• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.312-319
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the effect of lecithin on lipid metabolism and antixidative capacity in 9-week-old rats. Forty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 249.8 g were blocked into three groups according to their body weight and raised for 8 weeks with experimental diets containing 1% (LM) or 5% lecithin (LH) and control (C) diet. Plasma and liver total lipids, triglyceride, total cholesterol and plasma HDL-cholesterol concenterations, and fecal total lipids, triglyceride, total cholesterol and bile acid excretions were measured. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in plasma, liver, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in red blood cell and liver, xanthine oxidase (XO) activities in plasma and liver, and total antioxidant status (TAS) in plasma were also measured. Effect of lecithin intake on antioxidative capacity was not significantly different among all the groups. Plasma total lipids, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were lower in lecithin groups compared to control group, and these three lipid levels of lecithin groups were lowered dose-dependently as dietary lecithin level increased. But liver total lipids, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were not different among all the groups. Also fecal total lipids, triglyceride and total cholesterol excretions were highest in high lecithin groups compared to two other groups. Thus it is plausible that lecithin intake decreases plasma lipid levels through increasing fecal lipid excretions, and may be beneficial for treatment and prevention of hyperlipidemia, but has no effect on antioxidative capacity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.117-121
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• 1981

Safety of yellow pigment produced by Monascus sp. CS-2 was evaluated. Acute oral toxicity, pyrogen test, and histamine test, as well as antimicrobial activity were determined. The results obtained were; LD oral in mice was 132.5 mg/20 g, pyrogen test in rabbit was 5 mg/kg, and histamine test in cat was 10 mg/kg. Also the pigment was particularly sensitive to Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Sarcina lutea (ATCC 9341) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538 P), whereas not sensitive to Pseudomonas pyosyanea (ACTC 10490), Bacillus var. mycoides (ATCC 11778), Bordetella bronchiseptica (ATCC 4617) and Staphylococcus epidermidis(ATCC 12228).

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2009

The antioxidant and anti-diabetes effects were evaluated by the ethanol extracts from Astragalus membranaceus root classified by years using through DPPH radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical (${\cdot}OH$) scavenging activity, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, reducing power activity, $\alpha$-amylase and $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibitory activities. $IC_{50}$ values for DPPH radical scavenging activity of ethanol extract from 6 years old root ($749.25{\mu}g/mL$) was higher than 1 year ($1452.67{\mu}g/mL$) and 3 years old root ($1095.61{\mu}g/mL$). 6 years old root showed better effects in ${\cdot}OH$ scavenging activity ($IC_{50}$: $10.58{\mu}g/mL$), reducing power, total phenolic contents ($26.13{\pm}0.79\;Tan\;{\mu}g/mg$, $24.03{\pm}0.74\;Cat\;{\mu}g/mg$) $\alpha$-amylase ($33.33{\pm}0.55%$) and $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibitory activity ($49.71{\pm}1.01%$). On the other hand, total flavonoid compound contents were estimated much higher in 1 year old root ($44.93{\pm}1.35\;Que\;{\mu}g/mg$, $70.32{\pm}2.03\;Rut\;{\mu}g/mg$) than others. Based on these results, It was suggested that 6 years old root of A. membranaceus has a potential candidate for functional cosmetic and medicine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1586-1592
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• 2017

