• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.281-289
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• 2010

We determined the optimum ethanolic conditions for extraction of $\gamma$-oryzanol and other functional components from rice bran, using response surface methodology (RSM). A central composite design was used to investigate the effects of the independent variables of solvent ratio ($X_1$), extraction temperature ($X_2$), and extraction time ($X_3$), on dependent variables including yield ($Y_1$), total phenolic content ($Y_2$), electron-donating activity ($Y_3$), ferulic acid level ($Y_4$), and $\gamma$-oryzanol concentration ($Y_5$). Solvent ratio and extraction temperature were the most important factors in extraction. The maximum yield was at 22.56 mL/g ($X_1$), 78.19C ($X_2$), and 522.15 min ($X_3$), at the saddle point. Total phenolic levels were little affected by solvent ratio or extraction temperature. The maximum concentration of extracted total phenolics was 90.78mg GAE/100 g at 21.26 mL/g, $94.65^{\circ}C$, and 567.97 min. A maximum electron-donating ability of 54.72% was obtained with the parameters 20.20 mL/g,$81.89^{\circ}C$, and 701.87 min, at the highest point. The maximum level of ferulic acid components was 210.47 mg/100g at 5.22 mL/g, $79.66^{\circ}C$, and 575.24 min. In addition, the maximum $\gamma$-oryzanol concentration was 660.39 mg/100g at 5.10 mL/g, $81.83^{\circ}C$, and 587.39 min. The optimum extraction conditions were a solvent ratio of 10.45 mL/g, $80^{\circ}C$ extraction temperature, and 535 min extraction time. Predicted extraction levels under optimized conditions were in line with experimental values.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2008

Retinal prosthesis is regarded as the most feasible method for the blind caused by retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or age related macular degeneration (AMD). Recently Korean consortium launched for developing retinal prosthesis. One of the prerequisites for the success of retinal prosthesis is the optimization of the electrical stimuli applied through the prosthesis. Since electrical characteristics of degenerate retina are expected to differ from those of normal retina, we performed voltage stimulation experiment both in normal and degenerate retina to provide a guideline for the optimization of electrical stimulation for the upcoming prosthesis. After isolation of retina, retinal patch was attached with the ganglion cell side facing the surface of microelectrode arrays (MEA). $8{\times}8$ grid layout MEA (electrode diameter: $30{\mu}m$, electrode spacing: $200{\mu}m$, and impedance: $50k{\Omega}$ at 1 kHz) was used to record in-vitro retinal ganglion cell activity. Mono-polar electrical stimulation was applied through one of the 60 MEA channel, and the remaining channels were used for recording. The electrical stimulus was a constant voltage, charge-balanced biphasic, anodic-first square wave pulse without interphase delay, and 50 trains of pulse was applied with a period of 2 sec. Different electrical stimuli were applied. First, pulse amplitude was varied (voltage: $0.5{\sim}3.0V$). Second, pulse duration was varied $(100{\sim}1,200{\mu}s)$. Evoked responses were analyzed by PSTH from averaged data with 50 trials. Charge density was calculated with Ohm's and Coulomb's law. In normal retina, by varying the pulse amplitude from 0.5 to 3V with fixed duration of $500{\mu}s$, the threshold level for reliable ganglion cell response was found at 1.5V. The calculated threshold of charge density was $2.123mC/cm^2$. By varying the pulse duration from 100 to $1,200{\mu}s$ with fixed amplitude of 2V, the threshold level was found at $300{\mu}s$. The calculated threhold of charge density was $1.698mC/cm^2$. Even after the block of ON-pathway with L-(1)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB), electrical stimulus evoked ganglion cell activities. In this APB-induced degenerate retina, by varying the pulse duration from 100 to $1200{\mu}s$ with fixed voltage of 2 V, the threshold level was found at $300{\mu}s$, which is the same with normal retina. More experiment with APB-induced degenerate retina is needed to make a clear comparison of threshold of charge density between normal and degenerate retina.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.523-532
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• 2007

