• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2016

In the present study, fast and robust methods for the next generation sequencing (NGS) were developed for analysis of PRRSV full genome sequences, which is a positive sensed RNA virus with a high degree of genetic variability among isolates. Two strains of PRRSVs (VR2332 and VR2332-R) which have been maintained in our laboratory were used to validate our methods and to compare with the sequence registered in GenBank (GenBank accession no. EF536003). The results suggested that both of strains had 100% coverage with the reference; the VR2332 had the coverage depth from minimum 3 to maximum 23,012, for the VR2332-R from minimum 3 to maximum 41,348, and 22,712 as an average depth. Genomic data produced from the massive sequencing capacities of the NGS have enabled the study of PRRSV at an unprecedented rate and details. Unlike conventional sequence methods which require the knowledge of conserved regions, the NGS allows de novo assembly of the full viral genomes. Therefore, our results suggested that these methods using the NGS massively facilitate the generation of more full genome PRRSV sequences locally as well as nationally in regard of saving time and cost.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.11.1-11.14
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• 2023

Background: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are commonly used to assess in vitro immune responses. However, PBMC isolation is a time-consuming procedure, introduces technical variability, and requires a relatively large volume of blood. By contrast, whole blood assay (WBA) is faster, cheaper, maintains more physiological conditions, and requires less sample volume, laboratory training, and equipment. Objectives: Herein, this study aimed to develop a porcine WBA for in vitro evaluation of immune responses. Methods: Heparinized whole blood (WB) was diluted (non-diluted, 1/2, 1/8, and 1/16) in RPMI-1640 media, followed by phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin. After 24 h, cells were stained for interferon (IFN)-γ secreting T-cells followed by flow cytometry, and the supernatant was analyzed for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. In addition, diluted WB was stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), reference strain KCTC3557 (RS), field isolate (FI), of heat-killed (HK) Streptococcus suis, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Results: The frequency of IFN-γ⁺CD3⁺ T-cells and concentration of TNF-α in the supernatant of WB increased with increasing dilution factor and were optimal at 1/8. WB TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-10 cytokine levels increased significantly following stimulation with LPS or poly I:C. Further, FI and RS induced IL-10 production in WB. Additionally, PRRSV strains increased the frequency of IFN-γ⁺ CD4^-CD8⁺ cells, and IFN-γ was non-significantly induced in the supernatant of re-stimulated samples. Conclusions: We propose that the WBA is a rapid, reliable, and simple method to evaluate immune responses and WB should be diluted to trigger immune cells.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.18.1-18.10
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• 2022

Background: Canine herpesvirus type 1 (CaHV-1) infects dogs and is associated with neonatal deaths and reproductive, ocular, neurological, and respiratory problems. In Brazil, reports of CaHV-1 have been restricted to the southeast and south regions, particularly in municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Objectives: To assess the presence and variability of CaHV-1 in canine populations in the state of Pará, North Brazil. Methods: Biological samples from 159 dogs from 4 municipalities in the State of Pará were evaluated using polymerase chain reaction and phylogenetic analyses, with the target being the viral enzyme, thymidine kinase. Results: CaHV-1 was detected in 13 dogs (8.2%), with 2 animals being from the municipality of Santa Bárbara do Pará, 8 from Algodoal Island, 2 from Salinópolis, and one from Capanema. The study sequences revealed 100% identity among themselves and 64% to 100% identity with the other nucleotide sequences from Australia, Brazil, United Kingdom, and United States, including 100% identity with the 2002 isolate from Australia. The 1996 isolate from France was grouped in a branch that was different from the sequence of this study. Conclusions: This study presents the first molecular detection of CaHV-1 in dogs from the Amazon region in northern Brazil. The nucleotide identity between the strains and cytosine insertion in the sequences isolated in this study suggests at least 2 strains of CaHV-1 circulating in Brazil (Pará and BTU-1).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.405-411
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• 2007

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical applicability of the repeatability criteria recommended by the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) spirometry guidelines and to determine which factors affect the repeatability of spirometry in Korean adults. Methods: We reviewed the spirometry data of 4,663 Korean adults from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Cohort (COPD cohort) and the Community-based Cohort Study VI-Fishing village/Islands (community cohort). We measured the anthropometric factors and differences between the highest and second-highest FVC (dFVC) and $FEV_1$ ($dFEV_1$) from prebronchodilator spirometry. Analyses included the distribution of dFVC and $dFEV_1$, comparison of the values meeting the 1994 ATS repeatability criteria with the values meeting the 2005 ATS/ERS repeatability criteria, and the performance of linear regression for evaluating the influence of subject characteristics and the change of criteria on the spiro-metric variability. Results: About 95% of subjects were able to reproduce FVC and $FEV_1$ within 150 ml. The KNHANES based on the 1994 ATS guidelines showed poorer repeatability than the COPD cohort and community cohort based on the 2005 ATS/ERS guidelines. Demographic and anthropometric factors had little effect on repeatability, explaining only 0.5 to 3%. Conclusion: We conclude that the new spirometry repeatability criteria recommended by the 2005 ATS/ERS guidelines is also applicable to Korean adults. The repeatability of spirometry depends little on individual characteristics when an experienced technician performs testing. Therefore, we suggest that sustained efforts for public awareness of new repeatability criteria, quality control of spirograms, and education of personnel are needed for reliable spirometric results.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.803-810
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• 1999

