• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.453-460
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• 2021

Oxytocin (OXT) and serotonin (5-HT) are essential neurotransmitters associated with the behavior of animals. Recently, we found that the plasma concentration of OXT is positively correlated with horse docility and friendliness toward humans. However, the relationships between the neurotransmitters and other temperaments such as fearfulness, dominance, and trainability are unknown. This study aimed to identify whether the plasma concentration of OXT or 5-HT is correlated with fearfulness, dominance, and trainability of horses. Blood samples of 34 horses were collected at the Horse Industry Complex Center of Jeonju Kijeon College. The concentration of OXT and 5-HT was measured in the plasma samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The fearfulness, dominance, and trainability of horses were scored by three professors who were very familiar with the horses. One-way analysis of variance with the least significant difference post-hoc analysis was used to compare the scores for fearfulness and dominance among groups. The trainability of horses was compared using the student t-test. The 5-HT was negatively correlated with dominance, but it had no relation with fearfulness. The OXT appeared to be negatively correlated with fearfulness and dominance in horses. Furthermore, OXT was positively correlated with the trainability of horses. Additionally, 5-HT appeared to enhance trainability. In conclusion, the concentration of OXT or 5-HT in horse blood plasma can be used as a biomarker to monitor the fearfulness, dominance, or trainability of horses.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.575-581
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• 1995

Both immunoelectron microscopy(IEM) and immunogold conjugate immunoelectron microscopy (IGC-IEM) techniques were developed for the detection of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV) from the feces. Fecal samples were incubated sequentially with anti-PEDV monoclonal antibody(MoAb) and immunogold conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG+IgM. Then negatively stained, mounted on the formvar carbon-coated copper EM grids and observed by the transmission electron microscope. By the direct electron microscopy(DEM), coronavirus particles were observed from 17 cases of total 33 fecal samples of grower pigs and sows. The virons of coronavirus were moderately pleomorphic but mostly spherical, with a diameter ranged from 90 to 190nm. PED virus particles were identified from 15 cases of 17 DEM positive samples by the IEM and IGC-IEM techniques. Aggregates of PED virus coated with specific antibody were seen in fecal samples incubated with homologous anti-PED virus MoAb but not in control samples incubated with anti-TGE virus MoAb. Following incubation with immunogold-conjugated secondary antibody, the gold granules were usually distributed around and among the virus particles and soluble and viral particle-associated antigen. So, IEM and IGC-IEM techniques were proved a rapid and sensitive methods for detection and identification of PED virus from fecal and intestinal contents.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.23-40
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• 2024

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between accruals quality and managers' choice on the type of voluntary disclosure. Design/methodology/approach - Samples of this study are 8,248 firm-year observations listed in Korea Stock Exchange. Poisson regression analysis was hired in order to analyze the association between disclosure frequency and accruals quality because the dependent variables are count data. Findings - First, this study finds that managers' use of non-earnings-related type of voluntary disclosure is negatively related to accruals quality while their use of earnings-related disclosure is positively related to accruals quality. Second, discretionary accruals quality as well as innate accruals quality is significantly associated with disclosure frequency. Research implications or Originality - This study extends the line of research by incorporating the content of voluntary disclosure, earnings- and non-earnings-related information. The results of this study suggest that accruals quality may play a role in the choice of disclosure manner when investigating managers' voluntary disclosure.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.250-260
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• 2023

Background: Crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris, Poaceae) is a globally distributed weed, including in Afro-Eurasia, America, and Australia. As a highly gregarious plant, crabgrass is an important habitat for a diverse array of insects, and a potential habitat for agricultural pests. To compare the insect communities associated with the crabgrass community, insects were sampled using sweep sampling (100 sweeps per sample) at five sites, including Daejeon (Daejeon and Gap rivers), Anseong, Namhae, and Inje, with a focus on the Daejeon River. Results: A total of 5,888 individual insects belonging to eight orders, 42 families, and 115 species were collected from the five sites. Both the number of species and individuals of Hemiptera were the highest at all of the sites. In the present study, 73% of the insect population fed on D. ciliaris as a host plant. The dominant species in the D. ciliaris community was Laodelphax striatellus (Delphacidae), being ubiquitous at all the sites which showed a high abundance of rice pests in the communities and the suitability of D. ciliaris as an alternative host plant for them. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was highest in Inje on 17 September (2.88), and the Chao1-bc diversity index was highest in the Gap River on 5 September (80). The sampling efficiency of 100 sweep samples (sample coverage) was calculated to be as high as 90%. The results of the samples taken from September to November in the Daejeon River showed that the number of species and individuals decreased gradually over time, and the number of dominant species decreased sharply between September and October. Similarity analysis indicated that sampling dates that were closer together yielded sampled assemblages with higher faunal similarity. In addition, in each sampling, the difference in the minimum temperature during the two-week period prior to sampling and faunal similarities were negatively correlated. Conclusions: This study provides foundational data that could enhance our understanding of insect diversity in D. ciliaris. The data can facilitate ecological conservation and management of Korean grasslands generally, as well as identification of potential pests that may disperse from D. ciliaris communities to nearby farmland.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 1970

