• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.1 s.133
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• pp.27-32
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• 2005

Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites were isolated from an ocular patient in the Republic of Korea and maintained in the laboratory (designated KI-1). In the present study, its genotype was determined by analyzing dense granule antigen 6 (GRA6) gene and surface antigen 2 (SAG2) gene as typing markers. Digestion of the amplification products of GRA6 and of the 5' and 3' ends of SAG2, respectively, with Mse I, Sau3A I, and Hha I, revealed that KI-1 is included in the genotype I, which includes the worldwide virulent RH strain. In addition, when the whole sequences of the coding regions of SAG1, rhoptry antigen 1 (ROP1), and GRA8 genes of KI-1 were compared with those of RH, minor nucleotide polymorphisms and amino acid substitutions were identified. These results show that KI-1 is a new geographical strain of T. gondii that can be included in the genotype I.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1092-1098
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• 2013

Cassava constitutes an abundant substrate in tropical regions. The production of butanol in ABE fermentation by Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 using cassava flour (CF) was scaled-up to bioreactor level (5 L). Optimized fermentation conditions were applied; that is, $40^{\circ}C$, 60 g/l CF, and enzymatic pretreatment of the substrate. The batch fermentation profile presented an acidogenic phase for the first 24 h and a solventogenic phase afterwards. An average of 37.01 g/l ABE was produced after 83 h, with a productivity of 0.446 g/l/h. Butanol production was 25.71 g/l with a productivity of 0.310 g/l/h, high or similar to analogous batch processes described for other substrates. Solvent separation by different combinations of fractioned and azeotropic distillation and liquid-liquid separation were assessed to evaluate energetic and economic costs in downstream processing. Results suggest that the use of cassava as a substrate in ABE fermentation could be a cost-effective way of producing butanol in tropical regions.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.207-217
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• 2005

The fish described in this paper were sampled from four watersheds in the Eastern, Chao Phraya, Peninsular, and Maeklons regions of central Thailand, between the years 2000-2004. A total of 124 species were captured from 160 stream and river sites, using an electrofishing method. 33 of these species were captured in the Eastern region and 42 in the Peninsular region. In the Chao Phraya and Maeklong areas, the fish species were both more abundant and more varied, and 52 and 91 species, respectively, were collected in these regions. Seven species (Brachydanio albolineatus, Rasbora paviei, System us binotatus, Homaloptera smithi, Monopterus albus, Macrognathus circumcintus, Channa gaucha) were commonly found in all of the watersheds.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.505-513
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• 1995

The major factors affecting productivity on daily farms in Queensland, Australia, were determined using the stepwise linear regression approach. The data were obtained from a survey conducted on the total population of daily farms in Queensland in 1987. These data were divided into six major dailying regions. The technique was applied using 12 independent variables believed by a panel of experienced research and extension personnel to exert the most influence on milk production. The regression equations were all significant (p < 0.001) with the percentage coefficients of determination ranging from 62 to 76% for equations developed using' total farm milk: production as the dependent variable. Three of the variables affecting total farm milk: production were found to be common to all six regions. These were; the amount of supplementary energy fed, the area set aside to irrigate winter feed and the size of the area used for dailying. Higher production farms appeared to be more efficient in that they consistently produced milk production levels higher than those estimated from the regression equation for their region. Other methods of analysis including robust regression and non linear regression techniques were unsuccessful in overcoming this problem and allowing development of a model appropriate for farms at all levels of production.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.120-124
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• 2024

Objective: Seasonal variations in semen quality are known to occur in temperate regions, but results regarding tropical areas remain inconclusive. The aim of this study was to determine whether monthly variations in semen parameters are present among men in a tropical region. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from semen analyses of 3,000 men over a 10-year period, from 2012 to 2022. Analysis of variance and the independent-samples t-test were employed to observe variations in semen parameters throughout the entire period and between months, respectively. Results: The mean±standard deviation sperm concentration was significantly lower in June, at 42.5±31.4 million/mL, compared to other months. The highest sperm concentration was found in March, at 57.8±42.6 million/mL, constituting a mean difference of 15.3 million/mL between the lowest and highest concentrations. The total sperm count displayed a similar pattern of monthly variation, with a difference of 47.2 million between the highest and lowest months. No significant monthly differences were observed in other parameters, such as sperm motility, morphology, and semen volume. Conclusion: Significant monthly variations in sperm concentration and total sperm count were evident in this Sri Lankan population. March, which displayed the highest sperm counts, is in the spring in temperate regions, while the month with the lowest counts, July, is part of the summer. Fluctuations in photoperiod appear to most strongly influence these variations.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.51-69
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• 1993

