Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) catalyzes the committed step for eicosanoid biosynthesis. Two cellular PLA2 genes (iPLA2 and cPLA2) have been identified in Spodoptera exigua. PLA2 activity varied among developmental stages and different tissues. There was a positive correlation between PLA2 activities and their expression levels. Interestingly, there was significant inhibition by sPLA2 inhibitor, suggesting a presence of sPLA2 in S. exigua. An entomopathogenic bacterium, Xenorhabdus hominickii, infection suppressed expression of PLA2 genes and its extract inhibited enzyme activities. Oxindole of a bacterial metabolite of X. hominikii inhibited PLA2 activity and expression.

Genus Phytocoris Fallén, 1814 is the largest genus among Heteroptera, around 700 species are described worldwide. In this presentation, the genus Phytocoris from Korean Peninsula is reviewed for the first time with eight species, includes one new record, P. minakatai and one new species, P. goryeonus sp. nov. For further comprehension of this genus, figures of dorsal habitus, genitalia and diagnosis of each Phytocoris species are provided.

Nuruk, a Korean fermentation starter for Makgeolli, contains a variety of microflora according to province and natural environment. However, the metabolites profiles in traditional Korean Nuruk were not defined yet. In this study, Nuruk were prepared with 20 different fungi originated from Gangwon province (Rhizomucor variabilis, Lichtheimia corymbifera, and Aspergillus species) and their metabolites were profiled / compared with commercial strains (Aspergillus kawachii) through metabolomics analysis. Metabolites were extracted with solvent mixture (Isopropanol: Methanol: Distilled water) and put into MS spectrometry analysis. After processing of full mass spectra data from LC-MS/MS, the characteristics of each strain were compared and analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA).Interestingly, strain specific classification was observed by HCA and PCA among samples and significant differences were also indicated from commercial strain Aspergillus kawachii. As a results, 26 metabolites were successfully screened with a validity from a total of 189 metabolites by using of VIP plot through OPLS-DA. These results suggested the uniqueness of Korean traditional home brewed liquor compared to commercial liquor and could be useful information for Korean brewing industry.

Broccoli, one of Brassica vegetables, has been known to possess various health beneficial activities including anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and anti-cancer etc. Various metabolites were indicated as active compounds in broccoli. Glucosinolates such as glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, glucoerucin and isothiocyanates, i.e. sulforaphane, which is produced through the enzymatic action of myrosinase are getting focus as their bioactivities. In this study, we treated broccoli with pulsed electric field (PEF) processing and the metabolite profiles were investigated based on the metabolomics analysis. PEF process was applied to stem and floret of broccolis with three different levels; 500, 1000, 1500 pulses with 2 kV/cm, then metabolites were extracted with 70% methanol. Metabolomic analysis was carried out with mass spectrometry through multivariate statistical analysis based on the OPLS-DA model. Significant changes of metabolite profiles were observed by PEF treatment and specific metabolites were affected as dose dependent manner. Content of major glucosinolates compounds such as glucoerucin, glucoiberin, glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, 4-hydroxy glucobrassicin, and 4-methoxy glucobrassicin were significantly reduced, while sulforaphane was distinctively increased in PEF treated broccolis. The results implied that myrosinase released from vacuole by PEF processing transformed glucosinolate into isothiocyanate, which would be useful findings for enhancing bioactivity of broccoli by simple PEF treatment.

In this study, a two-factor-six-level factorial design was adopted for optimizing brine (saturated salt solution) and water flow rates in electrolyzed water generator in order to produce electrolyzed water (EW) having best performance for vegetable washing. The pH, electro-conductivity, chlorine contents of produced EW were determined. The optimum EW for broccoli sprouts washing was produced at flow rates of brine and water of 100 mL/min and 300 mL/min respectively. The optimum washing time was 20 s based on the quality of washed broccoli sprouts. The microbial counts were decreased by 1.4 log for aerobic bacteria and 1.0 log for yeasts and mold. The functional quality and sensory characteristics of broccoli sprouts were unaffected by the EW washing. The results demonstrated the applicability of EW for the improvement of hygiene of broccoli sprouts without affecting quality.

