• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.29.1-29.9
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• 2023

Preterm birth (PTB), a pregnancy-related disease, is defined as a birth before 37 weeks of gestation. It is a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide, and its incidence rate is steadily increasing. Various genetic factors can contribute to the etiology of PTB. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) gene is an important angiogenic gene and its polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with PTB development. Therefore, we conducted a case-control study to evaluate the association between VEGFA rs699947, rs2010963, and rs3025039 polymorphisms and PTB in Korean women. A total of 271 subjects (116 patients with PTB and 155 women at ≥38 weeks of gestation) were analyzed in this study. The genotyping of VEGFA gene polymorphisms was performed using polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism. No significant association between the patients with PTB and the control groups was confirmed. In the combination analysis, we found a significant association between PTB and VEGFA rs699947 CC-rs2010963 GG-rs3025039 CC combination (odds ratio, 3.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.091 to 13.032; p = 0.031). The VEGFA rs699947, rs2010963, and rs3025039 polymorphisms might have no genetic association with the pathogenesis of PTB in Korean women. However, the combination analysis indicates the possibility that VEGFA acts in PTB pathophysiology. Therefore, larger sample sets and replication studies are required to further elucidate our findings.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2024

Copper sulphate (CuSO₄) level was analyzed in this study to determine the effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, organ weight, and excreta score in Ross308-broilers. A total of 1,134 mixed sex, 1-d old Ross-308 chicks were randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups with 21 replication and 18 chicks / cage. For a period of 32 days, chicks were fed with the following treatment groups: CON: Basal diet, TRT1: 0.032% CuSO₄, TRT2: 0.047% CuSO₄ (Phase 1), 0.032% CuSO₄ (Phase 2), 0.025% CuSO₄ (Phase 3). The experiment was divided into three phases. Phase 1 (day 1 to 9), phase 2 (day 9 to 21), and phase 3 (day 21 to 32). During days 1 to 9, broilers receiving 0.032% or 0.047% of CuSO₄ in TRT1 and TRT2, respectively, had significantly higher body weight gain (BWG) (p = 0.042) than CON. Likewise, comparing TRT1 and TRT2 to CON during days 10 to 21, 0.032% of CuSO₄ significantly increased BWG (p = 0.013) and feed intake (FI), (p = 0.024) in the broiler. When compared to TRT1, the administration of 0.032% and 0.025% of CuSO₄ during days 22 to 32 reduced BWG and FI in CON and TRT2, respectively among the treatment groups. Throughout the experiment, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) did not change. However, the nutrient digestibility, weight of organs, and the score of excreta remained unchanged. The study found that CuSO₄ administration increased broiler BWG and FI without affecting FCR, nutrients digestibility, weight of organs, and excreta score.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the performance of laying period of A and B strains of Korean native ducks (KND). One hundred sixty eight ducks were used in this work and divided into A and B strains (6 replications/strain, 14 birds/replication). Ducks were fed with laying ducks' feedstuff (CP 15%, ME 2,900 kcal/kg) for the age of 20~80 wk old. There was no significant difference on body weight, feed intake and egg weight between A and B strains. Weekly body wt of KNDs was the lowest at the age of 40~48 wk old, and that of those was high at the age of 24~32 wk and 64~80 wk old (P<0.05). Weekly feed intake significantly decreased at the age of 36~48 wk and 68~72 wk old (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference at the age of 52~56 wk old. Weekly egg wt was the lowest at the age of 32~40 wk old. Egg production ratio of B strain was higher compared to that of A strain at the age of 24~28 wk, 60~64 wk and 20~80 wk old. Weekly egg production ratio was the highest at the age of 28~32 wk old, and was high maintained until the age of 48 wk old. However, weekly egg production ratio decreased from the age of 52 wk old to the age of 68 wk old. Number of egg of B strain (267.5) was higher than that of A strain (235.6) at the age of 20~80 wk old. There was no significant difference on feed conversion ratio between A and B strain at the age of 28~36 wk old, but feed conversion ratio of A strain was higher than that of B strain at the other weeks (P<0.05). These results provided the basic data on the record of laying period of Korean native ducks.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.305-310
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• 2012