Pinus densiflora stands are common secondary forest communities on infertile soils in Korea. The stands are results of long severe past biotic pressure such as cutting, burning and grazing. These could be regarded as biotic climax in Korea. Because of their prevalent occurrence, relatively simple species and age composition, and their domestic economic importance, study of their distributional patterns may give some basic knowledge for better utilization of land resources in Korea. To detect distributional patterns and interspecific associations ten pine stands, each of which was homogenious with respect to topography and physiognomy, were subjectively selected from pine stands in Kyunggi Province near Seoul in 1969 and were made object of this study. Four contiguous systematic samples of count for trees, shrubs and seedlings from belt transects were collected from homogeneous areas within ten natural pine stands. The belt transect was 64m or 128m in length, and 1m, 2m or 4m in width. Basic units within the transect ranged from 64 to 256. The data from the contiguous transects were analysed in terms of multiple split-plot experiment. Departure from randomness of stem distribution, i.e., pattern, was tested in terms of variance mean ratio. For the detection of association between species, correlation coefficient was calculated for different block sizes. The values of ${\gamma}$ were tested by the usual t-test. Fine trees within one of the stands showed significant regular distribution through out the blocks. Within other eight stands pines were randomly distributed at basic unit with 4$\times$4m, 2$\times$2m, 2$\times$1m and 1$\times$1m. One significantly clumped distribution at basic unit 2$\times$2m, however, was observed from one of the pine stands. These randomly distributed groups were themselves significantly regularly distributed throughout the blocks for four pine stands. For the other four pine stands, in addition to the random distribution at the basie unit(the primary random group), randomly distributed groups with 32m dimension(the secondary random groups) were also observed. Both the primary and the secondary random groups were significantly regularly distributed at the rest of blocks. Pine seedlings were not distributed randomly thoughout the blocks. Within three of the ten stands they were contagiously distributed. Important shrub species underneath pines such as Querus serrata, Q. acutissima, Leapedeza intermedia, Rhododendron Yedoense var. poukhanenae, Juniperus utilis, Rhododendron mucronulatum var. ciliatum shnwed consistently similar distributional pattern with the pine at each stand. The shrub species pairs; Rhododendron Yedoense var. poukhanenae/Quercus serrata, Rhododendron mucronulatum var. ciliatum/Lespedeza intermedia were significantly negatively associated from 1m to 4m dimensional block sizes but became significantly positively associated from 8m sized blocks on. On the other hand the shrub species pairs; Lespedeza intermedia/Robinia Pseudoacacia, and Lespedeza bicolor var, japonica/Lespedeza intermedia were also significnalty negatively associated from 1m to 8m sized blocks but became significantly positively associated from 16m sized blocks on. The associational pattern between Rhododendron mucronul tun var. poukhanenae and Lespedeza intermedia was not consistent throughout the stands. In some stands negative associations were observed throughout the blocks except NS 32. From these observatons micro-edaphic variation within the pine stands seems not to be great enough to cause distributinal difference of pine trees within the ten pine stands. Among each species and pine seedings, however, the edaphic variation within the pine stands may be great enought to cause distributional variation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6789-6794
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• 2015

