• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2011

Physiological signals such as body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability and biomechanical workload for stress analysis were investigated during the cherry tomato harvesting work in a greenhouse. The skin temperatures raised $0.05^{\circ}C$/min, $0.03^{\circ}C$/ min, and $0.08^{\circ}C$/min in standing, stooping and squatting postures, respectively. Breath rate significantly increased from 18 to 28 breaths/min during the cherry tomato harvesting work. As the heart rate during the work ranged from about 72 to 110 beats/min (bpm), the cherry tomato harvesting work appeared to be a light intensity task of less than 110 bpm. The worker's average energy consumption rate in three positions during 43 min working time was 65.74 kcal (91 kcal/h in 70 kg). This was a light intensity of work, compared to 75 kcal/h in 70 kg of basic metabolic energy consumption rate of a worker with 70 kg weight; The maximum shear force on the disk (L5/ S1) due to static workload in the cherry tomato harvesting work was 446 N in the stooping posture, 321 N in the squatting posture and 287 N in the standing posture. Acute stress index expressed with the heart rate variability, increased parasympathetic activation up to about 70 while workers were doing most agricultural work in this study. This study provided a system to measure quantitatively workers' physiological change, kinematics and kinetic factors without any restrictions of space in the greenhouse works.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to compare the thermophysiological responses and subjective sensations of clothing materials with different water transfer property investigated in exercising and resting subjects at an ambient temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ and a relative humidity of 40%. Two kinds of clothing ensemble were tested: 100% cotton with highly water-absorbent but slowly dry properties(C) and 100% polyester with quickly water-absorbent and dry properties by four capillary channels(QADP). Seven apparently healthy male participants each undertook two series of experiments comprised 10-min of rest, 20-min of exercise with 70% of $VO_{2max}$ on a treadmill and 20-min of recovery. Mean skin temperature was significantly lower in QADP than in C during exercise and recovery. Clothing microclimate temperature was significantly lower in QADP during exercise and clothing surface temperature was also lower in QADP especially during recovery. Also, clothing surface humidity was significantly higher in QADP after the later half of exercise. The concentration of blood lactic acid tended to decrease to a lower level at recovery 3 minutes when wearing QADP rather than C clothing ensemble. Metabolic energy was marginally significantly less during the second half of exercise in QADP. Body mass loss tended to be greater in C than in QADP. The participants had better scores in thermal sensation, comfortable sensation and wetness in QADP during exercise and recovery. These results show that functional materials with quickly water-absorbent and dry properties can alleviate heat strain and induce more comfortable clothing microclimates and subjective sensations in the exercise-induced hyperthermia.

• Genes and Genomics
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1287-1300
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• 2018

Hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$), a small bioactive gas, has been proved functioning in plant growth and development as well as alleviation of abiotic stresses, which including promoting seed germination, accelerating embryonic root growth, regulating flower senescence, inducing stomatal closure, and defending drought, heat, heavy metals and osmotic stresses etc. However, the molecular functioning mechanism of $H_2S$ was still unclear. The primary objective of this research was to analyze the transcriptional differences and functional genes involved in the $H_2S$ responses. In details, 4-week-old plantlets in tissue culture of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivar 'Zuoyouhong' were sprayed with 0.1 mM NaHS for 12 h, and then transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR analysis were used to study the transcriptional differences and functional genes involved in the $H_2S$ responses. Our results indicated that 650 genes were differentially expressed after $H_2S$ treatment, in which 224 genes were up-regulated and 426 genes were down-regulated. The GO enrichment analysis and KEGG enrichment analysis results indicated that the up-regulated genes after $H_2S$ treatment focused on carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and the down-regulated genes were mainly in metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and plant hormone signal transduction. Analyzing the transcription factor coding genes in details, it was indicated that 10 AP2/EREBPs, 5 NACs, 3 WRKYs, 3 MYBs, and 2 bHLHs etc. transcription factor coding genes were up-regulated, while 4 MYBs, 3 OFPs, 3 bHLHs, 2 AP2/EREBPs, 2 HBs etc. transcription factor coding genes were down-regulated. Taken together, $H_2S$ increased the productions in secondary metabolites and a variety of defensive compounds to improve plant development and abiotic resistance, and extend fruits postharvest shelf life by regulating the expression of AP2/EREBPs, WRKYs, MYBs, CABs, GRIP22, FERRITINs, TPSs, UGTs, and GHs etc.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.441-453
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• 2019