In this study, the use of corona discharge plasma jet (CDPJ) for the improvement of hygienic quality of semi-dried mackerel pike (Gwamegi) was investigated. Different microbial contaminants, namely aerobic and marine bacteria, coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and yeasts and mold, were detected in the range 4.2-6.2 log CFU/g in Gwamegi samples. The CDPJ generated using 20 kV DC and at 58 kHz frequency was used for the treatment of Gwamegi for 0-10 min. The bacterial contaminants were inactivated in the range of 1.9-3.3 log CFU/g on the treatment for 10 min. Additionally, yeasts and mold were inactivated by 3.2 log CFU/g. The inactivation pattern fitted well to the first-order kinetics model. The CDPJ treatment for 10 min did not exert statistically significant changes (P > 0.05) in pH, moisture content, water activity, peroxide value, acid value and volatile basic nitrogen content of Gwamegi in comparison to untreated control samples. On the contrary, significant changes (P < 0.05) were noted in color and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels upon the CDPJ treatment. However, the CDPJ-treated Gwamegi samples displayed better sensory properties in terms of appearance, visual color, and flavor as compared to controls.

Driven by market, consumer preferences and recent climate change discussions, the usage of ‘sustainability’ standards has over the last decade gained ground worldwide. Sustainability standards are largely voluntary, non-mandatory and an increasingly important component of the green economy. While on the one hand the usage of sustainability standards helps achieve several economic and environment objectives, on the other hand they can potentially act as barriers to trade in particular for small producers. This paper examines the potential trade and commercial aspects of sustainability standards in terms of their diversity, cost of incorporation and interaction with supply chains. It considers the compatibility of sustainability standards with the existing trade architecture of the World Trade Organization, drawing on relevant case law developments. Finally, it recommends the usage of international platforms such as the UNFSS and ITC Standards map, to enable product/ service specific information sharing, conformity assessment and business networking.

It is imperious to know the reproductive parameters of the subsisting swine breed for profitable farming in Bangladesh. This study was designed to compare the reproductive parameters of sows at hilly areas between the local and crossbred at farm and backyard level. A total of 116 breedable sows were included. The data on age at puberty, litter size, birth weight, weaning weight, gestation length, interval between farrowing and number of piglets born per sow in local and crossbred sows were determined and direct questionnaire method was used for data collection. The present study revealed that age at puberty between farm and backyard system of crossbred sows was 8.88±0.153 and 9.85±0.221 months, respectively. The farrowing interval was shorter in crossbred sows which were kept in farming system rather than backyard system. The interval between farrowing and onset of estrus was shorter in crossbred sows. The gestation length was almost similar between backyard and farm condition. The number of litter size per sow per farrowing was 8.45±0.41 in crossbred and 7.17±0.250 in local pigs at backyard system. The birth weight and weaning weight were more in farm conditions than backyard system. The age at puberty in local breed was lower than the crossbred and litter size was 8.45±0.407 in crossbred which was higher than local breed 7.17±0.250 in backyard system. These results suggest that reproductive parameters of local sow need to be improved for better production and crossbred sows should be reared for obtaining desired productivity.

Isroaniso matrix precursor synthesized from commercially available petroleum pitch was stabilized in air. The influence of oxygen mass gain during stabilization on the yield of matrix precursor was studied. Additionally, the influence of pressure on the yield of the stabilized matrix precursor in a real system was studied. The fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), yield, yield rate, and yield impact were used to check the effect of stabilization and pressure on the yield of the matrix precursor and the end properties of the composite thereafter. The results showed that the yield increased with stabilization duration up to 20 h whereas it decreased for stabilization duration beyond 20 h. Further results showed that the stabilized matrix precursor for a duration of 5 h could withstand almost two-fold greater hot-pressing pressure without resulting in exudation as compared to that of a 1 h stabilized matrix precursor. The enhanced hot-pressing pressure significantly improved the yield of the matrix precursor. As a consequence, the densification and mechanical properties were increased significantly. Further, the matrix precursor stabilized for a duration of 20 h or more failed to provide proper and uniform binding of the reinforcement.

