• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.242-251
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 8-week β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) administration with and without endurance exercise training on endurance exercise performance and skeletal muscle protein synthesis and degradation using a mouse model. Forty-eight male wild-type ICR mice (8 weeks old) were randomly divided into four groups: sedentary control (Sed+Con), (Sed+Con), sedentary β-HB (Sed+β-HB), exercise control (Exe+Con), and exercise β-HB (Exe+β-HB). β-HB was dissolved in PBS (150 mg/ml) and injected subcutaneously daily (250 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. Mice performed 5 days/week of a 20 min treadmill running exercise for 8 weeks. The running exercise was carried out at a speed of 10 m/min at a 10° incline for 5 min, and then the speed was increased by 1 m/min for every 1 min of the remaining 15 min. Following 8 weeks of treatments, visceral fat mass and skeletal muscle mass, blood parameters, and the markers for autophagy and protein synthesis were analyzed. The data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA (p<0.05) using the SPSS 21 program. Eight weeks of Exe+β-HB treatment significantly lowered blood lactate levels compared with the other three groups (Sed+Con, Sed+β-HB, and Exe+β-HB) Exe+β-HB) (p<0.05). Eight weeks of Exe+β-HB significantly increased maximal running time (time to exhaustion) compared with the Sed+Con and Exe+Con groups (p<0.05). Eight weeks of β-HB administration significantly decreased autophagy flux and autophagy-related proteins in the skeletal muscle of mice (p<0.05). Conversely, the combined treatment of β-HB and endurance exercise training increased protein synthesis (mTOR signaling and translation) (p<0.05). The 8-week β-HB treatment and endurance exercise training had synergistic effects on the increase in endurance performance, increase in protein synthesis, and decrease in protein degradation in the skeletal muscle of mice.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.226-233
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• 2023

High solar radiation in summer season causes excessive respiration of crops and reduces photosynthesis. In addition, the rainy season, which mainly occurs in summer, causes a low light condition inside the greenhouse. A low light condition can reduce crop growth and yield. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of shade and supplemental lighting on the growth and yield of cucumber during summer season. Cucumber grafted seedlings were transplanted in two plastic greenhouses on August 30, 2022. To reduce the light intensity inside the greenhouse, a 50% shading screen was installed in one greenhouse. Supplemental lighting was conducted from September 7, 2022 to October 20, 2022. HPS (high-pressure sodium lamp), W LED (white LED, red:green:blue = 5:3:2), and RB LED (combined red and blue LED, red:blue = 7:3) were used for supplemental lighting sources, and non-treated (nonsupplemental lighting) was as the control. The supplemental lighting was conducted before sunrise and after sunset for 2 hours with a photosynthetic photon flux density of 150 ± 20 µmol·m^-2·s^-1. The plant height, leaf length, leaf width, and SPAD value tended to increase in the shading group. RB LED increased stem diameter regardless of shading treatment. Fresh and dry weights of fruits were not significantly different in shading and supplemental lighting. Average fresh weight of fruits was not significantly different among supplemental lighting as the harvest date passed. In conclusion, in this study 50% shade treatment significantly improved the growth of cucumber during the summer season. In addition, the growth and fruit characteristics are better than the control without supplemental lighting. This study can be used as basic research data for applying supplemental lighting technology to cucumber cultivation.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.88-98
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• 2024

This study provides basic data on the growth and production of seedlings produced in plant factories with artificial lighting by comparing seedling quality, growth and fruit characteristics, and production after transplanting cucumber seedlings according to environmental differences between plant factories with artificial lighting and conventional nurseries in greenhouse. The control group consisted of greenhouse seedlings (GH) grown in the conventional nursery before transplanting. Plant factory to greenhouse seedlings (PG) were grown for 9 days in a plant factory with artificial lighting and for 13 days in an conventional nursery. Plant factory seedlings (PF) were grown in a plant factory with artificial lighting for 22 days until planting. In terms of seedling quality, PFs had the highest relative growth rate and compactness and the best root zone development. After transplanting PFs tended to grow faster, the first harvest date was 2 days earlier than that of GHs, and the growing season ended 1 day earlier. The female flower flowering rate of the PFs was high, and the fruit set rate was of PF the lowest. The production per unit area was highest for PFs at 10.23kg Performance index on the absorption basis, the most sensitive chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, was highest at 4.14 for PFs at 4 weeks after transplantation. By comparing the maximum quantum yield of primary PS II photochemistry and dissipated energy flux per PS II reaction center electron at 4 weeks after transplantation, PFs tended to be the least stressed. PFs had the best seedling quality, growth, and production after planting, and fruit quality was consistent with that of greenhouse seedlings. Therefore, plant factory seedlings can be used in the field.