Dispersion of Vascular Plant in An-do, Korea

AbstractThe vascular plants observed in the area were composed of a total of 342 taxa; 104 families, 239 genus, 309 species, 30 varieties, 2 forms and 1 sub-species. The endangered species found in the area were Glehnia littoralis Fr. Schm. and Milletia japonica (Siebold & Zucc.) A.Gray. The five endemic plants were found growing in the area like Carpinus coreana Nakai., Celtis choseniana Nakai, Clematis trichotoma, Spiraea prunifolia for. simpliciflora and Weigela subsessilis L.H.Bailey. Specialized plants of Geumodo were a total of 45 species; 34 taxa in Grade I, 10 taxa in Grade III, and 1 taxon in Grade V. Glehnia littoralis Fr. Schm. and Milletia japonica (Siebold & Zucc.) A.Gray confirmed in this study formed a colony alongside the coast and mountain paths. Currently, the construction to build water supply and sewer systems destroyed part of the colony. Therefore, in the long-term perspective, the conservation plan such as comprehensive research and monitoring on the ecosystem shall be established to protect indeciduous plants in the warm temperate zone

The components of the bid-ask spread in a limit-order market: Evidence from the Tokyo Stock Exchange

This paper analyzes the components of the bid-ask spread in the limit-order book of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). While the behavior of spread components in U.S. markets has been extensively studied, little is known about the spread components in a pure limit-order market. We find that both the adverse selection and order handling cost components of the TSE exhibit U-shape patterns independently, in contrast to the findings of Madhavan, Richardson, and Roomans (1997) for U.S. stocks. On the TSE, there does not exist an upstairs market that allows large trades to be prenegotiated or certified as on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This feature of the TSE provides a valuable opportunity to examine the relationship between trade size and spread components. Our results show that the adverse selection cost increases with trade size while order handling cost decreases with it

Ultraviolet photodepletion spectroscopy of dibenzo-18-crown-6-ether complexes with alkali metal cations

Ultraviolet photodepletion spectra of dibenzo-18-crown-6-ether complexes with alkali metal cations (M+-DB18C6, M = Cs, Rb, K, Na, and Li) were obtained in the gas phase using electrospray ionization quadrupole ion-trap reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The spectra exhibited a few distinct absorption bands in the wavenumber region of 35450−37800 cm^(−1). The lowest-energy band was tentatively assigned to be the origin of the S_0-S_1 transition, and the second band to a vibronic transition arising from the “benzene breathing” mode in conjunction with symmetric or asymmetric stretching vibration of the bonds between the metal cation and the oxygen atoms in DB18C6. The red shifts of the origin bands were observed in the spectra as the size of the metal cation in M^+-DB18C6 increased from Li^+ to Cs^+. We suggested that these red shifts arose mainly from the decrease in the binding energies of larger-sized metal cations to DB18C6 at the electronic ground state. These size effects of the metal cations on the geometric and electronic structures, and the binding properties of the complexes at the S_0 and S_1 states were further elucidated by theoretical calculations using density functional and time-dependent density functional theories

Effects of Chung-Pae Inhalation Therapy on a Mouse Model of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chung-pae (CP) inhalation therapy is a method frequently used in Korea to treat lung disease, especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study investigated the effects of CP inhalation on a COPD animal model. C57BL/6 mice received porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alternately three times for 3 weeks to induce COPD. Then, CP (5 or 20 mg/kg) was administered every 2 h after the final LPS administration. The effect of CP was evaluated by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid analysis, histological analysis of lung tissue, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of mRNA of interleukin- (IL-) 1β, tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, IL-6, and tumor growth factor- (TGF-) β. Intratracheal CP administration reduced the number of leukocytes and neutrophils in BAL fluid, inhibited the histological appearance of lung damage, and decreased the mRNA levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and TGF-β. Intratracheal CP administration effectively decreased the chronic inflammation and pathological changes in a PPE- and LPS-induced COPD mouse model. Therefore, we suggest that CP is a promising strategy for COPD

In vivo 3D measurement of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin distributions in the mouse cornea using multiphoton microscopy

Moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin are fourth-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotics used in the clinic to prevent or treat ocular infections. Their pharmacokinetics in the cornea is usually measured from extracted ocular fluids or tissues, and in vivo direct measurement is difficult. In this study multiphoton microscopy (MPM), which is a 3D optical microscopic technique based on multiphoton fluorescence, was applied to the measurement of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin distribution in the cornea. Intrinsic multiphoton fluorescence properties of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin were characterized, and their distributions in mouse cornea in vivo were measured by 3D MPM imaging. Both moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin had similar multiphoton spectra, while moxifloxacin had stronger fluorescence than gatifloxacin. MPM imaging of mouse cornea in vivo showed (1) moxifloxacin had good penetration through the superficial corneal epithelium, while gatifloxacin had relatively poor penetration, (2) both ophthalmic solutions had high intracellular distribution. In vivo MPM results were consistent with previous studies. This study demonstrates the feasibility of MPM as a method for in vivo direct measurement of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin in the cornea.1175Ysciescopu

Measuring Anxiety in Patients With Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease: Rasch Analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), composed of two 20-item subscales (STAI-state and STAI-trait), has been increasingly used to assess anxiety symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the clinimetric attributes of the STAI under the statistical framework of the item-response theory (IRT) have not been fully elucidated within this population to date. We performed an IRT-based Rasch analysis of the STAI outcomes of patients with de novo PD from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database. The unidimensionality, Rasch model fit, scale targeting, separation reliability, differential item functioning, and response category utility of the STAI were statistically evaluated. A total of 326 (209 males, 117 females) patients without cognitive dysfunction were enrolled in our study. The original versions of the STAI-state and STAI-trait had acceptable separation reliability but lacked appropriate response category functioning, exhibited scale off-targeting, and several items demonstrated poor fit to the Rasch model. The response categories were reduced from four to three, and the rescored three-point TASI-trait demonstrated a marked improvement in clinimetric properties without a significant impact on unidimensionality and separation reliability. The rescored three-point version of the STAI-state required the additional removal of four misfitting items in order to improve the Rasch model fit. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the measurement properties based on the IRT of the STAI in patients with PD. Our Rasch analysis identified the components requiring possible amendments in order to improve the clinimetric attributes of the STAI

The Effects of Turmeric Intake Alone or in Combination with Resistance Training on Liver Enzymes in Adult Men

Abstracts PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the effect of turmeric intake alone or in combination with resistance training on liver enzymes in adult men who regularly consumed alcohol at least twice a week. METHODS Twelve men (age: 36.0±5.26 years, weight: 99.9±17.9 kg, and height: 184.0±6.5 cm) were randomly assigned to the turmeric intake (2-3 g/day) alone (TI, n=6) group or the TI plus resistance training (60 minutes of RT 3 times a week) (TI+RT, n=6) group for 8 weeks. Blood was collected before and after 8 weeks of treatment. The analyzed variables included glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GTP), and GOT/GPT ratio. RESULTS There was no significant interaction effect in all variables, but the main effect was found in all variables only in TI+RT group. The Cohen's d effect size on the main effects of the TI+RT group on GOT (d=0.548), GPT (d=0.835), γ-GTP (d=0.623), and GOT/ GPT ratio (d=0.800) ranged from 0.548-0.835, respectively. However, body composition such as percent body fat (%, p>.05) and muscle mass (kg, p>.05) did not show the main effect on time points as well as the interaction effect (p>.05). CONCLUSIONS Although the 8-week TI treatment did not show any statistically significant change, TI treatment showed a tendency to decrease in GOT, GPT, and γ-GTP, and the GOT/GPT ratio tends to increase. Therefore, there was a synergic effect of the TI plus RT treatment or the sum of the two treatments for 8 weeks

Primary Classic Kaposi's Sarcoma of the Penis in an HIV-Negative Patient

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a multifocal hemorrhagic sarcoma that occurs primarily on the extremities. KS limited to the penis is rare and a well-recognized manifestation of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, KS confined to the penis is extraordinary in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients. We present the case of a 68-year-old man with a dark reddish ulcerated nodule on the penile skin, which was reported as a nodular stage of KS. We detected no evidence of immunosuppression or AIDS or systemic involvements in further evaluations. In his past medical history, the patient had undergone three transurethral resections of bladder tumors due to urothelial cell carcinoma since 2000 and total gastrectomy, splenectomy, and adjuvant fluorouracil/cisplatin chemotherapy for 7 months due to advanced gastric carcinoma in 2005. The patient was circumcised and has had no recurrence for 2 years