• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2021

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) must utilize host cellular factors to complete their life cycle, and fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) has been reported to be a host factor promoting AIV ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) assembly and exports vRNP from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The functional role of chicken FMRP translational regulator 1 (cFMR1) as a host factor of AIV is, however, poorly understood. In this study, we targeted the cFMR1 gene in DF1 cells using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9-mediated genome editing to examine the functional role of cFMR1 as a host factor of AIV. We found that cFMR1 stimulated viral gene transcription during early stages of the viruses' life cycle and did not affect viral progeny production and viral polymerase activity in DF1 cells 24 hours post infection. cFMR1 overexpression did not exert significant effects on virus production, compared to the control. Therefore, unlike in mammalian systems (e.g., humans or mice), cFMR1 did not play a pivotal role in AIV but only seemed to stimulate viral proliferation during early stages of the viral life cycle. These results imply that the interplay between host factors and AIV differs between mammals and avian species, and such differences should be considered when developing anti-viral drugs for birds or establishing AIV-resistant bird models.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.249-256
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels and types of nitrogen fertilizer on seedlings and soil chemical properties in a semi-arid area, Mongolia. 2-year-old Populus sibirica and 4-year-old Ulmus pumila seedlings were planted in May 2014. Six treatments with three levels of nitrogen (low-level: urea $5g\;tree^{-1}$; medium-level: urea $15g\;tree^{-1}$, ammonium sulfate $33g\;tree^{-1}$, urea $15g\;tree^{-1}$ with potassium phosphate $10g\;tree^{-1}$; high-level: urea $30g\;tree^{-1}$) were applied and for the medium-level of nitrogen, different types of fertilizer were treated. Survival rate, root collar diameter (RCD) growth rate, leaf nitrogen concentration of seedlings, and soil chemical properties were determined in August 2014. The seedling survival rate of both species decreased as the level of nitrogen increased. This result can be explained by water stress caused by nitrogen fertilization in arid regions. The RCD growth rate of P. sibirica was significantly decreased by the treatment of high-level of nitrogen due to excessive nitrogen fertilization, and was increased by the treatment of ammonium sulfate due to sulfur which might promote nitrogen uptake. The leaf nitrogen concentration of P. sibirica did not change by the treatment of low-level of nitrogen, and was increased by the treatment of medium-level of nitrogen. There were no significant differences in the RCD growth rate and the leaf nitrogen concentration of U. pumila among the six treatments. None of soil chemical properties was affected by nitrogen fertilization. Overall, the low-level of nitrogen showed no effect on seedlings and soil chemical properties, except on survival rate of U. pumila and the high-level of nitrogen was considered excessive fertilization. Continuous monitoring of medium-level nitrogen fertilization including the ammonium sulfate, which increased early growth of seedlings, would be needed to elucidate the effect of fertilization on seedling growth and soil properties in a semi-arid region.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2017

Objectives: Dental plaque is composed of 700 bacterial species. It is known that some oral microorganisms produce porphyrin, and thus, they emit red fluorescence when illuminated with blue light at a specific wavelength of <410 nm. Porphyromonas gingivalis belongs to the genus Porphyromonas, which is characterized by the production of porphyrin. The aim of this study was to evaluate red fluorescence emission of some oral microorganisms interacting with P. gingivalis. Methods: Five bacterial strains (P. gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus casei, Actinomyces naeslundii, and Fusobacterium nucleatum) were used for this study. Tryptic soy agar medium supplemented with hemin, vitamin K3, and sheep blood was used as a growth medium. The fluorescence emission of bacterial colonies was evaluated under 405 nm-wavelength blue light using a Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence Digital (QLF-D) camera system. Each bacterium was cultured alone and co-cultured in close proximity with P. gingivalis. The red/green (R/G) ratio of fluorescence image was calculated and the differences of R/G ratio according to each growth condition were compared using the Mann-Whitney test (P<0.05). Results: Single cultured S. mutans, L. casei and A. naeslundii colonies emitted red fluorescence (R/G ratio=$2.15{\pm}0.06$, $4.31{\pm}0.17$, $5.52{\pm}1.29$, respectively). Fusobacterium nucleatum colonies emitted green fluorescence (R/G ratio=$1.36{\pm}0.06$). The R/G ratios of A. naeslundii and F. nucleatum were increased when P. gingivalis was co-cultured with each bacterium (P<0.05). In contrast, the R/G ratios of S. mutans and L. casei were decreased when P. gingivalis was co-cultured with each bacterium (P=0.002, 0.003). Conclusions: This study confirmed that P. gingivalis could affect the red fluorescence of other oral bacteria under 405 nm-wavelength blue light. Our findings concluded that P. gingivalis has an important role for red fluorescence emission of dental biofilm.