Background : The patient's work of breathing(WOBp) during assisted ventilation may vary according to many factors including ventilatory demand of the patients and applied ventilatory setting by the physician. Pressure-controlled ventilation(PCV) which delivers gas with decelerating flow may better meet patients' demand to improve patient-ventilator synchrony compared with volume-controlled ventilation(VCV) with constant flow. This study was conducted to compare the difference in WOBp in two assisted modes of ventilation, PCV and VCV with constant flow. Methods : Ten patients with respiratory failure were included in this study. Initially, the patients were placed on VCV with constant flow at low tidal volume($V_{T,\;LOW}$)(6-8 ml/kg) or high tidal volume($V_{T,\;HIGH}$)(10-12 ml/kg). After a 15 minute stabilization period, VCV with constant flow was switched to PCV and pressure was adjusted to maintain the same tidal volume($V_T$) received on VCV. Other ventilator settings were kept constant. Before changing the ventilatory mode, WOBp, $V_T$, minute ventilation($V_E$), respiratory rate(RR), peak airway pressure (Ppeak), peak inspiratory flow rate(PIFR) and pressure-time product(PTP) were measured. Results : The mean $V_E$ and RR were not different between PCV and VCV during the study period. The Ppeak was significantly lower in PCV than in VCV during $V_{T,\;HIGH}$. HIGH ventilation(p<0.05). PIFR was significantly higher in PCV than in VCV at both $V_T$ (p<0.05). During $V_{T,\;LOW}$ ventilation, WOBp and PTP in PCV($0.80{\pm}0.37\;J/min$, $164.5{\pm}74.4\;cmH_2O.S$) were significantly lower than in VCV($1.06{\pm}0.39J/mm$, $256.4{\pm}107.5\;cmH_2O.S$)(p<0.05). During $V_{T,\;HIGH}$ ventilation, WOBp and PTP in PCV($0.33{\pm}0.14\;J/min$, $65.7{\pm}26.3\;cmH_2O.S$) were also significantly lower than in VCV($0.40{\pm}0.14\;J/min$, $83.4{\pm}35.1\;cmH_2O.S$)(p<0.05). Conclusion : During assisted ventilation, PCV with decelerating flow was more effective in reducing WOBp than VCV with constant flow. But since individual variability was shown, further studies are needed to confirm these results.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2461-2476
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• 2013

To assess environmental contamination with carcinogens, carbonaceous compounds, water-soluble ionic species and trace gaseous species were identified and quantified every three hours for three days st three different atmospheric layer at the heart of chiang-Mai, bangkok and hat-Yai from December 2006 to February 2007. A DRI model 2001 Themal/Optical Carbon Analyzer with the IMPROVE thermal/optical reflectance (TOR) protocol was used to quantify the organic carbon(OC) and elemental carbon content in $PM_{10}$. Diurnal and vertical variability was also carefully investigated. In general, OC and EC contenttration shoeed the highest values at the monitoring period o 21.00-00.00 as consequences of human activities at night bazaar coupled with reduction of mixing layer, decreased wind speed and termination of photolysis nighttime. Morning peaks of carboaceous compounds were observed during the sampling period of 06:00 -09:00, emphasizing the main contribution of traffic emission in the three cities. The estimation of incremental lifetime partculate matter exposure (ILPE) raises concern of high risk of carbonaceous accumulation over workers and residents living close to the observatory sites. The average values of incremental lifrtime particulate matter exposure (ILPE) of total carbon at Baiyoke Suit Hotel and Baiyoke Sky Hotel are approsimately ten time shigher then those air sample collected at prince of songkla University Hat-Yai campus corpse incinerator and fish-can maufacturing factory but only slightly higher than those of rice straw burnig in Songkla province. This indicates a high risk of developing lung cancer and other respiratory diseases across workers and residents living in high buildings located in Pratunam area. Using knowledge of carbonaceous fractions in $PM_{10}$, one can estimate the gas-particle partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Dachs-Eisenreich model highlights the crucial role of adsorption in gas-particle partitioning of low molecular weight PAHs, whereas both absorption and adsorption tend to account for gas-particle partitioning of high molecular weight PAHs in urban residential zones of Thailand. Interestingly, the absorption mode alone plays a minor role in gas-partcle partitiining of PAHs in Chiang-Mai, Bangkok and hat-Yai.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.147-156
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• 2011