This study utilized the 1/25,000 topographic map of the upper area from the Geum-ho watermark located at the middle of Geum-ho river from the National Geographic Information Institute. For the analysis, first, the influence of the size of critical area to the hydro topographic factors was examined changing grid size to $10m{\times}10m,\;30m{\times}30m\;and\;50m{\times}50m$, and the critical area for the formation of a river to $0.01km^2{\sim}0.50km^2$. It is known from the examination result of watershed morphology according to the grid size that the smaller grid size, the better resolution and accuracy. And it is found, from the analysis result of the degree of the river according to the minimum critical area for each grid size, that the grid size does not affect on the degree of the river, and the number of rivers with 2nd and higher degree does not show remarkable difference while there is big difference in the number of 1st degree rivers. From the results above, it is thought that the critical area of $0.15km^2{\sim}0.20km^2$ is appropriate for formation of a river being irrelevant to the grid size in extraction of hydro topographic parameters that are used in the runoff analysis model using topographic maps. Therefore, the GIUH model applied analysis results by use of the river level difference law proposed in this study for the explanation on the outflow response-changing characters according to the decision of a critical value of a minimum level difference river, showed that, since an ogival occurrence time and an ogival flow volume are very significant in a flood occurrence in case of not undertow facilities, the researcher could obtain a good result for the forecast of river outflow when considering a convenient application of the model and an easy acquisition of data, so it's judged that this model is proper as an algorism for the decision of a critical value of a river basin.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.99 no.6
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• pp.922-928
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• 2010

There is a little information on the effect of calcium cloride ($CaCl_2$) which is used as deicing salt in Korea on the physiological responses of the street trees. Prunus sargentii is one of the most widespread tree species of street vegetation in Korea. In this study, the effect of $CaCl_2$ on photosynthetic apparatus such as chlorophyll fluorescence image and light response curve of P. sargentii in relation to their leaf and root collar growth responses were investigated. To study the effect of $CaCl_2$ treatment in the early spring, we irrigated twice in rhizosphere of P. sargentii (3-year-old) planted plastic pots with solution of 0.5%, 1.0%, 3.0% $CaCl_2$ concentration before leaf expansion. Results after treatments, total chlorophyll contents and the chlorophyll a/b, photosynthetic rate, quantum yield, dark respiration decreased with increasing $CaCl_2$ concentration. On the contrary, light compensation point increased with increasing $CaCl_2$ concentration. Through the linear regressions of correlation of photosynthetic rate with photosynthetic parameters (quantum yield, dark respiration and light compensation point), we found a significant relationship (p<0.05) between photosynthetic rate and quantum yield and light compensation point except dark respiration. Calcium cloride ($CaCl_2$) induced inhibition of photochemical efficiency ($F_v/F_M$) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) were found in treatments of $CaCl_2$, and these reduction rates between control and CaCl2 treatments were drastically showed at 80 days. We suggest that physiological activities are limited from treatment of $CaCl_2$. These reductions of photosynthetic apparatus ability caused eventually the reduction of leaf and diameter at root collar growth.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.266-274
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• 2010

This study aim to investigate fundamentally the growth and physiological responses of tomato plants in responses to two different levels of water deficit, a weak drought stress (-25 kPa) and a severe drought stress (-100 kPa) in soil. The two levels of water deficit were maintained using a micro-irrigation system consisted of soil sensors for the real-time monitoring of soil water content and irrigation modules in a greenhouse experiment. Soil water contents were fluctuated throughout the 30 days treatment period but differed between the two treatments with the average -47 kPa in -25 kPa set treatment and the -119 kPa in -100 kPa set treatment. There were significant differences in plant height between the two different soil water statuses in plant height without differences of the number of nodes. The plants grown in the severe water-deficit treatment had greater accumulation of biomass than the plants in the weak water-deficit treatment. The severe water-deficit treatment (-119 kPa) also induced greater leaf area and leaf dry weight of the plants than the weak water-deficit treatment did, even though there was no difference in leaf area per unit dry weight. These results of growth parameters tested in this study indicate that the severe drought could cause an adaptation of tomato plants to the drought stress with the enhancement of biomass and leaf expansion without changes of leaf thickness. Greater relative water content of leaves and lower osmotic potential of sap expressed from turgid leaves were recorded in the severe water deficit treatment than in the weak water deficit treatment. This finding also postulated physiological adaptation to be better water status under drought stress. The drought imposition affected significantly on photosynthesis, water use efficiency and stomatal conductance of tomato plants. The severe water-deficit treatment increased PSII activities and water use efficiency, but decreased stomatal conductance than the weak water-deficit treatment. However, there were no differences between the two treatments in total photosynthetic capacity. Finally, there were no differences in the number and biomass of fruits. These results suggested that tomato plants have an ability to make adaptation to water deficit conditions through changes in leaf morphology, osmotic potentials, and water use efficiency as well as PSII activity. These adaptation responses should be considered in the screening of drought tolerance of tomato plants.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.285-292
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• 2011

