• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.871-888
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• 1997

Background : It is now thought that the earliest manifestation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is alveolitis, that is, an accumulation of inflammatory and immune effector cells within alveolar walls and spaces. Inflammatory cells including alveolar macrophages and resident normal pulmonary tissue cells participate through the release of many variable mediators such as inflammatory growth factors and cytokines, which contribute to tissue damage and finally cause chronic pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. This study was performed to investigate the source and distribution pattern of transforming growth factor-${\beta}_1$(TGF-${\beta}_1$), platelet derived growth factor(PDGF), basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF), interleukin 1(IL-1), interleukin 6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$) and the role of these mediators on bleomycin(BLM)-induced pulmonary injury and fibrosis in rats. Method : Wistar rats were divided into three groups(control group, BLM treated group, BLM and vitamine E treated group). Animals were sacrificed periodically at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28 days after saline or BLM administration. The effects were compared to the results of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis, light microscopic findings, immunohistochemical stains for six different mediators(TGF-${\beta}_1$, PDGF, bFGF, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-$\alpha$) and mRNA in situ hybridization for TGF-${\beta}_1$. Results : IL-1 and IL-6 are maximally expressed at postbleomycin 1~7th day which are mainly produced by neutrophils and bronchiolar epithelium. It is thought that they induce recruitment of inflammatory cells at the injury site. The expression of IL-1 and IL-6 at the bronchiolar epithelium within 7th day is an indirect evidence of contribution of bronchiolar epithelial cells to promote and maintain the inflammatory and immune responses adjacent to the airways. TNF-$\alpha$ is mainly produced by neutrophils and bronchiolar epithelial cells during 1~5th day, alveolar macrophages during 7~28th day. At the earlier period, TNF-$\alpha$ causes recruitment of inflammatory cells at the injury site and later stimulates pulmonary fibrosis. The main secreting cells of TGF-${\beta}_1$ are alveolar macrophages and bronchiolar epithelium and the target is pulmonary fibroblasts and extracellular matrix. TGF-${\beta}_1$ and PDGF stimulate proliferation of pulmonary fibroblasts and TGF-${\beta}_1$ and bFGF incite the fibroblasts to produce extracellular matrix. The vitamine E and BLM treated group shows few positive cells(p<0.05). Conclusion : After endothelial and epithelial injury, the neutrophils and bronchiolar epithelium secrete IL-1, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$ which induce infiltration of many neutrophils. It is thought that variable enzymes and $O_2$ radicals released by these neutrophils cause destruction of normal lung architecture and progression of pulmonary fibrosis. At the 7~28th day, TGF-${\beta}_1$, PDGF, bFGF, TNF-$\alpha$ secreted by alveolar macrophages sting pulmonary fibroblasts into proliferating with increased production of extracellular matrix and finally, they make progression of pulmonary fibrosis. TNF-$\alpha$ compares quite important with TGF-${\beta}_1$ to cause pulmonary fibrosis. Vitamine E seems to decrease the extent of BLM induced pulmonary fibrosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.503-510
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• 2010

Most allergens have protease activities, suggesting that proteases may be a key link between Th2-type immune reactions in allergic responses. Protease activated receptor (PAR) 2 is activated via the proteolytic cleavage of its N-terminal domain by proteinases. To know the role of PAR2 in Aspergillus protease allergen activated Th2 immune responses in airway epithelial cells, we investigated and compared immune cell recruitment and level of chemokines and cytokines between PAR2 knock out (KO) mice and wild type (WT) mice. There were evident immune cell infiltrations into the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of WT mice, but the infiltrations in PAR2 KO mice were significantly lowered than those of WT mice. The IL-25, TSLP, and eotaxin gene expressions were profoundly increased after Aspergillus protease, but their expression was significantly lowered in PAR2 KO mice in this study. Compared to PAR2 KO mice, OVA specific IgE concentrations in serum of WT mice were quite increased; moreover, the IgE level of PAR2 KO mice was lower than in WT mice. The IL-25 expression by Aspergillus protease stimulation was significantly reduced by p38 specific inhibitor treatment. In this study, we determined that Th2 response was initiated with IL-25 and TSLP mRNA up-regulation in lung epithelial cells via PAR2 after Aspergillus protease allergen treatment.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.122-132
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• 2020