Background: To analyze the expression of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), C-erbB-2 and Ki-67 in endometrial carcinoma (EC) and their relationships with the clinicopathological features. Materials and Methods: Sixty-seven EC samples, 53 normal endometrial samples and 53 atypical hyperplasia endometrial samples were all selected in Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital from Jun., 2012 to Jun., 2014. The expression of ER, PR, C-erbB-2 and Ki-67 in EC tissue, normal endometrial tissue and atypical hyperplasia endometrial tissue was respectively detected using immunohistochemical SP method. The relationships between the expression of ER, PR, C-erbB-2 and Ki-67 and the patients' clinicopathological features as well as their correlations in EC tissue were also analyzed. Results: The positive expression rates of ER and PR in EC tissue were 44.8% and 41.8%, respectively, dramatically lower than in atypical hyperplasia endometrial tissue and normal endometrial tissue (P<0.01). The positive expression rates of C-erbB-2 and Ki-67 in EC tissue were 80.6% and 64.2%, respectively, significantly higher than in atypical hyperplasia endometrial tissue and normal endometrial tissue (P<0.01). In EC tissue, the expression of ER and PR was closely associated with the differentiated degrees and depth of myometrial invasion (P<0.05), while that of C-erbB-2 and Ki-67 with the clinical staging, differentiated degrees, depth of myometrial invasion and presence or absence of lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis further displayed that the expression of ER was positively correlated with PR (r=0.393, P=0.001), but negatively with C-erbB-2 and Ki-67 (r=-0.469, P=0.000; r=-0.329, P=0.007); The expression of PR was negatively correlated with C-erbB-2 and Ki-67 (r=-0.273, P=0.025; r=-0.251, P=0.041), but that of C-erbB-2 positively with Ki-67 (r=0.342, P=0.005). Conclusions: Abnormal expression of ER, PR, C-erbB2 and Ki-67 might play an important role in endometrial malignant transformation and cell differentiation, so their joint detection is likely to be a comprehensive combination of immune factors, which is of great importance for EC prognosis.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.336-341
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: It is expected that dairy products such as cheeses, which are the main source of cholesterol and saturated fat, may lead to the development or increase the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases; however, the results of different studies are inconsistent. This study was conducted to assess the association between cheese consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in an Iranian adult population. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Information from the Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP) was used for this cross-sectional study with a total of 1,752 participants (782 men and 970 women). Weight, height, waist and hip circumference measurement, as well as fasting blood samples were gathered and biochemical assessments were done. To evaluate the dietary intakes of participants a validated food frequency questionnaire, consists of 49 items, was completed by expert technicians. Consumption of cheese was classified as less than 7 times per week and 7-14 times per week. RESULTS: Higher consumption of cheese was associated with higher C-Reactive Protein (CRP), apolipoprotein A and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level but not with fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG) and apolipoprotein B. Higher consumption of cheese was positively associated with consumption of liquid and solid oil, grain, pulses, fruit, vegetable, meat and dairy, and negatively associated with Global Dietary Index. After control for other potential confounders the association between cheese intake and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.81; 96%CI: 0.71-0.94), low HDL-C level (OR: 0.87; 96%CI: 0.79-0.96) and dyslipidemia (OR: 0.88; 96%CI: 0.79-0.98) became negatively significant. CONCLUSION: This study found an inverse association between the frequency of cheese intake and cardiovascular risk factors; however, further prospective studies are required to confirm the present results and to illustrate its mechanisms.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1319-1324
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• 2010

The objectives of this study were to compare the effectiveness of different indicators of mammary inflammation in buffalo and to evaluate the association of the indicators with buffalo milk yield, composition, and rennet coagulation properties. This study was carried out at four buffalo farms in central Italy using a total of 50 lactating buffalo. Milk from each buffalo was tested at the beginning, middle, and end of lactation. To evaluate the relationship between mastitis markers and milk components, three classes were defined for each of the following markers: total somatic cell count (TSCC), differential somatic cell count (DSCC), and bacteriological results The regression coefficient for the reference method and the alternative method of determining TSCC was 0.81, indicating that the method routinely used to analyze buffalo milk consistently underestimated actual TSCC. The milk samples positive for udder-specific bacteria also had higher TSCC values than the samples that were negative for bacteria ($872{\times}10^3$/ml vs. $191{\times}10^3$/ml). In samples that were positive for udder-specific bacteria, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) made up greater than 50% of the cells. Moreover, only 1% of the samples in the lowest TSCC class were positive for bacteria. The correlation between TSCC and PMN was stronger (0.70), and PMN values in buffalo milk increased significantly when the TSCC class changed from low (38%) to medium and high (56% and 64%). Milk yield was negatively related to TSCC. Significant changes in lactose (4.87%, 4.80% and 4.64%) and chloride content (0.650 mg/ml, 0.862 mg/ml and 0.882 mg/ml) were also observed with increasing TSCC values. Higher TSCC was associated with impaired rennet coagulation properties: the clotting time increased, while the curd firming time ($p{\leq}0.05$) and firmness decreased. We concluded that in buffalo as in dairy cows, TSCC is a valid indicator of udder inflammation; we also confirmed that a value of $ 200{\times}10^3 cells/ml should be used as the threshold value for early identification of an animal affected by subclinical mastitis. In addition to its association with significantly decreased milk yield, a TSCC value above this threshold value was associated with changes in milk composition and coagulating properties.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2009

