• 대기
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.183-198
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to summarize the tropical cyclone (TC) activity of 2008 over the western North Pacific including the verification of the official track and intensity forecast errors of these TCs. The TC activity - frequency, Normalized Typhoon Activity (NTA), and life span - was lower than 58-year (1951-2008) average. 22 tropical cyclones of tropical storm (TS) intensity or higher formed in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in 2008. The total number is less than 58-year average frequency of 26.4. Out of 22 tropical cyclones, 11 TCs reached typhoon (TY) intensity, while the rest 11 TCs only reached severe tropical storm (STS) and tropical storm (TS) intensity - six STS and five TS storms. One typhoon KALMAEGI (0807) among them affected the Korea peninsula. However, no significant impact - casualty or property damage - was reported. On average of 22 TCs in 2008, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) official track forecast error for 48 hours was 229 km. There was a big challenge for individual cyclones such as 0806 FENGSHEN and 0817 HIGOS presenting significant forecast error, with both intricate tracks and irregular moving speed. The tropical cyclone season in 2008 began in April with the formation of NEOGURI (0801). In May, four TCs formed in the western North Pacific in response to enhanced convective activity. On the other hand, the TC activity was very weak from June to August. It is found that the unusual anti-cyclonic circulation in the lower level and weak convection near the Philippines are dominant during summertime. The convection and atmospheric circulation in the western North Pacific contributed unfavorable condition for TC activity in the 2008 summertime. The 2008 TC activity has continued the below normal state since mid 1990s which is apparent the decadal variability in TC activity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.259-263
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• 2015

The increasing prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the human population in the Republic of Korea (= Korea) is due to various reasons such as an increase in meat consumption. However, the importance of cats in transmitting T. gondii infection through oocysts to humans has seldom been assessed. A total of 300 fecal samples of stray cats captured around Seoul from June to August 2013 were examined for T. gondii B1 gene (indicating the presence of oocysts) using nested-PCR. Fourteen (4.7%) of 300 cats examined were positive for B1 gene. Female cats (7.5%) showed a higher prevalence than male cats (1.4%). Cats younger than 3 months (5.5%) showed a higher prevalence than cats (1.5%) older than 3 months. For laboratory passage of the positive samples, the fecal suspension (0.2 ml) of B1 gene positive cats was orally inoculated into experimental mice. Brain tissues of the mice were obtained after 40 days and examined for the presence of tissue cysts. Two isolates were successfully passaged (designated KNIH-1 and KNIH-2) and were molecularly analyzed using the SAG5D and SAG5E gene sequences. The SAG5D and SAG5E gene sequences showed high homologies with the ME49 strain (less virulent strain). The results indicated the importance of stray cats in transmitting T. gondii to humans in Korea, as revealed by detection of B1 gene in fecal samples. T. gondii isolates from cats were successfully passaged in the laboratory for the first time in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.41-44
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• 2004

The pond smelt Hypomesus olidus and minnow Zacco platypus were collected from the Soyang and Daechung Lakes in January 2003, and their metacercarial infections was examined by the muscle compression and artificial digestion techniques. In the Soyang Lake, 161 metacercariae of Clonorchis sinensis (0.35 per fish) were harvested from 459 pond smelts examined. Also, 13 metacercariae of C. sinensis (0.43 per fish), 1 of Metagonimus sp., 4 of Echinostoma sp., 148 of Centrocestus armatus and 44 unidentified species were collected from 30 minnows. In the Daechung Lake, 369 metacercariae of C. sinensis (3.69 per fish) and 51 unidentified species were recovered from 100 pond smelts. The metacercariae of C. sinensis were fed to experimental rats, in which the adult flukes were identified. The pond smelts and minnows collected from the Soyang and Daechung Lakes were verified to be the second intermediate hosts and the sources of human C. sinensis infection.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제61권1호
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• pp.60-71
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• 2023

Cockroaches can cause allergic sensitization in humans via contact with their feces or frass. Antibiotics can affect concentration of major allergen and total bacteria production in German cockroaches (Blattella germanica). This study examined the ability of antibiotic-treated German cockroaches to induce allergic airway inflammation and the effect of antibiotics on their lipopolysaccharide and Bla g1, 2, and 5 expression levels. Specifically, we measured the ability of German cockroach extract (with or without prior antibiotic exposure) to induce allergic inflammation in human bronchial epithelial cells and a mouse model of asthma. Bacterial 16S rRNA and lipopolysaccharide levels were lower in ampicillin-treated cockroaches than in the control group. The Bla g1, Bla g2, and Bla g5 expression in ampicillin-treated cockroaches decreased at both the protein and RNA levels. In human bronchial epithelial cell lines BEAS-2B exposed to the ampicillin-treated extract, expression levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 were lower than that in the control group. The total cell count and eosinophil count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was also lower in mice exposed to the ampicillin-treated extract than in those exposed to normal cockroach extract. Mouse lung histopathology showed reduced immune cell infiltration and mucus production in the ampicillin group. Our results showed that ampicillin treatment reduced the symbiont bacterial population and major allergen levels in German cockroaches, leading to reduced airway inflammation in mice. These results can facilitate the preparation of protein extracts for immunotherapy or diagnostics applications.

