• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 1998

Ochratoxin A (OA) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus ochraceus as well as other molds. It is a natural contaminant of mouldy food and feed. OA has a number of toxic effects, the most prominant being nephrotoxicity. Futhermore, OA is immunosuppressive, genotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic. OA inhibits protein synthesis by competition with phenylalanine in the phenylalanine-tRNA aminoacylation reaction. Recently, lipid peroxidation induced by OA has been reported, indicating that the lesion induced by this mycotoxin could be also related to oxidative pathway. Since it seems impossible to avoid contamination of foodstuffs by toxigenic fungi, detoxification and detoxication of OA are needed. In this study we investigated the protective effects of aspartame (Asp), phenylalanine (Phe), polyphenol 70S (PP) and aloe extract (AE) on the nephrotoxicity induced by subacute exposure to the OA. Asp and Phe are structural analogues of OA. PP, an ingredient of Green Tea and AE have been known as antioxidant and radical scavenger. Phe (40 mg/kg, i.p.) and Asp (25 mg/kg, p.o.) were administered to Sprague-Dawley rats simultaneously with OA (2.0 mg/kg, p.o.) for 2 weeks. PP (200 mg/kg, p.o.) and AE (50 mg/kg, i.v.) were pretreated before administration of OA, for 2 weeks and 3 days, respectively. Using enzymuria, BUN level, creatinemia and histophathologic examination as indices of renal damage, we observed that all of four compounds prevented the nephrotoxic effects induced by OA. It seems that structural analogues of OA such as Asp and Phe have better protective effect on the nephrotoxicity of OA than antioxidants. These results indicate that 1) formation of free radical and lipid peroxidation are likely to be involved in the nephrotoxicity of OA in vivo, 2) Asp, PP and AE might be used for prevention of renal lesions in cases of ochratoxicosis.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.85-91
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• 1988

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of shading degrees (0: full sunlight, 25, 50 and 75%) on the proximate components, cell wall constituents (CWC), digestibility, water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and nitrate nitrogen ($NO_3$-N) concentration of grasses grown in forest. For the test different artificial shading houses were established and pasture species used were orchardgrass, timothy, perennial ryegrass and ladino clover. The experiment was performed at LES in Suwon. 1985. 1. Considering proximate components, CWC and digestibility of grasses, ladino clover showed the best quality, and then perennial ryegrass. 2. The contents of crude protein, crude ash, and digestibility of grasses were increased with shading, regardless of pasture species. As the shading degrees are increased, the contents of crude fiber in orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass and timothy were decreased, while that in ladino clover was increased with shading. 3. Grasses grown in spring showed higher digestibility than those grown in summer season. 4. The content of WSC was the highest in perennial ryegrass, and then ladino clover, orchardgrass, and timothy, in that order. Also WSC was decreased as the shading degrees are increased. 5.The content of $NO_3$-N was the highest in perennial ryegrass, and then orchardgrass, ladino clover and timothy, in that order. Also the $NO_3$-N was significantly increased with higher shading level. In the regression equation between shading degrees and $NO_3$-N ($r^2$=0.90**, TEX>$r^2$=0.95**), shading degree of 43 to 44% was critical level, causing nitrate poisoning to animal. 6 Considering grass quality, dry matter yield and $NO_3$-N, less than 40% of shading degree (over 60% of full sunlight) was desirable for better grassland improvement, management and utilization in the forest.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.30-39
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• 1989