• Korean Journal of Ornithology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2018

Sexual dimorphism in birds refers to male-female differences in body size, plumage, color and/or behavior. In general, many seabirds, including the family of Laridae, are monomorphic in plumage-color, which makes the determination of sex difficult in the field because both parents also tend to share a great portion of parental care. The development of an inexpensive sexing tool facilitates understanding the degree of sex-specific parental care in the evolution of the life history. Here, we developed a non-invasive method for the determination of sex using the bill-head morphometric of known captive pairs and applied this tool to wild pairs to document factors underlying male-female parental care during the incubation period of Saunders's gulls (Saundersilarus saundersi). Males exhibited relatively larger bill-head ratios than their mates within naturally formed pairs in captivity, resulting in the determination of sex in12 wild pairs at the nest during the incubation period. Males and females equally shared the incubation role during the daytime, attending the nest at a high rate of 95%. However, the male's proportion of nest attentiveness greatly increased with time towards sunset, presumably reflecting the male duty for nighttime incubation. The present study provides a non-invasive method for the determination of sex in a monomorphic seagull species and highlights how male-female incubation behavior is associated with time of the day, rather than other ecological conditions.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.203-212
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• 2018

Zoospore release and germling growth of endophytic Ulvella ramosa were examined under various temperatures (10, 15, 20, $25^{\circ}C$) ${\times}$ irradiances (20, 60, $100{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$). Additional growth experiments were performed at different salinities (15, 25, 35, 45 psu) and daylengths (8, 12, 16 h). Growth of host Gracilaria vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss was estimated under combinations of temperatures (15, 20, 25, $30^{\circ}C$) and irradiances (20, 60, $100{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$). Endophyte effects on the host growth were tested in the two temperatures (20, $30^{\circ}C$) and irradiances (60, $100{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$). Zoospore release was maximal at $20^{\circ}C$ and $20{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$, and germlings grew best under $20^{\circ}C$ and $60{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$. No salinity effect on the growth of endophytes was found but endophyte growth was maximal under the daylength of 12 h. G. vermiculophylla grew better at higher irradiances but no growth differences were found between temperatures of $15-30^{\circ}C$. The growth of host species was significantly inhibited by endophytes under $20^{\circ}C$ and $60{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$, but host G. vermiculophylla grew well in the endophyte inactive culture conditions of $30^{\circ}C$ and $100{\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$. In conclusion, endophyte effects on the production of host G. vermiculophylla could be minimized by controlling cultivation depth and harvest period to inhibit endophyte activity.

• Journal of odor and indoor environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.355-361
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• 2018

Mold grows more easily when humidity is higher in indoor spaces, and as such is found more often on wetted areas in housing such as walls, toilets, kitchens, and poorly managed spaces. However, there have been few studies that have specifically assessed the level of mold in the indoor spaces of water-damaged housing in the Republic of Korea. We investigated the levels of airborne mold according to the characteristics of water damage types and explored the correlation between the distribution of mold genera and the characteristics of households. Samplings were performed from January 2016 to June 2018 in 97 housing units with water leakage or condensation, or a history of flooding, and in 61 general housing units in the metropolitan and Busan area, respectively. Airborne mold was collected on MEA (Malt extract agar) at flow rate of 100 L/min for 1 min. After collection, the samples were incubated at $25^{\circ}C$ for 120 hours. The cultured samples were counted and corrected using a positive hole conversion table. The samples were then analyzed by single colony culture, DNA extraction, gene amplification, and sequencing. By type of housing, concentrations of airborne mold were highest in flooded housing, followed by water-leaked or highly condensed housings, and then general housing. In more than 50% of water-damaged housing, the level of airborne mold exceeded the guideline of Korea's Ministry of Environment ($500CFU/m^3$). Of particular concern was the fact that the I/O ratio of water-damaged housing was greater than 1, which could indicate that mold damage may occur indoors. The distribution patterns of the fungal species were as follows: Penicillium spp., Cladosporium spp. (14%), Aspergillus spp. (13%) and Alternaria spp. (3%), but significant differences of their levels in indoor spaces were not found. Our findings indicate that high levels of mold damage were found in housing with water damage, and Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium brevicompactum were more dominant in housing with high water activity. Comprehensive management of flooded or water-damaged housing is necessary to reduce fungal exposure.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2021

