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Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae (PDD) is a marine bacterium that can infect a variety of marine animals and humans. Although this bacterium has been isolated from several stranded dolphins and whales, its pathogenic role in cetaceans is still unclear. In this study, we report the complete genome of PDD strain KC-Na-1 isolated from a finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) rescued from the South Sea (Republic of Korea). The sequenced genome comprised two chromosomes and four plasmids. Among the recently identified major virulence factors in PDD, only phospholipase (plpV) was found in strain KC-Na-1. Interestingly, two genes homologous to Vibrio thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh) and its transcriptional regulator toxR, which are known virulence factors associated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, were encoded on the plasmid pPDD-Na-1-3. Based on these results, strain KC-Na-1 may have potential pathogenicity in humans and other marine animals and also could act as a potential virulent strain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the complete genome sequence of P. damselae.

Estrogen-dependent early stage endometrial cancer is relatively common in young women of reproductive age. The standard treatment is hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), even in early stage well-differentiated endometrial cancer patients. This surgical option results in permanent loss of fertility. There have been some reports of live births using in vitro fertilization after conservative management of endometrial cancer with high-dose progestin for the purpose of fertility preservation. However, most were not recurrent cases and pregnancy was achieved through conventional in vitro fertilization, which usually raises serum estradiol levels and may lead to the recurrence of endometrial cancer. To date, it is hard to find a case that can be referred for any possible different approach needed for the patients who experience recurrence. Here we report a successful live birth with in vitro fertilization using letrozole to maintain physiological levels of estradiol, and subsequent thawed embryo transfer after elective cryopreservation of embryos in a patient with recurrent endometrial cancer. There has been no evidence of disease recurrence at one year after delivery.

Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) culture system has been changing culture conditions from conventional to xeno-free for therapeutic cell applications, and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) could be a useful indicator of xenogeneic contaminations in hESCs because human cells can no longer produce it genetically. We set up the humanized culture condition using commercially available humanized materials and two different adaptation methods: sequential or direct. SNUhES4 and H1 hESC lines, previously established in conventional culture conditions, were maintained using the humanized culture condition and were examined for the presence of Neu5Gc. The hESCs showed the same morphology and character as those of the conventional culture condition. Moreover, they were negative for Neu5Gc within two passages without loss of pluripotency. This study suggested that this method can effectively cleanse previously established hESC lines, bringing them one step closer to being clinical-grade hESCs.

The recent development of strain sensor devices which can actively monitor human body motion has attracted tremendous attention, for application in various wearable electronics and human–machine interfaces. In this study, as materials for strain sensor devices, we exploit the low-cost, carbon-based, 3-dimensional (3D) printable composite dough. The dough is prepared via a chemical method based on the formation of electrostatic assemblies between 1-dimensional, amine-functionalized, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and 2-dimensional graphene oxides. The resulting composite dough has an extremely high storage modulus, which allows a vertically-stackable, 3D printing process for fabricating strain sensor devices on various dense, porous and structured substrates. The device performance parameters, including gauge factor, hysteresis, linearity, and overshooting behavior are found to be adjustable by controlling the printing process parameters. The fabricated strain sensor devices demonstrate the ability to distinguish actual human body motions. A high gauge factor of over 70 as well as other excellent device performance parameters are achievable for the printed sensor devices, and even small strains, below 1%, are also detectable by the fabricated sensor devices.

Study objective : To investigate the association between the androgen receptor (AR) cytosine, adenine, and guanine (CAG) repeat polymorphisms and endometriosis. Study design : A prospective case-control, genetic association study was performed on women with surgically proven endometriosis (n = 421) and controls free of endometriosis (n = 349). AR CAG repeat lengths were determined from peripheral blood samples. The difference in the frequency of each alleles were compared in patients with endometriosis and controls using Chi-square test. Main results : No significant difference in biallelic length mean between patients and controls was observed. Alleles containing 24 CAG repeats were significantly more frequent in stage I–II (mild) endometriosis than in the control samples (19.8% and 13.3%, respectively; OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.04-2.47). Additionally, a higher frequency of both alleles with 24 or more CAG repeats was observed in individuals with mild endometriosis, in comparison with the controls (25.6% and 15.2%, respectively; OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.09-3.38). Conclusions AR gene CAG repeat polymorphisms are associated with the increased risk of mild endometriosis.

Objective Tamoxifen has been used to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. However, tamoxifen-users frequently experience amenorrhea and it can be confused from that caused by other hormonal abnormalities. In amenorrheic patients without breast cancer, clinicians usually measure the sex hormone levels that are known to be associated with ovarian or menstrual function. This study aimed to investigate the feature of female sex hormones in premenopausal breast cancer patients undergoing tamoxifen treatment. Methods The medical records of fifty-nine premenopausal breast cancer patients who underwent tamoxifen treatment were reviewed retrospectively. The study population consisted of amenorrheic patients (n=36) and patients with menstruation (n=23). Serum hormone levels were measured either specifically between cycle days 2 and 5 in menstruating patients or at any time in amenorrheic participants. Results Serum levels of lutenizing hormone and estradiol were not statistically different according to the presence of menstruation. Serum follicle stimulating hormone level was significantly higher in amenorrheic patients (8.1±5.7 mIU/mL) than those in menstruating subjects (5.1±2.2 mIU/mL) (p=0.01). Serum concentration of thyroid stimulating hormone was lower in patients with amenorrhea (1.5±0.9 vs. 2.3±2.2 μIU/mL, p=0.04), although the prevalence of hypo- or hyperthyroidism was not different according to the pattern of menstruation. Conclusion Menstruation status and hormone levels can be influenced by tamoxifen use in reproductive age breast cancer patients. Physicians should be attentive to the alteration of pituitary hormone levels in addition to sex steroid hormones in this population.

Trienzyme digestion (AOAC Official Method 2004.05) procedure using protease, α-amylase, and chicken pancreas conjugase was evaluated to determine its usefulness in the microbiological quantitation of total folate in foods. Folate values obtained by alkali hydrolysis (Korean Food Standards Codex) were compared to those obtained by the trienzyme method for four certified reference materials (CRM) representing diverse matrixes. Trienzyme treatment increased measurable folate from most CRM compared to levels found after alkali hydrolysis. The largest increases were observed with CRM 487 (pig liver, 5.8-fold) and CRM 121 (whole meal flour, 3.1-fold) after trienzyme digestion. Using trienzyme digestion method, total folate contents of raw and blanched edible plants were determined. Eleutherococcus senticosus (146.9 μg/100 g) showed the highest total folate content, followed by Aster glehni F. Schmidt (142.8 μg/100 g) and Ledebouriella seseloides H. Wolff (140.4 μg/100 g) on a wet weight basis. Blanching of samples resulted in an insignificant decrease in folate content for five samples and 11~63% reduction for nine samples. Our finding suggests that trienzyme digestion method is accurate for the determination of food folate in leafy vegetables.