Precipitable Water(PW) are retrieved over the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean from TOVS infrared and microwave channel brightness temperature and OLR observations by means of stepwise linear regression. The retrieved TOVS PW fields generated by PW$_{sfc}$(71.1 % of the variance and 0.62 g cm$^{-2}$ standard error over the surface) and PW$_{700500}$(71.7 % and 0.17 g cm$^{-2}$ over the 700 - 500 hPa layer) revealed more evolving synoptic signals over the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. The PW$_{sfc}$ dose not show significantly the TP feature because of the representation of the lower PW for high-level clouds not associated with deep convection. There exists some elusion to trace the TP on the PW$_{sfc}$ field if any supplementary information does not provide. But ECMWF analysis has a general tendency of drying the subtropics and moistening the ITCZ (InterTropical Convergence Zone) and SPCZ(South Pacific Convergence Zone). However, although ECMWF analysis is fairly successful in capturing mean patterms, it is unsuccessful in following active synoptic signal like a tropical plume. Similarly, SMMR-PW does not represent the TP well which consists of the highand middle-level clouds, but PW$_{sfc}$ shows underestimated moistness of TP and does not depict significant signal of TP. In the PW field derived from microwave observations, the TP can not be recognized well. Furthermore, the signature of PW$_{sfc}$ was different from OLR for the TP, which implies the presence of high- and middle-layer thin clouds, but in a closer agreement for deep and active convection areas which contain thick middle- and lower-layer clouds; though OLR represented the cloudiness in the tropics well. In synoptically active regions, it differed from OLR analysis, primarily bacause of actual differences in water vapor and cloud features. The signature of PW$_{sfc}$ was different from OLR for the TP.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.59-71
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• 2002

Theoretical models of radiative transfer are developed to simulate the 85 GHz brightness temperature (T85) observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer as a function of rain rate. These simulations are performed separately over regions of the convective and stratiform rain. TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) observations are utilized to construct vertical profiles of hydrometeors in the regions. For a given rain rate, the extinction in 85 GHz due to hydrometeors above the freezing level is found to be relatively weak in the convective regions compared to that in the stratiform. The hydrometeor profile above the freezing level responsible for the weak extinction in convective regions is inferred from theoretical considerations to contain two layers: 1) a mixed (or mixed-phase) layer of 2 km thickness with mixed-phase particles, liquid drops and graupel above the freezing level, and 2) a layer of graupel extending from the top of the mixed layer to the cloud top. Strong extinction in the stratiform regions is inferred to result from slowly-falling, low-density ice aggregates (snow) above the freezing level. These theoretical results are consistent with the T85 measured by TMI, and with the rain rate deduced from PR for the convective and stratiform rain regions. On the basis of this study, the accuracy of the rain rate sensed by TMI is inferred to depend critically on the specification of the convective or stratiform nature of the rain.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.215-228
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• 1999

To choose one or more appropriate molecular markers or gene regions for resolving a particular systematic question among the organisms at a certain categorical level is still a very difficult process. The primary goal of this review, therefore, is to provide a theoretical information in choosing one or more molecular markers or gene regions by illustrating general properties and phylogenetic utilities of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that have been most commonly used for phylogenetic researches. The highly conserved molecular markers and/or gene regions are useful for investigating phylogenetic relationships at higher categorical levels (deep branches of evolutionary history). On the other hand, the hypervariable molecular markers and/or gene regions are useful for elucidating phylogenetic relationships at lower categorical levels (recently diverged branches). In summary, different selective forces have led to the evolution of various molecular markers or gene regions with varying degrees of sequence conservation. Thus, appropriate molecular markers or gene regions should be chosen with even greater caution to deduce true phylogenetic relationships over a broad taxonomic spectrum.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.79-100
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• 2017

The use of wind energy resources is developing rapidly in recent decades. There is an increasing number of wind farms in high wind-velocity areas such as the Pacific Rim regions. Wind turbine towers are vulnerable to tropical cyclones and tower failures have been reported in an increasing number in these regions. Existing post-disaster failure case studies were mostly performed through forensic investigations and there are few numerical studies that address the collapse mode simulation of wind turbine towers under strong wind loads. In this paper, the wind-induced failure analysis of a conventional 65 m hub high 1.5-MW wind turbine was carried out by means of nonlinear response time-history analyses in a detailed finite element model of the structure. The wind loading was generated based on the wind field parameters adapted from the cyclone boundary layer flow. The analysis results indicate that this particular tower fails due to the formation of a full-section plastic hinge at locations that are consistent with those reported from field investigations, which suggests the validity of the proposed numerical analysis in the assessment of the performance of wind-farms under cyclonic winds. Furthermore, the numerical simulation allows to distinguish different failure stages before the dynamic collapse occurs in the proposed wind turbine tower, opening the door to future research on the control of these intermediate collapse phases.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.419-423
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• 2014

The present study was performed to know the infection status of intestinal helminths in a most common species of field mice, Apodemus agrarius, from 2 southern regions of Korea. Total 133 and 103 mice were collected by the mouse trap in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do and Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, respectively, from July 2005 to June 2006. The small intestine of each mouse was resected and longitudinally opened with a pair of scissors. The intestinal contents were washed with 0.85% saline until the supernatant became clear. Helminths were collected with naked eyes or under a stereomicroscope from the sediment of the intestinal content. More than 11 species of helminths (4 nematode spp., 5 trematode spp., and 2 cestode spp.) were recovered. Among these, heligmosomoid nematodes (97.5%) was the most highly and heavily infected species. As the members of trematodes, Plagiorchis muris, Brachylaima sp., Echinostoma hortense, Echinostoma cinetorchis, and unidentified echinostome larvae were found in the small intestines of 35 (14.8%), 12 (5.1%), 6 (2.5%), 1 (0.4%), and 1 (0.4%) mice respectively. Two species of tapeworms, Hymenolepis nana and Hymenolepis diminuta were also detected in 79 (33.5%) and 21 (8.9%) mice, respectively. Conclusively, heligmosomoid nematodes were the most prevalent (dominant) species among more than 11 helminth species detected, and Brachylaima sp. fluke is newly added in the list of intestinal trematodes in Korea.