• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.115-125
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• 2022

Objective: Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a critical economic indicator of pork quality. Studies on IMF among different pig breeds have been performed via high-throughput sequencing, but comparisons within the same pig breed remain unreported. Methods: This study was performed to explore the gene profile and identify candidate long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) and mRNAs associated with IMF deposition among Laiwu pigs with different IMF contents. Based on the longissimus dorsi muscle IMF content, eight pigs from the same breed and management were selected and divided into two groups: a high IMF (>12%, H) and low IMF group (<5%, L). Whole-transcriptome sequencing was performed to explore the differentially expressed (DE) genes between these two groups. Results: The IMF content varied greatly among Laiwu pig individuals (2.17% to 13.93%). Seventeen DE lncRNAs (11 upregulated and 6 downregulated) and 180 mRNAs (112 upregulated and 68 downregulated) were found. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that the following biological processes played an important role in IMF deposition: fatty acid and lipid biosynthetic processes; the extracellular signal-regulated kinase cascade; and white fat cell differentiation. In addition, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-protein kinase B, and mammalian target of rapamycin pathways were enriched in the pathway analysis. Intersection analysis of the target genes of DE lncRNAs and mRNAs revealed seven candidate genes associated with IMF accumulation. Five DE lncRNAs and 20 DE mRNAs based on the pig quantitative trait locus database were identified and shown to be related to fat deposition. The expression of five DE lncRNAs and mRNAs was verified by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The results of qRT-PCR and RNA-sequencing were consistent. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that the different IMF contents among pig individuals may be due to the DE lncRNAs and mRNAs associated with lipid droplets and fat deposition.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.290-297
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• 2022

This study was performed to investigate the organic acids, alcohol metabolism enzyme, and antioxidative, nitrite-scavenging, and hepatoprotective effects of Dendropanax morbifera vinegar prepared by a traditional fermentation method. Among the organic acids detected, acetic acid was the highest found, at 91.72 mg/ml, followed by lactic acid (7.31 mg/ml), malic acid (1.36 mg/ml), and succinic acid (1.20 mg/ml). The total polyphenol content of the D. morbifera vinegar was 13.73 ㎍ tannic acid equivalent (TAE)/ml. The 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of D. morbifera vinegar was 76.04% at a 60% concentration. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of D. morbifera vinegar was increased in a dose-dependent manner, which was 95.14% at a 60% concentration, while the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of D. morbifera vinegar was 98.94% at a 10% concentration. The effects of D. morbifera vinegar on alcohol metabolism were determined by measuring the generation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). The ADH and ALDH activities of D. morbifera vinegar were increased in a dose-dependent manner, 43.62% and 60.39% at a 60% concentration, respectively. The D. morbifera vinegar showed significant protective effects against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells at the 0.6% concentration. These results suggest that D. morbifera vinegar has great potential as a resource for high quality functional health beverages.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.190-204
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• 2022

Background: In Korea, the population is rapidly aging, and the types of households for the elderly are also diversifying. The self-rated health of the elderly is a valuable health indicator that can comprehensively represent the overall quality of life along with physical, mental, and functional health. On the other hand, studies on the association between household type and self-rated health of the elderly are still insufficient. Thus, this study analyzed the association between household type and self-rated health by gender in Korean older adults. Methods: Using data from the analysis of the National Survey of Older Koreans 2017, 10,299 elderly people aged 65 and over were targeted. For the accuracy of the analysis data, 9,910 people were selected as the study sample by excluding proxy responses, those diagnosed with dementia, and non-response. And technical analysis, univariate analysis using the Rao-Scott chi-square test, and logical regression analysis involving survey characteristics were conducted by gender. Results: According to the adjusted model with all variables, in both men and women, the odds ratio of self-rated health 'bad' in 'couple (with ill spouse)' was significantly higher than 'couple (with spouse)'. It was 2.54 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.05-3.15) for men and 2.11 (95% CI, 1.70-2.62) for women. In addition, the odds ratio of self-rated health 'bad' in 'living with adult children' was 1.43 (95% CI, 1.09-1.87) for men and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.15-1.75) for women, which was more significant in women than men. Conclusion: This study states that there is an association between gender, household type, and self-rated health of the elderly, and the health of a spouse and cohabitation with children have a significant effect on self-rated health. As a result, in order to improve the health status of the elderly, health promotion and health care policies involving the characteristics of the elderly's gender and household type are needed.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1808-1816
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• 2022

