• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2012

To determine the status of Korean molluscs infection and relation with climate change of Korean peninsula, references were reviewed. Wild animals serve as intermediate, reservoirs and paratenic hosts to zoonotic parasites of human beings. Trematode are common parasites of molluscs and almost all trematodes infect mollusks as the first host in the life cycle, and most have a complex life cycle involving other hosts. The significance of auxiliary hosts to the ecology of the parasite has not been proper discussion. There is increasing concern as to the impact of climate change on the epidermiology of many parasitic diseases. A total of 21 species for snail transmitted parasites from Korean molluscs has been reviewed. Among them, 15 species was aquatic mollusks and 6 species for marine mollusks. Maximum infections belonged to Semisulcospira livertina had 11 kind of parasite pathogenic organisms, including Paragonimus westermani, Metagonimus yokogawai, Centrocestus armatus, Notocotylus magniovatus, Centrocestus formosanus, incerte cercaria, nipponensis cercaria, Yoshidae cercaria, cristata cercaria, innominatum cercaria and Metagonimus sp. And 11 in Parafossarulus manchouricus including Clonorchis sinensis, Asymphylodora japonica, Cyathocotyle orientalis, Exorchis oviformis, Notocotylus attenuatus, Echinochasmus japonicus, Loxogenes liberum, Cercariae of Loxogenes liberum Type I, Cercariae of Loxogenes liberum Type II, Furcocercus cercariae (Family Sanguincolidae) and Cercaria of Mucobucaris, 10 in Semisulcospira sp. including Paragonimus westermani, Metagonimus yokogawai, Centrocestus armatus, Echinochasmus redioduplicatus, Notocotylus magniovatus, Cercaria incerte, Cercaria nipponensis, Cercaria yoshidae, paludinarum cercaria and Metagonimus sp., 7 in Koreanomelania globus including Pseudexorchis major, Cercaria of parapleurolophocercous type, Metagonimus sp. (A & B), Cercaria nipponensis, Cercaria inserta and Cercaria yoshidae. Also, Tapes philippinarum have 3 pathogenic organisms including Cercariae tapidis, Cercariae furcocercus and Parvatrema sp. In particular, under climatic extremes such as floods and drought, aquatic molluscs may play a more prominent role in parasite transmission in the future.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.463-475
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• 2018

The present study was performed to observe histopathological effects of Oculotrema hippopotami Stunkard, 1924 infection in the eye of Hippopotamus amphibius, as well as to reveal new details of morphology and structural features of this monogenean and its comparison between 2 age stages of the parasite. This was done using both light and scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) and histopathology. The presence of a mixture of different generations (adult and sub-adult) in one host individual is common for Oculotrema Stunkard, 1924 in contrast to Polystoma Zeder, 1800. New metrical and graphical information obtained for adults and sub-adults compared with the previous studies. Here we show the presence of genital papillae in adults, metrical data on the distal part of the vas deferens. SEM micrographs of sperm ejaculatory structures and information about the flattened dorsal side of the body provided for the first time. Histopathological changes, such as necrosis and hemorrhage in host tissues as a result of O. hippopotami attachment structures are described. Structural analysis of different body parts of O. hippopotami of both age groups are also included. We show qualitative differences in the presence of hardening ions (S, P, Ca) in attachment structures (oral and haptor suckers) that increase with the age of the worm. The presence of sub-adults and adults on the same host, together with high levels of infection without high pathogenicity may account for Oculotrema being one of the most successful parasites among the Monogenea.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2004

