• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.341-357
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• 2019

Acanthamoeba, one of free-living amoebae (FLA), remains a high risk of direct contact with this protozoan parasite which is ubiquitous in nature and man-made environment. This pathogenic FLA can cause sight-threatening amoebic keratitis (AK) and fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) though these cases may not commonly be reported in our clinical settings. Acanthamoeba has been detected from different environmental sources namely; soil, water, hotspring, swimming pool, air-conditioner, or contact lens storage cases. The identification of Acanthamoeba is based on morphological appearance and molecular techniques using PCR and DNA sequencing for clinico-epidemiological purposes. Recent treatments have long been ineffective against Acanthamoeba cyst, novel anti-Acanthamoeba agents have therefore been extensively investigated. There are efforts to utilize synthetic chemicals, lead compounds from medicinal plant extracts, and animal products to combat Acanthamoeba infection. Applied nanotechnology, an advanced technology, has shown to enhance the anti-Acanthamoeba activity in the encapsulated nanoparticles leading to new therapeutic options. This review attempts to provide an overview of the available data and studies on the occurrence of pathogenic Acanthamoeba among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members with the aim of identifying some potential contributing factors such as distribution, demographic profile of the patients, possible source of the parasite, mode of transmission and treatment. Further, this review attempts to provide future direction for prevention and control of the Acanthamoeba infection.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1-12
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• 2018

Heat waves during summer cause a qualitative degradation in urban environments and increases the number of patients who suffer from heat-related illnesses, and the urbanization deepens these problems. It is a prerequisite to analyze the current status accurately in order to assess the urban heat island phenomenon. Thus, this study aims to collect weather measurements information at the occurrence of a severe heat wave in Seoul, thereby allowing analysis of information, which will also consider the land use type. The weather measurement information used in the analysis had an advantage, as the gap between measured locations is considerably shorter than before due to the miniaturization of the automatic weather systems (AWS), which are connected through the communication network. Based on the above collected information, a temporal change in the data due to land use type was analyzed. As a result, the difference in temperature change in response to the land use type could be compared, as could the occurrence pattern of the tropical night phenomenon, and the effect on temperature reduction in green belt areas could be identified through the comparison of the intensity of heat island by time and land use. The methods and results derived in this study through the comparative analysis in terms of time and land use, weather information measurements, and mapping can be utilized as foundational data that can be referred to in urban planning to reduce the heat island phenomenon in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.154-167
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• 2019

As urban heat environment problems occur due to climate change, urban thermal environmental problems such as heat waves and tropical nights are becoming more serious in cities. In South Korea, forest areas favorable for generating cold air account for about 63 percent of the land area. Furthermore, the Jeongmaek, the axis of the main mountain ranges of Korea, is located close to the cities. Hence, the management of cold air is an effective way to improve the thermal environment of Korean cities. We selected the Nak-nam Jeongmaek located in the southern part of Korean Peninsular as well as two cities (Jinju-si and Sancheong-gun) located at the Jeongmaek to analyze its cold air characteristics and suggest management strategies of cold air. We used KALM (Kaltluftabflussmodell), a cold air simulation model developed in Germany and identified both the cold air flow and the height of cold air layer generated during 6 hours at night. As a result, the cold air flow generated in the Jeongmaek became clear and the height of cold air layer increased with time. Based on the results, we proposed management plans to maintain and expand the cold air flow. For example, forest areas with active cold air generation were designated as 'cold air conservation areas', and areas requiring management for good cold air flow were as 'cold air management areas'. This study is expected to be useful for establishing systematic urban ventilation plan to improve thermal environment in Korea cities.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.43-60
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• 2019

Background: Tropical montane forests played an important role in the provision of ecosystem services. The intense degradation and deforestation for the need of agricultural land expansion result in a significant decline of forest cover. However, the expansion of agricultural land did not completely destruct natural forests. There remain forests inaccessible for agricultural and grazing purpose. Studies on these forests remained scant, motivating to investigate biomass and soil carbon stocks. Data of biomass and soils were collected in 80 quadrats ($400m^2$) systematically in 5 forests. Biomass and disturbance gradients were determined using allometric equation and disturbance index, respectively. The regression modeling is employed to explore the spatial distribution of carbon stock along disturbance and environmental gradients. Correlation analysis is also employed to identify the relation between site factors and carbon stocks. Results: The result revealed that a total of 1655 individuals with a diameter of ${\geq}5cm$, representing 38 species, were measured in 5 forests. The mean aboveground biomass carbon stocks (AGB CS) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks at 5 forests were $191.6{\pm}19.7$ and $149.32{\pm}6.8Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. The AGB CS exhibited significant (P < 0.05) positive correlation with SOC and total nitrogen (TN) stocks, reflecting that biomass seems to be a general predictor of SOCs. AGB CS between highly and least-disturbed forests was significantly different (P < 0.05). This disturbance level equates to a decrease in AGB CS of 36.8% in the highly disturbed compared with the least-disturbed forest. In all forests, dominant species sequestrated more than 58% of carbon. The AGB CS in response to elevation and disturbance index and SOC stocks in response to soil pH attained unimodal pattern. The stand structures, such as canopy cover and basal area, had significant positive relation with AGB CS. Conclusions: Study results confirmed that carbon stocks of studied forests were comparable to carbon stocks of protected forests. The biotic, edaphic, topographic, and disturbance factors played a significant variation in carbon stocks of forests. Further study should be conducted to quantify carbon stocks of herbaceous, litter, and soil microbes to account the role of the whole forest ecosystem.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2019

