• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.469-477
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• 2008

Purpose: The goal of this paper is to present the design and performance of a position encoding circuit for $16{\times}16$ array of position sensitive multi-anode photomultiplier tube for small animal PET scanners. This circuit which reduces the number of readout channels from 256 to 4 channels is based on a charge division method utilizing a resistor array. Materials and Methods: The position encoding circuit was simulated with PSpice before fabrication. The position encoding circuit reads out the signals from H9500 flat panel PMTs (Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Japan) on which $1.5{\times}1.5{\times}7.0\;mm^3$ $L_{0.9}GSO$ ($Lu_{1.8}Gd_{0.2}SiO_{5}:Ce$) crystals were mounted. For coincidence detection, two different PET modules were used. One PET module consisted of a $29{\times}29\;L_{0.9}GSO$ crystal layer, and the other PET module two $28{\times}28$ and $29{\times}29\;L_{0.9}GSO$ crystal layers which have relative offsets by half a crystal pitch in x- and y-directions. The crystal mapping algorithm was also developed to identify crystals. Results: Each crystal was clearly visible in flood images. The crystal identification capability was enhanced further by changing the values of resistors near the edge of the resistor array. Energy resolutions of individual crystal were about 11.6%(SD 1.6). The flood images were segmented well with the proposed crystal mapping algorithm. Conclusion: The position encoding circuit resulted in a clear separation of crystals and sufficient energy resolutions with H9500 flat-panel PMT and $L_{0.9}GSO$ crystals. This circuit is good enough for use in small animal PET scanners.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.385-398
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• 2002

The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether stromal cells supporting specific microenvironment for hematopoiesis of bone marrow are affected by toxicants and therapeutic drugs such as antibiotics and anticancer drugs and whether laminin-1 is associated with such effects. SD rats were intraperitoneally injected with 75 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide which is widely used to treat infant's solid tumor, leukemia and myeloma and sacrificed after 3 days, 1 week, 3 weeks or 5 weeks of injection. The bone marrow extracted and paraffin-sectioned was analyzed using immunohistochemical staining. A part of tissues was subjected to electron microscopy following reaction with rabbit anti-laminin antibody, biotinylated goat anti-rabbit IgG conjugated with 12 nm gold particles, and staining with uranyl acetate. 1. The bone marrow tissue at day 3 post injection with cyclophosphamide displayed dilated venous sinus, partial necrotic death, and decreased number of hematopoietic cells. Laminin-1 was intensively stained in the reticular and adipose tissues. 2. Up to 5 weeks post injection, laminin-1 was stained at a low level in the stromal tissue of bone marrow and the number of hematopoietic cell was increased. 3. Deposition of the gold particle which represents laminin-1 expression was observed at the highest level in the stromal cells of bone marrow obtained 3 days after injection, and decreased after 1 to 5 weeks. These results suggest that stromal cells which play a role in supporting microenvironment for bone marrow hematopoiesis augment induction of laminin-1 expression and activation upon administration of cyclophosphamide.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.373-383
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• 2011

Tributyltin (TBT) is one of endocrine disrupters which are known as having similar function to sex steroid hormone inducing apoptosis in various tissues of rodents. Recently, it has been reported that TBT induces apoptosis in thymus causing the decreased thymic function, but little is known about the mechanism. To elucidate the mechanism, three-week-old SD female rats were orally administrated with TBT 1, 10, and 25 mg per body weight (kg) and sesame oil as a control for 7 days. On day 8, the thymi were obtained and weighed, and then the number of thymocytes was counted. We also performed H&E staining, TUNEL assay, and Annexin V flow cytometric analysis to examine the apoptosis rates and the structure in the thymus. Next, we investigated the adipogenesis and apoptosis-related mRNA expression levels in the thymi by real-time PCR. The thymic weight and the number of thymocytes were decreased by TBT in a dose-dependent manner. As a result of the H&E staining, the boundary between cortical and medullary area was blurred in the thymi of TBT treated rats compared to those of controls. In the results of TUNEL assay and Annexin V flow cytometric analysis, apoptosis rates in the thymus were increased after TBT treatment. The expression levels of thymic epithelial cell marker genes such as EVA, KGF, AIRE, and IL-7 were significantly decreased in the thymi of TBT treated rats, but $PPAR{\gamma}$, aP2, PEPCK, and CD36 were significantly increased. The expression of $TNF{\alpha}$ and TNFR1 as apoptosis-related genes also was significantly increased after TBT treatment. The present study demonstrates that TBT can increase the expression of adipogenesis and apoptosis-related genes leading to apoptosis in the thymus. These results suggest that the increased adipogenesis of thymus by TBT exposure might induce apoptosis in the thymus resulting in a loss in thymic immune function.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2007

