The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of lower extremity resistance training using elastic bands on balance in elderly people. Eight elderly persons each were randomly assigned to a test group(resistance exercise group, REG) or a control group(CG). FRT and TUG test were used to compare balance before and after exercise. Exercise programs were implemented three times a week for 40 minutes for nine weeks. They did warm-up exercise for 5 minutes and then lower extremity resistance exercise using elastic bands for 30 minutes. And then they did cool-down exercise for 5 minutes. TUG and FRT significantly decreased but in the control group it did not significantly decrease. In comparison between the groups, TUG and FRT significantly reduced in the resistance exercise group compared to the control group. Lower extremity resistance training using elastic bands performed by elderly persons are considered to be effective in improving balance.

The nasal cavity encounters various irritants during inha¬lation such as dust and pathogens. To detect and remove these irritants, it has been postulated that the nasal mucosa epithelium has a specialized sensing system. The oral cavity, on the other hand, is known to have bitter taste receptors (T2Rs) that can detect harmful substances to prevent ingestion. Recently, solitary chemosensory cells expressing T2R subtypes have been found in the respiratory epithelium of rodents. In addition, T2Rs have been identified in the human airway epithelia. However, it is not clear which T2Rs are expressed in the human nasal mucosa epithelium and whether they mediate the removal of foreign materials through increased cilia movement. In our current study, we show that human T2R receptors indeed function also in the nasal mucosa epithelium. Our RT-PCR data indicate that the T2R subtypes (T2R3, T2R4, T2R5, T2R10, T2R13, T2R14, T2R39, T2R43, T2R44, T2R 45, T2R46, T2R47, T2R48, T2R49, and T2R50) are expressed in human nasal mucosa. Furthermore, we have found that T2R receptor activators such as bitter chemicals augments the ciliary beating frequency. Our results thus demonstrate that T2Rs are likely to function in the cleanup of inhaled dust and pathogens by increasing ciliary movement. This would suggest that T2Rs are feasible molecular targets for the development of novel treatment strategies for nasal infection and inflammation.

True hermaphrodites are animals of equivocal sex in which both male and female gonads develop simultaneously. The frequency of true hermaphroditism is higher in pigs than in other domestic animals. Two Korean pigs were diagnosed with true hermaphroditism showing ovotestes, epididymes, penes, and uteri. Histomorphologically, the testicular tissues consisted of Sertoli cells that were devoid of spermatogenic germ cells and showed proliferation of interstitial cells. However, the uteri were of normal architecture and had well-developed uterine endometrial glands. The samples were 38, XX female karyotype without the sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene. The findings of this study could contribute to the understanding of true hermaphroditism in the Korean pig industry. * This work was supported by a grant (Code# PJ008148) from BioGreen21 Program, Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of knowledge of care workers working at long term care hospitals and nursing homes on pressure ulcer. A total of 81 care workers including 34 at long term care hospitals and 47 at nursing homes were surveyed. 24 questions were used to evaluate their degree of knowledge on pressure ulcer. Their knowledge on pressure ulcer scored 12.84 out of the total score of 24 points(SD=3.40), which was equal to 53.50 (SD=24.23) out of 100 points. Their knowledge on the prevention of pressure ulcer was highest among the subareas of evaluation. Their knowledge on pressure ulcer statistically significantly differed according to education on pressure ulcer(P<.05). A pressure ulcer is a skin disorder that may be prevented and cured. At this point when long term care facilities are rapidly increasing, care workers highlevel knowledge on and good management of pressure ulcer is very important. Practically educating them on pressure ulcer including the provision of recent, updated relevant knowledge will be necessary.

Recently, the Q biotype of tobacco whitefly has been recognized as the most hazardous strain of worldwide because of increased resistance to some insecticide groups requiring alternative strategies for its control. We studied the susceptibility of this biotype of B. tabaci to 21 isolates of Beauveria bassiana, 3 isolates of Isaria spp., 1 isolate of P. cateni，3 isolates of Lecanicillium lecanii, 1 isolate of L. attenuatum and 1 isolate of Aschersonia aleyrodes. These isolates were evaluated on pruned egg plant seedlings, at a concentration of 108conidia/ml (deposited at 6000±586 conidia mm-2). The mortality based on mycosis varied from 18 to 97% after 6 days. An Isaria sp. isolate, two B. bassiana isolates and a L. lecanii isolate were found the most effective. Furthermore, five isolates were chosen for concentration-mortality response assays and compared to B. bassiana GHA as a standard. The numbers of nymphs infected by fungi were correlated with the spore concentration. A L. lecanii isolate and Isaria sp. had the short LT50 at 6000±586 conidia mm-2. Mortality reduced and LT50s were longer as the concentration of conidia was reduced. The LD50 values were differed in isolates from 87 to 269 conidia mm-2. These results indicated that the Q biotype of sweetpotato whitefly was susceptible to the five isolates of entomopathogenic fungi and these isolates have potential to be developed as a microbial pesticide for whitefly control.

Substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons receive synaptic inputs from primary afferent Aδ- and C-fibers, where nociceptive information is integrated and modulated by numerous neurotransmitters or neuromodulators. A number of studies were dedicated to the molecular mechanism underlying the modulation of excitability or synaptic plasticity in SG neurons and revealed that second messengers, such as cAMP and cGMP, play an important role. Recently, cAMP and cGMP were shown to downregulate each other in heart muscle cells. However, involvement of the crosstalk between cAMP and cGMP in neurons is yet to be addressed. Therefore, we investigated whether interaction between cAMP and cGMP modulates synaptic plasticity in SG neurons using slice patchclamp recording from rats. Synaptic activity was measured by excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) elicited by stimulation onto dorsal root entry zone. Application of 1 mM of 8- bromoadenosine 3,5-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP) or 8-bromoguanosine 3,5-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP) for 15 minutes increased EPSCs, which were maintained for 30 minutes. However, simultaneous application of 8-BrcAMP and 8-Br-cGMP failed to increase EPSCs, which suggested antagonistic cross-talk between two second messengers. Application of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) that prevents degradation of cAMP and cGMP by blocking phosphodiesterase (PDE) increased EPSCs. Co-application of cAMP/cGMP along with IBMX induced additional increase in EPSCs. These results suggest that second messengers, cAMP and cGMP, might contribute to development of chronic pain through the mutual regulation of the signal transduction.

As an attempt to develop a value-added food product, purple sweet potato powder was added in a model system of steamed bread as a healthy food ingredient and physicochemical properties such as moisture content, specific volume, spread ratio, color, texture as well as consumer preferences on the attributes such as uniformity, color, flavor, elasticity, chewiness, taste, and overall preference were evaluated. Moisture content ranged from 44.16 to 44.55% (wet basis) and appeared independent on the level of purple sweet potato (PSP) powder incorporation. As a result of the addition of PSP powder, the specific volume of steamed bread decreased from 3.22 to 2.55 mL/g, and value of 4.5% sample was significantly lower than other samples (p<0.05). On the other hand, spread ratio ranged from 2.01 to 2.53, and appeared to decrease as the PSP powder concentration increased (p<0.05), indicating a significant improvement. Lightness (L*) decreased significantly as the PSP powder content increased (p<0.05) for both dough and skin of the steamed bread. In addition, an increasing trend in redness (a*-value) and a decreasing trend in yellowness (b*-value) were noticed. Firmness increased significantly with the addition of PSP powder regardless of concentration (p <0.05); however, firmness was not significantly different among samples containing 1.5-4.5% PSP powder (p>0.05). Consumer acceptance test indicated that incorporation of 3% PSP powder in the formulation of steamed breads would be recommended.

Recently, farmers of mushroom farms in Korea express the difficulty of shiitake cultivation due to the damage of oak log beds by unknown reason. To elucidate the cause of the damage, we investigated and isolated fungi from inside wood chip of the damaged shiitake log bed. Four of green fungi were obtained and their morphology and molecular properties examined. Trichoderma atroviride, Trichoderma citrinoviride, Hypocrea lixii (Trichoderma harzianum), and Hypocrea lutea (Gliocladiumviride) were identified. Hypocarea lutea is newly described in Korea. These species were able to produce extracellular enzymes such as cellulase, pectinase, and xylanse that might degrade wood components of oak logs. This study provides strong evidence that Trichoderma fungi are involved in the recent damages of shiitake log beds In Korea.

The majority of strokes are caused by ischemia and result in brain tissue damage, leading to problems of the central nervous system including hemiparesis, dysfunction of language and consciousness, and dysfunction of perception. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase(PARP) on necrosis in neuronal cells that have undergone needle electrode electrical stimulation(NEES) prior to induction of ischemia. Ischemia was induced in male SD rats(body weight 300g) by occlusion of the common carotid artery for 5 min, after which the blood was reperfused. After induction of brain ischemia, NEES was applied to Zusanli(ST 36), at 12, 24 and 48 hours. Protein expression was investigated using immuno-reactive cells, which react to PARP antibodies in cerebral nerve cells, and Western blotting. The results were as follows: In the cerebral cortex, the number of PARP reactive cells after 24 hours significantly decreased(p<.05) in the NEES group compared to the GI group. PARP expression after 24 hours significantly decreased(p<.05) in the NEES group compared to the GI group. As a result, NEES showed the greatest effect on necrosis- related PARP immuno-reactive cells 24 hours after ischemia, indicating necrosis inhibition, blocking of neural cell death, and protection of neural cells. Based on the results of this study, NEES can be an effective method of treating dysfunction and improving function of neuronal cells in brain damage caused by ischemia.