In this study, the fracture behavior of a thermoplastic-modified epoxy resin reinforced with continuous carbon fibers for two levels of fiber-matrix adhesion was performed. A carbon fiber with commercial sizing was used and also treated with a known silane, (3-glycidoxy propyl trimethoxysilane) coupling agent. Toughness was determined using the double cantilever test, together with surface analysis after failure using scanning electron microscope. The presence of polysulfone particles improved the fracture behavior of the composite, but fiber-matrix adhesion seemed to play a very important role in the performance of the composite material. There appeared to be a synergy between the matrix modifier and the fibermatrix adhesion coupling agent.

Date palm leaflets were used as a precursor to prepare dehydrated carbon (DC) via phosphoric acid treatment at 150°C. DC, acidified with H3PO4, was converted to activated carbon (AC) at 500°C under a nitrogen atmosphere. DC shows very low surface area (6.1 m2/g) while AC possesses very high surface area (829 m2/g). The removal of lisinopril (LIS) and chlorpheniramine (CP) from an aqueous solution was tested at different pH, contact time, concentration, and temperature on both carbons. The optimal initial pH for LIS removal was 4.0 and 5.0 for DC and AC, respectively. However, for CP, initial pH 9.0 showed maximum adsorption on both carbons. Adsorption kinetics showed faster removal on AC than DC with adsorption data closely following the pseudo second order kinetic model. Adsorption increases with temperature (25°C–45°C) and activation energy (Ea) is in a range of 19–25 kJ mol/L. Equilibrium studies show higher adsorption on AC than DC. Thermodynamic parameters show that drug removal is endothermic and spontaneous with physical adsorption dominating the adsorption process. Column adsorption data show good fitting to the Thomas model. Despite its very low surface area, DC shows ~70% of AC drug adsorption capacity in addition of being inexpensive and easily prepared.

최근 2차원 나노 물질을 응용하여 수처리 막의 성능을 향상시킬 수 있는가에 대한 연구가 활발하다. 그 노력의 한 가운데에 원자 두께를 가지고 있으면서 손쉽게 구할 수 있고 층으로 쌓을 수도 있는 2차원 물질인 그래핀이 자리하고 있다. 이 총설에서 우리는 그래핀으로부터 만들 수 있는 두 가지 막 구조에 관한 기초 물질 전달 현상을 최근 연구 성과를 중심으 로 다룬다. 그 물질 자체로 이미 물질 전달 차단성을 갖는 그래핀에 정확히 제어된 크기의 구멍을 뚫을 수 있다면 아마도 원 자 크기 수준으로 얇은 두께 때문에 그래핀 막은 같은 기공 크기의 어느 막보다도 빠른 궁극적 투과도를 나타낼 것이며, 이 로부터 선택도를 담보할 수 있다면 다양한 막 분리 공정에 적용할 수 있을 것이다. 그 한 예로, 나노미터 이하의 기공을 가정 한 초박막 침투성 그래핀 막에 대한 분자동역학 연구와 몇몇 초기 실험 결과들이 해수담수화 막으로서의 가능성을 보인 점은 주목할 만하다. 그래핀 물질로부터 다른 구성을 가진 막을 설계할 수 있는데, 이 막은 적당히 산화된 그래핀 마이크로 판들을 무작위로 적층함으로써 구현할 수 있다. 그래핀 판 적층 간격을 나노미터 이하로 쉽게 제어할 수 있기 때문에 이 구조 역시 수처리 및 해수담수화 막으로서의 가능성을 시사한다. 기존 막기술에 존재하지 않던 구조와 물질 전달 성질을 가짐으로써 두 종류의 그래핀 막은 앞으로 수처리 기술을 비롯한 다양한 막 기술의 응용분야에서 효과적으로 기여할 가능성이 충분하다.

