• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.152-158
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• 2008

This survey was conducted to analyze the effect of road construction near the group breeding places of the egrets and herons located at Palhyun-ri, Daegu, on their breeding during four years from 2003 to 2006. With the number of the individuals of the whole egrets and herons have been decreased due to the three-year road construction work(2003-2005). When the road construction was temporally stopped in 2006, the number of individuals of egrets and herons except Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis increased and partocilarly, the Gray heron Ardea cinerea was found to have been influenced the most by this construction in comparison with other egrets and herons. The number od individuals of large egrets, little egrets and herons was found to decrease during the construction period. After cutting off the nest trees and removing some parts of the breeding site, the herons and egrets tended to move their nesting place from roadsides to the inside of the breeding area. Trees for the nests decreased due to the increase in fellen trees caused by bird nests per tree increased gradually. As for the formation ratio of trees for the nests, the ratio of pine trees lowered yearly while that of acacia and oak trees was increasing during the survey.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.155-163
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• 2012

This study was carried out to monitor reproductive responses of great tits in 17 urban forests in Daegu metropolitan city. The reproductive perspectives of great tits were surveyed by using 106 artificial bird nests, of which five or seven nests were set up in every urban forest. A ratio of artificial nests used by great tits for their reproduction was 27.4%. It was showing that forests, where the reproductive response was higher, was located at the edge of the city, or was known as having a good vegetation structure in the urban area. The laying date of a great tit was a little earlier in forests in the middle of the city. It might be dependent on the density of artificial land uses including a residential area and an industrial complex, which are able to increase an urban micro-temperature. Otherwise, natural forests or forest patches nearby natural forests located at the edge of the city were showing that the laying date of great tits was relatively later than the oneee in the forest in the middle of the city. There was a big difference of reproduction perspectives of great tit between the 1st and 2nd reproduction. In the 1st reproduction, a clutch size was larger, while an egg volume was so low. Otherwise, the clutch size was shown so smaller in the 2nd reproduction than in the 1st reproduction, while the egg volume was larger in the 2nd reproduction. It might be due to the survival strategy of a great tit to prepare the winter season for a juvenile. Many variables, regarding to the problem of climate changes, have been linked to the environment of urban area and the bird habitats. Finally, Monitoring a bird reproduction is a valuable work for managing an urban forest as well as for conserving a natural forest.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.55-66
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• 1994

This study was carried out to investigate the histological changes of sperm cells in testis, obtained from 100 of 3-year-old male rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) collected and analysed from March in 1992 to February in 1993. Especially, the ultrastructural changes of spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes, spermatids, and spermatozoa were examined to describe the reproductive cycles of this species. The results obtained in this study were as follows: The ultrastructures of the gonadotrophs largely parallel the cyclical changes in the testes. Each nest of cells belongs to one spermatogenetic stage, although nests at different stages can be found within the one lobule. At first keterochromatin is dispersed and then is condensed. In mature gamete, the nucleus is dense and homogeneous. The nuclear membrane appeared at the beginning of differentiation. In spermatogonia, Sertoli cells are located at the periphery of their cytoplasm. In the primary spermatocytes, the small mitochondria are abundant over the outer cytoplasm. During cell differentiation, the cytoplasm decreases and the nucleus increases. In spermatids, the protein masses moved towards the posterior part of the nucleus. In late spermatids, the two large mitochondria are located over the cytoplasm. In spermatozoa, two spheroidal mitochondria (about 145nm long) are situated in parallel between the nucleus and the axoneme. Spermatozoa mitochondria are assembled into an organized sheath surrounding the outer dense fibres and axoneme of the flagellar midpiece. The two centrioles are quite separate and the central pair and sheath complex of the flagellum is inserted into the base of the distal centriole.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.234-241
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• 2005

Galla Rhois is a nest of parasitic bug, Mellaphis chinensis Bell, in Rhus chinensis Mill. Galla Rhois has been used for the therapy of diarrhea, peptic ulcer, hemauria, etc., that showed various antiinflammatory activity, and other biological properties. We studied the effect of Galla Rhois water extract(GRWE). The cytotoxic activity of GRWE in HL-60 cells was increased in a concentration-dependent manner. GRWE was cytotoxic to HL-60 cells, with $IC_50$ of $100{\mu}g/m{\ell}$. Treatment of GRWE to HL-60 cells showed the fragmentation of DNA in a concentration manner, suggesting that these cells underwent apoptosis. In addition, the flow cytometric analysis revealed GRWE concentration-dependently increased apoptotic cells with hypodiploid DNA content and arrested G1 phase of cell cycle. These results indicate that GRWE may have a possibility of potential anticancer activities. Treatment of HL-60 cells with GRWE was induced activation of caspase-3, caspase-8 and proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Also, caspase-3 was directly activated via caspase-8 activation. GRWE also caused the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol. GRWE-induced cytochrome c release was mediated by caspase-8-dependent cleavage of Bid and Bax translocation. These results suggest that caspase-8 mediates caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c release during GRWE-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2007