This study was conducted to analyze the changes in the dietary fiber and amino acid compositions of 23 vegetables and 6 fruits and to monitor the current contents of them. We generated data on the contents of total, insoluble and soluble dietary fiber (TDF, IDF and SDF), respectively. The TDF and IDF contents were the lowest (0.56 g/100 g and 0.44 g/100 g) in wild garlic and were the highest (5.87 g/100 g and 5.66 g/100 g) in perilla leaves. A total of 18 kinds of amino acids were found from the most samples. Essential and non-essential amino acid contents ranged from 53.16-2107.54 mg/100 g and 191.66-2892.28mg/100 g, respectively. The highest essential and non-essential amino acid content was hot pepper leaves followed by perilla leaves and aralia. They showed higher contents of both TDF and amino acids. Results of the study could be used as a fundamental source of information in DF and amino acid compositions for diet planning.

Medical records of 48 pet ferrets that underwent adrenalectomy were retrospectively reviewed to investigate the frequency and clinical outcomes of adrenal diseases in pet ferrets. These diseases were most commonly diagnosed in ferrets aged 3 to 5 years and in neutered females (58.3%). Adrenal disease occurred most frequently in the left adrenal gland (72.9%), followed by involvement of both adrenal glands (16.7%) and the right adrenal gland (10.4%). The mean sizes (length * thickness) of the adrenal glands as determined by ultrasonography were 8.96 * 5.08 mm and 12.91 * 8.26 mm for the left and right adrenal glands, respectively. In the ferrets with adrenal disease, alopecia (82.2%) was the main presenting clinical signs in both sexes, and vulvar swelling was seen in 32.1% of the females with adrenal disease. The common incidental findings included renal cysts (29.2%) and splenomegaly (25.0%). Histological findings showed pheochromocytoma, adenoma, and hyperplasia in 44.7%, 14.9%, and 12.8% of cases, respectively. The survival rates at 1- and 2- years after surgery were 87.5% and 74.0%, respectively. Alopecia and vulvar swelling improved within an average of 3.4 months and 12 days after surgery.

In this study, for high-performance indium-free metal oxide channel layer, we synthesize Zn-Sn-O (ZTO) precursor solutions in which formamide is incorporated as an additive for catalyzing the subsequent sol-gel reactions and the evolution of chemical structure. It is revealed that the formamide plays a critical chemical role in evolving a chemical structure with more oxygen-deficient oxide lattice and with less hydroxide, allowing for high field-effect mobility over 7 cm(2)/V·s. Furthermore, it is for the first time demonstrated that electrically active metal-oxide films can be patterned, using an air-brush printing technique, by directly depositing formamide-mediated ZTO-precursor solutions in patterned geometries.

Various chemicals have been reported to induce the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into cardiomyocytes (CMs), however, their contributions to the functionality of hESC-derived CMs are still limited. In this study, we evaluated the effects of red ginseng extract (RGE), ginsenoside-Rb1 (gRb1, panaxadiol), and ginsenoside-Re (gRe, panaxatriol) on the differentiation of hESCs and the functionality of derived CMs. Undifferentiated hESCs were treated with 0.25 mg/mL RGE, 10 μmol/L gRb1, or 10 μmol/L gRe for 48 hours at the differentiation induction (early stage) or maturation (late stage) period. The expression of mesodermal and cardiac transcription factor genes was upregulated in the ginsenoside-treated groups from early stage. The expression of cardiac sarcomeric genes was significantly upregulated at the late stage. The gRb1- and gRe-treated groups upregulated the expression of potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily E member 1 (KCNE1) and the gRe-treated group showed a longer beating duration compared to the control. Taken together, ginsenosides may enhance the functionality of hESC-derived CMs in vitro.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a systemic disorder associated with various extrarenal complications. The major cardiovascular complications of ADPKD include valvulopathies and vascular ectasia. A 64-year-old man who was diagnosed with ADPKD seven years previously was admitted to our hospital for heart failure. Pelvic computed tomography revealed multiple variable-sized cysts in both kidneys. Transthoracic echocardiography showed enlargement of the left ventricle and left atrium. Severe mitral regurgitation and moderate aortic regurgitation with annuloaortic ectasia were observed. The left main coronary artery was dilated. The patient had various cardiovascular features associated with ADPKD.

Selenium (Se) has been utilized in the differentiation of primary pig and rat preadipocytes, indicating that it may have proadipogenic potential; however, some studies have also demonstrated that Se has antiadipogenic activity. In this study, chicken embryonic fibroblasts (CEFs) were used to investigate the role of Se in adipogenesis in vitro and in ovo. Se supplementation increased lipid droplet accumulation and inhibited proliferation of cultured CEFs isolated from 6-day-old embryos dose-dependently. This suggests that Se may play a role in cell cycle inhibition, thereby promoting the differentiation of fibroblasts to adipocytes. Se did not stimulate adipogenic differentiation of CEFs isolated from 9- to 12-day-old embryos, implying a permissive stage of adipogenic determination by Se at earlier embryonic ages. Microarray analysis comparing control and Se treatments on CEFs from 6-day-old embryos and confirmatory analysis by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that genes involved in adipocyte determination and differentiation, fatty acid uptake and triacylglycerol synthesis were up-regulated. In addition, up-regulation of an anti-lipolytic G0/G1 switch gene 2 and down-regulation of a prolipolytic monoglyceride lipase may lead to inhibition of lipolysis by Se. Both osteogenic and myogenic genes were down-regulated, and several genes related to oxidative stress response during adipogenesis were up-regulated. In ovo injection of Se at embryonic day 8 increased adipose tissue mass by 30% and caused adipocyte hypertrophy in 17-day-old chicken embryos, further supporting the proadipogenic role of Se during the embryonic development of chickens. These results suggest that Se plays a significant role in several mechanisms related to adipogenesis.

