• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.184-190
• /
• 2021

Since the original description of new species, Eumicrotremus jindoensis, we confirmed the first occurrence of E. jindoensis based on a single specimen (22.3 mm SL) caught by inshore stow net at the coastal waters of Boryeong of Korea. However, our specimen slightly differed from type specimens in having more vertebrae (26 vs. 21~24), longer snout (17.4% vs. 8.1~9.1%), longer preanus length (67.5% vs. 58.0~58.3%) and shorter second dorsal fin base (15.3% vs. 20.2~20.8%). Comparing with mtDNA COI and Cytb sequences, we could not find any differences in mtDNA Cytb sequences between our specimen and type specimens, which suggest that those morphological differences may belong to local variation by habitat and environmental condition between off Jindo Island and off Boryeong in Korea. Eumicrotremus uenoi is known from the southern sea of Korea narrowly (Busan, Tongyeong, and Jeju Island), the other congeneric species (E. asperrimus, E. pacificus, and E. taranetzi) from only the eastern sea of Korea, but E. jindoensis from the central coast to southern coast of western Korea.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.391-402
• /
• 2021

Earthworms play an important role in soil fertilization, interacting continually with microorganisms. This study aims to demonstrate the existence of beneficial microorganisms living in the earthworm's immune system, the coelomic fluid. To achieve this goal, a molecular identification technique was performed, using cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcoding to identify abundant endogenic earthworms inhabiting the temperate zone of Rabat, Morocco. Then, 16S rDNA and ITS sequencing techniques were adopted for bacteria and fungi, respectively. Biochemical analysis, showed the ability of bacteria to produce characteristic enzymes and utilize substrates. Qualitative screening of plant growth-promoting traits, including nitrogen fixation, phosphate and potassium solubilization, and indole acetic acid (IAA) production, was also performed. The result of mitochondrial COI barcoding allowed the identification of the earthworm species Aporrectodea molleri. Phenotypic and genotypic studies of the sixteen isolated bacteria and the two isolated fungi showed that they belong to the Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Bacillus, Buttiauxella, Enterobacter, Pantoea, and Raoultella, and the Penicillium genera, respectively. Most of the isolated bacteria in the coelomic fluid showed the ability to produce β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, Glutamyl-β-naphthylamidase, and aminopeptidase enzymes, utilizing substrates like aliphatic thiol, sorbitol, and fatty acid ester. Furthermore, three bacteria were able to fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphate and potassium, and produce IAA. This initial study demonstrated that despite the immune property of earthworms' coelomic fluid, it harbors beneficial microorganisms. Thus, the presence of resistant microorganisms in the earthworm's immune system highlights a possible selection process at the coelomic fluid level.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.541-562
• /
• 2018

Conflict of interest (COI) is one of the dominant circumstantial factors of moral corruption across various fields. Several management strategies have been proposed to prevent self-interested decision making in COIs. Among these strategies, message persuasion has been considered as a practical and effective approach. Prior studies have found that framing and repetition are two of the major factors in the persuasion effect of message. However, their effect on moral decision making in COI has not been well explored. The purpose of this study was to compare the differential effects of positively framed message and negatively framed message, and secondly, to investigate how the effectiveness of persuasive message changes through repetitive exposures. A total of 63 participants were randomly assigned to one of 3 framing conditions: positive framing, negative framing, and no-message condition. Prior to the on-line experiment involving a consultation task, differently framed persuasive message were presented to the participants. This process was repeated four times in a row. The results showed that participants with positive-framing message were less likely to provide self-interested consultation than participants in the no-message condition. Also, a U-shaped quadric relation between repetition and self-interest consultation was found. Implications and limitations are further discussed.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.250-258
• /
• 2023

Freshwater jellyfish, a type of jellyfish exclusively found in freshwater, has a limited number of species but is found globally. However, their ecology and causes of occurrence are largely unknown. Therefore, understanding the distribution of polyps, which produce the larvae of freshwater jellyfish, can provide important data for comprehending their ecology. This study aims to explore the COI gene of freshwater jellyfish using environmental DNA from the microbial film in the Miho River system. Among the 12 survey points in the Miho River watershed, genetic material of freshwater jellyfish was detected in 8 points, mainly located upstream near reservoirs. These genetic materials were identified as genes of the well-known freshwater jellyfish species, Craspedacusta sowerbii. Notably, the C. sowerbii genes found in the Miho River watershed survey points were closely related to a species previously discovered in Italy. Consequently, utilizing environmental DNA to explore the genetic traces of freshwater jellyfish enables rapid screening of areas with a high likelihood of freshwater jellyfish occurrence. This approach is deemed to provide crucial information for understanding the distribution and ecology of freshwater jellyfish in Korea.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.171-179
• /
• 2024

In previous Cost-of-Illness (COI) studies, the economic impact of lost leisure time of patients has been mostly underexplored. Furthermore, few studies have focused on chronic or severe diseases, thereby inadequately addressing the segment of self-care patients who do not fall into the categories of inpatients or outpatients. In the present study, we used a comprehensive approach to calculate the annual cost of leisure loss, incorporating factors such as employment status, self-care options, and total period of leisure activity disruption. This required analyzing data from various sources, including health and labor statistics, and applying methods to accurately assess the leisure time lost due to food poisoning. The findings showed that the annual cost of leisure loss for South Korean patients with food poisoning is significant, amounting to approximately 784.5 billion KRW (702.8 million USD, USD/KRW : 1128.34). This study revealed that overlooking self-care patients and not accounting for the affected time in addition to treatment time and employment status significantly underestimated these costs. This study highlights the importance of considering a wider range of factors, including self-care, employment status, as well as the entire affected period, in assessing the societal impact of diseases such as food poisoning. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals to understand the broader economic implications of illness and allocate healthcare resources more effectively.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.94-100
• /
• 2024