This study was based on the breeding process of the Pacific Reef Herons (Egretta sacra) bred in Aewol-eup, Jeju Island, for two years from February 2004 to June 2005. The clutch size of the pacific reef herons was $3.24{\pm}0.75$(N=17, range: $2{\sim}4$), and the egg-laying was at dawn or night intervals of one to three days. The major diameter of the egg(N=39) was $46.73{\pm}1.91mm$, the minor diameter thereof $34.06{\pm}0.83mm$, the weight thereof $27.67{\pm}3.12g$, and the thickness of the egg shell thereof $0.26{\pm}0.03mm$. In relation to the breeding cycles of the Pacific Reef Herons, the nesting or nest repairing was made from February to the end of April each year, the egg laying from the beginning of March to the beginning of May, the hatching from the beginning of April to the middle of May, and the nest departure from the middle of May to the end of July. The supplement brood was started immediately from May to June when the first brood had failed. The incubation period was $28.17{\pm}4.12(N=6)$ days, and hatched asynchronously. The fledgling period was $40.00{\pm}6.84(N=5)$ days, and bill, wing, tarsus and weight developments of early hatched nestlings were the fastest among the same brood. Compared with other egret species, the egg laying period of the Pacific Reef Heron was faster than that of the Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret and Great Egret, but later than that of Grey Heron, in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1067-1072
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• 2016

In this study, we determined the ecological characteristics of Strix aluco, which is designated as an endangered category II species. Towards this, we identified the actual home range of Strix aluco that breed in Korea, and collected the data necessary for protecting, preserving and managing owl populations. This study was conducted from April 14 to May 20 of 2016 during the breeding season of Strix aluco as part of the 4th National Ecosystem Survey and in accordance with the Natural Environment Conservation Act. We captured and subsequently released a female owl with a total length of 423.5mm and a weight of 550g in Kyungbuk area, succeeded in tracking it for the first time in Korea and secured 6 points of direct observation and satellite tracking observation. The distance from the nest to the farthest point was 93m. As a result of the analysis of habitat points within a100m-radius during breeding period, it was established that their habitat consists of 34.2% of non-irrigated land, 30.6% of mixed forest land, 10.5% of orchard, and 9.4% of natural grassland. These findings are consistent with the previous estimate of home range studies. Further research based on follow-up studies on males or other individuals is required to develop a stronger basis for protection and conservation of endangered wildlife class II owls.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 1995

This study was conducted to investigate bird community and to suggest a proper way how to manage and protect wildbirds in Chuwangsan National Park. The survey was carried out over two survey sections by the line transect method in spring, summer and autumn in 1994. Total number of observed birds were 42 species(33 species in spring, 32 species in summer, and 26 species in autumn), and the result was the same with the typical pattern of temperate bird communities. Total number of natural monument and rare birds were 7 species, which included Golden Eagle(Aquila chrysaetos), Chinese Sparrow Hawk(Accipter soloensis), Eagle Owl(Bubo bubo), etc. In breeding season, species richness was high in canopy nesting guild, and density(ea/ha) was high in hole nesting guild. Canopy foraging guild was dominated in spring and summer, ratio of bush(or ground) foraging guild was increased in autumn. Since the habitats of observed natural monuments and rare species were roughly overlapped with the nature preservation area, it is necessary to preserve the area completely and to investigate and protect these species continuously. For the protection of the bush(or ground) foraging guild, it needs to plant bushes around trails and to control users. Food plants, artificial food planting of bushs, and artificial nest are needed for the habituation of wildbirds, and as the damage of wild cats is increasing lately, it needs to control these cats.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.538-552
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• 2017

In this study, total mercury (THg) of Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) eggs laid on Baengnyeongdo, West Sea of Korea was analyzed in order to compare the THg concentrations of eggs depending on egg-laying order. The first-laid eggs ($mean{\pm}standard$ error, $234.4{\pm}11.2ng/g\;wet$, n=18, t=8.4, p<0.01) significantly had higher THg concentrations than the second-laid eggs ($182.8{\pm}9.1ng/g\;wet$, n=18). Also, the first-laid eggs had higher values in biometrics (length $63.10{\pm}0.49mm$, t=2.4, p<0.05; width $44.51{\pm}0.19mm$, t=4.3, p<0.01; weight $65.53{\pm}0.87g$, t=4.2, p<0.01) than the second-laid eggs (length $62.37{\pm}0.40mm$, width $43.55{\pm}0.17mm$, and weight $62.48{\pm}0.72g$). These differences might be attributed to the amount of food eaten by females relating to males' courtship feeding pattern (males increase courtship feeding rate before the first eggs are laid, and decrease the rate following the laying of the first eggs). Moreover, the lower food intake of females could diminish the quantities of egg albumen that contains a protein binds to most of methylmercury during the period of egg production. Therefore, it is necessary to consistently apply one of egg selection methods (targeted selection (the first-laid egg or the second-laid egg), random selection, and etc.) in one nest for ensuring comparability of mercury concentrations among monitoring sites and monitoring years.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.601-610
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• 2022

