Sublethal impacts of Hebei Spirit oil spill on the growth and reproductive physiology of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas at Taean on the West Coast of Korea (2008-2010).

Following the Hebei Spirit oil spill (HSOS) in December 2007, benthic organisms of the Taean coast on the west coast of Korea were heavily affected. A month after HSOS, the alkyl PAHs in the oyster body elevated to 13,500 ng/g dry wt, although it dropped to 5335 ng/g dry wt in December 2008, and returned to the levels before the accident (547-858 ng/g dry wt) by 2010. In 2008 spring, the damaged oysters exhibited deteriorated growth and reproduction, exhibiting signs of physiological stress.

In vitro impact of Bisphenol A on the immune functions of primary cultured hemocytes of Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai).

This study investigated the toxic effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on the Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) using in vitro assays with primary cultured hemocytes. The abalone hemocytes were exposed to BPA concentrations up to 100 μM to assess cytotoxicity. Subsequently, hemocytes were exposed to sublethal BPA concentrations (LC = 2.

A CNN-LSTM model using elliptical constraints for temporally consistent sun position estimation.

More accurate sun position estimation could transform the design and operation of solar power systems, weather forecasting services, and outdoor augmented reality systems. Although several image-based approaches to sun position estimation have been proposed, their performance is significantly affected by momentary disruptions in cloud cover because they use only a single image as input. This study proposes a deep learning-based sun position estimation system that leverages spatial, temporal, and geometric features to accurately regress sun positions even when the sun is partially or entirely occluded.

Metastatic intestinal adenocarcinoma with osseous metaplasia in two Domestic Korean Shorthair cats.

Two Domestic Korean Shorthair cats presented with dyschezia and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed a colonic mass with calcification and lymph node metastasis in case 1, and a small intestinal mass with disseminated mesenteric metastasis and calcification in case 2. Histopathology revealed intestinal adenocarcinoma with osseous metaplasia.

Flow cytometric characterization of the hemocytes of sea hares from tidal pools in Jeju Island off the south coast of Korea.

The members in the family Aplysidae known as sea hares play a crucial role as a grazer in small tidal pools or shallow subtidal hard bottoms. Like other marine gastropods, hemocyte types and functions of sea hares are limitedly known. This study identified and characterized the hemocytes of common Aplysia species Aplysia kurodai, A.

Effects of spawning stress on the immune capacity of blood cockle Tegillarca granosa occurring on the south coast of Korea.

Spawning in marine bivalves is a great energy-demanding process, and it often results in lethal and sublethal stresses during the post-spawning period, including depressed immune capacity. The blood cockle Tegillarca granosa (Linnaeus, 1758) distributes widely in silty-mud tidal flats on the south coast of Korea, and they spawn in late summer. To understand the impacts of spawning on immune parameters, we analyzed the total hemocyte count (THC), hemocyte mortality, phagocytosis capacity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of T.

Flow cytometric characterization of the hemocytes of blood cockles Anadara broughtonii (Schrenck, 1867), Anadara kagoshimensis (Lischke, 1869), and Tegillarca granosa (Linnaeus, 1758) as a biomarker for coastal environmental monitoring.

Marine bivalves are often used as a sentinel species in coastal environmental monitoring since changes in the environmental quality are often well preserved in their cells and tissues. Anadara and Tegillarca species of Arcidae, the blood cockles, are considered to be good sentinel species in monitoring coastal pollution and ecosystem health because they are distributed widely in the subsurface of intertidal mudflats. Internal cellular defense of the blood cockles to physical and biological stresses is mediated by the circulating hemocytes, while their hemocyte types and functions are poorly studied.

Temporal changes in hemocyte functions of the oyster Saccostrea kegaki (Torigoe & Inaba, 1981) on Jeju Island off the south coast of Korea are closely associated with annual gametogenesis.

