• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2006

There is growing concern that dietary soy intake is associated with protection of breast cancer. However, questions persist on the potential adverse effects of the main soy constituent genistein(GS) on female reproductive physiology. In this study, we examined whether prepubertal exposure to GS affected on the onset of puberty and the associated reproductive parameters such as hormone receptor expressions in female rats. GS(100mg/kg/day) was administrated daily from postnatal day 25(PND 25) to the day when the first vaginal opening(VO) was observed, and the animals were sacrificed on the day after VO occurred. Gross anatomy and tissue weight were compared to test the GS's effect on the cell proliferation. Furthermore, histological studies were performed to assess the structural alterations in tissues. Specific radioimmunoassay(RIA) were carried out to measure serum LH levels. To determine the transcriptional changes in progesterone receptors(PR), total RNAs were extracted from ovary and uterus and were applied to semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). As a results, advanced VO was shown in the GS group(PND $31.2{\pm}0.6$) compared to the vehicle group (PND $35.3{\pm}0.7$). GS treatment significantly increased wet weight of ovaries and uteri compared to the vehicle group. Increased serum LH levels were also shown in the GS group. Graafian follicles and corpora lutea(CL) were observed only in the ovaries from GS treated animals. Similarly, hypertrophy of luminal and glandular uterine epithelium were found only in the GS group. Collectively, these effects were probably due to the estrogenic effects of GS. In the semi-quantitative RT-PCR studies, the transcriptional activities of PR in both ovary and uterus from GS-treated group were significantly higher than those from the vehicle group. The present studies demonstrated that acute exposure to GS, at levels comparable to the ranges of human exposure, during the critical period of prepubertal stage activates the reproductive system resulting precocious puberty in immature female rats.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.234-243
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• 2007

Algal growth potential (AGP) test was performed to evaluate the water quality and changes in phytoplankton communities before and after a heavy rain event at six sampling sites in Cheonggye Stream (St. 1 and 2), Jungnang Stream (St. 3 and 4), and Lower part of Han River System (St. 5 and 6) after rehabilitation of Cheonggye Stream, October 2005. To test AGP on each sampling site, cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa was applied as a standard alga. Total nitrogen (TN) showed high values at Jungnang Stream, while St. 4 recorded highest values in this study. However, TN values of Cheonggye Stream and Lower Part of Han River showed similar levels. Total phosphate (TP) also showed high values at Jungnang Stream, while St. 4 recorded highest. However, TP in Cheonggye Stream were extremely low levels. Although chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ (chi-${\alpha}$) contents before the rain event were similar through the sampling sites, chl-${\alpha}$ after the rain increased dramatically at Jungnang Stream and Lower part of Ban River. In particular, after the rain, TP was the highest at St. 4, where Cyclotella sp. dominated the phytoplankton community. When compared with control, AGP values before the rain were comparatively low in all sites, while those after the rain highly increased with the dose-dependently of field water added, due perhaps to the increased nutrients by rainfall. Similar results were observed in Cheonggye Stream. Therefore, for the aesthetic fostering for the citizens, although Cheonggye Stream was Presently being sustained by treated water supply, they have a potential of outbreak of phytoplankton by the increased nutrients supply when a heavy rain comes.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.179-187
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• 2012

Objectives : Since acupuncture was accepted as an useful therapy for the drug addiction, a lot of studies about acupuncture have been carried out. This study was performed to review the articles about morphine addiction which used acupuncture as a treatment and to interpret the use of acupoints from the viewpoint of Six-meridian (Yuk Gyeong, three yin and three yang) theory. Methods : The authors searched 255 articles in PubMed with the key word of "morphine, acupuncture" and 629 articles in KISS (Koreanstudies Information Service System) with the key word of "morphine". The articles written in English only were included. The articles related with morphine (abuse, dependence, sensitization, addiction, intake, withdrawal sign, withdrawal syndrome, reinstatement, craving) only were included. The articles which used manual- or electro-acupuncture only were included and auricular acupuncture was excluded. Both of clinical and experimental study were reivewed. Results : The most frequently used acupoint was ST36-SP6 (electroacupuncture), and the second was HT7. LI4 was the third, and BL23 and PC6 were also used. Conclusions : The acupoints used in the morphine study seem to influence the brain through diverse mechanisms and it is thought that control of the reaction against stress appears to be related with these mechanisms.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1180-1186
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• 2014