Organic farming is considered an effective form of sustainable agricultural management. However, understanding of soil microbial diversity and composition under long-term organic and conventional farming is still limited and controversial. In this study, the Illumina MiSeq platform was applied to investigate the responses of soil bacterial and fungal diversity and compositions to organic farming (OF) and improved conventional farming (CF, applied straw retention) in the rice-wheat rotation system. The results highlighted that the alpha diversity of microbial communities did not differ significantly, except for higher bacterial diversity under OF. However, there were significant differences in the compositions of the soil bacterial and fungal communities between organic and conventional farming. Under our experimental conditions, through the ecological functional analysis of significant different or unique bacterial and fungal taxonomic members at the phyla and genus level, OF enhanced nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and carbon dynamic cycling in soil with the presence of Nodosilinea, Nitrospira, LCP-6, HB118, Lyngbya, GOUTA19, Mesorhizobium, Sandaracinobacter, Syntrophobacter and Sphingosinicella, and has the potential to strengthen soil metabolic ability with Novosphingobium. On the other hand, CF increased the intensity of nitrogen cycling with Ardenscatena, KD1-23, Iamia, Nitrosovibrio and Devosia, but enriched several pathogen fungal members, including Coniochaeta, Corallomycetella, Cyclaneusma, Cystostereum, Fistulina, Curvularia and Dissoconium.

• Exercise Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.231-242
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to develop the prediction model of VO₂max using submaximal metabolic responses from the Bruce protocol, HR responses at several stages and 1,200 m running record, and to compare and analyse the validity of these prediction models. The subjects were consisted of 255 male(133 male for 1,200 m running). They were participated maximal exercise testing with Bruce protocol, and the metabolic responses were measured in the end of the first(3 minute), second stage(6 minute), and 1,200 m running record. Measurement items were VO₂(㎖/kg/min), VCO₂(㎖/kg/min), VE(L/min), HR(bpm) of 3 and 6 minute, time to HR 150 bpm and 170 bpm, HR difference between Bruce protocol 6 and 3 minute, 1,200 m running record. Analyzing with all variables using enter method, the multiple R of total variable model was 0.642(p<.01), SEE was 4.38 ㎖/kg/min, CV was 10.8 %, but multicolinearity was appeared. The multiple R of 3 minutes model 1 and model 2 were 0.341 and 0.461, SEE was 6.05 and 5.72 ㎖/kg/min, CV was 14.9 and 14.1%, and multicolinearity did not appeared. The multiple R of 6 minutes model 1 and model 2 were 0.350 and 0.456, SEE was 6.03 and 5.74 ㎖/kg/min, CV was 14.9 and 14.2%, and multicolinearity did not appeared. The R of HR 170 and HR 170 model were 0.151 and 0.154, SEE were 6.36~6.37 ㎖/kg/min, CV were 15.7%. The R of 1,200 m running model was 0.444, SEE was 4.82 ㎖/kg/min, CV were 11.9%. In conclusion, with considering usefulness and convenience through the validity of these prediction models, the prediction model of VO₂max recommended 6 and 3 minute model, and the validity of HR model and 1,200 m running model were moderately low.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.184-189
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• 2002

The effects of dietary Int levels on lipid metabolism under fixed P/S (1.3) and n-6/n-3 (5.1) fatty acid ratios were examined in rats using palm oil, soybean oil and perilla oil. These ratios correspond to the recommended composition of dietary fat for humans. The range of dietary fat levels was 5-20% by weight (11.8-39.3% of total energy). The levels of dietary fat did not influence the concentrations of serum and liver cholesterol, whereas the level of triglycerides was gradually elevated with increasing levels of dietary fat, especially in the liver. The fatty acid composition of tissue phosphatidylcholine seemed to vary with the different levels of fat. The ratio of linoleic acid to arachidonic acid was increased more significantly in the heart than in the liver. In adipose tissue total lipids, the percentages of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids decreased, whereas the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acid increased, with increasing dietary Int levels. In addition, though the level of aortic prostacyclin was not uniformly affected by increasing dietary fat levels, thromboxane A2 production by platelets tended to increase with higher levels of dietary fat, suggesting an increased risk of thrombosis in this situation. Thus, even though dietary fat may have desirable compositions of fatty acids, these excessive consumption can produce unfavorable metabolic responses.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2014

