Edible mushrooms have been used and researched as medicinal ingredients. They improve immunity and contain excellent anticancer components with large amounts of minerals such as iron, calcium, and potassium. Due to this reason, it has been hailed as a raw material for functional foods. Especially, β-glucan, known to be contained in Ganoderma incidum Karst, Coriolus versicolor, and Phellinus linteus, was reported to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells by activating immune function (macrophages, natural killer cells and T-cells). In addition, mushroom polysaccharides dissolve in water but are undigested ingredients, resulting in stimulating the immune system as well as staying of parasympathetic nervous system in the stomach for a long time. As a result, they induce increase of T-cells and NK cell that attacks cancer cell and has effect on the discharge of body's waste products, blood purification, and constipation improvement. In this study, we report the culture characteristics of Sparassis crispa as to the medium growth compositions, yeast, and elicitor treatments to investigate the optimal condition for the highest β-glucan production in mushrooms.

Lycorma delicatula (White 1845), which has been recently introduced into Korea, is a notorious pest on grapes. This invasive insect has rapidly spread throughout central and southern Korea. To date, we have no behavioral or population genetics information, such as invasion routes and subsequent dispersal rates in Korea, to help understand and control populations of L. delicatula. Here, we have developed 15 novel microsatellite loci for L. delicatula. The isolated loci were polymorphic, with 2 to 19 alleles in 42 individuals from a single population in Cheonan. The analyses revealed that all 42 individuals had different multilocus genotypes with heterozygosity ranging from 0.214 to 0.866. Eleven of the 15 loci did not deviate significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The isolated markers will facilitate population genetic studies of L. delicatula.

Western blot analysis using acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-specific antibody was conducted to determine whether AChE gene (Tuace) duplication actually results in overproduction of AChE in Tetranychus urticae (TuAChE). The protein quantities of TuAChE in seven field-collected mite populations were precisely correlated with the copy numbers. To investigate the effects of each mutation on AChE insensitivity and possible fitness cost, eight variants of TuAChE were in vitro expressed using the baculovirus expression system. Kinetic analysis revealed that the Ala391Thr mutation did not change kinetic properties of AChE, whereas the Gly228Ser and Phe439Trp mutations significantly increased the insensitivity to monocrotophos. Moreover, when the Gly228Ser and Phe439Trp mutations are present together, insensitivity increased over a thousand-fold, showing that both mutations confer resistance in a synergistic manner. Presence of the mutations, however, reduced catalytic efficiency of AChE considerably, suggesting an apparent fitness cost in monocrotophosresistant mites. Reconstitution of the multiple copies of AChE having different compositions of mutations revealed that the catalytic efficiencies of the six-copy and two-copy AChEs (resembling the AD and PyriF strains of mite, respectively) were still lower but comparable to that of wildtype AChE. These finding clearly suggested that multiple rounds of Tuace duplication was needed to compensate the reduced catalytic activity of AChE caused by mutations.

A polydnavirus, Cotesia plutellae bracovirus (CpBV), is a symbiotic provirus to an endoparasitoid wasp, C. plutellae. When the wasp parasitizes its natural host, Plutella xylostella, larvae, CpBV viral particles are translocated to hemocoel of P. xylostella along with the wasp eggs. CpBV-ELP1 is encoded in a viral segment and expressed in the parasitized larvae during entire parasitization period. A recombinant baculovirus expressing CpBV-ELP1 was constructed and applied to a non-natural host, Spodoptera exigua, larvae. When the recombinant baculovirus was injected to hemocoel, CpBV-ELP1 was expressed in hemocytes as early as 2h postinjection and then later expressed in other tissues. When it was applied to diet, CpBV-ELP1 was expressed in midgut epithelium at 12 h and subsequently expressed in internal tissues. Both application methods of the recombinant baculovirus caused significantly higher mortality of S. exiguathan non-recombinant baculovirus. Interestingly, midgut epithelial cells expressing CpBV-ELP1 by infection of the recombinant baculovirus showed poor cell-cell interactions. Integrin, a cell surface molecule associated with cell-cell interaction, was cloned in S. exigua and was confirmed in its expression in the midgut epithelium. A hypothesis was raised that CpBV-ELP1 interrupts integrin function by direct binding or by blocking internal integrin signaling.