Some promoters were isolated and characterized from the genome of Leuconostoc mesenteroides SY2, an isolate from kimchi, a Korean traditional fermented vegetable. Chromosomal DNA of L. mesenteroides SY2 was digested with Sau3AI and ligated with BamHI-cut pBV5030, a promoter screening vector containing a promoterless cat-86. Among E. coli transformants (TFs) resistant against Cm (chloramphenicol), 17 were able to grow in the presence of $1,000{\mu}g/ml$ Cm and their inserts were sequenced. Transcription start sites were examined for three putative promoters (P04C, P25C, and P33C) by primer extension. Four putative promoters were inserted upstream of a promoterless ${\alpha}$-amylase reporter gene in $pJY15{\alpha}$. ${\alpha}$-Amylase activities of E. coli TFs containing $pJY15{\alpha}$ (control, no promoter), $pJY03{\alpha}$ ($pJY15{\alpha}$ with P03C), $pJY04{\alpha}$ (with P04C), $pJY25{\alpha}$ (with P25C), and $pJY33{\alpha}$ (with P33C) were 66.9, 78.7, 122.1, 70.8, and 99.3 U, respectively. Cells harboring $pJY04{\alpha}$ showed 1.8 times higher activity than the control. Some promoters characterized in this study might be useful for construction of food-grade expression vectors for Leuconostoc sp. and related lactic acid bacteria.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.437-442
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• 2012

Red yeast rice (RER) has been used in China for centuries for its medicinal properties and is an increasingly popular alternative lipid-lowering treatment. This study was carried out to estimate the antioxidant properties of RER extracts. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited the DPPH radical scavenging activity of 85% at 0.2 mg/mL and $IC_{50}$ 0.13 mg/mL. A significant proportion of hydroxyl radicals in a cuvette were scavenged: 44.2% at 2.5 ${\mu}g$/mL, 74.1% at 5.0 ${\mu}g$/mL, and >100% at 10 ${\mu}g$/mL. The $HepG_2$ cells pre-treated with RER ethyl acetate extract reduced the hydroxyl radicals significantly compared to the control cells. Oxidative DNA damage was measured using a Comet assay. The RER ethyl acetate extract did not induce any DNA damage per se, and appeared to enhance the resistance to DNA damage caused by an oxidant challenge with $H_2O_2$, whereas lovastatin increased the level of DNA damage in the cells in both the unstressed (no oxidant) and those stressed with $H_2O_2$. The relative gene expression of the antioxidant enzymes in $HepG_2$ cells were also affected by the RER ethyl acetate extract. The $HepG_2$ cells were pre-incubated with the RER ethyl acetate extract, and then stressed with $H_2O_2$ or left unstressed (no oxidant). In the unstressed cells, superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were increased significantly 3.25-fold and 2.67-fold, respectively, whereas in the stressed cells, the catalase (CAT) level was increased by 4.64-fold and 7.0-fold at 5 ${\mu}g$/mL and 10 ${\mu}g$/mL, respectively, compared to those of the control. From these results, RER appears to be effective in suppressing oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2020