P. tenebrifer (PT) belongs to the Diptera order and Stratiomyidae family. Recently, insect industry have been focused as food, animal feed and environmental advantages. γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and melatonin have been associated with regulating sleep and depression. GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter and is synthesized via biotransformation of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to GABA by lactic acid bacteria. In this study, we first used a GABA-enhanced PT extract, wherein GABA was enhanced by feeding MSG to PT. The underlying mechanisms preventing stress and insomnia were investigated in a corticosterone (CORT)-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and chronic restraint stress (CRS)-exposed mouse model, as well as in pentobarbital (45 mg/kg)-induced sleep behaviors in mice. In the present study, the GABA peak was detected in high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) analysis and showed in Ptecticus tenebrifer water extract (PTW) but not in non-PTW extract. The results showed that PTW and Ptecticus tenebrifer with 70% ethanol extract (PTE) exerted neuroprotective effects by protecting against CORT-induced downregulation of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) expression. In addition, PTW (300 mg/kg) significantly reduced CORT levels in CRS-exposed mice. Furthermore, PTW (100 and 300 mg/kg) significantly reduced sleep latency and increased total sleep duration in pentobarbital (45 mg/kg)-induced sleeping behaviors, which was related to serum melatonin levels. In conclusion, our results suggest that PTW exerts anti-stress and sleep-enhancing effects by regulating serum CORT and melatonin levels.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 2014

Recently the number of the butterflies, Mellicta ambigua, had been decreasing rapidly, and already disappeared at many habitat. In this studies, we investigated ecological environment of Mellicta ambigua for preparing of primary research data recovering habitat, and studied on bionomical characteristics. Two different habitat, Jindo and Inje, were selected for investigation of ecological environment. We investigated four times during 3-month, from June to August in 2012. In Jindo, we observed more than 100 butterflies and a lot of host plants, Melampyrum roseum var. japonicum. But only 5 butterflies and only a few host plants, Veronicastrum sibiricum were observed in Inje. We could not observe the eggs, the larva and pupa on the host plants at all. For finding of bionomical characteritics, we reared butterflies at natural conditions. Collected 3-female butterflies from Jindo laid 465 eggs on the leaves of 3-host plants, Veronicastrum sibiricum. 120 ~ 186 eggs per each female were laid in the shape of cluster. An egg was globular shape, 0.6 mm diameter and 0.7 mm height. The egg periods were $9.96{\pm}0.4days$ after ovipositioning, and the hatchability was 95.% at natural condition. The larval periods were $4.1{\pm}0.6days$ (1st instar), $2.1{\pm}1.0days$ (2nd), $8.1{\pm}0.7days$ (3rd), $239.2{\pm}10.9days$ (4th), $12.3{\pm}1.3days$ (5th), $17.1{\pm}1.1days$ (6th), $10.5{\pm}1.0days$ (7th) each other. The larva of 4th instar overwintered in the nest that had been made into the leaf of host plant with secreted thread as a group until early March next year. In the early March next year, overwintered larva went around their nest in search of host plants, and went to other host plants, Veronica persica and Plantago asiatica, sometimes. The overwintered larva of Mellicta ambigua could grow up on two other host plants normally. In the following experiment, the butterflies of Mellicta ambigua laid eggs on the leaves of Plantago asiatica, but the 1st instar larva from eggs died all. The headwidth of each developmental larval stage were $0.28{\pm}0.02mm$ (1st), $0.45{\pm}0.02mm$ (2nd), $0.58{\pm}0.02mm$ (3rd), $0.75{\pm}0.03mm$ (4th), $0.89{\pm}0.05mm$ (5th), $1.23{\pm}0.06mm$ (6th), $2.13{\pm}0.11mm$ (7th). The pupal ratio was 92.0%. The pupal period were $9.1{\pm}1.6days$, and the emergence rate was 88.6%. As a result we determined that Mellicta ambigua can rear at natural conditions. But indoor-rearing is considered to be difficult and not useful industrially, because they have long term larval stage and only one life cycle per an year.