• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2020

This study was carried out to obtain information on the developmental biology and the management of biological resources of the abalone Haliotis gigantea in Korea. The sex ratio (female:male) in the present study was 1:1.7 and the proportion of females was 36.6% (n=106/290). Their gonadal structures displayed definitive seasonal changes which were similar in pattern to the changes in the gonad index (GI). The GI showed a pattern of definitive seasonal changes in both males and females it was high in the fall and low in the spring. The reproductive cycle could be categorized into the following six stages: inactive, early active, late active, ripe, spent, and degenerative stage. Based on the monthly changes in GI and stages of gonadal development, October to November was determined to be the main spawning period for H. gigantea on Jeju Island, Korea.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 1997

Seasonal variation of the population structure and the reproductive pattern of the Korean striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius, were investigated. High capture ratios in juveniles, young adult, and old adult mice were found during the period from October to November, from November to March, and from May to September, respectively, and extremely low capture ratios of old adults during the period from November to February were characteristic. It seemed that the young adults that survived during the winter might become older by summer and have been counted as the old adults. The breeding in the mice began earlier in males (from mid February or early March to late October) than in females (from mid March to late October), having a peak in August and September, and both the male and female mice weighing more than 20 g generally reached sexual maturation in general. In the breeding season, both young and old adult males had large testes with enlarged seminiferous tubules filled with numerous germ and Sertoli cells, and expanded caudal epididymides with a vast number of spermatozoa; the females had many Graafian follicles and corpora lutea in large ovaries, and developed uterine glands in the thick endometria. The lower ratios of the testis weight to the body weight in July and August in 1994 compared to 1995 seemed due to the extreme drought and considerably higher temperature in 1994, but the decrease in the ratio in mid-summer, only in the old mice, in both years might be explained partially by aging.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2004

This study was performed to evaluate developmental and estrogenic activity of bisphenol A (BPA) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) to the second generation of Sprague-Dawley rats ingested during gestational or lactational periods. Rats were given BPA 20$\mu\textrm{g}$/kg BBP 100mg/kg of pregnancy or lactation periods. Maternal body weight and neonatal body weight were recorded. The rats were sacrificed on day 21 after birth. Reproductive organs of dam and neonate were utilized for receptor binding assay. The plasma concentrations of BPA and MBep, one of the major metabolites of BBP were analyzed with HPLC. The co-administration of BPA and BBP induced slow weight gain compared with single administration in dams. Also, such mixture induced low neonatal body weights in next generation. The dams treated with BPA and BBP during lactational periods showed significant organ weight changes in liver and spleen. The dams exposed during lactational periods showed significant organ weight changes not only in liver and spleen but also in kidney, uterus and ovary. The F1 female rats exposed during lactation periods showed significant organ weight changes in liver, spleen, ovary. The F1 male rats showed significant organ weight changes in liver, kidney, epididymis, vesicular glands, prostate. However, no clear synergistic effects of BPA and BBP were noted. There was no significantly different ER$\alpha$ expression pattern between control and treated groups. However, ER$\alpha$ expression were increased in F1 male testis and female uterus. PI male showed distinct ER$\alpha$ expression, especially in the group of lactational combined exposure. Synergistic ER$\alpha$ expression was found by combined treatment of BPA and BBP. We could not find any evidences of synergistic effects on BPA and/or BBP combined administration on dams and their fetuses, except in ER$\alpha$ expression of F1 male.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.144-150
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• 2003

Reproductive biology and population dynamics of Latreutes planirostris were investigated on the south western waters of Korea from June 2001 to May 2002. This paper describes sex ratio, population growth, and reproductive aspects of Latreutes planirostris. Brood size was an isometric function of female carapace length. Based on dry weight, reproduction effort (mass of eggs/mass of female) averaged 0.23. Ovarian examination showed that there was significantly higher gonadosomatic index from May to September, with a peak in June. Statistical analysis revealed that the ovarian dry weight of females with eyed eggs was significantly higher than that of those with non-eyed eggs. This suggests that females were potentially consecutive breeders. Sex ratio showed that female is more numerous than male. Growth parameters mortality and recruitment were estimated by monthly length-frequency data. Growth parameters were estimated, using the seasonalized von Bertalanffy growth function model $(L\infty\;=\;12.70\;mm\;CL,\;K\;=\;0.87yr^{-1},\;C\;=\;0.96,\;WP\;=\;0.59)$. The recruitment pattern was twice a year.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.313-323
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• 2013