Melting temperature shift ($T_m-shift$) is a new detection method that analyze the melting curve on real-time PCR thermocycler using SYBR Green I fluorescent dye. To establish a $T_m-shift$ method for the detection of Ancylostoma ceylanicum and A. tubaeforme in cats, specific primers, with GC tail of unequal length attached to their 5' end, were designed based on 2 SNP loci (ITS101 and ITS296) of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences. The standard curve of $T_m-shift$ was established using the standard plasmids of A. ceylanicum (AceP) and A. tubaeforme (AtuP). The $T_m-shift$ method stability, sensitivity, and accuracy were tested with reference to the standard curve, and clinical fecal samples were also examined. The results demonstrated that the 2 sets of primers based on the 2 SNPs could accurately distinguish between A. ceylanicum and A. tubaeforme. The coefficient of variation (CV) of $T_m$- values of AceP and AtuP was 0.07% and 0.06% in ITS101 and was 0.06% and 0.08% in ITS296, respectively. The minimum detectable DNA concentration was $5.22{\times}10^{-6}$ and $5.28{\times}10^{-6}ng/{\mu}l$ samples of AceP and AtuP, respectively. The accuracy of $T_m-shift$ method reached 100% based on examination of 10 hookworm DNA samples with known species. In the clinical detection of hookworm in 69 stray cat fecal sample, the $T_m-shift$ detection results were consistent with the microscopic examination and successfully differentiated between the 2-hookworm species. In conclusion, the developed method is a rapid, sensitive and accurate technique and can provide a promising tool for clinical detection and epidemiological investigation of cat-derived hookworms.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1262-1267
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• 2018

The patchiness of local environments within a habitat is assumed to be a primary factor affecting the spatial patterns of plants. In this study, a randomization procedure was developed to test the null hypothesis that only spatial association with patches determines the spatial patterns of plants. Oplismenus undulatifolius (Ard.) P. Beauv. var. undulatifolius is an herbaceous plant and a member of the genus Oplismenus in the family Poaceae. Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. undulatifolius occurs in temperate, subtropical, and tropical areas of the world. The spatial pattern of O. undulatifolius var. undulatifolius was analyzed using dispersion indices in different sizes of plots according to several patchiness indexes, population uniformity, or aggregation. Population densities (D) at Mt. Hanwoo varied from 0.453 to 4.375, with a mean of 2.387. The small and mid-sized plots ($2m{\times}2m$, $2m{\times}4m$, $4m{\times}4m$, $4m{\times}8m$, and $8m{\times}8m$) of O. undulatifolius var. undulatifolius were aggregated in the forest community. However, O. undulatifolius var. undulatifolius was uniformly distributed in three large plots ($8m{\times}16m$, $16m{\times}16m$, and $16m{\times}32m$). The greatest mean crowding ($M^*$) and patchiness index (PAI) showed positive values. Aggregation is mainly caused by environmental factors. Many plants on Mt. Hanwoo are being disturbed by climbers, which is preventing these plants from inhabiting their realized niches on Mt. Hanwoo.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.11-22
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to improve the cross-sectional area and height estimation method using stream width. Stream water levels should be calculated together to simulate inundation of agricultural land. However, cross-sectional survey data of small rural rivers are insufficient. The previous study has developed regression equations between the width and the cross-sectional area and between the width and the height of stream cross-section, but can not be applied to a wide range of stream widths. In this study, cross-sectional survey data of 6 streams (Doowol, Chungmi, Jiseok, Gam, Wonpyeong, and Bokha stream) were collected and divided into upstream, midstream and downstream considering the locations of cross-sections. The regression equations were estimated using the complete data. $R^2$ between the stream width and cross-sectional area was 0.96, and $R^2$ between width and height was 0.81. The regression equations were also estimated using divided data for upstream, midstream and downstream considering the locations of cross-sections. The range of $R^2$ between the stream width and cross-sectional area was 0.86 - 0.91, and the range of $R^2$ between width and height was 0.79 ? 0.92. As a result of estimating the cross-sections of 6 rivers using the regression equations, the regression equations considering the locations of cross-sections showed better performance both in the cross-sectional area and height estimation than the regression equations estimated using the complete data. Hydrologic Engineering Center - River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) was used to simulate the flood stage analysis of the estimated and the measured cross-sections for 50-year, 100-year, and 200-year frequency floods. As a result of flood stage analysis, the regression equations considering the locations of cross-sections also showed better performance than the regression equations estimated using the complete data. Future research would be needed to consider the factors affecting the cross-sectional shape such as river slope and average flow velocity. This study can be useful for inundation simulation of agricultural land adjacent to an unmeasured stream.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.202-208
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• 2019

Brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is one of the most important migratory pests damaging rice in Korea. It invades annually from tropical and subtropical areas via continental air streams. It is necessary to determine the resistance levels of rice varieties in order to control efficiency. The honeydew excretion, development, and reproduction of the migratory BPH were studied by region in a laboratory at $25{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ and $65{\pm}5%\;RH$ and a 16L: 8D photoperiodism conducted on three BPH resistant genes: Bph1, Bph2, and Bph18. The information obtained was reported using the jackknife method, and we created life table statistics accordingly. The feeding amount of Bph1 resistant gene was lower than that of resistant genes. The developmental periods of immature stages ranged from $13.7{\pm}0.10d$ on Bph2 (Namhae, 2015) to $18.5{\pm}1.06d$ on Bph2 (Sacheon, 2016). Reproductive period and female longevity were longest on the non-resistant genes, Bph2 and Bph18 (except 1980s), and the highest fecundity of N. lugens was observed on the two BPH resistant genes. Highest net reproductive rates ($R_0$) were calculated on Bph2 by region. Intrinsic rates of population increase ($r_m$) showed a difference in resistant genes by region. These population parameters showed that migratory regions and biological characteristics of N. lugens vary annually.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.574-584
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• 2019

Objective: Research was conducted to test the effect of including fiber-rich feedstuffs in practical pig diets on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and ammonia emissions from slurry. Methods: Three Vietnamese fiber sources were screened, namely cassava leaf meal (CL), cassava root residue (CR), and tofu by-product (TF). Accordingly, a control diet (Con) with 10% of dietary non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and three test diets including one of the three fiber-rich feedstuffs to reach 15% of NSP were formulated. All formulated diets had the same level of crude protein (CP), in vitro ileal protein digestible and metabolisable energy, whereas the in vitro hindgut volatile fatty acid (VFA) production of the test diets was 12% to 20% higher than the control diet. Forty growing barrows with initial body weight at $28.6{\pm}1.93kg$ ($mean{\pm}standard$ deviation) were allocated to the four treatments. When pigs reached about 50 kg of body weight, four pigs from each treatment were used for a nitrogen balance trial and ammonia emission assessment, the remaining six pigs continued the second period of the feeding trial. Results: The TF treatment increased fecal VFA by 33% as compared with the control treatment (p = 0.07), suggesting stimulation of the hindgut fermentation. However, urinary N was not significantly reduced or shifted to fecal N, nor was slurry pH decreased. Accordingly, ammonia emissions were not mitigated. CR and CL treatments failed to enhance in vivo hindgut fermentation, as assessed by fecal VFA and purine bases. On the contrary, the reduction of CP digestibility in the CL treatment enhanced ammonia emissions from slurry. Conclusion: Dietary inclusion of cassava and tofu byproducts through an increase of dietary NSP from 10% to 15% might stimulate fecal VFA excretion but this does not guarantee a reduction in ammonia emissions from slurry, while its interaction with protein digestibility even might enhance enhanced ammonia emission.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 2019

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis involves irreversible alveolar destruction. Although alveolar epithelial type II cells are key functional participants within the lung parenchyma, how epithelial cells are affected upon bleomycin (BLM) exposure remains unknown. In this study, we determined whether BLM could induce cell cycle arrest via regulation of Schlafen (SLFN) family genes, a group of cell cycle regulators known to mediate growth-inhibitory responses and apoptosis in alveolar epithelial type II cells. Methods: Mouse AE II cell line MLE-12 were exposed to $1-10{\mu}g/mL$ BLM and $0.01-100{\mu}M$ baicalein (Bai), a G1/G2 cell cycle inhibitor, for 24 hours. Cell viability and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed by MTT and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Apoptosis-related gene expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cellular morphology was determined after DAPI and Hoechst 33258 staining. To verify cell cycle arrest, propidium iodide (PI) staining was performed for MLE-12 after exposure to BLM. Results: BLM decreased the proliferation of MLE-12 cells. However, it significantly increased expression levels of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$, and transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$. Based on Hoechst 33258 staining, BLM induced condensation of nuclear and fragmentation. Based on DAPI and PI staining, BLM significantly increased the size of nuclei and induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. Results of qRT-PCR analysis revealed that BLM increased mRNA levels of BAX but decreased those of Bcl2. In addition, BLM/Bai increased mRNA levels of p53, p21, SLFN1, 2, 4 of Schlafen family. Conclusion: BLM exposure affects pulmonary epithelial type II cells, resulting in decreased proliferation possibly through apoptotic and cell cycle arrest associated signaling.