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites which cause infection by invading and replicating within cells. The immune system has mechanisms which can attack the virus in extracellular and intracellular phase of life cycle, and which involve both non-specific and specific effectors. The survival of viruses depends on the survival of their hosts, and therefore the immune system and viruses have evolved together. Immune responses to viral infection may be variable depending on the site of infection, the mechanism of cell-to-cell spread of virus, physiology of the host, host genetic variation, and environmental condition. Viral infection of cells directly stimulates the production of interferons and they induce antiviral state in the surrounding cells. Complement system is also involved in the elimination of viruses and establishes the first line of defence with other non-specific immunity. During the course of viral infection, antibody is most effective at an early stage, especially before the virus enters its target cells. The virus- specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes are the principal effector cells in clearing established viral infections. But many viruses have resistant mechanism to host immune responses in every step of viral infection to cells. Some viruses have immune evasion mechanism and establish latency or persistency indefinitely. Furthermore antibodies to some viruses can enhance the disease by the second infection. Immune responses to viral infection are very different from those to bacterial infection.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.139-142
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• 1997

Cleaving host immunoglobulins is a well known mechanism of evading host immune reactions exploited by helminth parasites, Secreted cysteine proteases of helminth are a part of enzymes cleaving host IgG. Porogonimw westemani produces at least six different species of the cysteine protease in its developmental stages. This study was undertaken to evaluate comparatively the activities against human IgG by the different enzymes. When the metacercariae, which secrete 27 and 28 kDa cysteine proteases, were incubated in human IgG solution, IgG was degraded at its hinge region. Further incubation resulted complete hydrolysis. From 4-week and 7-week old juveniles and 16-week old adults of p. westemani, five different enzymes at 15, 17. 27 28 and 53 kDa have been purified, if the enzyme with the same molecular mass is regarded to be identical. In cleaving human IgG, each cysteine protease exhibited decreasing activities with age.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.365-370
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• 2021

Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is present at high rates of density in tidal flats in Cheonsu Bay on the west coast of Korea, where clams often exhibit mass mortalities in late summer. We monitored the pathologic condition of clams at Hwangdo tidal flat (HD) to understand the parasitic impacts on clam fitness. Manila clams were fully ripe in July and spawned during August and September, as the histology indicated. The histology revealed that clams in HD tidal flats were heavily infected by the protozoa parasite Perkinsus olseni, as the monthly prevalence ranged from 53% (September) to 93% (August). In addition, Manila clams were co-infected by the metazoan parasite Cercaria tapetis and Parvatrema duboisi with the prevalence of 0-33% and 0-14%, respectively. Massive hemocyte infiltration and subsequent inflammation were commonly observed from the gills of P. olseni infected clams. Clusters of P. olseni trophozoites and heavy hemocyte infiltration were also observed from the female gonad, suggesting that P. olseni interferes with host gonad maturation. The larval trematode occupied almost the entire host gonad, resulting in gonad castration. In addition, Metacercaria of P. duboisi were observed from the subsurface of the mantle. Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium assay (RFTM) indicated that clams collected in August and September contained approximately 4.0×106 P. olseni cells/g gills. Condition Index (CI) declined gradually from spring to early summer, and the decline in CI was interpreted as a consequence of the heavy parasitism, as the parasites drain the host's net energy to be used in somatic growth and gamete production.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.85-97
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• 2024

This study aimed to describe the morphological and molecular characteristics of Paralecithodendrium longiforme (Digenea: Lecithodendriidae) adults and cercariae isolated in Thailand. Adult flukes were isolated from the Chinese pipistrelle bat (Hypsugo sp.), and cercariae were detected in the viviparid snail (Filopaludina martensi martensi) from Chiang Mai province. The morphological characteristics were observed and described using conventional methods, and the molecular characteristics with internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and 28S rDNA gene sequences. The adult flukes were fusiform, 0.84-0.98 mm in length, and 0.37-0.49 mm in width, and were distinguishable from other species by the presence of longitudinal uterine coils. The cercariae were nonvirgulate xiphidiocercariae, with the oral sucker bigger than the acetabulum, the tail without fin fold, a body size of 117.5-138.3×48.3-52.2 ㎛, and a tail size of 100.7-103.7×15.0-18.9 ㎛. Molecular studies revealed that the adults and cercariae shared 99.3% (ITS2) and 99.6% (28S rDNA) homology with each other. They were phylogenetically close to P. longiforme with an identity of 94.5% for ITS2 and 98.7% for 28S rDNA. This study provides new information on the natural definitive host and first intermediate host of P. longiforme in Thailand. The discovery of its cercarial stage in Filopaludina snails highlights the importance of monitoring the associated second intermediate host and prevention and control of this potentially zoonotic trematode.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2012

