• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1309-1313
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• 2009

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals which can be found in our normal daily lives. Chemicals such as bisphenol A, DDT, benzophenone and phenylphenol can be easily ingested through plastic food containers and pesticides. Endocrine disruptors can be very harmful and toxic because they disrupt the normal function of the endocrine system. It has been reported that endocrine disruptions can cause fatal strikes in the cardiovascular, reproductive, and central nervous systems, and other parts of the body. Therefore we examined if benzophenone as an endocrine disruptor inhibits development in or induces malformation of chick embryos. Chick embryos which received a single injection of benzophenone ($1{\mu}g$/egg $\sim$ $500{\mu}g$/egg) via the yolk sac at designated times (6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 days after incubation) were investigated. Body weight reduction was observed in middle doses ($40{\mu}g$/egg $\sim$ $60{\mu}g$/egg). High mortality rates and teratogenic signs such as abnormal wry beak and abnormal eyeballs were seen in high doses ($80{\mu}g$/egg $\sim$ $500{\mu}g$/egg). In conclusion, it is suggested that benzophenone induces malformation of chick embryos and seriously inhibits development.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.239-249
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• 1999

The role of amino acids in culture media for IVF-ET was examined in a total of 76 cycles. Patients received clomiphene citrate (CC) followed by hMG or GnRH-a combined with gonadotropins (FSH/hMG) for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Severe male (<$4{\times}10^6$ motile sperm) or age factor (>39 y) patients were excluded in this study. Pregnancy was classified as clinical if a gestational sac or fetal cardiac activity was seen on ultrasound. No significant differences were found in age, duration of infertility, follicle size, the level of $E_2$ on the day of hCG injection, the mean number of oocytes retrieved, total motile sperm count, fertilization rate and the mean number of embryos transferred between bHTF (without amino acids) and mHTF (with amino acids) groups. However, total ampules of gonadotropins were higher (p<0.01) in mHTF group than bHTF group. Significantly (p<0.05) more clinical pregnancies were recorded in mHTF group (13/30) compared with bHTF group (9/46). The multiple pregnancy rates were 11.1% in bHTF group and 7.7% in mHTF group. There were one ectopic pregnancy in mHTF group and one heterotopic pregnancy in bHTF group. Abortion rates were 22.2% in bHTF group and 7.7% in mHTF, respectively. The ongoing pregnancy or livebirth rate was significantly (p<0.05) higher in mHTF group (12/30) than bHTF group (7/46). These results suggest that the addition of amino acids in culture media is essential for culture of zygotes in vitro and adjustment of energy substrates in phosphate-free culture media appears to be beneficial for human IVF-ET procedure.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.29
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• pp.8.1-8.8
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• 2014

Objectives An ecofriendly alternative to chemical pesticides is bio-pesticides, which are derived from natural sources. The interest in bio-pesticides is based on the disadvantages associated with chemical pesticides. Methods We conducted acute toxicity assessments of camphor, a major component of bio-pesticides, by using Daphnia magna (D. magna) as well as assessed the morphological abnormalities that occurred in Danio rerio (D. rerio) embryos. Results The median effective concentration of camphor on D. magna after 48 hours was $395.0{\mu}M$, and the median lethal concentration on D. rerio embryos after 96 hours was $838.6{\mu}M$. The no observed effect concentration and predicted no effect concentration of camphor on D. magna, which was more sensitive than D. rerio, were calculated as $55.2{\mu}M$ and $3.95{\mu}M$, respectively. Morphological abnormalities in D. rerio embryos exposed to camphor increased over time. Coagulation, delayed hatching, yolk sac edema, pericardial edema, and pigmentation of embryos mainly appeared between 24 and 48 hours. Further, symptoms of scoliosis and head edema occurred after 72 hours. In addition, bent tails, ocular defects and collapsed symptoms of fertilized embryonic tissue were observed after 96 hours. Conclusions The camphor toxicity results suggest that continuous observations on the ecosystem are necessary to monitor toxicity in areas where biological pesticides containing camphor are sprayed.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.531-536
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• 2013

