• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.860-870
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• 2016

Continuous monitoring of environmental parameters provides farmers with useful information, which can improve the quality and productivity of crops grown in greenhouses. The objective of this study was to develop a greenhouse environment measurement system using a low-cost microcontroller with open-source software. Greenhouse environment parameters measured were air temperature, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) concentration. The ranges of the temperature, relative humidity, and $CO_2$ concentration were -40 to $120^{\circ}C$, 0 to 100%, and 0 to 10,000 ppm, respectively. A $128{\times}64$ graphic LCD display was used for real-time monitoring of the greenhouse environments. An Arduino Uno R3 consisted of a USB interface for communicating with a computer, 6 analog inputs, and 14 digital input/output pins. A temperature/relative humidity sensor was connected to digital pins 2 and 3. A $CO_2$ sensor was connected to digital pins 12 and 13. The LCD was connected to digital pin 1 (TX). The sketches were programmed with the Arduino Software (IDE). A measurement system including the Arduino board, sensors, and accessories was developed (totaling $244). Data for the environmental parameters in a venlo-type greenhouse were obtained using this system without any problems. We expect that the low-cost microcontroller using open-source software can be used for monitoring the environments of plastic greenhouses in Korea.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2021

The purpose of this research is to improve analysis methods of determining the contents of fatty acids in infant formulas and follow-up formulas. A gas chromatography (GC) method was performed on a GC system coupled to flame ionization detector, with a fused silica capillary column (SP2560, 100 m×0.25 mm, 0.20 ㎛). The method was validated using standard reference material (SRM, NIST 1849a). Performance parameters for method validation such as specificity, linearity, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), accuracy and precision were examined. The linearity of standard solution with correlation coefficient was higher than 0.999 in the range of 0.1-5 mg/mL. The LOD and LOQ were 0.01-0.06 mg/mL and 0.03-0.2 mg/mL, respectively. The recovery using standard reference material was confirmed and the precision was found to be between 0.8% and 2.9% relative standard deviation (RSD). Optimized methods were applied in sample analysis to verify the reliability. All the tested products had acceptable contents of fatty acids compared with component specification for nutrition labeling. The result of this research will provide efficient experimental information and strengthen the management of nutrients in infant formula and follow-up formula.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.210-219
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• 2021

Purpose: The study was conducted to investigate the correlation between perception of patient safety risk factors, patient safety competency, and safety nursing activities of nurses in hemodialysis units and identify factors affecting patient safety activities. Methods: The participants were 146 nurses from 16 hemodialysis units located in Gyeongsangnam-do. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS, version 24.0. Results: The mean safety nursing activity score was 3.47±0.38. safety nursing activities of the participants were significantly correlated with patient safety competency. The characteristics showing significant differences in safety nursing activities were educational level, hospital type, hospital work experience, number of hemodialysis treatment per day, number of hemodialysis treatment per nurse, educational experience of patient safety, presence of a patient safety incident report registration system, and direct registration of patient safety incident report. The multiple regression analysis revealed that the factors influencing safety nursing activities were patient safety incident report, patient safety competency, and number of daily hemodialysis treatment (<5~7 times/day) per nurse (R²=.34). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the safety nursing activities of hemodialysis unit nurses should be intensified. In addition, the registration system of patient safety incident report and nurses' competency on patient safety should be improved, and the number of hemodialysis per nurse should be fewer than 7 times per day.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate effects of Ramaria botrytis methanol extract on liver damage in benzo$({\alpha})$pyrene(B$({\alpha})$P)-treated mice. The activities of serum amminotransferase, cytochrome P-450, aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase and hepatic content of lipid peroxide after B$({\alpha})$P-treatment were increased than control, but those levels were significantly decreased by the treatment of Ramaria botrytis methanol extract. Whereas, the hepatic glutathione content and activities of glutathionie S-transferase and r-glutamylcysteine syntherase were increased by the treatment of Ramaria botrytis methanol extract. In addition, cytochrome P-450 1A1 izozyme protein level, remarkably increased by B$({\alpha})$P-treatment was decreased by the treatment with methanol extract of Ramaria botrytis. These results suggest that the protective effect of methanol extract of Ramaria botrytis on liver injury in B$({\alpha})$P-treated mice may be due to reduction of oxygen free radical.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.290-295
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• 2011

