Teratocytes (TCs) are the cells derived from the embryonic serosal membrane of some parasitic hymenopteran insects. As a parasitic factor, TCs are multifunctional in host regulation by inducing nutritional, immune, and developmental alterations. However, little is understood about their genetic constituents. This study reveals a comprehensive view of the genes expressed by TCs through a transcriptome analysis based on RNAseq technology. More than 6.29 Gb sequences were used to assemble 34,686 contigs (>200 bp) and annotated into different functional categories. The TC transcriptome profile was clearly distinct from those of hemocytes and the fat body. The TC transcriptome contained components of insulin signaling and biosynthesis of juvenile hormone and 20-hydroxyecdysone. TCs also expressed various groups of digestive enzymes, supporting its nutritional role for the growing parasitoid larvae in parasitism. Furthermore, this transcriptome analysis annotated two kinds of immunosuppressive serine protease inhibitors (serpins) and Rho GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAPs). To determine the biological functions of these factors, we devised ex vivo RNA interference (RNAi) by conducting knockdown of gene expression in in vitro cultured TCs followed by injection of the treated TCs to test insects. Ex vivo RNAi revealed that some serpins and RhoGAPs expressed in TCs inhibited host cellular immunity. This study reports a transcriptome of the unique TC animal cell, and its immunosuppressive genetic factors using ex vivo RNAi technology.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has so far two significant COPs in Asia: COP5 in Kushiro, Japan in 1993 and COP10 in Changwon, South Korea, in 2008. The Convention itself is an intergovernmental mechanism. 　 However, the mission of the Convention – conservation of wetlands and wetland resources – can only be achieved by participation of local municipalities and people. Besides, the Ramsar Convention has another unique aspect compared with other biodiversity-related treaties/conventions: it is created by NGOs and still located within an international NGO, namely IUCN. Therefore, it is crucial for wetland conservation to promote partnerships between the central government and local government as well as among people, NGOs and private sectors. Experiences of the Ramsar Kushiro Conference tell us that two factors are important to make real local participation possible: 1) CEPA; and 2) sense of meaningfulness. If you don’t know the purpose of the Convention and the COP, you are hardly interested in its preparation. So somebody should prepare some handy promotional kits for people to understand the purpose of conservation. We compiled various materials, requested experts/scientists to deliver lectures for teachers, taxi drivers, restaurants owners and waiters, hotel receptionists and kids. If possible, it is desirable to have a series of articles on local and national newspapers. You did attend the Conference, but once it’s over you tend to forget everything? If you feel you did contribute to something meaningful, you would like to continue doing something for it. In case of Kushiro City, it established the Kushiro International Wetland Center in early 1995. KIWC functions as a network of various wetland centers in the Kushiro region. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and KIWC have organized many international training courses not only for wetland managers but also for other conservation-related personnel. JICA has signed an MoU with the Ramsar Secretariat, and KIWC will host the EAAFP (East Asia - Australasian Flyway Partnership) meeting early next year. These efforts have been carried out for twenty years and will continue for future generations.

A supercritical carbon dioxide (SCC) process of dispersion of multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNTs) into epoxy resin has been developed to achieve MWCNT/epoxy com-posites (CECs) with improved mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. The synthesis of CECs has been executed at a MWCNT (phr) concentration ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 into epoxy resin (0.1 mol) at 1800 psi, 90°C, and 1500 rpm over 1 h followed by curing of the MWCNT/epoxy formulations with triethylene tetramine (15 phr). The effect of SCC treat-ment on the qualitative dispersion of MWCNTs at various concentrations into the epoxy has been investigated through spectra analyses and microscopy. The developed SCC assisted process provides a good dispersion of MWCNTs into the epoxy up to a MWCNT concentra-tion of 0.2. The effects of SCC assisted dispersion at various concentrations of MWCNTs on modificationof mechanical, thermal, dynamic mechanical thermal, and tribological proper-ties and the electrical conductivity of CECs have been investigated.

