• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.140-145
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• 2011

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection causes acute enteritis with lethal watery diarrhea resulting in a high mortality rate in piglets. As with the other members of group 1 coronaviruses, PEDV also utilizes the host aminopeptidase N (APN) as the major cellular receptor for entry into target cells. The coronavirus spike (S) protein is known to interact with the cellular surface for viral attachment and the S1 domain of all characterized coronaviruses contains a receptor-binding domain (RBD) that mediates a specific high-affinity interaction with their respective cellular receptors. Although the RBDs of several coronaviruses have been mapped, the location of the PEDV RBD has to date not been defined. As a first step toward the identification of the region of the S protein of the PEDV that is critical for recognition with the cellular receptor, we generated a series of S1-truncated variants and examined their abilities to bind to the porcine APN (pAPN) receptor. Our data indicate that the N-terminus of the S1 domain is required for pAPN association. The results from the present study may assist in our understanding of the molecular interactions between the PEDV S protein and the pAPN receptor.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1309-1313
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• 2009

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals which can be found in our normal daily lives. Chemicals such as bisphenol A, DDT, benzophenone and phenylphenol can be easily ingested through plastic food containers and pesticides. Endocrine disruptors can be very harmful and toxic because they disrupt the normal function of the endocrine system. It has been reported that endocrine disruptions can cause fatal strikes in the cardiovascular, reproductive, and central nervous systems, and other parts of the body. Therefore we examined if benzophenone as an endocrine disruptor inhibits development in or induces malformation of chick embryos. Chick embryos which received a single injection of benzophenone ($1{\mu}g$/egg $\sim$ $500{\mu}g$/egg) via the yolk sac at designated times (6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 days after incubation) were investigated. Body weight reduction was observed in middle doses ($40{\mu}g$/egg $\sim$ $60{\mu}g$/egg). High mortality rates and teratogenic signs such as abnormal wry beak and abnormal eyeballs were seen in high doses ($80{\mu}g$/egg $\sim$ $500{\mu}g$/egg). In conclusion, it is suggested that benzophenone induces malformation of chick embryos and seriously inhibits development.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.5-6
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• 2002

In a comprehensive summary use and supplementation of some well defined natural herbal formulations in the European swine breeding and fattening is documented. Along with this data also the quality assurance, hygenic as well as the standards of efficacy of the formulations are presented. Series of experimental and development work over the last several years with universities, research institutes, veterinarians and feed industry proved that the application of such phylo-components (feed supplementation) result in to optimizing swine breeding practices. On the basis of 4 specific formulations tested and used in the European veterinary field most of the common problems of pig breeding and rearing can be successfully handled. Precisely, problems of fertility, respiration, diarrhea and stress; which are directly related to imerse losses in production, with poor quality of piglets associated with immune suppressions. Besides curing common symptoms, one of the most important aspect is of improvement in the self defence mechanism which results ultimately in to increased immunity, vitality and health of the animals; of course, thereby reducing the mortality which is the most economical problem observed in the animal health. Moreover, data presented here reflects on the fact that the use of such high quality alternative formulations successfully replace conventionally used antibiotics or hormonal therapies. They also work synergestically of as complementary in vaccination program or act as growth promoting agents on natural basis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.305-310
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• 2014

Ascidian soft tunic syndrome (AsSTS) caused by Azumiobodo hoyamushi (A. hoyamushi) is a serious aquaculture problem that results in mass mortality of ascidians. Accordingly, the early and accurate detection of A. hoyamushi would contribute substantially to disease management and prevention of transmission. Recently, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was adopted for clinical diagnosis of a range of infectious diseases. Here, the authors describe a rapid and efficient LAMP-based method targeting the 18S rDNA gene for detection of A. hoyamushi using ascidian DNA for the diagnosis of AsSTS. A. hoyamushi LAMP assay amplified the DNA of 0.01 parasites per reaction and detected A. hoyamushi in 10 ng of ascidian DNA. To validate A. hoyamushi 18S rDNA LAMP assays, AsSTS-suspected and non-diseased ascidians were examined by microscopy, PCR, and by using the LAMP assay. When PCR was used as a gold standard, the LAMP assay showed good agreement in terms of sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). In the present study, a LAMP assay based on directly heat-treated samples was found to be as efficient as DNA extraction using a commercial kit for detecting A. hoyamushi. Taken together, this study shows the devised A. hoyamushi LAMP assay could be used to diagnose AsSTS in a straightforward, sensitive, and specific manner, that it could be used for forecasting, surveillance, and quarantine of AsSTS.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.834-839
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• 2017

Propolis is a natural product collected from plants by honey bees product used extensively in traditional medicine for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-cancer effects. Propolis exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities because it is a complex mixture of natural substances. Ovarian cancer is the second most common newly diagnosed cancer from all cancers among women in Korea and the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies. While most ovarian cancer patients initially respond to surgical debulking and chemotherapy, patients later succumb to the disease. Thus, there is an urgent need to test novel therapeutic agents to counteract the high mortality rate associated with ovarian cancer. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer properties and the active mechanism of Australian propolis in human epithelial ovarian cancer A2780 cells. Our data revealed that propolis showed a cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis for cell cycle arrest and apoptosis using propidium iodide staning and annexin V-FITC indicated that propolis could induce cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner on human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. These results suggest that the Australian propolis is potential alternative agent on ovarian cancer prevention and treatment.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.408-412
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• 2000

