• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1027-1035
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• 2008

This research is aimed to investigate the effect of repetitive dive on physiological reactions, change of stress hormones in no decompression limit of sport SCUBA dive, an emerging recreational activity recently. In order to compare physiological reactions prior to and after the initial dive and after repetitive dive at a certain depth of a place, eight adult male divers with more than forty dives, who reside in Busan and were certified, were selected. The research results obtained from the procedures described above are follows: First, for physiological reactions, heart rates, temperatures, and systolic blood pressures had significant difference among prior to and after the initial dive and after the repetitive dive, while diastolic blood pressures did not show remarkable difference as it increased before and after the first dive but decreased following the repetitive dive again. Second, for change of stress hormones, it was not significantly different prior to and after the initial dive and following the repetitive dive, as well as before and during the first dive and the repetitive dive.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.904-918
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• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of cooling systems on reproductive performance, body temperature, blood metabolites, and the intestinal microbiome in early gestating sows exposed to high ambient temperature. In total, 39 pregnant sows (Landrace × Yorkshire; 2 parities) were randomly assigned to and maintained in the following three treatment groups (13 sows per group) over days 0 to 35 of pregnancy: (i) air cooling (AC; 26.87 ± 1.23℃), (ii) water-drip cooling (WC; 28.81 ± 0.91℃), and (iii) a lack of cooling with heat stress (HS; 30.72 ± 0.70℃). Backfat thickness was measured before and after HS. Feces were collected on day 0 and 35 d of the trial for microbiome analysis, whereas blood was taken at day 35 of pregnancy and analyzed. Reproductive performance and physiological responses were identified at day 35. Respiration rate along with rectal and skin temperatures were lower (p < 0.05) in the AC group than in the HS and WC groups. Serum blood urea nitrogen values were increased (p < 0.05) in the WC group compared with those measured in the AC and HS groups. Triiodothyronine was found at greater levels (p < 0.05) in the AC than in the HS group. Reproductive performance was not affected by the cooling systems. At the phylum level, fecal pathogenic Spirochaete and Euryarchaeota were found in higher numbers (p < 0.05) in all groups after HS. Similarly, at the genus level, the amount of Treponema was greater (p < 0.05) in all groups after HS. In conclusion, our results suggest that AC or WC can ameliorate or mitigate the adverse effects of HS on the physiological parameters of pregnant sows reared under high temperatures.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.174-180
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• 2016

Objective: To investigate psychological distress and fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) in infertile Korean women, and to investigate whether a correlation exists between psychological distress and FertiQoL. Methods: Participants in this study were made up of 141 infertile women and 65 fertile women. We conducted a survey on psychological distress (using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales [DASS]-42 questionnaire) and administered a FertiQoL questionnaire. The levels of stress hormones (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH] and cortisol) in serum were assessed. Results: The scores for depression ($13.7{\pm}8.4$), anxiety ($10.7{\pm}6.4$), and stress ($18.0{\pm}8.3$) among the infertile women were significantly higher than the scores for depression ($9.4{\pm}7.5$), anxiety ($6.6{\pm}6.0$), and stress ($12.2{\pm}8.3$, p<0.001) among the fertile women. There was no difference in the scores for depression ($13.5{\pm}8.2$, $13.8{\pm}8.6$), anxiety ($10.0{\pm}6.2$, $11.5{\pm}6.6$) and stress ($17.7{\pm}8.4$, $18.4{\pm}8.1$) between younger (${\leq}34$) and older (${\geq}35$) participants. The mind-body (r =-0.495) and emotional (r =-0.590) subscales showed a higher negative correlation with stress compared with other scales of psychological distress. At the same time, the social (r =-0.537) and relational (r =-0.385) subscales showed a higher negative correlation with depression. Levels of cortisol and ACTH in infertile women were $9.1{\mu}g/mL$ and 11.9 pg/mL, respectively, which are within normal ranges. Conclusion: The levels of psychological distress and quality of life in infertile Korean women seem to require psychological intervention. This study provides a baseline measurement of psychological distress and FertiQoL in infertile women in Korea, which will be available for developing psychological interventions for infertile Korean women.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.578-588
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• 2017

