• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.187-193
• /
• 2012

Acute toxicity, water resolvability and short term reproduction test on Japanese medaka (Oriyzias latipes) for evaluating alachlor susceptibility to endocrine system were studied. Alachlor is known for suspected endocrine distruptors. As the results of tests, $LC_{50}$ (Median lethal concentration) was determined as 2.36 (1.994~2.805) mg/L, and test water replaced at 7 day intervals as its water resolvability was less than 20% in 7 days. The short term reproduction tests on Japanese medaka (Oriyzias latipes) were performed with a solvent control group, a treated group (alachlor concentrations of 0.02, 0.04, 0.11, 0.27, 0.68 ppm) and a positive control group (17 ${\beta}$ estradiol, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5 ppb). The number of spawning and embryo rates were declined in a alachlor-dose dependent manner, and the number of unfertilized eggs rates were in contrast increased depending on the concentrations. Further study should be needed to confirm whether the adverse effects may be effected by the concentrations. Additionally, alachlor was evaluated as a non-vitellogenin by the result of a test of significance of the vitellogenin content test for determination of the effect of estrogen among the endocrine disruptors.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
• /
• v.14 no.12
• /
• pp.1279-1286
• /
• 2004

This paper continues companion paper, part I : measurement and analysis. As shown in companion Paper, information and energy in monaural signal is quite different from that of binaural signal. In this paper, difference between monaural and binaural signal of transportation noise are investigated in subjective response test. We executed hearing screening test before giving a subject response test and excluded subjects who had physical hearing loss. An annoyance response test was conducted using headphone to avoid cross-talk effect in binaural testing. Percentage of highly annoyed under binaural signal reproduction is higher than percentage of highly annoyed under monaural signal reproduction. Result implies binaural reproduction technique is proper for a study of human response to short-term noise exposure in a headphone simulated-environment.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.425-432
• /
• 2007

The water flea has been used as a test organism of toxicity test for surface water. Toxicity test with water flea is categorized into two parts. One is acute toxicity test with observing immobility and mortality and the other is chronic toxicity test determined by survival and reproduction of water flea. Heartbeat measurement of water flea was designed as a short-term toxicity test in this study. Direct measurement of heartbeat under microscope by aid of video camera gives and early diagnosis of mortality in short time. Therefore, the effects of measuring illumination, measuring time, and non-feeding during the test on heartbeat of water flea was evaluated to establish a new test approach. Test organisms used in this study are Daphnia magna, a well standardizes toxicity test organism, and Simocephalus mixtus, a newly refined organism $IC_{50}$ values of these test organism by heartbeat measurement were compared and discussed. It was found that toxicity test by heartbeat measurement was a reproducible, easy and simple method accomplished in a few hours.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.213-220
• /
• 2023

Previously, we showed that a chronic-low-dose nonylphenol (NP) exposure resulted in histological changes with sexually dimorphic pattern in rat adrenal glands. We hypothesized that such structural changes are closely related to the hormonal secretory patterns. To test this hypothesis, we developed the short-term adrenal incubation method, and measured the levels of catecholamines and cortical steroids using the high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The norepinephrine (NE) levels in media from NP-treated female adrenal, except 100 pM NP, were significantly increased [control (CTL) vs 1 nM NP, p<0.001; vs 10 nM NP, p<0.05; vs 100 nM NP, p<0.001; vs 1 µM NP, p<0.01]. The NE secretion from male adrenal was higher when treated with 100 nM and 1 µM NP (CTL vs 100 nM NP, p<0.05; vs 1 µM NP, p<0.05, respectively). The aldosterone level in the female adrenal media treated with 100 pM NP was significantly decreased, on the other hand, that of media treated with 10 nM NP was significantly increased (CTL vs 100 pM NP, p<0.05; vs 10 nM NP, p<0.01). In male adrenal media, the aldosterone levels of 10 nM, 100 nM and 1 µM NP-treated media were significantly declined (CTL vs 10 nM NP, p<0.001; vs 100 nM NP, p<0.001; vs 1 µM NP, p<0.001). These results showed the NP treatment altered secretory pattern of aldosterone from adrenals of both sexes, showing sexual dimorphism. It may be helpful for understanding possible adrenal pathophysiology, and endocrine disrupting chemicals-related sexually dimorphic phenomena in adrenals.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.277-284
• /
• 2014

