Four new species of the genus Alloclubionoides collected from mountain litter and hillock litter around the agricultural ecosystem of Korea are described in the present work with appropriate body measurements and morphological illustrations; A. hwaseongensis sp. nov., A. imi sp. nov., A. namhansanensis sp. nov. and A. nasuta sp. nov. Females of A. hwaseongensis sp. nov., A. namhansanensis sp. nov. and A. nasuta sp. nov. can be distinguished based on the epigyne shape and structure of internal genitalia from previously described species. Males of A. imi sp. nov. can also be distinguished based on the shapes of retrolateral tibial apophysis, embolus tip and conductor from previously described species. Also, a key to the Korean Alloclubionoides spiders is provided. Alloclubionoides gajiensis Seo, 2014 is newly synonymized with Alloclubionoides cochlea (Kim et al. 2007).

한국고유종인 밭고랑거미과의 봉화밭고랑거미Agroeca bonghwaensis (Seo, 2011) 수컷을 측정치 및 형태학적 도해와 함께 처음으로 기재한다. 봉화밭고랑거미의 수컷은 A. brunnea (Blackwall, 1833) 수컷의 더듬이다리기관과 유사하나 끝부분이 뭉뚝한 후측면돌기와 기부가 넓고 끝부분이 넓은 갈고리 모양의 중부돌기로 쉽게 구분된다.

Urbanization is one of the leading causes of habitat loss, habitat degradation, and fragmentation. Urban development negatively affects biodiversity. This study aimed to clarify the change of butterfly communities on effect of urbanization in urban green areas. Butterfly survey was conducted using the line transect methods from April to October in 2012. A total of 59 species and 1,465 individuals of butterflies were observed in four urban green areas: Namsan Park (NS), Ewha Womans University (EW), Bukseoul Dream Forest (BD), and Hongneung Forest (HF), and natural forest: Gwangneung Forest (GF). The category of land use around study site was determined based on GIS data. Species richness and abundance of niche breadth and habitat type in urban green areas differed significantly from those in GF. Estimated species richness and species diversity (H’) in four urban green areas were significantly lower than those in GF. Species richness and abundance of forest interior species and specialist were positively correlated with paddy, field, and forest, whereas those of forest interior species and specialist were negatively correlated with urban area and road. Butterfly communities in four urban green area differed from that in GF. The result suggests that the decrease of paddy, field, and forest associated with increase of urban area and road negatively influences species composition and changes butterfly communities.

Food web of main arthorpods in 3 differently managed rice fields (low input, duck, apple snail farming) was investigated in Hongseong area, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. Main arthropods were selected by their abundance during the rice growing season in 2010. Food web was analyzed with stable isotope, δ15N and δ13C according to rice growth satges (seedling, tillering, booting, blooming/heading, and ripening stage). Rates of δ15N and δ13C in soil (F=5.72; df=2, 6; P=0.0407, F=40.86; df=2, 6; P=0.0003, respectively) and δ13C in rice (F=6.46; df=2, 6; P=0.0319) were statistically different. Rate of δ13C in Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (F=9.50; df=2, 6; P=0.0138), Pirata subpiraticus (F=11.00; df=2, 6; P=0.0098), and Pachygnatha clercki (F=6.33; df=2, 6; P=0.0333) were statistically different among farming methods. Stable isotope structures in food web were slightly different among 3 farming methods seasonally. Rates of δ15N and δ13C of rice pests such as Nephotettix cincticeps, Nilaparvata lugens, Laodelphax striatellus, and Sogatella furcifera were related to rice plant. Those of Tomoceridae sp. and Chironomidae sp., however, were not related to rice plant. Spiders as main natural enemy group were ranked on the top of food web and were thought to have life cycle based on the rice field from stable isotope structure.

