• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2011

The gametogenic cycle, the spawning season and the biological minimum sizes in female and male Protothaca (Notochione) jedoensis were investigated by quantitative statistical analysis. In females, monthly changes in the percents of the follicle areas to the ovarian tissue areas and the percents of the oocyte areas to the ovarian tissue areas increased in February and reached the maximum in April, and then gradually decreased from May to July, with the spawning peak between June and July. In males, monthly changes in the percents of the testicular tissue areas to total tissue areas and the percents of the spermatogenic stage areas to the testicular tissue areas increased in February and reached the maximum in April, and then showed a rapid decrease from May to July. From these data, it is apparent that the number of spawning seasons in female and male P. (N.) jedoensis occurred once a year, from May to July. Therefore, P. (N.) jedoensis in both sexes showed a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year. Compared the gametogenic cycle by quantitative statistical analysis in 2007 with the previous qualitative results of this species, the results of the gametogenic cycle calculated by quantitative statistical analysis showed some differentiations in the spawning seasons evaluated by the gonad index by qualitative histological analysis. The intervals of the beginning of two spawning seasons showed one month between the results of quantitative and qualitative analyses. The biological minimum sizes (considering to 50% of group sexual maturity) in female and male clams by quantitative analysis of this species are 32.01 mm in shell length in females and 30.58 mm in males, respectively. According to the mean shell length fitted to von Bertalanffy's equation, 30.58 and 32.01 mm in shell length were considered to be two years old. Therefore, we assume that both sexes of this population begin reproduction from two years of age.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.77-86
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• 2019

This study was conducted to compare the heat stress response and production performance of chicks hatched in winter and summer. Among the 2,090 Korean native chickens examined, 1,156 hatched in winter and 934 hatched in summer. The amount of telomeric DNA, the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes, survival rate, egg production, and body weight were analyzed to evaluate the stress response and production performance of chickens. The results showed that the expression of HSP-70, $HSP-90{\alpha}$, and $HSP-90{\beta}$ genes in the winter-hatched chickens were significantly higher than those in the summer-hatched chickens during the growing and laying period (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the amount of telomeric DNA between summer- and winter-hatched chickens. The survival rate was significantly higher in the summer-hatched chickens than in the winter-hatched chickens at the laying period (P<0.01). The hen-day egg production and egg weight in the summer-hatched chickens were also significantly higher than those in the winter-hatched chickens (P<0.05). In contrast, age of sexual maturity of winter-hatched chickens was significantly earlier than that of summer-hatched chickens (P<0.01). The body weights from birth to 24 weeks were significantly lighter in the summer-hatched chickens than in the winter-hatched chickens, however, it was reversed after 28 weeks (P<0.05). In conclusion, the chicks hatched in the summer are more resistant to heat stress, with better productivity than the chicks hatched in the winter. These results suggest that the chicks grown at high temperatures have greater adaptability to the thermal environment.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.601-608
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• 2021

This study surveyed the ecological characteristics of Squalidus multimacultus at Taehwa River tributary Cheokgwa Stream from January to December 2020. The species inhabited the riverbed that was mostly covered with sand. The water depth was 25-164 cm, and the average was rather deep at 68 cm. The stream velocity was slow at 0.21±0.26 (0.16-0.43) m/sec. The gender ratio of females to males was 1:0.99. The age according to the total length-frequency distribution indicated that the group with less than 50 mm (29.4 - 49 mm) in total length was one year old, the group with 50 - 69 mm was two years old, the group with 70 - 89 mm was three years old, and the group over 90 mm was four years old. The total length of sexually mature fishes was 40 mm for both males and females. The spawning season was from July to August, and the water temperatures was 23.8 - 25.4℃ during the period. The prosperous spawning season was August. The average number of eggs in the ovaries was 1,395 (648 - 2,201) per matured female, and the matured eggs were yellowish and spherical with a mean diameter of 0.67±0.24 (0.62 - 0.83) mm. The live foods were of S. multimacultus attached algae, zooplankton, aquatic insects, and Mollusca. The feeding habits of S. multimacultus were omnivorous, but more than 95% of the stomach content was plant-attached algae. The larger the size of this species, the greater the amount and frequency of eating aquatic insects, which were animal feeds. The population that ate aquatic insects did not eat vegetable food.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.277-284
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• 2021

This study surveyed the ecological characteristics of Squalidus gracilis majimae at Nakdong River tributary Sinan Stream from January to December 2020. The species inhabited the riverbed that was mostly covered with gravel and sand. The water depth was 27-158 cm, and the average was rather deep at 54 cm. The stream velocity was slow at 0.41±0.19 (0.24-0.86) m/sec. The gender ratio of females to males was 1:0.73. According to the total length-frequency distribution, the age indicated that the group with less than 50 mm in total length was one year old, the group with 70-69 mm was two years old, and the group over 70 mm was three years old. The total length of sexually mature fishes was 50 mm for females and 60 mm for males. The spawning season was from June to July, and the water temperature was 20.9-23.4℃ during the period. The prosperous spawning season was July. The average number of eggs in the ovaries was 1,009 (595-1,630) per matured female, and the matured eggs were yellowish and spherical with a mean diameter of 0.78±0.08 (0.57-0.83) mm. The live foods were S. gracilis majimae Protozoa, attached algae, zooplankton, and aquatic insects. The feeding habits of S. gracilis majimae are omnivorous, but more than 80% of the stomach content was aquatic insects, Chironomidae spp. The larger the size of this species, the greater the amount and frequency of eating aquatic insects, which are animal feeds. The population that ate aquatic insects did not eat vegetable food.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2004