벌레문치(Lycodes tanakae)는 농어목(Percifomes) 등가시치 과(Zoarcidae)에 속하는 어종으로 우리나라에 6속 7종, 세계적 으로 약 46속 220여 종이 분포하는 것으로 알려져 있다(Kim et al., 2005). 벌레문치의 분포는 우리나라 동해 중부 이북, 일본 북부, 오호츠크해에 분포하며 수심 200-700 m의 넓은 범위에 서식하는 반저서성 어종이고(Choi et al., 2002), 자치어 시기는 비교적 낮은 수심에서 서식하다가 성장하면서 점차 깊은 수심 으로 이동하여 해저에 잠입하는 특성을 가지고 있다(Balanov et al., 2006; Saveliev et al., 2011). 또한 몸은 길고 후반부는 측 편으로 머리는 약간 종편이고, 머리와 배에는 비늘이 없으며, 전 장이 1 m까지 성장하는 것으로 알려져 있다(Kim et al., 2005). 벌레문치 연구는 일본 남서해에서 트롤에 의해 어획된 등가 시치류의 서식밀도와 체장분포에 관한 연구(Balanove et al., 2011), 일본 Primor’e 해역에서 벌레문치의 분포 및 생물의 일 부 특성에 관한 연구(Saveliev et al., 2011), 일본 타타르 해엽에 서 수심에 다른 서식밀도와 체장분포 등에 관한 연구(Saveliev et al., 2012)가 있으며, 국내는 등가시치아목 어류의 분류학적 재검토에 관한 연구(Kim and Kang, 1991), 한국산 등가시치아 목 어류의 분류학적 연구(Kim, 2005), 한국 동해안 벌레문치 근 육의 생화학적 구성(Lee et al., 2012), 벌레문치의 식성에 관한 연구(Choi et al., 2013) 가 되어 있을 뿐 벌레문치에 대한 생태 학적 연구는 국내외적으로 매우 미비한 실정이다. 벌레문치는 우리나라 동해안에서 동해구기선저인망과 연안 자망에서 연중 어획되고 있는 어종이고, “장치”라는 방언으로 불리어지면서 과거 어획 후 폐기되었던 어종이었으나, 점차 관심도가 높아지면서 상업적 가치가 증가하고 있다(NFRDI, 2012). 이는 우리나라의 연근해 어업자원의 감소현상에 의한 동해 중부연안 벌레문치(Lycodes tanakae)의 성숙과 산란 손명호·윤병선·박정호·최영민·이재봉·이해원·차형기·양재형*

This study was carried out to determine the effects of wind speed on physiological responses in ‘Fuji’ apple (Malus pumila Miller). Two levels of wind blowing (3 and 5 m·s �1 ) were produced by large electric fans. Photosynthetic rate was reduced by one-way wind blowing treatment at 5 m·s �1 , compared to the mild wind control, and this reduction was more obvious with stronger wind and increasing duration of wind application. The reduction in photosynthesis by the wind treatments was correlated with that in the proportion of opened stomates and stomatal conductance. The one-way wind treatment at 5 m·s �1 caused a leaf browning and leaf fall, and this negative effect became more serious with increasing time of exposure to the wind treatments. The sap flux through stem increased in all wind treatments compared to the natural mild wind.

There have been several studies of alternative equity index strategies which suggest better investment opportunities with higher risk adjusted return pointing out empirical evidence of inefficient risk-return trade-off implied in the market-cap weighted index. Commercial products based on these strategies, regarded as passive equity strategies, become more popular in the U.S. and European stock markets. We investigates whether these strategies are also valid in Korean stock market and our empirical results add support to their efficacy. From Fama-French 3-factor analysis, we find that the excess return of alternative equity index is attributed to market, size and value factors and it does not show a significantly positive alpha. Even without positive alpha, however, these strategies are valuable to investors in the sense that they offer opportunities to fully exploit size and value premium with long-only portfolios. The advantage of these strategies is more straightforward recalling the fact that rebalancing of Fama-French factor portfolios involves short-sale and high turnover.

{( y j : 2013 2 07  24 j , j : 2014 2 02  06 j , $2(E.C : 2014 2 02  09 j ){Abstract: This study has been investigated on the durability of carbon fiber/epoxy composites (CFRP) in moisture environment. The carbon fiber/epoxy composites were modified to use the nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes and titanium oxide. These hybrid composites were exposed to moisture environment for a certain period of time. Weight gain according to immersion time, quasi-static tensile test and micro-graphic characterization were investigated on the samples exposed to moisture environment. Consequently, the weight gains increased with increasing immersion time and weight gain of the hybrid composites was lower than the one of CFRP through the whole immersion time. The tensile strengths decreased with increasing immersion time and tensile strengths of the hybrid composites were higher than the one of CFRP through the whole immersion time. The CFRP were observed more degraded than hybrid compositess in moisture environment. Therefore, it was concluded that the addition of nanoparticles in CFRP could lead to improve the durability in moisture environment.Key Words ™ Nanoparticles, Carbon Fiber, CFRP, Durability, Degraded, Moisture Environment

Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University* Korean Herpetofauna Ecological Research Institute** Woo Sung Animal Medical Center요 약한국에 서식하는 뱀목(Squamata) 중 살모사과(Viperidae)에 속하는 쇠살모사(Gloydius ussuriensis)와 까치살모사(Gloydius saxatilis)를 대상으로 무선추적기법을 이용한 행동권 연구를 수행하기 위해 모든 개체에게 체중 대비 5% 이내의 발신기를 삽입하였다. 쇠살모사 5개체, 까치살모사 6개체 총 11개체를 대상으로 발신기 삽입수술을 시행한 결과 쇠살모사의 경우 체중 대비 발신기 무게 비율은 평균 4.2%였으며, 까치살모사의 경우 평균 2.2%였다. 발신기삽입 후 회복기간 동안 까치살모사는 모두 생존한 반면 쇠살모사는 전체 5개체 중 4개체가 생존하지 못해 생존율이 20% 밖에 되질 않았다. 이전의 선행 연구들에서는 체중 대비 발신기 무게 비율을 1-7%까지 다양하게 권고하고 있지만, 이번 연구결과는 쇠사모사와 까치살모사의 행동생태 연구에서 이용되는 몸무게에 대한 발신기 무게 비율은 최소 3.6% 이내로 정해야 안전하다는 것을 보여준다. 핵심용어 : 무선추적기법, 발신기, 까치살모사, 쇠살모사AbstractIn order to study the home range of the red-tongue viper snake (Gloydis ussuriensis) and the short-tailed viper snake (Gloydius saxatilis) belonging to the viperidae of squamat in Korea, we implanted radio-transmitters which were weighed less than 5% of individual mass in them and traced their location by radio-tracking. Surgeries for transmitter insertion were performed on 5 red-tongue viper snakes and 6 short-tailed viper snakes (total 11 individuals) and the average ratio of transmitter mass to body mass were 4.2% and 2.2%, respectively. After radio-transmitter implantation, all short-tailed viper snakes survived but 4 out of 5 red-tongue viper snakes did not survive during the convalescence stage, showing only 20% of survival rate. The results suggest that the ratio of transmitter mass to body mass should be less than 3.6% at least in these species, although previous studies have recommended various ranges from 1% to 7% as the acceptable ratios.Keywords : Radio-tracking, Radio-transmitter, Short-tailed viper snake, Red-tongue viper snake+ Corresponding author : jcyoo@khu.ac.kr