Objective: The study of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) has mainly been focused on meat quality and productivity. Recently the field of microbiome research has increased dramatically. However, the information on the microbiome in Hanwoo is still insufficient, especially relationship between vagina and feces. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the microbial community characteristics by analyzing the 16S rRNA sequencing data of Hanwoo vagina and feces, as well as to confirm the difference and correlation between vaginal and fecal microorganisms. As a result, the goal is to investigate if fecal microbiome can be used to predict vaginal microbiome. Methods: A total of 31 clinically healthy Hanwoo that delivered healthy calves more than once in Cheongju, South Korea were enrolled in this study. During the breeding season, we collected vaginal and fecal samples and sequenced the microbial 16S rRNA genes V3-V4 hypervariable regions from microbial DNA of samples. Results: The results revealed that the phylum-level microorganisms with the largest relative distribution were Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria in the vagina, and Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes in the feces, respectively. In the analysis of alpha, beta diversity, and effect size measurements (LefSe), the results showed significant differences between the vaginal and fecal samples. We also identified the function of these differentially abundant microorganisms by functional annotation analyses. But there is no significant correlation between vaginal and fecal microbiome. Conclusion: There is a significant difference between vaginal and fecal microbiome, but no significant correlation. Therefore, it is difficult to interrelate vaginal microbiome as fecal microbiome in Hanwoo. In a further study, it will be necessary to identify the genetic relationship of the entire microorganism between vagina and feces through the whole metagenome sequencing analysis and meta-transcriptome analysis to figure out their relationship.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.356-363
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• 2022

To investigate the functional activity of different citrus fruit peels, antioxidant compounds in 70% ethanol extracts of mandarin, lemon, orange, and grapefruit peel powders were identified, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities were quantitated. Mandarin peel contained the highest content of total phenolic compounds and total flavonoid substances (21.46±0.12 mg GAE/g and 11.57±0.05 mg RE/g, respectively). The total phenolic compound content of the three other citrus fruits was 14.16±0.18-18.44±0.07, and their total flavonoid content was 5.51±0.10-7.46±0.09 mg RE/g. DPPH radical scavenging activity was the highest in lemon peel (87.64±0.21%), and mandarin peel displayed the best antioxidant activity with respective ABTS radical scavenging activity and FRAP measurements of 43.20±0.61% and 78.82±1.06 mM TE/g. Grapefruit peel antimicrobial activity increased with treatment time, and was the most potent among the four tested citrus species, inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus by about 4.05 log cycle. These findings demonstrate that mandarin and grapefruit peel can be used to prevent oxidation, improve food storage capabilities, and potentially preserve food quality.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.218-229
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• 2021

Recently, as consumers' interest and importance in health care have significantly increased, they prefer natural and organic foods that do not use chemical pesticides. Since sprout vegetables effectively promote health and prevent diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, the consumption of sprout vegetables, a highly functional and safe food, has been increased significantly. This study aimed to investigate the effect of light on the growth and bioactive compounds of seven different sprout vegetables. After sowing the seeds of various sprout vegetables (kale, Chinese kale, broccoli, red cabbage, alfalfa, red radish, and radish), the sprouts were cultivated under light conditions (20℃, RGB 6:1:3, 130 μmol·m^-2·s^-1, 12 hours photoperiod) and dark condition for 7 days. Sprouts samples were taken at 1-day intervals from 4 to 7 days after treatment. The fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, total phenol content, and antioxidant capacity were measured. Brassica species (kale, Chinese kale, broccoli, red cabbage) and Medicago species (alfalfa) had significantly higher fresh weight values under dark conditions, while the content of bioactive compounds was increased considerably under light conditions. In contrast, the fresh weight of Raphanus genus (red radish, radish) significantly increased under the light condition, but the antioxidant phenolic compounds were significantly higher under the dark state. A negative correlation was observed between the growth and secondary metabolites in various sprout vegetables. This study confirmed the effect of light and dark conditions on different sprout vegetables' growth and nutritional value and emphasizes the importance of harvest time in producing high-quality sprout vegetables.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.77-89
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• 2020

