• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.219-222
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• 2015

Trichinellosis transmission to humans via the consumption of reptile meat is rare worldwide. In Korea, however, 2 such outbreaks, possibly via consumption of soft-shelled turtle meat, have occurred in 2 successive years. In 17 August 2014, 6 patients were admitted to Wonju Severance Christian Hospital complaining of myalgia, fever, and headache. Eosinophilia was the indication of the initial laboratory results, and they were eventually diagnosed as trichinellosis by ELISA. All of the patients worked at the same company and had eaten raw soft-shelled turtle meat at a company dinner 10 days prior to their admission. They were treated with albendazole for 2 weeks, upon which all of their symptoms disappeared. This is the 8th report on human trichinellosis in Korea, and the second implicating raw soft-shelled turtle meat.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.702-710
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• 2017

Recently, in many reptiles (14 genera of turtles in five families), common characteristics of incubation temperatures are known to determine the sexes of hatchlings in many species of turtles, including the map turtles, painted turtles and snapping turtles, emys turtle, etc. According to many researcher's reports, in general, incubation at $25^{\circ}C$ (cooler temperatures) produces all or mostly males, however, incubation at $31^{\circ}C$ (higher temperatures) or higher produces all or mostly females. Exceptionally, even cooler temperature ($20^{\circ}C$) produce females, they produced all or mostly females. Accordingly, it is well-known that incubation temperature is the sex determining agent in these turtles. However, this paper presents study of the sex ratio and nest ecology in natural spawning nest: Observations on hatching sex ratios of eggs collected from natural nests of T. sinensis are similar to a previous report of the same genus Trionyx in the soft-shelled turtles. However, this genus (or species) showed some different phenomena to other kinds of turtles such as various kinds turtles mentioned above. After collection of naturally spawned eggs (17 eggs of T. sisnensis) on the natural nests, a laboratory experiment by the constant incubation temperatures was conducted with natural fluctuating soil temperatures in the natural nest with the soft-shelled turtle, T. sinensis. And also laboratory experiments were conducted using constant incubation temperatures of $25^{\circ}C$ (cooler temp.) and $30^{\circ}C$ (higher temp.) with the turtle, T. sinensis. Exceptionally, it was confirmed that the first and second incubation temperatures can't control sex-determination in the freshwater soft-shelled turtle, T. sinensis. The sex ratio approximated 1:1 (${\chi}^2=0.06$, P>0.05 (the Ist experiment). And the sex ratio approximated 1:1 independently of incubation temperature (${\chi}^2=0.33$, P>0.05 (the 2nd experiment). Consequently, temperature has no effect on sex determination in the genus Trionyx in a soft-shelled turtle.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.219-221
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• 2013

Reptiles, unlike mammals, have been considered to be unsuitable hosts of Trichinella spp., though larvae have been detected in their muscles and human outbreaks related to their consumption have, in fact, occurred. Herein we report 2 Korean cases of trichinosis, possibly transmitted via consumption of reptile meat. Both patients suffered from myalgia, headache, and facial edema. Laboratory examinations revealed leukocytosis with eosinophilia (54% and 39%, respectively) and elevated creatinine phosphokinase. ELISA was performed under the suspicion of trichinosis, showing positivity at the 29th and 60th day post-infection. Since they had consumed raw soft-shelled turtle meat, turtle was strongly suggested to be an infection source of trichinosis in Korea next to the wild boar and badger.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.226-229
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• 2007

Survival, tag retention and tag readability were compared among the control and three treatment groups of soft-shelled turtles, Pelodiscus sinensis Crother, 2000 (mean body $weight{\pm}SD$: $182.6{\pm}13.7\;g$), marked with visible implant fluorescent elastomer (VIFE) tags for 16 months. Mortality 4 to 16 months after tagging was attributed to collection and handling stress rather than to the tagging itself. Tags applied to the web surface between the fourth and fifth dactyl of the hindfoot appeared to have the highest retention rates, while adipose eyelid tagging had high tag readability but a high loss rate. We conclude that in soft-shelled turtles, the most suitable region for VIFE tagging is on the web surface between the fourth and fifth dactyls of the hindfoot.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2007