Recently, the researches to explain Switching Behavior through Theory of Planned Behavior have been discovered. Many researches say that System factors of mobile telecommunication service(MTS) is positively associated with Switching Intention. But There is no difference of system factors between mobile telecommunication services because of IT technique Development. Thus, this study investigated whether switching cost and alternative's attractiveness influence switching intention concerning mobile telecommunication service by adopting Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as an underlying theoretical premise. The study also attempted to determine the moderating effects of personal innovativeness on switching intention. For these purposes the author has developed several hypotheses as follows: H-1. The switching cost of different MTS is associated with the attitude of MTS which is using. H-2. The switching cost of different MTS is associated with the subjective norm of MTS which is using. H-3. The switching cost of different MTS is associated with the perceived behavior control of MTS which is using. H-4. The alternative's attractiveness of different MTS is associated with the attitude of MTS which is using. H-5. The alternative's attractiveness of different MTS is associated with the subjective norm of MTS which is using. H-6. The alternative's attractiveness of different MTS is associated with the perceived behavior control of MTS which is using. H-7. The switching cost of different MTS is associated with the switching intention. H-8. The alternative's attractiveness of different MTS is associated with the switching intention. H-9. The attitude of MTS is associated with the switching intention. H-10. The subjective norm of MTS is associated with the switching intention. H-11. The perceived behavior control of MTS is associated with the switching intention. H-12. The personal innovativeness has been a moderating effects to switching intention. Data has been collected from 403 respondents for this study using a questionnaire method. The survey for the actual analysis of the research was done and analyzed with the customers who have an experience of using Mobile telecommunication service and the samples were selected among the middle and high school students who live in Seoul area, the university students who live in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chungcheng Provinces, and the ordinary workers who are working in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The survey was done for 23 days from March 28, 2008 through April 12, 2008. The positive analysis was done with SPSS 12.0K statistics package and visual PLS program using the analysis techniques of frequency analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis and factor analysis. In addition, structural equation modeling was conducted using AMOS 5.0. The data was analyzed by frequency analysis using SPSS 12.0 and structural equation modeling using AMOS 5.0. The result of the overall model analysis is as follows: Chi-Square=378.306, d.f.=107, p-value=0.0, GFI=.904, AGFI= 0.863, IFI= 0.939, NFI= 0.917, RMSEA= 0.079, TLI= 0.922. The results of the overall model analysis were coherent. The following study results were revealed: First, switching cost was related positively to attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavior control, three components of TPB. Second, alternative's attractiveness was related negatively to subjective norm but positively to perceived behavior control. Third, switching cost and attitude was related negatively to switching intention, while perceived behavior control was related positively to switching intention. Finally, the study found the moderating effects of personal innovativeness on switching intention. Based on the results, the study offers marketing strategic implications for mobile telecommunication service industry.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.396-404
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• 2016

In this study, four cultivars of strawberry commonly grown in South Korea, 'Daewang', 'Seolhyang', 'Maehyang', and 'Ssanta', were evaluated for several qualities, including the presence of phytochemicals, sugar content, organic acids, and fruit hardness. The plants were cultivated on a high-bench bed system in a plastic greenhouse and drip irrigated. Fruit samples were collected three times in February 2013 to analyze the fruit characteristics. We found that the fruit hardness of the 'Daewang', 'Maehyang', and 'Ssanta' cultivars was greater than that of 'Seolhyang', however 'Seolhyang' showed the highest moisture content of all the cultivars, indicating that fruit hardness was negatively associated with moisture content. Furthermore, 'Seolhyang' was found to have the highest levels of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins compared to the other cultivars. 'Maehyang' had the highest amount of total sugars. 'Seolhyang' and 'Maehyang' accumulated higher amounts of total organic acids. As a result, 'Daewang' and 'Maehyang' were expected to be preferred by consumers because they had the highest ratio of sugar to total acid in their fruit.