• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.252-254
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• 2002

Djungarian hamsters show distinct seasonal rhythms in several physiological parameters. One of them is daily torpor that occurs in winter with decreased body temperature (about 1O-20$^{\circ}$C) during daytime. Daily torpor is induced by short-day photoperiod, food restriction and castration. But the mechanism to induce daily torpor has not been clarified. In the present study, we tried to clarify the process of daily torpor induction in detail. Adult male hamsters were kept in long photoperiod and high temperature (LP-HT) before the experiment and, thereafter, the animals were transferred to short photoperiod and low temperature (SP-LT), and they were kept in this condition for about six months. The daily rhythms of locomotor activity and body temperature were recorded every three-minutes by using the Minimitter telemetry system. Locomotor activity and body temperature showed very closely synchronized rhythms. All animals under LP-HT showed daily rhythms with higher locomotor activity and body temperature in nighttime than in daytime. Under SP-LT, there were two types of animals with and without showing daily torpor. Thus, they have individual differences in the response to SP -LT.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.9-12
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• 2002

Circadian rhythms can be seen in a variety of physiological functions in insects. Light is a powerful zeitgeber not only synchronizing but also modulating the rhythm to adjust insect's temporal structure to seasonal changes in the environmental cycle. There are two general effects of the length of light phase within 24 hr light cycles on the circadian rhythms, i.e., the modulation of free-running period and the waveform. Since the photoperiodic modulation of the free-running period is induced even in the clock mutant flies, per$\^$s/, the free-running period is not fully determined genetically. In crickets, the ratio of activity (a) and rest phase (p) under the constant darkness (DD) is clearly dependent on the photoperiod under which they have been kept. When experienced the longer photoperiod it becomes smaller. The magnitude of change in a/p-ratio is dependent on the number of cycles they experienced. The neuronal activity of the optic lobe in DD shows the a/p-ratio changing with the preceding photoperiod. These data suggest that a single circadian pacemaker stores and maintains the photoperiodic information and that there is a system that accumulates the effects of single photoperiod to cause greater effects.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2006

Circadian rhythms have been observed to be disturbed in mood disorders, especially seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Clock related gene variants also have been suggested to be associated with seasonality (seasonal variations in mood and behavior). This study tested the potential association between a length polymorphism of Period3 gene and seasonal variations in mood and behavior. 297 Korean college students were genotyped for the Period3 polymorphism and were for evaluated the seasonal variation by Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). The genotype frequencies were 0.76 for 4R/4R, 0.22 for 4R/5R and 0.013 for 5R/5R. The global seasonality score was not different among Period3 gene variants (4R/4R, 4R/5R and 5R/5R) except for 'sleep length' subscore. The 5R/5R genotype showed the higher 'sleep length' subscore than others (p=0.024). The comparison between seasonals (syndromal plus subsyndromal SAD determined by SPAQ) and non-seasonals did not show any significant difference in frequencies of genotypes. These findings suggest that there is a possibility that the investigated Period3 polymorphism may play a partial role in the susceptibility of seasonal variations in a Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2012

Many mammals in temperate zones are affected by the distinctive changes of the four seasons in these zones. Their reproductive status is active in the summer climate and inactive during severe winter weather. The golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is seasonal breeding animal whose sexual activities are regulated by photoperoidism. The reproduction and metabolism are activated by long summer days (LD) and inhibited by short winter days (SD). After several months of SD, animals become refractory to this inhibitory photoperiod and spontaneously revert to LD-like physiology. The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) house the primary circadian oscillator in mammals. Seasonal changes in the photic input to this structure control many annual physiological rhythms via SCN-regulated pineal melatonin secretion, which provides an internal endocrine signal representing photoperiod. The aim of this study was to assess the variation in the morphology of the testis in relation to the natural photoperiod in male golden hamsters. The hamsters were castrated at different weeks (2, 5, 8, and 15). The cell numbers of tubules with spermatogonia (SG), spermatocyte (SC), spermatids (ST), and spermatozoa (SZ) were recorded in each sample. The results showed that testicular regression of golden hamsters occurred in the SD-treated animals. The present investigation determines that the effects of the photoperiod on the reproduction of male golden hamsters. It was also found that the circadian period increases the rate of reproductive inhibition in animals exposed to inhibitory photoperiods.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.149-177
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• 2013

