• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.685-691
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• 2016

Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) that parasitize the globally threatened swan goose Anser cygnoides have been long recognized since the early 19th century, but those records were probably biased towards sampling of captive or domestic geese due to the small population size and limited distribution of its wild hosts. To better understand the lice species parasitizing swan geese that are endemic to East Asia, we collected chewing lice from 14 wild geese caught at 3 lakes in northeastern Mongolia. The lice were morphologically identified as 16 Trinoton anserinum (Fabricius, 1805), 11 Ornithobius domesticus Arnold, 2005, and 1 Anaticola anseris (Linnaeus, 1758). These species are known from other geese and swans, but all of them were new to the swan goose. This result also indicates no overlap in lice species between older records and our findings from wild birds. Thus, ectoparasites collected from domestic or captive animals may provide biased information on the occurrence, prevalence, host selection, and host-ectoparasite interactions from those on wild hosts.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.549-552
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• 2019

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminth parasitic infections and associated risk factors for the human infection among the people of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Infection status of helminths including Echinococcus granulosus was surveyed in domestic and wild animals from 4 sites in the Samarkand region, Uzbekistan during 2015-2018. Fecal samples of each animal were examined with the formalin-ether sedimentation technique and the recovery of intestinal helminths was performed with naked eyes and a stereomicroscope in total 1,761 animals (1,755 dogs, 1 golden jackal, and 5 Corsac foxes). Total 658 adult worms of E. granulosus were detected in 28 (1.6%) dogs and 1 (100%) golden jackal. More than 6 species of helminths, i.e., Taenia hydatigena, Dipylidium caninum, Diplopylidium nolleri, Mesocestoides lineatus, Toxocara canis, and Trichuris vulpis, were found from 18 (1.0%) dogs. Six (T. hydatigena, Toxascaris leonina, Alaria alata, Uncinaria stenocephala, D. caninum, and M. lineatus) and 2 (D. nolleri and M. lineatus) species of helminths were also detected from 5 Corsac foxes and 1 golden jackal, respectively. Taeniid eggs were found in 2 (20%) out of 10 soil samples. In the present study, it was confirmed that the prevalences of helminths including E. granulosus are not so high in domestic and wild animals. Nevertheless, the awareness on the zoonotic helminth infections should be continuously maintained in Uzbekistan for the prevention of human infection.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.50-54
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• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the status of carcasses of wild birds among natural monuments in Korea. In Korea, from 2016 to 2020, a total of 38 species and 5,036 individual carcasses of natural monuments were found. The year 2020 saw the highest numbers of species death with 34 and in 2019 the highest number was recorded with 1,095 individuals. In autumn, the largest number of species and the smallest number of individuals were confirmed dead. On the contrary, the smallest number of species and the highest number of individuals were confirmed dead in summer. The largest number of species died in November, and the largest number of individuals died in June. Kestrels accounted for about 20% of the total carcasses, making up the largest number, followed by eagle owls, brown hawk-owls, scops owls, goshawk, eagles and sparrow hawks. In spring and summer, domestic breeding species accounted for most of the carcasses and in winter, the proportion of overwintering individuals such as wooper swans and eagles increased. Reports of lost natural monuments are done by human and the status of the carcasses alone cannot inform the population characteristics of natural monuments when they stay in Korea. However, it is expected that the identified domestic population of strigiformes which has not been investigated in detail because they are nocturnal, and data on the status of carcasses of natural monuments in Korea will provide basic data for the protection of natural monuments.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.162-168
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to record for the first time in Korea the presence of Melanoides tuberculata (an invasive alien species), which was confirmed during the "National Survey on the Status of Alien Species" in Jukdang stream (also known as Guppy Stream, located in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province), which is affected by the year-round discharge of heated effluent from a large semiconductor factory and where various tropical organisms, including ornamental fish, appear due to artificial release. A Total of 52 specimens were collected, and they can be visually distinguished from native melanian snails by their reddish-brown flames and spots. Genetic analysis further confirmed the species as Melanoides tuberculate. Melanoides tuberculata typically inhabits tropical climates, but its presence has been confirmed in altered aquatic environments such as Jukdang stream, where the water temperature remains warm even in a temperate climate. This indicates the need for further monitoring of domestic streams with similar conditions, particularly those receiving heated effluent, like Jukdang stream. Additionally, due to its strong reproductive capacity, including parthenogenesis, and its adaptability to various environments, there have been cases where the populations of Pomacea lineata and Aylacostoma tenuilabris have declined. This suggests that Melanoides tuberculata may have a competitive advantage in interspecific competition, potentially suppressing native species populations if it spreads within the domestic ecosystem. Melanoides tuberculata serves as an intermediate host for parasites that can cause diseases in both humans and animals, raising public health concerns in many countries. There is also a significant risk that it could be mistaken for native melanian snail species and consumed, which necessitates a high level of caution.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

