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Concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn) were determined in edible parts (muscle) of 34 marine wild fish caught from the southern sea of Korea in 2007 and 2008 in order to understand the accumulation pattern of heavy metals in wild fish and to assess the potential health risk posed by fish consumption. The highest concentrations in the muscle of 17 pelagic and 17 demersal fishes were Zn and As, respectively, while the lowest concentration in both fishes was Cd. The mean concentrations of all metals except As in wild fish were much lower than the regulatory limits for fish and fishery products applied in a number of countries. Unlike other metals, As concentration in wild fish of this study region was relatively higher than that found in other country. Estimated daily intake (EDI) of the metals was in the range of 0.05% to 22.5% of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intakes (PMTDI). Similarly, the target hazard quotient (THQ) was below 1.0 for each metal. These results imply that the consumption of the investigated wild fish do not cause significant adverse health effects.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to access the effect of weight bearing exercise (treadmill exercise) and non-weight-bearing exercise (swimming exercise) on gait in the recovery process after a sciatic nerve crush injury. [Subjects and Methods] Rats were randomly divided into a swimming group (n=3) with non-weight-bearing exercise after a sciatic nerve crush and a treadmill group (n=3) with weight bearing exercise after a sciatic nerve crush. Dartfish is a program that can analyze and interpret motion through video images. The knee lateral epicondyle, lateral malleolus, and metatarsophalangeal joint of the fifth toe were marked by black dots before recording. [Results] There were significant differences in TOK (knee angle toe off) and ICK (knee angle at initial contact) in the swimming group and in TOK, ICA (ankle angle at initial contact), and ICK in the treadmill group. In comparison between groups, there were significant differences in TOA (ankle angle in toe off) and ICA at the 7th day. [Conclusion] There was no difference between weight bearing and non-weight-bearing exercise in sciatic nerve damage, and both exercises accelerated the recovery process in this study.

Olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus were exposed to waterborne Cu (control, 50, 80, 150, and 320 µg/L) for 30 days and then depurated for 20 days to investigate the effects of waterborne Cu exposure on growth, accumulation, and elimination. The weightspecific growth rate was significantly negatively related to waterborne Cu concentrations at 150 and 320 µg/L. The order of Cu accumulation in different tissues of exposed fish was liver>intestines>gills>kidneys>muscle, suggesting that the liver is more important than other tissues for the storage of Cu in olive flounder. The accumulation factor for the gills, intestines, liver, and muscle increased with increasing exposure time, and accumulation was negatively related to exposure concentration for the gills, kidneys, and muscle. Cu concentrations in the gills, intestines, and liver continuously decreased for 20 days of depuration. The fastest elimination rate occurred in the intestines at all exposure concentrations, and the order of Cu elimination in the different tissues was intestines>liver>gills.

Concentrations of trace metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Se, and Zn) were determined in the livers, kidneys, muscles, intestines, and hearts of twelve long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) from the East Sea, Korea, in 2006. All specimens were entangled in various commercial fishing nets or traps and as such are recorded as by-catch. The concentrations of Cu, Hg, Se, and Zn were much higher in the liver than in the kidney, muscle, intestine, or heart. Trace metals that accumulated in the liver were, in descending order: Zn > Hg > Cd > Se > Cu > As > Cr > Pb. In contrast, the concentration of Cd was higher in the kidney than in any other organs. The trace metals accumulated in the kidney were, in descending order: Cd > Zn > Cu > Hg > Se > As > Pb > Cr. No significant differences were found in the concentrations of As, Cr, or Pb in all the tissues examined.

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation and elimination were assessed in the tissues of the clam R. philippinarum at four experimental concentrations (control, 10, 20, 100, and ) over an exposure period of 2 weeks and an elimination period of 1 week. Cd accumulated in the digestive gland, gill, and residual clam tissues, and accumulation increased with time of exposure and concentration (100 and ). After 2 weeks of Cd exposure, the order of Cd accumulation in tissues was gill > digestive gland > residual tissues. An inverse relationship was observed between concentration factor (CF) and exposure level, but the CF showed an increase with exposure time. During the depuration period, Cd concentrations in the digestive gland, gill, and residual tissues decreased immediately on the cessation of exposure, except in individuals at the concentration. The Cd elimination rate from tissues decreased in the order of digestive gland > gill > residual tissues during the depuration period.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) on the growth and hematological parameters of rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, after they were fed with subchronic dietary B[a]P for 30 days. The weight growth rate of the rockfish was significantly different from that of the control group at dietary B[a]P concentration of 1.5 and 2.0 mg/kg. Significant reduction in red blood cells, hematocrit, and hemoglobin were observed during 30 days of exposure to the highest concentration. Over 30 days, serum AST increased at a B[a]P concentration of 1.5 mg/kg and LDH increased at a B[a]P concentration of 1.0 mg/kg concentration. However, no changes were observed in ALT, total protein, magnesium or calcium.

