• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.223-229
• /
• 2000

Limbs and supporting structures of an organism experience a full weight of its own when it lands from water, because neutral buoyancy in the aquatic habitat will be no longer available in the terrestrial world. Metamorphosis of anuran amphibians presents 8 good research model to examine how this transition from non-loading to weight-loading affects development of motor capacity at the time of their first emergence on land. Our video analysis of the transitional anurans, Rana catesbeiana, at Gosner stage 46 (the stage of complete transformation) demonstrated that the take-off speed increased 1.23-fold after the first six hours of weight-loading on the wet ground. It did not increase further during the following three days of loading, and was close to the level of mature frogs with different body mass. During development of larvae in deep water with no chance of landing through metamorphosis, both tension and power of a hindlimb anti-gravity muscle increased 5-fold between stages 37 and n. However, the muscle contractility increased more rapidly when the larvas could access the wet ground by their natural landing behavior after stages 41-42. Muscle power, one of major factors affecting locomotory speed, was 1.29-fold greater in the loaded than in the non-loaded larvae at the transitional stage. Thus, weight-loading had a potentially significant effect on the elevation of motor capacity, with a similar extent of increment in locomotory speed and muscle power during the last stages of metamorphosis. Such a motor adjustment of the froglets in a relatively short transitional period would be important for effective ecological interactions and survival in their inexperienced terrestrial life.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Next Generation Computing
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.15-29
• /
• 2018

This paper proposes an enhanced object tracking algorithm to compensate the lack of temporal information in existing particle swarm optimization based object trackers using the trajectory of the target object. The proposed scheme also enables the tracking and documentation of the location of an online updated set of distractions. Based on the trajectories information and the distraction set, a rule based approach with adaptive parameters is utilized for occlusion detection and determination of the target position. Compare to existing algorithms, the proposed approach provides more comprehensive use of available information and does not require manual adjustment of threshold values. Moreover, an effective weight adjustment function is proposed to alleviate the diversity loss and pre-mature convergence problem in particle swarm optimization. The proposed weight function ensures particles to search thoroughly in the frame before convergence to an optimum solution. In the existence of multiple objects with similar feature composition, this algorithm is tested to significantly reduce convergence to nearby distractions compared to the other existing swarm intelligence based object trackers.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.83-85
• /
• 2007

A glycine and proline-rich antibacterial protein was cloned from larvae of a beetle, Protaetia brevitarsis. The DNAs encoded a deduced propeptide of 127 amino acid residues with predicted molecular weight of 14.0 kDa and PI of 7.89. Structural analysis of this protein indicated the presence of a recognition sequence for the cleavage site within the constitutive secretory pathway(Arg-Xaa-Lys/Arg-Arg), suggesting that mature portion(72 amino acid residues) is produced by cleavage of signal peptide and propeptide from 127 amino-acid-long precursor protein. Mature portion sequence of this protein showed 72% similarity to that of Oryctes rhinoceros Rhinocerosin and 91% to that of Holotrichia diomphalia holotricin 2. The mRNA expression was reached the highest level at 4 hrs after E. coli injection and then declined gradually.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.493-503
• /
• 2015

This study analyzed how spatial distribution of Himantormia lugubris is affected by the microenvironment in the Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 171 located in the Barton Peninsula of King George Island that belongs to the maritime Antarctic. In order to determine the population structure of H. lugubris growing in Baekje Hill within ASPA No. 171, we counted the individuals of different size groups after dividing the population into 5 growth stages according to mean diameter as follows: ≤ 1 cm, 1-3 cm, 3-5 cm, 5-10 cm, and ≥ 10 cm. The count of H. lugubris individuals in each growth stage was converted into its percentage with respect to the entire population, which yielded the finding that stages 1 through 5 accounted for 32.8%, 25.3%, 15.9%, 22.5%, and 3.5%, respectively. This suggests that the population of H. lugubris in ASPA No. 171 has a stable reverse J-shaped population structure, with the younger individuals outnumbering mature ones. The mean density of H. lugubris was 17.6/0.25 m², mean canopy cover 13.3%, and the mean dry weight 37.8 g/0.25 m². It began to produce spore in the sizes over 3 cm, and most individuals measuring 5-10 cm were adults with sexually mature apothecia. The spatial distribution of H. lugubris was highly heterogeneous. The major factors influencing its distribution and performance were found to be the period covered by snow, wind direction, moisture, size of the substrate, and canopy cover of Usnea spp. Based on these factors, we constructed a prediction model for estimating the spatial distribution of H. lugubris. Conclusively, the major factors for the spatial distribution of H. lugubris were snow, wind, substrate and the competition with Usnea spp. These results are important for understanding of the distribution in the maritime Antarctic and evolution of H. lugubris that claims a unique life history and ecological niche.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.48-55
• /
• 2009

