Asteroid specimens were collected using fishing nets from the East Sea, Korea. The specimens were identified as Solaster paxillatus Sladen, 1889, belonging to the family Solasteridae of the order Valvatida. This species can be distinguished from three other Korean Solaster species by having 10 arms; subambulacral spines comprising four or five near base of arm, six or seven in middle part, and five or six in distal part of arm; furrow spines comprising four or five near basal part and three or four in distal part of arm; and suboral spines comprising more than ten spinules. The morphological characteristics of this species were described with illustrations. Solaster paxillatus is first reported in marine fauna of Korea.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infects all-age pigs and causes enteric diseases. Genetic diversities in isolates been reported from each country, and those diversities highlighted in pathogenicity and vaccine. In this manuscript, we are reporting of new PEDV isolation in Korea, and with genetic characteristics. Our new isolate belongs to G2b and put the name as CNUP6-2018.

This study examines the claim that vocabulary learning and retention are dependent on a task's involvement load (i.e., need, search, evaluation), as proposed by Hulstijn and Laufer (2001a). The study aims at comparing the effects of task types and task involvement load on vocabulary retention for Korean EFL university students. More specifically, this study was designed to test whether differential levels of task involvement loads lead to equally effective results to vocabulary retention when the total involvement index being equal. Three types of productive word-focused tasks (gap-filling using a dictionary, writing original sentences, and gap-filling through word transformation) were used to examine the interplay of involvement index and task types. The result indicated that there were significant main effects of task types, test types, and proficiency levels. The results also indicated that there were significant interaction effects of task types on the retention tests, proficiency levels on the retention tests, and task types×proficiency levels on the retentions. The pedagogical implications and further research directions are discussed.

We investigated the effect of moderate- and high-intensity resistance training on hippocampal neurotrophic factors and peripheral CCL11 levels in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. C57/black male mice received a 4 weeks diet of normal (control, CON; n = 9) or a high-fat diet (HF; n = 27) to induce obesity. Thereafter, the HF group was subdivided equally into the HF, HF + moderate-intensity exercise (HFME), and HF + high-intensity exercise (HFHE) groups (n = 9, respectively), and mice were subjected to ladder-climbing exercise for 8 weeks. The hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) levels were significantly lower in the HF group than in the CON group (p < 0.05). In addition, in the HFME and HFHE groups were significantly higher than in the HF group (p < 0.05). The peripheral CCL11 levels were significantly higher in the HF group than in the CON group (p < 0.05). In addition, in the HFME and HFHE groups were significantly lower than in the HF group (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference according to the exercise intensity among the groups. Collectively, these results suggest that obesity can induce down-regulation of neurotrophic factors and inhibition of neurogenesis. In contrast, regardless of exercise intensity, resistance training may have a positive effect on improving brain function by inducing increased expression of neurotrophic factors.

An asteroid specimen that belongs to the genus Henricia was collected from the waters near Ongpo harbor, Jeju Island using fishing net on 24 January 2017. The specimen was identified as Henricia anomala Hayashi, 1973, which belongs to the family Echinasteridae and order Spinulosida. Henricia anomala was first described by Hayashi, 1973, who captured it from Sagami Bay at a depth of 110-116 m. This species can be distinguished from other Henricia species by short arms (R/r=4), abactinal spines lining the abactinal plates and bearing about two to five spinelets, closely meshed abactinal skeleton, composed of small rod-like and subtriangular plates, a narrow papular area containing one or two papulae, and adambulacral armature composed of five to seven bluntly pointed spinelets. This is the first report of Henricia anomala in Korea.

Prolactin is an anterior pituitary hormone involved in various physiological phenomenon including reproduction. The prolactin receptor (PRLR) is detected in diverse tissues such as brain, ovary, placenta and uterus in several mammalian species. A total of 227 pigs [Korean native pigs (KNP) 27; Landrace pigs 29; Korean native pigs x Landrace F1 91; Nanchuckmacdon pigs 80] were used to investigate the allele frequency difference of the prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene among the four pig lines. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) with Alu I restriction enzyme was used to determine the genotypes of PRLR. Frequencies of PRLR alleles among the four different pig lines were not significantly different (Chi-square=3.94, DF=3, P=0.27). A total of 40 Nanchuckmacdon pigs were used to investigate the effect of the prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene on total number of piglets born (TNB), number of piglets of alive (NBA) using general linear model implemented in MINITAB software. For TNB, the AB genotype had higher genotypic value (10.61) than the values of AA (9.83) and BB (10.30). Likewise, the AB genotype had higher genotypic value (8.96) than the values of AA (8.18) and BB (8.90) for NBA. However, these associations of the PRLR gene with TNB and NBA were not statistically significant. In conclusion, it is necessary to increase the sample size for investigating the effect of the PRLR gene on TNB and NBA in pigs.