Cd and Cu toxicological effect on growth and hematological parameters was investigated in juvenile rockfish Sebasres schlegeli after sub-chronic dietary Cd (0, 0.5, 5, 25, and 125 mg/kg) and Cu exposure (0, 50, 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) for 60 d. In the experiment of dietary Cd exposure, weight and length SGR of the rockfish were significantly different from control, and a significant inverse relationship was observed between weight gain and the exposure concentration of dietary Cd at 25, 125 mg/kg (P > 0.05). Hematwrit and hemoglobin decreased significantly and were dose dependently in all Cd exposure. Glucose in serum was also increased significantly (P < 0.05). The concentration of total protein in serum was significantly lower than control at 5, 25, and 125 mgkg. No differences were observed in serum calcium concentration. Magnesium concentration in serum was increased signillcantly with dietary Cd concentration. In the experiment of dietary Cu exposure, Cu was inhibited weight gain and growth rate. No differences were observed in hematocrit, hemoglobin and RBCs compared to control. Contents of total protein, glucose, and Ca in serum remained stable. Mg concentration in serum was increased significantly at 500 mg/kg.

The effects of ammonia and nitrite on survival, growth and moulting were investigated in juvenile tiger crab, Orithyia sinica (carapace length 3.91±0.15 mm, carapace width 3.84±0.23 mm, n=440), after 30 days exposure to ammonia-N (0, 20, 50, 100 and 150 mg L−1) and nitrite-N (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg L−1) using a continuous flow system. Survival rates of tiger crab exposed to ammonia and nitrite decreased linearly with the exposure time and concentration. The growth rate of tiger crab exposed to 50, 100 and 150 mg L−1 ammonia was significantly lower than that of control crabs. The growth rate of tiger crab exposed to nitrite decreased at 150, 200 and 250 mg L−1 nitrite. During the ammonia and nitrite exposure, the intermoult period of the juveniles of tiger crab O. sinica was shortened between the first and second moult, and the number of moulting of crabs exposed to a higher concentration were significantly higher than that of control crabs.

Copper accumulation, and its effect on growth and hematological parameters were investigated in juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli (mean length 11.83 ± 0.03 cm, and mean weight 26.02 ± 0.23 g), after sub-chronic dietary Cu exposure (0, 50, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) for 60 days. The profile of Cu accumulation among tissues in rockfish is dependent on the exposure periods and Cu concentration. Liver of rockfish is a more important storage tissue than other tissues, and the order of Cu accumulation in tissues was liver > intestine > kidney > gill > muscle. Cu reduced the growth rate, and there was an inverse relationship between growth and Cu concentration (>50 mg/kg). The RNA:DNA ratios were not affected by exposure and there was no correlation between growth rate and RNA:DNA ratio in the liver and muscle. There was no significant effect of exposure on blood parameters except for magnesium. Cu exposure increased GOT and GPT serum concentrations with increasing time and dose.

Flounder were exposed to waterborne phenanthrene (0.5, 1 and 2 μM) for 4 weeks to test effects of waterborne phenanthrene on growth and hematological properties of the olive flounder ( Paralichthys olivaceus ). The average weight gain (WG) of flounder was significantly decreased in fish exposed to phenanthrene at 2.0 μM for 2 weeks, whereas WGs of fish treated by 1.0 and 2.0 μM phenanthrene for 4 weeks were significantly decreased. However, hepatosomatic index (HSI) and condition factor (CF) of flounder were not significantly affected by phenanthrene exposure. Red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, hematocrit (Ht), the mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) mean levels were decreased with an increase in exposure time of phenanthrene to the fish, but the level of the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was increased. Plasma bilirubin concentrations were significantly increased following exposure to waterborne phenanthrene (2.0 μM) for 2 and 4 weeks; however, there were no significant changes in plasma total cholesterol in fish of all treated groups compared to control. The phenanthrene-exposed groups (≥1.0 μM) showed significantly higher mean plasma lysozyme activity. Kidney lysozyme activity of fish exposed to phenanthrene (≥1.0 μM) was also significantly higher than that of control fish. The central finding from these data is that olive flounder exposed to waterborne phenanthrene at more than 1.0 μM are likely to experience negative impacts on fish health and basic physiological functions.

