• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.40.1-40.8
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• 2022

The concepts of phylogeny and floral genetics play a crucial role in understanding the origin and diversification of flowers in angiosperms. Angiosperms evolved a great diversity of ways to display their flowers for reproductive success with variations in floral color, size, shape, scent, arrangements, and flowering time. The various innovations in floral forms and the aggregation of flowers into different kinds of inflorescences have driven new ecological adaptations, speciation, and angiosperm diversification. Evolutionary developmental biology seeks to uncover the developmental and genetic basis underlying morphological diversification. Advances in the developmental genetics of floral display have provided a foundation for insights into the genetic basis of floral and inflorescence evolution. A number of regulatory genes controlling floral and inflorescence development have been identified in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum majus using forward genetics, and conserved functions of many of these genes across diverse non-model species have been revealed by reverse genetics. Transcription factors are vital elements in systems that play crucial roles in linked gene expression in the evolution and development of flowers. Therefore, we review the sex-linked genes, mostly transcription factors, associated with the complex and dynamic event of floral development and briefly discuss the sex-linked genes that have been characterized through next-generation sequencing.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.311-323
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• 2023

Miscanthus sinensis Andersson (Poaceae) cultivars exhibit excellent visual appeal as ornamental grasses and adapt well to diverse environmental conditions. This study focused on assessing the growth response and landscape durability of seven popular Miscanthus cultivars ('Gold Breeze', 'Strictus', 'Morning Light', 'Variegatus', 'Gracillimus', 'Kleine Fontäne', 'Common') under drought, rainfall and low temperature condition. The test cultivars were transplanted and cultivated on research plots in 2013, with data collected from June 2017 to February 2018. Plant materials were categorized into three types based on the amount of the water lost; group I ('Kleine Fontäne', 'Variegatus', 'Strictus'), experiencing the most significant water loss; group II ('Common', 'Gracillimus'); and group III ('Gold Breeze', 'Morning Light') where the least water loss occurred. The drought resistance index (DRI) remained low as water shortage conditions persisted. The lodged angle underwent more pronounced changes in reproductive growth stage than in vegetative growth stage, notably decreasing after heading. Discoloration patterns were classified into two types: group I ('Common', 'Gold Breeze', 'Kleine Fontäne', 'Strictus') and group II ('Gracillimus', 'Morning Light', 'Variegatus') based on the periods of peak duration.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.137-145
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to analyze the risk of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) in extramarital birth by analyzing 2008-2012 birth certificated data (2,328,719 births) from Korea Statistics. Odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated from logistic regression analyses to describe the associations between PTB & LBW and extramarital birth adjusted for maternal age, maternal occupation & education, infantile sex, birth order and number of child birth (singleton & multiple birth). The rate of extramarital birth was 1.8 percent and 2.1 percent in 2010-11. The incidence of LBW was 8.1 percent in extramarital birth and 5.0 percent in marital birth. The incidence of PTB in extramarital birth were 8.2 percent and 5.8 percent in marital birth. Compared with marital birth, the odds ratio (OR) for PTB were 1.48 (95% CI: 1.43-1.54) for extramarital birth. Risk of LBW was higher in extramarital birth (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.64-1.76) than that of marital birth. Among mothers younger than 20 years, the odds ratio of PTB among extramarital birth, relative to married birth was 1.69 (1.49-1.91). Among unmarried mothers, those at a higher risk of LBW was aged 20-29 years (1.69: 1.59-1.79). Maternal unmarried status was associated with increased risk of PTB and LBW.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.756-764
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• 2009

Provision of an optimal environment for the calf is critical to establishing the patterns of growth and development essential to allow the heifer to express its genetic potential for milk output and reproductive capacity during its productive life. Maternal nutrition during gestation is now recognised as a key to genetic programming in utero and this influence is extended through the complexity of hormones, growth factors and immunostimulants incorporated into colostrum and milk consumed by the neonatal calf. This natural process is most often disrupted as calves are weaned abruptly to maximise milk output for commercial exploitation. The key then is to accelerate the rate of maturation of the ruminal epithelium through the provision of concentrate starter rations and high quality forage, which promote VFA production. Management systems to promote these processes in Holstein Friesian cattle are well developed, however, little is known of these processes with buffalo and Bos indicus dairy cattle such as the Sahiwal. The development of methods to program the neonate to grow faster to puberty in these species will be important to improving their productivity for the dairy industries in tropical and sub-tropical environments in the future.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.31
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• pp.11.1-11.6
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• 2016