Autophagy, the lysosomal degradation pathway, is an intracellular recycling system that is necessary for the metabolic benefits of exercise and for producing lasting beneficial effects of exercise in various diseases. However, the most recent studies have only examined the effect of a single bout of exercise or resistance exercise on autophagic responses. To determine the differential effects of acute and chronic exercise on the expression of autophagy-related genes in D. melanogaster, white-eyed mutant D. melanogaster were assigned randomly to four groups: control, acute exercise, 2 hr chronic exercise, and 3 hr chronic exercise. The flies were exercised using a mechanized platform known as the Power Tower. Our results revealed that a single bout of exercise resulted in increased mRNA levels of the Atg8a gene (~20%, p<0.05). However, Atg1 and Atg6 mRNA expression were not induced by acute exercise. Transcript levels of Atg6 (~29%, p<0.05) related to the nucleation of autophagosomes were significantly induced by 2 hr of chronic exercise. However, this chronic exercise was not enough to increase Atg1 and Atg8a mRNA expression. On the other hand, 3 hr of exercise for 7 days significantly increased Atg1, Atg6, and Atg8a gene expression-about 57%, 37%, and 71%, respectively (p<0.05). These results suggest that a single bout of exercise is not enough to induce full activation of selected autophagy-related genes in D. melanogaster. Our results demonstrated that chronic regular exercise induced autophagy-related gene expression, suggesting that chronic regular exercise training might be required to activate autophagic responses important for producing beneficial effects of exercise in various diseases.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.202-206
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• 2014

In this study, the bacteriological survey was examined on ice creams at manufacturing factories in Korea during the summer season of 2011. The nineteen selected among 166 samples by preliminary test were collected from 11 different manufacturing factories in four major manufacturers in May 2011. Samples from ice milk, ice creams, sherbets, and non milk fat ice creams were tested for the total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, and five food borne pathogens, respectively. The results showed that the coliforms including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected on all the ice creams. The total aerobic bacteria of the packed samples examined ranged between $2.5{\times}10^3$ and $5.5{\times}10^5cfu/g$. One ice cream, two sherbets, and four ice milk samples exceeded the acceptable limits of total aerobic bacteria according to the Korean standards for ice cream ($1.0{\times}10^5cfu/g$) and others ($5.0{\times}10^4cfu/g$). The levels of these microorganisms from ice creams were higher in three original equipment manufacturers than seven self-manufacturers. Three of ten ice creams (30.0%), three of six ice milks (50.0%), and one of two sherbets (50%) exceeded the acceptable limits of total aerobic bacteria, respectively. The personnel hygiene procedures with chocolate and vanilla chip addition from the manufacturing process were the main sources of the microbial contamination of stick-bar type ice creams when being produced in a factory. Improvement of the hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) system should be introduced into the ice cream factory to improve the microbial quality of the ice cream products in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.116-186
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• 1983

