• Title/Summary/Keyword: biological indices

Search Result 350, Processing Time 0.026 seconds

Estimation of the Effects of Air Pollutants on Tree Ring Growth in Black Pines (Pinus thunbergii)

  • Song, Young-Joo;Kim, Yoon-Dong;Choi, Kee-Ryong
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.32 no.2
    • /
    • pp.109-113
    • /
    • 2009
  • Tree-ring width analysis has been used to assess the effects of air pollution on tree growth around industrial complexes. Our study was conducted to elucidate the effect of air pollutants on annual ring growth in black pines (Pinus thunbergii) of age 41$\sim$48 years around Ulsan Metropolitan City. The growth data were analyzed by multiple regression and the results are as follows: 1. The annual ring increment of black pines increased with tree age until age 40 years and then decreased gradually after age 40 years. 2. The increment of annual ring width of black pines was affected more by precipitation and evapotranspiration than air temperature. An annual ring decline appeared in the years 1968$\sim$1983, when annual ring indices below zero were observed. Decreased annual ring growth during this period may have been due to air pollution. 3. The heavy metal with the strongest effect on annual ring growth of black pines in the experimental stand was lead (Pb). The concentration of lead in the stand was estimated as over 6 ppm. 4. The technique of tree-ring width analysis may be useful for estimation of the extent of pollution in forest areas near industrial complexes.

Inhibitory Effect on Replication of Enterovirus 71 of Herb Methanol Extract

  • Choi, Hwa-Jung;Song, Jae-Hyoung;Ahn, Young-Joon;Kwon, Dur-Han
    • Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
    • /
    • v.51 no.3
    • /
    • pp.123-127
    • /
    • 2008
  • Anti-enterovirus 71 (EV 71) activities of fifteen herb plant species extracts were examined by SRB assay, among which Origanum vulgare and Rosmarinus officinalis (Anna Rosemary) extracts exhibited the activities with $IC_{50}$ of 8.28 and $8.17\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Their 50% cytotoxicity concentrations ($CC_{50}$) were 691.89 and $1104.19\;{\mu}g/mL$, and the therapeutic indices were 83.56 and 135.15, respectively. Amantadine (positive control) showed anti-EV 71 activity with 50% inhibitory concentration and $CC_{50}$ of 4.46 and $145.22\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Addition of the methanol extracts of O. vulgare and R. officinalis (Anna Rosemary) in EV 71-infected Vero cells strongly inhibited the formation of visible cytopathic effects without changing the normal morphology of the cells. These results indicate that methanol extracts of O. vulgare and R. officinalis (Anna Rosemary) may contain antiviral compound inhibiting the EV 71 replication.

Childhood Trauma, Metabolic Syndrome, and Physical Health among Outpatients with Schizophrenia (조현병 외래 환자의 아동기 외상과 대사증후군 및 신체 건강과의 관계)

  • Jung, Tae Hwa;Kim, Dae Ho
    • Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
    • /
    • v.24 no.4
    • /
    • pp.196-203
    • /
    • 2017
  • Objectives Childhood trauma increases substantial risks for later developing not only mental health issues including psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia but also physical illness. In this study, possible associations of childhood trauma with metabolic syndrome and physical heath indices were tested among outpatients with schizophrenia. Methods A final sample of 46 adult outpatients with schizophrenia was recruited from an outpatient psychiatric unit of Hanyang University Guri Hospital. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), laboratory tests and physical measurement including Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist to hip ratio (WHR). The Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF) were also administered. Results We did not find significant correlations between total scores of childhood trauma and any of these variables, but physical neglect was negatively associated with BMI (r = -0.329, p = 0.026) and waist circumference (r = -0.304, p = 0.040). Conclusions In this preliminary study, we noted that subtypes of childhood trauma could contribute to physical health status separately. Clinicians need to consider the possibility that childhood trauma may affect physical health as well as psychological aspect of schizophrenic illness.

Effects of Clinical Training on Stress, Anxiety and Changes in Autonomic Nervous System in Nursing Students (임상실습이 간호학생의 스트레스, 불안 및 자율신경계 변화에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Jin-Il;Lee, Jeong-Soon
    • Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
    • /
    • v.13 no.2
    • /
    • pp.102-108
    • /
    • 2011
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of first clinical training on stress, anxiety and changes in autonomic nervous system in nursing students. Methods: Seventy-four nursing students were assigned to the experimental group (n=36) that had two weeks of clinical training, and the control group (n=38) that had only two weeks of regular classes. Perceived stress, state anxiety and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured at the beginning and end of the experiment. Results: Perceived stress in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group. However, State anxiety was not significantly different between the two groups. All indices of HRV except LF/HF ratio were significantly different between the two groups. LF norm in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group, and HF norm in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group. Conclusion: Based on these results, it can be suggested that clinical training increases the perceived stress and affects the changes in autonomic nervous system in nursing students.