Since Montreal protocol in1989 designated MB(methyl bromide) as ozone depleting chemicals, IPPC(International Plant Protection Convention) has adopted replacing the MB with alternative chemical and reducing the rate of MB use in plant quarantine in 2008. Pineapples are one of the most frequently fumigated imported fruit with MB in Korea. However, there was no technically available replacement. Therefore, we evaluated phosphine(PH3) fumigation as alternative to MB in applying pineapples. In the preliminary test, PH3 gas in 12L desicators to calculate ranged to 0.1 from 2g/m3 was tested at 2 and 24hr exposure to target pest, citrus mealy bug(CMB, Planococcus citri). All different of stage of CMB was shown 100% mortality when 2g/m3 of PH3 applied for 24hrs at 8℃. To confirm studies designed in 0.5m3 fumigation chamber, all egg, nymph and adult stages of CMB was killed completely and there wasn’t any phytotoxic and quality damages on pineapples for 2 weeks post-fumigation periods at 8℃. In terms of commercial use, further commercial research will need to be carry out in cooperation with importers and fumigators.

The purpose of this study was attempted to new methods in mammalian embryos vitrification. This method was affected to increase of the embryo vitrification efficiency and it would be applied to the field of embryo transfer to recipient by modified loading method of embryo into 0.25 ml plastic straw. The frozen mouse embryos were carried out warmed from two different cell stages (8-cell and blastocyst, respectively) by attachment of an embryo in the vitrification straw (aV) method. All groups were cultured in M-16 medium to determine the development and survivability for 24 h, respectively. Results shown that, the survivability of two different groups were significantly different (94.8% vs. 70.9%). Total cell number was not significantly different the non-frozen blastocyst (99.7 ± 12.4) compared to the post-thaw blastocyst (94.8 ± 15.1). From the 8-cell embryo, total cell number of frozen blastocysts were significantly lower than others groups (74.7 ± 14.6, p<0.05). In the case of cell death analysis, the blastocysts from non-frozen and frozen-thawed 8-cell group were not different (0.0 ± 0.0 vs. 1.9 ± 3.1, p>0.05). However, the apoptotic nuclei of blastocyst were significantly observed the frozen-thawed group (5.4 ± 4.4) compared to non-frozen group (p<0.05). Therefore, this new method of embryos using in-straw dilution and direct transfer into other species would be more simple procedure of embryo transfer rather than step-wise dilution method and cryopreservation vessels, so we can be applied in animal as well as human embryo cryopreservation in further.

The research assesses the impact of a digital procurement (e-purjee) system for sugarcane growers in Bangladesh. The system itself is simple, transmitting purchase orders to local farmers via SMS text notifi cation. It replaces a traditional paper-based system fraught with low reliability and delivery delays. Applying expected value theory, and using decision tree representations to depict growers’ decision-making complexity in an information-asymmetric environment, we compute outcomes for the strategies and sub-strategies of ICT vs. traditional paper-based order management from the sugarcane growers’ perspective. The study results show that the digital procurement system outperforms the paper-based system by tangibly reducing growers’ economic losses. The digital system also appears to benefit growers non-monetarily, because of reduced uncertainty and a higher level of perceived fairness. Sugarcane growers appear to value the non-monetary benefi ts even higher than the economic advantages of the e-purjee system.