A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or via fingerprick. They are used to determine physiological and biochemical states, such as disease, mineral contents, drug effectiveness, and organ function. Although the term blood test is used, most routine tests (except for most haematology) are done on plasma or serum, instead of blood cells. Main advantage of using saliva in diagnostics is easy and non invasive sample taking compared to peripheral blood. According to the study published, saliva contains more than 20 percent of the proteins found in blood. The purpose of present study is to compare biochemical enzymes in saliva and in blood serum and to evaluate the usefulness of saliva specimens instead of blood in dental clinic. The saliva from 215 healthy over 50 years of aged people lived in Dong-gu district, Gwangu city was collected and the analysis was performed by six enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). ELISA results were compared with blood chemistry results. The values or patterns on Alanine Aminotransperase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransperase (AST), Cholesterol and Triglyceride in saliva were not correlated with those in blood serum. However, Albumine and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) were followed the positive relationship with blood chemistry. These result showed that detection and identification of Albumine and γ-GTP level could be established by saliva ELISA analysis, so that ELISA assay on saliva could be useful alternative to serum testing.

PVDF was used as a polymeric matrix material in this work. Nickel powders with average particles size of 200 nm or 72 nm were used as fillers. PVDF/metal submicro- and nanocomposites were prepared by means of a mixing in twin screw extruder and planetary ball mill, respectively. All samples were prepared by hot pressing method. Their electrical, thermal and morphological properties were examined by dielectric spectroscopy, DSC, FTIR, XRD, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that all properties of composites were strongly modified depending on the content of metal powders and filler particles size. Particularly, specific volume resistivity of PVDF/Ni composite with 0.2 wt.% of Ni was increased by factor of 1.5~4.

Study of the main properties of PVDF films produced by two processing technologies such as hot pressing from a melt or solution casting was the aim of this paper. All samples were prepared of as-received PVDF powder. First group of samples was prepared by the hot pressing. Second group of samples was prepared by the solution casting method. PVDF powder was dissolved in dimethylformamide. To characterize properties of samples, different experimental methods such as FRA (dielectric spectroscopy), IR-spectroscopy and DSC/TGA analysis were used in this work. It was found that IR-spectra of both studied groups do not change compared to that for virgin PVDF powder. It confirms that molecular structure is practically independent on the processing technology of samples. The only difference has been found that new band centered at appears for samples prepared by the hot pressing method. This absorption band is related with formation of C=C bonds in samples prepared by the hot pressing method in contrast both to PVDF powder and samples prepared by the solution casting method.

The protease produced by a Bacillus pumilus CN8 strain was purified by DEAE-Cellulose-52 ion exchange. It has a molecular weight of approximately 96,920 Dalton. In the present study, this protease showed strong activity over a broad range of pH (6.5-9.5) and temperature from 40℃ to 60℃, and the protease performed the maximal activity at pH 7.3 at 42℃. The effect of metal ions on protease activity showed that K+ could slightly increase the protease activity, and other ions such as Zn²+, Fe²+, Na+, Ca²+, Mg²+ had no significant activation or inhibition to the protease (P > 0.05), and the more important is that Cu²+, Mn²+, Sn²+, Cd²+ had a strong inhibitory effect on the protease activity.

KASI and Seoul National University developed the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) as one of major scientific instruments for the 1.6 m New Solar Telescope (NST) and installed it in the Coude room of the NST at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) in May, 2010. The major objective of the FISS is to study the fine-scale structures and dynamics of plasma in the photosphere and chromosphere. To achieve it, the FISS is required to take data with a spectral resolution higher than 105 at the spectrograph mode and a temporal resolution less than 10 seconds at the imaging mode. The FISS is a spectrograph using Echelle grating and has characteristics that can observe dual bands (Hα and CaII 8542) simultaneously and perform fast imaging using fast raster scan and two fast CCD cameras. In this paper, we introduce briefly the whole process of FISS development from the requirement analysis to the first observations.