• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.282-291
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• 2020

Inhaled solvents such as toluene are of particular concern due to their abuse potential that is easily exposed to the environment. The inhalation of toluene causes various behavioral problems, but, the effect of short-term exposure of toluene on changes in emotional behaviors over time after exposure and the accompanying pathological characteristics have not been fully identified. Here, we evaluated the behavioral and neurochemical changes observed over time in mice that inhaled toluene. The mice were exposed to toluene for 30 min at a concentration of either 500 or 2,000 ppm. Toluene did not cause social or motor dysfunction in mice. However, increased anxiety-like behavior was detected in the short-term after exposure, and depression-like behavior appeared as delayed effects. The amount of striatal dopamine metabolites was significantly decreased by toluene, which continued to be seen for up to almost two weeks after inhalation. Additionally, an upregulation of serotonin 1A (5-HT_1A) receptor in the hippocampus and the substantia nigra, as well as reduced immunoreactivity of neurogenesis markers in the dentate gyrus, was observed in the mice after two weeks. These results suggest that toluene inhalation, even single exposure, mimics early anxiety-and delayed depression-like emotional disturbances, underpinned by pathological changes in the brain.

• The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 1998

This experiment was performed in order to study the effects of Sojadodamgangkitang on the injured tracheal tissue induced $SO_2$ in rats. Healthy adult male rats weighting about 250g were divided into 4 groups-the Normal group, the Control group, the group of Sojadodamgangkitang administration for 5 days after $SO_2$ gas exposure (Sample I), and the group of Sojadodamgangkitang administration for 10 days before and for 5 days after $SO_2$ gas exposure (Sample II). The results were obtained as follows ; 1. In the trachea Control group. the lesion of the ciliated epithelium was severe and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract was increased iginificantly. 2. In the trachea of Sample I group, the lesion of the ciliated epithelium and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract were decreased compared with Control group. 3. In the trachea of Sample II group, the lesion of the ciliated epithelium and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract were decreased compared with Control and Sample I group. According to the above results, Sojadodamgangkitang has significant effect on the injuried tracheal tissue caused by $SO_2$ in rats.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.233-250
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• 2019

A re-assessment of the age structure of the population of the Antarctic icefish Pseudochaenichthys georgianus based on body length data covering the years 1976-2009 and including larvae and postlarvae collected in 1989 and 1990 allowed us to define age groups 0, I, and II as containing fish with respective body lengths of 6-9 cm, 15-27 cm and 27-39 cm. Age at maturity (first spawning) was found to occur in age group III at body lengths that have been falling from 50.1 cm in 1979 to 45.4 cm in 1992. Considering postlarvae together with adult fish, the v. Bertalanffy growth curve parameters were determined as L_∞ = 60.62 cm, k = 0.4, t₀ = 0.25. Although the reasons for a maturity at shorter body lengths is not fully understood a host of environmental factors like increasing water temperatures and possibly changes in currents, interspecific competition, food availability, etc. are likely to be involved. Global warming (and not primarily overfishing) is likely to have been responsible for the disappearance of larger fish in the surface waters of South Georgia since 1977, for virtually all commercial fishing stopped in the early 1990s. On the other hand, the appearance of numerous younger spawning individuals suggests that larvae do survive in the colder deeper water below 200 m. The biomass of Ps. georgianus oscillates with a 4-year periodicity in contrast to that of the coexisting icefish Chaenocephalus aceratus: the former with a lower biomass in warm years and a higher one in cold years. The biomass of the third species of icefish in the region, i.e. Champsocephalus gunnari, also oscillates, but with a longer periodicity than that involved in the biology of the other two and its biomass increases in contrast to the other two species. The result is that the biomass all three species considered together is rather stable.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.233-242
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• 2019