이 논문은 스마트 폰, 컴퓨터, 혹은 태블릿PC와 같은 전자기기를 통해서 정보를 구글링(구글로 검색하기)하는 명확하게 현대적인 실천을 검토한다. 구글과 다른 검색엔진뿐만 아니라 온라인 데이터베이스, 사전, 컴퓨터 응용 프로그램과 같은 디지털 인터페이스를 통해 성전(sacred texts)에 접근하는 것이 가능해진 것은 10~15년 전에는 상상조자 할 수 없던 일이다. 이러한 디 지털 도구의 개발은 간접적으로 성전에 다가갈 수 있는 다수의 새로운 경로 를 만들어낸다. 이 논문은 전통적으로 일본의 쇼토쿠 태자 (574~622)가 저술한 것으로 보 는“삼경의소”(三 義疏, 세경전에대한논평)에대해검토한다.“ 삼경의소” 는 한문으로 쓰인 세 권의 불교 주석서를 통칭하는 제목이다. 이 논문은 이들 세 문헌에 대해 구글 검색에서 수집된 정보를 전통적 형식의 불교 주해와 비교하는 방법을 숙고한다. 이들 문헌에 대한 디지털과“비주석적”형식에 초 점을 맞춤으로써 나는 우리가 문헌에 관심을 기울이는 상이한 방법들이 어떻 게 문헌의 의미와 가치를 재생산하는가를 묻는 것뿐만 아니라 그들이 어떻게 연관되고, 서로에게 영향을 주는지를 질문하는 것처럼“삼경의소”에 대한 보 다 포괄적인 이해를 발전시킬 수 있기를 기대한다.

There is a general consensus in the literature that impulse buying is normatively wrong, but accounts for a substantial volume of the goods sold every year across the broad range of product categories, including fashion products. Research revealed that young consumers particularly contributed greatly to the increase of impulse buying. While lack of self-control has been found strongly associated with the unplanned nature of impulse buying, with an environment of abundance and consumerism, self-indulgence, rather than lack of self-control, may become a more important driver for impulse buying for modern consumers (Sharma, Sivakumaran, & Marshall, 2011). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate how self-indulgence influences young consumers’ impulse buying and the post purchase consumer regret. This study also aims to test the role of fashion consciousness in the relationship between young consumers’ self-indulgence and impulse buying for fashion products. Self-indulgence is considered a hedonistic tendency, which includes enjoying spending money on oneself, buying things for one’s own pleasure, and trying to enjoy life (Sharma, Sivakumaran, & Marshall, 2011). It was recognized as one of the two opposing cognitive forces leading to impulse behavior (Miao, 2011). While the impulse to purchase is comprised of anticipated pleasures and immediate gratification (Rook, 1987), ironically, consumer regret is one of the major emotional consequences associated with impulse buying. There are two types of consumer regret: cognitive dissonance, resulted from an immediate post-purchase comparison of what was purchased versus the other available alternatives, and consumer guilt, related specifically to the consumption decision situations. Literature suggested that individuals show interest in fashion products with the belief that fashion products will contribute to their appearance, image, and/or bring enjoyment to their life (Workman & Kidd, 2000). In that same token, an individual with high self-indulgence tendency is more likely to show interest in fashion in hopes of identifying fashion items for indulgence purpose. Moreover, this indulgence motivated fashion consciousness will more likely lead to high impulse buying for fashion products. Based on the literature, hypotheses were developed for this study as represented in the following figure. Data was collected using a survey of college students majored in textile/fashion management at a large southeast university in the USA. A total of 190 surveys were distributed and returned. The majority of the subjects were females (73.7%), white (74.7%), and held part-time work (56.7%). Existing scales were adopted to measure self-indulgence (Sharma, Sivakumaran, & Marshall, 2011) and fashion consciousness (Bruner & Hensel, 1998). Impulse buying behavior and post-purchase regret were measured by asking subjects to retroactively recall their shopping trips for fashion products during the past three months. A group of items developed by the researchers were used to measure both the impulse buying behavior and consumer regret. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was first employed to assess the psychometric properties of the constructs. Overall, the fit indices of the measurement model were acceptable (NFI=0.86, IFI=0.935, RMSEA=0.066, CMIN/DF=1.7). A Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted to test the relationship proposed in the hypotheses. To test the mediating effect of fashion consciousness on the relationship between self-indulgence and impulse buying behaviors, a bootstrapping bias-corrected confidence interval procedure was conducted. Overall, the fit indices of the SEM model were acceptable (CMN/df=1.338, NFI=0.90, IFI=0.97, RMSEA=0.044). The SEM results suggested that self-indulgence had a significant influence on impulse buying for fashion products directly and indirectly via fashion consciousness. The impulse purchase behavior had a positive influence on the consumers’ feeling of guilt for the impulse purchase behavior, while no significant influence was found on cognitive dissonance. This research makes several contributions to the literature of impulse buying. First, the study suggests that consumers’ self-indulgence exerts significant direct and indirect influences on consumers’ impulse buying for fashion products. This result may provide an explanation to the phenomenon of increasing impulse buying behavior in the marketplace, even though it is widely considered as a “misbehavior”. Secondly, this study suggests a significant mediating role of fashion consciousness in the relationship between self-indulgence on consumers’ impulse buying for fashion products. The abundance of fashion products in the market and the appreciation of the social and affective function of fashion products contribute to the chain effect from self-indulgence to fashion consciousness and finally to impulse purchase for fashion products. Third, this study confirms the negative guilt feeling resulted from the impulse buying behavior.

