The tribe Atimiini LeConte containing two genera (Atimia and Paratimia) and about 12 species is distributed in East Asia and North America. The systematic position of the Atimiini has long puzzled the Coleopterist due to the Lamiid-like aspect of the Atimia. But the Atimiini has regarded as a tribe of the subfamily Aseminae since Webb (1912) associated the Atimia with the Asemum on the basis of larval characters. The tribe is very specialized in food habits, the species of Atimia are all restricted to trees of the Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae, including Cupressus, Libocedrus, Thuja, Chamaecyparis, Juniperus, Taxodium, Sequoia, and their relatives. Members of the Atimiini are characterized by the combination of following features: head transverse, front short, vertical, mouthparts nearly horizontal; antennae 11-segmented, shorter than the body in both sexes, eyes large, moderately granulated, deeply emarginate, embracing antennal insertion; labrum transverse, ciliated; palpi unequal in length, the maxillary longer; pronotum quadrate, transverse; anterior coxae rounded, cavities usually not angulated, completely closed behind; mesonotum with a large, divided, stridulatory area; scutellum subquadrate; intermediate coxal cavities closed; metasternum deeply emarginate posteriorly, metepisterna narrow, attenuated behind; legs short; femora feebly clavate; tibiae armed with short spurs; wings with a closed cell in the anal sector. Here, we report the tribe Atimiini for the first time in Korea based on provisional identified species, Atimia spec. okayamensis Hayashi. We also provide a diagnosis, habitus photo, and drawings of diagnostic characters.

DNA-based technology are about to revolutionize the analysis of population structures as well as the determination of individual indentities. Furthermore, the analysis of polymorphic DNA regions make it possible to reach detailed conclusions on family relationships of individual. Microsatellite loci are increasingly used in population genetic and evolutionary studies. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) or microsatellites consisted of short tandem repeats (usually 1-6 nucleotide) have shown advantages over other markers. We report here the isolation and characterization of nine highly polymerphic microsatellite loci for phylogenetic and population genetic use in silkworm. Comparative analysis of diverse silkworm strains with microsatellite locus revealed several alleles and discriminative heterozygosity values. A list of primer sequences that tag each locus is provided. The usefulness of microsatellite markers can be expected to enhance the classification in silkworm.

SAGE technique is a sequenced-based approach that identifies which genes are expressed and quantifies their level of expression. The SAGE catalog of gene expression for a given cell or tissue is defined as the 'transcriptome'. With a goal of obtaining a set of quantitative information of expressed genes of posterior silk gland (PSG) of silkworm, we have generated a SAGE tag library from the PSGat day 4 of 5th instars of Bombyx mori. In this study, atotal of 2,406 tags were identified, representing 682 unique transcripts. Of these SAGE tags, 1,982 tags were detected twice or more accounted for 82% of the total tag population, whereas 445 tags were detected only once accounted for 18% of the total tag population. Four percent (27 tags) of the unique tags were detected at least ten times each, which corresponds to a representation of more than 53% of the total tag population. In addition, we have discussed a comparative aspect of the transcript abundance between expressed sequenced tags (ESTs) and the SAGE tags.

The insect baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is useful for the production of biologically active recombinant proteins. However, the overexpression of foreign proteins in this system often results in misfolded proteins and the formation of protein aggregates. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a versatile baculovirus expression and secretion system using the Bombyx mori protein disulfide isomerase (bPDI) as a fusion partner. bPDI gene fusion improved the secretion and antibacterial activity of recombinant nuecin proteins. Thus, bPDI gene fusion is a useful addition to the BEVS for the large-scale production of bioactive recombinant proteins.

We calculate the evolution of multiple supernova (SN) explosions inside a pre-exiting bubble blown up by winds from massive stars, using one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations including radiative cooling and thermal conduction effects. First, the development of the wind bubble driven by collective winds from multiple stars during the main sequence is calculated. Then multiple SN explosion is loaded at the center of the bubble and the evolution of the SN remnant is followed for 106 years. We find the size and mass of the SN-driven shell depend on the structure of the pre-existing wind bubble as well as the total SN explosion energy. Most of the explosion energy is lost via radiative cooling, while about 10% remains as kinetic energy and less than 10% as thermal energy of the expanding bubble shell. Thus the photoionization and heating by diffuse radiation emitted by the shock heated gas is the most dominant form of SN feedback into the surrounding interstellar medium.

In the present study, electrospun PAN precursor webs and the stabilized and carbonized nanofiber webs processed under different heat-treatment conditions were characterized by means of weight loss measurement, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimentric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The result indicated that stabilization and carbonization processes with different temperatures and heating rates significantly influenced the chemical and morphological characteristics as well as the thermal properties of the stabilized and then subsequently carbonized nanofiber webs from PAN precursor webs. It was noted that the filament diameter and the carbon content of a carbonized nanofiber web as well as its weight change may be effectively monitored by controlling both stabilization and carbonization processes.

This study investigated how task involvement should be practiced to fulfill the theoretical assumptions of Task-Based Instruction (TBI). As the task involvement is to be understood as an indispensable component of TBI, how a high degree of task involvement can be secured and exerted in a most effective way was examined. Having analyzed the data obtained from questionnaire, interviews, reflection papers and proficiency tests, the study indicated that customized and timely feedback and comments on the learners’ performances as well as learners’ sense of responsibility were critical if the task involvement leads to desirable learning outcomes. The study also showed that consciousness-raising (CR) task originated from an authentic task was effective enough to help learners acquire linguistic knowledge in a contextual situation. It made suggestions for how to promote task involvement to better implement TBI, through which the learners can improve language proficiency fully taking advantage of their educational and cognitive experiences.