An epidemiological study on Clonorchis sinensis infection along the Nam-river (total length ; 186km) flowing in Gyeongsang-nam-do, southern part of Korea, was carried out. Formalin-ether concentration technique and Stoll's egg counting method were employed to figure out the prevalence of C. sinensis infection. For the detection of cercariae from Parafossarulus sp., the snail host of C. sinensis, each snail was placed in aerated tap water, and examined for expelled cercariae. For observing the metacercariae the fresh water fish favorably eaten in raw conditions wore prepared by means of pressing the muscles between two slide glasses and/or by digesting them with artificial gastric juice. The fresh water fish were fed to the rabbits to get the worms and to identify the morphology of adult C. sinensis. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Overall Prevalence of C. sinensis infection was 38.75 from 5,291 examinees; 44.15 (1,408 out of 3,196) in male and 30.4% (637 out of 2,095) in female. 2. The prevalence rates were 42.0% at the upper stream, 41.2% around the vicinity of Jinyanglake, 34.2% at Jinju city, 34.2% at middle stream and 40.3% at down stream regions, respectively. 3. By age, the highest positive rate (53.4∼54.3%) was observed in 30 to 59 years of age. In this age group, the rate in males was 59.7∼62.2%, and in females 42.2∼44.4%, In the age group of less than 19 years it was 7.5∼20.9%. 4. By social strata, the positive rate was 16.5% in the primary school children, 22.6% in school students, 46.2% in teachers and local officers and 49.6% in the general inhabitants. 5. The quantitative examinations with the stool collected from clonorchiasis cases revealed that the light infection (less than 4,000/EPG) was 53.6%, moderate infection (4,001∼10,000 /EPG) 30.3% and heavy infection (more than 10,001/EPG) 16.1%, respectively. More than half of total cases examined were light infection, and 73.2% of female examinees were lightly infected with this cuke. 6. The average value of EPG was 4,963 (male, 6,057; female, 2,557 and the highest value was obtained from the age group of 30 to 59 years (5,240∼6,454). 7. The prevalence of Metagonimus yokogawai infection in humans was 5.5%, and 89.8% of metagonimiasis cases wore double-infected arith C. sinensis. The highest prevalence rate was observed in Jinju city (11.2%). 8. Total of 5,005 Parafossarulus sp., the snail intermediate host of C. sinensis, were examined for the detection of cercariae. The cercarial expulsion rate was 0.34%, and the snails collected in Jin-yang-lake side and in the down stream expelled mainly the cercariae of C, sinensis. 9. About 788 cercariaejday (range: 127∼1,503) were expelled daily from a snail naturally infected with C. sinensis. The snails which released more than 1,000 cercariae/day were 30.8% out of total collected. A snail uniquely released 5,840 cercariae/day in this study. 10. The other trematode cercariae besides C. sinensis were also detected, and the rates out of total snails were the cercariae of Losogenes liberum 6.71%, Cyathocotyle orientalis 0.26%, Notocotylus attenuatus 2.52% and Mucobucaris 0.54%, 11. Ten out of 18 species of fresh water fish caught along the river harbored the metacercariae of C, sinensis. The highest rate of metacercarial infection in fish was detected in Pseudorasbora larva (85.9%). The fish mainly eaten by the inhabitants along the Nam-river, and the metacercarial infection rates were: Zacco platypus 8.0%, Hemibarbus sp. 18.2∼26.7%, Gnathepcgcn sp. 37.5%, Ischikauia steenackeri 42.9% and Pseudogobio esocinus 16.7%. 12. Out of 36 P. larva, the number of metacercariae were about 109 (ranEe; 18∼446) per fish and 27 per gram of flesh. The fish caught in spring harbored the highest number of metacercariae. As indicated above, the prevalence of C. sinensis infection in the inhabitants residing around the Nam-river was relatively high. The farther toward the upper stream areas, the higher was the positive rate of C. sinensis infection, and most of clonorchiasis cases were lightly infected. The snail hosts of C. sinensis distributed all around the Nam-river. Several species of freshwater fish were infected with the metacercariae of C. sinensis and the infection rates were relatively high. To prevent C. sinensis infection in the endemic areas, the effective health education system is suggested as a control measure, although mass treatment is also expected to be useful, using chemotherapeutic agents such as "praziquantel", a recently developed anthelminthic for C. sinensis inftraction.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.77-101
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• 1997