Gonad development, the reproductive cycle, first sexual maturty and size at 50% of group sexual maturity (the biological minimum size) of Gomphina (Macridiscus) veneriformis were investigated for clams collected from the coastal waters of Donghae City, the East Sea of Korea by histological, and morphometric analysis. Monthly variations of the gonad index showed a pattern similar to that of the reproductive cycle. The reproductive cycle with the gonad developmental stages in female and male G. (M.) veneriformis can be classified into five successive stages: early active stage (December to March), late active stage (March to June), ripe stage (June to July), partially spawned stage (June to August), and spent / inactive stage (September to December). The spawning period continued from June to August, with a peak between July and August when the seawater temperature exceeds $20^{\circ}C$. The percentages of first sexual maturities of female and male clams ranging from 25.1 to 30.0 mm were 56.3% in females and 61.1% in males, and for clams over 30.1 mm shell length, it was 100%. Shell lengths at 50% of group sexual maturity (biological minimum size, $RM_{50}$) were 27.71 mm in females and 26.31 mm in males. Because harvesting clams < 26.31 mm in shell length could potentially cause a drastic reduction in recruitment, a measure indicating a prohibitory fishing size should be taken for adequate fisheries management.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2012

The sex ratio and spatial structure of different sexes are major components that affect the reproductive success and population persistence of dioecious plants. The differential reproductive costs between male and female plants are often believed to cause a biased sex ratio and spatial segregation of the sexes through slower growth and/or lower female survivorship. In this study, we examined the sex ratio and spatial structure of one population of $Torreya$ $nucifera$ trees in Jeju Island, Korea. We also tested the effects of the current tending actions in relation to tree vitality. At the population level, the sex ratio of the 2,861 trees was significantly biased toward males; however, it also showed considerable variation among different diameter at breast height classes and across habitats according to terrain level (from upper to lower). In 1999, before tree management (tending) began, among the ecological traits examined, only climber coverage correlated with tree vitality. Intensive tending such as climber removal since 1999 clearly enhanced the vitality of the majority of trees, but its effects were more conspicuous in medium-sized trees than in small ones, in upper terrain trees than those in other terrains, and in females than in males. Both male tree domination in small and large trees and tending effects on females are likely to reflect the effects of female reproductive costs regarding growth and/or survivorship. Spatial segregation between males and females was not observed in $T.$ $nucifera$. Habitat heterogeneity created by the forest's rocky ground and its implications regarding sex ratios and spatial structure require further studies.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.48-50
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• 1988

Flehmen is well-known response which often occurs during the process of courtship in most mammals. Recent studies with domestic ruminants suggest that the flehmen may be involved in the mechanism of transferring some pheromonal substances to vomeronasal organ. Thus, variety of its significancehas been supposed, besides that male animals may use it for estrus detection. In this experiment, 8 male, 3 female and3 castrated goats of Saanen and its hybrid were used to ascertain whether urine from alien species can induce flehmen as that from same species. Urine was collected from twenty species consisting of 15 mammals, 3 birds and 2 reptiles and frozen until use. Mostly urine was sprayed to the nose of goats, but some coagulated ones were sniffed. Duration of flehmen was scored to four ranks as 0, 1-19, 20-39 and >40 sec. Each urine sample induced the response in any goats. However, much difference in the in tensity was found between the samples and according to the reproductive state of the receptor goats. Although individual difference was manifest, male goats generally showed more intense response than did female. Castrated goats showed the intermediate pattern. Administration of antiandrogen to the male goat tended to reduce the response. The results indicate that flehmen in the goat could occur for the urine of alien species as that of same species and the androgen may be one of the factors regulating the response.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.16 no.1_2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2000