Indium zinc oxide (IZO) thin films were fabricated via self-combustion of In and Zn salts coordinated with fuel and oxidizer ligands. The intense heat generated from the exothermic reaction compensated for the energy required for oxide formation and reduced the temperature required to anneal the oxide films. Thermal analysis of the fuel and oxidizer precursors confirmed the generation of exothermic heat at a relatively low annealing temperature. With the aid of the internal energy that evolved as heat from the combustion reaction, the formation of the metal–oxygen–metal lattice and the removal of organic ligands could be easily accomplished with lower amounts of externally supplied energy. IZO thin-film transistors (TFTs), obtained from this combustive In–Zn pair at a low annealing temperature of 350 °C, showed a significantly enhanced field-effect mobility of 13.8 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a high on/off current ratio of 1.06 × 108. Inkjet printing of the combustive precursors yielded TFTs with a high field-effect mobility of 5.3 cm2 V−1 s−1 and an on/off ratio of 106. The high performance, good device uniformity, and high yield of TFTs fabricated by our self-combustion method demonstrate the potential of the proposed system to facilitate the processing of flexible printed electronics.

The development of highly conductive, flexible metallic constituents in patterned geometries has been of paramount interest in various optoelectronic applications. Among a variety of materials, silver nanoparticles have been considered as candidates that meet the physical/chemical requirements for practical applications; but, the issues for applicability to roll-to-roll processes on inexpensive substrates have not been yet resolved. In this study, we demonstrate that the highly flexible, rollable, printable Ag structures, with an electrical resistivity of 8.0 μΩ cm, are easily formed on a timescale of 10−3 s on polyethylene terephthalate and paper substrates, by supplying highly intensive photon energies on olate-Ag nanoparticle assemblies. The precise control of the amount of carbon residues, by virtue of sophisticatedly adjustable input of photon energies, allows the formation of well-adhesive metallic films on plastic substrates, without incorporating any additional procedures, enabling extreme flexibility during 10 000 cycles with a bending radius of 1.5 mm. The continuous approach with a moving stage also suggests the potential toward a practical sintering process for instantly generating highly flexible, conductive metallic architectures in a large area.

In the past decade, wet chemical strategies for solution-based Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CI(G)Se) photovoltaic devices have gained a tremendous amount of attention in solar-cell research fields. In particular, nanoparticles allowing for liquid-phase densification have been recognized as viable candidates for advancements in photovoltaic devices. In this study, multiphase CIGSe nanoparticles are synthesized by the microwave-assisted solvothermal method, in which the chemically incorporated CuSe2 and Se phases form liquid phases for inducing vigorous reactions at elevated temperatures. The morphological/crystalline structural properties of multiphase nanoparticles are analyzed, in conjunction with the temperature dependent evolution in multiphase nanoparticle-incorporating functional layers. Furthermore, we examine physical parameters including the cell performance, shunt conductance, and series resistance for multiphase CIGSe nanoparticle-derived solar cells, from which the cell performance-limiting factors are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Normal elbow joint kinematics has been widely studied in cadaver, whilst in vivo study, especially of the forearm, is rare. Our study analyses, in vivo, the kinematics of normal forearm and of malunited forearm using a three-dimensional computerized simulation system.METHODS: We examined 8 patients with malunited Monteggia fracture and 4 controls with normal elbow joint. The ulna and radius were reconstructed from CT data placing the forearm in three different positions; full pronation, neutral, and full supination using computer bone models. We analyzed the axis of rotation 3-dimentionally based on the axes during forearm rotation from full pronation to full supination.RESULTS: Axis of rotation of normal forearm was pitch line, with a mean range of 2 mm, from full pronation to full supination, connecting the radial head center proximally and ulnar fovea distally. In normal forearm, the mean range was 1.32 mm at the proximal radioulnar joint and 1.51 mm at the distal radioulnar joint. However in Monteggia fracture patients, this range changed to 7.65 mm at proximal and 4.99 mm at distal radoulnar joint.CONCLUSIONS: During forearm rotation, the axis of rotation was constant in normal elbow joint but unstable in malunited Monteggia fracture patients as seen with radial head instability. Therefore, consideration should be given not only to correcting deformity but also to restoring AOR by 3D kinematics analysis before surgical treatment of such fractures.

In recent decades, the use of high performance, soluble oxide semiconductors has been of paramount interest as a channel layer in device architectures of thin-film transistors. Their excellent device performance, which is even comparable to that of vacuum deposited counterparts, has been demonstrated; but, to date, the polymeric mold soft-patterning methods, applicable to roll-to-roll high throughput processes, have not been successfully implemented in creating the device-quality, soluble oxide transistors. In this study, we clarify the heretofore unrecognized origin of limited device performance in polymeric mold soft-patterned oxide transistors, with a model experiment based on the micro molding in capillary (MIMIC) method. In order to elucidate the chemical influence of precursor solutions, three kinds of representative precursor solutions, which undergo the characteristic synthetic pathways of a conventional sol–gel reaction, combustion chemistry reaction, and chemical additive mediated reaction, are employed. Through the comparative study in terms of device performance, in conjunction with the spectroscopic, microscopic, and rheological analyses, it is suggested that the gradual solvent evaporation in structurally confined polymeric molds triggers the additional sluggish chemical reaction unlike the case of evaporation free, semi-solid involved other patterning methodologies, resulting in the significant degradation of device performance. This newly suggested finding would pave the way to generate high performance oxide transistors in a high throughput way that has not been demonstrated so far due to the lack of in-depth study on chemical/physical structural evolution in polymeric molds.