Basic emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust have been widely used to investigate emotion-specific autonomic nervous system activity in many studies. On the contrary, surprise emotion, Suggested also as one of the basic emotions suggested by Ekman et al. (1983), has been least investigated. The purpose of this study was to provide a description of cardiovascular responses on surprise stimulus using electrocardiograph (ECG) and photoplethysmograph (PPG). ECG and PPG were recorded from 76 undergraduate students, as they were exposed to a visuo-acoustic surprise stimulus. Heart rate (HR), standard deviation of R-R interval (SD-RR), root mean square of successive R-R interval difference (RMSSD-RR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), finger blood volume pulse amplitude (FBVPA), and finger pulse transit time (FPTT) were calculated before and after the stimulus presentation. Results show significant increase in HR, SD-RR, and RMSSD-RR, decreased FBVPA, and shortened FPTT. Evidence suggests that surprise emotion can be characterized by vasoconstriction and accelerated heart rate, sympathetic activation, and increased heart rate variability, parasympathetic activation. These results can be useful in developing an emotion theory, or profiling surprise-specific physiological responses, as well as establishing the basis for emotion recognition system in human-computer interaction.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.375-390
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• 2022

Influenza viruses are zoonotic respiratory pathogens, and influenza infections have caused a substantial burden on public health systems and the livestock industry. Although currently approved seasonal influenza vaccines have shown potent protection efficacy against antigenically well-matched strains, there are considerable unmet needs for the efficient control of viral infections. Enormous efforts have been made to develop broadly protective universal influenza vaccines to tackle the huge levels of genetic diversity and variability of influenza viruses. In addition, antiviral drugs have been considered important interventions for the treatment of viral infections. The viral neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir is the most widely used antiviral medication to treat influenza A and influenza B viruses. However, unsatisfactory clinical outcomes resulting from side effects and the emergence of resistant variants have led to greater attention being paid to plants as a natural resource for anti-influenza drugs. In particular, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has underpinned the need for safe and effective antiviral drugs with a broad spectrum of antiviral activity to prevent the rapid spread of viruses among humans. This review outlines the results of the antiviral activities of various natural products isolated from plants against influenza viruses. Special focus is paid to the virucidal effects and the immune-enhancing effects of antiviral natural products, since the products have broad applications as inactivating agents for the preparation of inactivated vaccines and vaccine adjuvants.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2000

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) is known to be associated with the changes of autonomic nervous system (ANS). Nasal continuous positive airway pressure(nCPAP) treatment was found to correct abnormal ANS changes in OSAS but it remains to be further clarified. We aimed to assess the effects of nCPAP on ANS manifested on electrocardiogram, using spectrum analysis in the subjects with OSAS. Methods: Digital polysomnography was performed in 18 patients with OSAS(mean age $43.7{\pm}16.6$ years ; 17 males, 1 female ; mean respiratory disturbance index (RDI) $48.6{\pm}20.9$) for one baseline and another CPAP nights. From each night, 300 continuous beats of ECGs without artifact were chosen from both stage 2 sleep and REM sleep and they were used for power spectrum analysis. We compared between baseline and CPAP nights the heart rate variability including VLF(very low frequency power), LF (low frequency power), HF(high frequency power), R-R means, R-R variance, and LF/HF ratio, using Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Results: In all patients, nCPAP proved to be effective in relieving apneas and snoring. During nCPAP night compared with baseline night, decreases in VLF(p<0.05), LF(p<0.01), and R-R variance(p<0.05) were found in stage 2 sleep, and decreased LF(p<0.05) was found in REM sleep. No significant differences in each sleep stage were found in other variables between the two nights. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that OSAS increases the activity of sympathetic nervous system and nCPAP application effectively decreases the activity. And nCPAP does not appear to influence the parasympathetic nervous activity in OSAS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.766-775
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• 1998

Background : The prognosis of patients with lung cancer is still poor. Lung cancer exhibits a variable clinical outcome, even in those patients with same stage. Numerous reports suggest that oncogene expression might playa role in explaining the variability of response and survival But many of these reports are still under debate. So we studied the clinical relevance of oncogene expression in Korean lung cancer patients. Immunohistochemistry of p53, erbB-2, CEA expression was performed. Method: From March, 1992 until March, 1997, 120 patients with lung cancer were reviewed. p53, erbB-2, and CEA expression were detected on paraffin-embedded tumor blocks with the use of monoclonal antibodies. The survival and response has correlated with the expressibility of p53, erbB-2, and CEA oncoprotein Results: Overall, the expression rates of p53, erbB-2, and CEA were 33.7%, 59.3%, and 32.6% respectively. Expression rates were not correlated to cell type or stage. Compared with response to chemotherapy, no correlation was found. The expression of p53, erbB-2, or CEA was not correlated with 2-year survival. With simultaneous applications of p53, erbB-2, and CEA, patients with 2 or more expressions also did not show poor response to chemotherapy. Conclusion: We conclude the p53, erbB-2, and CEA expression are clinically less useful in predicting response to chemotherapy or survival.