Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in forest is considered as a serious forest pest in pine trees. In this study, we collected entomopathogenic fungi from soil and assessed their virulence against the adults of the inset using a spray method in laboratory condition. Two entomopathogeinc fungi isolates showed high virulence against the adults. In the concentration of 1.0 × 107conidia/ml, the mortality rate of the adults were 53% and 60%. In semi-field condition, one isolate showed a virulence of 60% against the adult. Consequently, we confirmed the possibility of the fungal isolates in controlling the beetles. In near the future, we will investigate several factors which is possibly related to the control of the forest insect pest using entomopathogenic fungi in field conditions, given the importance of fungal formulation and practical application methods.

The hard tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis (Ixodida: Ixodidae) is one of the vectors of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) causing in humans, however little consideration was given to the biological control of the pest. Therefore, this study provides a screening method to select entomopathogenic fungi, having high virulence against H. longicornis. The virulence test was conducted by dipping method with a conidial suspension (1×107 conidia/ml). As a result, cadavers of H. longicornis infected with entomopathogenic fungi were obtained by this method. Based on this results, we selected several isolates having high virulence to H. longicornis. We suggest that, selected isolates in this study can be used for the control of H. longicornis.

Entomopathogenic fungi have been known as promising candidates for biological control of insect pests. Recently, researchers consider the fungal thermotolerance in formulations and field applications. In this study, we investigated the production of thermotolerant Isaria javanica and I.fumosorosea conidia through grain-based solid cultures and exposure to light stress. As results, of the ten grain substrates, Italian millet, rice, perilla seed and sesame, rice, sorghum produced highly thermotolerant conidia in the strains. The two strains were exposed to a light stress and a heat stress. And they showed enhanced thermal stability compared to control, when exposed to 45°C for 2 hours. This work suggests that heat-resistant entomopathogenic fungal conidia can be produced by grain-based solid cultures and exposure to light stress.

Melon thrips, Thrips palmi Karny (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a serious insect pest of various crops in the world. The management of this pest mainly have relied on chemical agents. However, the overuse of chemical agents for long times causes insect resistance, and negative effects on environment. Therefore, alternative control methods, such as biological control, that are less harmful to the environment and have different mode of action are needed to control this pest. In this study, we isolated entomopathogenic fungi from Korean soil, and characterized them via morphological and molecular identifications and pathogenicity check against Tenebrio molitor larvae. The isolated fungi were subjected to virulence assay against T. Palmi with a conidial suspension of 1×107 conidia/ml in laboratory conditions. This entomopathogenic fungi library would be a good resource to select effective strains for the control of T. palmi in fields.

Entomopathogenic fungi play an important natural role in regulating their insect host populations, and their ecology was also associated with plant and soil. These microorganisms have been living by reacting to insect, plant and environmental factor. The advanced bioinformatics technology such as next-generation sequencing and RNA sequencing has revolutionized in understanding of entomopathogenic fungi. Recently studies provided a lot of information on evolutionary relationships and virulence-related characteristics. We are starting to know where these microorganisms from is, and how they live in nature. The bioinformatics technology will give us further our understanding of the natural roles of these fungi in nature.

To elucidate the effect of cellular phone electromagnetic wave (EMW) exposure on the developing cerebellar cortex of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats, animals were exposed to cellular phone electromagnetic waves for 1 hr per day for 3 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, animals were sacrificed by cardiac perfusion, after which histological samples were prepared and observed microscopically. In the EMW exposure group, external granule cells were remained partially in the external granular layer without migrating into the internal granular layer. In addition, dark stained shrunken Purkinje cells with pyknotic nuclei increased and the outline of cells became irregular and showed degenerative signs, such as mitochondrial swelling and disrupted cristae. Moreover, the cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticula and Golgi complex were severely swollen. Bergmann glial cells adjacent to the dark stained Purkinje cells were swollen and cytoplasmic organelles were scant. Dark stained shrunken granule cells were also observed and the outline of cells was irregular. The results of the present study suggest that cellular phone EMW exposure to neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats leads to a partial delay of early migration of cerebellar cortical cells and degenerative changes in Purkinje cells, Bergmann glial cells and granule cells.

