• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.339-344
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• 2009

This study aims to find out the effect of heavy metals, as is the case of EDCs (endocrine disrupting chemicals), on reproductive endocrine disruption of aquatic animals. In the present experiment zinc, which is a heavy metal well known for its androgenous activity, was used. The experimental period was 24 weeks, starting in November during the inactive stage of the clam's reproductive cycle. The experimental groups were composed of one control condition and three zinc exposure conditions (0.64, 1.07, and 1.79 mg/L). The sex ratio (F:M) was 1:1.06 in the control group and 1:1.70 in all the exposed group, illustrating the tendency for higher proportion of males with increases in zinc concentration. Gonad maturity was higher in 1.07, and 1.79 mg/L groups compared to the control group, with higher maturity observed in males than females. Intersex individuals made up 24.7% of the exposed group, while females exhibited a higher ratio than the males with increasing zinc concentration. The results of this study indicate that zinc functions as an androgenic effector on the reproduction of Gomphina veneriformis.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2007

Nonylphenol (NP) is an estrogen-mimicking compound or xenoestrogen. This study investigated the effects of nonylphenol on the reproductive status of the equilateral venus Gomphina veneriformis. The experiment lasted 24 weeks, Experimental groups consisted of a control and three nonylphenol exposures ($1.0,\;2.5,\;and\;5.0\;{\mu}g\;NP/L$). Mortality did not differ significantly between the control and the exposure groups. The sex ratio (F:M) was 1:1 in nature and 1:1.03 in the control group. However, it changed to 1:3.5 with $5.0\;{\mu}g\;NP/L$ exposure. Gonad maturity in females was higher in the nonylphenol exposure groups than in the control group. By contrast, in males, it was lower in the nonylphenol exposure groups. Intersex individuals constituted 0% in nature, 3.08% in the control group, and 23.6% in the group exposed to nonylphenol, with female characteristics more prevalent than male. As the concentration of nonylphenol increased, the accumulation of lipofuscin increased in the mid-gut gland.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.33-41
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• 2013

This study investigated the perceptual and cepstral/spectral characteristics of phonation and their relationships in dysarthria in connected speech. Twenty-two participants were divided into two groups; the eleven dysarthric speakers were paired with matching age and gender healthy control participants. A perceptual evaluation was performed by three speech pathologists using the GRBAS scale to measure the cepstrual/spectral characteristics of phonation between the two groups' connected speech. Correlations showed dysarthric speakers scored significantly worse (with a higher rating) with severities in G (overall dysphonia grade), B (breathiness), and S (strain), while the smoothed prominence of the cepstral peak (CPPs) was significantly lower. The CPPs were significantly correlated with the perceptual ratings, including G, B, and S. The utility of CPPs is supported by its high relationship with perceptually rated dysphonia severity in dysarthric speakers. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the threshold of 5.08 dB for the CPPs achieved a good classification for dysarthria, with 63.6% sensitivity and the perfect specificity (100%). Those results indicate the CPPs reliably distinguished between healthy controls and dysarthric speakers. However, the CPP frequency (CPP F0) and low-high spectral ratio (L/H ratio) were not significantly different between the two groups.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2019

Background and Objectives : Functional aphonia is characterized by incomplete closure of the vocal folds. Semi-occluded vocal tract exercise (SOVTE) allows smoothly vocal folds collision without damage to the vocal folds tissues to produce normal vocal intensity. The purpose of this study is to report the effect of SOVTE in patients with functional aphonia. Materials and Method : Seven patients diagnosed with functional aphonia were treated with 1-3 voice therapy sessions using voiced lip-trill, humming, Lax Vox in SOVTE. To assess the effectiveness of semi-occluded vocal tract exercise, cepstral analysis and auditory perceptual assessment were performed before and after voice therapy. Results : F0 (fundamental frequency), CPP (cepstral peak prominence) and L/H ratio (low/high spectral ratio) were significantly increased, while CPP Standard deviation, L/H ratio Standard deviation were decreased. In addition, 'Grade', 'Breathiness' and 'Asthenia' were significantly decreased in the GRBAS scale after SOVTE (p<0.05). Conclusion : In our study, SOVTE seemed to be effective to elicit voice quickly and promote vocal folds vibration without muscular effort in patients with functional aphonia.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.565-575
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• 2023