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively) are messengers that carry signals to alter the redox state in order to activate plant responses and other physiological processes, such as differentiation, aging, senescence, and pathogen defense. Quite a large number of genes are involved in this signaling and lead to oxidative stress in plants. Although the role of ROS/RNS during stress conditions is well documented, a comprehensive list of genes and comparative study of these genes has not yet been completed. Accordingly, the in silico identification of oxidative stress-related genes was performed for soybeans and Arabidopsis. These genes were also studied in relation to multiple domain prediction. The presence of domains like dehydogenase and ATPase suggests that these genes are involved in various metabolic processes, as well as the transportation of ions under optimal environmental conditions. In addition to a sequence analysis, a phylogenetic analysis was also performed to identify orthologous pairs among the soybean and Arabidopsis oxidative stress-related genes based on neighbor joining. This study was also conducted with the objective of further understanding the complex molecular signaling mechanism in plants under various stress conditions.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.16-24
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• 2016

A new strain of Pseudomonas sp. was isolated from mercury (Hg)-contaminated sites in Taiwan. This bacterium removed more than 80% of Hg present in the culture medium at 12 h incubation and was chosen for further analysis of the molecular mechanisms of Hg tolerance/removal abilities in this Pseudomonas sp. We used RNA-seq, one of the next-generation sequencing methods, to investigate the transcriptomic responses of the Pseudomonas sp. exposed to 60 mg/L of Hg²⁺. We de novo assembled 4,963 contigs, of which 10,533 up-regulated genes and 5,451 down-regulated genes were found to be regulated by Hg. The 40 genes most altered in expression levels were associated with tolerance to Hg stress and metabolism. Functional analysis showed that some Hg-tolerant genes were related to the mer operon, sulfate uptake and assimilation, the enzymatic antioxidant system, the HSP gene family, chaperones, and metal transporters. The transcriptome were analyzed further with Gene Ontology (GO) and Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COGs) of proteins and showed diverse biological functions and metabolic pathways under Hg stress.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2010

A substantial body of evidence has emerged over the last decade in support of the novel concept that dietary calcium and dairy foods play an important role in regulating energy metabolism and thereby promote healthy weight management and reduce obesity risk. This concept has been demonstrated in experimental animals studies, cross-sectional and prospective population studies and a number of randomized clinical trials. Notably, the effects of dairy foods in weight management are more consistent than the effects of supplemental calcium across clinical trials, and calcium per se is responsible for approximately 40-50% of the effects of dairy. The calcium component is only effective in individuals with chronically low calcium intake, as it serves to prevent the endocrine response to low calcium diets which otherwise favors adipocyte energy storage; calcium also serves to promote energy loss via formation of calcium soaps in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby reduce fat absorption. The calcium-independent anti-obesity bioactivity of dairy resides primarily in whey. The key components identified to date are leucine and bioactive peptides resulting from whey protein digestion. The high concentration of leucine in whey stimulates a repartitioning of dietary energy from adipose tissue to skeletal muscle where it provides the energy required for leucine-stimulated protein synthesis, resulting in increased loss of adipose tissue and preservation of skeletal muscle mass during weight loss. Finally, dairy rich diets suppress the oxidative and inflammatory responses to obesity and thereby attenuate the diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk associated with obesity.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.260-264
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• 2014

ZYM-201 is a methyl ester of triterpenoid glycoside from Sanguisorba officinalis which has been used for treatment of inflammatory and metabolic diseases. In this study, immunomodulatory effects of ZYM-201 on B cells were examined in vitro and in vivo. When splenocytes were activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major population which had shown an increase in cell numbers was B cells. However, when the B cells were treated with ZYM-201 after LPS activation, their cell numbers and the expression of major costimulatory molecules, CD80 and CD86, were decreased. Furthermore, the effect of LPS, which induces activation of NF-${\kappa}B$, was abolished by ZYM-201: LPS-stimulated B cells showed decrease of phosphorylation after treatment of ZYM-201. The same results were shown in vivo experiments. These results suggest that ZYM-201 may play a role in the modulation of inflammatory responses through inhibiting NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and downregulating the expression of costimulatory molecules on B cells.