Strawberry powder was incorporated into Baikseolgi by substituting the non-glutinous rice flour in the range of 0-8% based on the total weight of the non-glutinous rice flour and the effects on physicochemical and sensory properties were investigated. pH decreased significantly with the higher amount of strawberry powder in the formulation whereas titratable acidity showed a reverse trend (p<0.05). Moisture content also decreased significantly with the increasing amount of strawberry. Lightness (L*-value) decreased significantly with higher strawberry powder concentration, indicating that the color of Baikseolgi became dark as also indicated by the visual observation. Redness (a*-value) and yellowness (b*-value), on the other hand, increased significantly with the substitution of strawberry powders up to 8% (p<0.05). Increases in strawberry powder concentration up to 8% in the Baikseolgi formulation significantly increased the intensities of sensory color, flavor, and taste attributes; on the other hand, the intensities of sensory moistness and chewiness decreased significantly (p<0.05). Results from the consumer test revealed that control received the highest acceptability scores in all attributes but 4% sample also obtained the competitive scores. Finally, Pearson correlation analysis revealed several very highly significant linear correlation between the means used to access physicochemical, sensory properties, and consumer preferences.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of group exer˗ cise program on depression in the elders with dementia. Subjects of this research were selected from the patients of Hyoja hospital(Yong˗ in, Korea). They were elders with dementia having minor to moderate degrees of cognitive function. Twenty-four subjects were randomly assigned into two groups, each with 12 people; exercise group and the control group. The control group only performed general physio˗ therapy, while the exercise group performed exercise program and general physiotherapy for 8 weeks. Depression of the exercise group and the control group were measured at baseline before the study, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks after the study. Depression was measured by Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form Korea Version(GDSSF-K). Firstly, when comparing the levels of depression within the same group, depression was significantly lower in the exercise group, after the group exercise program. However, depression of the control group did not show significant changes before or after the study. Secondly, when comparing the levels of depression of the control group and the exercise group, differences between the levels meas˗ ured before the study and 8 weeks after the study, was a statistically significant decrease of depression. Thirdly, effects of group exercise program according to the applied period were analyzed showing 8 weeks of group exercise to be more beneficial than 4 weeks. People who performed continuous group exercise program showed decrease in depression compared to the absence of group exercise program. This can infer beneficial effects of group exercise program. Group exercise program had desirable influence on decreasing the level of depression.

Iron catalyzes the production of free radicals, which can be related to a variety of pathological events, such as cancer and aging. The effect of dietary iron was investigated on formation of colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) induced by azoxymethane in male F344 rats. Animals were fed three different diets, including iron-deficient (3 ppm Fe), iron-normal (35 ppm Fe), and iron-overloaded (350 ppm Fe) diets for eight weeks. During the first and second weeks of the experiment, animals received two subcutaneous injections of azoxymethane (AOM, 15 mg/kg body weight) to induce ACF. After staining with methylene blue, the total numbers of ACF and aberrant crypts (AC) were counted on the colonic mucosa. Analysis of blood and serum was performed using a blood cell differential counter and an automatic serum analyzer. Iron-deficient diets induced a significant decrease in red blood cell counts and the values of hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular volume, while an iron-overloaded diet did not affect these values. The iron-overloaded diet induced an increase in deposits of iron in the liver of rats, as determined by the ICP method and Perl’s staining. The numbers of ACF per colon showed a slight increase in iron-overloaded or iron-deficient rats, without statistical significance, compared to iron-normal rats. The number of total AC per colon in iron-overloaded rats was significantly higher than that in iron-normal rats (p<0.05). The number of large ACF (≥ 4 AC per ACF) in iron-overloaded rats was also significantly higher than that in iron-normal rats (p<0.05). These results suggest that dietary iron intake may play an important role in colon carcinogenesis in humans and animals.

