• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.618-630
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale) is widely cultivated as a spice for its aromatic and pungent components. One of its constituents, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is usually thought to cross the cell membrane through dopamine uptake transporters, and induce inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study examines the neuroprotective effect and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of fermented ginger extracts (FGEs) on 6-OHDA induced toxicity in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Methods: Ginger was fermented using 2 species of Bacillus subtilis, with or without enzyme pretreatment. Each sample was extracted with 70% ethanol. Neurotoxicity was assessed by applying the EZ-Cytox cell viability assay and by measuring lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Morphological changes of apoptotic cell nuclei were observed by Hoechst staining. Cell growth and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells were determined by Western blotting and enzyme activity analysis of caspase-3, and AChE enzymatic activity was determined by the colorimetric assay. Results: In terms of cell viability and LDH release, exposure to FGE showed neuroprotective activities against 6-OHDA stimulated stress in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, FGE reduced the 6-OHDA-induced apoptosis, as determined by Hoechst staining. The occurrence of apoptosis in 6-OHDA treated cells was confirmed by determining the caspase-3 activity. Exposure to 6-OHDA resulted in increased caspase-3 activity of SH-SY5Y cells, as compared to the unexposed group. However, pre-treatment with FGE inhibited the activity of caspase-3. The neuroprotective effects of FGE were also found to be caspase-dependent, based on reduction of caspase-3 activity. Exposure to FGE also inhibited the activity of AChE induced by 6-OHDA, in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Taken together, our results show that FGE exhibits a neuroprotective effect in 6-OHDA treated SH-SY5Y cells, thereby making it a potential novel agent for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative disease.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.250-258
• /
• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding systems on feed intake, weight gain, and fawn performance (Cervus canadensis) and estimation of grazing intensity in Elk doe at pasture. A sixteen Elk doe about 236.2 kg were randomly assigned to two feeding treatments. The treatment consisted of a barn feeding system (BF) and grazing at pasture (GR), and pasture was mainly composed of tall fescue, orchard grass, and Kentucky bluegrass. The moisture content of pasture was 19.51~22.61%, which was similar during experimental periods. The crude protein content was significantly higher from June to July (p<0.05). The contents of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber ranged 53.65~60.18%, and 26.08~29.10%, respectively. There were no significant differences between feeding systems on supplementary feed intake, but the roughage and total dry matter intake showed significant differences between treatment groups (p<0.05), except for May. In August, roughage intake was dramatically decreased in the GR group due to summer environmental changes. On the other hand, the higher intake of roughage in September might be related to nutrient intake for mammals. There was no difference in body weight between treatment groups, but the fawn performance was significantly higher in the GR group (p<0.05). These results might be suggested that grazing elk doe might positively affect fawn growth. However, it is considered that BF might increase the deer weaning rate during the parturition period, since the lower weaning rate in the GR group compared to the BF group. The grazing intensity of Elk doe was increased from May to July and decreased in August, which was influenced by pasture productivity. The average grazing intensity of Elk doe was found to be 15 heads/ha, which might be controlled by supplementary feeding. Further studies needed that mixed sowing methods and fertilization management in old grazing pastures for improved pasture productivity.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.69-80
• /
• 2021

We conducted a 4 × 4 diallel cross-mating test using 934 chickens from four grandparent stock lines to develop a new synthetic breed of Korean native chicken. The mean values, combining ability, and reciprocal effects on survival rate, body weight, and hen-day egg production were analyzed. In phenotypes, most chickens have yellowish-brown, reddish-brown and mixed color feathers. The average survival rate was 86.8±12.3%, with the highest in YH combination. Specific combining ability (SCA) had a greater effect on survival rate than general combining ability (GCA), and the SCA of HY combination was the highest. The 16 cross-combinations were distinctly divided into three weight groups according to their genetic characteristics. At 12 weeks of age, GCA showed a greater effect on weight than SCA, and the SCA of FH combination was the highest. The age at first egg laying was 157 days, and the crosses reached sexual maturity faster than the pure lines. The egg production rate was highest in SY at 79.5±2.1%. The GCA and SCA for hen-day egg production were similar, and the SCA was highest in the HS and FY combinations. The reciprocal effect showed that the offspring's egg production rate was high when S and Y were maternal parents in almost all combinations. In conclusion, FH and HF combinations, which have excellent growth performance, are the most desirable paternal parent stock strains, and FY, FS, HY, and SY combinations, which have excellent laying performance with moderate weight, are the preferred maternal strains.