Living beings are surrounded by various changes exhibiting periodical rhythms in environment. The environmental changes are imprinted in organisms in various pattern. The phenomena are believed to match the external signal with organisms in order to increase their survival rate. The signals are categorized into circadian, seasonal, and annual cycles. Among the cycles, the circadian rhythm is regarded as the most important factor because its periodicity is in harmony with the levels of melatonin secreted from pineal gland. Melatonin is produced by the absence of light and its presence displays darkness. Melatonin plays various roles in creatures. Therefore, this review is to introduce the diverse potential ability of melatonin in manifold aspects in living organism.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.9-18
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• 2003

A method for rapid propagation of mature Jack fruit was developed. Four types of explants (mature embryos, apical meristems of young seedlings, apices from mature plants and nodal segments) were used. It has been found 88% of young apical meristems produced shoots in Campbell and Durzan (CD) medium compared to 60% in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Only 1/3 of them produced multiple shoots. Shoot idtiation from nodal segments was very rare. Mature apices produced callus. Although removed of the sheathing cover around mature buds enhanced the shoot initiation but success rate was low in growth regulator free medium. Embryos respond to the CD medium but not to the MS medium. Embryos from seeds soaked in water for 24 hours produced shoots after 8 weeks of incubation and the success rate was 70% while embryos from dry seeds only produced roots. There was no significant effect of cold storage (refrigeration) for 7 days on shoot initiation from mature embryos (65%) but the ability for shoot induction declines with storage time (55% after 21 days of cold storage). Mature axillary buds were established in Modified Campbell and Durzan (CD) medium supplemented with 0.5mg/1 and IBA. There was a significant difference in the growth performance of shoots according to the period of the year in which explants were collected. Highest (60%) was observed in November-January period. It was only 30% when the explants were collected in February-April or May-July and decreased to 20% in August-October. The shoots produced in November-January showed a higher vigor than those produced in other months. Since Jak fruit show seasonal changes in fruit bearing and shedding of leaves, it can be suggested that the difference in growth performances of tissues cultured in artificial culture media would have been affected by endogenous rhythms.

• Psychiatry investigation
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1188-1202
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• 2018

Objective This study protocol aims to determine, using a rigorous approach in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and non-seasonal major depressive episode (MDE), the characteristics of bright light therapy (BLT) administration (duration, escalation, morning and mid-day exposures) depending on the tolerance (hypomanic symptoms). Methods Patients with BD I or II and treated by a mood stabilizer are eligible. After 1 week of placebo, patients are randomized between either morning or mid-day exposure for 10 weeks of active BLT with glasses using a dose escalation at 7.5, 10, 15, 30 and 45 minutes/day. A further follow-up visit is planned 6 months after inclusion. Patients will be included by cohorts of 3, with at least 3 days of delay between them, and 1 week between cohorts. If none meet a dose limiting toxicity (DLT; i.e hypomanic symptoms), the initiation dose of the next cohort will be increased. If one patient meet a DLT, an additionnal cohort will start at the same dose. If 2 or 3 patients meet a DLT, from the same cohort or from two cohorts at the same dose initiation, the maximum tolerated dose is defined. This dose escalation will also take into account DLTs observed during the intra-subject escalation on previous cohorts, with a "Target Ceiling Dose" defined if 2 DLTs occured at a dose. Discussion Using an innovative and more ergonomic device in the form of glasses, this study aims to better codify the use of BLT in BD to ensure a good initiation and tolerance.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1998