In plants, heteroblasty reflects the morphological adaptation during leaf development according to the external environmental condition and affects the final shape and size of organ. Among parameters displaying heteroblasty, leaf index is an important and typical one to represent the shape and size of simple leaves. Leaf index factor is eventually determined by cell proliferation and cell expansion in leaf blades. Although several regulators and their mechanisms controlling the cell division and cell expansion in leaf development have been studied, it does not fully provide a blueprint of organ formation and morphogenesis during environmental changes. To investigate genes and their mechanisms controlling leaf index during leaf development, we carried out molecular-genetic and physiological experiments using an Arabidopsis mutant. In this study, we identified macrophylla (mac) which had enlarged leaves. In detail, the mac mutant showed alteration in leaf index and cell expansion in direction of width and length, resulting in not only modification of leaf shape but also disruption of heteroblasty. Molecular-genetic studies indicated that mac mutant had point mutation in ROTUDIFOLIA3 (ROT3) gene involved in brassinosteroid biosynthesis and was an allele of rot3-1 mutant. We named it mac/rot3-5 mutant. The expression of ROT3 gene was controlled by negative feedback inhibition by the treatment of brassinosteroid hormone, suggesting that ROT3 gene was involved in brassinosteroid biosynthesis. In dark condition, in addition, the expression of ROT3 gene was up-regulated and mac/rot3-5 mutant showed lower response, compare to wild type in petiole elongation. This study suggests that ROT3 gene has an important role in control of leaf index during leaf expansion process for proper environmental adaptation, such as shade avoidance syndrome, via the control of brassinosteroid biosynthesis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.519-528
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• 2002

Background : Steroid therapy has been shown to improve the clinical outcome in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients with histological evidence of fibroproliferation in the lung tissue and no identifiable source of infection. Because the histopathological features of acute interstitial pneumonia(AIP) are identical with that of ARDS, early steroid therapy was used in AIP patients who had histological evidence of fibroproliferation in the lung tissue and no identifiable source of infection. We analyzed seven years of our experience to evaluate the efficacy of early steroid therapy in AIP. Materials and Methods : A retrospective review was performed on AIP patients who received steroid therapy within 7 days of mechanical ventilatory support in Dankook university Hospital between May 1995 and May 2002. AIP was diagnosed clinically by ARDS without a known cause of the etiology and pathologically by a lung biopsy showing a fibroproliferative stage of diffuse alveolar damage. The clinical response and physiologic parameters were evaluated during steroid therapy. Results : Five AIP patients received intravenous methylprednisolone (1-2 mg/kg every 6 hours) after $0.6{\pm}1.7$ days of mechanical ventilatory support. Lung biopsies were performed after $1.8{\pm}1.4$ days of mechanical ventilatory support. Four patients(80%) survived and were extubated after $2.8{\pm}0.4$ days of steroid therapy with improvement in the $PaO_2/FiO_2$ ratio ($127.4{\pm}10.0$ at day 0 to $223.8{\pm}37.6$ at day 7) by steroid therapy. However, one patient(20%) died of respiratory failure after 15 days of steroid therapy. Conclusion : Early steroid therapy sppears to be beneficial in AIP patients without evidence of infection. However, as our study group was too small, further large scale studies to define the effectiveness of steroids are required.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.441-452
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• 2002

