• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.653-660
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• 2007

In this study, we have investigated sequence variants in the PRNP gene of 20 individuals belonging to the Korean cattle, and have analyzed and compared genetic features between varieties of other cattle breeds. Of the 73 sequence variants identified in Korean cattle, 27 were identified for the first time in this study, whereas 46 of these polymorphisms had previously been isolated. We discovered a 2.6 kb SNP hot spot region localized on the putative promoter region of the PRNP gene. Furthermore, the copy numbers of the octapeptide repeat (24 bp indel) which is detected on the coding sequence (CDS) of the PRNP exhibited a completely homozygous 6/6 genotype which is dominant in other cattle breeds. We also characterized a new 19 bp/10 bp allele located on the putative promoter region of the PRNP gene, which represented 0.71 in allele frequency. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to address polymorphisms of the PRNP gene structure in Korean cattle in which BSE has yet to be discovered. Therefore, our findings may prove useful with regard to our current understanding of allelic diversity in bovine species, and may also provide new insights into the genetic factors associated with susceptibility or resistance to BSE.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.286-290
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• 2012

The majority of laboratory animals were transported from commercial breeders to a research facility by ground transportation. During the transportation, many biological functions and systems can be affected by stress. In this experiment, the change of body weight during the transportation was measured and the recovery periods from the transportation stress established based on the body weight changes. Total 676 laboratory animals which were aged between 3 to 9 wk old were studied. The transportation time taken from container packing to unpacking the container was approximately 24 h. The temperature of animal container was constantly maintained by air-conditioning and heating equipment. Rats were found to be more sensitive than mice. The body weight of rats was significantly decreased 3.71% (p<0.05) compared to the body weight of mice which decreased 0.9% There was no significant difference between the strains in the same species. When the changes of body weights were compared between delivery days, C57BL/6 mice showed the most variable changes compared to other species and strains. Consequently, C57BL/6 was more sensitive to stress than the other strains and the transportation process needs to be standardized to reduce between day variability. To establish the recovery periods from transportation stress, the body weight changes were measured during the acclimation period. Although the body weight of animals decreased during transportation, animals recovered their weight loss after the next day.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2016

Background: Although opioids are the most commonly used medications to control postoperative pain in children, the analgesic effects could have a large inter-individual variability according to genotypes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms and the analgesic effect of morphine for postoperative pain in children. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in 88 healthy children undergoing tonsillectomy, who received morphine during the operation. The postoperative pain score, frequency of rescue analgesics, and side effects of morphine were assessed in the post-anesthesia care unit. The children were genotyped for OPRM1 A118G, ABCB1 C3435T, and COMT Val158Met. Results: Children with at least one G allele for OPRM1 (AG/GG) had higher postoperative pain scores compared with those with the AA genotype at the time of discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit (P = 0.025). Other recovery profiles were not significantly different between the two groups. There was no significant relationship between genotypes and postoperative pain scores in analysis of ABCB1 and COMT polymorphisms. Conclusions: Genetic polymorphism at OPRM1 A118G, but not at ABCB1 C3435T and COMT Val158Met, influences the analgesic effect of morphine for immediate acute postoperative pain in children.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.263-278
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• 2010

Many filtered CCD measures form the basis of six new light curves of the eclipsing system SW Lyn. From these measures and additional observations for eclipse timing, 47 new times of minimum light over the time-interval of about 13 years have been calculated. The complex period variability can be sorted into a linear period improvement with 5.8-year and 33.9-year periodic terms. The shorter cyclic term of these is ascribed to a cool companion of the eclipsing pair but the longer one has no testable interpretation at present. The new light curves are synthesized by the 2003 version of the Wilson-Devinney differential corrections computer code. The results incorporate a source of "third light" which comes from the cool companion star that had been identified by the cycling of the period of the eclipsing pair and also had previously been identified spectroscopically. There is a measure of satisfaction with current understanding of the SW Lyn eclipsing system because of consistent syntheses of all historical light curves. This agreeable convergence, however, comes partly at the expense of an unanticipated temperature of the hot star and of a photospheric spot that has no obvious basis in the detached character modeled for the binary. We offer predictions of changes in the stellar parameters if the modeled detached-configuration should be wrong. The SW Lyn stellar system is still difficult to understand.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 2014