During ichthyoplankton survey in the southwestern sea of Korea, we collected six individuals of noodlefish larvae and juveniles between April and May 2023. They were identified as Neosalanx anderssoni by mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I or 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, and their external morphological traits were described for the first time. All six individuals have a slender and elongated body. When preflexion and flexion larval stages (10.24 mm notochord length, NL and 15.47 mm total length, TL, respectively), oval-shaped black melanophores were distributed in a row along the ventral side of the gut. However, when postflexion larval and juvenile stages (23.58~25.90 mm TL, and 29.20~31.26 mm TL, respectively), melanophores on the ventral side of the gut were disappeared, and dark spot-shaped melanophores appeared along the dorsal side of the gut in a single row. Also, from the postflexion larval stage (23.58 mm TL), two large black spots began to appear symmetrically on the caudal fin. Our results suggest that N. anderssoni may use coastal area as spawning and/or nursery ground unlike previous study (Kim and Park, 2002).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.267-278
• /
• 2024

Aidanosagitta crassa, a key species in South Korea's coastal waters, exhibits three morphological types: Type C with a collarette-containing trunk, Type N lacking a collarette, and an intermediate Type I. Limited research studies have been conducted on their ecological patterns, prompting this study to elucidate seasonal occurrence patterns of A. crassa types in Pyeongtaek. Field surveys at six stations in Pyeongtaek port were conducted in winter (Feb.), spring (May), summer (Aug.), and autumn (Nov.) of 2010. Water temperature and salinity were measured and zooplankton samples were collected for abundance analysis. Type C predominated in winter and autumn. Type I predominated in summer and Type N predominated in summer and autumn. Occurrence patterns were influenced by water temperature. Type C showed a negative correlation with water temperature. Type N was positively correlated with water temperature. However, Type I showed no significant correlation with water temperature. In 2013, genetic sampling using the mtCOI marker was conducted in winter and summer. Despite morphological differences, genetic analysis revealed intraspecific diversity due to seasonal environmental changes.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.89-98
• /
• 2014

The twenty-one individuals of Meretrix lusoria were secured from Gunsan, Shinan and Yeonggwang on the coast of the Yellow Sea and the southern sea in the Korean Peninsula, respectively. Amplification of a single COI fragment (720 bp) was imagined, and no apparent size differences were observed in amplified fragments between Meretrix lusoria and M. petechialis individuals. The size of the DNA fragments also varied excitedly, from 200 to 1,600 bp. The oligonucleotides primer BION-08 produced the least loci (a total of 17), with an average of 2.43 in the Gunsan population, in comparison to the other primers used. Remarkably, the primer BION-13 detected 42 shared loci by the three populations, major and/or minor fragments of sizes 200 bp and 400 bp, respectively, which were identical in all samples. The dendrogram gained by the seven oligonucleotides primers highlight three genetic clusters: cluster 1 (GUNSAN 01 ~ GUNSAN 07), cluster 2 (SHINAN 08 ~ SHINAN 14) and cluster 3 (YEONGGWANG 15 ~ YEONGGWANG 21). The longest genetic distance among the twenty-one Meretrix lusoria individuals that displayed significant molecular differences was between individuals GUNSAN no. 01 and SHINAN no. 14 (genetic distance = 0.574). Comparatively, individuals of SHINAN population were fairly closely related to that of YEONGGWANG population. In this study, PCR analysis has discovered significant genetic distances between two white clam population pairs (P<0.05).

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.18 no.7
• /
• pp.1015-1018
• /
• 2008

To analyze the population genetic structure of the oyster Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, 34 specimens werecollected from Gamak bay in March, 2007. Total genomic DNA was extracted from each sample and PCR was performed to identify haplotypes of oyster by using HCO2918 and LCO1491 primers. Four kinds of haplotypes (CR1, CR2, CR3, and CR4) were identified. Among these group, CR3 showed the highest relative frequency at 73% than any other of haplotypes. On the basis of hierarchical genetic structure, the population of Gamak showed a higher genetic relationship with Namhae, but the genetic distance between southern and western coasts was negative and no statistical significance was found (p>0.05). Consequently, the oyster from Korea coast is determined to be both homogenous and large.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.449-463
• /
• 2013

DNA barcoding is becoming a widely applied tool to accurately discriminate red algae. We tested the effectiveness of DNA barcoding for identification and discovery of Champia species in Korea and clarified the phylogenetic relationships using the plastid rbcL gene. As results, we described four species of Champia such as C. inkyua sp. nov., C. recta Noda, C. bifida Okamura, and C. expansa Yendo. A new species, C. inkyua, is characterized by entangled thallus, terete and irregular branches, hooked apices, and longitudinal filaments running throughout the frond periphery only. Longitudinal filaments were composed of a complete cell with two half cells between diaphragms in the cavity. C. recta and C. bifida were reinstated with previously used names of C. parvula and C. compressa, respectively. C. recta is the first recorded species from Korea and is characterized by an erect thallus, terete and irregular branches, and straight apices. C. bifida is characterized by compressed thallus, pinnate or alternate branches, and bifid apices. C. expansa is characterized by flabellate thallus and dichotomous branches. Molecular analyses of COI and rbcL genes revealed sufficient sequence divergence to warrant species recognition in the genus Champia.