Ethane 1,2-dimethane sulfonate(EDS), a toxin which specifically kills Leydig cells(LC), has been widely used to prepare the reversible testosterone(T) depletion rat model. In the present study, we monitored the gene expression profiles of pituitary gonadotropins, LH and FSH, up to 7 weeks after EDS injection. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats($300{\sim}350\;g$ B.W.) were injected with a single dose of EDS(75 mg/kg i.p.) and sacrificed on weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Total RNAs were purified from each pituitary, and the message levels of common alpha subunit($C{\alpha}$) of pituitary glycoprotein hormones, LH beta subunit($LH{\beta}$), FSH beta subunit($FSH{\beta}$) and GnRH receptor(GnRH-R) were evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCRs. The message levels of $C{\alpha}$ increased sharply during weeks 1-4, then return to the control level on week 5. The mRNA levels of $LH{\beta}$ were elevated after week 2, reached the peak at week 4, then declined to the control level after week 5. The message levels of $FSH{\beta}$ were elevated after week 2, reached the peak at week 3, then declined to the nadir at week 5. Similarly, the mRNA levels of GnRH-R were elevated after week 2, reached the peak at week 3, then gradually declined to the control level after week 5. The present study indicated that EDS treatment could induce reversible alterations in the transcriptional activities of gonadotropin subunits and GnRH-R in the anterior pituitary from male rats. EDS injection model might be useful to understand the mechanism of hormonal regulation of hypothalamus- pituitary neuroendocrine axis in male rats.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.121-135
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• 2012

Soil dispersion and heavy metal leaching with two heavy metal-contaminated soils were studied to derive the optimal dispersion condition in the course of developing the remedial technology using magnetic separation. The dispersion solutions of pyrophosphate, hexametaphosphate, orthophosphate and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) at 1 - 200 mM and the pH of solutions was adjusted to be 9 - 12 with NaOH. The clay content of suspension as an indicator of dispersion rate and the heavy metal concentration of the solution were tested at the different pHs and concentrations of the dispersion solution during the experiment. The dispersion rate increased with increasing the pH and dispersion agent concentration of the solution. The dispersion efficiency of the agents showed as follows: pyrophosphate > hexametaphosphate > SDS > orthophosphate. Arsenic leaching was sharply increased at 50 mM of phosphates and 100 mM of SDS. The adsorption of $OH^-$, phosphates and dodecysulfate on the surface of Fe- and Mn-oxides and soil organic matter and the broken edge of clay mineral might decrease the surface charge and might increase the repulsion force among soil particles. The competition between arsenic and $OH^-$, phosphates and dodecylsulfate for the adsorption site of soil particles might induce the arsenic leaching. The dispersion and heavy metal leaching data indicate that pH 11 and 10 mM pyrophosphate is the optimum dispersion solution for maximizing dispersion and minimizing heavy metal leaching.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2003

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify the current status of symptom and pain control in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Methods : The study population consisted of 66 cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and the data was collected by chart audit and using questionnaire from 19 clinicians in an university hospital during the period of August 7 to 24, 2001. The degree of symptom, analgesics type, dose, administration route, and pain control method of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy was investigated. The collected data were analyzed by frequency, percent, mean, and SD using SPSS $PC^+$ program. Results : The number of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy was 66, male 35 (53.0%), female was 31 (47.0%). The largest of age group was $61{\sim}69$(34.8%) years old. Most frequent cancer site was stomach 19 case (28.8%), cole-rectal 17 case (25.8%), urinary 11 case (16.7%) in the respective order. The most common stage of cancer was stage 3, 14 case (29.2%). The most frequent duration of diagnosis was under 3 month, 25 (37.9%). The frequent symptom of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy was marasmus ($2.4193{\pm}1.2220$), pain ($1.9333{\pm}1.2194$), sleep disorders ($1.7142{\pm}1.0384$), personality change ($1.5806{\pm}0.8971$) in the respective order. 3) The analgesics used for pai control were narcotic analgesics 66.2% and nonnarcotic analgesics 33.8%. Pain control method were regular basis+as needed 47.4%, as needed 31.6%, regular basis 21.0% in order. Administration route were oral 50.7%, injection 41.8%, patch 7.5% in order. Conclusion : The most frequent symptom of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy were marasmus and pain. The frequent analgesics was narcotic analgesics but 21% of the clinician regularly prescribed analgesics for pain control. Thus this prescription was insufficient for pain control. Administration route that were used more oral or injection than patch. Based on this evidence, it seemed that more active practice and education about evaluation and pain control of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy are needed.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.251-260
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• 2002

