• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.123-129
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• 1999

Initial electrochemical characteristics of $LiCoO_2$ electrode for lithium ion battery with various content of super s black as conductive material were evaluated through the charge/discharge with the potential range of 4.3V to 2.0V versus $Li^+/Li^+$. The rate of C/4 and C/2 by the 3 electrode test cell composed with an electrolytic solution of 1 mol/l $LiPF_6/EC+DEC(1:3\;by\; weight)$. Lithium was used as reference electrode. High impedance charge behavior was observed at early stage of charge. In the case of $3\%w/w$ of super s black as conductive material, the specific resistance of the high impedance releasing was $3.82\;{\Omega}\;{\cdot}\;g-LiCoCo_2$ at the current density of $0.5 mA/cm^2$, which corresponds 7 times of the specific resistance of electrode $(0.728 g-LiCoO_2)$. At second charge, the specific resistance of the high impedance releasing was 63 mn · g-Lico02, which corresponds 12eio of the specific resistance of electrode and only $1.7\%$ of that of the first charge. The first charge and discharge specific capacities at C/4 rate were 160-161 and $153\~155mAh/g-LiCoO_2$, respectively, to lead $95.4\~96.4\%$ of coulombic efficiencies and ca. $6 mAh/g-LiCoO_2$ of initial irreversible specific capacity. Specific resistance at the end of charge and rest showed low value at content of super s black between 2 and $7\%w/w$, which agreed with characteristics of irreversible specific capacity. Capacity densities were reduced by the increasing the content of conductive material. They were 447 and 431mAh/ml when 2 and $2.9\%w/w$ of super s black were used, respectively, at the rate of C/4.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.495-503
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• 2012

The water quality of Gul-po Stream, the subject of this study, has been deteriorating because of the inflow of domestic sewage and the industrial wastewater due to industrialization and the problems relating to the structure of river including slow flow rate and the covering of river. In particular, the domestic sewage from small-medium sized factories by the river and large-scale industrial complex by the upper and middle streams of the river, and the domestic sewage from increasing population due to the regional development are the main pollution sources. Thus, this study aims to survey the water quality and the sediment affecting Gul-po Stream; monitor the state of pollution in water body; assess the yield of sediment and investigate the water quality of river and the problems arising from sediment; and then suggest reasonable ways to improve the situation. The findings from surveying pollution load shows the discharge increases up to average 72.8 times from the upper stream to the downstream of Gul-po Stream, and pollution load increases up to: SS 111 times, BOD 150 times, COD 145 times, the nutrient T-N 222 times and T-P 312 times on an average basis. As for the pollution concentration range, ignition loss is 1.29~12.43%; COD is 4,015~37,547 kg/day; T-N and T-P 94.8~352.5 kg/day and 81.8~372.3 kg/day, respectively. As for the releasing rate of sediment, T-N is -14.46~$156.61mg/m^2/day$; T-P is -11.53~$26.10mg/m^2/day$, indicating the likelihood of internal contamination due to the elution of sediment. This study is expected to be used as basic data to manage Gul-po Stream basin.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2009

A neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has been widely used to create animal model for Parkinson's disease (PD) due to its specific toxicity against dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Since DA signals modulate a broad spectrum of CNS physiology, one can expect profound alterations in neuroendocrine activities of both PD patients and 6-OHDA treated animals. Limited applications of 6-OHDA injection model, however, have been made on the studies of hypothalamuspituitary neuroendocrine circuits. The present study was performed to examine whether blockade of brain catecholamine (CA) biosynthesis with 6-OHDA can make any alteration in the transcriptional activities of hypothalamus-pituitary hormone genes in adult male rats. Three-month-old male rats (SD strain) were received 6-OHDA ($200{\mu}g$ in $10{\mu}\ell$ of saline/animal) by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection, and sacrificed after two weeks. To determine the mRNA levels of hypothalamuspituitary hormone genes, total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative RT-PCRs. The mRNA levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme for the catecholamine biosynthesis, were significantly lower than those from the control group (control:6-OHDA=1:0.72${\pm}$0.02AU, p<0.001), confirming the efficacy of 6-OHDA injection. The mRNA levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in the hypothalami from 6-OHDA group were significantly lower than those from the control group (GnRH, control:6-OHDA=1:0.39${\pm}$0.03AU, p<0.001; CRH, control:6-OHDA=1:0.76${\pm}$0.07AU, p<0.01). There were significant decreases in the mRNA levels of common alpha subunit of glycoprotein homones (Cg$\alpha$), LH beta subunit (LH-$\beta$), and FSH beta subunit (FSH-$\beta$) in pituitaries from 6-OHDA group compared to control values (Cg$\alpha$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.81${\pm}$0.02AU, p<0.001; LH-$\beta$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.68${\pm}$0.04AU, p<0.001; FSH-$\beta$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.84${\pm}$0.05AU, p<0.001). Similarly, the level of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) transcripts from 6-OHDA group was significantly lower than that from the control group (control: 6-OHDA=1:0.86${\pm}$0.04AU, p<0.01). The present study demonstrated that centrally injected DA neurotoxin could downregulate the transcriptional activities of the two hypothalamus-pituitary neuroendocrine circuits, i.e., GnRH-gonadotropins and CRH-ACTH systems. These results suggested that hypothalamic CA input might affect on the activities of gonad and adrenal through modulation of hypothalamus-pituitary function, providing plausible explanation for frequent occurrence of sexual dysfunction and poor stress-response in PD patients.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 1984

