• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.927-934
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• 2014

Marine algal flora and community structure were seasonally examined at Jungjado, on the southern coast of Korea, from July 2007 to May 2008. A total of 112 seaweeds, including 15 green, 24 brown, and 73 red algae, were identified and 33 species were found throughout the year. The average seaweed biomass was 145.78 g dry weight $m^{-2}$, and the biomass was maximal in winter (184.74 g) and minimal in autumn (106.17 g). The dominant and subdominant species in terms of biomass were Sargassum thunbergii and Grateloupia elliptica in summer, S. thunbergii and Corallina pilulifera in autumn, S. thunbergii and Chondracanthus intermedius in winter, and Sargassum fusiforme and G. elliptica in spring. The vertical distribution patterns of seaweeds from the upper to lower intertidal zones at Jungjado were S. thunbergii - Ulva conglobata - Gelidium elegans in summer; Caulacantus ustulatus - Chondria crassicaulis - C. pilulifera in autumn; Ulva australis - S. thunbergii - G. elliptica in winter; and Gloiopeltis tenax - S. fusiforme - G. elliptica in spring. Seasonally the evenness, richness, and diversity indices tended to have their highest values during the winter and their lowest values in the summer. However, the dominant index was recorded as lowest in winter and highest in the summer. The C/P, R/P, and (R+C)/P values reflecting the flora characteristics were 0.58, 3.04, and 3.62, respectively.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 1989

After administration of $^{99m}TC,\;^{67}Ga,\;^{131}I,\;^{32}P\;and\;^{238}U(UO_2(NO_2)_3{\cdot}6H_2O)$, in male rats, toxic effects were examined by determining the biological materials in blood. Dosages of radio-nuclides injected are based on the amounts routinely administered to patients, and concentrations of BUN, creatinine, SGOT, SGPT and $PGE_2$ in plasma are determinated as indices to the biochemical response. No increase of creatinine was observed after injection of $^{99m}TC$. Concentrations of BUN, SGOT and $PGE_2$ were not significantly increased in comparison with before-administration. Administration of $^{67}Ga,\;^{131}I\;and\;^{32}P$, did not significantly change BUN, SGPT and SGOT, but largely increased $PGE_2$ than control levels. Besides, $^{238}U$ Showed the most severe toxicity. From the above results, we suggest that the determination of $PGE_2$ in plasma can be used as an index in case of elvaluating the effects of radiation toxicity by nuclides used in nuclear medicine.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.24-33
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• 2013

To enhance the speech perception of hearing aid users in noisy environment, most hearing aid devices adopt various beamforming algorithms such as the first-order differential microphone (DM1) and the two-stage directional microphone (DM2) algorithms that maintain sounds from the direction of the interlocutor and reduce the ambient sounds from the other directions. However, these conventional algorithms represent poor directionality ability in low frequency area. Therefore, to enhance the speech perception of hearing aid uses in low frequency range, our group had suggested a fractional delay subtraction and integration (FDSI) algorithm and estimated its theoretical performance using computer simulation in previous article. In this study, we performed a KEMAR test in non-reverberant room that compares the performance of DM1, DM2, broadband beamforming (BBF), and proposed FDSI algorithms using several objective indices such as a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement, a segmental SNR (seg-SNR) improvement, a perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ), and an Itakura-Saito measure (IS). Experimental results showed that the performance of the FDSI algorithm was -3.26-7.16 dB in SNR improvement, -1.94-5.41 dB in segSNR improvement, 1.49-2.79 in PESQ, and 0.79-3.59 in IS, which demonstrated that the FDSI algorithm showed the highest improvement of SNR and segSNR, and the lowest IS. We believe that the proposed FDSI algorithm has a potential as a beamformer for digital hearing aid devices.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.295-308
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• 2016