It is not easy to detect East Asia’s presence in the field of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), despite its large economy. In addition to having less active foreign direct investment (FDI) relative to GDP and fewer investment treaties, East Asian economies and societies seem to possess certain characteristics that have contributed collectively to the dearth of ISDS cases in East Asia. Examples are the short history of international arbitration, the avoidance of litigation, the high proportion of state-owned enterprises in outward FDI from China, and the concentration of FDI in industries in which investor-state disputes are less likely to occur. This trend, however, is likely to change gradually with the ongoing socioeconomic changes in the region, including the increase in both outward and inward FDI, the increasing number of investment treaties, the growing familiarity with international (investment) arbitration among legal experts, the diversification of FDI, and the decreasing fear of administrative litigation.

Continuous efforts are being made to improve the efficiency of Si solar cells, which is the prevailing technology at this time. As opposed to the standard front-lit solar cell design, the back-lit design suffers no shading loss because all the metal electrodes are placed on one side close to the pn junction, which is referred to as the front side, and the incoming light enters the denuded back side. In this study, a systematic comparison between the two designs was conducted by means of computer simulation. Medici, a two-dimensional semiconductor device simulation tool, was utilized for this purpose. The 0.6 μm wavelength, the peak value for the AM-1.5 illumination, was chosen for the incident photons, and the minority-carrier recombination lifetime (τ), a key indicator of the Si substrate quality, was the main variable in the simulation on a p-type 150 μm thick Si substrate. Qualitatively, minority-carrier recombination affected the short circuit current (Isc) but not the opencircuit voltage (Voc). The latter was most affected by series resistance associated with the electrode locations. Quantitatively, when τ ≥ 500 μs, the simulation yielded the solar cell power outputs of 20.7 mW·cm−2 and 18.6 mW·cm−2, respectively, for the front-lit and back-lit cells, a reasonable 10 % difference. However, when τ < 500 μs, the difference was 20 % or more, making the back-lit design less than competitive. We concluded that the back-lit design, despite its inherent benefits, is not suitable for a broad range of Si solar cells but may only be applicable in the high-end cells where float-zone (FZ) or magnetic Czochralski (MCZ) Si crystals of the highest quality are used as the substrate.

In the past years, few grain sorghum varieties with limited yield potential have been developed and grown in Korea. Hybrids tend to be more productive and resistive to unfavorable environmental conditions than pure line varieties. However, no hybrid cultivars are available and never have been planted for grain sorghum in Korea. The main aims of this study were to (i) verify if US x Korean and US x US hybrids increase grain yield in Korea; (ii) assess the performance of waxy hybrids in Korea and the US; (iii) estimate general combining ability and specific combining ability for the lines studied; and (iv) identify superior lines and hybrids for future use in breeding. Two distinct sets of waxy-endosperm sorghum hybrids derived from Korean landraces and US lines (Texas A&M University) were tested in the US and Korea. Compared to the parental lines, hybrids derived from US lines and Korean landraces showed yield increase that ranged from 2% to 127%. Hybrids created from US lines showed higher heterosis than US x Korean hybrids. Hybrid vigor was observed in the US and Korea, but shifts in ranks of hybrid performance occurred. The results indicate that it is feasible to develop grain sorghum hybrids adapted to Korean conditions only if delibrate selections take place in Korea. A combination of Korean and US sources could provide an acceptable germplasm base for developing Korean landrace based sorghum hybrids.

