• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.867-874
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• 2011

This paper describes the results of a survey aimed at characterizing smallholder pig production systems in northern Lao PDR. A total of 341 households from five Northern provinces were interviewed in the survey. Village meetings and individual interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire, were used to collect information. Three main pig rearing systems, free-scavenging, semi-scavenging and confinement (enclosures and pens), were found in the survey areas. These systems were practiced differently by smallholders depending on the level of intensity of crop production, ethnicity and purpose of keeping pigs. The confinement system was mainly practiced by Lao-Tai and Tibeto-Burman groups, who mainly bought piglets and fattened these pigs for sale. In contrast, the Mon-Khmer and Hmong-Mien reared pigs in free-scavenging and semi-scavenging systems, and usually keep sows for piglet production. The main factors that affected the changes in rearing systems were found to be level of intensity of crop production, local regulations and outbreaks of disease. The main constraints found in smallholder systems were outbreaks of disease, high mortality of piglets and the slow growth rate of fattening pigs.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.306-315
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• 1998

MR findings in nine patients(three female, six male) with neuro-Behcet's disease were retrospectively analyzed. NeuroBehcet's disease was diagnosed on the basis of typical clinical symptoms. Involved site, pattern, signal intensity, and contrast enhancement pattern on MRI were evaluated. In addition, follow up MR imaging was performed in four patients. The midbrain(7/9), internal capsule(7/9), pons(6/9), thalamus(6/9), basal ganglia (5/9), middle cerebella peduncle(4/9), medulla oblongata(2/9), and subcortical white matter(2/9) are involved on MRI. The size of lesions was 1cm to 3cm and their margin was ill-defined and patchy. Inhomogeneous high signal intensity on the T2-weighted images and low signal intensity on T1-weighted images was seen respectively. In four of nine cases, there was focal enhancement. On follow up MR imaging, improvement or recurrance of the lesions was found. Also in two cases of follow up cases, there was artophy in brainstem and(or) middle cerebellar peduncles. In conclusion, MR imaging with systemic clinical symptoms is useful for diagnosing neuro-Behcet's disease.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.145-151
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• 2011

In view of the hypothesis that the effects of Parkinson's disease on voice production can be detected before pharmacological intervention, the prosodic features of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) and a healthy aging group were diagnostically analyzed with the long term object of establishing, for clinical purposes, early disease-progression biomarkers. Twenty patients (male 8; female 12) with IPD (prior to pharmacological intervention) and a healthy control group of 22 (male 10; female 12) were selected. Ten sentences were recorded with a head-worn microphone. One sentence was chosen for the analysis of this paper. Relevant parameters, i.e. 3-dimensional model (F0, intensity, duration) and pitch and intensity related slopes (maxEnergy, maxF0, meanAbS, semiT, meanEnergy, meanF0), were analyzed by two-group discriminant analysis. The stepwise estimation method of discriminant analysis was performed by gender. The discriminant functions predicted 83.9% of the male test data correctly while the prediction rate was 93.1% for the female group. The results showed that meanF0_slope and semiT_slope were more important parameters than the others for the male group. For the female group, the meanEnergy_slope and maxEnergy_slope were the important ones. These findings indicate that significant parameters are different for the male and female group. Gender lifestyle may be responsible for this difference. Dysprosodic features of IPD show not simultaneously but progressively in terms of F0, intensity and duration.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.97-101
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• 2021

The infection status with Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae (CsMc) was examined in freshwater fishes from Yongjeon-cheon (a branch of Nakdong-gang) located in Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the Republic of Korea (Korea). A total of 750 fishes in 19 species were examined by the artificial digestion method for 2 years (2019 and 2020). CsMc were detected in 378 (51.4%) out of 735 fishes in 14 species (73.7%), and the infection intensity was 666 per fish infected. In 2019, CsMc were found in 172 (68.0%) out of 253 fishes in 10 species, and the infection intensity was 565 per fish infected. In 2020, CsMc were detected in 206 (62.2%) out of 331 fishes in 10 species, and the infection intensity was 751 per fish infected. The other zoonotic trematode, ie. Metagonimus spp., Centrocestus armatus, Echinostoma spp. and Clinostomum complanatum, metacercariae were also detected in fishes from the survey streams, but their endemicities were relatively low. Conclusively, it was first confirmed that CsMc are highly endemic in fishes from Yongjeon-cheon in Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.379-383
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• 2019

The capability of detecting amyloid beta 42 ($A{\beta}42$), a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease, using a thiolated protein A-functionalized bimetallic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) chip was investigated. An optimized configuration of a bimetallic chip containing gold and silver was obtained through calculations in the intensity measurement mode. The surface of the SPR bimetallic chip was functionalized with thiolated protein A for the immobilization of $A{\beta}42$ antibody. The response of the thiolated protein A-functionalized bimetallic chip to $A{\beta}42$ in the concentration range of 50 to 1,000 pg/mL was linear. Compared to protein A without thiolation, the thiolated protein A resulted in greater sensitivity. Therefore, the thiolated protein A-functionalized bimetallic SPR chip can be used to detect very low concentrations of the biomarker for Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 1989