Increase of fat cells (FCs) in adipose tissue is attributed to proliferation of preadipocytes or immature adipocytes in the early stage, as well as adipogenic differentiation in the later stage of adipose development. Although both events are involved in the FC increase, they are contrary to each other, because the former requires cell cycle activity, whereas the latter requires cell cycle withdrawal. Therefore, appropriate regulation of cell cycle inhibition is critical to adipogenesis. In order to explore the important cell cycle inhibitors and study their expression in adipogenesis, we adopted a strategy combining the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database available on the NCBI website and the results of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) data in porcine adipose tissue. Three cell cycle inhibitors – cyclin G2 (CCNG2), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2C (CDKN2C) and peripheral myelin protein (PMP22) – were selected for study because they are relatively highly expressed in adipose tissue compared with muscle, heart, lung, liver and kidney in humans and mice based on two GEO DataSets (GDS596 and GDS3142). In the latter analysis, they were found to be more highly expressed in differentiating/ed preadipocytes than in undifferentiated preadipocytes in human and mice as shown respectively by GDS2366 and GDS2743. In addition, GDS2659 also suggested increasing expression of the three cell cycle inhibitors during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Further study with qPCR in Landrace pigs did not confirm the high expression of these genes in adipose tissue compared with other tissues in market-age pigs, but confirmed higher expression of these genes in FCs than in the stromal vascular fraction, as well as increasing expression of these genes during in vitro adipogenic differentiation and in vivo development of adipose tissue. Moreover, the relatively high expression of CCNG2 in adipose tissue of market-age pigs and increasing expression during development of adipose tissue was also confirmed at the protein level by western blot analysis. Based on the analysis of the GEO DataSets and results of qPCR and Western blotting we conclude that all three cell cycle inhibitors may inhibit adipocyte proliferation, but promote adipocyte differentiation and hold a differentiated state by inducing and maintaining cell cycle inhibition. Therefore, their expression in adipose tissue is positively correlated with age and mature FC number. By regulating the expression of these genes, we may be able to control FC number, and, thus, reduce excessive fat tissue in animals and humans.

Water-repellent soils have a potential as alternative construction materials that will improve conventional geotechnical structures. In this study, the potential of chemically treated water-repellent kaolin clay as a landfill cover material is explored by examining its characteristics including hydraulic and mechanical properties. In order to provide water repellency to the kaolin clay, the surface of clay particle is modified with organosilanes in concentrations (CO) ranging from 0.5% to 10% by weight. As the CO increases, the specific gravity of treated clay tends to decrease, whereas the total organic carbon content of the treated clay tends to increase. The soil-water contact angle increases with an increase in CO until CO = 2.5%, and then maintains an almost constant value (≈134.0°). Resistance to water infiltration is improved by organosilane treatment under low hydrostatic pressure. However, water infiltration resistance under high hydrostatic pressure is reduced or exacerbated to the level of untreated clay. The maximum compacted dry weight density decreases with increasing CO. As the CO increases, the small strain shear modulus increases, whereas the effect of organosilane treatment on the constrained modulus is minimal. The results indicate that water-repellent kaolin clay possesses excellent engineering characteristics for a landfill cover material.

Flathead flounder Hippoglossoides dubius is a commercially important fish in the coastal waters of Gangwon Province, which is its spawning ground and breeding habitat. A total of 1,669 gonads were sampled monthly from February 2011 to May 2013 to investigate ecological characteristics, such as variations in maturation and spawning by gonad index, visual maturity stage, histological observations and oocyte diameter. Males were numerically dominant over females in the fishing grounds year round. The spawning season was from January to April, and the peak was from February to March. Oocyte number as a measure of fecundity was between 27,372 and 915,209 eggs with a length range of 26.0-48.7 cm TL, while the largest oocyte grew to 0.9-1.4mm in egg diameter during its spawning season. The relationship between fecundity and total length was $F

The National Standard Food Composition Table published by the Rural Development Administration (RDA) provides the foundations in research, nutrition monitoring, policy and dietary practices in Korea. This databases consists of several sets of data including food descriptions, nutrients, portion weights, and source of data. The National Standard Food Composition Table have been published since 1970 and, recently, new version (8th edition) of Food Composition Table which has quantitative and qualitative nutrient data is released in 2011. In addition, the User-friendly Food Composition Table is divided into adult, children, and elderly categories depending on the subjects because we need different nutrients according to various ages. The Tables of Food Functional Composition is firstly edited in 2009. RDA published the minerals and fatty acids composition table, tables of amino acid, fat-soluble vitamin composition table, and the cholesterol table. The resulting database will be widely used. The users of the databases are from diverse fields, includeing federal agencies, the food industry, health professionals, restaurants, software application developers, academia and research organizations, international organizations, and foreign governments ect. Therefore, consistent improvements of the database is important, so that people can better address such health challenges by providing reliable and accurate data.

【The feeding habits of Lycodes tanakae Eelpout were studied with 722 specimens collected from March 2011 to December 2012 in the coastal waters of the middle East Sea. The main prey of L. tanakae were fish, molluscs and arthropods. Nevertheless annelida, echinodermata and others were found in small amounts in the stomach contents. The L. tanakae stomach was empty of contents in 50.9% of specimens. While smaller size specimens of L. tanakae (less than 40 cm) fed mainly on euphausiids and amphipods, the larger specimens (more than 40 cm) fed on the fish Allolepis hollandi and Icelus cataphractus, and the molluscs Berryteuthis magister and Watasenia scintillans. The main prey items of L. tanakae varied seasonally. The fish Lycodes nakamurai was the dominat prey from November to January during its spawning season. Euphausiids and amphipods of the arthropods were the dominant prey from February to April. The molluscs Berryteuthis magister and Watasenia scintillans were the dominant prey from May to September. The diversity index (H') of diets showed variations by length class and month; the highest values were 2.61 in the length class of 51-55 cm, and the monthly highest were 2.68 in September with 23 species and 2.65 in November with 18 species. The highest dominance index (D') of diets was 0.57 in the length class of 31-35 cm, and the monthly highest was 0.71 in February. Cluster analysis divided prey groups into four groups by length class and three groups by monthly prey items. The gonad index gradually increased during the process of maturation while, contrary, stomach content index decreased during this period.】

It was turned out by the beam trawl survey in 2009 that flora of three phylum 16 species and fauna of eight taxa 68 families 97 species were inhabited in the Seomjin River estuary and western coastal waters of Namhae island. Winter season showed the most various appearance of species with 63 species and markedly several kinds of algae species, while summer season showed the lowest number of species with 44 species. However, the indices of species diversity and evenness were highest in summer, and vice versa in winter. Major dominant species were Crangon hakodatei, Leiognathus nuchalis, Asterias amurensis, Thryssa kammalensis, Luidia quinaria, Amblychaeturichthys hexanema, Oratosquilla oratoria, Charybdis bimaculata, Cynoglossus joyneri, Pennahia agentata. The 10 dominant species occupied at 81.4% of catch in number and 49.0% of catch in weight. There were seasonal fluctuations and differences by station in the Seomjin River estuary and western coastal waters of Namhae island, which brought to the difference of length structures, that is, bigger-sized individuals of major dominant species at station A (near to river estuary) than station C (near to ocean). Species compositions by season and by station were separated to two groups. Winter season showed a separated species composition from other seasons and station A exhibited a different species composition from other stations, which was located at near to the Seomjin River estuary.