Chronobiology is the area of medicine that is, how time-related event shape our daily biologic responses and apply to any aspect of medicine with regard to altering pathophysiology and treatment response. In mammals, there are several evidences that prove suprachiasmatic nuclei(SCN) is the major circadian pacemaker and the circadian rhythm influences so many biological aspects of an living organism such as rest-activity, thermoregulation, reproduction, and endocrine system. In case of human beings, there had been little information of circadian system. That may be due to the experimental, technical difficulties to study but also to the fact that human has the more complex environments that may alter the circadina rhythm like the artificial light, many socio-cultural aspects and so forth. However, several reports of these days indicate human's circadian system is composed of two or more circadian oscillators and SCN is the major circadian oscillator among them like the other mammals. Free-running circadinan period of mankind is about 24 hours rather than about 25 hours, and rest-activity rhythm is polymodal like other species. In addition to that, human may have capcities to change the circadian rhythm as the seasonal changes of daynight schedule. In this article, the author will summarize recent progress of anatomy and physiology of the circadian clock mechanism in humans.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.2-3
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• 2003

A method for rapid propagation of mature Jack fruit was developed. Four types of explants (mature embryos, apical meristems of young seedlings, apices from mature plants and nodal segments) were used. It has been found 88% of young apical meristems produced shoots in Campbell and Durzan (CD) medium compared to 60% in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Only 1/3 of them produced multiple shoots. Shoot initiation from nodal segments was very rare. Mature apices produced callus. Although removal of the sheathing cover around mature buds enhanced the shoot initiation but success rate was low in growth regulator free medium. Embryos respond to the CD medium but not to the MS medium. Embryos from seeds soaked in water for 24 hours produced shoots after 8 weeks of incubation and the success rate was 70% while embryos from dry seeds only produced roots. There was no significant effect of cold storage (refrigeration) for 7 days on shoot initiation from mature embryos (65%) but the ability for shoot induction declines with storage time (55% after 21 days of cold storage). Mature axillary buds were established in Modified Campbell and Durzan (CD) medium supplemented with 0.5mg/1 and IBA. There was a significant difference in the growth performance of shoots according to the period of the year in which explants were collected. Highest (60%) was observed in November-January period. It was only 30% when the explants were collected in February-April or May-July and decreased to 20% in August-October. The shoots produced in November-January showed a higher vigor than those produced in other months. Since Jak fruit show seasonal changes in fruit bearing and shedding of leaves, it can be suggested that the difference in growth performances of tissues cultured in artificial culture media would have been affected by endogenous rhythms.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1701-1704
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• 2003

Melatonin regulates circadian rhythms and reproduction changes in seasonally reproductive mammals through binding to high-affinity, G-protein-coupled receptors. Small Tail Han sheep that has significant characteristics of high prolificacy and nonseasonal ovulatory activity is an excellent local sheep breed in P. R. China. The exon 2 of the ovine melatonin receptor 1a (MTNR1A) gene was amplified and a uniform fragment of 824 bp was obtained in 150 ewes of Small Tail Han sheep. The 824 bp PCR product was digested with restriction endonucleases Mnl I and Rsa I, and genetic polymorphism was detected by PCR-RFLP. Polymorphic Mnl I site was detected at base position 605 of the exon 2 of the MTNR1A gene. There were two kinds of genotypes in Small Tail Han sheep, AB (303 bp, 236 bp/67 bp) and BB (236 bp/67 bp, 236 bp/67 bp). The results indicated that genotype AA (303 bp, 303 bp) at Mnl I-RFLP site did not exist in non-seasonal estrous Small Tail Han sheep, which suggested that there was an association between genotype AA (303 bp, 303 bp) and reproductive seasonality in sheep. Polymorphic Rsa I site was detected at base position 604 of the exon 2 of the MTNR1A gene. Three kinds of genotypes were found in Small Tail Han sheep, AA (290 bp, 290 bp), AB (290 bp, 267 bp/23 bp) and BB (267 bp/23 bp, 267 bp/23 bp). Least squares means of litter size in the first parity and the second parity for genotype AA (290 bp, 290 bp) at Rsa I-RFLP site were 0.43 and 1.06 more than those for genotype AB (290 bp, 267 bp/23 bp) in Small Tail Han sheep.