This work was carried out to investigate performance and carcass yield of large-type broilers at different stocking densities. Treatments were T1 (9.1 birds/$m^2$), T2 (10.3 birds/$m^2$) and T3 (11.5 birds/$m^2$) by the stocking density. Four hundred eight 1-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were used for six weeks (starter, 0~1 wks; earlier, 1~3 wks; finisher, 3~6 wks) and divided into 3 treatments (4 replications/treatment, 30, 34 or 38 birds/replication). Research indexes were rearing viability ratio, body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, production efficiency factor and carcass ratio. Rearing viability ratio (%) was 89% or more for all treatments and there was no significant difference on weekly rearing viability ratio (%). Body weight of T2 was the greatest and that of T3 was the lowest at 1 weeks old (P<0.05). Body weight gain of T2 was the greatest and that of T3 was the lowest at 0~1 weeks old (P<0.05). However, body weight gain of T3 was the greatest and that of T1 was the lowest at 1~2 weeks old (P<0.05). Body weight gain of T2 was the greatest as 3,031 g among treatments at 0~6 weeks old (P<0.05). Feed intakes of T1, T2 and T3 were 1,417 g, 1,265 g and 1,355 g, respectively, and that of T1 was the greatest among treatments (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on body weight, body weight gain and feed intake. Feed conversion ratio of T1 was the greatest among treatments at 1~2 wks, 3~4 wks and 0~6 wks old (P<0.05). Production efficiency factors of T1, T2 and T3 were 363.5, 388.3 and 358.3, respectively, and there was no significant difference among treatments. Wing meat ratio of T1 was the higher compared to other treatments at the age of 4 wk (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on carcass ratio and partial meat ratio among treatments. Neck meat ratio of T2 was the lowest among treatments (P<0.05). This result may provide the standard data of different stocking densities for large-type broiler and the further research is needed.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2009

Objectives of this study was to find the effect on two different nitrogen levels about agricultural characteristics of CNU rice lines developed at Crop Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Chungnam Nat'l Univ.. Materials used were two black and one white glutinous rice lines, which were transplanted by hand with $30{\times}15cm$ at CNU paddy field on May 23, 2009. These lines was designed with two replication by two nitrogen levels as 7kg and 9kg per 10a. As the result; Culm length of all lines used were higher at 7kg than 9kg per 10a while panicle length was longer at 9kg nitrogen level. Tillers per plant of CNU 08-01 and CNU 08-02 lines except CNU 08-101 showed highly at 9kg level, but that of other leading varieties were not constant trends in spite of increasing nitrogen. Ripening ratio of CNU 08-01 and 08-02 lines were higher at 7kg but CNU 08-101 line was higher at 9kg. 1,000 grain weight and unhulled rice yield per 20 plants in all CNU lines were highly appeared at 9kg levels per 10a.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.219-224
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of feldspar on laying Performance and e99 qualify in hens. A total of 96 'Tetra Brown' layers were assigned to 4 treatments in a completely randomized design. Each treatment consisted 4 replicates accommodating 6 layers per replication. Experiment diets were a control diet without feldspar and supplemented 0.5, 1.0 and $1.5\%$ feldspar. The egg Production rate was significantly increased in layers 134 diets supplemented 0.5 and $1.0\%$ feldspar compared to that of control (P<0.05). Egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg shell strength and egg yolk color were not significantly different among the treatments (P>0.05). The haugh unit and blood spot of the eggs were significantly increased in $1.5\%$ feldspa. diets compared to that of control (p<0.05). However, the albumen index and meat spot in the eggs were not statistically different among treatments (P>0.05). Sensory evaluation traits were not significantly differed in terms of appearance, color, texture flavor and overall acceptability of eggs (P>0.05). The juiciness of boiled eggs was significantly increased in eggs of birds fed $1.0\%$ feldspar diets(P>0.05).

