Naturally occurring left ventricular hyperplasia is a rare but lethal disease. There are very few reports of this cardiac disease in captive nonhuman primates. In a colony of Macaca mulatta (Rhesus monkey) at California National Primate Research Center, a large number of rhesus macaques were diagnosed by autopsy with naturally occurring left ventricular hypertrophy without obvious underlying diseases over a 22-year period. The confirmatory diagnosis of ventricular hypertrophy was based on findings of notable left ventricular concentric hypertrophy with reduced left ventricular lumen, which is very similar to human ventricular hypertrophy cases. This report discusses an 11-year-old Macaca fascicularis monkey (Cynomolgus monkey, crab-eating macaque), weighing 2.95 kg, that was presented for enrollment in a pharmacokinetic (PK) study. During the PK experiment, the monkey died following a sudden decrease in percutaneous oxygen saturation and heart rate. Gross and histological examinations of the heart were performed. On gross pathology, the left ventricular wall was thickened, and the chamber lumen was reduced. In histopathological examination using hematoxylin- eosin and Masson-trichrome stains, fibrosis and myocyte disarray were not observed, but an increased cell density, compared to the normal heart, was confirmed. The autopsy results confirmed left ventricular hyperplasia as the major cause of death.

This study identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect the body weight of chickens. Analysis of body weight showed that the Cornish breed had the highest body weight, and the Korean native chicken (Gray Brown) had the lowest body weight. TSH is composed of an α-subunit and a β-subunit, and the TSH-β gene encoding the β-subunit has been reported to be associated with obesity. In chickens, it is located on chromosome 26 and is reported to be associated with growth. The calcium-sensing receptor gene (CaSR) plays a role in the regulation of extracellular calcium homeostasis and is responsible for calcium absorption in the urinary tract, which affects the eggshell quality in poultry. It was shown that TSH-β was strongly correlated with weight in Cornish and Korean native (Gray Brown) chickens, particularly in those with the CC trait. However, CaSR showed no association with body weight in poultry; it was associated with calcium and the eggshell. Thus, selection for TSH-β can be used to produce individuals with more favorable traits in terms of body weight.

Sperm cryopreservation is an important method of assisted reproductive techniques and storing genetic resources. It plays a vital role in genetic improvement, livestock industrial preservation of endangered species, and clinical practice. Consequently, the cryopreservation technique is well organized through various studies, especially on Korean native cattle (Hanwoo). However, the cryopreservation technique of Korean native brindled cattle, which is one of the native cattle species in Korea, is not well organized. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a Supplementary Table technique for the cryopreservation of Korean native brindled cattle. For this purpose, it is important to first evaluate the quality of the currently produced cryopreserved sperm of Korean native brindled cattle. In this study, we randomly selected 72 individual Korean native brindled cattle semen samples collected from 8 different region research centers and used them to evaluate sperm functions. We focused on the quality evaluation of cryopreserved Korean native brindled cattle semen following the measurement of motion kinematics, capacitation status, intracellular ATP level, sperm motility, and cell viability. Then, the values of each of the eight groups were derived from various sperm parameters of nine individual samples, including sperm motility, kinematics, cellular motility, and intracellular ATP levels, which were used to compare and evaluate sperm function. Overall, differences in various sperm parameters were observed between most of the research centers. Particularly, the deviations of motility and motion kinematics were high according to the sample. Therefore, we suggest that it is necessary to develop a standard method for the cryopreservation of Korean native brindled cattle semen. We also suggest the need for sperm quality evaluation of the cryopreserved semen of Korean native brindled cattle before using artificial insemination to attain a high fertility rate.