The juvenile Bobiids, Faronirobius gymnauchen, were reared for 40 days under $0{\~}33.6{\%_{\circ}}$ salinity conditions to examine the effects of various salinity on its survival, growth and oxygen consumption rates, Survival rate was significantly declined below $6.7{\%_{\circ}}$ salinity, and daily growth rate was also reduced below $10.1{\%{\circ}}$. Body length and weight of gobiids reared below $10.1{\%_{\circ}}$ were smaller than those of gobiids reared above $20.2{\%_{\circ}}$. Oxygen consumption rate in the salinity conditions ${\leq}13.4{\%_{\circ}}$ was significantly reduced with decreasing salinity than that in natural seawater ($33.6{\%_{\circ}}$), This study revealed that low salinity reduced survival, growth and oxygen consumption rates of the juvenile gobiids suggesting potential influence on the natural mortality of F gymnauchen in the coastal areas.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.69-81
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• 1983

The biological effect of hyperthermia on the SCK tumor cells in vitro were analyzed in several respects. A comparision of the survival curve of SCK tumor cells in vitro and in vivo following hyperthermia demonstrated that the cytocidal effect of heating is far greater on the cells in vivo than on the cells in vitro. The pH change in the SCK tumor upon being heated at $43.5^\\circC$ started out at 7.05 and increased to 7.18 during the first 7 min of heating and then rapidly declined to 6.67 by 30 min. Contrary to the decrease in pH in the heated tumors, the pH in the muscle increased significantly when heated to $43.5-45.0^\\circC$. Following hyperthermia at $43.5^\\circC$ for 30 min, a maximum increase in the lactic acid content in the tumor and liver was observed at 1 hr and 3 hr, respectively. The increase in the tumor was followed by a gradual decrease below the control level, whereas the increase in the liver was maintained at quite a steady level for 24 hr. The hyperthermia at $43.5^\\circC$ for 1 hr exhibited a general tendency that high molecular proteins decrease markedly, whereas most of low molecular proteins increase. The most prominent change was that the heat shock protein 70K increased significantly along with other low molecular proteins in heat shocked cells.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.45 no.2 s.143
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• pp.195-200
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• 2006

This study was carried out to clarify the biologies and morphological characteristics of Rhynchaenus sanguinipes. Also some chemicals were tested to screen the effective insecticide for the control of the species. Up to date, Zelkova serrata has been hewn as host plant of Rhynchaenus sanguinipes, which shows serious damage in this country. In the present study, Ulmus pumila was first found as host plant in this study. Body lengths of larvae, pupa and adult were 4.53$\pm$0.30 mm, 3.30$\pm$0.42 mm and 2.96$\pm$0.12 mm, respectively. The overwintered adult of the species emerged on early April to late April, and adult of nekt generation emerged on early May to late May, Pupal periods were 10, 7.2, 5.1 and 4 days on 16, 20, 24 and 28$^{\circ}C$, respectively. The lower developmental threshold temperature was 5.8$^{\circ}C$. Four braconid parasitoids were found as natural enemies, which emerged mainly on late April to early June. Insecticidal activities with treatments of fenitrothion 50% EC, indoxacarb 30% WG, ethofenprox 20% EC and thiacloprid 10% SC was investigated against adult of R. sanguinpes, and they showed >90% mortality.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.79-82
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• 2012

Acinetobacter infections are of great concern in clinical settings because of multi-drug resistance (MDR) and high mortality of the infected patients. The MDR Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a significant infectious agent in hospitals worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine for molecular characterization of MDR A. baumannii clinical isolates obtained from the Wonju Christian Hospital in Gangwon province of Korea. A total of seventy nonduplicate A. baumannii isolates were collected from the Wonju Christian Hospital in Korea from March to April in 2011. All of the MDR A. baumannii isolates were encoded by $bla_{OXA-23-like}$ gene and all isolates with the $bla_{OXA-23-like}$ gene had the upstream element ISAba1 to promote increased gene expression and subsequent resistance to carbapenem. 16S rRNA methylase gene (armA) was detected in 44 clinical isolates which were resistant to amikacin, and phosphotransferase genes encoding aac(3)-Ia and aac(6')-Ib were the most prevalent. A combination of 16S rRNA methylase and aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme genes (armA, aac(3)-Ia, aac(6')-Ib, and aph(3')-Ia) were found in 31 isolates. The sequencing results for the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of gyrA and parC revealed the presence of Ser (TCA) 83 Leu (TTA) and Ser (TCG) 80 Leu (TTG) substitutions in the respective enzymes for all MDR. Molecular typing for MDR A. baumannii could be helpful in confirming the identification of a common source or cross-contamination. This is an important step in enabling epidemiological tracing of these strains.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2024

Forest management is known to beneficially influence stand structure and wood production, yet quantitative understanding as well as an illustrative depiction of the effects of different management approaches on tree growth and stand dynamics are still scarce. Long-term management of beech forests must balance public interests with ecological aspects. Efficient forest management requires the reliable prediction of tree growth change. We aimed to develop a novel hybrid simulation approach, which realistically simulates short- as well as long-term effects of different forest management regimes commonly applied, but not limited, to German low mountain ranges, including near-natural forest management based on single-tree selection harvesting. The model basically consists of three modules for (a) natural seedling regeneration, (b) mortality adjustment, and (c) tree growth simulation. In our approach, an existing validated growth model was used to calculate single year tree growth, and expanded on by including in a newly developed simulation process using calibrated modules based on practical experience in forest management and advice from the local forest. We included the following different beech forest-management scenarios that are representative for German low mountain ranges to our simulation tool: (1) plantation, (2) continuous cover forestry, and (3) reserved forest. The simulation results show a robust consistency with expert knowledge as well as a great comparability with mid-term monitoring data, indicating a strong model performance. We successfully developed a hybrid simulation that realistically reflects different management strategies and tree growth in low mountain range. This study represents a basis for a new model calibration method, which has translational potential for further studies to develop reliable tailor-made models adjusted to local situations in beech forest management.