Artificial insemination technique has been contributed immensely for production of livestock worldwide as a critical assisted reproductive technique to preserve and propagate excellent genes in domestic animal industry. In the past decade, methods for semen preservation have been improved mostly in liquid preservation method for boar semen and freezing method for bull semen. Among many factors affecting semen quality during preservation, reactive oxygen species, produced by aerobic respiration in sperm for survival and motility, are unfavorable to sperm physiology. In mammalian cell as well as in the sperm, antioxidant system plays a role in degradation of reactive oxygen species. Magnetized water forms smaller stabilizing water clusters, resulting in high absorption and permeability of the cell for water, implicating its application for semen preservation. Therefore, this review focuses on preservation methods of boar and bull semen with respect to improvement of extender and reduction of reactive oxygen species by using magnetized water and supplementation of antioxidants.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.430-440
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• 2019

Fungal contamination of built-in furniture is a frequent problem in Korea when new apartment is built. However, domestic information on the contaminating fungi is very limited. This study was conducted to isolate, identify and characterize the fungi of the problem in one of the apartment houses where the fungi were claimed in the built-in furniture before the house owner moves in. Fungi present in the furniture installed in a main room, dress room, and kitchen side were visually and microscopically confirmed and purely isolated on PDA. The isolated fungi were identified by analyzing the morphological characteristics and nucleotide sequence of the ITS, calmodulin gene, and TEF-1α gene. Aspergillus creber, A. niger, A. pseudoglacus, A. ruber, Cladosporium perangustum and Penicillium commune were identified. Four out of the six fungal species were positive for at least one enzyme in six kinds of extracellular enzyme assays. When these four species (A. creber, A. niger, C. perangustum and P. commune) were inoculated onto four kinds of wood chips of furniture materials, they were able to colonize all of the wood chips. Their settlement was better at 95% humidity condition than at 30% humidity condition. Among the four species, C. perangustum caused the darkest discoloration and secreted the most number of extracellular enzymes. The four species were re-isolated from the colonized wood chips and confirmed as the problematic fungi in the built-in furniture.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.401-410
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• 2004

Soil samples from five different areas in Korea were collected during 2001/02 and examined for presence of the genus Clostridium. Direct immuno-fluorescent assay (IFA) examination showed that Clostridium septicum, Cl. novyi and Cl. chauvoei were detected in the soil of specific areas in Korea. Sixteen species of Clostridium were isolated and cultivated from the soil samples. Cl. peifringens was detected in all sampling locations, while the other species were not. The in vitro activity of 14 antibiotic agents was determined against 421 clostridia isolated from the soil contaminated with animal feces in Korea. Trovafloxacin was effective against all isolates of the genus Clostridium except one isolate of Cl. subterminale, two of Cl. tetani, and three of Cl novyi with $MIC_{50}$ $8- 16\mu$g $ml^{-1}$. Thirteen species of Clostridium were resistant to vancomycin except for Cl. perfringens, Cl. sporogenes, and Cl. subterminale. Imipenem and trovafloxacin showed high antimicrobial activities (>95%) against all strains in the clostridia investigated. Therefore, antibiotic agents such as imipenem and trovafloxacin are the most suitable agents for polymicrobial infection as broad-spectrum monotherapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.221-233
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• 1994