This paper introduces a monopolistic competition model containing retail investors with imperfect knowledge and issuers offering complex structured products. The model, for which we provide empirical evidences supporting the issuer’s profiteering by increasing the product complexity, can explain that knowledge asymmetry is the key for the issuer to offer complex product and to enjoy the higher excess profit, thus worsening allocative efficiency. Our empirical analysis reports monotonically increasing mark-up premia, and J-shaped issue amounts with respect to complexity: the former result could be explained in a rational framework considering issuer costs, however, the latter is not the case. Our model proves the empirical results are well explained when knowledge asymmetry between issuer and investors is a strictly increasing convex function of complexity.

Regulation of lipolysis in muscle is a potential mechanism affecting marbling in beef carcasses and fat accumulation in muscles of humans, which is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Adipose triglyceride lipase-mediated lipolysis is inhibited by G0/G1 switch gene 2 (G0S2) and co-activated by comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58). In this study, bovine G0S2 and CGI-58 were sequenced, and expressions of these genes were compared among various tissues and in muscles between bulls and steers with different degrees of marbling. The protein coding sequences of bovine G0S2 and CGI-58 revealed breed-specific SNPs, causing two amino acid variations for each protein. Bovine CGI-58 mRNA showed two isoforms from alternative splicing. The G0S2 gene was preferentially expressed in fat and, to a lesser degree, in the liver; whereas, CGI-58 was highly expressed in the muscle and fat (P < 0.05), suggesting their association with lipid metabolism in those tissues. The longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) of steers showed higher FABP4, G0S2 and CGI-58 mRNA expression levels than the LM of bulls, implying the roles of those genes more in marbling of steers than in that of bulls. The G0S2 expression was markedly higher in the intramuscular fat (IMF) (P < 0.001); whereas, the CGI-58 expression was significantly higher in the pure muscle portion of the LM of steers (P < 0.01), suggesting that G0S2 and CGI-58 may regulate IMF and intramyocellular triglycerides, respectively. Taken together, our data suggest that G0S2 and CGI-58 are associated with fat content in bovine species.

Great advances have been made in the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART) since the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) baby was born in Korea in the year of 1985. However, it deserve to say that the invaluable data from fertility centers may serve as a useful source to find out which factors affect successful IVF outcome and to offer applicable information to infertile patients and fertility clinics. This article intended to report the status of ART in 2009 Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology surveyed. The current survey was performed to assess the status and success rate of ART performed in Korea, between January 1 and December 31, 2009. Reporting forms had been sent out to IVF centers via e-mail, and collected by e-mail as well in 2012. With International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies recommendation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and non-ICSI cases have been categorized and also IVF-ET cases involving frozen embryo replacement have been surveyed separately. Seventy-four centers have reported the treatment cycles initiated in the year of 2009, and had performed a total of 27,947 cycles of ART treatments. Among a total of 27,947 treatment cycles, IVF and ICSI cases added up to 22,049 (78.9%), with 45.3% IVF without ICSI and 54.7% IVF with ICSI, respectively. Among the IVF and ICSI patients, patients confirmed to have achieved clinical pregnancy was 28.8% per cycle with oocyte retrieval, and 30.9% per cycle with embryo transfer. The most common number of embryos transferred in 2009 is three embryos (40.4%), followed by 2 embryos (28.4%) and a single embryo transferred (13.6%). Among IVF and ICSI cycles that resulted in multiple live births, twin pregnancy rate was 45.3% and triple pregnancy rate was 1.1%. A total of 191 cases of oocyte donation had been performed to result in 25.0% of live birth rate. Meanwhile, a total of 5,619 cases of frozen embryo replacement had been performed with 33.7% of clinical pregnancy rate per cycle with embryo transfer. When comparing with international registry data, clinical pregnancy rate per transfer from fresh IVF cycles including ICSI (34.1%,) was comparable to clinical pregnancy rate per transfer in European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology report was 32.5% though lower than 45.0% for USA data. There was no remarkable difference in status of assisted reproductive technology in Korea between the current report and the data reported in 2008. The age of women trying to get pregnant was reconfirmed to be the most important factor that may have impact on success of ART treatment.

Distribution and migration of larval and juvenile sandfish Arctoscopus japonicus in the coastal waters off Gangwondo were determined monthly from samples collected by a rectangular bottom net in the coastal waters off Gangwondo from March to July, 2011. Fish were collected in abundance from the northern waters from March to June. The average total length () was mm in March increased up to mm in June. The size distribution of sandfish by depth suggested that the fish grew waters less than 50 m deep until June, before moving deeper waters of around 100 m.

The blackfin flounder Glyptocephalus stelleri is a commercially important species in the East Sea of Korea, but its catches and biomass have decreased gradually in recent years. This study estimated the optimal catch (acceptable biological catch, ABC) for the effective management of this species by estimating population ecology parameters and the stock biomass of blackfin flounder in the East Sea of Korea. The estimated instantaneous coefficient of total mortality (Z) of blackfin flounder was 1.0542/year, the survival rate (S) was 0.3485, and the instantaneous coefficient of natural mortality (M) was 0.3637/year. From the values of S and M, the instantaneous coefficient of fishing mortality (F) was calculated to be 0.6905/year. The age at first capture was 1.304 years, and the total length was 11.5 cm at that time. On the basis of these parameters, the annual biomass was estimated by a biomass-based cohort analysis using annual catch data in weight by year for 1991-2012 in the East Sea of Korea. The annual biomass peaked in 1997 at about 12,800 mt and then subsequently declined continuously to a level of 10,500 mt in 2004 and to 9,800 mt in 2011 and 2012. The maximum sustainable yield and were estimated as 3,547 mt and 0.3595/year, respectively. Using these estimations, the ABC was estimated to be 3,571 mt in tier 5, 3,397 mt in tier 4, and 2,622 mt in tier 3.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ) treatment on meat quality and sensory evaluation of marinated pork. Meat marinated in two traditional Korean marinades, soy sauce and hot-pepper paste, and raw marinated meat were then treated with 7.4, 12.2, or 15.2 MPa CO 2 at 31.1 o C for 10 min. The SC-CO 2 treatments had no effect on the meat pH (p>0.05) or Warner-Bratzler shear force (p>0.05). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the total loss (sum of treatment loss and cooking loss) between the control and SC-CO 2 treated samples at 15.2 MPa (soy sauce marinated pork: 21.78 vs. 18.97%; hot-pepper marinated pork: 21.61 vs. 18.01%). After the SC-CO2 treatment, lighter surface colors were observed in the treatment samples compared to those of the control samples (p 0.05). In the case of soy sauce marinated pork, when SC-CO 2 applied at 15.2 MPa and 31.1 o C for 10 min, treatment samples showed a tenderer meat than the control samples. Therefore, the SC-CO2 treatment conditions had no adverse effects on the sensory quality characteristics of the marinated meat products.