This study represents a numerical research in vibration and buckling of functionally graded material (FGM) beam comprising edge crack by using finite element method (FEM) and multilayer perceptron (MLP). It is assumed that the material properties change only according to the exponential distributions along the beam thickness. FEM and MLP solutions of the natural frequencies and critical buckling load are obtained of the cracked FGM beam for clamped-free (C-F), hinged-hinged (H-H), and clamped-clamped (C-C) boundary conditions. Numerical results are obtained to show the effects of crack location (c/L), material properties (E₂/E₁), slenderness ratio (L/h) and end supports on the bending vibration and buckling properties of cracked FGM beam. The FEM analysis used in this paper was verified with the literature, and the fundamental frequency ratio ($\overline{P_{cr}}$) and critical buckling load ratio ($\overline{{\omega}}$) results obtained were compared with FEM and MLP. The results obtained are quite compatible with each other.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2017

Our aim was to find the effective duration and culture conditions for microspore culture in a genetically variant cabbage (Brassica oleraceae L. var. capitata). We discovered that the '$2{\times}NLN$ medium containing $AgNO_3$ 1 mg/l, sucrose 13%' was most efficient in producing the cabbage embryos. The number of induced embryos was higher in $F_2$ or $F_3$ progeny generation than the $F_1$ hybrid cultivar used as plant materials. Thus, we recommend microspore culturing using progeny plants of failed $F_1$ cultivar. The acquisition ratio of embryos and plants derived from microspore was higher in the early flowering period as compared to the late flowering period. When transplanted in the soil, 71.2% plants developed from the early flowering period, compared to 27.0% from the middle period and 1.8% plants from the late period. Thus, we recommend microspore culture using buds collected during the early flowering period.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 2001

White kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, contains proteinaceous inhibitors of ${\alpha}-amylase$. Two inhibitors have been purified by conventional protein fractionation methods such as ethanol precipitation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel chromatography. The inhibitors were purified as I-1 and I-2 based on their elution order from the DEAE-Sephadex column. The overall purification ratio were about 15.0 and 14.8 for I-1 and I-2, respectively. The molecular weights of purified ${\alpha}-amylase$ inhibitors were 50,000 and 45,000 determined by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. They contain $17.6{\sim}17%$ of carbohydrate, $70{\sim}80%$ of protein. The carbohydrates were composed of glucose : xylose : mannose : N-acetylglucosamine (5 : 3 : 50 : 42).

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1090-1097
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• 2006

The anoxic activated sludge process was applied to the treatment of industrial box-mill wastewater, which exhibited the high removal efficiencies of $90{\sim}94%$$ TCOD_{Mn}$ and $58{\sim}81%$ Color. For the design of industrial anoxic activated sludge process, Monod bio-kinetic coefficients of box-mill wastewater were estimated as follows: $K_{max}$(maximum specific substrate removal rate)=0.52 $day^{-1}$, $K_s$(half saturation constant)=314 mg/L, $K_d$(decay coefficient)=0.274 $day^{-1}$, y(microbial yield coefficient)=0.908 mg/mg, and ${\mu}_{max}$(maximum specific growth rate)=0.472 $day^{-1}$. Space loading factors for the design analysis were practically determined as the values of F/M ratio=$0.043{\sim}0.07$ kg-$TCOD_{Mn}$/kg-SS-day, BOD space loading=$0.18{\sim}0.3$ kg-$TCOD_{Mn}/m^3-day$, and ${\theta}_x=6.8{\sim}26.4$ day when considering the relationship of these loading factors with growth dynamics of microorganisms, the F/M ratio that is inversely proportional to ${\theta}_x$ should be equivalent to ${\mu}_{max}$ in units, but exhibited the significant difference between theses two values. Therefore, it is considered that high safety factors are requested in the design of anoxic activated sludge process that is based on Monod bio-kinetics of microorganism.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1035-1042
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• 2005