Objectives A hazard assessment of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a commonly used workplace chemical, was conducted in order to protect the occupational health of workers. A literature review, consisting of both domestic and international references, examined the chemical management system, working environment, level of exposure, and possible associated risks. This information may be utilized in the future to determine appropriate exposure levels in working environments. Methods Hazard assessment was performed using chemical hazard information obtained from international agencies, such as Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development-generated Screening Information Data Set and International Program on Chemical Safety. Information was obtained from surveys conducted by the Minister of Employment and Labor ("Survey on the work environment") and by the Ministry of Environment ("Survey on the circulation amount of chemicals"). Risk was determined according to exposure in workplaces and chemical hazard. Results In 229 workplaces over the country, 831 tons of DEHP have been used as plasticizers, insecticides, and ink solvent. Calculated 50% lethal dose values ranged from 14.2 to 50 g/kg, as determined via acute toxicity testing in rodents. Chronic carcinogenicity tests revealed cases of lung and liver degeneration, shrinkage of the testes, and liver cancer. The no-observed-adverse-effect level and the lowest-observed-adverse-effect level were determined to be 28.9 g/kg and 146.6 g/kg, respectively. The working environment assessment revealed the maximum exposure level to be $0.990mg/m^3$, as compared to the threshold exposure level of $5mg/m^3$. The relative risk of chronic toxicity and reproductive toxicity were 0.264 and 0.330, respectively, while the risk of carcinogenicity was 1.3, which is higher than the accepted safety value of one. Conclusions DEHP was identified as a carcinogen, and may be dangerous even at concentrations lower than the occupational exposure limit. Therefore, we suggest management of working environments, with exposure levels below $5mg/m^3$ and all workers utilizing local exhaust ventilation and respiratory protection when handling DEHP.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2018

$17{\alpha}-ethinylestradiol$ (EE2), a synthetic estrogen which interfere the endocrine and reproductive function in living organisms, has been found extensively to be deposited into municipal wastewater treatment plants and the environment via human excretion. EE2 has long been known to be efficiently cometabolized by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) during ammonia ($NH_3$) oxidation. Current study aims to investigate the effect of culture history on the biotransformation of EE2 by nitrifying sludge which was enriched under different ammonia loading rates in continuous flow reactors. Result showed that past growth condition largely affected not only the metabolic rate of $NH_3$ oxidation but also EE2 cometabolism. Sludge previously acclimated with higher $NH_3$ loads as well as sludge dominated with AOB belong to high growth cluster (Nitrosomonas europaea-Nitrosococcus mobilis) showed higher rate of EE2 biotransformation than those one being acclimated with lower $NH_3$ loads because of its ability to provide more reducing power from $NH_3$ oxidation. Moreover, the correlation between the degradation rates of $NH_3$ and EE2 was higher in sludge being acclimated with higher load of $NH_3$ in comparison with other sludge. Implication of the findings emphasized the role of volumetric $NH_3$ loading rate in determining EE2 removal in wastewater treatment system.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.1007-1016
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• 2018

