• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.51-56
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• 2001

To evaluate the arsenic effect of fish endocrine disruption, crucian carp (Carassius auratus) were treated with 0.5 mg/L and 3.0 mg/L of As$_2$O$_3$ for 14 days and gonadal development was examined by histological analysis. In ovaries from female crucial carps exposed to 3.0 mg/L, immature follicles and atretic follicles were appeared while various normal developmental stages of oocytes were shown in control group. Body weight and Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) of treated carp were also decreased compared to control group. However, no other significant histological changes in liver or kidney were shown in this exposure scheme. This means that reproductive organs are more sensitive than other organs and arsenic may exert endocrine disrupting effect through inhibiting the development of reproductive organ in fish.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.300-305
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• 2006

Pethidine at the dose level of 0.5 mg and 0.75 mg/100 g body weight administered for 20 days to the cycling albino rats caused decrease in the ovarian weight and its protein content. The ovarian folliculogenesis in treated rats is hampered; as a result the follicles which are at the different stages of growth underwent regression. Therefore, the number of healthy follicles is reduced and atretic follicles increased. The elevated levels of ovarian cholesterol and decreased level of glycogen in the pethidine treated rats indicates the inhibition brought in steroidogenesis, which is dependent on pituitary gonadotrophins.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.109-122
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• 1995

A technique is described for producing high resolution G- and R-banded chromosomes in human peripheral lymphocyte cultures. Cultured lymphocyte cells were exposed to ethidium bromide ($10{\mu}g/ml$) and colcemid ($0.02{\mu}g/ml$) each for 2.5h and 0.5h prior to harvest for high resolution G-banded chromosomes. High resolution R-band patterns were obtained by BrdU substitution which was revealed by the fluorochrome-photolysis-Giemsa staining technique. These methods are easy to perform and highly reliable. The data on relative length of chromosomes at the four mitotic stages are presented in units of percentage of haploid autosome length. The characteristic patterns of GTG-bands (G-bands after trypsin and Giemsa) and RBG bands (R-bands after BrdU and Giemsa) were analyzed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.3 s.70
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• pp.387-396
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• 2005

The aims of the study were to establish a short-term screening test for detecting testicular toxicity of chemicals in rats and to determine whether a 2-week administration period is sufficient to detect testicular toxicity of 2-bromopropane (2-BP) as an example. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subcutaneously administered with 1000 mg/kg/day of 2-BP or its vehicle for 2 weeks. Ten male rats each were sacrificed on days 3, 7 and 14 after the initiation of treatment. Parameters of testicular toxicity included genital organ weights, testicular sperm head counts, epididymal sperm counts, motility and morphology, and qualitative and quantitative histopathologic examinations. The early histopathological changes observed on day 3 of treatment included degeneration of spermatogonia and spermatocytes, multinuclear giant cells, mature spermatid retention, vacuolization of Sertoli cells, and decreased number of spermatogonia in stages II and V. On day 7 of treatment, atrophy of seminiferous tubules, exfoliation of germ cells, degeneration of spermatogonia and spermatocytes, multinuclear giant cells, mature spermatid retention, vacuolization of Sertoli cells, decreased number of spermatogonia in stages II and V, and decreased number of spermatocytes in stages VII and XII. On day 14 after treatment, a significant decrease in the weights of testes and seminal vesicles was found. Atrophy of seminiferous tubules, exfoliation of germ cells, degeneration of spermatogonia and spermatocytes, mature spermatid retention, vacuolization of Sertoli cells, decreased number of spermatogonia in stages II and V, and decreased number of spermatocytes in all spermatogenic stages were also observed. In addition, a slight non-significant decrease in testicular sperm head counts, daily sperm production rate and epididymal sperm counts was found. The results showed that 2 weeks of treatment is sufficient to detect the adverse effects of 2-BP on male reproductive organs. It is considered that the short-term testicular toxicity study established in this study can be a useful tool for screening the testicular toxic potential of new drug candidates in rats.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2007

We investigated to understand the differences in the karyotypes and the reproductive characteristics between the diploid clam, Corbicula japonica in the brackish water and the triploid clam, C. fluminea in the freshwater. The number of chromosomes of the diploid C. japonica were 38, which can be grouped into 19 pairs of two homologues. These can be divided into 11 pairs of telocentric, 4 pairs of subtelocentric, 3 pairs of submetacentric and one pair of metacentric chromosomes. C. japonica is oviparous and dioecious. The clam has two pairs of gills, with the inner and outer-demibranchs, however, they do not act mainly as marsupia. External fertilization occurs in the brackish water. The triploid marsh clam, C. fluminea has 54 chromosomes, which can be grouped into 18 sets of three homologues. These 18 sets can be divided into one metacentric group, five submetacentric groups and 12 subtelo- or telocentric groups. C. fluminea is ovoviviparous and functional hermaphrodite. The triploid condition may be closely related to hermaphroditism. This species has the inner-demibranchs acting mainly as marsupia. The depletion of ripe eggs occurred in the inner-demibranchs of the gill during the incubatory periods, and ripe eggs produced in the hermaphroditic follicles in the gonad during the non-incubatory periods. The gonad developmental stages of two marsh clams (C. japonica and C. fluminea) can be divided into five stages: early active stage, late active stage, ripe stage, partially spawned stages, and spent/inactive stage.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 1998