The corn (Zea mays L) planting date in a double-cropping system is delayed until mid-May due to delayed rye harvest on May. This experiment was conducted to determine the optimum harvesting time for high yield and the best quality of silage corn at late planting date after harvesting winter rye. Corns were planted on 21 May and harvested at eight different maturity stage at Seoul National University Experimental Livestock Farm, Suwon in 1997. Maturities were B (blister; 16 days after silking), M (milk; 20 days), LM (late milk; 24 days), SD (soft dough; 28 days), ED (early dent; 33 days), FD (full dent; 38 days), LD (late dent; 44 days) and PM (physiological maturity; 53 days) stages. The percentage of whole plant dry matter (DM) showed optimum range for silage making (29.0 to 38.5%) when corn plant was harvested at between ED and LD stages. Maximum whole plant DM (14,831 kg/ha) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) yields (10,675 kg/ha) reached at full dent stage. The percentage of whole plant acid detergent fiber (ADF) was decreased from 35.4 to 22.1%, and that of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was also decreased from 63.8 to 46.0% as harvest stage progressed. These changes in chemical compositions were associated with changes in plant part composition. A progressive increase in total ear, and the decrease in stover portion in the plant were observed with advance in harvest stage. Calculated on net energy for lactation (NEL) and TDN values based on ADF percentage of stover plant decreased by ED stage and then increased by PM stage. But NEL and TDN values of ear and whole plant increased as harvest stage progressed. While in vitro dry matter digestibility of stover was decreased from 61.1 to 49.7%, whole plant was increased from 58.3 to 65.7% as maturity advanced (P$<$0.05). The results of this study indicate that corn can be harvested for silage at full (1/2 milkline) and late dent (2/3 milkline) stages for maximum yield and optimum quality at late planting. And days after silking at late planting was 38 and 44 days.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.28-39
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• 2017

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can affect epigenetic mechanisms and obesity development. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)-widely used to make flames-are one of the important POPs. Prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as POPs, may affect global DNA methylation in long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1), increasing the risk of obesity later in life. Therefore, pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to elucidate whether BDE-47 and BDE-209 transferred through placenta and breast milk cause epigenetic changes in LINE-1 and increase genetic susceptibility to obesity as obesogen during the developmental periods. Global DNA methylation in LINE-1 and gene expression related to obesity were measured in dams and offspring, using a methylation-sensitive high resolution melting analysis (MS-HRM) and direct bisulfite sequencing and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. The results of MS-HRM showed global DNA hypomethylation patterns in LINE-1 of exposed offspring (2 of total 4) at PND 4, but bisulfite sequencing showed no difference in both the exposed and non-exposed groups. Gene expression in dams related to ${\beta}$-oxidation pathway and those related to adipokines showed different patterns between the two groups. On the contrary, gene expressions of offspring showed a similar pattern. Gene expressions related to ${\beta}$-oxidation pathway and obesity were significantly increased when compared with 'at birth', but not $PPAR-{\alpha}$. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the possibility that co-exposure to BDE-47 and BDE-209-via the placenta and breast milk-may affect epigenetic changes and modulate gene expression levels related to obesity.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to analyze contents of trans fatty acid and cholesterol of bakery products (bread: 17, pastry: 20, and whipping cream cake: 17) sold at retail in Seoul area. The average values of crude fat contents in bakery products were as follows [mean (minimum-maximum), %)]; bread 6.46 (3.51~8.69), pastry 16.23 (3.55~25.56), and whipping cream cake 16.26 (8.61~31.58). Palmitic acid was the most abundant fatty acid in these products. The average values of saturated fat (SFA) contents and unsaturated fat acid (USFA) contents in these items were as follows [(mean SFA ${\pm}$ SD%] bread (54.04 ${\pm}$ 5.27), pastry (53.41 ${\pm}$ 4.80), and whipping cream cake(70.09 ${\pm}$ 8.64). The high contents of trans fatty acid was analyzed in whipping cream cake. The average values of cholesterol contents in bakery products were as follows [mean (minimum-maximum), %)]; bread 2,36 (0.0~12.86), pastry 8.11 (0.0~42.80), and whipping cream cake 30.55(0.0~132.99).