In recent years, various methods of measuring body temperature have been developed using wireless biosensors to facilitate an early detection of pregnancy and parturition in cows. However, there are no studies on real-time monitoring of cattle body temperature throughout pregnancy. Therefore, we investigated the daily mean ruminal temperature in pregnant cows throughout pregnancy using a ruminal bio-capsule sensor and then evaluated the temperature variation between pregnant and non-pregnant cows. In pregnant cows, the mean and standard deviation of ruminal temperature was 38.86 ± 0.17℃. Ruminal temperature in pregnant cows slowly decreased until 180 to 190 days after artificial insemination and after that, the temperature increased dramatically until just before parturition. Furthermore, the means ruminal temperature was significantly different between pregnant and nonpregnant cows. The mean and standard deviation of ruminal temperature were as follows: 38.68 ± 0.01℃ from days 80 to 100, 38.78 ± 0.02℃ from days 145 to 165, 38.99 ± 0.45℃ from days 200 to 220, 39.14 ± 0.38℃ from days 250 to 270 before parturition. Therefore, our results could provide useful data for early detection of pregnancy and parturition in Korean cows.

수입된 관상용 부추속 종과 야생 부추속 종을 교배하고 새로운 품종을 얻기 위해서는 한국에 자생하는 부추속 종의 개화생리의 이해가 필요하다. 본 연구는 일장처리를 통해 자생 부추속 4종의 화아발달 및 생육특성을 알아보고자 수행하였다. 실험은 국립수목원 유용식물증식센터의 Phyto-Garden System에서 실시되었으며, 온도는 25℃, 습도는 70%로 유지 되었다. 꽃눈이 각 1개씩 출현한 개체를 이용하여, 2019년 6월 28일에 장일(LD, 16hours), 단일(SD, 9hours), 외부환경으로 나누어 실험하였다. LD와 SD처리에서 8:00~17:00(9h)까지 는 296±13μmol･m-2 ･s-1의 광도 하에서 실험하였다. 이후의 추가되는 시간은 형광등을 이용해 약 5μmol･m-2 ･s-1로 일장연장 (day extension, DE)처리를 하였다. 생육조사는 생장특성으로 초장, 초폭, 엽수, 엽장을, 개화특성으로는 꽃의 수와 개화소 요일수를 조사하였다. 실험결과, 한라부추의 단일처리에서 엽수를 제외한 초장, 초폭, 엽장, 엽폭이 장일처리 및 외부환경 보다 높게 측정되어, 4종의 부추속 식물 중 한라부추가 추대 이후 단일처리에서 가장 생장이 왕성한 것으로 확인하였다. 또한, 단일처리에서 개화소요일수는 각각 강부추 51.8일, 둥근 산부추 46.5일, 선부추 43.7일 그리고, 한라부추 52일로 나타 났다. 반면 장일처리의 개체들은 실험종료일까지 전혀 개화하지 않았다. 외부 환경조건에서는 부추속 4종이 평균적으로 97.2일째에 개화하였다. 본 실험은 자생 부추속 4종이 단일처리에서 외부환경보다 화아발달이 촉진되는 결과를 나타냈다.

As the number of North Korean refugees increases in South Korean, their acculturation to life in their host country is coming to be an important social issue. This study explores some clothing-related barriers experienced by North Korean refugees and their moderating effects on acculturation to South Korea. Data were collected using a self-administered survey of 163 female and 37 male North Korean refugees in South Korea aged 20 to 69 years. Descriptive analyses, t-tests, ANOVA, Duncan tests, and moderated multiple regression were conducted using SPSS 20.0 and Process Macro v.3.3. The results show that the North Korean refugees who participated in the study had experienced clothing-related barriers regarding fashion terminology and shopping rituals in South Korea. In particular, those in their 60s perceived more clothing-related barriers than those in their 20s and 30s. Next, the clothing-related barriers experienced by North Korean refugees have a negative moderating influence on the relationship between self-esteem and acculturation in South Korea. This study provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between fashion and the acculturation of North Korean refugees to South Korea. The results of the study can be also helpful of government policy makers, practitioners, and academics to develop education programs for North Korean refugees.