Parapenaeopsis tenella occurs widely on the south and west coasts of Korea. Sex ratio showed seasonal variations, with a mean value of 48.6% for the females. The species produces one cohort a year, with the ovaries ripening from July to August. Insemination took place from July to August, as more than half of the females sampled in the study over 14 mm CL were inseminated. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) reached the maximum between July and August. The smallest mature female was 11 mm CL. Size at 50% sexual maturity ($CL_{50}$), determined from both mature females and inseminated females, was 12.53 mm and 12.28 mm CL, respectively. The life span of females appeared to be 14-15 months according to size frequency distributions, while that of the male was 13-14 months. Population growth was estimated by the modified von Bertalanffy growth function incorporating seasonal variation in growth. Based on the growth parameters (K = 1.22 $yr^{-1}$ and $L_{\infty}$ = 21.99 mm CL for females, and K = 2.00 $yr^{-1}$ and $L_{\infty}$ = 15.00 mm CL for males) growth curves showed that females grew faster and reached a larger size at age than males.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2010

Captured wild specimens of the big white-toothed shrew, Crocidura lasiura were classified into three age classes by tooth wear and height of molars, and seasonal variations of breeding and reproductive organs were examined. Juveniles had not tooth wear in molars and height of the third molars were lower than the first and second molars, and had only non-breeding condition. Young adults had little tooth wear and the third molars reached to the first and second molars, and old adults had heavy tooth wear in molars, young adults and old adults had breeding or non-breeding condition according to the season. On the basis of histological examination, seasonal variations of breeding were confirmed that breeding condition of young and old adult males were continued from early February to early October although the breeding activity was the highest in April, that of females were continued from the end of March to October, males reached sexual maturity earlier than females. Whereas the breeding condition seems to cease for non-breeding season because of the deficiency of food resources, soil invertebrates. Young and old adult males of the breeding season had large testes with enlarged seminiferous tubules that were filled with numerous germ cells, and expanded caudal epididymides with a vast number of spermatozoa, and were more than 10.0 g in the body weight and 0.03 g in the testis and epididymis weight. The females of the breeding season were pregnant condition with 4~6 litters or had the Graafian follicles and the corpus lutea in the ovary, and were more than 9.6 g in the body weight.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.69-80
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• 2021

We conducted a 4 × 4 diallel cross-mating test using 934 chickens from four grandparent stock lines to develop a new synthetic breed of Korean native chicken. The mean values, combining ability, and reciprocal effects on survival rate, body weight, and hen-day egg production were analyzed. In phenotypes, most chickens have yellowish-brown, reddish-brown and mixed color feathers. The average survival rate was 86.8±12.3%, with the highest in YH combination. Specific combining ability (SCA) had a greater effect on survival rate than general combining ability (GCA), and the SCA of HY combination was the highest. The 16 cross-combinations were distinctly divided into three weight groups according to their genetic characteristics. At 12 weeks of age, GCA showed a greater effect on weight than SCA, and the SCA of FH combination was the highest. The age at first egg laying was 157 days, and the crosses reached sexual maturity faster than the pure lines. The egg production rate was highest in SY at 79.5±2.1%. The GCA and SCA for hen-day egg production were similar, and the SCA was highest in the HS and FY combinations. The reciprocal effect showed that the offspring's egg production rate was high when S and Y were maternal parents in almost all combinations. In conclusion, FH and HF combinations, which have excellent growth performance, are the most desirable paternal parent stock strains, and FY, FS, HY, and SY combinations, which have excellent laying performance with moderate weight, are the preferred maternal strains.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.747-754
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• 2005

