• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.936-942
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• 2012

In the present study, the effects of green tea catechin on microsomal phospholipase $A_2$ ($PLA_2$) activity and the arachidonic acid (AA) cascade in the lungs of microwave exposed rats were investigated. One Sprague-Dawley male rats weighting $100{\pm}10$ g was randomly assigned to the normal group and three were assigned to the microwave exposed groups. The microwave exposed groups were subdivided into three groups according to the levels of dietary catechin supplementation: catechin free diet (MW) group, 0.25% catechin (MW-0.25C) group and 0.5% catechin (MW-0.5C) group. Rats were sacrificed on the 6th day after microwave irradiation (2.45 GHz, 15 min). The lung microsomal $PLA_2$ activity in the MW and MW-0.25C groups was 30% and 15% greater than that of the normal group, respectively, whereas no significant difference between the normal group and MW-0.5C group was observed. The percentage of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) hydrolyzed in the lung microsome in the MW, MW-0.25C and MW-0.5C group increased by 47%, 18% and 20%, respectively, due to microwave irradiation. The formation of thromboxane $A_2$ ($TXA_2$) in the lung microsome was 50% greater in the MW group than in the normal group. However, the levels of $TXA_2$ in the MW-0.25C and MW-0.5C group were normal. The formation of prostacyclin ($PGI_2$) in the lung microsome was 31% lower in the MW group than in the normal group, while the levels of $PGI_2$ in the MW-0.25C and MW-0.5C group were similar to the normal group. The lung microsomal thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration, which can be used as an index of lipid peroxide was 34% greater in the MW group, when compared with the normal group. However, there was no difference between the MW-0.25C, MW-0.5C and normal groups. In conclusion, lung function appeared to be improved by green tea catechin supplementation due to its antithrombus action, which in turn controls the AA cascade system.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2011

We examined the effect of the turbid water on the periphytic diatom community in an artificial stream system. The artificial stream was constructed with transparent acryl and composed of four channels. Each channel ($20\;cm{\times}200\;cm{\times}40\;cm$) was supplied continuously with eutrophic lake water. In order to the freely colonize and grow diatoms, artificial substrate was installed with commercial slide glass soaked in 1% agar. Prior to introducing turbid water, the artificial stream was operated with lake water for 6 days to permit the propagation of diatom community on the substrates. The turbid water prepared with sediment sieved with ${\varphi}$ $64\;{\mu}m$ at $2\;g\;L^{-1}$ (final concentration, 300 NTU) was provided daily for 50 minute duration. The experiment was conducted for 7 days with manipulated experimental condition of light ($50{\sim}80\;{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$, light:dark=24:0), temperature ($10{\pm}1^{\circ}C$), and flow rate ($0.31\;cm\;s^{-1}$). Sampling and analysis were conducted daily for water quality and diatom. Turbidity of the water varied 162.2~173.2 NTU during the experiment. After introduction of turbid water, DO, pH and TN were decreased, while SS and TP increased significantly. A total of 14 genera and 47 species of diatoms was observed on the artificial substrates during the experimental period. Of these, Navicula appeared to be a most dominant genus with 10 species, followed by Cymbella (6 species), Fragilaria (6 species) and Gomphonema (5 species). Achnanthes minutissima was the most dominant species (>70% of total frequency) in both control and treatment experiments. Increase in diatom abundance lasted for three days since turbid water introduction, after that they gradually decreased by the termination of the experiment. These results suggest that frequent supply of highly-concentrated turbid water significantly decreases the periphytic diatom community, and retard the recovery of the stable food-web within the stream.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.70-82
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• 2015

This study was conducted to establish an efficient screening system to identify melon resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis. F. oyxsporum f. sp. melonis GR was isolated from infected melon plants collected at Goryeong and identified as F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis based on morphological characteristics, molecular analyses, and host-specificity tests on cucurbits including melon, oriental melon, cucumber, and watermelon. In addition, the GR isolate was determined as race 1 based on resistance responses of melon differentials to the fungus. To select optimized medium for mass production of inoculum of F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis GR, six media were tested. The fungus produced the most spores (microconidia) in V8-juice broth. Resistance degrees to the GR isolate of 22 commercial melon cultivars and 6 rootstocks for melon plants were investigated. All tested rootstocks showed no symptoms of Fusarium wilt. Among the tested melon cultivars, only three cultivars were susceptible and the other cultivars displayed moderate to high resistance to the GR isolate. For further study, six melon cultivars (Redqueen, Summercool, Superseji, Asiapapaya, Eolukpapaya, and Asiahwanggeum) showing different degrees of resistance to the fungus were selected. The development of Fusarium wilt on the cultivars was tested according to several conditions such as plant growth stage, root wounding, dipping period of roots in spore suspension, inoculum concentration, and incubation temperature to develop the disease. On the basis of the test results, we suggest that an efficient screening method for melon plants resistant to F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis is to remove soil from roots of seven-day-old melon seedlings, to dip the seedlings without cutting in s pore s uspension of $3{\times}10^5conidia/mL$ for 30 min, to transplant the inoculated seedlings to plastic pots with horticulture nursery media, and then to cultivate the plants in a growth room at 25 to $28^{\circ}C$ for about 3 weeks with 12-hour light per day.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 2014