Forage productivity of cropping systems of rye - silage corn, silage corn - oats, silage corn - rape was studied in the south-eastern part of Korea where rice black-streaked dwarf virus(RBSDV) infection of corn are severe. Rye(cv. Paldanghomil) was planted on Oct. 20 of 1986 and harvested 10 times from April 5 to May 5 at the 5-day intervals in 1987, corn (cv. Suweon 19 and Jinjuok) was planted 5 times from April 5 to May 15 at the 10-day intervals in 1987, and oats(cv. Megwiri) and rape (cv. Velox) were planted 4 times from Sept: 4 to 25 at the 7-day intervals and harvested 4 times from Nov. 10 to Dec. 10 at the 10-day intervals in 1987. Considering yield, nutrition value, and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), forage productivity of the cropping systems was compared. As harvesting time of rye delayed, plant height, dry matter(DM) yield, percent DM, crude fiber, and digestible DM yield increased, but crude protein, crude fat, and IVDMD decreased. However, nitrogen free extract was not different among the harvesting dates. As planting date of corn delayed, RBSDV infection rate increased. but DM yield of silage decreased. However, silage yield of Jinjuok was higher, but RBSDV infection rate was lower compared with Suweon 19 at all planting dates. DM yield of oats and rape decreased as planting date delayed. However, at Sept. 4 and 11 plantings yield of oats on Nov. 10 was much lower than that of rape, but the differences in yield between two crops decreased with delayed harvesting, and yield was similar on Dec. 10. A cropping system harvesting rye around April 20 and followed by planting corn in late April was best among the rye-corn systems considering yield and nutrition value of both crops. However, among the corn-oats or corn-rape cropping systems early April planting of corn and followed by early Sept. planting of oats or rape showed best results with similar yield potential of the best rye-corn cropping system.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.327-336
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• 2019

Soybean is one of the most important crops of which the grains contain high protein content and has been consumed in various forms of food. Soybean plants are generally cultivated on the field and their yield and quality are strongly affected by climate change. Recently, the abnormal climate conditions, including heat wave and heavy rainfall, frequently occurs which would increase the risk of the farm management. The real-time assessment techniques for quality and growth of soybean would reduce the losses of the crop in terms of quantity and quality. The objective of this work was to develop a simple model to estimate the growth of soybean plant using a multispectral sensor mounted on a rotor-wing unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV). The soybean growth model was developed by using simple linear regression analysis with three phenotypic data (fresh weight, dry weight, leaf area index) and two types of vegetation indices (VIs). It was found that the accuracy and precision of LAI model using GNDVI (R²= 0.789, RMSE=0.73 ㎡/㎡, RE=34.91%) was greater than those of the model using NDVI (R²= 0.587, RMSE=1.01 ㎡/㎡, RE=48.98%). The accuracy and precision based on the simple ratio indices were better than those based on the normalized vegetation indices, such as RRVI (R²= 0.760, RMSE=0.78 ㎡/㎡, RE=37.26%) and GRVI (R²= 0.828, RMSE=0.66 ㎡/㎡, RE=31.59%). The outcome of this study could aid the production of soybeans with high and uniform quality when a variable rate fertilization system is introduced to cope with the adverse climate conditions.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 2004

Experiment was carried out to find the fertilizing effects of 8 different application rates of swine compost fermented with sawdust(SCS) including Chemical fertilizer(CF) on forage yield and soil chemical characteristics of mixed pastures sown in Sep. 1993 at National Livestock Research Institute, RDA., in Suwon during low years. It was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Dry matter yield were shown at similar among treatments except Control and $50\%$ SCS of standard amount plot. In botanical composition, the legume and weeds percentages of each treatment were increased as advancing year. The final year's legume percentage were high in line with SCS fertilizing plots($39\%{\sim}43\%$), SCS + CF plots($30\%{\sim}41\%$) and CF plot($32\%$). In productions of TDN, NE and crude protein yield, SCS or SCS($75\%$) + CF($25\%$) were nearly same comparing those of CF, respectively. Phosphate, potassium, magnesium contents and K/(Ca + Mg) except calcium contents of those SCS fertilizing plots in plant were generally high with comparing CF. Those contents were proportional according to the fertilizing amount These result indicate the possibility to substitute chemical fertilizer for SCS($75\%$, 25ton/ha) + CF, $25\%$) as manure-N 210 kg/ha, but might be considered accumulation phosphate in the soil.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.141-147
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• 1989