To elucidate the variation of species composition, biomass and length distribution of flatfishes by the period and region in the Uljin marine ranching area, bottom trawl survey was investigated at the six stations from Feb. 2008 to Dec. 2010. During the survey period, a total 4 families 17 species in the Pleuronectiformes, average 69,158 and 5,625 were identified, in 2008 appeared in 14 species, average 25,798 and 2,333 and in 2009 appeared in 13 species, average 102,360 and 5,634 and in 2010 appeared in 14 species, average 75,704 and 8,632 . The individual dominant species, occupying over 10% of total individuals, was Pleuronectes herzensteini (20,811 ind., 30.0%), Hippoglossoides pinetorum (18,666 ind., 26.9%) and Glyptocephalus stelleri (13,499 ind., 19.4%) also the biomass dominant species, occuping over 10% of total biomass, was P. herzensteini (2,207 kg, 39.3%), Pleuronectes yokohamae (857 kg, 15.3%), H. pinetorum (761 kg, 13.5%), Kareius bicoloratus (677 kg, 12.1%). From the cluster and MDS analysis based on Bray-Curtis similarity matrix of fourth root transformed data of species number and individuals in the Uljin marine ranching area from Feb. 2008 to Dec. 2010 was divided into two different groups of the flatfishes community in 2008 and from Jan. to Apr. in 2009 and 2010 (Group A) and the pleuronectiform community in from May to Dec. in 2009 and 2010 (Group B). From the cluster and MDS analysis using the similarity of demersal organisms community among six stations, the Uljin marine ranching area was divided into two different groups of Group 1 (St. 1 and St. 3) and Group 2 (St. 2, St. 4, St. 5 and St. 6).

Aqueous Cu nanoparticles are synthesized using a reducing agent and surface capping molecule which prevents the interparticular agglomeration and surface oxidation. Aqueous conductive nano ink is prepared using the resulting Cu nanoparticles and conductive Cu layers are prepared via a wet coating process. The conductive Cu layers, metalized by annealing at 300 degrees C under vacuum atmosphere, exhibit excellent electrical resistivity, showing values as low as 12 microomega cm. The long-term dispersion stability for three months is monitored through an investigation on the rheological behavior of the conductive nano ink and the resistivity variation of the conductive Cu layer. The adhesion property of the conductive Cu layer is dramatically improved when using a primer-treated polyimide film, whereas the conductive Cu layer completely peels off on a pristine polyimide film. The epoxy-contained primer plays a critical role as an intermediary between the aqueous Cu nano ink and the polyimide film.

Gonadotropins including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) play a crucial role in human-assisted reproduction techniques. Despite wide use of recombinant gonadotropins in clinical practice, the efficacy of urinary gonadotropins and the dosage of LH component have not yet been elucidated. This study was designed to investigate the difference of follicle culture outcomes according to various compositions of gonadotropins during in vitro culture of mouse preantral follicles. Ovaries were obtained from the 14-day-old C57BL/6 mice, and preantral follicles were isolated and cultured in culture media supplemented with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) 200 mIU/mL (group 1), recombinant FSH and LH (rFSH + rLH) 200 mIU/mL each (group 2), rFSH 200 mIU/mL + rLH 100 mIU/mL (group 3), or rFSH 200 mIU/mL + rLH 20 mIU/mL (group 4). Follicle survival rate was significantly lower in group 4. Antral follicles in lower doses of LH (groups 3, 4) showed a statistically significant larger diameter and tended to have a higher antral formation rate. However, follicles in group 1 tended to have a higher oocyte maturation rate. Estradiol concentration from conditioned media from 2:1 FSH/LH (group 3) was significantly higher than those from 1:1 FSH/LH (group 2) or 10:1 FSH/LH (group 4). Half dose of rLH to rFSH facilitated upregulation of growth differentiation factor 9 (Gdf9) expression in granulosa cells when compared to 1:1 FSH/LH or 10:1 FSH/LH. Conclusively, recombinant gonadotropins provided a comparable condition to hMG, and half dose of rLH to rFSH seems to be more suitable for follicular development during in vitro culture.

The aim of this study was to compare the growth, carcass, histochemical, and meat quality characteristics in Large White pig groups that were categorized by live weight (Heavy and Light) and type I fiber percentage (High and Low), a procedure which resulted in four groups (Heavy-High, Heavy-Low, Light-High, and Light-Low). As expected, the Heavy group showed heavier live weight (114 vs. 94.7 kg, P 0.05). Heavier pigs harboring a higher percentage of type I fibers (HH) exhibited a similar mean CSA (3894 vs. 4101 μm2) and total number (1,249,000 vs. 1,198,000) of muscle fibers, even though these pigs had a greater CSA of type I fibers (3181 vs. 2719 μm2, P

Bendable thin-film transistors (TFTs) are demonstrated based on sol–gel-derived amorphous Ga-doped In2O3 (GIO) that can be thermally converted into a device-quality semiconducting layer at 300 °C, which is compatible with a plastic polyimide (PI) substrate. The device performance of the GIO TFTs is studied through the investigation on the electrical parameters (including mobility, threshold voltage, off-current, and subthreshold swing) of the devices as a function of Ga composition. With increasing Ga composition up to 36 mol%, the mobility decreases from 1.4 to 0.08 cm2 V s−1 with sluggish reduction in the Ga compositional range between 0 and 12 mol%, and the threshold voltage shifts from −21.6 to 13.5 V. Both the off-current and subthreshold swing decreases with a dramatic variation at Ga composition of 12 mol%. From the overall analysis, it is concluded that the incorporation of 12 mol% Ga enables for the GIO semiconducting layer with the best electrical performance. In addition, the bending characteristics of GIO TFTs, prepared on a SiO2/ITO/PI substrate, are analyzed with device performance variations depending on the bending radius. It is demonstrated that the device performance is maintained with acceptable electrical characteristics under a bending radius of 10 mm.