Solar variability is widely known to affect the interplanetary space and in turn the Earth's electromagnetical environment on the basis of common periodicities in the solar and geomagnetic activity indices. The goal of this study is twofold. Firstly, we attempt to associate modes by comparing a temporal behavior of the power of geomagnetic activity parameters since it is barely sufficient searching for common peaks with a similar periodicity in order to causally correlate geomagnetic activity parameters. As a result of the wavelet transform analysis we are able to obtain information on the temporal behavior of the power in the velocity of the solar wind, the number density of protons in the solar wind, the AE index, the Dst index, the interplanetary magnetic field, B and its three components of the GSM coordinate system, $B_X$, $B_Y$, $B_Z$. Secondly, we also attempt to search for any signatures of influence on the space environment near the Earth by inner planets orbiting around the Sun. Our main findings are as follows: (1) Parameters we have investigated show periodicities of ~ 27 days, ~ 13.5 days, ~ 9 days. (2) The peaks in the power spectrum of $B_Z$ appear to be split due to an unknown agent. (3) For some modes powers are not present all the time and intervals showing high powers do not always coincide. (4) Noticeable peaks do not emerge at those frequencies corresponding to the synodic and/or sidereal periods of Mercury and Venus, which leads us to conclude that the Earth's space environment is not subject to the shadow of the inner planets as suggested earlier.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1484-1490
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• 2013

A lack of investigation in specific regions has impeded the understanding of epidemiological trends in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in South Korea. To help fill this research gap, this study used multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) to determine the prevalence of STIs detected in clinical specimens collected from women in Cheonan, South Korea between August 2006 and November 2012, and analyzed the prevalence of STIs according to age, bacterial pathogen, and time period. Of the 1,618 specimens collected from 1,523 patients, 536 (35.2%) tested positive for at least 1 pathogen, with 407 (25.2%) testing positive for 1 pathogen, 103 (6.4%) for 2 pathogens, 20 (1.2%) for 3 pathogens, and 6 (0.4%) for 4 pathogens (n = 697 pathogens total). The median ages of all patients and of STI-positive patients were 37.8 and 33.3 years, respectively, and both decreased annually over the study period. Mycoplasma hominis (MH) was detected in 62.1% of the positive specimens, Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) in 28.4%, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) in 23.1%, Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) in 7.8%, Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) in 6.5%, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) in 2.1%. Whereas the prevalence of MH, MG, and TV infection did not vary greatly over the study period, that of UU decreased by one-fifth and that of both CT and NG increased 4-fold. The results indicate great variability in the rates of infection with each pathogen and a decreasing trend in overall STI prevalence, age of patients seeking STI testing, and age of STI-positive patients.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2016

In the present study, fast and robust methods for the next generation sequencing (NGS) were developed for analysis of PRRSV full genome sequences, which is a positive sensed RNA virus with a high degree of genetic variability among isolates. Two strains of PRRSVs (VR2332 and VR2332-R) which have been maintained in our laboratory were used to validate our methods and to compare with the sequence registered in GenBank (GenBank accession no. EF536003). The results suggested that both of strains had 100% coverage with the reference; the VR2332 had the coverage depth from minimum 3 to maximum 23,012, for the VR2332-R from minimum 3 to maximum 41,348, and 22,712 as an average depth. Genomic data produced from the massive sequencing capacities of the NGS have enabled the study of PRRSV at an unprecedented rate and details. Unlike conventional sequence methods which require the knowledge of conserved regions, the NGS allows de novo assembly of the full viral genomes. Therefore, our results suggested that these methods using the NGS massively facilitate the generation of more full genome PRRSV sequences locally as well as nationally in regard of saving time and cost.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.299-303
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• 2008