In September 1994, residents of Gozan-dong, Incheon City, made a petition to the government about their health problems which might be caused by previous glass fibre landfill nearby 'H' company. In february 1995, at regular academic meeting of occupational and environmental medicine, a research team of 'D' University presented that they had found glass fibres in groundwater of the area through their survey. They were suspicious of probable association between ingestion of groundwater contaminated with glass fibres and skin tumors among residents. A joint research team was formed and carried out the survey of environment concerning groundwater and its glass fibre existence, and health assessment of residents in the area and industrial workers of 'H' company during May to November, 1995. Analysis of groundwater flow system indicates that the flow lines from the glass fibre landfill pass through or terminate at the 6 houses around the landfill. This means that the groundwater of the 6 houses around the glass fibre landfill could be affected by some possible contaminants from the landfill, but the groundwater quality of the other houses was irrelevant to the landfill. The qualitative and qualitative analyses for glass fibres in 54 groundwater samples including those from the nearby 6 houses, were carried out using SEM equipped with EDS, resulting in no evidence for the presence of glass fibres in the waters. Major precipitates, formed in waters while boiling, were identified as calcium carbonates, in particulary, aragonites in needle form. The results of health assessments of 889 residents in Gozan-dong, participated in this study, showed statistically significant differences in past medical histories of skin tumor and respiratory disease between the exposed group (31 persons who inhabited in 6 houses around the landfill) and the control group, but no significant differences in past medical histories of other diseases, such as cancer mortality, current gastroscopic findings, current skin diseases and respiratory diseases, etc. Also, we could not prove any glass fibres in excised specimens of 9 skin tumors in both groups and there were no health problems possibly associated with glass fibres in employees of the 'H' company. After all, we could not authenticate the association, raised by prior investigators, between groundwater streams, assumedly contaminated with glass fibres or not, and specific disease morbidities or common disease/symptom prevalences. That is, we could not find any glass fibres in groundwater as the only exposure factor of this study hypothesis, and there were not enough certain evidences such as increasing disease prevalences, for examples, skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases etc, possibly related to glass fibre exposure, in exposed group. As a matter of course, the conditions for confirming causal association, for example, strength of the association, consistency of the association, specificity of the association, temporality of the association and dose-response relationship etc, have not been satisfied. In conclusion, we were not able to certify the hypothesis that contamination of groundwater with glass fibres might cause any hazardous health effects in residents who used it for drinking.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.24
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• pp.147-170
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• 2010

This study is to present a improvement directions for the protection of industrial key technology. For the purpose of the study, the survey was carried out on the administrative security activity of 68 enterprises including Large companies, small-midium companies and public corporations. survey result on the 10 items of security policy, 10 items of personal management and 7 items of the assets management are as follows; First, stable foundation for the efficient implement of security policy is needed. Carrying a security policy into practice and continuous upgrade should be fulfilled with drawing-up of the policy. Also for the vitalization of security activity, arrangement of security organization and security manager are needed with mutual assistance in the company. Periodic security inspection should be practiced for the improvement of security level and security understanding. Second, the increase of investment for security job is needed for security invigoration. Securing cooperation channel with professional security facility such as National Intelligence Service, Korea internet & security agency, Information security consulting company, security research institute is needed, also security outsourcing could be considered as the method of above investment. Especially small-midium company is very vulnerable compared with Large company and public corporation in security management, so increase of government's budget for security support system is necessary. Third, human resource management is important, because the main cause of leak of confidential information is person. Regular education rate for new employee and staff members is relatively high, but the vitalization of security oath for staff members and the third party who access to key technology is necessary. Also access right to key information should be changed whenever access right changes. Reinforcement of management of resigned person such as security oath, the elimination of access right to key information and the deletion of account. is needed. Forth, the control and management of important asset including patent and design should be tightened. Classification of importance of asset and periodic inspection are necessary with the effects evaluation of leak of asset.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.205-212
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• 1992