Experiments were carried out to investigate the growth and haematological parameters in juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, exposed to sub-chronic dietary cadmium (Cd) (0, 0.5, 5, 25, and 125 mg kg−1) for 60 days. The daily growth rates of weight and length of the rockfish were significantly different from control, and a significant inverse relationship was observed between weight gain and the exposure concentration of dietary Cd at 25 and 125 mg kg−1 (P

The study described here investigated the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on functional recovery and neurotrophin-3 expression in the spinal cord after sciatic nerve injury in rats. Forty-five 8-wk-old rats were used and randomly divided into three groups: An experimental group, a control group and a sham group. The experimental group received ESWT after the nerve-crushing damage. The sciatic functional index and Dartfish Software were used to determine the effect of sciatic nerve damage on functional changes. A 1-cm length of spinal cord encompassing the L4–6 level was removed for Western blot analysis. The sciatic functional index significantly changed in both the ESWT and control groups after impairment. In the time course evaluation of the ankle angle in the toe off, the ESWT group had statistically significant increases from day 21 onward. There was a significant difference in neurotrophin-3 expression between the groups on days 1, 7 and 14 after impairment. Early application of ESWT increased the expression of neurotrophin-3 and neurotrophin-3 mRNA, and daily therapy facilitated the activity of macrophages and Schwann cells, which affect the survival and regeneration of neurons.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of horse riding simulation (HRS) on balance and trunk muscle activation as well as to provide evidence of the therapeutic benefits of the exercise. Thirty elderly subjects were recruited from a medical care hospital and randomly divided into an experimental and a control group. The experimental group performed the HRS exercise for 20 min, 5 times a week, for 8 weeks, and conventional therapy was also provided as usual. The muscle activation and limits of stability (LOS) were measured. The LOS significantly increased in the HRS group (p0.05) but not in the control group (p0.05). The activation of all muscles significantly increased in the HRS group. However, in the control group, the muscle activations of the lateral low-back (external oblique and quadratus lumborum) and gluteus medius (GM) significantly decreased, and there was no significant difference in other muscles. After the intervention, the LOS and all muscle activations significantly increased in the HRS group compared with the control group. The results suggest that the HRS exercise is effective for reducing the overall risk of falling in the elderly. Thus, it is believed that horse riding exercise would help to increase dynamic stability and to prevent elderly people from falling.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of trunk stabilization exercise on the muscle EMG activations related to core stability. [Subjects and Methods] Fifteen elderly people in a geriatric hospital performed trunk stabilization exercises with a Swiss ball for 20 minutes five times per week for 8 weeks. Trunk muscle activations were measured using electromyography before and after the intervention. [Results] After the intervention, the muscle activations of the rectus abdominis, erector spinae, lateral low-back (quadratus lumborum and external oblique), and gluteus medius muscles increased significantly. [Conclusion] The trunk stabilization exercise with a Swiss ball significantly increased the muscle activities of the elderly.

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation and elimination were investigated in the tissues (gill, intestine, kidney, lever and muscle) of juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, after sub-chronic dietary Cd exposure (0, 0.5, 5, 25 and 125 mg/kg). No mortality occurred during the sub-chronic exposure to dietary Cd. Specific growth rates of the rockfish estimated by weight and length were significantly different from those of the control, and a significant inverse relationship was observed between weight gain and the exposure concentration of dietary Cd at 25, 125 mg/kg. Cd accumulation in the tissues increased with exposure periods and concentrations for the 60 days of dietary Cd exposure. Cd accumulation in the intestine of rockfish was higher than other tissues, and the order of Cd accumulation in tissues were intestinekidney approximately livergillmuscle. Accumulation factors showed an increase with the exposure period and an inverse relationship between the accumulation factor and the exposure concentrations in the gill, intestine, liver and muscle, but not in kidney. Cd elimination in tissues of rockfish decreased during the 30 days of depuration except kidney and muscle. Intestine showed the fastest elimination rates of Cd at all concentrations compared with other tissues.

Experiments were carried out to investigate the accumulation and elimination of cadmium (Cd) in tissues (gill, intestine, kidney, liver and muscle) of juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, exposed to sub-chronic concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100 microg l(-1)) of Cd. Cd exposure resulted in an increased Cd accumulation in tissues of flounder with exposure periods and concentration, and Cd accumulation in gill and liver increased linearly with the exposure time. At 20 days of Cd exposure, the order of Cd accumulation in organs was gill > intestine > liver > kidney > muscle and after 30 days of exposure, those were intestine > gill > liver > kidney > muscle. An inverse relationship was observed between the accumulation factor (AF) and the exposure level, but AF showed an increase with exposure time. During the depuration periods, Cd concentration in the gill, intestine and liver decreased immediately following the end of the exposure periods. No significant difference was found Cd in concentration in the kidney and muscle during depuration periods. The order of Cd elimination rate in organs were decreased intestine > liver > gill during depuration periods.