Riptortus pedestris (F.) inflict losses on a wide range of crop plants. Biological control is an alternative approach to reduce the bean bug population. Scelionid Gryon japonicum (Ashmead) and Encyrtid Ooencyrtus nezarae Ishii are the major egg parasitoids of R. pedestris. The aggregation pheromone of R. pedestris serves as a kairomone to its egg parasitoids. A new tool was developed using aggregation pheromone in a trap which attracts both con-specific bugs and the parasitoids. Non viable host eggs were added with the trap so as to provide resource for the attracted parastioids to multiply. Several studies were conducted to develop this new tool for trapping of the bugs and enhancing parasitism simultaneously. Aggregation pheromone trap added with host eggs was found to increase temporal parasitism in field by 44% compared to the parasitism without host eggs. Higher parasitism (up to 91%) was found in the sites where aggregation pheromone trap added with host eggs was installed compared to control sites. In order to improve this tool, a new device with twelve sections to hold eggs and to be attached to the pheromone trap was designed to provide maximum exposure of the eggs to the parasitoids and to minimize the competition among the parasitoids. Parasitism and number of female R. pedestris trapped in new device attached trap were higher compared to the conventional. With better performance in trapping R. pedestris and enhancing parasitism, the tool would serve as an IPM technique that targets killing the pest and enhancing activity of the pest’s natural enemy simultaneously.

근내지방도(IMF)가 한우육의 품질 및 기능성분에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위하여, 250두의 한우를 근내지방 함량 에 따라 Low(<14%, n=96), Medium(14～17%, n=83), High(>17%; n=71) 세 그룹으로 분류하고, 7일간 숙성 후 등심육의 품질 및 기능성분을 분석하였다. 한우 등심육의 수분 함량은 IMF와 반비례하였으며, High IMF 그룹은 Low IMP 그룹 에 비하여 낮은 드립 감량을 나타내었다. 기능성 didpeptide 함량은 IMF에 따라 유의적 차이가 없었으나, High IMF 그룹은 다른 그룹보다 낮은 inosine monophosphate, 높은 hypoxanthine, 낮은 histidine 함량은 나타내었다. 불포화지방산 의 비율은 IMF에 따라 유의적 차이가 없었다. 저지방육의 건강지향적 가치를 고려할 때 지나친 IMF를 목표로 하는 육종 및 사양은 지양되어야 할 것으로 판단되었다.

근적외선 흡수 물질은 근적외선 이미징에 사용가능한 물질이며 최근에는 바이오 이미징, 유기태양전지 효율 향상을 목적으로 활용 범위가 확장되고 있다. 근적외선 흡수 물질은 π-conjugation system을 가지고 있으며 전자가 비편재화 되어 밴드갭이 작을수록 장가장 빛을 흡수한다. 주요 물질군으로는 유기 단분자 물질인 Polymethine, Phthalocyanine, Porphyrin 계 물질과 고분자인 Poly(thiophene), Poly(selenophene) 이 있으며, 유기 단분자 소재는 용매에 잘 녹으며 흡수 밴드가 Sharp 하고 고분자 소재는 용매에 잘 녹지 않으며 흡수 밴드가 Broad 한 특징이 있다. 최근 근적외선 응용 관련 분야의 대표적인 선도 연구로는 세포 이미징, 세포치료, 유기태양전지가 있다.

During the past decades, the island city of Jeju, through considerable multi- sectoral efforts, has grown to be a shining example of an environmental hub model. The origin of Jeju’s growth as a global environmental hub can be traced primarily to two major characteristics: 1. The willingness of the people of Jeju to share their island’s vibrant cultural heritage and unique natural beauty with the rest of the world, and 2. The tireless endeavors of Jeju Special Self-GoverningProvince to manage Jeju’s environment, and share its environmental best practices to urban centers across the world. These endeavors are expressed as the principal of policy that conservation is prior to development. In order to achieve its goal of a World Environmental Hub status, Jeju Special Self- Governing Province is promoting 1) institutional strategies, 2) supplementation of its existing master plan, and 3) restructuration of existing social system. The first includes the promotion of this project on a joint base with IUCN and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, establishment of head office of world environmental hub promotion in Jeju Governmental organization, and enactment of world environmental hub special law by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. The second is considering collaborations with the members of IUCN commissions, domestic experts, and consultants who will be recruited from overseas. The third is for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the master plan through the restructuring of exiting socio-economic system to a new one focusing on maximizing the eco-efficiency and environ- mentally friendly behavior.