This experiment was carried out to determine the effects of 13 different application levels of nitrogen(N), phosphorous($P_2O_5$) and potassium($K_2O$) fertilizer at pasture establishment on the winter survival, early spring growth and dry matter(DM) yield, and contents of crude protein(CP) and carbohydrate resewes(CH0-R) of grasses in Suwon from September, 1987 to June, 1988. Winter survival of grasses was high (ca. 90 %) in the plots of N 80 kg, N 120 kg and $K_2O$ application, regardless of $P_2O_5$, while those in zero-N and zero-NPK plots were low as 76 % and 64 %, respectively. Close relationships were observed between winter survival and N & $K_2O$ fertilizer. Early spring growth was vigorous in N-fertilized plots. Heading rate at the first harvest was 50-70 % in all N-plots, regardless of $P_2O_5$ and $K_2O$, while those in zero-N and zero-NPK plots were very low as 20-26 % and 15-18 %,respectively. The DM yield of first harvest was higher in the plots of N 80 kg $ha^{-1}$, regardless of $P_2O_5$ and $K_2O$ levels, and those in zero-N and zero-NPK plots were very low (P < 0.05). The regrowth yleld was not significantly affected by fertilizer levels. The CP content was increased with increasing N level, but CHO-K contents (35-39 %)was not affected by fertilizer levels.Winter survival, early spring growth, DM yield and CP content were significantly influenced by N fertilizer at pasture establishment, regardless of $P_2O_5$ and $K_2O$ application. In this experiment, the compensation effect for spring yield was observed with more N application than usual in next early spring when deficient amount of fertilizer (especially N) was applicated at pasture establishment. Also the optimum application levels of N, $P_2O_5$ and $K_2O$ fertilizer could be recommended as 80, 200 and 70 kg $ha^{-1}$ in new establishing pasture, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1997

For the recent years, considerable efforts have been made to rationalize the techniques of research and monitoring of biological effects of marine pollutants such as heavy metals, polychlorinate biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organophosphorus pesticides. This study was designed as a part of efforts to investigate the biochemical pollutant markers for diagnosis of marine pollutions by the changes in lipid components of the flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in Yellow Sea of Korea. Homoglobin levels in serum of cultured and wild flounders in Yellow Sea were significantly lower (5 - 15% and 20 -25 % , respectively) than those of wild flounder in Pohang. Triglyceride (TG) contents in serum of cultured flounders in Yellow Sea were 10 - 40% higher than those of wild flounder in Pohang. Total and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol contents in serum of flounders in Yellow Sea were significantly 10-15% and 30-35% (cultured), and 10-20% (wild), respectively, higher than those of wild flounder in Pohang. Atherogenic index (AI) and T-Chol/PL rations in serum of cultured and wild flounders in Yellow sea were significantly 20-45% and 10-!5%, 6-35% and 15-35%, respectively, higher than those of wild flounder in pohang. These results suggest that near-coastal waters as well as neritic waters of the Yellow Sea might be affected by pollutant input.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.2 s.82
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• pp.198-203
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• 2007

DNA transfection is a powerful tool for studying gene functions. The $Ca^{2+}$-phosphate precipitation remains one of the most popular and cost-effective transfection techniques. Mature neurons are more resistant to transfection than young ones and most other cell types, and easy to die if microenvironment changes. Here, we report a transfection protocol for mature neurons. The critical modifications are inclusion of glial cells in culture and careful control of $Ca^{2+}$-phosphate precipitation under microscope. Cerebral glial cells were grown until ${\sim}70-80%$ confluence in DMEM/10% horse serum, which was thereafter replaced with serum-free Neurobasal/Ara-C, and 319 hippocampal neurons were plated onto the glial layer Formation of fine $DNA/Ca^{2+}$-phosphate precipitates was induced using Clontech $CalPhos^{TM}$ Mammalian Transfection Kit, and the size ($0.5-1\;{\mu}m$ in diameter) and density(about 10 particles/$100\;{\mu}m^2$) were carefully controlled by the time of incubation in the medium. This modified protocol can be reliably applied for transfection of mature neurons that are maintained longer than two weeks in vitro, resulting in 10-15 healthy transfected neurons per a well of 24-well plates. The efficacy of the protocol was verified by punctate expression of $pEGFP-CaMKII{\alpha}$, a synaptic protein, and diffuse expression of pDsRed2. Our protocol provides a reliable method for transfection of mature neurons in vitro.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.113-126
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• 2002

