• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.291-301
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different mixing ratios of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis in diets on nutrient digestibility, fecal microflora, and odor gas emissions of growing pigs. A total of four crossbred ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) barrows with average body weight (BW) of 41.2 ± 0.7 kg were randomly allotted four diets over four periods in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were as follows: Control (CON, basal diet), CON + 0.2% probiotic complex (L4S6, B. licheniformis and B. subtilis at a 4:6 ratio), CON + 0.2% probiotic complex (L5S5, B. licheniformis and B. subtilis at a 5:5 ratio), CON + 0.2% probiotic complex (L6S4, B. licheniformis and B. subtilis at a 6:4 ratio). Dietary probiotic supplementation showed higher crude protein (CP) digestibility values and lower Escherichia coli counts in fecal samples than the CON group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in NH₃ or H₂S emission until day 3. The positive effect of H₂S and NH₃ emissions was detected earlier with the L4S6 and L5S5 compared to the L6S4, which had a lower ratio of B. subtilis. Both the L4S6 and L5S5 probiotic complexes significantly decreased the fecal H₂S and NH₃ emission in days 4 and 6 (p < 0.05). On day 7, all probiotic complexes decreased (p < 0.05) H₂S and NH₃ emissions than the CON group. Our results agreed that the dietary supplementation of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis complexes in growing pigs can significantly improve CP digestibility and reduce fecal E. coli counts, NH₃ and H₂S emissions. Notably, the higher mixing ratio of Bacillus subtilis in probiotic supplementation is more effective in reducing the odor of manure.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2023

Red yeast rice, also known as Hong Qu and red Koji, has been used for a long time in Asian functional food and traditional medicine. It consists of multiple bioactive substances, which can potentially be used as nutraceuticals. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) can range from simple steatosis or inflammation to fibrosis and cirrhosis, possibly through leaky gut and systemic endotoxemia. This study examined the liver and gut effects of red yeast rice (RYR) (Monascus purpureus) ethanol extract against binge ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. RYR extract was orally administered to C57BL/6N mice at a concentration of 200 mg/kg body weight per day for 10 days. Then, mice were administered binge alcohol (5 g/kg/dose) three times at 12 hr intervals. Binge alcohol exposure significantly elevated the endotoxin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) activity of plasma, as well as hepatic triglyceride levels; however, RYR treatments reduced these levels. In addition, RYR pretreatment significantly reduced the alcohol-induced oxidative maker protein and apoptosis maker in binge alcohol-induced gut and liver injuries. These results suggest that RYR may prevent alcohol-induced acute leaky gut and liver damage.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.98-104
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• 1998

A 12-year-old girl with a 6 year history of childhood-onset schizophrenia required 2 hospitalizations and long-term clozapine trial due to inadequate responses to combinations of typical neuroleptics and traditional treatments of schizophrenic disorder. On admission, she had continuous auditory and visual hallucinations, persecutory delusion, emotional instability, regression of behaviors including temper tantrums as well as specific developmental delays in learning, language, and motor coordination. The clozapine trial significantly reduced most of the positive symptoms, and facilitated in successful discharge from the hospital. During the 4 year clozapine treatment, no significant adverse reactions were noted, and she returned to a structured school setting with minimal degrees of schizophrenic symptoms. From this clinical experience, we suggest that clozapine might be safe and effective in treating treatment-refractory schizophrenic children.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.783-790
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• 2023

Modern people have an increased incidence of metabolic diseases due to changed eating habits, and diabetes is considered the most significant metabolic disease. Given that existing diabetes treatments are accompanied by side effects, the aim of this study was to identify traditional natural products that have anti-diabetic activity. The potential anti-diabetic and antioxidant activities of natural products were examined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, α-glucosidase assay, and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibition assay. Methanol extracts of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, Acer tegmentosum branches, Nelumbo nucifera seeds, and Carthamus tinctorius seeds were found to have high anti-diabetic activity and further fractionated with solvents using ethyl acetate and butanol. Consequently, the ethyl acetate fraction of C. tinctorius seeds (MG-11-E) with high α-glucosidase and PTP1B inhibitory activity was selected. MG-11-E was subjected to preparative thin layer chromatography, and fraction #6 showed high α-glucosidase and PTP1B inhibitory activity. Fraction #6 was analyzed and fractionated via high performance liquid chromatography with 50% methanol as the mobile phase, and anti-diabetic activity was observed in the sample that eluted after 4 min as a single peak. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity exhibited by this sample seemed to be greater than the PTP1B inhibitory activity; thus, it was concluded that a greater anti-diabetic therapeutic effect may be achieved by combining this agent with natural products that inhibit PTP1B activity.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2024

Objective : The purpose of this study was to confirm the characteristics and quality of a single-subject research that conducted interventions to improve activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke patients. Methods : 'Stroke,' 'activities of daily living,' and 'single-subject studies' were searched as keywords among papers published in the last 15 years between 2009 and 2023 among Research Information Sharing Service, DBpia, and e-articles. A total of nine papers were examined for the characteristics and quality before analysis. Results : The independent variables applied to improve ADL included constraint-induced therapy, mental practice for performing functional activities, virtual reality-based task training, subjective postural vertical training without visual feedback, bilateral upper limb movement, core stability training program, traditional occupational therapy and neurocognitive rehabilitation, smooth pursuit eye movement, neck muscle vibration, and occupation-based community rehabilitation. Assessment of Motor and Process Skills was the most common evaluation tool for measuring dependent variables, with four articles, and Modified Barthel Index and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure were two articles each. As a result of confirming the qualitative level of the analyzed papers, out of a total of nine studies, seven studies were at a high level, two at a moderate level, and none were at a low level. Conclusion : Various types of rehabilitation treatments have been actively applied as intervention methods to improve the daily life activities of stroke patients; the quality level of single-subject studies applying ADL interventions was reliable.