This study aimed to investigate dietary concentrate:forage ratios (C:F) and undegraded dietary protein (UDP) on nitrogen balance and urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD) in lambs. Four Dorper${\times}$thin-tailed Han crossbred castrated lambs with $62.3{\pm}1.9$ kg body weight at 10 months of age were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement of two levels of C:F (40:60 and 60:40) and two levels of UDP (35% and 50% of CP), according to a complete $4{\times}4$ Latin-square design. Each experimental period lasted for 19 d. After a 7-d adaptation period, lambs were moved into individual metabolism crates for 12 d including 7 d of adaption and 5 d of metabolism trial. During the metabolism trial, total urine was collected for 24 h and spot urine samples were also collected at different times. Urinary PD was measured using a colorimetric method and creatinine was measured using an automated analyzer. Intake of dry matter (DM) (p<0.01) and organic matter (OM) (p<0.01) increased as the level of UDP decreased. Fecal N was not affected by dietary treatment (p>0.05) while urinary N increased as the level of UDP decreased (p<0.05), but decreased as dietary C:F increased (p<0.05). Nitrogen retention increased as dietary C:F increased (p<0.05). As dietary C:F increased, urinary excretion of PD increased (p<0.05), but was not affected by dietary UDP (p>0.05) or interaction between dietary treatments (p>0.05). Daily excretion of creatinine was not affected by dietary treatments (p<0.05), with an average value of $0.334{\times}0.005$ mmol/kg $BW^{0.75}$. A linear correlation was found between total PD excretion and PDC index ($R^2$ = 0.93). Concentrations of creatinine and PDC index in spot urine were unaffected by sampling time (p>0.05) and a good correlation was found between the PDC index (average value of three times) of spot urine and daily excretion of PD ($R^2$ = 0.88). These results suggest that for animals fed ad libitum, the PDC index in spot urine is effective to predict daily excretion of PD. In order to improve the accuracy of the spot sampling technique, an appropriate lag phase between the time of feeding and sampling should be determined so that the sampling time can coincide with the peak concentration of PD in the urine.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.259-272
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• 1987

This was study carried out to investigate the effect of calcium on spontaneous contraction and electrical activity induced by ethanol in gastric smooth muscle. After peeling off the mucous membrane from the isolated whole stomach of 102 cats, two kinds of small muscle preparations $(2.0{\times}0.2\;cm)$, one longitudinal and the other circular, were excised from the fundus, the corpus and the antrum portion of each whole stomach specimen. The isometric contraction of the small muscle preparation was measured in a cylinder-shaped chamber filled with Krebs-Ringer-dextrose solution (pH 7.4, temperature $36{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$) bubbling with 5% $CO_2$ in $O_2$. A large muscle preparation $(5.0{\times}1.2\;cm)$ was excised from the anterior wall of the corpus-antrum portion of the same specimen in 72 of 102 cats. The gastric electrical activity (slow wave and spike potential) was monopolarly recorded by four capillary electrodes (Ag-AgCl), of which two were placed on the corpus and two on the antrum, in a muscle chamber filled with the same solution as described above. Changes in the amplitude of the contraction, frequency of the gastric slow wave and the production of the spike potential were observed after adding ethanol and/or under the treatments with verapamil, $CaCl_2$ and Ca-free Krebs-Ringer-dextrose solution. The results were as follows: 1) After adding ethanol, the spontaneous phasic contraction of the corpus was reduced dose-dependently (0.125-2.0%), which was totally abolished by higher concentrations (2.0-8.0%) of ethanol. 2) The corporal phasic contraction was also completely abolished by verapamil $(3{\times}10^{-5}\;M)$ or Ca-free Krebs-Ringer-dextrose solution. The contraction was increased by $CaCl_2\;(1.8{\times}10^{-3}\;M)$, but the inhibitory effect of ethanol on the contraction persisted even under the treatment with $CaCl_2$. 3) At higher concentrations, ethanol caused tonic contraction of both preparations from the fundus, the corpus and the antrum in a dose-dependent manner. The tonic contraction of the fundus produced by ethanol was not influenced by $CaCl_2$ or verapamil, whereas the tonic contraction was not produced by ethanol in tile Ca-free solution. 4) Frequency of gastric slow wave was decreased dose-dependently by the addition of ethanol (0.25-1.0%), and tile slow wave was not produced by higher concentration of ethanol (2.0%). 5) The frequency of slow wave was significantly reduced by verapamil only and the inhibitory influence of ethanol on the slow wave frequency was reinforced by verapamil. 6) The treatment of $CaCl_2$ increased significantly the slow wave frequency, and attenuated the inhibitory effect of ethanol on the frequency. It is therefore suggested that ethanol regulates the phasic contraction and the production of slow wave by interfering with the transport of calcium in the stomach muscle of the cat.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.388-401
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• 2011