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.36-41
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• 2018

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vasculitis predominately affecting infants and children. The dominant incidence age of KD is from 6 months to 5 years of age, and the incidence is unusual in those younger than 6 months and older than 5 years of age. We tried to identify genetic variants specifically associated with KD in patients younger than 6 months or older than 5 years of age. We performed an age-stratified genome-wide association study using the Illumina HumanOmni1-Quad BeadChip data (296 cases vs. 1,000 controls) and a replication study (1,360 cases vs. 3,553 controls) in the Korean population. Among 26 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tested in replication study, only a rare nonsynonymous SNP (rs4365796: c.1106C>T, p.Thr369Met) in the lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) gene was very significantly associated with KD in patients younger than 6 months of age (odds ratio [OR], 3.07; $p_{combined}=1.10{\times}10^{-5}$), whereas no association of the same SNP was observed in any other age group of KD patients. The same SNP (rs4365796) in the LEF1 gene showed the same direction of risk effect in Japanese KD patients younger than 6 months of age, although the effect was not statistically significant (OR, 1.42; p = 0.397). This result indicates that the LEF1 gene may play an important role as a susceptibility gene specifically affecting KD patients younger than 6 months of age.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2013

This work was carried out to investigate the performance of early laying period of large-type Korean native ducks. One hundred sixty eight ducks were used in this work and divided into A and B strains (6 replications/strain, 14 birds/replication). The days at first egg of A and B strains were the age of 154.5 and 154.7 days, egg weights were 69.1 g and 65.5 g, and body weights were 3,187 g and 3,105 g at the period of laying the first egg, respectively. The days at sexual maturity of A and B strains were the age of 175.8 and 171.5 days, egg weights were 75.2 g and 74.9 g, and body weights were 3,245 g and 3,225 g at the period of laying the first egg, respectively. There were no significant differences on the day of first egg, the day of sexual maturity, egg weight and body weight at first egg and the sexual maturity, average body weight, and daily feed intake between A and B strains (P>0.05). The day of the sexual maturity of B strain was earlier than that of A strain (P<0.05). However, weekly body weight was the highest at the age of 28 weeks (P<0.05), and weekly feed intake increased after 26 weeks old (P<0.05). Egg production (%) of B strain was higher than that of A strain at the age of 22~24 weeks (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference on egg production (%) the other weeks. A number of egg laid of B strain was higher than A strain at 22~24 weeks old (P<0.05). Feed conversion ratio of A and B strains were 10.7 and 6.53 at 24~24 weeks old, respectively, so feed conversion ratio of A strain was higher than that of B strain (P<0.05). Weekly feed conversion ratio wes the highest at 20~22 weeks old, and significantly decreased until 24~24 weeks old, but were lowly maintained from the age of 24 weeks to the age of 30 weeks. These results provided the basic data on the record of early laying period of large-type Korean native ducks.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2010