To investigate nitrogen supplying effect of some slowrelease N-fertilizers on barley in upland soil sulfurcoated urea(SCU), ureaform and melamine (1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-triamine) were treated and compared to urea. In addition, thiourea as a nitrification inhibitor was also tested. Effects of variable soil condition such as moisture content, pH and temperature on nitrogen supplying ability of the fertilizers and on growth of barley were studied through incubation test and pot culture and the obtained results were summarized as follows: The releasing rate of ammonia from urea, SCU, ureaform and melamine were resulted as 27-59%, 25-39%, 9-34% and 0.7-4.3% at maximum conversion rate, respectively. Nitrification rate of the tested fertilizers was higher at pH 6.54 markedly than at pH 4.73. Addition of thourea depressed the formation of $NO_3$ during four weeks of incubation period. Mixed application of ureaform with small amount of urea contributed to nitrogen supply till latter growth stage of barely Basal application of melamine showed lowest nitrogen supplying ability and injurious response on barley growth.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.225-234
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• 2004

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of GnRH antagonist cetrorelix in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and to determine changes in serum hormone concentrations during cetrorelix administration. Methods: We performed a clinical trial on 30 patients undergoing COH with highly purified follicular stimulating hormone (HP-FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist (GnRHant), cetrorelix. FSH was administrated from day 2 or 3 of cycle with fixed dose and adjusted according to individual response. 0.25 mg of cetrorelix was injected daily subcutaneously from stimulation day 5 until the day of hCG administration. Daily ultrasound monitoring was performed for growing follicles and serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol ($E_2$) and progesterone were measured daily during cetrorelix administration. Up to 4 embryos were transferred. Results: Mean age of enrolled patients was $32.0{\pm}3.4$ years (mean $\pm$ S.D.). All of 30 patients underwent oocyte pick-up, and embryo transfer was done in 28 patients. The total and mean numbers of received oocytes were 196 and $6.5{\pm}4.7$, the number of fertilized eggs was 111, and the fertilization rate was 56.6%. Total duration of FSH administration was $9.2{\pm}2.2$ days and mean of $24.3{\pm}7.7$ ampules of HP-FSH was administered. Total duration of cetrorelix administration was $5.7{\pm}1.9$ days. Serum LH and progesterone levels were maintained in the range of $1.4{\sim}2.9\;mIU/mL$ and $0.3{\sim}0.6\;ng/mL$, which respectively reflected effective prevention of premature LH surge. Clinical pregnancies were achieved in 9 patients, and overall clinical pregnancy rate was 30.0% per oocyte retrieval, and 32.1% per embryo transfer. Conclusion: GnRH antagonist is safe and convenient for COH for IVF-ET and effective with optimal pregnancy rate.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.287-294
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• 2007

The present study was to conducted the sexing efficiency and accuracy of bovine embryo by LAMP (Loop-mediated isothermal amplification) method, the development of the biopsied embryos into re- reformation and the freezability of these blastocysts by slow-freezing and vitrification. In vivo embryos were superovaluted with gonadotropin(Antorin R-10) for 4 days combined with progestrone releasing intravaginal(CIDR) insertion in Hanwoo donors, and in vitro embryos were used blastocyst embryos at Day 7 or Day 8 after post-insemination in vitro. The biopsy of bovine embryo was carried out in a 80μl drop with Ca2+-Mg2+ free D-PBS and the viability of biopsied embryos were evaluated in IVMD medium at over 12 h culture time in 5% CO2 incubator.For embryo sexing, about five or seven blastomeres were isolated from in vitro and in vivo embryos at blastocysts with microblade. and were then subjected to LAMP. The survivability of biopsied embryos were no difference in the development rate to re-formation of blastocysts between in vivo and in vitro embryos(100% and 90% respectively). The rates of sexed embryos were compared according to two groups, the female rate was lower than that the male in the in vivo and in vitro embryos(46% vs, 54% and 40% vs, 60%, respectively). However, there were no difference in the overall sexing ratio between the two groups. The survivability of frozen-thawed sexed embryos were lower in the in vitro than in vivo embryos in the slow-freezing(Group 1) and vitrification method(Group 2), (41.7% vs. 58.8% and 57.1% vs, 77.8. respectively).