Morphological characteristics of Mesocestoides lineatus tetrathyridia collected from Chinese snakes and their adults recovered from experimental animals were studied. The tetrathyridia were detected mainly in the mesentery of 2 snake species, Agkistrodon saxatilis (25%) and Elaphe schrenckii (20%). They were 1.73 by 1.02 mm in average size and had an invaginated scolex with 4 suckers. Adult tapeworms were recovered from 2 hamsters and 1 dog, which were orally infected with 5-10 larvae each. Adults from hamsters were about 32 cm long and those from a dog were about 58 cm long. The scolex was 0.56 mm in average width with 4 suckers of 0.17 by 0.15 mm in average size. Mature proglottids measured 0.29 by 0.91 mm (av.). Ovaries and vitellaria bilobed and located in the posterior portion of proglottids. The cirrus sac was oval-shaped and located median. Testes were follicular, distributed in both lateral fields of proglottids, and 41-52 in number per proglottid. Gravid proglottids were 1.84 by 1.39 mm (av.) with a characteristic paruterine organ. Eggs were 35 by $27{\mu}m$ in average size with a hexacanth embryo. These morphological characteristics of adult worms were identical with those of M. lineatus reported previously. Therefore, it has been confirmed that the tetrathyridia detected in 2 species of Chinese snakes are the metacestodes of M. lineatus, and 2 snake species, A. saxatilis and E. schrenckii, play the role of intermediate hosts.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1996.07a
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• pp.48-60
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• 1996

We previously identified and characterized a predominantly pollen-expressed gene of Petunia inflata that encodes a receptor-like kinase named PRK1. The extracellular domain of PRK1 contains leucine-rich repeats which have been implicated in protein-protein interactions, and the cytoplasmic domain was found to autophosphorylate on serine and tyrosine. To investigate the function PRK1 in pollen development, we transformed P. inflata plants with a construct containing the promoter of a predominantly pollen-expressed gene of tomato, LAT52, fused to an antisense PRK1 cDNA corresponding to part of the extracellular domain of PRK1, There transgenic plants were found to each produce approximately equal amounts of normal and aborted pollen. Analysis of the inheritance of the transgene inserts in two of the transgenic plants, ASRK-13 and ASRK-20, to their progeny revealed that certain transgene inserts cosegregated with the pollen abortion phenotype. Microscopic examination of the aborted pollen grains showed that their outer wall, the exine, was essentially normal, but that their cytoplasm contained only starch-like granules. Staining of the nuclei of the microspores at different stages of uninucleate stage. However, at subsequent stages half of the microspores completed mitosis and developed into normal binucleate pollen, but the other half initially remained uninucleate, then lost their nucleio. Analysis of the amounts of PRK1 mRNA and the antisense PRK1 transcript suggested that the pollen abortion phenotype most likely resulted from down-regulation of the PRK1 gene by the antisense PRK1 transgene. These results suggest that PRK1 plays an essential role in a signal transduction pathway that mediates post-meiotic development of microspores.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-34
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• 1974