The study examined revenue generation trend and perception of challenges facing it by forestry personnel in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Data for the study was generated through primary and secondary sources. Primary sources involved the use of questionnaire which was administered to all Forest Officers and Uniformed Field Staff in all the 31 Forest Division and Headquarter in the state. Secondary sources involved collation of generated revenue from all the divisions for the study period. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including Least square regression. The results indicated an increasing trend in forest revenue for the state statistically defined by the function y=45631x-900000000＋e (p>0.05) with a coefficient of determination of 0.7492 or 74.92%. There was also a positive correlation (r=0.866) between generated revenue and year for the 20 years under review. The mean revenue was ₦4776247.00 with the highest generated revenue (₦9823550.00) in 2014. However, majority (55.13%) of the respondents perceived revenue generation in the state to be decreasing and attributed the decline majorly to lack of mobility (16.84%) and insufficient man power (15.79%). Attitude and level of offence in the study area was perceived to be fairly cooperative (62.81%) and high (43.80%), while recruitment of more personnel (11.05%) and provision of mobility (10.03%) was considered an effective means of improving revenue generation in the state. Also, educating the people and regular patrol by forest personnel was considered as the best ways of curtailing forest offences in the area. The study recommended increased allocation of funds to the sector in addition to tackling the challenges faced by the personnel.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1075-1082
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• 2016

Modern livestock production became highly intensive and large scaled to increase production efficiency. This production environment could add stressors affecting the health and growth of animals. Major stressors can include environment (air quality and temperature), nutrition, and infection. These stressors can reduce growth performance and alter immune systems at systemic and local levels including the gastrointestinal tract. Heat stress increases the permeability, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses in the gut. Nutritional stress from fasting, antinutritional compounds, and toxins induces the leakage and destruction of the tight junction proteins in the gut. Fasting is shown to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines, whereas deoxynivalenol increases the recruitment of intestinal pro-inflammatory cytokines and the level of lymphocytes in the gut. Pathogenic and viral infections such as Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus can lead to loosening the intestinal epithelial barrier. On the other hand, supplementation of Lactobacillus or Saccharaomyces reduced infectious stress by ETEC. It was noted that major stressors altered the permeability of intestinal barriers and profiles of genes and proteins of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in mucosal system in pigs. However, it is not sufficient to fully explain the mechanism of the gut immune system in pigs under stress conditions. Correlation and interaction of gut and systemic immune system under major stressors should be better defined to overcome aforementioned obstacles.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 2012

Spills of $M/V$ Hebei Spirit on $7^{th}$ December 2007 caused a seriously damage to the ecosystem of Korean coast. Of these, microbial communities (i.e., attached benthic micro-algae) were reported to be sentive to the environmental change so it can be used for ecological risk assessment. Our experiment was designed to examine the ecological risk assessments for oil pollutant using benthic attached algal community on the artificial substrates of acrylic plates. Field monitoring in the culture system was conducted in Jangmok Bay. The abundances of attached micro-algae on artificial substrates gradually increased with increasing of sampling times. Among them, diatoms were the most important colonizer of coastal water, with the genera $Cylindrotheca$ and $Navicular$ most abundant. In particular, developed the culture system has correctly measured qualitative and quantitative abundance of attached micro-algae because same acrylic plates as artificial substrates were used. Thus, this culture system may be directly applied to the ecological risk experiments of microbial community structure from oil pollutants.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.75-82
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• 2012

Objective : In the present study, we investigated the pharmacological profile of the aqueous extract of $Patrinia$ $scabiosaefolia$ Fischer ex Link (EPS) and $Patrinia$ $villosa$ Jussieu (EPV) for its anti-asthmatic activities. The purpose of this study is to ascertain if EPS result in better anti-asthmatic activities and functional outcome as compared with EPV. Methods : In this study, BALB/c mice were systemically sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) followed intratracheally, intraperitoneally, and by aerosol allergen challenges. We investigated the effect of EPS, EPV on the recruitment of pulmonary inflammatory cells, various immune cell phenotypes, Th1/Th2 cytokine gene expression and production and histamine production in serum. Results : In BALB/c mice, we found that EPV-treated groups had more effectively suppressed inflammatory cell infiltration of lung and BALF, B220+IgE+, CD11b+Gr-1+ cell population in lung and these occurred by suppressing the gene expression of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-4 cytokine production in BALF and serum. Conclusions : These results suggest that EPV may play an important role in the control of anti-asthmatic activities by down-regulation of Th2 cytokine (especially IL-4, IL-5). In general, EPV has shown a better anti-asthmatic activities compared to EPS.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.355-361
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• 1999