• Journal of Mushroom
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.113-118
• /
• 2022

This study was conducted to diversify the cultivation of mushroom items and develop a competitive variety of Hypsizigus marmoreus. We focused on developing Hypsizigus marmoreus with lower bitterness, likable shape, and high yield. We have collected and tested characteristics of genetic resources from domestic and abroad since 2019. Breeding (2019), characterization (2020), productivity test (2021), and farm demonstration test (2021) have been sequentially conducted. We bred the new variety 'Yunseul' with unique traits. The optimal temperature for mycelial and fruit body growth were 22-25℃ and 15-18℃, respectively. It was similar to the control variety (Mangadak-2Ho) in the pileus form (hemispherical shape) and the cultivation period. However, it was thinner and longer than the control variety with the pileus diameter, thickness, stipe diameter, and length being 19.9 mm, 7.0 mm, 9.4 mm, and 86.3 mm, respectively. The effective number of fruit bodies was 47.8 in bottle cultivation, which was more than that of the control variety. The yield was 197.4 g/bottle (1,100 cc), which was 30% higher than the yield of the control variety, 151.9 g/bottle (1,100 cc). The parent and control varieties were also incubated alongside the new variety. The somatic incompatibility line was distinct. The band pattern in the mycelial DNA PCR reaction was different from that of the parent and control varieties, confirming the hybrid species.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.79-105
• /
• 2023

Due to unprecedented extreme weather events such as global warming and climate change, many parts of the world suffer from severe pain, and economic losses are also snowballing. In order to address these problems, 'The Paris Agreement' was signed in 2016, and an intergovernmental consultative body was formed to keep the average temperature rise of the Earth below 1.5℃. Korea also declared 'Carbon Neutrality in 2050' to prevent climate catastrophe. In particular, it was found that the increase in temperature caused by greenhouse gas emissions hurts the environment and society as a whole, as well as the export-dependent economy of Korea. In addition, as the diversification of transportation types is accelerating, the change in means of choice is also increasing. As the development paradigm in the low-growth era changes to urban regeneration, interest in idle railway sites is rising due to reduced demand for routes, improvement of alignment, and relocation of urban railways. Meanwhile, it is possible to partially achieve the solar power generation goal of 'Renewable Energy 3020' by utilizing already developed but idle railway sites and take advantage of being free from environmental damage and resident acceptance issues surrounding the location; but the actual use and plan for these solar power facilities are still lacking. Therefore, in this study, using the big data provided by the Korea National Railway and the Renewable Energy Cloud Platform, we develop an algorithm to discover and analyze suitable idle sites where solar power generation facilities can be installed and identify potentially applicable areas considering conditions desired by users. By searching and deriving these idle but relevant sites, it is intended to devise a plan to save enormous costs for facilities or expansion in the early stages of development. This study uses various cluster analyses to develop an optimal algorithm that can derive solar power plant locations on idle railway sites and, as a result, suggests 202 'actively recommended areas.' These results would help decision-makers make rational decisions from the viewpoint of simultaneously considering the economy and the environment.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.158-168
• /
• 2023