The author intended to investigate external and internal changes in the cone structure, changes in water content, sugar, fat and protein during the period of seed maturation which bears a proper germinability. The experimental results can be summarized as in the following. 1. Male flowers 1) Pollen-mother cells occur as a mass from late in April to early in May, and form pollen tetrads through meiosis early and middle of May. Pollen with simple nucleus reach maturity late in May. 2) Stamen number of a male flower is almost same as the scale number of cone and is 69-102 stamens. One stamen includes 5800-7300 pollen. 3) The shape is round and elliptical, both of a pollen has air-sac with $80-91{\mu}$ in length, and has cuticlar exine and cellulose intine. 4) Pollen germinate in 68 hours at $25^{\circ}C$ with distilled water of pH 6.0, 2% sugar and 0.8% agar. 2. Female flowers 1) Ovuliferous scales grow rapidly in late April, and differentiation of ovules begins early in May. Embryo-sac-mother cells produce pollen tetrads through meiosis in the middle of May, and flower in late May. 2) The pollinated female flowers show repeated divisions of embryo-sac nucleus, and a great number of free nuclei form a mass for overwintering. Morphogenesis of isolation in the mass structure takes place from the middle of March, and that forms albuminous bodies of aivealus in early May. 3. Formation of pollinators and embryos. 1) Archegonia produce archegonial initial cells in the middle and late April, and pollinators are produced in the late April and late in early May. 2) After pollination, Oespore nuclei are seen to divide in the late May forming a layer of suspensor from the diaphragm in early June and in the middle of June. Thus this happens to show 4 pro-embryos. The organ of embryos begins to differentiate 1 pro-embryo and reachs perfect maturation in late August. 4. The growth of cones 1) In the year of flowering, strobiles grow during the period from the middle of June to the middle of July, and do not grow after the middle of August. Strobiles grow 1.6 times more in length 3.3 times short in diameter and about 22 times more weight than those of female flower in the year of flowering. 2) The cones at the adult stage grow 7 times longer in diameter, 12-15 times shorter diameter than those of strobiles after flowering. 3) Cone has 96-133 scales with the ratio of scale to be 69-80% and the length of cone is 11-13cm. Diameter is 5-8cm with 160-190g weight, and the seed number of it is 90-150 having empty seed ratio of 8-15%. 5. Formation of seed-coats 1) The layers of outer seed-coat become most for the width of $703{\mu}$ in the middle of July. At the adult stage of seed, it becomes $550-580{\mu}$ in size by decreasing moisture content. Then a horny and the cortical tissue of outer coats become differentiated. 2) The outer seed-coat of mature seeds forms epidermal cells of 3-4 layers and the stone cells of 16-21 layers. The interior part of it becomes parenchyma layer of 1 or 2 rows. 3) Inner seed-coat is formed 2 months earlier than the outer seed-coat in the middle of May, having the most width of inner seed-coat $667{\mu}$. At the adult stage it loses to $80-90{\mu}$. 6. Change in moisture content After pollination moisture content becomes gradually increased at the top in the early June and becomes markedly decreased in the middle of August. At the adult stage it shows 43~48% in cone, 23~25% in the outer seed-coat, 32~37% in the inner seed-coat, 23~26% in the inner seed-coat and endosperm and embryo, 21~24% in the embryo and endosperm, 36~40% in the embryos. 7. The content compositions of seed 1) Fat contents become gradually increased after the early May, at the adult stage it occupies 65~85% more fat than walnut and palm. Embryo includes 78.8% fat, and 57.0% fat in endosperm. 2) Sugar content after pollination becomes greatly increased as in the case of reducing sugar, while non-reducing sugar becomes increased in the early June. 3) Crude protein content becomes gradually increased after the early May, and at the adult stage it becomes 48.8%. Endosperm is made up with more protein than embryo. 8. The test of germination The collected optimum period of Pinus koraiensis seeds at an adequate maturity was collected in the early September, and used for the germination test of reduction-method and embryo culture. Seeds were taken at the interval of 7 days from the middle of July to the middle of September for the germination test at germination apparatus.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

We investigated developmental stages of embryo and early life history of the Korean indigenous fish, the northern loach, Cobitis pacifica in 2009 in order to understand fundamental knowledges for conservation of this species. Eggs were obtained after hormones injections (LHRH-a, HCG) and were artificially fertilized by the dry method. The embryo was spherical, separative demersal, faint white, and averaged $1.09{\pm}0.04\;mm$ (n=20) in diameter. The hatching of the embryo took place in about 48 hours after fertilization under water temperature of $21.0{\sim}24.0^{\circ}C$ and the newly hatched larvae averaged $2.87{\pm}0.05\;mm$ (n=20) in total length (TL). Four days after hatching, the larvae grew up to $6.86{\pm}0.10\;mm$ (n=10) in TL and york sac absorption, mouth and anus opening were shown. Fourteen days after hatching, most of fin-rays appeared at $10.71{\pm}0.34\;mm$ (n=10) in TL and color spots on the body surface were attained. Twenty six days after hatching, the larvae grew up to $14.88{\pm}0.45\;mm$ (n=10) in TL, and all their fin-rays were formed. Therefore, according to current study regarding the morphological development of Cobitis pacidica, the conversion from larval to juvenile stages occurred at 26 days after hatching. Eighty days after hatching, the larvae were $33.3{\pm}1.25\;mm$ (n=10), and their body shape and color pattern were similar to adult fish. In this study, embryonic development and early life history of the northern loach, Cobitis pacifica show morphological characteristics of Cobitidae family. We expected that our results can be used as an fundamental knowledges for restoration study of indigenous fish species.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.160-166
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• 2012