Biochar application to soil is widely known to have effects of climate change mitigation and soil quality improvement. However, effects of biochar on soil ecosystem are not always positive and some biochars are reported to contain toxic materials which might influence soil ecosystem. In this context, this study aims to investigate behavioral changes of earthworms(Eisenia fetida, Eisenia andrei) in response to different application rates of biochar to artificial soil. Treatment included two types of biochars made from rice husk (RH_Char) and wastewater sludge (SL_Char) with 1% and 10% application rates, respectively. Avoidance test revealed that earthworms did not avoid SL_Char treatments at 1% and 10%, while they rather moved to the RH_Char treatments probably due to higher labile carbon content(Hot water extractable carbon) of the RH_Char. The HWC content of RH_Char was 4 times higher than that of the SL_Char. Results of reproduction test showed that the survival rates, number of juveniles and number of cocoons were not influenced by biochar application except for the treatment of SL_Char at 10% rate. In the SL_Char 10% treatment, fatality was approximately 3.3 times as high as the control and the number of cocoons was 1.3 times higher in the same treatment than the control, indicating that earthworms were under environmental stress. The possible explanation for the stress condition was related to higher Cd, Ni, Cr, and As contents in the SL_Char. Overall results imply that biochar application at low rate might not change earthworms' behavior for the short term, while the reproduction behavior might be negatively influenced under the high application rate.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2004

Being engaged in the musical tasks needs cognitive skills to perceive musical sound, organize them into meaningful unit, store them in the memory and retrieve them when needed. These skills are also required for academic tasks indicating that there is positive correlation between skills for musical and academic tasks. Based on these findings, the study purported to examine whether the developed sessions can enhance cognitive skills which is composed of auditory information skills, which is composed of perceiving sounds, organizing them into groups based on the existing information or organization pattern, and short-term memory skills. Eighteen elementary students in 4, 5, and 6th grades have participated in the study. The study has administered Music Cognitive Skills Test(MCST) before and after implementing music therapy sessions. The MCST consisted of five parts, first one measuring the rhythm imitating skills, second, measuring the melodic imitation skills, third, measuring discriminative skills in identifying higher pitch, fourth, measuring discriminative skills in identifying identical chords, and lastly, measuring the tone retention skills. The results indicated that there was statistical difference between the pre and post test in rhythm and melody imitation skills. Because reproduction of perceived rhythm patterns requires memory skills, imitating patterns are considered cognitive skills. Also melody is defined adding spatial dimension to the rhythm which is temporal concept. Being able to understand melodic pattern and to reproduce the pattern also requires cognitive skills. The subjects have shown significant improvement in these two areas. In other areas, there were definite increase of scores, however, no significant differences. The study also explores interpretation of these results and also observed consistencies among the participants in completing the musical tasks.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.67-74
• /
• 2010

The present study was conducted to obtain information on the effects of amitraz on reproductive and developmental parameters in rats. The test chemical was administered via the drinking water containing 0, 40, 120, and 360 ppm to male rats from 2 weeks before mating to the end of 14-day mating period and to females from 2 weeks before mating, throughout mating, gestation and up to lactational day 4. During the study period, clinical signs, body weights, food intake, organ weights, reproductive and littering findings, necropsy findings, sperm parameters, and histopathology were examined. At 360 ppm, decreases in the body weight gain, food consumption, and the number of live pups and an increase in the post-implantation loss were observed. In addition, decreases in the seminal vesicle weight and sperm motility were found in males. At 120 ppm, a decrease in the food consumption was found transiently in both males and females, but no reproductive and developmental toxicity was observed in both sexes. There were no signs of either general or reproductive and developmental toxicity in the 40 ppm group. Based on these results, it was concluded that the repeated oral administration of amitraz to rats resulted in a decrease in the food consumption at 120 ppm and decreases in the seminal vesicle weight, sperm motility, and the number of live pups and an increase in the post-implantation loss at 360 ppm in rats. Under these experimental conditions, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of amitraz for general and reproduction/developmental toxicity was believed to be 120 ppm, and the no-observed-effect level (NOEL) of amitraz was believed to be 40 ppm in rats.