We examined the effects of the vibration stress on oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion of cultured soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis. For the stressed group vibration of $45{\sim}78\;dB$ (V) from electric vibrator was turned on for 15 min with 2-h intervals during daytime hours ($08:00{\sim}18:00$) for 28 days. Two different sizes of soft-shelled turtle, large (carapace length: $12{\sim}16\;cm$, body weight: $300{\sim}600\;g$, large size turtle: LST) and middle ($16{\sim}20\;cm,\;700{\sim}1,000\;g$, middle size turtle: MST) were used. The oxygen consumption of LST the beginning of the experiment (1 day) was 124.30 mg $O_2/kg/hr$, and after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of stress decreased by 47.2, 71.6, 79.1 and 86.0%, respectively. In MST, oxygen consumption of beginning day was 66.04 mg $O_2/kg/hr$, and after 28 days of stress decreased by 76.5%. Ammonia nitrogen excretion showed a similar pattern to that of oxygen consumption. Ammonia nitrogen excretion of beginning of the experiment was 0.537 mg N/kg/hr, and after 28 days of stress decreased by 75.4% for LST, and by 74.3% for the middle ones. From in this study it was showed that the physiological activity was reduced by 50% following 8.4 days of vibration stress for LST, and 15.5 days for MST.

• Proceedings of the Korean Aquaculture Society Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.306-307
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• 2006

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.101-110
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• 2017

On June 14, 2008 (the first experiment) and July 24, 2008 (the second experiment), the shores of the Boseong River and the sandy beaches, Seokgok-myun, Moksadong-myun, Gokseong-gun in Jeollanam Province were investigated and a total of 29 soft-shelled turtle (Tryonyx sinensis) eggs in the natural spawning nest eggs were collected (13 eggs were collected in the first experiment and 16 eggs in the second experiment). The temperatures in the natural spawning nests were $25.9-36.9{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$, the depth of the eggs was $5.2-7.5{\pm}0.5cm$ as the distance of the average $6.4{\pm}0.5cm$. 29 eggs were scattered at least 0.2 cm interval. Artificial incubation of 29 eggs was conducted in artificial nest boxes in thermo-plastic composition of the incubator, and then incubated at $26.5-35.5{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$, and an average constant temperature was $31.2-32.1{\pm}1.0^{\circ}C$. The incubation days ranged from 53 to 55. In case of most turtles, incubation at $31^{\circ}C$ (higher temperatures) generally produces all or mostly females, while incubation at $25^{\circ}C$(cooler temperatures) produces all or mostly males. Exceptionally, in case of genus Trionyx, the sex ratio of female : male of T. sinensis of a freshwater soft-shelled turtle was approximately 1:1, which differs from other genera of turtles and makes T. sinensis Strauch only turtles presently known to lack temperature-dependent sex determination.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2009

We examined the effects of the vibration stress on cortisol secretion and hematological characteristics in soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis. For the stressed group vibration of $45{\sim}78 dB(V)$ from electric vibrator applied for 30 min with 2-h intervals during daytime ($08:00{\sim}18:00$) up to 28 days. Using the blood samples collected from ten turtles held once a week after vibration stress, we measured hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cells, cortisol, glucose, lactic acid, osmolality, $Na^+,\;K^+,\;Cl^－$, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The results have showed that P. sinensis received vibration stress exhibit the 'typical' stress-induced physiological responses (cortisol, glucose, lactic acid, osmolality, ions, hematocrit and hemoglobin) induced by vibration stress. Our data suggested that chronic vibration stress caused substantial stress in the animal, and in particular, the persisting elevated levels of AST and ALT would be highly correlated with the adverse effects of the stress. The high hematological characteristics during entire experimental period showed that the P. sinensis could not adapt to chronic stimuli provoked by vibration stress.

• Proceedings of the Korean Aquaculture Society Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.235-236
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• 2006

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.107-114
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• 2006

A dermal sarcoma was found in a freshwater, soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis. The neoplasm consisted of proliferating fibrous tissue and extended from the dermis. The overlying epidermis was hyperplastic and partially folded. The deeper dermis and hypodermis contained three large, discrete necrotic foci of -10 mm diameter. Numerous eosinophilic granule cells and macro phages surrounded the necrotic areas. A mixed population of cells with nuclear pleomorphism was observed between the papillary layers of vessels. This area also had regions of different histological structures: (l) regularly arranged, spindle-shaped cells with compact nuclei in a fine-fibrillar matrix; (2) haphazardly arranged cells ($\leq$ 23 11m diameter) with ovoid, highly hypertrophic, faintly stained nuclei; and (3) cells (3.6-5.8 11m diameter) with irregularly shaped nuclei and marginal condensed chromatin in a myxomatous matrix. Some mitotic figures, binucleate cells, and multinucleate giant cells of up to 50 11m in length were also found. Flow cytometry of propidium iodide-stained cells yielded different histograms for the normal skin and the skin (primarily epidermis) and fibrous dermis of the tumor, indicating DNA heterogeneity in the dermal portion of the tumor. The ploidy indices for the dermal cells were 1.91 and 0.78, as compared to normal cells.