This study researches the effects of common features on a no-choice option with respect to regulatory focus theory. The primary interest is in three factors and their interrelationship: common features, no-choice option, and regulatory focus. Prior studies have compiled vast body of research in these areas. First, the "common features effect" has been observed bymany noted marketing researchers. Tversky (1972) proposed the seminal theory, the EBA model: elimination by aspect. According to this theory, consumers are prone to focus only on unique features during comparison processing, thereby dismissing any common features as redundant information. Recently, however, more provocative ideas have attacked the EBA model by asserting that common features really do affect consumer judgment. Chernev (1997) first reported that adding common features mitigates the choice gap because of the increasing perception of similarity among alternatives. Later, however, Chernev (2001) published a critically developed study against his prior perspective with the proposition that common features may be a cognitive load to consumers, and thus consumers are possible that they are prone to prefer the heuristic processing to the systematic processing. This tends to bring one question to the forefront: Do "common features" affect consumer choice? If so, what are the concrete effects? This study tries to answer the question with respect to the "no-choice" option and regulatory focus. Second, some researchers hold that the no-choice option is another best alternative of consumers, who are likely to avoid having to choose in the context of knotty trade-off settings or mental conflicts. Hope for the future also may increase the no-choice option in the context of optimism or the expectancy of a more satisfactory alternative appearing later. Other issues reported in this domain are time pressure, consumer confidence, and alternative numbers (Dhar and Nowlis 1999; Lin and Wu 2005; Zakay and Tsal 1993). This study casts the no-choice option in yet another perspective: the interactive effects between common features and regulatory focus. Third, "regulatory focus theory" is a very popular theme in recent marketing research. It suggests that consumers have two focal goals facing each other: promotion vs. prevention. A promotion focus deals with the concepts of hope, inspiration, achievement, or gain, whereas prevention focus involves duty, responsibility, safety, or loss-aversion. Thus, while consumers with a promotion focus tend to take risks for gain, the same does not hold true for a prevention focus. Regulatory focus theory predicts consumers' emotions, creativity, attitudes, memory, performance, and judgment, as documented in a vast field of marketing and psychology articles. The perspective of the current study in exploring consumer choice and common features is a somewhat creative viewpoint in the area of regulatory focus. These reviews inspire this study of the interaction possibility between regulatory focus and common features with a no-choice option. Specifically, adding common features rather than omitting them may increase the no-choice option ratio in the choice setting only to prevention-focused consumers, but vice versa to promotion-focused consumers. The reasoning is that when prevention-focused consumers come in contact with common features, they may perceive higher similarity among the alternatives. This conflict among similar options would increase the no-choice ratio. Promotion-focused consumers, however, are possible that they perceive common features as a cue of confirmation bias. And thus their confirmation processing would make their prior preference more robust, then the no-choice ratio may shrink. This logic is verified in two experiments. The first is a $2{\times}2$ between-subject design (whether common features or not X regulatory focus) using a digital cameras as the relevant stimulus-a product very familiar to young subjects. Specifically, the regulatory focus variable is median split through a measure of eleven items. Common features included zoom, weight, memory, and battery, whereas the other two attributes (pixel and price) were unique features. Results supported our hypothesis that adding common features enhanced the no-choice ratio only to prevention-focus consumers, not to those with a promotion focus. These results confirm our hypothesis - the interactive effects between a regulatory focus and the common features. Prior research had suggested that including common features had a effect on consumer choice, but this study shows that common features affect choice by consumer segmentation. The second experiment was used to replicate the results of the first experiment. This experimental study is equal to the prior except only two - priming manipulation and another stimulus. For the promotion focus condition, subjects had to write an essay using words such as profit, inspiration, pleasure, achievement, development, hedonic, change, pursuit, etc. For prevention, however, they had to use the words persistence, safety, protection, aversion, loss, responsibility, stability etc. The room for rent had common features (sunshine, facility, ventilation) and unique features (distance time and building state). These attributes implied various levels and valence for replication of the prior experiment. Our hypothesis was supported repeatedly in the results, and the interaction effects were significant between regulatory focus and common features. Thus, these studies showed the dual effects of common features on consumer choice for a no-choice option. Adding common features may enhance or mitigate no-choice, contradictory as it may sound. Under a prevention focus, adding common features is likely to enhance the no-choice ratio because of increasing mental conflict; under the promotion focus, it is prone to shrink the ratio perhaps because of a "confirmation bias." The research has practical and theoretical implications for marketers, who may need to consider common features carefully in a practical display context according to consumer segmentation (i.e., promotion vs. prevention focus.) Theoretically, the results suggest some meaningful moderator variable between common features and no-choice in that the effect on no-choice option is partly dependent on a regulatory focus. This variable corresponds not only to a chronic perspective but also a situational perspective in our hypothesis domain. Finally, in light of some shortcomings in the research, such as overlooked attribute importance, low ratio of no-choice, or the external validity issue, we hope it influences future studies to explore the little-known world of the "no-choice option."

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.253-259
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• 2010

This experiment was conducted to evaluate water use efficiency of barley, wheat, and millet as a substitution crop for rice of fallow paddy field. Dry weight (DW), evapotranspiration, and transpiration of crop grown on the lysimeters controlled with 5 levels of groundwater table (GWT), 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 cm were evaluated for optimum GWT and water use efficiency. All the lysimeters randomized with four replication arrangements were filled up sandy loam and were adjusted to the constant bulk density treated with twice water infiltration from bottom side to upper side of lysimeter. DW of barley, wheat, and millet in the plot of 0cm GWT that is saturated soil showed 34.9%, 44.7%, and 37.1% of that in the plot of 100 cm GWT, respectively showing a serious obstacle in crop growth. Evapotranspiration ratios calculated by evapotranspiration volume (mL) per DW were 166~605 mL for barley, 136~481 mL for wheat, and 81~418 mL for millet showing the order of barley > wheat > millet. Evapotranspiration ratio was increased with decrease of groundwater table that is the condition of moisture saturation. Estimation of GWT for maximum DW of wheat was 76 cm, and those of barley and millet were 100 cm below. The volumetric moisture content of lysimeter soil with cropping was markedly decreased as increase of crop growth because moisture supplying capability by capillary rise of water was less than amount of moisture required by crop.