In organic agriculture, various cover-crops have been used to control weeds. In this study, we have investigated the effect of Vicia tetrasperma (L.) Schred. (Eolchigiwandu) which is native to on major insect pests of pepper. Redpepper seedlings at 8 leaves stage were transplanted in 20th May 2009 into experimental field located in the farm of the department of agricultural biology, Suwon, Korea. A cover-crop cultivation plot was compared with a control plot mulched by black plastic-film. Density of aphids and damaged fruits by oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta, were surveyed ten times from 21 days after transplanting (DAT) to 82 DAT. Fifty and forty pepper plants were sampled to count the density of aphids and damaged fruits by oriental tobacco budworm per a plant, respectively. In current study, three aphid species namely, cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae were collected. Overally, the density of aphids on pepper in the control plot was higher than the cover-crop plot. Especially, aphid density increased up to 67.44±26.8 in early stage of control plot, whereas aphid was not found in cover-crop plot. The rate of fruit damage by oriental tobacco budworm was significantly higher in the cover-crop plot than the control plot in early stage of pepper, however damaged fruit rate of pepper in the control plot was significantly higher since the middle of July.

The devastating insect pests of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) were surveyed in environmentally friendly (no-pesticide and organic) greenhouses located in the provinces of Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, Gangwon, Chungcheong and Jeju. Whitefly, leaf miner, aphid and moth were recorded as the major pests in these surveys. Among them, whitefly was the most serious pest of greenhouse cultivated tomato and major species was Trialeurodes vaporariorum. The population densities of T. vaporariorum was 0~36 nymph per leaf. Population of moths Spodoptera litura were the highest in summer season. Population of the whitefly was considered to be influenced by the previous cultural methods. Farmers in organic cultivation, used insect natural enemy, commercial EFAM (Environment Friendly Agricultural Material), yellow sticky trap or home made pesticides. Commercial microbial pesticides were applied to evaluate their insecticidal activities against whitefly. The results revealed that microbial pesticides exhibited 65.3 to 100% whitefly nymph mortality. Further, pesticidal activities of Cooking Oil and Yolk (COY), plant extracts and neem oil were evaluated against other tomato pests as well.

Global warming is one of the most buzzing words these days, as the average temperature increased up to 6.4℃ before the end of 21st century and the water level to 59cm causing severe draught, heavy snowfall, and monster typhoon all over the world. The capacity of natural ecosystem will not be able to contain such changes. Many of the species will be endangered and some of them are warned to be extinct, and accordingly water and food supply will not meet the demand of human. In 2007, IPCC, Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change, made fourth report about global warming and estimated that the CO2 content in the atmosphere increased about 1.35 times to 379ppm at 2005 from 280ppm before the industrialization period pulling the average air temperature up by 0.7℃ a year. The water level as well increased by 1.8mm a year as the polar iceberg and permanent snow melt down. Global warming caused by environmental pollution and greenhouse gas may lead to the increase of price of not only agricultural product but also the industrial products as a consequence, a phenomenon so called Ecoflation, Ecology+inflation. IPCC forecasted that if the present phase use of fossil energy continues the air temperature in 2090-2099 will increase by 4℃ and the water level by 26-59cm compared to that of 1980-1999, warning particularly that the average increase of global temperature by 1.5-2.5℃ a year will put the species of 20-30% into danger of extinction. According to the report by the Korea National Statistical Office about the effect of climate change on the production of agriculture and fishery, the cultivation area of apple which is typical temperate fruit decreased to 29,204ha in 2007 from 52,447ha in 1992. On the other hand the cultivation area of peach increased greatly to 15,014ha(2005) compared to 12,000ha in 1996 as it became possible to grow wherever in Korea. Similar change can also be found for orange and grape, orange can be grown in Jeonnam and Kyuongnam province, and grape in Kangwon province. Jeju island and southern coastal area of Korea worry about the inhabitation of subtropical pests when they invade these area, in fact the pest outbreak as a result of the increase of generation a year is ever more frequent. The typical examples are Paratlanticus ussuriensis (Uvarov), the lantern fly, Lycorma delicatula, and the fruit moths like Carposina sasakii Walsingham.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of applying level of pig slurry on the characteristics of runoff and leaching water in lysimeter. Treatments were broken down into five treatments such as non-chemical fertilizer, chemical fertilizer (200㎏ N/㏊) and pig slurry (200, 400, 600㎏ N/㏊), and 3-time-repeated randomized complete block design was fulfilled. The concentrations of NO₃-N was raised(p＜0.05) in proportion to the applying level of pig slurry. NO₃-N concentration of leaching water collected from soil depth 20㎝ and 40㎝ was intensified as the applying level of pig slurry was higher (p＜0.05) in pig slurry 600㎏ N/㏊ application. In conclusion, pig slurry at the volcanic ash soil in Jeju area can replace the chemical fertilizer as it is tested that applying 200㎏ N/㏊ of pig slurry and chemical fertilizer show the same productivity of sorghum×sudangrass hybrid. But more than 200㎏ N/㏊ of pig slurry may not be appropriate because it may contaminate the runoff and leaching water even though it may increase for the forage productivity.