Ninety five patients of rectal cancer treated with surgery with or without adjuvant radiation therapy since January 1982 to December 1990 at the Chonnam University Hospital were analysed retrospectively regarding local failure. Of these 95 patients 72 patients were treated with surgery alone and remaining 23 patients received postoperative radiation therapy to pelvis. There were 45 men and 50 women with 53 years of median age. Minimum follow-up period was 19 months and median was47 months (range, 19-125 months). Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate actuarial risk of local recurrence and survival rate. Comparison between two groups was evaluated by Log rank test. Of total 95 patients twenty seven patients ($28.4\%$) developed local recurrence and 13 patients ($17.3\%$) developed local and distant metastasis concomitantly. Eighty nine percent (24/27) of patients developed local recurrence within 24 months. Pelvic organ adjacent to the primary tumor area was the most common site of initial local recurrence. Of 72 patients treated with surgery alone local recurrence developed in 24 patients. Of 17 patients with stage A and 81 (Gunderson-Sosin modification of Dukes' staging system) 6 patients experienced local recurrence ($31.2\%$). The local recurrence rate of B2 and B3 group was $29.9\%$ (7/33) and that of C2 and C3 was $54.7\%$ (11/19), respectively. There was statistically significant difference between two groups (p<0.05). Of 23 patients treated with definitive surgery and radiation therapy $10\%$ (1/10) recurred in B2 and B3 patients. This was slightly lower than C2 and C3 patients ($22.2\%$, 2/10) of similar policy, but revealed no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). In the patients of B2+3 local failure rate decreased when radiation therapy was added ($29.9\%$ vs $10\%$, p>0.05) and also similar results in C2+3 group ($34.7\%$ vs $22.2\%$, p<0.05). The local failure rate in relation to distance from the anal verge had no statistically significant difference.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 2006

Purpose: We investigated whether a relationship exists between tumor control dose 50 ($TCD_{50}$) or tumor growth delay (TGD) and radiation induced apoptosis (RIA) in syngeneic murine tumors. Also we investigated the biological markers that can predict radiosensitivity in murine tumor system through analysis of relationship between $TCD_{50}$, TGD, RIA and constitutive expression levels of the genetic products regulating RIA. Materials and Methods: Syngeneic murine tumors such as ovarian adenocarcinoma, mammary carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, hepatocarcinoma were used In this study. C3H/HeJ mice were bred and maintained in our specific pathogen free mouse colony and were $8{\sim}12$ weeks old when used for the experiments. The tumors, growing in the right hind legs of mice, were analyzed for $TCD_{50}$, TGD, and RIA at 8 mm in diameter. The tumors were also analyzed for the constitutive expression levels of $p53,\;p21^{WAF1/CIP1},\;BAX,\;Bcl-2,\;Bcl-X_L,\;Bcl-X_S$, and p34. Correlation analysis was peformed whether the level of RIA were correlated with $TCD_{50}$ or TGD, and the constitutive expression levels of genetic products regulating RIA were correlated with $TCD_{50}$, TGD, RIA. Results: The level of RIA showed a significant positive correlation (R=0.922, p=0.026) with TGD, and showed a trend to correlation (R=-0.848), marginally significant correlation with $TCD_{50}$ (p=0.070). It indicates that tumors that respond to radiation with high percentage of apoptosis were more radiosensitive. The constitutive expression levels of $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ and 34 showed a significant correlation either with $TCD_{50}$ (R=0.893, p=0.041 and R=0.904, p=0.035) or with TGD (R=-0.922, p=0.026 and R=-0.890 p=0.043). The tumors with high constitutive expression levels of $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ or p34 were less radiosensitive than those with low expression. Conclusion: Radiosensitivity may be predicted with the level of RIA in murine tumors. The constitutive expression levels of $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ or p34 can be used as biological markers which predict the radiosensitivity.