This study was conducted to develop an effective probiotic dairy product to normalize the microbial flora in Korean infants. A total of 2,200 colonies were isolated from 25 Korean neonates, and 16S rRNA of 348 isolates was analyzed. Approximately 40% of the lactic-acid producing bacterial isolates were Enterococcus faecalis, and 34.2% of them were strains similar to XR7 in the GenBank database. The fastest growing strain in MRS broth was registered as 91532 by the KACC. The selected strain was freeze-dried and utilized to ferment a milk-containing rice soup, tarakjuk. Microbiological, physico-chemical, and sensory characteristics of the fermented tarakjuk were compared with fermented milk and tarakjuk. E. faecalis KACC 91532 increased from $6.14{\pm}0.19$ to $7.36{\pm}0.13$ Log CFU/mL, and can be useful as a probiotic, as described in the Standards for Functional Health Foods.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.1146-1153
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• 2024

The increasing economic losses associated with growth retardation caused by Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), a microsporidian parasite infecting penaeid shrimp, require effective monitoring. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-1 region, the non-coding region of ribosomal clusters between 18S and 5.8S rRNA genes, is widely used in phylogenetic studies due to its high variability. In this study, the ITS-1 region sequence (~600-bp) of EHP was first identified, and primers for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting that sequence were designed. A newly developed nested-PCR method successfully detected the EHP in various shrimp (Penaeus vannamei and P. monodon) and related samples, including water and feces collected from Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, India, and Malaysia. The primers did not cross-react with other hosts and pathogens, and this PCR assay is more sensitive than existing PCR detection methods targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and spore wall protein (SWP) genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS-1 sequences indicated that the Indonesian strain was distinct (86.2% nucleotide sequence identity) from other strains collected from Thailand and South Korea, and also showed the internal diversity among Thailand (N = 7, divided into four branches) and South Korean (N = 5, divided into two branches) samples. The results revealed the ability of the ITS-1 region to determine the genetic diversity of EHP from different geographical origins.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2004

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two glimepiride tablets, $Amaryl^{\circledR}$ (Handok/Aventis Pharm. Co., Ltd.) and Glimed (Kuhn II Pharm. Co., Ltd.), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). The glimepiride release from the two glimepiride formulations in vitro was tested using KP VIII Apparatus II method with a variety of dissolution media (pH 1.2, 4.0, 6.8 buffer solution, water and blend of PSB 80 into each dissolution medium). Twenty six healthy male subjects, $22.65{\pm}2.19$ years in age and $66.55{\pm}8.85$ kg in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2\;{\times}\;2$ cross-over study was employed. After one tablet containing 2 mg as glimepiride was orally administered, blood was taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentrations of glimepiride in serum were determined using HPLC method with UV detector. The dissolution profiles of two formulations were similar at all dissolution media. Besides, the pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$ were calculated and ANOVA test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and untransformed $T_{max}$. The results showed that the differences between two formulations based on the Amaryl were -3.70, -8.28 and 0.61% for $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$, respectively. There were no sequence effects between two formulations in these parameters. The 90% confidence intervals using logarithmically transformed data were within the acceptance range of log(0.8) to log(1.25) (e.g., $log(0.84){\sim}log(1.04)$ for $log(0.82){\sim}log(1.03)$ for $AUC_t$ and $C_{max}$, respectively). Thus, the criteria of the KFDA guideline for the bioequivalence were satisfied, indicating Glimed tablet and Amaryl tablet were bioequivalent.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.209-218
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• 1996