In order to determine the relationships between the lea(-burning disease and the light harvesting chlorophyll-protein (LHCP) complex in Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, we investigated the chlorophyll-protein (CP) complex of the thylakoid membrane and its characteristics. In P. ginseng four Cp-complex bands determined by non-denaturing SDS-PAGE were identified CP I'(containing reaction center of photosystem I and LHCP I antennae), CP I (reaction center of photosystem I) LHCP II** (oligoform of LHCP II), and LHCP II (photosystem II antennae, CP 26 and CP 29) by Bassis and Dunahay's procedures. Under our experimental condition, the CP I band was only observed in P. ginseng and the band intensity of LHCP II** in P ginseng was higher than in spinach and soybean. There were differences in the absorption and fluorescence spectra and chlorophyll a/b ratio of the CP-complex bands between P. ginseng and other Plants. The Polypeptidr content of P. ginseng thylakoid was lower than in spinach and soybean thylakoid, and the Polypeptide profiles of P. ginseng was low band intensity, especially about 29-35 kD, 55 kD, and 60 kD, compared to spinach and soybean. The inhibitory effects of 2,5-dimethylfuran, specific singlet oxygen ($^1O_2$) quencher, showed that singlet oxygen destroyed 60% of chl.a, 90% of chl.b and 70% of carotenoid in bleaching P. ginseng with leaf-burning disease.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.35 no.7B
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• pp.1066-1072
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• 2010

Kidney diseases rates in modern Korean society, which is entering an aging society, are growing. These diseases diagnosed at early stage can be cured with the drug or dietary treatment. If, however, at worsening stage, kidney dialysis or transplant is needed. In this context, we analyzed the relationship between kidney and voice by measuring and analyzing the changing rate of the vocal chord and intensity according to hemodialysis. For this, we collected voice samples before and after hemodialysis, and compared and analyzed them through application of vocal analytical element. Namely, based on oriental medical diagnosis theory that voice is quieted down when kidney is abnormal, we collected voice samples before and after hemodialysis, and applied trembling and intensity analysis of vocal chord.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.777-783
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• 2015

The nitric oxide (NO) formation and intrinsic nitrosation may be involved in the possible mechanisms of liver fluke-associated carcinogenesis. We still do not know much about the responses of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) induced by Clonorchis sinensis infection. This study was conducted to explore the pathological lesions and iNOS expressions in the liver of mice with different infection intensity levels of C. sinensis. Extensive periductal inflammatory cell infiltration, bile duct hyperplasia, and fibrosis were commonly observed during the infection. The different pathological responses in liver tissues strongly correlated with the infection intensity of C. sinensis. Massive acute spotty necrosis occurred in the liver parenchyma after a severe infection. The iNOS activity in liver tissues increased, and iNOS-expressing cells with morphological differences were observed after a moderate or severe infection. The iNOS-expressing cells in liver tissues had multiple origins.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2003

Changes in biochemical constituents and physiological alteration were studied in various intensities (1-5%, 6-15%, 16-30%, 31-50% and ＞ 50%) of leaf spot (Myrothecium roridum) on mulberry leaves and compared with healthy leaves. Chlorophyll, total soluble sugar and total protein were decreased (P ＜ 0.01), but total phenol increased due to pathogen infection. Changes in biochemical constituents showed significant correlation with intensity of disease. Chlorophyll ($r^2$= 0.92), and protein (($r^2$= 0.83) possessed negative while phenol (($r^2$= 0.61) possessed positive correlation. Photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, moisture content (%) and physiological water use efficiency (pWUE) were decreased, but stomatal resistance increased in the infected leaves. Physiological parameters also possessed significant (P ＜ 0.01) correlation with disease intensity. Photosynthetic rate (($r^2$= 0.96), transpiration rate ($r^2$=0.88), stomatal conductance (($r^2$= = 0.65), physiological water use efficiency (($r^2$= 0.88) and moisture content (r = 0.85) were negatively but stomatal resistance (($r^2$= 0.75) was positively correlated to disease intensities.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-17
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• 2009

Objectives : Alzheimer's disease(AD) is the most common form of dementia, which is characterized by progressive deterioration of memory and higher cortical functions that ultimately results in total degradation of intellectual and mental activities. Nokyongdaebo-tang(Lurongdabutang) has been usually used for the treatment for the deficiency syndrome dementia and amnesia. This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of the Nokyongdaebo-tang(Lurongdabutang) hot water extract on pathological AD model. Methods : The effects of the Nokyongdaebo-tang(Lurongdabutang) hot water extract on cultured spinal cord cells induced by ${\beta}$-amyloid were investigated. The effects of the Nokyongdaebo-tan(Lurongdabutang) hot water extract on the memory deficit mice induced by scopolamine were investigated. Results : 1. ${\beta}$-amyloid treatment on cultured spinal cord cells increased both GFAP-staining intensity of astrocytes and caspase 3 immunoreactivity on cultured cells. Then, Nokyongdaebo-tang(Lurongdabutang) treatment reduced the labeling intensity for both GFAP and caspase 3 proteins in culture cells. 2. Scopolamine treatment into mice increased levels of GFAP-positive astrocytes and caspase 3-labeled cells of the hippocampal subfields dentate hilar region, CA3 and CA1 area. In vivo administration of Nokyongdaebo-tang(Lurongdabutang) attenuated labeling intensity for those two proteins in the same hippocampal areas. Similar effects were observed by the treatment of galanthamine, an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase. Conclusions : This experiment shows that the Nokyongdaebo-tang(Lurongdabutang) may play a protective role in damaged neural tissues. Since neuronal damage seen in degenerative brains such as AD are largely unknown, the current data may provide possible insight into therapeutic strategies for AD treatments. Nokyongdaebo-tang(Lurongdabutang) might be effective for the prevention and treatment of AD.