Customer experience has become an important concept in explaining consumer behaviour with hedonic products in the online game industry. However, few studies have examined the differences in game experience internationally between players from different nationalities. Game producers who market their wares to a global audience need to take into account that individuals from different national backgrounds have different experiences according to nationally specific cultural and societal norms and restrictions. These experiences determine how players perceive, interact and enjoy products. The current study attempts to examine differences in game experiences between India and the US. Around 600 respondents were collected from Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk), an online data panel. Analysis of results using a series of multivariate analysis of covariate, showed that players from India and the US are different in most aspects of game experience except for their analytical experience. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed and recommendations are made with consideration to the ramifications of the investigation.

Advertising both reflects and creates social norms and cultural practices, such as concepts of beauty and gender roles. Research suggests that masculinity, like femininity, is constructed, codified and contested in advertising imagery (Schroeder & Zwick, 2004). By drawing on cultural categories to depict gendered consumer selves, advertising messages often limit and structure possibilities of masculine and feminine consumption. As marketers promote the blurring of traditional gender lines around product categories to open their products to a wider market, men increasingly consume products that are traditionally reserved for female consumption (Thompson & Hirschman, 1995). Despite the growing global men’s grooming market, research suggests that men view the consumption of cosmetics as not acceptable ‘masculine’ consumption behavior (Hall, Gough, & Seymour-Smith, 2013). According to Kolbe and Albanese (1996), masculinity is represented in advertising by images of strong and muscular ‘male icons’. In order to protect their masculine identities men reject advertising images that do not reflect these masculine traits (Elliot & Elliot, 2005). However, with advertising literature focusing on a notion of masculinity that is prevalent in Western individualistic cultures, cross-cultural research in this area is extremely limited. Given the cultural relativity of masculinity and attractiveness, images of masculinity and forms of accepted ‘masculine’ consumption behavior are likely to vary across cultures (e.g., Englis, Solomon, & Ashmore, 1994). For instance, the use of cosmetics may be regarded as acceptable ‘masculine’ behavior in South Korea, where young men spend more per-capita on cosmetics than their counterparts anywhere else in the world (Euromonitor, 2015). The aim of this research is to explore representations of masculinity in South Korean cosmetics advertising. We carry out a content analysis of print ads examining i) What types of male images do advertisers use in South Korean cosmetics advertisements?; and ii) What kind of masculinity do male images in South Korean cosmetics ads represent?