Nowadays, urban townhouses are being developed in various forms according to the characteristics of different regions in consideration of the trends of the housing market. Misperceiving the needs of consumers or their characteristics as a house for living, however, they often end up becoming products that are not suitable for urban life or degraded on account of reckless regional development. It is so unfortunate that such trial and error keeps being repeated. Urban townhouses are advantageous because there is no such problem as either invasion of privacy or noise from neighbors, and it is possible to have one's own garden and enlarged parking space, obtain quality of grounding, and plan unique interior and exterior design. They are also equipped with the strengths of apartment houses as well, for example, the efficiency of joint control in crime and disaster prevention or security, architecture of diaphragm walls with the separation of gates, or the planning of common space like a central square or park. Therefore, there is a great chance that they can be developed as the types of urban housing. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to establish the basic direction of developing housing products right as space for urban life and maximize the roles of urban townhouses. By understanding their spatial as well as functional elements as a house for living, this author aims to provide a guideline for housing product development to realize urban townhouses that can meet consumer needs.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.77-100
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• 2022

In the era of low growth, many provincial cities are experiencing population decline and aging. Population decline phenomena such as reduction of productive manpower, reduction of finances, deterioration of quality of life, and collapse of the community base are occurring in a chain and are being pushed to the brink of extinction of the cities. This study aims to propose a methodology to objectively estimate the employment creation centers and setting the basic unit of industrial-centered zoning by applying spatial statistical techniques and GIS for the application of the compact city plan as an efficient spatial management policy in a city with a declining population. In details, based on reviewing previous studies on compact city, 'employment complex index(ECI)' were defined considering the number of workers, the number of settlers, and the area of development land, the employment creation center was estimated by applying the 'Local Moran's I' and 'Getis-Ord's Hot-Spot Analysis'. As a case study, changes in the four years of 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 were compared and analyzed for Changwon City. As a result, it was confirmed that the employment creation center is becoming compacted and polycentric, which is a significant result that reflects the actual situation well. This results provide the basic data for functional and institutional territorial governance for the regional revitalization platform, and provide meaningful information necessary for spatial policy decision-making, such as population reduction, regional gross domestic product, and public facility arrangement that can respond to energy savings, transportation plans, and medical and health plans.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.29-42
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• 2023

Objective: Pigs, an ideal biomedical model for human diseases, suffer from about 50% early embryonic and fetal death, a major cause of fertility loss worldwide. However, identifying the causal variant remains a huge challenge. This study aimed to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and candidate genes for the number of mummified (NM) piglets using the imputed whole-genome sequence (WGS) and validate the potential candidate genes. Methods: The imputed WGS was introduced from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) using a multi-breed reference population. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for NM piglets at birth from a Landrace pig populatiGWAS peak located on SSC11: 0.10 to 7.11 Mbp (Top SNP, SSC11:1,889,658 bp; p = 9.98E-13) was identified in cyclin dependent kinase on. A total of 300 Landrace pigs were genotyped by GBS. The whole-genome variants were imputed, and 4,252,858 SNPs were obtained. Various molecular experiments were conducted to determine how the genes affected NM in pigs. Results: A strong GWAS peak located on SSC11: 0.10 to 7.11 Mbp (Top SNP, SSC11:1,889,658 bp; p = 9.98E-13) was identified in cyclin dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) gene, which plays a crucial role in embryonic retardation and lethality. Based on the molecular experiments, we found that Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) was a crucial transcription factor for CDK8, which mediated the effect of CDK8 in the proliferation of porcine ovarian granulosa cells via transforming growth factor beta/small mother against decapentaplegic signaling pathway, and, as a consequence, affected embryo quality, indicating that this pathway may be contributing to mummified fetal in pigs. Conclusion: A powerful imputation-based association study was performed to identify genes associated with NM in pigs. CDK8 was suggested as a functional gene for the proliferation of porcine ovarian granulosa cells, but further studies are required to determine causative mutations and the effect of loci on NM in pigs.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.422-430
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• 2022

The effects of phytase and cellulase treatment on the bioavailability of iron, calcium, and zinc in whole wheat flour and their food applications were evaluated in this study. Whole wheat flour was treated with phytase and cellulase either individually or in combination and incubated at 50℃ for 2 h; the concentrations used for the individual enzymes were 2%, 10%, and 20%. The concentration of the combination enzyme was 20% with a mixing ratio of 5:5. Total dietary fiber and phytate contents were reduced as the concentrations of phytase and cellulase increased. The bioavailability of iron, calcium, and zinc was notably improved after in vitro digestion in 20% cellulase, combination enzyme, and 20% phytase, respectively. Muffins made with cellulase- and phytase-treated whole wheat flour showed improved quality and bioavailability of minerals. Phytase- and cellulase-treated whole wheat flour may be useful for development of functional food products with improved bioavailability of minerals.