Domestic cats (Felis catus) introduced to insular environments can be invasive predators that often threaten endemic species and cause biodiversity loss or local extinction on the island. This study was conducted from March to July 2018 to understand the population size, home range, and spatial use of cats introduced to Mara Islet (N 33° 07', E 126° 16') in Jeju Special Governing Province, the Republic of Korea. Observation records based on their natural marks revealed that there were 20 adult cats on Mara Islet. A capture-recapture method also estimated 20 adult individuals (95% confidence interval: 20-24 individuals). According to our telemetry study on ten adults deployed with GPS-based telemetry units, the home range size was 12.05±6.99 ha (95% KDE: kernel density estimation), and the core habitat size was 1.60±0.77 ha (50% KDE). There were no significant differences in the home range and core habitat sizes by sex. The home range of domestic cats overlapped with the human residential area, where they might secure easy foods. Five of ten tracked cats were active at potential breeding colonies for the Crested Murrlet (Synthliboramphus wumizusume), and six approached potential breeding areas of the Styan's Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella pleskei), suggesting the predation risk of the two endangered species by cats. This study provides novel information on the population size and home range of introduced cats on Mara Islet which is an important stopover site of migratory birds as well as a breeding habitat of the two endangered avian species. Reducing the potential negative impacts of the introduced cats on migratory birds and the endangered species on Mara Islet requires monitoring of the predation rate of birds by cats, the population trends of cats and endangered breeding birds as well as the effective cat population control and management.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.140-148
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of coffee in diabetic rats in order to prevent hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, and to improve antioxidant enzyme activity in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Methods: Thirty two male Sprague-Dawley rats (body weight $200{\pm}5g$) were divided into two groups; diabetic and nondiabetic groups. The groups were each randomly divided into two subgroups; fed control and coffee (5 g coffee powder/kg diet) diets. Diabetes was induced by intramuscular injection of 50 mg streptozotocin/kg body weight. Rats with blood glucose concentrations ${\geq}300mg/dL$ were considered diabetic for these experiments. All rats were fed an experimental diet and deionized water ad libitum for 4 weeks. Results: The results of this study indicate that body weight gain was significantly lower in diabetic groups than in nondiabetic groups regardless of diet. Mean food intake was significantly higher in diabetic groups than in nondiabetic groups, and significantly higher in the coffee group than in the control group in diabetic rats. Food efficiency ratio (FER) was significantly lower in diabetic groups than in nondiabetic groups regardless of diet. The fasting blood glucose of coffee supplemented groups was significantly lower compared with the control group in diabetic and nondiabetic rats. The levels of serum LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index were significantly lower in the coffee group than in the control group in diabetic and nondiabetic rats, and serum HDL-cholesterol was significantly higher in the coffee group than in control groups. The contents of hepatic triglyceride were significantly lower in the coffee group than in the control group in diabetic and nondiabetic rats. The lipid peroxidation of malondialdehyde (MDA) contents was significantly lower in the coffee group than in the control group in diabetic and nondiabetic rats. Activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase in liver was not significantly different by experimental diets among all groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, effects of 0.5% coffee powder supplemented diet were beneficial on blood glucose and lipids in diabetic rats.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.281-301
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• 1993

It was revealed that the morphology and projection pattern of terminal arbors from single primary afferent are different among distinct fiber types, functional types and the different subdivision of trigeminal sensory nucleus complex(TSNC). But it was not identified the ultrastructural morphology and synaptic connections of terminal arbors from each primary afferent within TSNC. So we employed the intra-axonal horseradish peroxidase(HRP) injection technique to define the terminal arbors of primary afferent fiber from slowly adapting mechanoreceptors in the periodontal ligament of the cat, and examined 66 labeled terminal arbors within the rostrodorsomedial part(Vo.r) of the trigeminal nucleus oralis, electromicroscopically with 90nm serial sections. All the boutons labelled with HRP contained clear, spherical and uniform sized synaptic vesicles(diameter : $47.66{\pm}3.58nm$ ). Most of the labelled boutons were boutons en passant type and they were connected by unmyelinated axonal strand. In which neurofilament and microtubule was not developed but occasionally contained synaptic vesicle in contrast to the myelinated axon. The size of the labelled bouton was relatively small(long diameter : $1.46{\pm}0.24{\mu}m$, short diameter $0.85{\pm}0.26{\mu}m$, average diameter $1.15{\pm}0.24{\mu}m$) and the shape of which varied from dome to elongated shape, but scalloped glomerulus shape was not developed. Each primary ending in Vo.r made synapse with one or two neuronal propiles(average : $1.11{\pm}0.31$), of which, 89.4% of labelled boutons made synapse with only one neuronal pro pile, the remainder, 10.6% of labelled boutons, made synapse with two neuronal propile. So characteristically they made very simple synapse. Most of labelled boutons(80.03%) made asymmetrical synapse only with dendritic shaft or spine, and 6.1% of labelled boutons received symmetrical synapse from pleomorphic vesicle containing axonal ending(p-ending). So presynaptic inhibiton was relatively scarce. Synaptic triad, in which a p-ending is presynaptic both pre-and post-synaptic element of the axo-dendritic contact from the labelled primary ending was not observed.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.203-216
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• 1988