Hemocyte parameters have been used as a proxy to characterize the health condition of marine bivalves, as the effects of external and internal stresses are reflected well in these parameters. Marine bivalve hemocyte functions are often depressed during the post-spawning period due to physiological stress and energy depletion. In this study, we analyzed temporal changes in hemocyte parameters of the oyster Saccostrea kegaki on Jeju Island, off the south coast of Korea, using flow cytometry.

Neural correlates of anxiety under interrogation in guilt or innocence contexts.

Interrogation elicits anxiety in individuals under scrutiny regardless of their innocence, and thus, anxious responses to interrogation should be differentiated from deceptive behavior in practical lie detection settings. Despite its importance, not many empirical studies have yet been done to separate the effects of interrogation from the acts of lying or guilt state. The present fMRI study attempted to identify neural substrates of anxious responses under interrogation in either innocent or guilt contexts by developing a modified "Doubt" game.

Combination Therapy Comprising a Static Magnetic Field with Contractility Improves Skin Wounds.

Cutaneous wounds can present significant clinical problems because of abnormal healing after deep dermal damage. Despite technical advances in wound care, there are still unmet needs that result from inefficient treatment. In this study, we aimed to improve skin wound healing using a contractibility band with static magnetic field (SMF), termed a magnetic band (Mb).

Hierarchical Stereo Matching in Two-Scale Space for Cyber-Physical System.

Dense disparity map estimation from a high-resolution stereo image is a very difficult problem in terms of both matching accuracy and computation efficiency. Thus, an exhaustive disparity search at full resolution is required. In general, examining more pixels in the stereo view results in more ambiguous correspondences.

Flow cytometric characterization of hemocytes of the solitary ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi.

Internal defense of ascidians relies, at least partially, on cells circulating in body fluids and infiltrating in tissues, referred to as hemocytes, although structure and composition of ascidian hemocytes still remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated hemocyte types and their functions of the solitary ascidian Halocynthia roretzi using flow cytometry. Based on morphology, cellular activities and intracellular parameters from the flow cytometry, we identified eight hemocyte types including, three granulocytes (Gr-1, Gr-2, and Gr-3), 4 hyalinocytes (Hy-1, Hy-1', Hy-2, and Hy-3) and lymphocyte-like (Ly-like) cells.

First report of Perkinsus honshuensis in the variegated carpet shell clam Ruditapes variegatus in Korea.

The recent discovery of Perkinsus honshuensis, a new Perkinsus species infecting Manila clams Ruditapes philippinarum (Sowerby, 1852), in Japan, suggested that, based on proximity, P. honshuensis could also be in Korean waters, where to date, P. olseni was believed to be the only Perkinsus species present.

Assessment of the fitness of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis two years after the Hebei Spirit oil spill.

In December 2007, >150km of the West coast of Korea were heavily polluted by crude oil leaked from the oil tanker Hebei Spirit, leading to mass mortality of bivalve mollusks on the intertidal areas. Two years after, mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected from two impacted sites to investigate sub-lethal effects of the oil spill. Tissue content in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hemocyte parameters, reproductive status and energetic reserves were analyzed.

Substantial changes in hemocyte parameters of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum two years after the Hebei Spirit oil spill off the west coast of Korea.

Two years after the Hebei Spirit oil spill occurred off the west coast of Korea, we determined sub-lethal effects of the spilled oil on hemocyte parameters of Ruditapes philippinarum in the damaged areas. Clams in the spilled sites displayed unusually high proportion of granulocytes, which may result in higher phagocytosis capacity and reactive oxygen species production. Hemocytes in clams from the polluted sites also displayed less DNA damage and mortality than in the control site, possibly due to a faster phagocytosis of the impaired cells.

First report of Urosporidium sp., a haplosporidian hyperparasite infecting digenean trematode Parvatrema duboisi in Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum on the west coast of Korea.