The gonad maturation and spawning of blue crab, Portunus trituberculatus (Miers, 1876) using samples caught by trammer net in the western coast of Korea from January to December. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) showed the highest value of 15.0 in June and lowest value of 1.29 in August. Hepatosomatic index (HSI) showed the lowest in the spawning season from June to July. Thereafter, from August the value started to increase to 5.77 in December, showing an adverse trend against GSI. In the histological studies of the female reproductive organ, the gonad filled with primary oocytes from January to February and secondary oocytes in May. The female gonads mature from June, and mature and immature groups could be distinguished from December to February or March. In August, female developed another cycle of gonad development, showing new primary oocytes in the gonads again. Some of female crabs had receptaculum filled with already active sperm cells in it from March to May. In the time of August to September, almost all the females had the sperm sacs in the receptaculum. From the result, the coupling period estimated from August to September. Total RNA and DNA values of the crabs were highest in May (2.51, $0.57{\mu}g/mg$). The DNA value remained unchanged except for the value in May ($0.09-0.13{\mu}g/mg$). while RNA value was lowest in January ($1.08{\mu}g/mg$). The RAN/DNA ratio was the lowest (6.23%) in May and highest (18.05%) in July. The value of correlations coefficient between body weight and fecundity of the crabs was higher that of between carapace width and fecundity.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.175-180
• /
• 2000

The reproductive cycle of ovoviviparous melania snail, Semisulcospira libeytina libertina was studied in the valley near Naewon Temple in Yangsan, Korea. Water temperature (WT) of the habitat ranged from 1.3$^{\circ}C$ to 22.5$^{\circ}C$ The meat weight rate (MWR) reached the maximum with the beginning of WT increase in March and the minimum in August. Monthly changes in average oocyte diameter showed the maximum (249.6$\pm$2.6 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) in July and the minimum (134.3$\pm$2.8 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) in December S. libertina libertina seemed to be a year-round breeder except for mid-summer and mid-winter. Two main reproductive cycle of the species could be divided into five successive stages: multiplicative (March, October), growing (April and May, November), mature (June and July, December), ovulation (August, January), parturition (September and October, March to May) and resting (September, February) stages in female and multiplicative (March, October), growing (April, November), mature (March to June, December), copulatory (July and August, January), resting (September, February) stages in male.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.150-158
• /
• 2015

Background Fat is widely used in soft tissue augmentation. Nevertheless, it has an unpredictably high resorption rate. Clinically, external expansion with negative pressure is used to increase fat graft survival. In this study, fat graft recipient sites were preconditioned by external application of negative pressure in order to test for improvements in vascularity and fat graft survival. Methods Negative pressure was applied randomly to either the left or right dorsal ear of 20 New Zealand male white rabbits at a pressure of -125 mm Hg. The negative pressure was removed one week after the skin perfusion was measured. The skin flap at each ear was elevated, and 1 g of fat was grafted above the dorsal perichondrium. After one week, the fat weight, microvessel density, mature vessel density of the skin and fat, and amount of glycerol released were measured. Three months after the grafting, the same measurements were performed, with the exception of glycerol release. Results The fat survival rate of the experimental group ($75.4%{\pm}3.9%$) was higher than that of the control group ($53.1%{\pm}4.3%$) (P<0.001). Skin perfusion was higher in the experimental group. The glycerol release in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control. The microvessel density of the skin and fat was significantly higher in the experimental group. Three months after the grafting, the skin and fat mature vessel density was significantly higher in the experimental groups. Conclusions Negative pressure prior to fat grafting increased the vascularity of the recipient site, and, accordingly, enhanced fat graft survival.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.118-123
• /
• 2020