This study investigated the effects of a flavonoid-rich ethanol extract of persimmon leaf (PL), an ethanol extract of Citrus junos Sieb (CJS), and a PL-CJS mixture (MPC) on mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). We sought to elucidate the mechanisms of biological activity of these substances using measurements of blood coagulation indices and lipid metabolism parameters. C57BL/6J mice were fed a HFD with PL (0.5% (w/w)), CJS (0.1% (w/w)), or MPC (PL 0.5%, CJS 0.1% (w/w)) for 10 weeks. In comparison with data obtained for mice in the untreated HFD group, consumption of MPC remarkably prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT), whereas exposure to PL prolonged aPTT only. Lower levels of plasma total cholesterol, hepatic cholesterol, and erythrocyte thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, hepatic HMG-CoA reductase, and decreased SREBP-1c gene expression were observed in mice that received PL and MPC supplements compared with the respective values detected in the untreated HFD animals. Our results indicate that PL and MPC may have beneficial effects on blood circulation and lipid metabolism in obese mice.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2004

Objectives : This study was performed to examine the influence of smoking on the blood cadmium concentration in university students. Methods : The study included 300 university students. A questionnaire interview was used to collect data. The urine cotinine and blood cadmium levels were measured as biological exposure indices. The data were analyzed using t-tests ANOVA and ANCOVA. Results : The median value of blood cadmium concentration was equal in both males and females ($0.8{\mu}g/l$). This level was relatively low in comparison with the reference value suggested by WHO (2001). ANCOVA showed that smoking related variables, urine cotinine and smoking amount, were significantly associated with the blood cadmium level (P=0.004, 0.015). However, the values with regard to traffic related air pollution were not significantly associated with the blood cadmium level. Conclusions : Smoking is an important source of nonoccupational cadmium exposure in young people. The Blood cadmium level is at least 10% higher in active smokers than in passive or nonsmokers. The level of urine cotinine can be used as an indicator of non-occupational exposure of respirable cadmium due to smoking, as there is a good correlation bestween smoking amount and the urine cotinine level.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.323-331
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• 2007

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well known for strong carcinogen. However, the human exposure analysis of PAHs is quite difficult and unreliable because of hard for estimation of actual expose dose. Then urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) has been a biological marker of exposure to PAHs. The purpose of this study was to investigate total amount from exposure to PAHs soused by indoor occupational exposure, and residence at Seoul metropolitan area and Kyeonggi province in Korea. Thirty-five housewives were included in this study from April 2003 through February 2004. Dietary habit and general characteristics such as age, type of building, existence of passive smoking, period of residence, fuel type for heating and ventilation type were obtained by self administered questionnaire. Urine samples were collected at morning and freeze quickly. Urinary creatinine was measured for converting into 24 hr urine. Concentration of the indoor PAHs was examined by NIOSH method number 5506. Urinary 1-OHP and PAHs were analysed by HPLC. Correlation coefficient between urinary 1-OHP levels and pyrene concentration of indoor air was 0.66 and statistically significant(P<0.01). The difference of urinary 1-OHP level due to dietary habits were not significant. Urinary 1-OHP level of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter were $0.21{\pm}0.12,\;0.10{\pm}0.17,\;0.16{\pm}0.12,\;0.17{\pm}0.14{\mu}g/g$ cr, respectively. The arithmetic means of urinary 1-OHP for four season tee $0.16{\pm}0.14 {\mu}g/g$ cr. There was a trend that urinary 1-OHP level of residents who dwelling in apartment were higher compared with detached home, Comparison of 1-OHP level between heating by kerosene and LPG, Much higher gas heating type than kerosene type (P<0.05). This result implies that the urinary 1-OHP can be applied as the PAHs exposure indices.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.411-417
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• 2021

By-products produced from medicinal plants (MP) were evaluated as feed additives on growth performance, blood chemistry, and immune responses of the juvenile red lip mullet Liza haematocheila. A commercial diet was used as the control. Four experimental diets were prepared by combining 0.5% of MPs such as Panax ginseng (PG), Schisandra chinensis (SC), Angelica gigas (AG), and Rehmannia glutinosa (RG), via water absorption, to the control diet. Triplicate groups of fish averaging 61.8 g were fed one of experimental diets to apparent satiation for 8 weeks. Dietary supplementation of MPs did not affect the growth performance, biological indices and whole body composition of fish compared to the control. The fish fed with AG diet had an increased weight gain, and specific growth rate compared to fish in SC group. Decreased level of plasma glucose was observed in fish fed diet containing MPs. Lysozyme activity was significantly increased in the fish fed AG diet compared to that of fish in PG group. These results indicate that dietary supplementation of Angelica gigas may enhance growth performance and immune responses in juvenile red lip mullet.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.344-354
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• 2021