Acetylcholine (ACh) activates the inwardly rectifying muscarinic $K^{+}$ channel in rat atrial cells via pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G-protein ($G_k$) coupled with the muscarinic receptor (mAChR). Although this $K^{+}\;(K_{ACh})$ channel function has reported to be modulated by the phosphorylation process, a kinase and phosphatase involved in these processes are still unclear. Since either PKA or PKC was not effective on this ATP-modulation, the present study examined the possible involvement of the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) in the function of the $K_{ACh}$ Channel. In the inside-out (I/O) patch preparation excised from the adult rat atrial cell, when activated by 10 ${\mu}M$ ACh in the pipette and 100 ${\mu}M$ GTP in the bath, the mean open time (${\tau}_{o}$) and the channel activity ($K_{ACh}$) was 1.13 ms (n=5) and 0.19 (n=6), respectively. Following the application of 1 mM ATP into the bath, ${\tau}_{o}$ increased by 34% (1.54 ms, n=5) and $K_{ACh}$ by 66% (0.28, n=6). Channel function elevated by ATP was lasted after washout of ATP. However, this ATP-induced increase in the $K_{ACh}$ channel function did not occur in pretreated cells with genistein ($50{\sim}100 {\mu}M$), a selective PTK inhibitor, but occurred in pretreated cells with equimolar daidzein, a negative control of the genistein. On the contrary, PTP which acts on tyrosine residue conversely reversed both ATP-induced increased ${\tau}_{o}$ by 32% (1.20 ms, n=3) and $K_{ACh}$ by 41% (0.15, n=3), respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that $K_{ACh}$ channel may, at least partly, be regulated by the tyrosyl phosphorylation, although it is unclear where this process exerts on the muscarinic signal transduction pathway comprising the mAChR-$G_{k}$-the $K_{ACh}$ channel.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.323-328
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• 2006

A bacterium producing the extracellular protease was isolated from insect-eating plant and has been identified as a member of the genus Bacillus based on partial 165 rRNA sequences. In order to develop the medium composition, effects of ingredients including nitrogen sources, carbon source, metal ions and phosphate were examined for protease production of the isolate, SH-8. Soluble starch increased the protease productivity, while glucose repressed it. Yeast extract was effective nitrogen source for enzyme production, but the pretense production of Bacillus sp. SH-8 was reduced by large amount of yeast extract. The calcium was found to induce pretense activity as well as protease productivity. However, cell growth and enzyme production was completely inhibited by divalent ions such as $Zn^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Co^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$. The maximum protease productivity was reached 435 unit/ml in the optimized medium consisting of soluble starch (2%), yeast extract (0.3%), $CaCl_2$ (0.3%), $K_2HPO_4$ (0.01%) and $KH_2PO_4$ (0.01%). The pretense activity of culture filtrate was dramatically decreased after incubation for 26 h.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.434-441
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• 2007

Objectives : Peripheral neurodegeneration occurs in diabetes mellitus (DM), both sensory and motor nerve. but we don't know exactly if DM affects central nerve pathway for all studies. Electrophysiologic study is one of the most important diagnostic tools for diabetic neuropathy. Electroneurography and electromyography are usually used. but evoked potentials (EP) is more sensitive to small nerve fiber damages and useful for central nerve evaluation in addition to peripheral nerves. Most diabetic neuropathy studies by EP have been performed with somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). In contrast, the objective of this study is to investigate if DM targets central motor neurons by assessing the relation between fasting blood sugar (FBS) and motor evoked potentials (MEP) latency. Methods : We inspected the medical records of 34 patients who had MEP tests during admitting days. The latency from cervical portion to abductor pollicis brevis was used as peripheral motor conduction time (PMCT). and the latency from vertex to cervical portion was used as central motor conduction time (CMCT). Then, they were correlated to FBS using correlation analysis. Results : There was a significant linear relation between FBS and PMCT (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=0.487, p<0.01), but a poor linear relation between FBS and CMCT (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=-0.l97. p>0.05). Conclusions : This study suggests that prolonged latencies of MEP in DM may be due to peripheral neuropathy rather than dysfunction of central motor pathway. therefore the clinical use of MEP to diabetic neuropathy has to be divided segmentally.