The aim of this study was to investigate the DNA content and morphological characteristics of muscle fibers, and their relation to the growth performance in random bred control (RBC) and heavy weight (HW) Japanese quail lines. The 2 lines were of similar embryo size at 6 and 8 d of incubation; however, HW quail were significantly larger than their counterparts after 10 d of incubation (P < 0.05). The hatch weight of the HW quail line was approximately 1.3-fold higher than the RBC quail line (P < 0.001). After 15 d posthatch, the BW and pectoralis major muscle weight (PMW) exhibited remarkable differences between the 2 quail lines. The RBC line showed a faster rate of increase in PMW (2.7- vs. 2.1-fold) and total DNA mass (2.2- vs. 1.6-fold) between 0 and 4 d posthatch. The HW line exhibited a greater rate of the PMW (33.0- vs. 12.9-fold) and total DNA mass (10.3- vs. 4.0-fold) between 4 and 15 d posthatch than the RBC line. Moreover, the greatest increase in total DNA mass occurred between 0 and 8 d posthatch for the RBC line and 4 to 15 d posthatch for the HW line. These differences in the DNA content indicate a difference in the hypertrophic potential of muscle fibers between the 2 quail lines. The cross-sectional area of muscle fibers was 1.3-fold greater in the HW line compared with the RBC line at 8 d posthatch (158.5 vs. 97.11 μm(2), P < 0.001), and this difference increased with age (over 2.1-fold greater in the HW line). Thus, the most important time windows affecting ultimate body and muscle weights in the RBC and HW quail lines are between 0 to 8 d and 4 to 15 d posthatch, respectively. Rapid muscle growth rate and a greater muscle mass in the HW quail line may be partially due to the hypertrophic potential of muscle fibers, which is characterized by larger fiber size.

BACKGROUND Several studies have suggested that elevated levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in nondiabetic individuals. However, it is unclear whether HbA1c levels can serve as a simple screening marker for increased CVD risk in nondiabetic individuals. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between HbA1c levels and CVD risk using the Framingham risk score (FRS) in older, apparently healthy nondiabetic Korean adults. METHODS We retrospectively studied 2,879 Korean adults between the ages of 40 and 79 who underwent voluntary health check-ups at the Health Promotion Center of our hospital from July 2009 to June 2011. Subjects were subdivided based on their HbA1c levels into four groups: tertiles within the HbA1c normal tolerance range and a group for subjects with an increased risk for diabetes (IRD). RESULTS The mean FRS for the upper tertile (9.6±3.8) group was significantly higher than that of the middle tertile (8.4±4.0) and lower tertile (7.6±3.8) groups. In addition, FRS was highest in the IRD group (10.5±3.7). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that HbA1c levels exhibited a significant positive correlation with FRS when adjusted for confounding variables in all subjects (β±standard error [SE], 0.018±0.002; R (2), 0.131), women (β±SE, 0.023±0.003; R (2), 0.170), and men (β±SE, 0.016±0.004; R (2), 0.109). CONCLUSION HbA1c levels were positively correlated with FRS in older, apparently healthy nondiabetic Korean adults. We propose that HbA1c levels may reflect CVD risk in nondiabetic individuals.

Human embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass of preimplantation embryo at the blastocyst stage and their differentiation occurs through an intermediate step involving the formation of embryoid bodies (EBs), which are aggregates of embryonic stem cells. The EBs seem to be a powerful tool for investigating the development of embryos, as they can mimic the initial stages of embryonic development. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of estrogen compounds on the proliferation and differentiation of short-term and long-term cultured EBs in vitro. For this study, 10-day-old (short-term cultured) and 30-day-old (long-term cultured) EBs were subjected to estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), selective estrogen receptor modulator (raloxifene [RLX]), bisphenol A, and 1,3,5-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-propyl-1H-pyrazole for 7 days. To confirm the effects of estrogen treatment, ICI-182780 was added to the respective EBs for additional 7 days following estrogen treatment. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze the relative expression of differentiation marker genes representing the 3 germ layers. The expression of 7 marker genes, which included α-fetoprotein, hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-3β, HNF-4α (endoderm), brachyury, cardiac actin ([cACT]; mesoderm), nestin (ectoderm), and Oct-4 (undifferentiated), was measured. Significantly, lower expression of HNF-4α in both short-term and long-term cultured EBs was observed after treatment of estrogen compounds compared to control. The expression of HNF-3β in short-term cultured EBs has been positively affected by E2, E3, and RLX. Regarding cACT, higher expression was observed after treatment of E2 (10(-7) mol/L) and E3 (10(-9) mol/L) in short-term cultured EBs, but opposite effects were demonstrated in long-term cultured EBs. The lower expressions of HNF-4α by E2 and RLX were negated by ICI-182780 treatment, although these findings were not statistically significant in E3-treated group. These findings suggest that estrogen compounds have effects on endodermal and mesodermal differentiation of human EBs.

Objective To assess the efficacies of once-weekly bisphosphonates on bone mineral density (BMD) gains in Korean women aged 50 years or more. Methods We selected 166 patients who received: alendronate 70 mg (n=48), alendronate 70 mg + cholecalciferol 2,800 IU (n=31) or risedronate 35 mg (n=87) for one year. The baseline BMD and the % changes of BMD at one-year were compared among the three medication groups. Results The menopausal status and number of women with osteoporosis was not different among the three groups, but mean age of women was significantly lower in alendronate group. Baseline BMD at L1-4 and femur neck (FN) was similar, but baseline BMD at femur total (FT) was significantly lower in alendronate group. After one-year use, the median % changes of BMD at three sites were similar among the three groups; however, the median values were highest in alendronate + cholecalciferol group (L1-4: 4.48%, 6.74%, and 4.50%; FT: 2.09%, 3.70%, and 2.31%; FN: 3.05%, 3.79%, and 2.03%). Conclusion Among three once-weekly bisphosphonates, BMD gains were highest after one-year use of alendronate+cholecalciferol, although statistically not significant.

The feeding habits of the black-edged sculpin Gymnocanthus herzensteini were studied using 944 specimens collected from February 2011 to January 2012 in the coastal waters off Mukho, Gangwondo, Korea. The G. herzensteini ranged from 11.8 to 36.3 cm in total length (TL). The percentage of empty stomachs in G. herzensteini was 40.2%, and the main prey items were Pisces, Euphausiasea, and Macrura. The smallest size group (11.8-15.0 cm TL) consumed mainly Polychaeta and Amphipoda. The quantity of prey increased in proportion to sculpin size. The composition of prey items and feeding habits of G. herzensteini exhibited seasonal fluctuations, that is, the main prey items during spring were Euphausiasea, whereas those during other seasons were Pisces.