Detailed description of malaria in low transmission areas is crucial for elimination. The current study aimed to provide a comprehensive description for malaria transmission in Jazan, a low transmission district, southwestern Saudi Arabia. Patients at a tertiary care hospital were recruited in our study between August 2016 and September 2018. Malaria diagnosis was performed through a species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR), microscopy and Paramax-$3^{TM}$ rapid detection test (RDT). Malaria was detected in 30 patients by the PCR, with point prevalence of 10.9%. Of these malaria infections, 80% was imported, 26.6% was asymptomatic and 23.3% was sub-microscopic. Malaria was reported throughout the year, with February/March and September/October peaks. Infection was significantly more in males than in females (P=0.01). Likewise, infections were detected more in febrile than in non-febrile patients (P=0.01). Adult aged 15-24 years, fever and travel were identified as high-risk factors. Malaria was primarily attributed to Plasmodium falciparum mono-infections, followed by P. vivax mono-infections and lastly to falciparum/vivax mixed infections accounting 76.6%, 16.6%, and 6.6% of PCR-confirmed malaria cases, respectively. The nested PCR was superior to the smear microscopy (sensitivity 76.6%; specificity 100%) and the RDT (sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 94.2%). The overall percent agreement between microscopy and the RDT was 92.7% (kappa=0.63). High proportion of imported malaria including sub-microscopic and sub-patent cases were described. We suggest that incorporation of molecular tool into the conventional malaria diagnosis is beneficial in Jazan district.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.408-417
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• 2022

Background: Korean Red Ginseng extract (KRGE) has been used as a health supplement and herbal medicine. Astrocytes are one of the key cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and have bioenergetic potential as they stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis. They play a critical role in connecting the brain vasculature and nerves in the CNS. Methods: Brain samples from KRGE-administered mice were tested using immunohistochemistry. Treatment of human brain astrocytes with KRGE was subjected to assays such as proliferation, cytotoxicity, Mitotracker, ATP production, and O₂ consumption rate as well as western blotting to demonstrate the expression of proteins related to mitochondria functions. The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) was diminished utilizing siRNA transfection. Results: Brain samples from KRGE-administered mice harbored an increased number of GFAP-expressing astrocytes. KRGE triggered the proliferation of astrocytes in vitro. Enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis induced by KRGE was detected using Mitotracker staining, ATP production, and O₂ consumption rate assays. The expression of proteins related to mitochondrial electron transport was increased in KRGE-treated astrocytes. These effects were blocked by HIF-1α knockdown. The factors secreted from KRGE-treated astrocytes were determined, revealing the expression of various cytokines and growth factors, especially those related to angiogenesis and neurogenesis. KRGE-treated astrocyte conditioned media enhanced the differentiation of adult neural stem cells into mature neurons, increasing the migration of endothelial cells, and these effects were reduced in the background of HIF-1α knockdown. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KRGE exhibits prophylactic potential by stimulating astrocyte mitochondrial biogenesis through HIF-1α, resulting in improved neurovascular function.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.167-178
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• 2023

Large amounts of waste and wastewater from aquaculture have negatively impacted ecosystems. Among them, shrimp aquaculture wastewater contains large amounts of nitrogen contaminants derived from feed residues in an aerobic environment. This study isolated candidate strains from adult rockworms to treat shrimp aquaculture wastewater (SAW) in an aerobic environment. Among 87 strains isolated, 25 grew well at the same temperature as the shrimp aquaculture with excellent polymer degradation ability (>0.5 cm clear zone). Six isolates (strains AL1, AL4, AL5, AL6, LA10, and PR15) were finally selected after combining strains with excellent polymer degradation ability without antagonism. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis revealed that strains AL1, AL4, AL5, AL6, LA10, and PR15 were closely related to Bacillus paramycoides, Bacillus pumilus, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Bacillus paranthracis, Bacillus paranthracis, and Micrococcus luteus, respectively. When these six isolates were applied to SAW, they reached a maximum cell viability of 2.06×10⁵ CFU mL^-1. Their chemical oxygen demand (COD_Cr) and total nitrogen(TN) removal rates for 12h were 51.0% and 44.6%, respectively, when the COD_Cr/TN ratio was approximately 10.0. Considering these removal rates achieved in this study under batch conditions, these six isolates could be used for aerobic denitrification. Consequently, these six isolates from rockworms are good candidates that can be applied to the field of aquaculture wastewater treatment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.2247-2257
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• 2024

To investigate the impact of the recently released pediatric reference voxel phantoms (0-, 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-year-old males and females) of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) on organ dose estimates for radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment in pediatric patients, we calculated and analyzed pediatric-specific iodine131 S values (r_T ← thyroid) for the 30 radiosensitive organs by conducting Monte Carlo simulations using the Geant4. The gender dependency in the S values was frequently seen for the 15-year-old phantoms with higher S values of female than male. In addition, the age dependency in the S values was observed for most target organs; that is, the S values tend to decrease for older ages (e.g., ~120 times for the gonads between the adult and newborn) due mainly to the inter-organ distances generally longer for older ages. Moreover, we observed that the iodine-131 S values tend to be significantly greater by up to ~145.5 times than those of the stylized phantoms that have been widely used for organ dose estimates of pediatric RAI patients. We believe that the pediatric-specific iodine-131 S values (r_T ← thyroid) of the ICRP pediatric reference voxel phantoms should be beneficial to improve the dosimetry of pediatric RAI patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.865-871
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• 2022