갈색날개매미충(노린재목: 꽃매미상과)은 한반도 침입해충 중 하나이다. 하지만, 그동안 정확한 종 동정이 되지않아, 분류학적으로 또는 농업적으로 혼선을 야기시키는 문제가 발생하였다. 이번 연구에서는 한반도에서 발생된 표본들의 관찰을 통하여 이 종의 학명을 Ricania sublimata로 확인하였다. 또한 한국산 큰날개매미충속에 대한 검색표를 제공한다.

Green tea polyphenol (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a potent antioxidant with protective effects against neurotoxicity. However, it is currently unclear whether EGCG protects neuronal cells against radiation-induced damage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of EGCG on ultraviolet (UV)-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in PC12 cells. The effects of UV irradiation included apoptotic cell death, which was associated with DNA fragmentation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, enhanced caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. UV irradiation also increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and mitochondrial pathway-associated cytochrome c expression. However, pretreatment with EGCG before UV exposure markedly decreased UV-induced DNA fragmentation and ROS production. Furthermore, the UV irradiationinduced increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cytochrome c upregulation, and caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation were each ameliorated by EGCG pretreatment. Additionally, EGCG suppressed UV-induced phosphorylation of p38 and rescued UV-downregulated phosphorylation of ERK. Taken together, these results suggest that EGCG prevents UV irradiationinduced apoptosis in PC12 cells by scavenging ROS and inhibiting the mitochondrial pathways known to play a crucial role in apoptosis. In addition, EGCG inhibits UV-induced apoptosis via JNK inactivation and ERK activation in PC12 cells. Thus, EGCG represents a potential neuroprotective agent that could be applied to prevent neuronal cell death induced by UV irradiation.

L-ascorbic acid (L-AA; vitamin C) induces apoptosis in cancer cells. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of L-AA-induced apoptosis in human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma Hep-2 cells. L-AA suppressed the viability of Hep-2 cells and induced apoptosis, as shown by the cleavage and condensation of nuclear chromatin and increased number of Annexin V-positive cells. L-AA decreased Bcl-2 protein expression but upregulated Bax protein levels. In addition, cytochrome c release from the mitochondria into the cytosol and activation of caspase-9, -8, and -3 were enhanced by L-AA treatment. Furthermore, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and endonuclease G (EndoG) were translocated into the nucleus during apoptosis of L-AA-treated Hep-2 cells. L-AA effectively inhibited the constitutive nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and attenuated the nuclear expression of the p65 subunit of NF-κB. Interestingly, L-AA treatment of Hep-2 cells markedly activated Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK; extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase [JNK]) and and LY294002 (Akt inhibitor), SB203580 (p38 inhibitor) or SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor) decreased the levels of Annexin V-positive cells. These results suggested that L-AA induces the apoptosis of Hep-2 cells via the nuclear translocation of AIF and EndoG by modulating the Bcl- 2 family and MAPK/Akt signaling pathways.

Objective: Limited evidence exists concerning whether combined pharmacotherapy is more effective than monotherapy for increased smoking abstinence and post-cessation weight gain prevention. This research investigated the effect of combined pharmacotherapy on smoking abstinence and post-cessation weight change. Methods: A meta-analytic review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) published between January 1990 and July 2016 was conducted across PubMed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Aggregate fixed effects were estimated for continuous abstinence and mean post-cessation weight change. Keyword search terms included: “smoking cessation,” “naltrexone”, “varenicline”, and “bupropion”. Results: Eight RCTs with 2,513 participants were included. Aggregate fixed effect estimates revealed an increase in continuous smoking abstinence (OR = 1.81, p < .001) and mean decrease in post-cessation weight change (-.15 kg, p = .001). Decreased weight change was observed at 6-8 weeks follow-up (-.14 kg, p = .02). Increased mean weight change was observed among varenicline plus nicotine patch abstainers (.21 kg, p = .01), whereas bupropion plus NRT pharmacotherapies showed decreased mean weight change (-.15 kg, p = .01). Conclusion: Combination pharmacotherapy generates increased smoking abstinence and small short-term post-cessation weight change among abstainers, particularly among bupropion plus NRT when compared against varenicline plus nicotine patch.