In this study, an uncertainty assessment for surface air temperature(T2m) and precipitation(PCP) over East Asia is carried out. The data simulated by the intergovermental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) Atmosphere-Ocean coupled general circulation Model (AOGCM) are used to assess the uncertainty. Examination of the seasonal uncertainty of T2m and PCP variabilities shows that spring-summer cold bias and fall warm bias of T2m are found over both East Asia and the Korea peninsula. In contrast, distinctly summer dry bias and winter-spring wet bias of PCP over the Korea peninsula is found. To investigate the PCP seasonal variability over East Asia, the cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function(CSEOF) analysis is employed. The CSEOF analysis can extract physical modes (spatio-temporal patterns) and their undulation (PC time series) of PCP, showing the evolution of PCP. A comparison between spatio-temporal patterns of observed and modeled PCP anomalies shows that positive PCP anomalies located in northeastern China (north of Korea) of the multi-model ensemble(MME) cannot explain properly the contribution to summer monsoon rainfalls across Korea and Japan. The uncertainty of modeled PCP indicates that there is disagreement between observed and MME anomalies. The spatio-temporal deviation of the PCP is significantly associated with lower- and upper-level circulations. In particular, lower-level moisture transports from the warm pool of the western Pacific and corresponding moisture convergence significantly contribute to summer rainfalls. These lower- and upper-level circulations physically consistent with PCP give a insight of the reason why differences between modeled and observed PCP occur.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.589-612
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• 2014

This study includes determination of liquefaction potential in Erzincan city center. Erzincan Province is situated within first-degree earthquake zone on earthquake map of Turkey. In this context, the earthquake scenarios were produced using the empirical expressions. Liquefaction potential for different earthquake magnitudes (6.0, 6.5, 7.0) were determined. Liquefaction potential was investigated using Standard Penetration Test (SPT). Liquefaction potential analyses are determined in two steps: geotechnical investigations and calculations. In the first steps, boreholes were drilled to obtain disturbed and undisturbed soil samples and SPT values were obtained. Laboratory tests were made to identify geotechnical properties of soil samples. In the second step, liquefaction potential analyses were examined using two methods, namely Seed and Idriss (1971), Iwasaki et al. (1981). The liquefaction potential broadly classified into three categories, namely non-liquefiable, marginally liquefiable and liquefiable regions. Additionally, the liquefaction potential index classified into four categories, namely non-liquefiable, low, high and very high liquefiable regions. In order to liquefaction analysis complete within a short time, MATLAB program were prepared. Following the analyses, liquefaction potential index is investigated by Iwasaki et al. (1982) methods. At the final stage of this study, liquefaction potential maps and liquefaction potential index maps of the all study area by using IDW (inverse distance weighted) interpolation method in Geostatistical Analyst Module of ArcGIS 10.0 Software were prepared for different earthquake magnitudes and different depths. The results of soil liquefaction potential were evaluated in ArcGIS to map the distributions of drillings with liquefaction potential. The maps showed that there is a spatial variability in the results obtained which made it difficult to clearly separate between regional areas of high or low potential to liquefy. However, this study indicates that the presence of ground water and sandy-silty soils increases the liquefaction potential with the seismic features of the region.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.96-101
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• 2015

Purpose: Thermal sensory test as an essential part of quantitative sensory testing (QST) has been recognized as a useful tool in the evaluation of the trigeminal nerve function. Normative data in the orofacial region have been reported but the data on differences in the test site, sex and ethnicity are still insufficient. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the normal range of orofacial thermal QST data in the healthy Korean women, and assess sex difference of thermal perception in the orofacial regions. Methods: Thermal QST was conducted on 20 healthy women participants (mean age, 26.4 years; range, 21 to 34 years). The thermal thresholds (cold detection threshold, CDT; warm detection threshold, WDT; cold pain threshold, CPT; and heat pain threshold, HPT) were measured bilaterally at the 5 trigeminal sites (the forehead, cheek, mentum, lower lip and tongue tip). The normative thermal thresholds of women in the orofacial region were evaluated using one-way ANOVA and compared with the previously reported data from age- and site-matched 30 healthy men (mean age, 26.1 years; range, 23 to 32 years) using two-way ANOVA. One experienced operator performed the tests of both sexes and all tests were done in the same condition except the time variability. Results: Women showed significant site differences for the CDT (p<0.001), WDT (p<0.001), and HPT (p=0.047) in the orofacial region. The CDT (p<0.001) and the CPT (p=0.007) presented significant sex difference unlike the WDT and the HPT. Conclusions: The thermal sensory evaluation in the orofacial region should be considered in the context of site and sex and the normative data in this study could be useful for assessment of the sensory abnormalities in the clinical setting.