In several literature in China were recorded various species of the indigo genus, but in Chosen documents, the two have been intensively mentioned, that is, Polygonum tinctorium (PT) and liatis Tinctuna(IT). Allowing for some slight contradictions of the records between the two countries, we insist that J)T is the aborigines historically longer than any other indigo plant in Korea and that IT is the one Implanted from China in late Chosen period. Indigos can be grouped into two major categories : 'Chon' or Indigo forming sediment in the course of making, and 'Nam' or the one without. The dyestuffs of blue, or dark blue tineged with red, which had been ocasionally recorded until the mid Chosen, could be made from the . species without sediment. The period when the color thus obtained was prevalent can be traced back to the era of Yongio, when the import of blue-dyed textiles from China was prohibited to encourage the domestic dyeing industry. However, a more clarification is needed on this matter, since all of the previous researches are arguing, with little validity, that the indigo genus in Korea be PT. Judging from the documents recording that PT did not form any sediment, and that from it was obtained only light color like indigo, it is a matter of re-discussion in terms of botanical taxonomy to define as PT the species being cultivated in some areas in Chollanam-do. In conclusion, a joint research, including specialists in traditional dyestuffs and in botany in relation to the taxonomical problem of the indigo genus, would be expected for further Investigation on this matter.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2020

Recent studies revealed that many animals identify individual humans. In this account, we review previous literatures on individual human recognition by wild or domestic animals and discuss the three hypotheses: "high cognitive abilities" hypothesis, "close human contact" and "pre-exposure to stimuli" hypothesis. The three hypotheses are not mutually exclusive. Close human contact hypothesis is an ultimate explanation for adaptive benefits whereas high cognitive abilities and pre-exposure to stimuli hypothesis are proximate explanations for mechanisms to perform such discriminatory behaviour. We report a case study of two bird species in a human-free habitat. Long-tailed skuas, which are known for having high cognitive abilities, exhibited the human discriminatory abilities whereas ruddy turnstones did not display such abilities toward approaching humans. This suggests that highly intelligent species may have this type of discriminatory ability so that they could learn to identify individual humans quickly by pre-exposure to stimuli, even in a human-free habitat. Here, we discuss that human recognition is more common in species with rapid learning ability and it could develop for a short period of time between an intelligent species and human.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.78-78
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• 2019

Gnaphalium L. is a small herbaceous genus comprising up to 80 species in worldwide (Asia, North to South America, Africa, and Oceania). This genus is highly polymorphic which embrace uncommon broad morphological boundary, and thus further studies were needed to proper taxonomic delimitations for the genus and its relatives. Gnaphalium uliginosum L. was usually found in moist sites such as margins of lake, pond, reservoir, stream banks and paddy field. This squat plant is solely known species in Korean Gnaphalium. During the revisionary study of the tribe Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae) in Korea, however, we found several materials in domestic herbaria (e.g., SNU, KWNU) that identified as G. uliginosum or Gamochaeta pensylvanica (Willd.) Cabrera collected from central to northern Korea, but clearly differ to the morphology of G. uliginosum. The external morphology of the materials is seemingly the only feature at odds with G. uliginosum. However, its morphological characters such as tall erected stems (ca. 30cm), hairs on seeds and whitish tomentose hairs on the whole plants are easily distinguished from G. uliginosum, and rather it looks like G. tranzschelii Kirp. Although the name G. tranzschelii have been treated as synonym of G. uliginosum by several authors, its distinct morphology might be sufficient to separate to two independent taxa. Generally, the morphological polymorphisms and hybridization of G. uliginosum complicate the taxonomy of the species, and thus further investigation for their habitat, distribution and morphology were needed to their taxonomic entity.