Monitoring fish movement is important to understand how physiology adapts to environmental change. To explore the applicability of a video tracking system for determining if chemical cues attract or repel aquatic animals, the movement patterns of rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, were analyzed upon exposure to various materials, including extracts of sea urchin, rock worm, bait worm, krill, barley kernel, and commercial fish feed. Pellets were prepared by mixing freeze-dried tissues with a cellulose and corn flour mixture. Behavioral analysis was carried out with five fish that had been acclimated in the adaptation zone of a Y-shaped tank. Preference toward chemical cues was quantified by assessing the frequency rock bream were observed in a discrete zone around the test material located at the end of each arm and the duration each fish stayed in each zone. The analysis of fish movement upon exposure to commercial feed and barley kernel at each end, respectively, indicated a clear preference toward the feed relative to the barley kernel. Movement responses were further tested with pellets containing extracts of sea urchin, one of the species collected on a large scale, and other materials including krill and worms. A stronger preference toward sea urchin (100%) was observed based on the duration of stay in the test zone, compared to krill (90.1 ± 44.2%), bait worm (81.1 ± 39.1%), rock worm (73.7 ± 28.9%), and barley (63.9 ± 25.9%), under the conditions tested. A detailed comparison of rock bream movements toward each material revealed significant differences in frequency and duration, respectively, between pairs of test materials including krill (74 ± 29.8 and 375.6 ± 118.9) vs. rock worm (41.5 ± 18.7 and 160.2 ± 42.6), krill (86.3 ± 22.9 and 477.1 ± 84) vs. bait worm (36.2 ± 5.5 and 166.1 ± 50.7), and rock worm (45.9 ± 26.2 and 213.7 ± 100.1) vs. bait worm (34.6 ± 21.7 and 159.5 ± 98.5). Rock bream exhibited preference for the test materials in the following order: commercial fish feed > sea urchin > krill > rock worm > bait worm > barley. The results suggest a higher potency of sea urchin extract as a rock bream fishing bait compared to the other materials that are used as commercial bait.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1739-1748
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• 2021

Objective: In recent years, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in many species, and some of them have been shown to play important roles in muscle development and myogenesis. However, the differences in lncRNAs between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle remain undefined; therefore, we aimed to confirm whether lncRNAs are differentially expressed in the longissimus dorsi between these two types of cattle and whether differentially expressed lncRNAs regulate muscle differentiation. Methods: We used RNA-seq technology to identify lncRNAs in longissimus muscles from these cattle. The expression of lncRNAs were analyzed using StringTie (1.3.1) in terms of the fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads values of the encoding genes. The differential expression of the transcripts in the two samples were analyzed using the DESeq R software package. The resulting false discovery rate was controlled by the Benjamini and Hochberg's approach. KOBAS software was utilized to measure the expression of different genes in Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways. We randomly selected eight lncRNA genes and validated them by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: We found that 182 lncRNA transcripts, including 102 upregulated and 80 downregulated transcripts, were differentially expressed between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle. The results of RT-qPCR were consistent with the sequencing results. Enrichment analysis and functional annotation of the target genes revealed that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase, Ras, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k)/Akt signaling pathways. We also constructed a lncRNA/mRNA coexpression network for the PI3k/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our study provides insights into cattle muscle-associated lncRNAs and will contribute to a more thorough understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying muscle growth and development in cattle.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.55-67
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• 2021

A 210-day experiment was conducted to examine the effects of starvation on survival, external morphometric traits, and sectioned morphometric traits in Far Eastern catfish(Silurus asotus). The survival rate decreased to 92.2±0.47% in the fed group and to 74.4±2.59% in the starved group. Eight dimensions of Ls, DALPO/Ls, DADOP/Ls, ED/Ls, CH/Ls, BDAA/Ls, BDMA/Ls, and BWAA/Ls showed significant differences (p<0.05), and 16 other dimensions of DALAD/Ls, DPDPL/Ls, HPLAA/Ls, HALAV/Ls, HALOP/Ls, DAUPO/Ls, DADAV/Ls, DADAA/Ls, Max BL/Ls, Man BL/Ls, LD/Ls, HWOP/Ls, DAUF/HL, DAUS/HL, IW/HL, and DAUE/HL were not significantly different among the initial, fed, and starved groups (p>0.05). The fed group showed higher total height (THX), wider width (WX), and larger area (AX) than those of the starved group in each body section. This research provides information on the morphometric traits and body sections of starved Far Eastern catfish. These results can be used as a basic guide to indicate nutritional status and assist in aquaculture methods for Far Eastern catfish. Moreover, the methods used in this study were considered helpful because the survey analysis method can be used to investigate information on the nutritional status of other fish species.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2021

The phylogenetic relationships among thirty-two strains (P1~P32; including Cordyceps sp., Paecilomyces sp., Beauveria sp., Aranthomyces sp., Isaria sp. and Himenostilbe sp.) in Miryang region located in the southern part of Korea, were investigated based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of ribosomal DNA. A fragment of ITS region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the specific primer pairs ITS1 and ITS4. After obtained same size of PCR products from various strains, we cloned them into a pGEM-T easy vector to determine their sequences. BLAST analyses of the nucleotide sequence ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 gene fragments revealed the identity and their phylogenetic relationship. Among 32 strains isolated from Miryang region, Cordyceps militaris was shared 100% sequences with Genbank (AY49191, EU825999, AY491992), while some species are not shared perfectly with reported sequences. For example, strain P17 (P. tenuipes in Ulju-gun Gaji Mountain) has some differences among the other strains of P. tenuipes (Miryang-si Jocheon-eup, Miryang-si Gaji Mountain) and those of gene bank. We conclude that ITS analyses with strains in the suburbs of Miryang in this study can be effectively used as a tool for classification, evaluation and collection of the natural eco-type genetic resources.