The black seed coat of soybeans contain anthocyanins which promote health. However, mature soybean seeds contain anti-nutritional factors like lipoxygenase, lectin and Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor (KTI) proteins. Furthermore, these seeds can be used only after the genetic elimination of these proteins. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop novel soybean genotypes with black seed coat and triple recessive alleles (lx1lx1lx2lx2lx3lx3, titilele) for lipoxygenase, lectin, and KTI proteins. From a cross of parent1 (lx1lx2lx3/lx1lx2lx3, ti/ti, Le/Le) and parent2 (lx1lx2lx3/lx1lx2lx3, Ti/Ti, le/le), 132 F₂ seeds were obtained. A 3:1 segregation ratio was observed during F₂ seed generation for the inheritance of lectin and KTI proteins. Between a cross of the Le and Ti genes, the observed independent inheritance ratio in the F₂ seed generation was 9: 3 : 3 : 1 (69 Le_Ti_: 32 leleTi_: 22 Le_titi: 9 leletiti) (χ²=2.87, P=0.5 - 0.1). From nine F₂ seeds with triple recessive alleles (lx1lx1lx2lx2lx3lx3, titilele genotype), one novel strain posessing black seed coat, and free of lipoxygenase, lectin and KTI proteins, was selected. The seed coat color of the new strain was black and the cotyledon color of the mature seed was green. The weight of 100 seeds belonging to the new strain was 35.4 g. This black soybean strain with lx1lx1lx2lx2lx3lx3, titilele genotype is a novel strain free of lipoxygenase, lectin, and KTI proteins.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.9
• /
• pp.1255-1261
• /
• 2005

The objective of this study was to evaluate the net flux response of nitrogen compounds (alpha-amino N, ammonia N, urea N, essential amino acids) across the portal-drained viscera (PDV), liver and total splanchnic tissues of mature wethers to increasing level of dietary fishmeal (FM) supplementation. Four wethers (average body weight, 64 kg) with chronic indwelling catheters into the portal, hepatic and mesenteric veins and the abdominal aorta were used in a 4${\times}$4 Latin square design. A basal diet consisting of 0.7 hay and 0.3 concentrate was fed twice daily with a fixed amount at 1.4 times maintenance energy (1.3 kg/day on a dry matter basis). The supplementation proportion of FM as treatment was 0, 0.03, 0.06 and 0.09 to the amount of the basal diet to contain 119, 137, 154 and 170 g crude protein per kg dietary dry matter, respectively. Blood flows through PDV and liver did not differ (p>0.05) among the treatments. Both net PDV release and hepatic uptake of alpha amino acid N increased linearly (p<0.05) in response to increased dietary FM, which resulted in similar total splanchnic release of alpha-amino N among the treatments. Similarly, increased dietary FM increased net PDV absorption and hepatic removal of ammonia N linearly (p<0.05). Hepatic synthesis and total splanchnic release of urea N increased linearly (p<0.01) with increased dietary FM, but PDV uptake of urea N did not respond to increased dietary FM. Linear regression equations between the increases in FM N intake and PDV net flux indicated that 0.34 and 0.30 of FM N was absorbed in the form of alpha-amino N and ammonia N, respectively. The results demonstrated that FM supplementation provides more alpha-amino N than ammonia N to the liver, but the alpha-amino acid N absorption is less than the expected metabolizable protein N from FM supplementation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.37-52
• /
• 1980

Two-year experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of phosphorous, lime, increased compost, and/or boron application on the yield and quality of leaf tobacco growm in the results are summarized as follows; 1) Compared to the conventional treatment, plants grown in the treated plots in the second year showed much better growth and their yield components such as leaf area index and unit leaf weight were much greater. 2) At the end of first year crop, the pH and amount of exchangeable cations in the treated plots reached those in mature soil, but the amount of organic matter and of available phosphorous were still below those of the mature soil. Application of additional compost was more effective in enhancing soil fertility than was additional phosphorous application. 3) The yield of tobacco grown in the second year was 15-20% higher in the treated plots, compared to conventional plot, with high statistical significance. Though the quality of leaf tobacco was not significantly different among treatments, the increase of 3-7% was obtained in the treated plot. The highest total income(yield x price/kg) came from the plot treated with additional compost and phosphorous application (adjusted at 3% level on the basis of phosphorous absorption coefficient), which produced 34% more than the conventional plot.