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.228-235
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• 2002

Mastitis is the most costly disease results in lost milk production, decreased milk quality, milk discard, early culling of cows, drug costs and labor costs in dairy cow. Until now, a antibiotic administration at the end of lactation, dry cow therapy has been known the most effective and widely used mastitis control method. However, dry cow therapy do not control a new infection in the late dry and prepartum period because dry cow products have only persistent activity in the early dry period. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate clinical effect of sustained released biodegradable cephalexin microsphere using PLGA in bovine mastitis control during dry period. PLGA has been approved as controlled drug release system because of non-toxic, non-tissue reactive and bioerodible characteristics. This study revealed that cephalexin microsphere had a spherical shape with characteristic porous structure on the surface. Also, in vitro drug release studies are clearly observed that the release rate of cephalexin from PLGA microsphere decrease during the first 21 days after initial burst and then increase again between 3 and 4 weeks showing pulsatile releasing pattern. On the other hand, as tried in field the new infection rate, cure rate and mean SCC after parturition in cephalexin microsphere infused group were significantly differenced as compared to the control group. Accordingly, a sustained release of cephalexin from a biodegradable microsphere could make dry cow therapy more efficiently by preventing a new infection and decreasing the number of existing infection of mammary gland during dry period.

• Composites Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.265-272
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• 2013

Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) is applied to fabricate the main structures of composite boats. Most of them are made from molds. These products deform after releasing from the mold and they also deform in high temperature environment. Therefore, experimental investigation and evaluation of deformation of laminated composite structures under various manufacturing and working conditions are necessary. The specimens of L-shape and curveshape were made from unsaturated polyester resin and fiberglass material. Input factors (independent variables) are percentage of hardener and manufacturing temperature and four levels of working temperature and output factor is the deformation which is measured on these specimens. From the results, it was observed that the higher the hardener rate and temperature, the lower the deformation. When the working temperature increased, the specimens showed great variations for the initial deformation values. Besides, the values of deformation or input factors could be predicted by regression equations.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2012

To determine the movement patterns, home range, and use of structural features of captive-bred one- or two-year-old Amur ratsnake (Elaphe schrenckii) juveniles in the natural habitat, we radio-tracked a total of 11 juvenile snakes in a mountain valley in Chiaksan National Park, South Korea, between August 21 and September 20, 2010 and between June 13 and July 13, 2011. During the first week of the release, most juveniles moved short distances, daily, but they increased their distances after the first week. The body weight of the juveniles was negatively related with the movement rate (dividing the number of movements by the number of relocations), which was positively related with the mean daily distances moved and the size of both a kernel 50% and 95% home range. During the study period, the juveniles moved daily, approximately 17 m, and the size of the minimum convex polygon and the 50% and 95% kernel home ranges were 1.8 ha, 0.4 ha, and 3.0 ha, respectively. The released captive-bred juveniles were more frequently confirmed underground or on the ground rather than on rocks or on trees. Our results suggest that the body condition of released individuals, the seasonal time of the release, and the existence of available prey and shelters in the habitat should be carefully considered when releasing captive-bred Amur ratsnake juveniles for the rehabilitation of field populations.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.469-475
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• 2013

In mammals, puberty is a process of acquiring reproductive competence, triggering by activation of hypothalamic kisspeptin (KiSS)-gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neuronal circuit. During peripubertal period, not only the external genitalia but the internal reproductive organs have to be matured in response to the hormonal signals from hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (H-P-G) axis. In the present study, we evaluated the maturation of male rat accessory sex organs during the peripubertal period using tissue weight measurement, histological analysis and RT-PCR assay. Male rats were sacrificed at 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 70 postnatal days (PND). The rat accessory sex organs exhibited differential growth patterns compared to those of non-reproductive organs. The growth rate of the accessory sex organs were much higher than the those of non-reproductive organs. Also, the growth spurts occurred differentially even among the accessory sex organs; the order of prepubertal organ growth spurts is testis = epididymis > seminal vesicle = prostate. Histological study revealed that the presence of sperms in seminiferous tubules and epididymal ducts at day 50, indicating the puberty onset. The number of duct and the volume of duct in epididymis and prostate were inversely correlated during the experimental period. Our RT-PCR revealed that the levels of hypothalamic GnRH transcript were increased significantly on PND 40, suggesting the activation of hypothalamic GnRH pulse-generator before puberty onset. Studies on the peripubertal male accessory sex organs will provide useful references on the growth regulation mechanism which is differentially regulated during the period in androgen-sensitive organs. The detailed references will render easier development of endocrine disruption assay.