Tenebrio molitor larvae is well known as edible insect. Then, although it has been widely studied that Tenebrio molitor larvae has various bioactive functions such as antioxidant, anti-wrinkle, and anticancer. Nevertheless, antioxidant effects of Tenebrio molitor larvae water extract (TMH) has not been well described in Adult Retina Pigment Epithelial cell line (ARPE-19). In this study, we demonstrated that antioxidant effects of TMH against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in ARPE-19. Thus, we selected for our studies and performed a series of dose-response assay to determine the working concentration that lead to a consistent and high degree of cytotoxicity, which we defined as the level of H₂O₂ that killed 40% of the ARPE-19 cells. ARPE-19 cells were pre-treated with various concentrations of TMH (0.1 up to 2 mg/ml) before exposure to 300 µM H₂O₂. As we expected, TMH effectively prevented ARPE-19 cells from 300 µM H₂O₂-induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, TMH inhibited the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) such as extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. Overall, the inhibitory effects of TMH on H₂O₂-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress were associated with the protection cleaved caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, and HO-1. The TMH suppressed H₂O₂-induced cell membrane leakage and oxidative stress in ARPE-19 cells. Thus, these results suggest that the TMH plays an important role in antioxidant effect in ARPE-19.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 2020

Producing animal products from farm to table emits massive amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Modified meal plans, mainly including vegetables and grains, have been recommended to reduce GHG emissions. However, these meal plans have not been developed with regard to the micronutrient content, but rather with regard to the energy requirements of grains and vegetables, which could result in a nutritional imbalance. For this reason, we investigated a common Korean suggested meal plan (SMP) from the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, in which nutritional conditions were considered, and evaluated its GHG emissions using the Life Cycle Assessment Inventory Database and nutritional values. The SMP, which included meat, was based on the Korean Nutrition Society for adult men age 19 to 29, and was changed to a vegan meal plan (VMP). Animal-based protein sources were substituted for meat alternatives, such as beans and tofu, for which carbon footprint data was available. To compare the nutritional differences, the 9^th Korean Food Composition Tables I and II were consulted. To calculate GHG emissions, the carbon footprint data of the food was converted to a CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) using a procedure from the Foundation of Agriculture Technology Commercialization and Transfer. It was found that GHG emissions per calorie were 18% lower for the VMP when compared to the SMP. However, if GHG emissions per total amino acids were evaluated, the VMP GHG emissions per total amino acids were 0.12 g CO₂e/mg, while the corresponding value for the SMP was 0.06 g CO₂e/mg. The Korean daily meat intake reported by the Korea Agricultural Statistics Service was 37.1% lower than in the SMP, but when converted to a protein intake the figure was 17.0% lower. It was found that each SMP resulted in more GHG emissions than the VMP, but when considered as GHG emissions per total amino acids, the opposite pattern was apparent. There is a need to conduct more detailed studies of the variation in GHG emissions with different meal plans, using the daily meat intake per person.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.556-566
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• 2022

The temperature-dependent development of Poinsettia thrips, Echinothrips americanus was studied at eight constant temperatures (15.0, 17.5, 20.0, 22.5, 25.0, 27.5, 30.0, and 32.5±1℃), 65±5% RH and photoperiod of 16L:8D conditions. The developmental stages were divided into egg, 1st instar, 2nd instar, pre-pupa, pupa, and adult. The total developmental time in the immature stage was 40.4 days at 15.0℃ and 11.6 days at 30.0℃, and it decreased with increasing temperature. The lowest temperature of the whole immature period was 10.7℃, and the cumulative temperature to complete the entire immature period was 217.4 degree days. The optimal development temperature (T_opt) for the whole immature stage was estimated to be in the range of 30.51-31.21℃. T_opt for each immature stage was 31.64-35.47℃ at egg, 30.02-33.08℃ at 1st instar, 29.16-34.43℃ at 2nd instar, 27.63-29.21℃ at pre-pupa, and 29.81-30.12℃ at pupa. In the analysis of the six non-linear models, Logan 6 model was the most appropriate as Zi(Weighting Factors) was 0.18.