Egg development and early life history of the endangered Korean freshwater fish, Microphysogobio koreensis, was investigated to get a basic information for establishing its conservation strategy. The matured adult fishes were sampled at Imsil-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Korea in May 1 2012 and artificially fertilized. The fertilized eggs were spherical, separated demersal and $1.8{\pm}0.14mm$ in diameter. The hatching of the embryo began at about 29 hours after fertilization under water temperature of $23^{\circ}C$. The newly hatched pre-larvae were average $2.2{\pm}0.48mm$ in total length. At 4 days after hatching, the post-larvae were $3.6{\pm}0.55mm$ in total length and york sac was completely absorbed. At 20 days after hatching, their fin rays were formed and finally the larvae entered juvenile stage and grew up to $6.5{\pm}0.77mm$ in total length. At 60 days after hatching, the total length reached $24.4{\pm}1.71mm$, and the band patterns of he head and lateral side were similar to adult fish. Based on this study, the fertilized eggs of M. koreensis hatched more quickly and the pre-larvae length was also smaller, compared with related species.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2014

The present study describes the spawning ecology and early morphological development of Hemitripterus villosus. The natural spawning ground consisted of bedrock and pebbles was the intertidal coast at Taean (Chungnam) and its depth was about 5~10 m. Spawning period was mainly from the end of October to December, when the water temperature and salinity were $6.0{\sim}15.8^{\circ}C$ and mean 32.0‰, respectively. There were no difference of the body shape and color between female and male of Hemitripterus villosus, however its reproductive organs showed clear differences. The male had tube shaped genital papilla, which was connected with testis, and the female had seminal recepacle, which was the lower part of oviduct connected with ovary. Genital papilla of male came out of its body at spawning period and then male copulated. After copulation, female stored the sperm in its seminal recepacle and fertilized when it spawned. Fertilized eggs were reached 8 cells stage after fertilization at rearing water temperature $8.2{\sim}14.9^{\circ}C$. At 29 hours after fertilization, it reached morula stage, and at 146 hours after fertilization, its embryo was clearly formated. Hatching was begun from 1,488 hours (62 days) after fertilization with $8.2{\sim}14.9^{\circ}C$ water temperature. The newly hatched larvae were 12.99~15.46mm(mean $14.16{\pm}0.65$ mm) in TL (Total Length), and its mouth and anus were open. At 7 days after hatching, its yolk sac was completely absorbed and the myotomes were 15+25=40, measuring 15.23~15.54mm(mean $15.39{\pm}0.22$ mm, n=5) in TL. At 75~80 days after hatching, it was measured mean $30.06{\pm}0.76$ mm in TL, and it had reached the juvenile stage with the complete set of fin rays.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2015

Egg development and early life history of the Korean spine loach, Cobitis tetralineata, were investigated in the present study. Adult fish were sampled using spoon nets at the Seomjin River in Jeongsan-ri, Bokheong-myeon, Sunchang-gun, Jeollanbuk-do, Korea, July 2013. Eggs were obtained after injecting Ovarprim into females. Eggs were then artificially fertilized using the Dry method in the laboratory. Mature eggs were slightly adhesive and transparent with grey coloring, and measured $1.04{\pm}0.03mm$ ($mean{\pm}SD$) in diameter. Hatching of the embryo occurred approximately 56 hours after fertilization at $25^{\circ}C$ of water temperature, and the average size of newly hatched larvae was about $4.6{\pm}0.11mm$ in total length. At fifth day after hatching, the larval full length reached $6.8{\pm}0.28mm$ on average and their yolk sac had been completely absorbed. At 17th day after hatching, larva entered the juvenile stage and reached $9.8{\pm}0.50mm$ in total length. At 100th day after hatching, the formation of Gambetta's zone of four line was complete and juveniles were similar in general appearance to adults, and they averaged $34.7{\pm}5.77mm$ in total length.