In developing a useful tool to detect parasitic dynamics in an estuarine ecosystem, a denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) assay was optimized by cloning plasmid DNA from the grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio, and its two parasites, the trematode Microphallus turgidus and bopyrid isopod Probopyrus pandalicola. The optimal separation condition was an oven temperature of $57.9^{\circ}C$ and 62-68% of buffer B gradient at a flow rate of 0.45 mL/min. A peptide nucleic acid blocking probe was designed to clamp the amplification of the host gene, which increased the amplification efficiency of genes with low copy numbers. Using the DHPLC assay with wild-type genomic, the assay could detect GC Gram positive bacteria and the bopyrid isopod (P. pandalicola). Therefore, the DHPLC assay is an effective tool for surveying parasitic dynamics in an estuarine ecosystem.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.211-213
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• 2005

In bird species that suffer brood parasitism, the question about which sex is responsible for egg rejection has important implications for determining the coevolutionary relationship between brood parasites and their hosts. In order to determine which sex rejects a parasitic egg in vinous-throated parrotbills (Paradoxornis webbianus) which have egg color dimorphism, we conducted model egg experiments and video-recorded the behavior of the focal pair. Both sexes showed rejection behavior to the parasitic eggs. It indicates that the vinous-throated parrotbill may have a high rejection rate and faster spread of any rejection alleles through out populations. However, further studies are still needed to confirm the egg recognition mechanism in this species, which will expand our knowledge of the evolutionary relationship between host and parasite.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.387-394
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• 1997

A total of 353 farmed rockfish, Sebastes schlegli Hilgendorf, 1880 were sampled from 3 localities on Korean coastline over a 12 month period. Full parasitological examination revealed the polypisthocotylean monogenean Micorcotyle sebastis Goto, 1894 to be abundant with infections consistently reaching over 90~100% prevalence throughout the year. A seasonal pattern in parasite abundance on the gills is evident, with the population peaking twice, the largest in winter and again in summer. While the parasitic load on the left and right gills was not dissimilar, parasites within the gill sets were found to favour settlement of the II and III gill arches. A comparison of parasite abundance with host length, revealed that the smaller length fish classes (<17cm standard body length) had significantly heavier infections than those of larger fish (>17 cm standard body length). This report represents the fist record of Microcotyle sebastis on farmed rockfish in Korean coastal waters.

• Proceedings of the Korean Information Science Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.142-144
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• 2003

유전자 알고리즘을 사용하여 신경망의 가중치를 학습하는 방법은 역전파 알고리즘이 가지는 여러 가지 문제점을 해결하기 위해 제안되었으나, 유전자 알고리즘 역시 전역 탐색이 아니기 때문에 실세계의 데이터에 적용하기 어려운 가장 큰 장애 요소인 지역 최소점 문제를 완벽하게 해결할 수는 없다. 이러한 지역 최소점 문제를 완화하기 위해 본 논문에서는 기생체-숙주 공진화 현상을 기반으로 한 유전자 알고리즘을 사용한 경쟁 공진화 신경망 학습 방법을 제시하고 있다. 경쟁 공진화는 서로 다를 개체간의 경쟁적인 진화를 통해 궁극적으로 보다 적합도가 높은 개체가 생성되는 이론을 기반으로 하고 있다. 이러한 경쟁 공진화를 통한 신경망 가중치의 학습이 일반적인 유전자 알고리즘을 사용하여 신경망을 학습시키는 것보다 더욱 우수한 가중치 집단을 탐색할 수 있음을 두 종류의 기계 학습 데이터를 통해 입증하였다.