In this study, we first report on the occurrence of Urosporidium sp., a haplosporidian hyperparasite infecting the trematode, Parvatrema duboisi, which parasitizes Manila clams, Ruditapes philippinarum on the west and south coasts of Korea. The larval P.

The known and unknown sources of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in haemocytes of marine bivalve molluscs.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) are naturally produced in all cells and organisms. Modifications of standard conditions alter reactive species generation and may result in oxidative stress. Because of the degradation of marine ecosystems, massive aquaculture productions, global change and pathogenic infections, oxidative stress is highly prevalent in marine bivalve molluscs.

Comparative study on the hemocytes of subtropical oysters Saccostrea kegaki (Torigoe & Inaba, 1981), Ostrea circumpicta (Pilsbry, 1904), and Hyotissa hyotis (Linnaeus, 1758) in Jeju Island, Korea: morphology and functional aspects.

We first characterized the morphology and immune-related activities of hemocytes in the subtropical oysters Saccostrea kegaki, Ostrea circumpicta, and Hyotissa hyotis using light microscopy and flow cytometry. Hemocytes of these three oyster species were classified into three main types: 1) granulocytes containing numerous granules in the cytoplasm, 2) hyalinocytes with no or fewer granules, and 3) blast-like cells characterized by the smallest size and very thin cytoplasm. The percentage of each hemocyte population was similar in all species; hyalinocytes were the most abundant cell in the hemolymph accounting for more than 59%, followed by granulocytes (23-31%) and blast-like cells (3-5%).

Molecular and histological identification of Marteilioides infection in Suminoe Oyster Crassostrea ariakensis, Manila Clam Ruditapes philippinarum and Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas on the south coast of Korea.

The oyster ovarian parasite Marteilioides chungmuensis has been reported from Korea and Japan, damaging the oyster industries. Recently, Marteilioides-like organisms have been identified in other commercially important marine bivalves. In this study, we surveyed Marteilioides infection in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum, Suminoe oyster Crassostrea ariakensis, and Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, using histology and Marteilioides-specific small subunit (SSU) rDNA PCR.

Comparative study on the toxic effects of red tide flagellates Heterocapsa circularisquama and Chattonella marina on the short-necked clam (Ruditapes philippinarum).

Heterocapsa circularisquama showed much higher toxic effects on short-necked clams than Chattonella marina. Clams exposed to H. circularisquama exhibited morphological changes concomitant with an accumulation of mucus-like substances in the gills, a profound reduction in filtration activity, and lysosomal destabilization in hemocytes.

First characterisation of the populations and immune-related activities of hemocytes from two edible gastropod species, the disk abalone, Haliotis discus discus and the spiny top shell, Turbo cornutus.

The disk abalone Haliotis discus discus and the spiny top shell Turbo cornutus are edible gastropod species of high economic value, mainly in Asia. Mortality outbreaks and variations in worldwide stock abundance have been reported and suggested to be associated, at least in part, with pathogenic infections. Ecology, biology and immunology of both species are currently not well documented.

Flow cytometry studies on the populations and immune parameters of the hemocytes of the Suminoe oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis.

The Suminoe oyster Crassostrea ariakensis has been attempted to be introduced in the Chesapeake Bay, USA, as an alternative to the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. Commercial production of Suminoe oysters is currently restricted due to the incomplete understanding of their biological, physiological and immunological nature. Accordingly, understanding immune system of C.

Antibacterial activity of the soy isoflavone genistein.

Genistein, a radioprotective soy isoflavone and protein kinase inhibitor, blocks the invasion of pathogenic bacteria in mammalian epithelial cells. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct effect of genistein on the survival and growth of the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri and selected opportunistic bacteria in vitro as a prelude to in vivo use for managing postirradiation sepsis. We evaluated the opportunistic bacterial enteropathogens Escherichia coli, Shigella sonnei, and Staphylococcus aureus as well as Klebsiella pneumoniae and the non-pathogenic organism, Bacillus anthracis (Sterne).