Model Predicting Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity in University Students (대학생의 과민대장증후군 중증도 예측모형)

  • Park, Bin-Hee;Lee, Kyung-Sook
    • Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
    • /
    • v.22 no.2
    • /
    • pp.90-101
    • /
    • 2020
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to build and verify a structural model that could predict the severity of irritable bowel syndrome in university students. Methods: Participants were 205 students enrolled in college with irritable bowel syndrome using the irritable bowel syndrome module of the ROME IV Adult Questionnaire. The data were collected using online questionnaires in AprilMay 2019. The data were analyzed using the SPSS WIN 25.0 and AMOS 20.0 programs. Results: 1) The symptom severity that participants experienced were mild (14.6%), moderate (45.4%), and severe (40%). 2) Fit indices of the model were x2= 79.66 (df = 52, p= .009), CFI= .94, TLI= .96, RMSEA= .05, RMR= 1.59, GFI= .94, and TLI= .96.3). The severity of irritable bowel syndrome was influenced directly by anxiety and sleep, and indirectly by family history, perfectionism, social support, coping, and stress. The severity of irritable bowel syndrome was indirectly affected by the following: family history through anxiety; perfectionism through stress, anxiety, and sleep; social support through coping, stress, anxiety, and sleep; coping through stress and anxiety; and stress through anxiety and sleep. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, a nursing intervention is needed to reduce the anxiety and stress and improve the quality of sleep to improve the health of the college students and manage the symptoms of patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Antioxidant Activity on Ethanol Extract from Boiled-water of Hizikia fusiformis (톳 자숙액 에탄올 추출물의 항산화 활성)

  • Park, Ki-Eui;Jang, Mi-Soon;Lim, Chi-Won;Kim, Yeon-Kye;Seo, Young-Wan;Park, Hee-Yeon
    • Applied Biological Chemistry
    • /
    • v.48 no.4
    • /
    • pp.435-439
    • /
    • 2005
  • Antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract from boiled-water of Hizikia fusiformis (EBH) were compared with those of BHA, L-ascorbic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid and (-)-catechin. The free radical scavenging ability against DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), authentic peroxynitrite and reducing power were measured as indices of antioxidant activity. EBH showed the potent DPPH radical and peroxynitrite scavenging activities, showing 85.23 and 96.97% at final concentration of $1000{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The reducing power increased with the increasing amount of EBH (final concentration of 1, 10, 100 and $1000{\mu}g/ml$). Total phenolic content of EBH was 588 mg (-)-catechin/g at the final concentration $1000{\mu}g/ml$. Total phenolic contents correlated with DPPH radical scavenging activity $(R^2=0.766)$ and reducing power $(R^2=0.944)$. These results suggested that EBH could be a natural antioxidative source containing antioxidative components.

Insect Fauna of Ungok Wetland in Gochang, Jeonbuk, Korea, Designated as a Wetland Protection Area at Ramsar Convention (람사르협약의 습지보호지역으로 지정된 전북 고창 운곡습지의 곤충상에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Dong-Eon;Kim, Jong-Myung
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
    • /
    • v.22 no.9
    • /
    • pp.1141-1152
    • /
    • 2013
  • Insect fauna were surveyed in 2011 at Ungok wetland, Obeygol, located in Gochang, Jeonbuk, Korea. In total, 149 species belonging to 11 orders and 57 families were surveyed. Among them, Lepidopterans composed 23.5% (35 species) of the total insect numbers surveyed, comprising the most abundant group, and followed by Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Odonata with a composition of 22.1% (33 species), 17.4% (26 species), and 10.1% (15 species), respectively. Bothrogonia japonica Ishihara was the most dominant species, and followed by Gastrophysa atrocyanea Motschulsky and Celastrina argiolus (Linnaeus). Phytophagous insects accounted for 60 percent of the total species. Dominance index was the highest in spring by 0.21. Diversity, richness, and evenness indices were the highest in summer by 4.07, 11.84 and 0.96, respectively. In the study area, the legally-protect species were grouped into five groups; 9 export-restricted species, 17 endemic species, 28 indicator species, 1 climate-sensitive biological indicator and 3 southern characteristic species. Additionally, twenty forest insect pest species were surveyed, belonging to 5 orders and 15 families. Therefore, it is required to conduct long-term monitoring and appropriate management based on the ecological characteristic of the habitats to continuously conserve and maintain of wetland.