USA beef production is characterized by a diversity of climates, environmental conditions, animal phenotypes, management systems, and a multiplicity of nutritional inputs. The USA beef herd consists of more than 80 breeds of cattle and crosses thereof, and the industry is divided into distinct, but ofttimes overlapping sectors, including seedstock production, cow-calf production, stocker/backgrounding, and feedlot. Exception for male dairy calves, production is predominantly pastoral-based, with young stock spending relatively brief portions of their life in feedlots. The beef industry is very technology driven, utilizing reproductive management strategies, genetic improvement technologies, exogenous growth promoting compounds, vaccines, antibiotics, and feed processing strategies, focusing on improvements in efficiency and cost of production. Young steers and heifers are grain-based diets fed for an average of 5 months, mostly in feedlots of 1,000 head capacity or more, and typically are slaughtered at 15 to 28 months of age to produce tender, well-marbled beef. Per capita beef consumption is nearly 26 kg annually, over half of which is consumed in the form of ground products. Beef exports, which are increasingly important, consist primarily of high value cuts and variety meats, depending on destination. In recent years, adverse climatic conditions (i.e., draught), a shrinking agricultural workforce, emergence of food-borne pathogens, concerns over development of antimicrobial resistance, animal welfare/well-being, environmental impact, consumer perceptions of healthfulness of beef, consumer perceptions of food animal production practices, and alternative uses of traditional feed grains have become increasingly important with respect to their impact on both beef production and demand for beef products. Similarly, changing consumer demographics and globalization of beef markets have dictated changes in the types of products demanded by consumers of USA beef, both domestically and abroad. The industry is highly adaptive, however, and responds quickly to evolving economic signals.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.200-215
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences of pulse wave parameter between the non delivery group (single women with no childbirth experience) and the delivery group (married women who gave birth(s) in delivery). Methods : Sixty one healthy (non delivery) nulliparous women and fifty three delivery women participated in this study. We used 3 dimensional pulse analyser(3D MAC, DAEYOMEDI co., Korea), which measures radial pulse waveform non-invasively by way of tonometry method at 5 different applied pressure levels. From 114 subjects enrolled, pulse wave parameters were measured on the six locations of Chon, Kwan and Cheok of each hands. Results : Delivery group's pulse showed larger values in the following pulse wave parameters (Energy, Ap, RAI, As, Aw, h1, h2, h4, h4/h1, t, t1, t2, t4, Wm, Wm/t). Non delivery group's pulse indicated larger values in the pulse wave parameters such as Energy of left Chon, difference pulse energy between left and right hand, Ad, h5, h5/h1, t5. Conclusions : According to the analysis result, delivery group's pulse has bigger values in most part of pulse wave parameters, especially in Kwan and Cheok which correspond to Liver, Kidney, and Myeong-mun. We interpret these results that delivery women are more mature and stable in reproductive organs than non delivery group, as they have experienced delivery(deliveries) and child-caring through married life.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.76-100
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• 2000

A brief general discussion of the nature and function of biosensors is presented. While the primary motivator for biosensor development has been the health-care industries, recent research efforts have spread to problems in agriculture and biological production systems. To illustrate some of the research from our laboratory, three example biosensors and their corresponding applications are presented. The first of these is an immunosensor for measurement of the hormone progesterone during milking as a method to improve reproductive management of dairy herds. The second example is an enzyme sensor for measurement of urea in milk as a menas to determine the efficiency of conversion of input protein to milk protein and, thus, improve nutritional management of dairy herds. The third example is a DNA sensor using polymerase chain reaction to detect pathogenic bacteria in the wash water of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. The potential for application of biosensors in agriculture, agrobiotechnology, food processing, and environmental monitoring has barely been realized.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.287-296
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to compare the regional difference of death from intentional self-harm. The analysis was based on data of intentional self-harm deaths (31,450) from the 2010-2011 vital statistics of Korea. The suicide rate (per 100,000 population) was 46.2 in male and 22.3 in female. Gender ratio (male / female) of suicide rate was 2.07, and Jeju province had the lowest gender ratio (1.82), and Chungbuk province had the highest gender ratio (2.42). In the age-gender standardized death rate (per 100,000) of self-harm by region, the highest suicide rate was observed in Gangwon province (44.8) and Chungnam province (44.3), and the lowest in Seoul metropolitan city (28.9) and Ulsan metropolitan city (29.2). There was a significant increase in the rate of suicide in city areas (odds ratio: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.08-1.13), county areas (1.62, 1.56-1.67) as compared with the rate of suicide in metropolitan areas. The commonest methods of suicide were hanging (53.7 percent), self-poisoning by pesticides (16.8 percent) and jumping from a height (14.3 percent). The methods used for suicide differed between rural (county) and urban areas (metropolitan city and city). In county areas, 43 percent of suicides used pesticides as compared to only 7-18 percent of those in urban areas. In urban areas, jumping was more common (13-17 percent vs. 6 percent). There were no difference in hanging between urban and rural areas. The odds ratio of death by pesticides was 9.86 in rural areas compared with death rate of metropolitan areas. The odds ratio of death by jumping was 0.59 in rural compared with death rate of metropolitan areas.