Asian dust was observed a total of 66 times in the springtime during the period from 2002 to 2010, with 26 cases in March, 23 cases in April and 17 cases in May. This study investigates a Asian dust episode that occurred during the period from 22 to 25 May 2010, based on synoptic weather patterns, wind vector at 850 hPa, relative humidity at 1000 hPa, Jet streams and wind vector at 300 hPa, PM10 concentration in Korea and satellite imagery. In this case, Asian dust originated on 22 May along the rear of a developing low pressure system in Mongolia. The Asian dust was then transported southeastward and bypassed the Korea peninsula from 23 to 24 May, before reaching Japan on 25 May. Jet streams on 24 May bypassed the Korean peninsula and induced the development of a surface low pressure centered over the peninsula. The resulting air flow was critical to the trajectory of the Asian dust, which likewise bypassed the Korean peninsula. 72-hour backward trajectory data reveal that the Shandong Peninsula and the East China Sea were the points of origin for the air flows that swept through the Japanese sites where Asian dust was observable to the naked eay. The Asian dust pathway is ascertained by horizontal distribution of the Asian dust of RGB imagery from MODIS satellites which captured the Asian dust moving over the Shandong Peninsula, the East China Sea, and northwest of the Kyushu region in Japan. Since the synoptic pattern and the transport way of the Asian dust case are far from typical ones, which Asian dust forecasting technique has long been based on, this study can be good example of exceptional Asian dust pattern and it will be used for more accurate Asian dust forecasting.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.506-511
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• 2008

Purpose : The results of pulmonary function test (PFT) in children are variable according to the patient's cooperation and comprehensiveness. This study has intended to figure out the effectiveness of pre-education and training with balloons on PFT in children. Methods : One hundred six children mean aged $9.35{\pm}2.92\;years$ were tested. All participants performed PFT twice in 30 minutes intervals. First PFT were performed after usual instruction and second PFT were performed according to randomly classified grouping; Group 1 : repeat PFT after training with balloons, Group 2 : repeat PFT after training and education, both, Group 3 : repeat PFT after education about objects and necessities of pulmonary function test, Group 4 : repeat PFT without any education and training. Results : There were no difference statistically on the results of percent of predicted $FEV_1$, $FEV_1/FVC$, $FEF_{25-75%}$ and PEFR in Group 1, 2 and 4 patients. In some cases, the average is decreased with repeated PFT. At the case of repeated PFT after education, the average of percent of predicted $FEV_1$, $FEV_1/FVC$, $FEF_{25-75%}$ and PEFR is increased. There was statistically significant difference on the value of $FEV_1$, $FEF_{25-75%}$ and PEFR between first and second PFT in Group 3. Conclusion : Training with balloons before PFT causes fatigueness and lowers concentration. Understanding of PFT makes results better than training. Therefore, enough explanation and education about PFT before examination is most effective for appropriate PFT in children.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of grain sources on the ruminal methane production in Hanwoo steers. Six Hanwoo steers (BW = 614.4 ${\pm}$ 8.3 kg) were fed, on a DM basis (TDN 6.91 kg), 10% rice straw and 90% barley or corn based concentrate, respectively, according to Korean Feeding Standards (Hanwoo). Each period lasted 18 days including a 14-day adaptation and a 4-day measuring period. The steers were in the ventilated hood-type respiration chamber system (one cattle per chamber) during each measuring period to measure heat and methane production for 1 day. Nutrient intake and digestibility were not affected by steer fed grain sources. Methane concentration was not affected by steer fed either barley or corn-based concentrate, respectively (0.022% vs. 0.025%). Methane production was greater by steers fed corn than those fed barley (119.3 g/day vs. 139.4 g/day). This result indicated that methane emission factor by maintenance energy requirement for the late fattening Hanwoo fed corn was higher than the steers fed barley (43.6 kg/head/year) vs. corn (50.9 kg/head/year). Methane conversion rate (Ym) was 0.04 Ym and 0.05 Ym for barley and corn, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.42-56
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• 2005