Distribution of size class, population regeneration and changes in the population structure of Quercus mongolica were studied from 1994 to 1999 in Mt. Jumbong (128°27' E, 38° 04' N) of Mt. Sorak National Park and Biosphere Reserve in central Korea. Three 20m × 20m permanent quadrats were set up at the elevation of 900m. The vegetation of the study site was dominated by Quercus mongolica and Acer pseudosieboldianum, but little change was observed in the community structure from 1995 to 1999. Most mortality in the study site was observed in small trees of A. pseudosieboldianum and Tilia amurensis. Mean annual growth in dbh (diameter of breast height) of Q. mongolica for 4 years was only 0.09cm, and no ingrowth of saplings (dbh < 2.5cm) into tree class was observed during the study period. Among the 21 Q. mongolica trees studied in the permanent quadrats. all the smaller trees (dbh < 30cm) were established in 1920 ∼ 1950, while many bigger trees (with 40cm < dbh < 80cm) were established in 1750 ∼ 1800, indicating that its establishment was episodic. Distribution of dbh classes among Q. mongolica trees shows that smaller trees were poorly represented, and no saplings of Q. mongolica occurred in the permanent quadrats studied, indicating that currently Q. mongolica is not regenerating well in the study site. Total seed production of Q. mongolica in 1994 was estimated as 88 acorns per square meter in the study site. Rate of predation including caching of acorns was highest in 1994, then declined sharply thereafter. Most of the acorns which managed to survive in the first year were predated in the second year, and only 5% of the acorns produced in 1994 survived into the third year. No seeds produced in 1994 or seedlings germinated from them succeeded to survive to 5 years after seed production. However, seedling emergence rate and seedling survival were high in the early growing season in 1995. These results suggest that predation can be a significant factor in the regeneration of Q. mongolica. and that Q. mongolica is not regenerating well in Mt. Jumbong and needs large scale disturbances for its new recruitment.

• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.263-273
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• 1999

The role of phospholipase $A_2\;(PLA_2)$ in acute lung leak induced by intestinal ischemia was investigated in association with neutrophilic respiratory burst. To induce lung leak, we generated intestinal ischemia for 60 min prior to the 120 min reperfusion by clamping superior mesenteric artery in Sprague-Dawley rats. Acute lung leak was confirmed by the increased lung leak index and protein content in bronchoalveolar fluid. These changes were inhibited by mepacrine, the non-specific $PLA_2$ inhibitor. The lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity denoting the pulmonary recruitment of neutrophils was increased by intestinal I/R, but decreased by mepacrine. Simultaneously, the number of leukocytes in bronchoalveolar fluid was increased by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and decreased by mepacrine. Gamma glutamyl transferase activity, an index of oxidative stress in the lung, was increased after intestinal I/R but decreased by mepacrine, which implicates that $PLA_2$ increases oxidative stress caused by intestinal I/R. The $PLA_2$ activity was increased after intestinal I/R not only in the intestine but also in the lung. These changes were diminished by mepacrine. In the cytochemical electron microscopy to detect hydrogen peroxide, intestinal I/R increased the generation of the hydrogen peroxide in the lung as well as in the intestine. Expression of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the lung was investigated through RT-PCR. The expression of IL-1 after intestinal I/R was enhanced, and again, the inhibition of $PLA_2$ suppressed the expression of IL-1 in the lung. Taken together, intestinal I/R seems to induce acute lung leak through the activation of $PLA_2$, the increase of IL-1 expression associated with increased oxidative stress by neutrophilic respiratory burst.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.103-109
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• 2006

IL-28RA is one of the important candidate genes for complex trait of genetic diseases, but there are only a few published results for this gene. Previously, we identified eighteen SNPs and two variation sites in the entire coding regions of IL-28RA including promoter regions, and suggested that the g.32349G>A polymorphism of IL-28RA might be associated with susceptibility to allergic rhinitis. In this study, we chose seven SNPs (g.-1193A>C, g.-30C>T, g.17654C>T, g.27798A>G, g.31265C>T, g.31911C>T and g.32349G>A) of IL-28RA, and attempted to find out whether these polymorphisms were furtherassociated with genetic predisposition of asthma. We analyzed the genotype and allele frequencies of IL-28RA polymorph isms between the asthma patients and healthy controls. We also investigated the frequencies of haplotype constructed by these SNPs between asthma patients and controls. Our results suggest that the polymorphisms of IL-28RA gene were not associated with susceptibility to asthma, and not with IgE production and eosinophil recruitment. The haplotype frequencies by these SNPs also not significantly associated between the healthy controls and asthma patients. This result indicates that the IL -2BRA polymorphisms might be not associated withasthma susceptibility.