Background: Elevated testicular temperature disrupts spermatogenesis and causes infertility. In the present study, the protective effect of enzymatically biotransformed Panax ginseng Meyer by pectinase (GINST) against chronic intermittent heat stress-induced testicular damage in rats was investigated. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (4 wk old, 60-70 g) were divided into four groups: normal control (NC), heat-stress control (HC), heat-stress plus GINST-100 mg/kg (HG100), and heat-stress plus GINST-200 mg/kg (HG200) treatment groups. Each dose of GINST (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) was mixed separately with a regular pellet diet and was administered orally for 24 wk. For inducing heat stress, rats in the NC group were maintained at $25^{\circ}C$, whereas rats in the HC, HG100, and HG200 groups were exposed to $32{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ for 2 h daily for 6 mo. At week 25, the testes and serum from each animal were analyzed for various parameters. Results: Significant (p < 0.01) changes in the sperm kinematic values and blood chemistry panels were observed in the HC group. Furthermore, spermatogenesis-related molecules, sex hormone receptors, and selected antioxidant enzyme expression levels were also altered in the HC group compared to those in the NC group. GINST (HS100 and HS200) administration significantly (p < 0.05) restored these changes when compared with the HC group. For most of the parameters tested, the HG200 group exhibited potent effects compared with those exhibited by the HG100 group. Conclusion: GINST may be categorized as an important medicinal herb and a potential therapeutic for the treatment of male subfertility or infertility caused by hyperthermia.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.394-402
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic unpredictable stress on the reproductive function and ovarian luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) expression. 9-week-old C57BL/6 female mice were randomly divided into two groups: control group and stressed group. Mice have been stressed twice a day for 35 days with 12 different stressors which were randomly selected. The results demonstrate that there is significant increase in the anxiety-related behaviors (P < 0.05), decrease body weight gain rate (P < 0.01) and decrease in the average of litter size in stressed mice compared with control group (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the rate of primary, secondary and early antral follicles in stressed mice significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas that of atretic follicles significantly increased compared with control mice (P < 0.01). The immunohistochemical analysis revealed that reduced LHR expression in granulosa cells of follicle and luteal cells of corpus luteum in response to chronic unpredictable stress. The western blot analysis revealed significantly decrease in LHR expression in the stressed mice ovaries compared with the control (P < 0.05). These results suggest that ovarian LHR expression affected by chronic unpredictable stress and the modulated ovarian LHR is responsible for ovarian follicular maldevelopment and reproductive dysfunction.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1097-1103
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• 2017

For the artificial induction of the sexual maturation of Anguilla japonica, salmon pituitary extract (SPE) is continuously injected into females, and the eggs obtained from artificial sexual maturation are artificially fertilized with sperms and hatched. However, repeated injection of SPE in the abdominal cavity causes tremendous stress in females, which may prevent their complete sexual maturation and reduce the immune system function, ultimately resulting in death. In addition, the poor quality of the ovulated eggs can reduce the hatching and survival rate of larvae. In the present study, sexual maturation of females was induced by inserting an osmotic (OS) pump containing hormone analogs known to effectively induce sexual maturation into the abdominal cavity of female eels, and the effect of the OS pump on the induced sexual maturation was investigated. Our study results showed that the gonadosomatic index (GSI) was significantly higher in the fish subjected to SPE injection than those subjected to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa), and methyl testosterone (MT) injections, either separately or in combination. In addition, a histological analysis showed that the oocytes in the SPE OS pump groups were more mature (entered the nuclear shift stage) than those in the other groups. These results suggest that an osmotic pump containing hormone analogs can be used to induce sexual maturation in female A. japonica artificially.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.70-73
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• 2019