Hyperlipidemia is one of the risk factors for coronary artery disease. Despite of epidemiological evidence that tea consumption is associated with the reduced risk of coronary heart disease, experimental studies designed to show that drinking tea affects blood lipid concentration or oxidative stress have been unsuccessful. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether functional tea (three servings/day) supplement with medical nutrition therapy (MNT) lead to a beneficial outcomes in mildly hyperlipidemic adults. From February to October, 2003, the 43 hyperlipidemic (23 men, 20 women) subjects (total cholesterol$\geq$200 mg/dL or triglyceride$\geq$150 mg/dL) admitted to K Medical Center were studied. Subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups; placebo tea (PT), half dose of functional tea (HFT), full dose of functional tea (FFT). During 12 weeks of study period, the subjects were given placebo or functional tea daily with MNT. Anthropometric measurements, blood chemical analysis including lipid levels, total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels, and dietary assessment were carried out at the beginning and end of experiment. The effects of functional tea were compared with the placebo in randomized clinical trial study. The placebo was prepared to match with the functional tea in color and taste. After the 12 weeks of MNT, the subjects had regular and balanced meal pattern. Consumption of foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat, salty foods, fried foods, and instant foods decreased significantly in all three groups (p<0.05). Intake of energy and cholesterol also decreased (p<0.05). Drinking three servings per day (390 mL/day) of functional tea significantly reduced the levels of blood triglyceride (HFT, 42.5%; FFT, 29.4%), total cholesterol (HFT, 8.5%; FFT, 13.7%), and atherogenic index (HFT, 14.6%; FFT, 21.7%). Whereas no changes were found in the LDL-, HDL-cholesterollevels, and LDL/HDL ratio. Plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentration decreased significantly (p<0.05) in functional tea groups (HFT, 14.9%; FFT, 14.1%). SOD increased significantly (p<0.05) in HFT (8.3%). GSH-Px increased significantly (p<0.05) in FFT (12.8%). In conclusion, the MNT improved the dietary habits, in addition, functional tea supplement decreased blood lipid levels and Hcy, and increased SOD and GSH-Px levels. These results indicate that functional tea consumption may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease via improving blood lipid levels and antioxidant status.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.615-623
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• 2001

A study of mammary function in relation to glucose metabolism of first lactation Bali cows on grass-legume diets was carried out using 12 primiparous cows (initial BW $263.79{\pm}21.66kg$) for 16 weeks starting immediately post calving. The animals were randomly allocated into 4 dietary treatment groups R1, R2, R3 and R4, receiving from the last 2 months of pregnancy onwards, rations based on a mixture of locally available grass and legume feed ad libitum. On a DM basis R1 contained 70% elephant grass (PP, Penicetum purpureum) plus 30% Gliricidia sepia leaves (GS), R2 was 30% PP plus 25% GS supplemented with 55% Hibiscus tilliacius leaves (HT, defaunating effect), R3 and R4 were 22.5% PP+41.25% GS+11.25% HT+25% concentrate, with R4 supplemented with zinc-diacetate. TDN, CP and zinc contents of the diets were 58.2%, 12.05% and 18.3 mg/kg respectively for R1, 65.05%, 16.9% and 25.6 mg/kg respectively for R2, 66.03%, 16.71% and 29.02 mg/kg respectively for R3 and 66.03%, 16.71% and 60.47 mg/kg respectively for R4. Milk production and body weights were monitored, an energy and protein balance trial conducted, overall glucose kinetics parameters assessed, mammary blood flow (MBF) and metabolite arteriovenous differences (${\Delta}AVs$) measured to get uptake data and mammary performance relationships. Parameters of glucose kinetics at peak lactation or during dry condition were not affected by ration quality. Glucose pool size, space of distribution and flux increased by 61.77, 62.26 and 82.08%, respectively, during lactation compared to the dry period. Mean glucose flux of lactating Bali cows was $5.52mg/min.kgBW^{0.807}$ which resembles the range of values of temperate dairy cows. Calculation showed that glucose requirements for maintenance, milk lactose and fat-glycerol synthesis, and the formation of NADPH reached 461.69 g for a yield of 1 kg/d or equal to 320.62 mg/min, which was less than the average glucose flux of lactating Bali cows of 481.35 mg/min. Mammary blood flow (MBF) values ranged from 56 to 83 l/h for the different treatments and the ratio MBF per kg milk produced improved from av. 1540 l/kg for R1 to av. 967 l/kg for R4 treated cows. Mammary glucose uptake ranged from 6.27 to 12.03 g/h or 120 to 140 g/kg milk. Glucose uptake was mass-wise 2 to 4 times the amount secreted as lactose, which indicated values less than the calculated mammary glucose needs and that little lactose was synthesized. The excess glucose taken-up was used for other metabolic processes. Linear relationships between metabolite ${\Delta}AVs$ and arterial blood plasma concentration [A] showed that in Bali cows triglycerides (TG), phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr) have high coefficients of determination, i.e. 0.77, 0.81 and 0.69, respectively. For glucose, the relationship is quadratic with an $R^2$ value of 0.49. It was concluded that lactose synthesis was inadequate, which led to a speculation that milk yield could be improved by increased lactose synthesis.