• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.189-193
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• 2012

This experiment was conducted to study variations of serum testosterone and seminal characteristics of Markhoz male goats. Blood samples were obtained via jugular vein, and semen was collected by using an artificial vagina from 14 fertile male goats (2-3 years of age), at 15-day intervals starting on 15 July and ending on 30 October 2010 (during breeding and non-breeding season). Semen volume, total sperm (volume${\times}$concentration), live sperm (%), abnormal sperm (%) and semen pH were significantly superior during the late summer and early autumn (breeding season). Variation of sperm density, motility and progressive motility was not significant during the sampling period. The results presented show that the lowest and highest levels of lactate dehydrogenase in the seminal plasma were recorded in late October (2.82 U/ml) and in late August (4.81 U/ml), respectively. Moreover, the study indicated that the serum testosterone concentration was higher during late summer and early autumn (p<0.05) than at any other of sampling period. There were negative correlations between volume and sperm density (-0.135, p<0.05), and positive correlations between volume and percentage live sperm (0.224) and percentage progressive motility (0.194, p<0.01). Sperm density was correlated with live sperm (0.200, p<0.05) and progressive motility (0.202, p<0.01). The correlation between live sperm and progressive motility was 0.554 (p<0.01). Furthermore, the results in this study indicated a significant positive correlation between live sperm and LDH (0.450) and a negative correlation between sperm density and LDH concentration (-0.272) (p<0.01). Significant, but positive correlations were found between sperm motility and LDH (0.542) and testosterone concentration (0.522), respectively (p<0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the best obtained semen was collected in late summer (during decreasing photoperiod) and early autumn (September and October). This also coincides with the natural breeding season of Markhoz goats in Iran.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.95 no.5
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• pp.580-584
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• 2006

This study was conducted to clarify the characteristics of breeding bird communities between deciduous and coniferous forests from April to June 2005 in Mt. Namsan, Seoul, Korea. Two 10ha areas were selected for territory mapping of breeding bird communities. Number of breeding bird species, pairs,density and bird species diversity index were higher in deciduous forest with increasing amount of foliage in the forest profile or as forest structures developed compared with coniferous forest. The number of in coniferous forest. The differences in habitat structure between both study areas are very likely to have influenced how breeding birds used the available habitat. Forest structure and its interactions with birds should be consideration in forest management for birds and their habitat.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.5
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• pp.567-571
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• 2007

This study was conducted to clarify the differences in breeding bird communities between deciduous forests of Gwangneung and Mt. Namsan areas from April to August 2006. Two 10ha area were selected for territory mapping of breeding bird community in both study area. The DBH distribution of trees and average foliage profiles were significantly different between study areas. Also, breeding bird communities were different. Number of breeding species and pairs, breeding density, and bird species diversity were higher in Gwangneung area than in Mt. Namsan area. When examining relationship between forest habitat structure and bird community, Number of bird species and breeding pairs belonged to hole and canopy guild were increase as the increase of coverstory coverage and number of large trees. Therefore, it is necessary to make vertical structure more various to plant bushes, and to make DBH distribution more diverse for enhancing bird species diversity in the degraded ecosystem.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.73-85
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• 1997

Although zoysia grass (Zoysia spp.) has a lot of excellent chracteristics as warm-season grass, it have been limited in use due to slow establishment, low seed production, poor shade tolerance and other factors. Breeding trials have been continued from 1900's, much attentions have been paid especially in U.S.A., Korea and Japan recently. In U.S.A., more than 24 varieties had been evaluated at National Turfgrass Evaluation Program(NTEP) from 1991 to 1995 and some were regsistered as commercial. After the 6th International Turfgrass Research Conference at Japan in 1989, Japan Turfgrass In-corporation (JTI) sponsored by private companies and government carried out breeding programs for pest, salt, and shade tolerant and herbicide resistant varieties. JTI also has been trying to im-prove vigor and breed evergreen zoysia Korean breeders collected germplasms since 1960's. After USDA breeders came to Korean penesula in 1982, Korean breeders joined with USDA zoysia breeding project for several years. Many interspecific hybrids and natural selected varieties were breeded that period both in U.S.A and Korea. Breeding objectives were to extend green color period, improve leaf quality and density, and better leaf color at dormant stage. Since 1990's, zoysia grass breeding trials are getting more diverse in many points such as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay for ecotype identification. The objectives of this study are to evaluate germplasms in Korea, and also review the present status and future prospect in zoysia grass breeding in the world.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.70-71
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• 2004

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2564-2569
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• 2021

The neutronic analysis of Helium Cooled Ceramic Reflector (HCCR) breeding blankets has been performed using the 3D Monte Carlo code MCNPX and ENDF nuclear data library. This study aims to reduce ⁶Li percentage in the breeder zones as much as possible ensuring tritium self-sufficiency. This work is devoted to investigating the effect of ⁶Li percentage on the HCCR breeding blanket's neutronic parameters, such as neutron flux and spectrum, Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR), nuclear power density, and energy multiplication factor. In the ceramic breeders at the saturated thickness, increasing the enrichment of ⁶Li reduces its share in the tritium production. Therefore, ceramic breeders typically use lower enriched Li from 30% to 60%. The investigation of neutronic analysis in the suggested geometry shows that using 60% ⁶Li in Li₂TiO₃ can yield acceptable TBR and energy deposition results, which would be economically feasible.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.134-142
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• 2017