Granular Activated Carbon(GAC) is widely used in drinking water treatment. At S and B Water Treatment Plant, GAC is used in place of granular media in conventional rapid filters(GAC Filter-Adsorber) for removal of Disinfection By-products(DBPs). The primary focus of this study is on the performance of existing filter-adsorber, and their operation. It was found that F/A process removed turbidity as effective as sand system. The ratio of Hydrophobic DOM (HPO) and hydrophilic DOM (HPI) fraction in the raw water at S and B WTP was similar. Filter Adsorber presented earlier DOC breakthrough and steady state condition which was contributed by biodegradation during operation period. The removal efficiency of DBPs were used to evaluate the filter performance. The DBPs concentration of F/A treated water was below treatment goal level (THM < $80\;{\mu}g/L$, HAA < $60{\mu}g/L$). The removal efficiency of THM decreased rapidly during operation period. However, HAA were removed steadily regardless of the influent concentration of HAA. These results indicate that the removal of THM depend upon the adsorption mechanism while the removal of HAA depend upon biodegradation as well as adsorption. The decrease of adsorption capacity and characteristic value of GAC may be attributed to the effect of high organic loading, residual free chlorine, coagulants, manganese oxidants and frequently backwashing. This study has confirmed that Filter adsorber process can be considered as effective alternatives for the removal of DBPs, especially HAA.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.140-152
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• 1998

Background: Prone position improves oxygenation in patients with ARDS probably by reducing shunt Reduction of shunt in prone position is thought to be effected by lowering of the critical opening pressure (COP) of the dorsal lung because the pleural pressure becomes less positive in prone position compared to supine position. It can then be assumed that prone position would bring about greater improvement in oxygenation when PEEP applied in supine position is just beneath COP than when PEEP is above COP. Hemodynamically, prone position is expected to attenuate the lifting of cardiac fossa induced by PEEP. Based on these backgrounds, we investigated whether the effect of prone position on oxygenation differs in magnitude according to the level of PEEP applied in supine position, and whether impaired cardiac output in supine position by PEEP can be restored in prone position. Methods: In seven mongrel dogs, $PaO_2/F_1O_2$(P/F) was measured in supine position and at prone position 30 min. Cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), pulse rate (PR), and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP) were measured in supine position, at prone position 5 min, and at prone position 30 min. After ARDS was established with warmed saline lavage(P/F ratio $134{\pm}72$ mm Hg), inflection point was measured by constant flow method($6.6{\pm}1.4cm$ $H_2O$), and the above variables were measured in supine and prone positions under the application of Low PEEP($5.0{\pm}1.2cm$ $H_2O$), and Optimal PEEP($9.0{\pm}1.2cm$ $H_2O$)(2 cm $H_2O$ below and above the inflection point, respectively) consecutively. Results : P/F ratio in supine position was $195{\pm}112$ mm Hg at Low PEEP and $466{\pm}63$ mm Hg at Optimal PEEP(p=0.003). Net increase of P/F ratio at prone position 30 min, however, was far greater at Low PEEP($205{\pm}90$ mm Hg) than at Optimal PEEP($33{\pm}33$ mm Hg)(p=0.009). Compared to CO in supine position at Optimal PEEP($2.4{\pm}0.5$ L/min), CO in prone improved to $3.4{\pm}0.6$ L/min at prone position 5 min (p=0.0180) and $3.6{\pm}0.7$ L/min at prone position 30 min (p=0.0180). Improvement in CO was attributable to the increase in SV: $14{\pm}2$ ml in supine position, $20{\pm}2$ ml at prone position 5 min (p=0.0180), and $21{\pm}2$ ml at prone position 30 min (p=0.0180), but not to change in PR or PAOP. When the dogs were turned to supine position again, MAP ($92{\pm}23$ mm Hg, p=0.009), CO ($2.4{\pm}0.5$ L/min, p=0.0277) and SV ($14{\pm}1$ ml, p=0.0277) were all decreased compared to prone position 30 min. Conclusion: Prone position in a dog with saline-lavaged acute lung injury appeared to augment the effect of relatively low PEEP on oxygenation, and also attenuate the adverse hemodynamic effect of relatively high PEEP. These findings suggest that a PEEP lower than Optimal PEEP can be adopted in prone position to achieve the goal of alveolar recruitment in ARDS avoiding the hemodynamic complications of a higher PEEP at the same time.