Immature stages of Mantura rustica (Linnaeus) are described in detail for the first time in Korea. A key to identifying larvae of Korean Mantura is provided, with their illustrations and larval tubercle pattern.

The genus Lilioceris Reitter, 1912, containing generally thirty species of two subgenera, is distributed Oriental regions (Gressit and Kimoto, 1961). Seven species were recorded in Korea (Lee and An, 2001). Many of them are important pests on medicinal plants and garden flowers (lily, yam, etc). There have been a few studies on the adult taxonomy of Korean Lilioceris (Gressitt and Kimoto, 1961; An et al., 1986; An and Kwon, 1995, An, 1995, 1996, 1998, Lee and An, 2001). Although the main damage to the plants is caused by their larvae, nothing is known about the immature stages of Korean Lilioceris. L. (L.) ruficollis is associated with the host plants of Dioscorea (Dioscoreaceae), especially D. septemioba which is a well-known medicinal plant in Korea. In the present paper, detailed descriptions and illustrations of the immature stages of L. (L.) ruficollis are provided for the first time. Some remarks on their biology are also given.

We assessed the environmental risk of herbicide resistant transgenic rice (Protox) on non-target herbivore, grasshoppers (Oxya japonica japonica Thunberg). We conducted life-history experiments of grasshoppers with measuring their body weight, body length, eating amount, and feces amount between non-transgenic rice (nTR; Dongjin rice) and transgenic rice (TR; Protox rice) under laboratory conditions (Temp. 25Ð, R.H. 50-70%, Photoperiod L16:D8) in 2007. The growth of grasshoppers appeared to increase at each measuring date. We also compared the growth rate of grasshoppers between nTR and TR to examine the transgenic impact on the herbivore and we found there was no statistically signifi cant difference between the two plant types (P>0.05). We found that body weight and body length for grasshoppers were highly correlated at each of the two types of plants, nTR (0.962) and TR (0.960). The correlation of eating amount and feces amount of grasshoppers were higher nTR (0.830) than TR (0.782). The energy effi ciency of the grasshopper was not a signifi cant between nTR and TR (P> 0.05). But the molt timing of the grasshoppers for TR difference was faster than for nTR. Conclusively life-history of the grasshoppers but molt timing was not a signifi cant difference between nTR and TR. Therefore, we could conclude there was not any environment risk on herbivore from our result.

Tumor cells under hypoxic conditions are often found due to the rapid outgrowth of their vascular supply, and,in order to survive hypoxia, these cells induce numerous signaling factors. Erk is an important kinase in cell survival, and its activity is regulated by Raf kinases through numerous growth factor receptors. The authors investigated Erk activation and Raf/Erk signaling using the hypoxia-mimetic agent, cobalt chloride (CoCl2), in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. CoCl2 increases Erk phosphorylation in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, blocking the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) using PD168393 abolished Erk activation in response to CoCl2, suggesting that Erk phosphorylation by CoCl2 is dependent on EGFR.

Fas ligand (FasL) and its receptor Fas have been implicated in granulosa cell apoptosis during follicular atresia. Although interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is believed to be involved in the regulation Fas expression in differentiated granulosa or granulosa-luteal cells, the expression of this cytokine and its role in the regulation of the granulosa cell Fas/FasL system and apoptosis during follicular maturation have not been thoroughly investigated. In the present study, we have examined the presence of IFN-γ in ovarian follicles at different stage of development by immunohistochemistry and related their relative intensities with follicular expression of Fas and FasL, and with differences in granulosa cell sensitivity to Fas activation by exogenous agonistic Anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (Fas mAb). Although IFN-γ immunostaining was detectable in oocyte and granulosa cells in antral follicles, most intense immunoreactivity for the cytokine was observed in these cells of preantral follicles. Intense immunoreactivity for IFN-γ was most evident in granulosa cells of atretic early antral follicles where increased Fas and FasL expression and apoptosis were also observed. Whereas low concentrations of IFN-γ (10-100 U/mL) significantly increased Fas expression in undifferentiated granulosa cells (from preantral or very early antral follicles) in vitro, very higher concentrations (≥ 1,000 U/mL) were required to up-regulate of Fas in differentiated cells isolated from eCGprimed (antral) follicles. Addition of agonistic Fas mAb to cultures of granulosa cells at the two stages of differentiation and pretreated with IFN-γ (100 U/mL) elicited morphological and biochemical apoptotic features which were more prominent in cells not previously exposed to the gonadotropin in vivo. These findings suggested that IFN-γ is an important physiologic intra-ovarian regulator of follicular atresia and plays a pivotal role in regulation of expression of Fas receptor and subsequent apoptotic response in undifferentiated (or poorly differentiated) granulosa cells at an early (penultimate) stage of follicular development.

There have been many suggestions and much debate about climate variability during the Holocene. However, their complex forcing factors and mechanisms have not yet been clearly identified. In this paper, we have examined the Holocene climate cycles and features based on the wavelet analyses of 14C, 10Be, and 18O records. The wavelet results of the 14C and 10Be data show that the cycles of ~2180-2310, ~970, ~500-520, ~350-360, and ~210-220 years are dominant, and the ~1720 and ~1500 year cycles are relatively weak and subdominant. In particular, the ~2180-2310 year periodicity corresponding to the Hallstatt cycle is constantly significant throughout the Holocene, while the ~970 year cycle corresponding to the Eddy cycle is mainly prominent in the early half of the Holocene. In addition, distinctive signals of the ~210-220 year period corresponding to the de Vries cycle appear recurrently in the wavelet distribution of 14C and 10Be, which coincide with the grand solar minima periods. These de Vries cycle events occurred every ~2270 years on average, implying a connection with the Hallstatt cycle. In contrast, the wavelet results of 18O data show that the cycles of ~1900-2000, ~900-1000, and ~550-560 years are dominant, while the ~2750 and ~2500 year cycles are subdominant. The periods of ~2750, ~2500, and ~1900 years being derived from the 18O records of NGRIP, GRIP and GISP2 ice cores, respectively, are rather longer or shorter than the Hallstatt cycle derived from the 14C and 10Be records. The records of these three sites all show the ~900-1000 year periodicity corresponding to the Eddy cycle in the early half of the Holocene.

Genetically modified (GM) papaya (Carica papaya L.) line 55-1 (55-1), which is resistant to papaya ringspot virus infection, has been marketed internationally. Many countries such as the European Union, Japan, and Korea have a mandatory safety assessment, approval and labeling regulations for GM foods. Thus, there is a need for specific methods for detecting 55-1. In this study, we established a real-time PCR detection method applicable to 55-1 for a variety of papaya products. The limit of detection was possible for fresh papaya fruit up to dilutions of 0.005% and 0.01% (weight per weight [w/w]) for homozygous SunUp and heterozygous Rainbow cultivars, respectively, in non-GM papaya. The 55-1 event-specific detection method observed parallelism (r2>0.99) between the concentration of line 55-1 cultivars and Ct values obtained in amplification plots at concentrations of 0.005-10% for SunUp DNA and 0.01-10% for Rainbow DNA. The method was applicable to the qualitative detection in various types of processed products (cocktail fruit, dried fruit, juice, etc.) containing papaya as a main ingredient. Monitoring papaya products for the presence of GM papaya were demonstrated using a P35S and T-nos real-time PCR detection method but no amplification signals were detected.