The classification of biotope type and characteristics of naturalized plant habitat on the coastal sand dune ecosystem

  • Lee, Jeom-Sook;Jeon, Ji-Young;Ihm, Byung-Sun;Myeong, Hyeon-Ho
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.35 no.3
    • /
    • pp.167-175
    • /
    • 2012
  • Coastal sand dune systems are particularly fragile and threaten the environment. However, these systems provide fundamental ecosystem services to the nearby urban areas, acting, for example, as protective buffers against erosion. In this paper, we attempt to classify the biotope types of coastal sand dune ecosystems and select an index for the assessment of the conservation value. The types of biotopes are categorized based on the vegetation map; floras are examined in order to research the effects of hinterlands on coastal sand dunes. In addition, a naturalization rate and an urbanization index for each biotope type in hinterlands are analyzed. In the ecosystem of coastal sand dunes, the urbanization index and naturalization rate shows a higher value in sand dunes with areas of road, residential, and idle land in farm villages, rice fields, and fields. On the contrary, a lower value in the urbanization index and naturalization rate is present when typical biotope types, such as sand dune vegetation and natural Pinus thunbergii forests, are widely distributed. Based on these results, urbanization index and naturalization rate should be used as critical indices for the assessment of the ecosystem of costal sand dunes.

Effects of Phytoncide Aromatherapy on Stress, Symptoms of Stress and Heart Rate Variability among Nursing Students (피톤치드 아로마테라피가 간호대학생의 스트레스, 스트레스 증상 및 심박변이도에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Chul-Gyu;Cho, Mi-Kyoung;Kim, Jin-Il
    • Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
    • /
    • v.14 no.4
    • /
    • pp.249-257
    • /
    • 2012
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of phytoncide aromatherapy on stress, symptoms of stress and heart rate variability among nursing students. Methods: This study is a randomized control-group non-synchronized design. The experimental group (n=31) underwent phytoncide aromatherapy for 2 weeks, while the control group (n=31) received placebo therapy. The data were collected using self-administration questionnaires and measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) and analyzed using SPSS WIN 18.0 program. A p value <.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Total score of stress, individual score of intrapersonal stress, and score of peripheral manifestations in symptoms of stress in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group. All indices of HRV were significantly different between the two groups. LF norm and LF/HF ratio in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group, and HF norm in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of in the control group. Conclusion: Based on these results, it can be suggested that phytoncide aromatherapy was effective in decreasing stress and peripheral manifestations of stress and changing in HRV among nursing students.

Effects of Dietary Nutrient on the Biological Index and Serum Chemistry of Juvenile Olive Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus Achieving Compensatory Growth

  • Cho, Sung-Hwoan
    • Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
    • /
    • v.15 no.1
    • /
    • pp.69-72
    • /
    • 2012
  • Effects of dietary nutrient content on the biological index and serum chemistry of olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus achieving compensatory growth were investigated. Six treatments were prepared in triplicate. Fish were hand-fed with the control (C) diet twice daily for 8 weeks (8W-C) or fish were starved for 2 weeks and then hand-fed with the C, high protein (HP), high carbohydrate (HC), high lipid (HL), or intermediate protein, carbohydrate and lipid (IPCL) diets for 6 weeks, referred to as 6W-C, 6W-HP, 6W-HC, 6W-HL, and 6W-IPCL, respectively. Weight gain of fish in the 8W-C, 6W-HP, and 6W-IPCL treatments was higher than that of fish in the 6W-C treatment. Condition factor (CF) of the fish in the 6W-HP, 6W-HC and 6W-IPCL treatments was higher than that of fish in the 8W-C and 6W-C treatments. The hepatosomatic index (HSI) of fish in the 6W-HC, 6W-HL and 6W-IPCL treatments was higher than that of the fish in the 8W-C, 6W-C and 6W-HP treatments. Serum chemistry except triiodothyronine ($T_3$) was not significantly different among the treatments. In conclusion, CF and HSI of the fish could be indices reflecting compensatory growth, whereas $T_3$ seemed to play a partial role in achieving compensatory growth.