Congenital panhypopituitarism is an uncommon condition, present from birth, characterized by the decreased secretion of most of the hormones produced by the pituitary. The purpose of this case report is to present a case about caries treatment of a 26-month-old female patient with congenital panhypopituitarism under general anesthesia. A 26-month-old girl with congenital panhypopituitarism visited Seoul National University Dental Hospital for caries treatment of anterior primary teeth. Because of the child's age and underlying systemic disease, dental treatment under general anesthesia was considered. Prior to the dental procedure, 30mg of cortisol was administered intravenously in order to prevent possible adrenal crisis by stressful events. The dental procedure was successfully performed under general anesthesia. This case report suggests that general anesthesia may be useful for the dental treatment with congenital panhypopituitarism. Hormone deficiency should be assessed prior to dental procedure and, if necessary, stress hormone replacement therapy should be considered.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.509-515
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The root of Vitis amurensis Ruprecht, a sort of wild-growing grape, has been used in oriental medicine for treatment of skin ailments; however, its dermatological activity is not sufficiently understood. The aim of this study was to investigate tyrosinase inhibitory and anti-melanogenic activities of V. amurensis Ruprecht root methanol extract (VARM) in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells and to attempt to isolate and identify the active compound issued from VARM. MATERIALS/METHODS: Anti-melanogenic activity of VARM was analyzed in ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-stimulated B16F10 cells through evaluation of antioxidative activity as well as inhibited tyrosinase activity and melanin contents compared with those of kojic acid and arbutin. After anti-melanogenic analysis of VARM, serial fractionation, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and thin layer chromatorgraphy (TLC) were applied for identification of active compounds contained in VARM. RESULTS: VARM significantly inhibited oxidative stress and tyrosinase activity and attenuated ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanin production in B16F10 cells. For isolation of active compounds, VARM was fractionated using a series of organic solvents, including dichloromethane ($CH_2Cl_2$), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol (n-BuOH). Among fractions showing anti-melanogenic activity, the CH2Cl2 fraction induced the most potent attenuation of melanogenesis without cytotoxicity and the major compound in the $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction was identified as betulinic acid. Betulinic acid isolated from the $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction of VARM significantly attenuated ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanogenesis in a dose dependent manner, which was stronger than that of arbutin used as a positive control. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that VARM inhibits oxidative stress, tyrosinase activity, and ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced melanogenesis in B16F10 cells, due primarily to the active compound, betulinic acid, in the $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1507-1514
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• 2017

Objective: The Bashang Long-tail chicken (BS), an indigenous Chinese breed, is considered cold tolerant. We selected BS, the Rhode Island Red (RIR), and their reciprocal crossbreds for the present study. The objectives were: i) to validate whether BS is cold tolerant and whether egg production and cold tolerance of crossbreds could be improved; and ii) to determine the physiological characteristics that underlie cold tolerance and favorable egg production performance in cold environments. Methods: A total of 916 chickens were reared in warm and natural cold environments (daily mean ambient temperature varied from $7.4^{\circ}C$ to $26.5^{\circ}C$ in the warm environment and from $-17.5^{\circ}C$ to $27.0^{\circ}C$ in the cold environment). To investigate their adaptability to the cold environment, the egg production performance and body weight were monitored and compared between breeds and environments. The cloacal temperature and serum biochemical parameters were monitored to reveal the physiological characteristics underlie cold tolerance and favorable egg production performance in the cold environment. Results: The warm environment experiment showed that RIR had the highest egg production performance, and that the reciprocal crossbreds had a higher egg production performance than BS. While in the cold environment RIR had the lowest egg production performance, and the reciprocal crossbreds had a higher egg production performance than BS. In the cold environment BS and reciprocal crossbreds had higher triiodothyronine, tetraiodothyronine levels than RIR. At 35 and 39 wk of age, when the ambient temperature was extremely low (varied from $-20^{\circ}C$ to $0^{\circ}C$), serum glucose, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol of BS and crossbreds were higher than RIR. Conclusion: Bashang Long-tail chicken has a favorable cold tolerance ability. Crossbreeding with RIR and BS is an effective way to develop cold tolerant chickens with improved egg production performance.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.53-67
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• 2011

Objectives : Dahuanghuanglianxiexin-tang(DHXT) has been prescribed for patients with anxiety disorder and has been believed to treat Haw-Byung. The present study was carried out to investigate whether Da-Huang, Huang-Lian and DHXT have beneficial effects on ability to recover from the stressful conditions. Methods : The mice were divided into normal group, control group, positive control group and experimental groups. The experimental groups were divided into Da-Huang, Hwan-gryun and DHXT group. In the positive control group, imiprimine at $500{\mu}g$/g/day of dose were applied to mice and in the experimental groups, Da-Huang, Huang-Lian and DHXT at $50{\mu}$/g/day of dose were applied to mice. After 1 hour, the mice in the rest of groups except normal group were exposed to immobilization stress. Their body weights, phagocytosis, nitric oxide in macrophage, iNOS in hippocampus, serum levels of corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic-hormone(ACTH) were observed. Results : Da-Huang, Huang-Lian and DHXT didn't increase the body weights of immobilization stressed mice but they improved phagocytosis in immobilization stressed mice. Also they worked on reducing the amount of nitric oxide in macrophages in immobilization stressed mice. Although Da-Huang, Huang-Lian and DHXT didn't affect the serum level of ACTH in immobilization stressed mice, they reduced the serum level of corticosterone in immobilization stressd mice. Conclusions : The present study suggests that Da-Huang, Huang-Lian and DHXT have beneficial effects on ability to recover from the stressful conditions.