cell viability from aortic valve leaflet, pulmonic valve leaflets, aortic wall and pulmonic wall.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.295-298
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• 1993

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of heating temperature, heating time and protein concentration on the gel properties and heat stability of a mixed system of pork plasma and myofibrillar to increase the utility of porcine blood as protein resources of the food industry, especially meat processing industry. The solubility of plasma protein and mixture (plasma + myofibrillar protein) decreased significantly at $70^{\circ}C\;to\;90^{\circ}C$ when heating temperature rised, whereas myofibrillar protein decreased slightly at $40^{\circ}C\;to\;60^{\circ}C$, and the gel strength and the turbidity of those increased significantly at these heating temperatures. The solubility of plasma protein and mixture decreased when the heating time increased at $75^{\circ}C$, whereas the gel strength and turbidity increased, and the solubility, the gel strength and the turbidity of myofibrillar protein showed no changes.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2006

This study investigated apoptosis and in vitro development of parthenogenetic preimplantation porcine embryos. In vitro matured oocytes for $42{\sim}44h$ were used. Apoptotic cell death was analyzed by using a terminal deoxynucleatidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine 5-triphosphate nick-end tabling (TUNEL) assay. In experiment 1, oocytes were activated with two electric pulses (CH) of 1.2 kV/cm for $30{\mu}sec$ (E), E + 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) or E + cycloheximide (CH) and cultured in PZM-3 under 5% $CO_2$ in air at $38.5^{\circ}C$. In experiment 2, oocytes were activated by E and cultured in PZM-3 or NCSU-23 under a gas atmosphere of 20% $O_2$ ($5%\;CO_2$, in air) or 5% $O_2$ $(5%\;CO_2,\;5%\;O_2\;90%\;N_2)\;at\;38.5^{\circ}C$. Oocytes activated with E+6-DMAP or E+CH showed higher blastocyst rates (36.3% and 32.5%) compared to E alone (27.7%). The frequency of apoptosis according to treatments were 5.3%, 7.7% and 7.1% respectively. Oocytes activated with E alone showed lower (P<0.05) frequency of apoptosis compared to other groups. In experiment 2, parthenotes cultured in PZM-3 showed slightly higher blastocyte rates (28.2% and 29.7%) compared to NCSU-23 (22.6% and 24.4%) regardless of atmosphere. Blastocysts generated in PZM-3 showed lower (P<0.05) apoptosis rate under 20% $O_2$ (9.2% vs 16.9%), whereas those in NCSU-23 had slightly lower apoptosis rate under 5% $O_2$ (14.0% vs 18.4%). This result represents that activation method and culture condition could affect the frequency of apoptosis as well as in vitro developmental rate.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.1237-1243
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• 2002

We have developed a reliable and noninvasive method for swine genotyping of single locus nuclear gene with aged single hair follicles delivered by general mail. The method is based on booster and nested PCR amplification with step-wise increase of primers and dNTPs concentrations followed by restriction endonuclease digestion. To establish this method, the ryanodine receptor (RYR 1) locus which is an economically important trait in swine industry was employed for genotyping experiment. The 3-step PCR amplication method is much less dependent on the quantity and quality of template DNA and produces enough amplification product for the detection on the ethidium bromide-stained gel such as RFLP analysis. A total of 120 pigs were subjected to the RYR 1 genotyping analysis using three-step PCR method which amplified enough quantity of PCR products from the aged single hair follicles for RFLP analysis and genotyping results were identical to the results of the corresponding ethanol-fixed skeletal muscle tissue. This approach will be a great help for porcine breeders and investigators in genotyping of swine. They can receive genotyping results later by simply plucking single hairs of their pigs at farm and sending them in general mail to the diagnostic laboratory which eliminates the inconveniences to collect ear tissue or blood cells from pigs, or the investigator's need for travel to farms in order to collect fresh hair samples.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.858-864
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• 2000

The purpose of the present study was to examine the efficacy and mechanism of the fraction IV cold ethanol fractionation and pasteurization ($60^{\circ}C$ heat treatment for 10h) steps, involved in the manufacture of albumin from human plasma, in the removal and/or inactivation of blood-born viruses. A variety of experimental model viruses for human pathogenic viruses, including the Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), Bovine herpes virus (BHV), Murine encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), and Porcine parvovirus (PPV), were selected for this study. Samples from the relevant stages of the production process were spiked with the viruses, and the amount of virus in each fraction was then quantified using a 50% tissue culture infectious dose ($TCID_{50}$). The mechanism of reduction for the enveloped viruses (BHV and BVDV) during fraction IV fractionation was inactivation rather than partitioning, however, it was partitioning in the case of the non-enveloped viruses (EMCV and PPV). The log reduction factors achieved during fraction IV fractionation were ${\geq}6.9$ BHV, $\geq5.2$ for BBDV, 4.9 for EMC, and 4.0 for PPV. Pasteurization was found to be a robust and effective step in inactivating the enveloped viruses as well as EMCV. The log reduction factors achieved during pasteurization were $\geq7.0$ for BHV, $\geq6.1$ for BVDV, $\geq6.3$ for EMCV, and 1.7 for PPV. These results indicate that the production process for albumin has sufficient virus-reducing capacity to achieve a high margin for virus safety.