The faulty regulation of imprinting gene lead to the abnormal development of reconstructed embryo after nuclear transfer. However, the correlation between the imprinting status of donor cell and preimplantation stage of embryo development is not yet clear. In this study, to determine this correlation, we used the porcine spermatogonial stem cell (pSSC) and fetal fibroblast (pFF) as donor cells. As the results, the isolated cells with laminin matrix selection strongly expressed the GFRα-1 and PLZF genes of SSCs specific markers. The pSSCs were maintained to 12 passages and positive for the pluripotent marker including OCT4, SSEA1 and NANOG. The methylation analysis of H19 DMR of pSSCs revealed that the zinc finger protein binding sites CTCF3 of H19 DMRs displayed an androgenic imprinting pattern (92.7%). Also, to investigate the reprogramming potential of pSSCs as donor cell, we compared the development rate and methylation status of H19 gene between the reconstructed embryos from pFF and pSSC. This result showed no significant differences of the development rate between the pFFs (11.2±0.8%) and SSCs (13.3±1.1%). However, interestingly, while the CTCF3 methylation status of pFF-NT blastocyst was decreased (36.3%), and the CTCF3 methylation status of pSSC-NT blastocyst was maintained. Therefore, this result suggested that the genomic imprinting status of pSSCs is more effective than that of normal somatic cells for the normal development because the maintenance of imprinting pattern is very important in early embryo stage.

‘새단백’은 고단백 다수성 콩 신품종육성을 목표로 ‘보광콩’과 ‘수원193호’를 교배한 계통을 다시 단백질 고함유자원인 ‘MD87L’을 모본으로 하여 1999년에 교배하여 계통육종법으로 육성한 품종으로 2010년 12월 농작물직무육성신품종선정위원회에서 국가목록등재품종으로 선정됨과 동시에 ‘새단백’으로 명명하였다. ‘새단백’의 개화기는 ‘대원콩’보다 3일 늦으며, 성숙기는 10월 5일경으로 7일 빨라 등숙기간이 10일 정도 더 짧다. 경장은 64 cm로 ‘대원콩’보다 다소 작으며 도복에 강하고 불마름병에 저항성이며 바이러스와 종자병해에 강하였으나 뿌리썩음병에는 약한 편이었다. 조단백 함량은 ‘대원콩’보다 8.9% 높은 고단백 품종으로, ‘단백콩’보다 연차간 단백질 함량의 변이가 적고, 두부수율과 순두부응고력이 높으며 두부의 물성이 양호하여 두부 가공적성이 우수하다. ‘새단백’의 종실 100립중은 20.7 g으로 ‘대원콩’보다 약 4 g 가벼우나 ‘단백콩’보다 5.7 g 무거운 중립종이며, 수량성은 2.53 MT/ha로 표준품종인 ‘대원콩’에 비해 9% 감소하였으나 ‘단백콩’과는 비슷하였다.

In mammals, puberty is a process of acquiring reproductive competence, triggering by activation of hypothalamic kisspeptin (KiSS)-gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neuronal circuit. During peripubertal period, not only the external genitalia but the internal reproductive organs have to be matured in response to the hormonal signals from hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (H-P-G) axis. In the present study, we evaluated the maturation of male rat accessory sex organs during the peripubertal period using tissue weight measurement, histological analysis and RT-PCR assay. Male rats were sacrificed at 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 70 postnatal days (PND). The rat accessory sex organs exhibited differential growth patterns compared to those of non-reproductive organs. The growth rate of the accessory sex organs were much higher than the those of non-reproductive organs. Also, the growth spurts occurred differentially even among the accessory sex organs; the order of prepubertal organ growth spurts is testis = epididymis > seminal vesicle = prostate. Histological study revealed that the presence of sperms in seminiferous tubules and epididymal ducts at day 50, indicating the puberty onset. The number of duct and the volume of duct in epididymis and prostate were inversely correlated during the experimental period. Our RT-PCR revealed that the levels of hypothalamic GnRH transcript were increased significantly on PND 40, suggesting the activation of hypothalamic GnRH pulse-generator before puberty onset. Studies on the peripubertal male accessory sex organs will provide useful references on the growth regulation mechanism which is differentially regulated during the period in androgen-sensitive organs. The detailed references will render easier development of endocrine disruption assay.