The present study was aimed to determine the effects of green tea extract (GTE) and beta-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) supplementation in boar sperm freezing extender on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH) levels of presumptive zygotes (PZs). Experimental groups were allocated into lactose egg yolk (LEY) without antioxidant (control), GTE (1,000 mg/l in LEY) and β-ME (50 μM in LEY). In freezing, spermatozoa extended with LEY were cooled to 5°C for 3 h and then kept at 5°C for 30 min following dilution with LEY containing 9% glycerol and 1.5% Equex STM. The final sperm concentration was 1 × 108/ml. Spermatozoa were loaded into straws and frozen in nitrogen vapor for 20 min. For IVF, oocytes were matured in NCSU-23 medium and co-cultured with spermatozoa following thawing at 37°C for 25 sec. At 12 h following IVF, IVF parameters (sperm penetration and monospermy) were evaluated. In addition, GSH and ROS levels of PZs were determined by Cell Tracker Blue CMF2HC and DCHFDA, respectively. IVF parameters did not show any significant difference among the experimental groups. GSH and ROS levels of PZs were not significantly different between groups. In conclusion, antioxidant supplementation in boar sperm freezing could not influence IVF parameters, ROS and GSH levels of PZs.

Chlorine dioxide gas is a relatively new sanitizer in the food industry that has more accessibility than its aqueous form. Depending on the method by which ClO2 gas is generated, there can be byproducts like chlorite and chlorate ions, which can decrease its disinfectant effect and purity. Recently, new technology that generates chlorine dioxide without using chlorine gas has been developed to remove those defects. This new electrochemical method generates gaseous chlorine dioxide from aqueous sodium chlorite (NaClO2). The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ClO2 gas generated by an electrochemical method against foodborne microorganisms. To accomplish this, ClO2 gas at different concentrations (1, 5, 10 and 20 ppm) was applied to E. coli and S. Typhimurium for different exposure times (1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 min) under room temperature conditions at <40% relative humidity. The results revealed ClO2 gas was highly effective for the inactivation of E. coli and S. Typhimurium and showed a reduction in populations of over 5 log CFU/ml under ambient conditions with low relative humidity (30–40%). In conclusion, ClO2 gas treatment is highly applicable to control of foodborne pathogens.

A diverse of recommendation has been made for the structure and management of dairy cows, despite demanding research, the relationship between lactation number and various factors is yet to be established. The present study was aimed to investigate the covariance among lactation number, growth performance, calving interval, and milk production was considered to increase an efficiency of selection schemes and to manage more efficiently Holstein dairy cows that have been raised on small-scale family farms in Republic of Korea. For that purpose, the data were observed from 850 Holstein dairy cows, which a total of 3929 milking, since April 2016 - January 2017. We measured the body weight, height, age, calving interval, and milk production of the each dairy cow. Also, information about the date of lactation, calving interval, and milk production was recorded using an automatic milking system(AMS) with identification numbers. Milk production was calculated per udder quarter in the AMS. Our study results showed the increased average body weight(p>0.05) in 1, 2, 3, and 4th lactating dairy cows and afterwards, we noticed the tendency on the average body weight(p<0.05) per lactation progressed. There was no significant difference noticed on height measurement of dairy cows. From the processing data of 850 Holstein dairy cows, the lactation number 1 and 7 had a greater calving interval with significantly lowered milk production, and the lactation number 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 had significantly lowered the calving interval(p<0.05) with a greater milk production. From our study results, we evidenced that there is a significant relationship between the lactation number, growth performance, calving interval, and milk yield, and the maximum production of milk occurring in the 3rd and 4th lactation dairy cows. The achieved results from this study can be used by the small-scale farmers to encourage the structure and management of growth performance, calving interval, and milk yield in Holstein dairy cows in Korea.

The microstructure observation of seed surface structure is needed for protocols of breaking dormancy of seeds with physical dormancy. The seeds of Rubus species are surrounded by a thick, hard endocarp; together, the seed and endocarp make up the stone. We evaluate stone characteristics of 18 species of Rubus through optical microscopic observation, and correlate different stone characteristics with endocarp thickness. As a result of stone size comparison, Rubus species were classified as big stones group including R. parvifolius and R. idaeus, small stones group including R. longisepalus var. longisepalus, R. corchorifolius and R. hirsutus, and middle stones group including rest of the species. The result of this study revealed that stone size and the endocarp thickness in Rubus species was various characteristics in each species. Furthermore stone size and stone weight were also well correlated endocarp thickness and result indicated that heavy stones had harder endocarp than lighter one. Thus from the result of this study it can be presumed that only one stone characteristic approach may be sufficient to estimate other characteristics in Rubus.