Nutritional regulation of gene expression associated with growth and feeding behavior in avian species can become an important technique to improve poultry production according to the supply of nutrients in the diet. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) found in chickens has been characterized to be a 70 amino acid polypeptide and plays an important role in growth and metabolism. Although it is been well known that IGF-I is highly associated with embryonic development and post-hatching growth, changes in the distribution of IGF-I gene expression throughout early- to late-embryogenesis have not been studied so far. We revealed that the developmental pattern of IGF-I gene expression during embryogenesis differed among various tissues. No bands of IGF-I mRNA were detected in embryonic liver at 7 days of incubation, and thereafter the amount of hepatic IGF-I mRNA was increased from 14 to 20 days of incubation. In eyes, a peak in IGF-I mRNA levels occurred at mid-embryogenesis, but by contrast, IGF-I mRNA was barely detectable in the heart throughout all incubation periods. In the muscle, no significant difference in IGF-I gene expression was observed during different stages of embryogenesis. After hatching, hepatic IGF-I gene expression as well as plasma IGF-I concentration increases rapidly with age, reaches a peak before sexual maturity, and then declines. The IGF-I gene expression is very sensitive to changes in nutritional conditions. Food-restriction and fasting decreased hepatic IGF-I gene expression and refeeding restored IGF-I gene expression to the level of fed chickens. Dietary protein is also a very strong factor in changing hepatic IGF-I gene expression. Refeeding with dietary protein alone successfully restored hepatic IGF-I gene expression of fasted chickens to the level of fed controls. In most circumstances, IGF-I makes a complex with specific high-affinity IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). So far, four different IGFBPs have been identified in avian species and the major IGFBP in chicken plasma has been reported to be IGFBP-2. We studied the relationship between nutritional status and IGFBP-2 gene expression in various tissues of young chickens. In the liver of fed chickens, almost no IGFBP-2 mRNA was detected. However, fasting markedly increased hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression, and the level was reduced after refeeding. In the gizzard of well-fed young chickens, IGFBP-2 gene expression was detected and fasting significantly elevated gizzard IGFBP-2 mRNA levels to about double that of fed controls. After refeeding, gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression decreased similar to hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression. In the brain, IGFBP-2 mRNA was observed in fed chickens and had significantly decreased by fasting. In the kidney, IGFBP-2 gene expression was observed but not influenced by fasting and refeeding. Recently, we have demonstrated in vivo that gizzard and hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression in fasted chickens was rapidly reduced by intravenous administration of insulin, as indicated that in young chickens the reduction in gizzard and hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression in vivo stimulated by malnutrition may be, in part, regulated by means of the increase in plasma insulin concentration via an insulin-response element. The influence of dietary protein source (isolated soybean protein vs. casein) and the supplementation of essential amino acids on gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression was examined. In both soybean protein and casein diet groups, the deficiency of essential amino acids stimulated chickens to increase gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression. Although amino acid supplementation of a soybean protein diet significantly decreased gizzard IGFBP-2 mRNA levels, a similar reduction was not observed in chickens fed a casein diet supplemented with amino acids. This overview of nutritional regulation of IGF-I and IGFBP-2 gene expression in young chickens would serve for the establishment of the supply of nutrients to diets to improve poultry production.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1993

This study carried out to build up new synthetic egg production lines which had sex-linked gene for feather color sexing and also superior combining ability for producing the best commercial chicks. The closed flock breeding method was utilized to improve the general performances in the first experiment and combining ability for heterosis was tested for new synthetic line in the second experimental year. In order to test for the egg production ability in cross breeds synthetic lines, the crossing of B$\times$4 B$\times$C, two imported strains and two domestic strains as controls were compared for the general performances. There was on difference in mortality, body weight to 56 weeks of age. Sexual maturity was delayed about 10 days by comparing with other reports, except 153 days of the Manina White, but no difference among mating systems in this experiment. The hen housed egg production in B$\times$A, B$\times$C was 186.3, 191.3 respectively and it was better than the other controls, except ISA imported lines. The hen-day egg production of B$\times$A, B$\times$C was better than other controls, with 75.7%, 76.8% respectively. In the average egg weight, the B$\times$C cross breed was highest with 64.5g. As the sex of hatching chicks was identified by difference of feather color, the genetic composition of synthetic lines must be homogenized. The feather color of female chicks was brown and that of male was silver (99%), In conclusion, the egg production ability of B$\times$A, B$\times$C cross breeds was superior to the imported and domestic lines. Therefore, it suggest that the synthetic lines with sex-linked gene might be utilized for improving egg production performances.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.133-141
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• 2023

We conducted a 5 × 5 diallel cross-combination test using 1,060 chickens from pure lines of Korean Rhode-C, -D, Korean Leghorn-F, -K, and Korean Native Yellowish-brown chicken (KNC-Y) to develop a new Korean native chicken layer breeder. The laying performance and combining ability, including livability, body weight, age of first egg-laying, hen-day egg production, and egg weight, were analyzed. The livability from birth to 48 weeks was 72.1±24.0%, with the highest observed in the YC and the lowest in the DK combination (P<0.01). The YC combination exhibited the highest general combining ability (GCA), while the YD combination showed the highest specific combining ability (SCA). Regarding body weight, combinations involving Leghorn showed lighter weights compared to combinations with Rhode and KNC-Y (P<0.01). Additionally, the offspring from the KNC-Y combination reached sexual maturity earlier than those from the Rhode combination. The hen-day egg production was 70.7±12.0%, with the highest seen in the CK combination at 86% (P<0.01). The effects of GCA and SCA on hen-day egg production were similar, with the SCA being highest in the YD combination and the GCA being highest in the Rhode-C. Significant differences in egg weight were observed among the combinations, with the eggs from Rhode and Leghorn combinations being heavier than those from combinations with KNC-Y (P<0.01). In conclusion, the YC and YD combinations, characterized by excellent livability, are highly desirable paternal strains, while the CF and CK combinations, with excellent laying performance and moderate egg weight, are preferred maternal strains for Korean native chicken layer breeders.