Optical methods such as UV and fluorescence spectrophotometers can be applied not only in the qualitative analysis of dissolved organic matter (DOM), but also in real-time quantitative DOM monitoring for wastewater and natural water. In this study, we measure the UV₂₅₄ and fluorescence excitation emission spectra for a sewage treatment plant influent and effluent, and river water before and after sewage effluent flows into the river to examine the composition and origin of DOM. In addition, a correlation analysis between quantified DOM characteristics and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was conducted. Based on the fluorescence excitation emission spectra analysis, it was confirmed that the protein-type tryptophan-like DOM was the dominant substance in the influent, and that the organic matter exhibited relatively more humic properties after biological treatment. However, DOM in river water showed the fluorescence characteristics of terrestrial humic-like and algal tyrosine-like (protein-like) organic matter. In addition, a correlation analysis was conducted between the DOC and optical indices such as UV₂₅₄, the fluorescence intensity of protein-like and humic-like organic matter, then DOC prediction models were suggested for wastewater and river monitoring during non-rainfall and rainfall events. This study provides basic information that can improve the understanding of the contribution of DOC concentration by DOM components, and can be used for organic carbon concentration management in wastewater and natural water.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.250-255
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• 2018

Accurate blood typing is the crucial factor for safe and successful blood transfusion and plays a very important role in organ transplantation and genetic information of forensic medicine. Microfluidic devices have been developed to overcome the limitations of the conventional blood typing methods. In this study, we demonstrate a Lamb wave-based device for simple blood typing in a sample droplet and we propose new indices for quantitative and accurate blood typing. Using Lamb wave-induced acoustic streaming in the droplet, the blood sample and the reagent can be mixed rapidly and red blood cells start to form clumps, which is agglutination. Based on the recorded image and video, the intensity of transmitted light through the sample droplet is evaluated to determine the blood type. Effect of the concentration of suspended red blood cells was evaluated and we found that 10% concentration of suspended red blood cells was suitable to observe the difference between aggregated and non-aggregated samples. Finally, sample with blood type A could be determined using anti-A reagent in our Lamb wave-based device. Our device enables simple and accurate blood typing, which can be applied to resource-limited environments.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.83-95
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was optimized mixing ratio of mulberry leaf, mulberry fruit, and silkworm for amelioration of the metabolic syndrome by using response surface method (RSM). Methods: Antioxidant, antidiabetic and antihypertensive activities of fifteen mixed powder of mulberry leaf, mulberry fruit, and silkworm by RSM were measured as indicators of metabolic syndrome. Results: The optimal mixing ratio of mulberry leaves, mulberry fruits, and silkworm with the greatest antioxidant, antidiabetic and antihypertensive activities was as follows: 2.5890 of mulberry leaf (A), 0.1222 of mulberry fruit (B), 2.9999 of silkworm (C). At this time, it was predicted that the total polyphenol content was estimated to be 185.51 tannic acid equivalent mg/g, 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhy drazyl radical scavenging activity 84.77%, 1-deoxynojirimycin content 415.66 mg/100 g, ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activity 64.31%, ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid content 267.77 mg/100 g, potassium content 1,899.11 mg/100 g, and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitory activity was estimated to be 73.78%. Conclusions: It was concluded that the significant effect of the mulberry leaf, mulberry fruit, and silkworm on the metabolic syndrome-related biological activity indices (antioxidant activity, antidiabetic activity and antihypertensive activity) was as follows: 2.5890 of mulberry leaf (A), 0.1222 of mulberry fruit (B), 2.9999 of silkworm (C).