Blood types in pigs are divided into two types, A and O type. It is important to select and breed O-type pigs that have no hematologic rejection, because the blood type of the donor is an important factor causing immune rejection in xenotransplantation. Therefore, the gene that determines the blood type is GGTA1(glycoprotein, alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase 1), which generally belongs to the ABO blood group. This study was carried out to develop a simple and accurate method by analyzing the structure of GGTA1 gene which determines blood type. A primer was designed to allow easy identification of the blood type of the target in the first and second deletion regions of intron 7 to distinguish between the A and O genotypes. That is, for the purpose of identifying the blood type using length difference after the PCR, the forward and reverse primers were designed in the highly conservative region. As a result, a pair of primers were prepared and PCR amplification was performed to distinguish three types of genotypes, AA, AO, and OO, using the length difference by electrophoresis. Using the above primers, the parents and their offspring were compared with each other to confirm the correct genetic pattern. And, in four pig breeds, the genes were amplified and the genotype could be correctly identified. In this study, we could diagnose the blood type of AA, AO, OO genotype of pigs by using primer of INDEL region. Especially, since it is possible to diagnose the genotype by the length difference, it is possible to diagnose it quickly and accurately from the gene amplification to the genotype reading

2017년 경북지역은 약 700ha 이상의 면적에서 미국선녀벌레의 피해를 입었다. 그 중 600ha의 피해면적이 떫은감 주요 생산지인 청도군에서 발생하였다. 미국선녀벌레의 효율적인 방제를 위해 2018년 5월 상순에 침투이행성 약제를 토양에 처리하여 약충이 부화하기 전감나무 수체 내 약제를 이행시켜 방제효과를 조사하였다. 토양입제처리의 방제효과 조사를 위하여 토양입제 단독처리(5월 상순), 경엽살포 단독처리(6월 중순), 토양입제(5월 상순) 및 경엽살포(6월 중순) 체계처리를 비교하였다. 조사결과 토양입제 단독처리 시 약제처리 후 약 70일 이상 90%이상의 방제효과가 지속되었고, 경엽살포 단독처리 시 약제처리 후 약 2주 동안 90%이상의 방제효과를 보인 뒤 방제효과가 감소하였다. 또한 토양입제 및 경엽살포 체계처리 시 약제처리 후 약 70일 동안 95%이상의 높은 방제효과를 보였다.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a basic research for the development of a program, PEP-NKMF (Parents Empowerment Program in North Korea Migrant Family). A total of 20 teenager North Korean defectors from an S school in Seoul city and five North Korean defector teachers at this school were surveyed through questionnaires and in-depth interviews from March 6 to 31, 2017. The results were analyzed using Nvivo 11.0, which is a representative method of qualitative analysis for forming nodes by tree structure. The results showed that the teenage North Korean defectors requested the family relationship competence, adaptation, interest and love from their parents. North Korean defector teachers requested the transformation of the value and the practical love. This study is meaningful in that the essential requirements of the parental competence building program, which is to be provided to North Korean defector parents, are analyzed based not on theories but on teenage North Korean defectors and North Korean defector teachers.

This study analyzed variations of learning stress by comparing the salivary cortisol levels of students who participated in Earth Science inquiry activities. The cortisol concentrations between the pre- and post-inquiries of the sample of 34 university students, who had taken the course of ‘Basic Earth Science and Experiments’, were analyzed. The Earth Science inquiries consisted of geology and astronomy activities. The observational geology activities consisted of a session of ‘structure contours and map patterns’ and the cognitive astronomy activities consisted of a session of ‘representations of horizontal and equatorial coordinates’. These Earth Science inquiry activities were found to cause students to have anxiety, and the thought processes that these activities involved were found to cause learning stress. The variations in cortisol concentrations of students increased by 1.6±5.9 ng mL−1 after conducting observational activities in geology compared with 2.1±6.2 ng mL−1 after doing cognitive activities in astronomy. The analysis of the observational activities in the geology inquiry activities indicated that they were consistent with low levels of learning stress. Conversely, the analysis of the cognitive activities in the astronomy inquiry activities showed significant individual variations in cortisol concentrations. Furthermore, individual differences in cognitive ability were reflected in the astronomy inquiry activities. While students, who received high scores, exhibited low levels of stress in the geology inquiry activities, they showed high levels of stress in the astronomy inquiry activities. It was concluded that, in the case of students with high scores in the study, the level of learning stress increased due to the raised anxiety in cognitive inquiry activities. In contrast, students, who received low scores in the study, exhibited high levels of stress in the geology inquiry activities, and low levels of stress in the astronomy inquiry activities.

Sustainability management has evolved into a concept for enhancing corporate sustainability by incorporating corporate social responsibility into the concept of sustainable development. Universities are expected to play a key role in creating a new paradigm for sustainability management by educating and nurturing future human resources. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the role of universities in introducing sustainability management indicators and practice in order to examine what role universities can play in promoting sustainability management and to fulfill their functions and roles. This study examined the current status of and the necessity for universities’ sustainability management and the international norms in order to promote sustainability management of universities. Then, the case study of domestic universities suggested practical implications for each factor of GRI guidelines. In order to develop the academic discussion, I hope that the elements for sustainability management presented in this study can be used as basic data.

We compared the morphology, physiology, and stem-count change of natural versus transplanted endangered orchids (Cypripedium japonicum) undergoing habitat management (repeated removal of competing understory vegetation) during 2009 and 2013 in South Korea. The restored site had lower transmitted light and soil humidity than the natural site. The natural and restored populations differed in leaf morphology and chlorophyll content (natural: total chlorophyll = 1.00 ± 0.04, restored: total chlorophyll = 0.53 ± 0.06). No recruitment occurred during the monitoring period. Population viability tended to decrease in the restored population (λG=0.97,μ=– 0.05, σ2=0.036) and increase in the natural population (λG=1.07,μ = 0.03, σ2=0.075). In conclusion, restored C. japonicum have poor long-term viability compared with plants in the natural habitat, a difference caused mainly by inappropriate transplant-site selection. Repeated removal of competing vegetation differed in its effects on character, abundance, and reproductive properties in both populations. Notably, habitat management increased stem count and flowering rate in natural C. japonicum, but these changes did not cause an increase in fruit-setting rate.