To delineate the mechanisms of vasoconstriction and vasodilation in cerebral arteries the effects of some vasoconstrictors and calcium antagonists on the basilar artery (BA) and arterial circle of Willis (WC) were examined and also the role of endothelium in the action of these drugs was investigated in pigs, cats and rabbits. In pig cerebral arteries, dose-dependent contractile responses were elicited by KCI, histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and angiotensin, but norepinephrine (NE), phenylephrine (PE) and epinephrine (EP) elicited dose-dependent contractions only under pretreatment with propranolol 10-6 M. The magnitudes of maximal contractile effects of these drugs were different from each other, and 5-H~ was the largest and angiotensin the smallest. Some calcium antagonists dose-dependently inhibited KCI (35 mM)-induced contraction and the order of potency in inhibiting the contraction was nifedipine > > diltiazem > flunarizine > oxybutynin > isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) > glyceryl trinitrate. 5-HT (10-6 M)-induced contraction was dosedependently inhibited by nifedipine but slightly inhibited by diltiazem and ISDN. In rings with intact endothelium, KCI (35 mM)-induced contraction was not affected by acetylcholine (ACh) but $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ (lO-SM)-induced contraction was dose-dependently relaxed by ACh and adenosine. This endothelium-dependent relaxation was not affected by nifedipine (l0-6M)-pretreatment but markedly inhibited by methylene blue (50,uM)-pretreatment. In the porcine arterial rings without endothelium, ACh had no effect or even contracted the $PGF_{2{\alpha}}-induced$ contraction. However, the dosedependent relaxing effect of ACh appeared when the deendothelized porcine ring and rabbit thoracic aorta with intact endotheli urn were simultaneously suspended into a bath and this relaxing effect was also inhibited by methylene blue-pretreatment. In cat cerebral arteries, 5-HT and NE elicited dose-dependent contractile responses and ACh also produced dose-dependent contraction regardless of the existence of endothelium. ACh-induced contraction was most prominent. 5-HT (IO-SM)induced contraction was not relaxed but contracted additionally by ACh even in the intact endothelial ring. In rabbit cerebral arteries, 5-HT and NE elicited dose-dependent contractile responses and 5-HT-induced contraction was more prominent. In the intact endothelial preparations, 5-HT (lO-s M)-induced contraction was markedly relaxed by the addition of ACh( IO-SM) and this endothelium-dependent relaxing effect was inhibited by atropine (l0-7M)-pretreatment but notaffected by diltiazem (l0-6M)-pretreatment. These results suggest that ACh elicits endotheliumdependent relaxing effect mediated by muscarinic receptors in cerebral arteries of pig and rabbit, and that ACh acts as vasoconstrictor in cat cerebral artery.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.15-30
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• 2024

This study aimed to analyze students' cognitive levels and the cognitive demands of mathematical concepts related to science to understand why students struggle to comprehend scientific concepts and tend to avoid learning them. Initially, the mathematics and science curricula of the 2015 revised curriculum were examined to extract learning elements related to mathematics within middle school science content. The Curriculum Analysis Taxonomy (CAT) was then employed to analyze the cognitive levels required by the learning content. In the domain of chemistry, among a total of 20 learning elements related to mathematics, 12 required an understanding at the level of initial formal manipulation (3A), while 3 necessitated comprehension at the level of later formal manipulation (3B). It was noted that cognitive logic types such as proportional reasoning, mathematical manipulation, and measurement skills were prominently employed in elements corresponding to both 3A and 3B. As for biology, out of 7 learning elements related to mathematics, 3 required an understanding at the level of initial formal manipulation (3A), and 2 necessitated comprehension at the level of later formal manipulation (3B). Elements corresponding to both 3A and 3B in biology predominantly involved correlational logic, indicating a somewhat different cognitive challenge compared to the domain of chemistry. Considering that the average percentage of middle school students capable of formal thinking, as analyzed through the GALT short form, was 12.1% for the first year, 16.6% for the second year, and 29.3% for the third year, it can be concluded that the cognitive demands of mathematics-related chemistry and biology learning content are relatively high compared to students' cognitive levels.