We investigated the gonad index (GI), gonadal development, the reprodutive cycle and first sexual maturity of the venus clam, Cyclina sinensis by histological observation. Samples were collected from the intertidal zone of Komso Bay, Chollabuk-do, west coast of Korea, from April 1998 to March 1999. This clam is dioecious and oviparous. Monthly changes in the gonad index (GI) showed a similar pattern to the reproductive cycle. Ripe oocytes are about 90-100 ㎛ in diameter. The spawning period was between early July to September, and the main spawning occurred between July and August when the sea water temperature was over 20$\^{C}$ The reproductive cycle of this species can be divided into five successive stages: early active stage (February to April), late active stage (March to June), ripe stage (April to August), partially spawned stage (July to October), and spent / inactive stage (September to February). Percentages of first sexual maturity of female and male clams measuring 26.1-30.0 ㎜ in shell length were 53.3% and 62.5%, respectively, and 100% for the clams > 41.0 ㎜. It is assumed that both sexes begin reproduction at about two years age.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2000

The pattern of variations in cone sex ratio and pollen traits such as pollen number and size was examined for two years in populations of red pines In Korea. We evaluated; (1) the relationship between tree size and cone sex ratio, (2) the relationship between year and cone sex ratio, and (3) the relationship between cone sex ratio and pollen traits. Larger trees in height and circumference at breast height produced more male as well as female cones. However, cone sex ratio was independent of these plant sizes. Across the two populations, both female cone numbers per tree and male cone numbers per new shoot increased 2.2 and 1.2 times, respectively, in 1999 compared to 1998, while the yearly pattern of male cone-bearing shoots per tree differed significantly between populations. Thus, cone sex ratio varied significantly between years in one of the two populations. Pollen traits such as the number of pollen grains and diameter did not vary significantly among populations. Pollen diameter and grain numbers per male cone were significantly negatively correlated with the cone sex ratio in two populations and one population, respectively. Trees which stopped female cone production in the first year and those which produced female cones in both years differed in the cone sex ratio and pollen size in the second year. The long duration of one reproductive episode and the potential of masting in red pines emphasize the need to conduct long-term studies on the dynamics of cone production, cone sex ratio, and simultaneous changes in pollen traits in red pines.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.450-455
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• 2010

The study had two objectives, namely, to estimate the andrological disorders leading to disposal of Karan Fries (KF), Sahiwal cattle and Murrah buffalo bulls and to study the effect of various factors (species/breeds, season of birth and period of birth) on male reproductive parameters. Records on occurrence of subfertility problems and disposal pattern of bulls maintained at the National Dairy Research Institute herd were collected for 15 years (1991 to 2005). Percentage of bulls producing freezable semen was less in the crossbred cattle (58.46%) as compared to Sahiwal (81.69%) and Murrah bulls (81.05%). Various subfertility traits like poor libido and unacceptable seminal profile were found to be the significant reasons (p<0.01) for culling of the breeding bulls. Inadequate sex drive was the main contributing factor for bull disposal in Sahiwal (22.55%) and Murrah bulls (15.12%) whereas poor semen quality and freezability were most frequently observed in KF bulls (24.29 and 7.29 percent, respectively). Least squares analyses of different male reproductive parameters showed that species/breeds had significant effect (p<0.05) on all traits except for frozen semen production periods (FSPP). Periods of birth were significantly different (p<0.05) for all traits except for semen volume. Age at first semen collection (AFSC), age at first semen freezing (AFSF) and age at disposal (AD) were highest in Murrah, while frozen semen production period (FSPP) and semen production period (SPP) were highest in KF and lowest in Sahiwal. The age at first semen donation and breeding period could be reduced by introducing the bulls to training at an early age. These results revealed a declining trend in AFSC, AFSF, FSPP, SPP and AD, thereby indicating an improvement in reproductive performance over the years. The age at first semen donation in bovines can be reduced by introducing the young male calves to training at an early age, which could increase the dosage of semen obtained from each male.