Natural products have been used to mitigate the effects of cancer and infectious diseases, as they feature diverse bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Here, we chose 10 natural products that are well-known as pulmonary enhancers and investigated their bactericidal effects on Streptococcus pneumoniae. In the disk diffusion assay, the growth of S. pneumoniae was significantly regulated by G. fructus treatment regardless of extraction method used. We first adopted spraying as a novel delivery method for G. fructus. Interestingly, mice exposed to G. fructus three times a day for 2 weeks were resistant to S. pneumoniae intranasal infection (shown both through body weight loss and survival rates compared to the control group). Moreover, we confirmed that exposure to G. fructus regulated the colonization of the bacteria despite the sustained inflammation in the lung after exposure to S. pneumoniae, indicating that migrated inflammatory immune cells may involve a host defense mechanism against pulmonary infectious diseases. While a similar number of granulocytes (CD11b⁺Ly6C⁺Ly6G⁺), neutrophils (CD11b⁺Ly6C^intLy6G⁺), and monocytes (CD11b⁺Ly6C^intLy6G^-) were found between groups, a significantly increased number of alveolar macrophages (CD11b⁺CD11c^hiF4/80⁺) was detected in BAL fluids of mice pre-exposed to G. fructus at 5 days after S. pneumonia infection. Taken together, our data suggest that this usage of G. fructus can induce protective immunity against bacterial infection, indicating that facial spray may be helpful in enhancing the defense mechanism against pulmonary inflammation and in evaluating the efficacy of natural products as immune enhancers against respiratory diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.25-33
• /
• 1972

Two-Cell mouse embryos were incubated in the anterior chamber of the rat eye, which has been known as the best place among other animals' for the mouse ovum maturation, in order to observe the capability of their early development. Within 120 hours after incubation, 71.0% of two-cell embryos have developed to the blastocysts in the male rat eye, while only 38.5% in the eye of the same mouse as donated two-cell embryos. Thus, the rat eye chamber provides more favourable environment to the embryos than the mouse itself. The results are consistent with those of the previous studies comparing the maturation of the mouse follicular oocytes in the mouse and the rat eye chamber. Although the aqueous humor which is filled in the anterior chamber of the eye is characterized by its specific properties, being of higher osmolarity, higher concentrations of ascorbic acid, pyruvate and lactate, but lower of proteins and lower temperature than those in blood or lymph serum, The embryos are able to under-take their cleavage as normal as in vivo or in vitro. Concerning with a number of studies in vitro on the development of the mouse embryos which are requiring a very limited condition, the fact that they are able to manage their further development under very different enviroment from our knowledges would provide us a moment to understand their behavior during the early development. The difference of the proportion of the developed blastocysts between in the mouse eye chamber and in the rat can possibly be resulted from the species specific difference in the physicochemical properties between their eye chambers. This assumption is based upon the findings by many investigators who chmpared the nature of the eye chamber of various animals. As a consequence, the rat eye chamber might consist of better properties for the embryonal growth than the mouse eye chamber. The mouse embryos cleaved with a delayed period. In normal development they complete almost the cleavage within 94 hours after fertilization. However, in the present studies, 81.1% of two-cell embryos developed to the blastocysts and the morula in 120 hours in the eye chamber, assumed to be about 154 hours after fertilization. Such delay in development would be caused mainly by the low temperature of the eye chamber. At present we can make two assumptions to explain the capability of the emtryonal development in the eye chambers. One is that the embryos would possess an ability to adapt themselves to the environment which provides unfavourable conditions. The other is that the embryos might remain for a certain duration in the eye chamber, which is filled with a new body fluid produced immediately after the loss of the aqueous humor and the fluid of which becomes similar to blood serum in component. The first assumption is highly reliable since the embryonal cells are mostly at the undifferentiated state and so they probably engage a simple metabolism during their early period. The second assumption is induced by the fact that the rabbit eye chamber produces a plasmoid humor which has mostly similar components to blood serum after loss of aqueous humor through cornea by puncturing. However, the plasmoid humor is substituted by the initial aqueous humor in eight hours. Even though this finding, production of the new fluid, could be applied to the rat eye, it is hardly reliabel that the plasmoid humor remains for such a long period as 120 hours. Consequently, the development of the embryos is more likely due to their adaptability to the new environment during their early developmental stages.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.148-155
• /
• 2024