Background : Anti-apoptotic proteins may be involved in tumor development, progression and the response to treatment, Bcl-2 is by far the most studied anti-apoptotic protein. A novel inhibitor of apoptosis, designated survivin, and the heat shock proteins (HSPs) have recently been found in many human cancers. Immunohistochemical methods were used to determine the expression level of survivin, HSP70 and bcl-2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate their clinical significance. Materials and Methods : Tissue array slides were obtained from 99 surgically resected NSCLCs. Immunohistochemical staining was performed by an immuno-peroxidase technique using an avidin-biotinylated horseradish peroxidase complex. Anti-survivin rabbit polyclonal antibodies, anti-HSP70 mouse monoclonal antibodies and anti-bcl-2 mouse monoclonal antibodies were used as the primary antibodies. Results : Positive staining of survivin was detected in 33.3% of the cases. Survivin positivity is associated with to females and recurrence. A nonstatistically significant trend toward increased survivin expression was observed in non-smokers, and its expression inversely correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked in smokers. HSP70 was detected in 84.8% but this did not correlated with the clinicopathologic characteristics. Bcl-2 was detected in 18.2% and its expression correlated to tumor recurrence. No significant difference in the median survival time was noted in a comparison of all cases with survivin expression and those without. There was no association between HSP70 or bcl-2 expression and survival. Conclusion : Survivin expression was significantly associated with females and tumor recurrence. In addition its expression was inversely associated with the number of cigarettes smoked. However, HSP70 and bcl-2 expression were not associated with the clinical parameters or survival. This suggests that measuring the survivin levels may be useful in identifying patients at high risk for disease recurrence. Therefore, survivin might be a new diagnostic/therapeutic target in cancer.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2005

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to observe the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast changes due to the reaction of human brain at a gustatory sense in response to a salty-taste stimulation. Materials and Methods : Twelve healthy, non-smoking, right-handed male subjects (mean age: 25.6, range: 23-28 years) participated in this salty-taste stimulus functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) study. MRI scans were performed with 1.57 GE Signa, using a multi-slice GE-EPI sequence according to a blood-oxy-gen-level dependent (BOLD) experiment paradigm. Scan parameters included matrix size $128\times128$, FOV 250 mm, TR 5000 msec, TE 60 msec, TH/GAP 5/2 mm. Sequential data acquisitions were carried out for 42 measurements with a repetition time of 5 sec for each taste-stimulus experiments. Analysis of fMRI data was carried out using SPM99 implemented in Matlab. NaCl solution $(3\%)$ was used as a salty stimulus. The task paradigm consisted of alternating rest-stimulus cycles (30-second rest, 15-second stimulus) for 210 seconds. During the stimulus period, NaCl-solution was presented to the subject's mouth through plastic tubes as a bolus of delivered every 5 sec using -processor controlled auto-syringe pump. Results : Insula, frontal opercular taste cortex, amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were activated by a salty-taste stimulation $(NaCl,\;3\%)$ in the fMRI experiments. And dosolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was also significantly responded to salty-taste stimuli. Activation areas of the right side hemisphere were more superior to the left side hemisphere. Conclusion : The results of this study well correspond to the fact that both insula, amygdala, OFC, DLPFC areas are established as taste cortical areas by neuronal recordings in primates. Authors found that laboratory-developed auto-syringe pump is suitable for gustatory fMRI study. Further research in this field will accelerate to inquire into the mechanism of higher order gustatory process.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.3-17
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• 1994

The inhibitory effect of sodium ion on the anaerobic degradation of food waste was studied by an anaerobic batch toxicity assay and inhibition model. The anaerobic degradation activity of food waste spiked with over $2g\;Na^+/L$ of sodium ion was severely inhibited at the initial stage of the exposure. The inhibition response of anaerobic microorganisms on the sodium ion estimated from the methane production was differed according to the concentration of sodium ion. The relative acclimation time(RAT) and methanation rate(RMR), defined as the ratios of initial lag time and maximum methane production rate of the sample spiked with sodium ion to the control. respectively, were used to evaluate the acclimation and inhibitory effects quantitatively on the anaerobic microorganisms. When sodium ion was increased from $2g\;Na^+/L$ to $20g\;Na^+/L$, the RAT was exponentially increased from 18.9 to 90. but the RMR was linearly decreased from 0.97 to 0.02. The effects of sodium ion for the maximum methanation rate, first order kinetic constant and ultimate methane production were well evaluated by a generalized nonlinear expression model. it could be described by the uncompetitive inhibition mode. The sodium ion concentration causing 50% inhibition of methanation activity was about $11g\;Na^+/L$, and the critical sodium ion beyond to compelete inhibition was 20 to $21g\;Na^+/L$. The presented results could be used to obtain the design or operation parameters of the anaerobic process treating food waste of high salt.