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is an enzyme involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins (PGs), and exists in two forms, COX-1 and COX-2. COX has been reported to be involved in early implantation by secretion of PGs which causes permeability of vessels and reaction of decidual cells around the implantation site. Recently, in mice and sheep studies, COX-1 and COX-2 expression in the endometrium has been reported to be different according to implantation and stages of the estrous cycle, but expression of COX-1 and COX-2 in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle has not yet been established. The purpose of this study was to observe the variances of COX-1 and COX-2 expression by immunohistochemical staining in endometrial samples obtained from human hysterectomy specimens and biopsies of women of reproductive age according to different stages of the menstrual cycle. Also, we attempted to observe COX-1 and COX-2 expression in the epithelial and stromal cells of the endometrium obtained during the mid-secretory phase, which were cultured separately. COX-2 showed a cyclic pattern of expression according to the different stages of the menstrual cycle and was strongly expressed particularly at the mid-secretory phase which corresponds to the time of implantation. However, COX-1 tended to be increased in the early proliferative, and mid- and late secretory phases, but was also expressed in the whole menstrual cycle showing no particular pattern. In the separately cultured cells COX-1 was expressed in epithilial cells and COX-2 in the stromal cells. The above results suggest that since COX-2 is expressed at the same time as implantation and cultured cells display a specific secretory pattern, COX-2 has inductive endocrine enzyme properties and has an important effect on endometrial cells during implantation. Also, COX-2 expression in endometrial cells may be utilized as a useful marker of endometrial maturation.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.699-717
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• 2021

South Korea is pushing for the advancement of crop production technology to achieve food self-sufficiency and meet the demand for safe food. A medium-sized satellite for agriculture is being launched in 2023 with the aim of collecting and providing information on agriculture, not only in Korea but also in neighboring countries. The satellite is to be equipped with various sensors, though reference data for ground information are lacking. Hyperspectral remote sensing combined with 1st derivative is an efficient tool for the identification of agricultural crops. In our study, we develop a system for hyperspectral analysis of the ground-based reflectance spectrum, which is monitored seven times during the cultivation period of three soybean crops using a PSR-2500 hyperspectral sensor. In the reflection spectrum of soybean canopy, wavelength variations correspond with stages of soybean growths. The spectral reflection characteristics of soybeans can be divided according to growth into the vegetative (V)stage and the reproductive (R)stage. As a result of the first derivative analysis of the spectral reflection characteristics, it is possible to identify the characteristics of each wavelength band. Using our developed monitoring system, we observed that the near-infrared (NIR) variation was largest during the vegetative (V1-V3) stage, followed by a similar variation pattern in the order of red-edge and visible. In the reproductive stage (R1-R8), the effect of the shape and color of the soybean leaf was reflected, and the pattern is different from that in the vegetative (V) stage. At the R1 to R6 stages, the variation in NIR was the largest, and red-edge and green showed similar variation patterns, but red showed little change. In particular, the reflectance characteristics of the R1 stage provides information that could help us distinguish between the three varieties of soybean that were studied. In the R7-R8 stage, close to the harvest period, the red-edge and NIR variation patterns and the visible variation patterns changed. These results are interpreted as a result of the large effects of pigments such as chlorophyll for each of the three soybean varieties, as well as from the formation and color of the leaf and stem. The results obtained in this study provide useful information that helps us to determine the wavelength width and range of the optimal band for monitoring and acquiring vegetation information on crops using satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2001

The Ovarian developmental phases of the reproductive cycle of Rapana venosa can be classified into five successive stages by histological study: early active stage (September to February), late active stage (December to April), ripe stage (March to July), partially spawned stage (May to August), and recovery stage (June to September). To understand the characteristics of nutrient storage and utilization in the digestive gland cells with ovarian developmental phases, we examined the digestive gland - which is the major nutrient supply organ associated with ovarian development of the female purple shell - by biochemical methods. Total protein contents in the digestive gland tissues increased in March (late active stage) and reached the maximum in May (ripe and partially spawned stages), and then their levels sharply decreased in July (partially spawned and recovery stages). Total lipid contents in the digestive gland tissues reached the maximum in January (early active stage). Thereafter, their levels rapidly decreased from May (ripe and partially spawned stages) and reached a minimum in July (partially spawned and recovery stages). The total DNA contents did not significantly change regardless of the different developmental stages of the ovary. However, it was also found from biochemical analysis that changes in total RNA content follow the same seasonal cycling to protein. These results indicate that the digestive gland is an important energy storage and supply organ in purple shells, and that the nutrient contents of the digestive gland change in response to gonadal energy needs.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.147-163
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• 1995

The unionid family Unionidae contains several genera in Korea, among which occru considerable variations in life histories and sexual conditions. Seven species from the Korea(Anodonta arcaeformis flavotincta, A. woodiana, Unio douglaseae, U. douglasiae sinuolatus, Lamprotula gottschei, Lanceolaria acrorhyncha, Solenaia triangularis)were stueide in order to identify and describe the seasonal gonadal activity and the visceral sex. The gonads of seven species were histologically examined by using the paraffin block technique for sectioning. All seven species were uniformly dioecious and testicular activity in six species except one species, S. triangularis, generated sperm-morulae(multinucleated cell). The annual reproductive cycle of the seven species could be classified into five successive stages; multicative, growing, mature, spent, deginerative and resting stages. The breeding season of six species was the summer and that of A. a. flavotincta was the winter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 1986.06a
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• pp.62-63
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• 1986