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.5 no.1 s.8
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• pp.113-133
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• 2002

Objective: To investigate effects of Cervi Cornu on Adjuvant Athritis in rats, the edema inhibit rate, the anaJgesic effects, the number of WBC, RA facter, Platelet, the quantity of CRP, total protein, albumin and globuline in the blood serum were measured in the arthritis part. Results: The results obtained as fonows ; 1. After arthritis of Sprague dawley(SD) rats was induced by injecting Freund's complete adjuvant for 2 weeks, any treatment was not for Control group, acupunctured for Treat Ⅰ group. normal saJine was ora] administrated for the Treat Ⅱ group, Cervi Cornu Ex. was oral administrated for Treat Ⅲ, and Cervi Cornu Herbal-acupullcture was injected for Trea Ⅳ group during 2 weeks every other day. Selected point was on pressure pain point in both groups. And then the edema inhibit rate were checked. The edema inhibit rate was $46.03\%$ in Treat I group, $43.24\%$ Treat IV group, $37.44\%$ in Treat III. there was significance in the edema inhibit rate between Control group and Treat group, in order of Treat Ⅰ, Ⅳ, Ⅲ.(p<0.05) 2. The analgesic effects was $7.58{\pm}1.80$(${\times}10$gm) in Control group. $11.00{\pm}1.10$(${\times}10$gm) in Treat Ⅰ group. $99.92{\pm}1.28$(${\times}10$gm) in Treat Ⅲ group and $14.67{\pm}1.03$(${\times}10$gm) in Treat Ⅳ group. There was significance in the analgesic effects between Control group and Treat group(p<0.05) 3. The number of WBC was $14.72{\pm}1.48$(${\times}10^3$㎕) in control Group, $10.26{\pm}1.13$(${\times}10^3$㎕) in Treat Ⅰ group, $11.00{\pm}1.13$(${\times}103$㎕) in Treat Ⅱ Group and $9.63{\pm}1.75$(${\times}10^3$㎕) in Treat Ⅳ group. There was significance in the number of WBC between Control group and Treat group(p<0.05) 4. The content of total protein in the blood serum were $6.13{\pm}0.05$g/dl in control group, $5.73{\pm}0.14$g/dl in Treat I group, $5.88{\pm}0.13$g/dl in Treat Ⅲ group and $5.90{\pm}0.13$g/dl in Treat IV group. There was significance in The content of total protein in the blood serum between Control group and Treat group(p<0.05) 5. The contests of albumin in the blood serum were $2.32{\pm}0.12$g/dl in the Control group, $2.35{\pm}0.05$g/dl in Treat Ⅰ group, $2.35{\pm}0.05$g/dl in Treat Ⅱ group, $2.30{\pm}0.06$g/dl in Treat Ⅲ group, $2.42{\pm}0.08$g/dl in Treat IV group. There was no significance in The content of albumin in the blood serum between Control group and Treat group(p<0.05) 6. The contests of globulin in the blood semm were $3.68{\pm}0.08$g/dl in the Control group, $3.43{\pm}0.12$g/dl in Treat Ⅰ group, $3.55{\pm}0.10$g/dl in Treat IV group. There was significance in The content of globulin in the blood serum between Control group and Treat group(p<0.05) 7. The numbers of RA factor were $3.47{\pm}0.54$IU/ml in Control group and $2.38{\pm}0.50$IU/ml in Treat Ⅱ group. There was significance inThe numbers of RA factor between Control group and Treat group(p<0.05) 8. The numbers of platelet were $1126.33{\pm}1126.33{\pm}85.93{times}10^3$/㎕ in Control group, $1043.33{\pm}80.80{times}10^3$/㎕ in Treat Ⅰ group, $1116.82{\pm}77.93{times}10^3$/㎕ in Treat Ⅱ group, $1164.17{\pm}94.02{times}10^3$/㎕l in Treat Ⅲ group, $1076.67{\pm}54.84{times}10^3$/㎕ in Treat Ⅳ group. There was no significance in The numbers of platelet between Control group and Treat group(p<0.05) 9. The quantity of CRP were $0.05{\pm}0.01$mg/ml in Control group, $0.05{\pm}0.01$mg/ml in Treat Ⅰ group, $0.06{\pm}0.01$mg/ml in Treat Ⅱ group, $0.05{\pm}0.00$mg/ml in Treat Ⅲ group, $0.05{\pm}0.00$mg/ml in Treat Ⅳ group. There was no significance in The quantity of CRP between Control group and Treat group(p<0.05) Concluslon : From these results, it is shown Cervi Comu Herbal-acupuncture more efffective thaJJ Cervi Cornu Ex. on Adjuvant Arthritis in rats.