Nando Island is reported as one of the biggest breeding colonies of seabirds in South Korea, and is protected as a Natural Monument. This study was conducted between July to November 2015, to investigate the breeding population of Black-tailed gulls and their habitat on Nando Island. We estimated the breeding population of Black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) using nest density. The mean nest density of Black-tailed gulls was $0.51\;per\;1m^2$ ($0.51m^{-2}$), and the breeding population was approximately 26,760 individuals. The dominant vegetation was Echinochloa crusgalli and Agropyron tsukushiense var. transiens, which served as shelter and nest sites to Black-tailed gulls. The diet of Black-tailed gulls was mainly the fish, Japanese Anchovy Engraulis japonicas (48%). Other species which were found to breed on Nando Island were Streaked Sheawater (Calonectris leucomelas), Temminck's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus), and Swinhoe's storm petrels(Oceanodroma monorhis).

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2019

Black-tailed gulls, Larus crassirostris, have been known as resident birds in Korea, but their wintering and breeding habitat ranges were little known about. We investigated the habitat ranges of Blacktailed gulls breeding on Dokdo Island - which is the eastern end of their breeding colonies in Korea. Three adult Black-tailed gulls were fitted with Global Positioning System data loggers in May 2018 and their positions were tracked for 9 days, 245 days and 365 days each respectively. Black-tailed gulls stayed on Dokdo Island until June for breeding purposes and moved down to the southern part of Japan for wintering. The following year, a Black-tailed gull started to move northward in February and returned to Dokdo Island in April. They traveled a total of $207,334-229,507km^2$ (MCP) throughout a whole year. Based on location density categories accounting for 50% of locations, they used 3,618 to $3,803km^2$ in area. Black-tailed gulls breeding on Dokdo Island used smaller habitat ranges during the wintering period than the other periods. This is the first report on the habitat ranges of Black-tailed gulls breeding on Dokdo Island.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.123-129
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• 2009

In Korea the population of breeding house swallow is continuously decreasing. In this regard this study was conducted to find out the overall population trend during 2001-2005. The areas of urban and rural sites were separated to estimate population. Also the sites in Yangpyung areas were chosen to compare population density between two sites during Mar-Aug, 2006. The house swallow had two breeding periods and I tried to correlated amount of days of incubation and number of eggs in the nest. After egg hatching the homing behavior also was estimated assuming lack of foods takes longer to bring foods back to the nest. This study signified that a long term study should be conducted for population change and spring arrival time due to climate change in Korea.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.922-929
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• 2019

Objective: Mutations in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), which encodes a critical protein for cholesterol homeostasis and lipid metabolism in mammals, are involved in cardiometabolic diseases, such as familial hypercholesterolemia in pigs. Whereas microRNAs (miRNAs) can control LDLR regulation, their involvement in circulating cholesterol and lipid levels with respect to cardiometabolic diseases in pigs is unclear. We aimed to identify and analyze LDLR as a potential target gene of SSC-miR-20a. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis predicted that porcine LDLR is a target of SSC-miR-20a. Wild-type and mutant LDLR 3'-untranslated region (UTR) fragments were generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into the pGL3-Control vector to construct pGL3 Control LDLR wild-3'-UTR and pGL3 Control LDLR mutant-3'-UTR recombinant plasmids, respectively. An miR-20a expression plasmid was constructed by inserting the porcine premiR-20a-coding sequence between the HindIII and BamHI sites in pMR-mCherry, and constructs were confirmed by sequencing. HEK293T cells were co-transfected with the miR-20a expression or pMR-mCherry control plasmids and constructs harboring the corresponding 3'-UTR, and relative luciferase activity was determined. The relative expression levels of miR-20a and LDLR mRNA and their correlation in terms of expression levels in porcine liver tissue were analyzed using reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Results: Gel electrophoresis and sequencing showed that target gene fragments were successfully cloned, and the three recombinant vectors were successfully constructed. Compared to pMR-mCherry, the miR-20a expression vector significantly inhibited wild-type LDLR3'-UTR-driven (p<0.01), but not mutant LDLR-3'-UTR-driven (p>0.05), luciferase reporter activity. Further, miR-20a and LDLR were expressed at relatively high levels in porcine liver tissues. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that porcine liver miR-20a and LDLR levels were significantly negatively correlated (r = -0.656, p<0.05). Conclusion: LDLR is a potential target of miR-20a, which might directly bind the LDLR 3'-UTR to post-transcriptionally inhibit expression. These results have implications in understanding the pathogenesis and progression of porcine cardiovascular diseases.