• 대기
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.17-25
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• 2005

A significant number of tropical cyclones move into the midlatitudes and go through transformation procedure into extratropical cyclones. This process is generally referred to as extratropical transition of the tropical cyclone. In this study, MIDULLE(0407) case is selected. A thorough analysis is made using the GDAPS analysis data and MTM (Moving-nest Typhoon Model) model output. It is found that during the extratropical transition an important dynamics in the environmetal flow field occurs in which colder, drier (warm, moist) air penetrates in the western (eastern) quadrant of MINDULLE's outer circulation, which in turn initiates an asymmetry in the distribution of wind and temperature of the tropical cyclone. Simulated MTM result also reveals similar properties as in GDAPS analysis data. MTM result shows the gradual transition to the asymmetric distribution of wind and thickness as the extratropical transition proceeds. It is also found that the warm core disappears during the extratropical transition stage. Also, vortex tube is shown tilting towards the west during the transition. And the precipitation expands poleward of the center and the maximum precipitation appears to the left of MINDULLE which is consistent to the observations.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제52권2호
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• pp.131-135
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• 2014

Acanthamoeba cysts are resistant to unfavorable physiological conditions and various disinfectants. Acanthamoeba cysts have 2 walls containing various sugar moieties, and in particular, one third of the inner wall is composed of cellulose. In this study, it has been shown that down-regulation of cellulose synthase by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly inhibits the formation of mature Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts. Calcofluor white staining and transmission electron microscopy revealed that siRNA transfected amoeba failed to form an inner wall during encystation and thus are likely to be more vulnerable. In addition, the expression of xylose isomerase, which is involved in cyst wall formation, was not altered in cellulose synthase down-regulated amoeba, indicating that cellulose synthase is a crucial factor for inner wall formation by Acanthamoeba during encystation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.401-409
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• 1992

Genotype $\times$ environment (G $\times$ E) interactions must be understood if they are to be exploited to improve animal production, particularly in production systems associated with large environmental variations. The measurement and evaluation of G $\times$ E are discussed. Examples are presented that demonstrate G $\times$ E in different breeds of beef cattle for high temperatures, internal and external parasites and changes in quantity and quality of nutrition. It is demonstrated that productivity differences between genotypes or breeds under grazing conditions arise because of differences between genotypes in the combination of production potential and resistance to environmental stresses in relation to the levels of the relevant environmental stresses that are operating at the time. The $F_1$ cross between genotypes with high production potential (e.g. European Bos Taurus breeds) and those with high resistance to environmental stress (e.g. Asian and African Bos indicus and sanga breeds) is an exceptional genotype with a unique combination of these two sets of attributes. The principles for G $\times$ E developed for beef cattle are briefly discussed in relation to dairy cattle, pigs, poultry and buffalo.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제2권5호
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• pp.207-211
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• 2003

The weather resistance of five coatings systems based on alkyd, chlorinated rubber, epoxy, polyurethane and fluoropolymer were studied by natural exposure test and accelerated test. The coatings were exposed at Hanoi station with urban industry atmosphere and at Baichay station with marine atmosphere. The degradation of coatings was evaluated by gloss measurement and surface analysis by scanning electronic microscopy. The results obtained show that among coatings tested the gloss of polyurethane and fluoropolymer coatings remained highly and those of alkyd, chlorinated rubber and epoxy coatings were very low after two years of atmospheric exposure. Under accelerating conditions the gloss of fluoropolymer coatings remained highly after 80 cycles of testing. By comparison with accelerating test in UV-condensation chamber the conditions at atmospheric stations are more aggressive.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.144-151
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• 2012

Deforestation is a major and very critical problem faced by many tropical countries including Malaysia. Sabah is the second largest state in Malaysia and its deforestation rate has been accelerating. This study was conducted to monitor the deforestation in Sabah in the last two decades with Landsat images of 1990, 2000 and 2008. Supervised classification with maximum likelihood algorithm was conducted using the Landsat data for monitoring deforestation. In total, between 1990 and 2008, Sabah lost half of its intact forest, or more than 1.85 million ha in less than two decades. Overall, the deforestation rate for all forest types combined for the last two decades was 1.6% per year. Deforestation seemed to be accelerating because the deforestation rate between 1990 and 2000 was 0.9% per year and it had increased to 2.7% per year between 2000 and 2008. The deforestation trend seemed to follow a negative exponential from 1990 to 2008. In contrast, the agricultural areas increased rapidly with a total of increment more than 1 million ha. This confirmed that agriculture especially establishment of commercial plantation was the major factor of deforestation in Sabah for the last two decades.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.181-199
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• 2020

Cyclone Heat Potential (CHP) is an essential parameter for accurate prediction of the intensity of tropical cyclones. The variability of the heat storage in the near-surface layers and the vertical stratification near the surface due to large fresh water inputs create challenges in predicting the intraseasonal and interannual evolution of monsoons and tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. This paper for the first time presents the D26- referenced cyclone heat potential observed in the Bay of Bengal during the period 2012-17 based on the in-situ data collected from 5.5 million demanding offshore instrument-hours of operation in the Ocean Moored Buoy Network for Northern Indian Ocean (OMNI) buoy network by the National Institute of Ocean Technology. It is observed that the CHP in the Bay of Bengal varied from 0-220 kJ/㎠ during various seasons. From the moored buoy observations, a CHP of ~ 90 kJ/㎠ with the D26 isotherm of minimum 100m is favorable for the intensification of the post-monsoon tropical cyclones. The responses of the D26 thermal structure during major tropical cyclone events in the Bay of Bengal are also presented.