Background : DNA repair plays a crucial role in protection from cancer-causing agents. Therefore, a reduced DNA repair capacity can increase the susceptibility to lung cancer. The XPC gene contains 15 exons and encodes a 940 amino acid protein that plays a central role in DNA damage recognition of the nucleotide excision repair pathway, which is a major DNA repair mechanisim removing the bulky-helix distorting DNA lesions caused by smoking. Recently several polymorphisms in the XPC gene were identified. In addition, it is possible that these polymorphisms may affect the DNA repair capacity, which modulate cancer susceptibility. The relationship between codon 499 and 939 polymorphisms, and a poly(AT) insertion/deletion polymorphism in the XPC gene, and the lung cancer risk were investigated. Materials and Methods : The genotypes were determined using either PCR or PCR-RFLP analysis in 219 male lung cancer patients and 150 healthy males controls. Results : The frequencies of the genotypes (Val499Ala, PAT and Lys939Gln) among the cases were not significantly different from those of the controls. There was no significant associantion between these polymorphi는 and the lung cancer risk when the analyses were stratified according to age, smoking status and the pack-years of smoking. Moreover, the genotypes had no apparent relationship with any of the histological types of lung cancer. There was a linkage disequilibrium among the Val499Ala, PAT and Lys939Gln polymorphisms. The PAT polymorphism had a strong linkage disequilibrium with the Lys939Gln polymorphism (kappa value=0.87). The XPC haplotypes showed no significant association with the lung cancer risk. Conclusion : These results suggest that XPC Val499Ala, PAT and Lys939Gln polymorphisms are not major contributors to the individual lung cancer susceptibility in Koreans.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

Purpose : The objective of this study was to determine whether the expressions of the two components of DNA-dependent protein kinase, Ku70 and DNA-PKcs, influence the response to radiotherapy (RT) and outcome of treatment of non-disseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in patients who received definitive RT. Materials and Methods : Sixty-six patients with NPC who were treated with radiotherapy alone or with concurrent chemotherapy between June 1995 and December 2001 were divided into groups based on the levels of immunoreactivity for Ku70 and DNA-PKcs in pretreatment biopsy specimens. The over-expression of Ku70 or DNA-PKcs groups Included patients whose biopsy specimens showed at least 50% immunopositive tumor cells; patients in which less than 50% of the tumor cells in the biopsy tissues were immunopositive were placed in the low Ku70 and DNA-PKcs groups. The immunoreactivities for Ku70 and DNA-PKcs were retrospectively compared with the sensitivity of the tumor to radiation and the patterns of therapy failure. Univariate analyses were peformed to determine the prognostic factors that influenced locoregional control of NPC. Results : The five-year locoregional control rate was significantly higher in the low Ku70 group (Ku(-)) (85%) than in the high Ku70 group (Ku(+)) (42%) (p=0.0042). However, there were no differences in the metastases-free survival rates between the two groups (Ku70 (+), 82%; Ku70 (-), 78%; p=0.8672). Univariate analysis indicated that the over-expression of Ku70 surpassed other well-known predictive clinocopathologic parameters as an Independent prognostic factor for locoregionai control. Eighteen of 22 patients who had locoregional recurrences of the tumor displayed an over-expression of Ku70. No significant association was found between the level of DNA-PKcs expression and the clinical outcome. Conclusion : Our data suggest that the level of Ku70 expression can be used as a molecular marker to predict the response to RT and the locoregional control after RT and concurrent chemotherapy in patients with non-disseminated NPC.