This study investigated the ecological characteristics of Odontobutis platycephala at Jaho stream from January to December 2022. The riverbed structure of the species' habitat was rich in cobble and pebble. The water was deep, ranging from 22 to 153 cm, with an average of 64 cm, and the stream velocity was rapid at 0.89 (0.42-1.46) m/sec. The ratio of females to males was 1:1.02, and the total length of collected individuals ranged from 38 to 156 mm. The age according to the total length frequency distribution as of May indicated that the group with a total length of 38-69 mm was one year old, the group with 60-99 mm was two years old, the group with 100-139 mm was three years old, and the group 140-156 mm was four years or older. As a secondary gender characteristic, the genital papilla was cylindrical in females and cone-shaped with a pointed tip in males. Some females with a length ranging from 60 to 69 mm and all females 70 mm or longer were sexually mature. Some males with a length ranging from 70 to 79 mm and all males 80 mm or longer were sexually mature. The spawning season was from May to July, and the water temperature was between 17 ℃ and 28 ℃ during that period. The prosperous spawning season was June (24 ℃). The average number of eggs in the ovaries was 988 (284-2,722) per mature female, and the mature eggs were yellowish and spherical with a mean diameter of 1.46 (1.19-1.71) mm. The correlation between total length and body weight is BW=0.00000006TL^3.12 with the constant a as 0.00000006 and the parameter b as 3.12. The mean condition factor (K) was 1.44 (0.96-2.26), and the slope was negative at -0.0007

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.87-115
• /
• 2024

In Korea, exposure to stress has been accompanied by mental pain in the process of achieving many growth along with rapid development, various social problems, and the frequency of emergency hospitalization is increasing.. In the case of mentally ill patients, "unwanted hospitalization" is a problem, and police and 119 paramedics try to suppress the body of mentally ill patients, and many problems are exposed This is because the constituent requirements of the provisions of emergency hospitalization under the Mental Health and Welfare Act do not reflect reality, and each institution has a different position on one mentally ill person, and emergency hospitalization does not proceed smoothly or leads to friction between related organizations, and the safety of the mentally ill or others is not secured. Emergency hospitalization is defined as "a person who finds a person who is presumed to be mentally ill and is at high risk of harming his or her health or safety or others," and if the situation is so urgent that he or she cannot afford time to go through the hospitalization procedure to decide on his or her own hospitalization, he or she can request emergency hospitalization with the consent of a doctor and a police officer. In this case, 119 paramedics are escorted to a psychiatric institution. This provision of emergency hospitalization poses many problems in the process of transferring to psychiatric institutions. If a police officer or 119 paramedics in charge of practice use "physical force" during the emergency hospitalization process, side effects will inevitably occur, and professional negligence can be a problem. Specifically, when exercising physical force, the minimum necessary physical restraint based on laws and regulations and proportional principles is required, and the lack of the duty of care of 119 paramedics or police officers under the laws and regulations will eventually be resolved by applying other laws and regulations. Accordingly, it will be an opportunity for mentally ill patients to be transferred to psychiatric institutions in a safe environment by changing the subject of emergency hospitalization provisions under the Mental Health Welfare Act, defining and prescribing the use of physical protection guards as the enforcement regulations of the Mental Health Act, setting the duty of care for 119 paramedics and police officers, and creating an environment for transportation so that mentally ill patients can be treated safely.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.263-269
• /
• 2023

This study aims to contribute to the research on resource recovery for the rapidly declining population of Liparis tanakae by observing the larval development process and the morphology of juveniles based on their growth. Natural spawning eggs collected in Yeosu were used for observing the process of egg development and larval morphology. The water temperature during the rearing process was maintained at 12.3~13.5℃ (average 12.7℃). The fertilized eggs had an egg diameter ranging from 1.57 to 1.79 mm (average 1.71 mm) and were spherical and adhesive. Within 4 hours 35 minutes after fertilization, they reached the two-cell stage, and after 74 hours 10 minutes, the formation of the yolk sac began. At 106 hours post-fertilization, a caudal fin appeared at the tail tip. Hatching began at 526 hours, and the larvae developed with the yolk sac positioned just behind the eyes. The newly hatched larvae had both the mouth and anus open. Melanophores appeared inside the lower jaw and around the tail on the third day after hatching. By the 16th day after hatching, most of the yolk was absorbed, and melanophores were visible in the head region. Finally, on the 63rd day after hatching, the head region significantly developed, and the body shape and mouth were similar to those of an adult fish, signifying the transition to the juvenile stage. This study will serve as valuable data for aquaculture techniques related to the conservation and restoration of fish species based on the hatching and juvenile morphology of Liparis tanakae.