Entomopathogenic fungi have been widely studied for their potential as the effective biological control agents. They produce variety of secondary metabolites with insecticidal activities, and it is reasonable to assume that entomopathogenic fungi might produce secondary metabolites modulating juvenile hormone for their survival against defense mechanisms of host insect. In this study, Beauveria spp. and Lecanicillium spp. strains cultured on unpolished rice medium were extracted with acetone. Both extracts showed juvenile hormone antagonist (JHAN) activities in the yeast-two hybrid β-galactosidase assay. In addition, they showed high insecticidal activities against Aedes albopictus, Plutella xylostella, and Ostrinia furnacalis. These results suggested that secondary metabolites of entomopathogenic fungi could be useful for development of novel IGR insecticides.

This study evaluated the effects of TMC (trace mineral-fortified microbial culture) supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality parameters of Hanwoo steers during the last 4 months of finishing period. The TMC was a combination of 0.4% trace minerals, 20.0% Na-bentonite, and 79.6% feedstuffs, which was inoculated with a mixed microbial culture (Enterobacter ludwigii, Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Twenty-four steers were blocked by initial BW (634 ± 16 kg) and randomly allocated to one of two treatments (control vs. 3.3% TMC). The effect of TMC supplementation on the growth performance was not significant. There was no incidence of urolithiasis in TMCfed steers. However 3 out 12 steers (25%) fed the control diet were observed to have urinary calculi. The carcass yield and meat quality parameters were not affected by TMC supplementation, however marbling score was increased in TMC-fed steers (P = 0.08). There was no effect of TMC treatment on the chemical composition of longissimus dorsi muscle (LM). The TMC supplementation increased concentrations of manganese (P < 0.01), cobalt (P = 0.02), iron, and copper (P = 0.06) in LM. In conclusion, TMC treatment did not negatively affect growth performance and meat quality parameters, and positively affected the trace minerals profile of LM.

Distillers dried grain (DDG) and makgeolli spent grain (MSG) are agricultural by-product to produce alcoholic beverage. However, they are known to contain enough nutrients. Mealworm is a promising insect resource for an animal feed ingredient as well as alternative human food. With low cost, DDG and MSG were investigated as a feed ingredient for rearing high quality mealworms. DDG and MSG were mixed with wheat bran and compared to control feed (only wheat bran) for its effects on larval survivorship, larval weight, duration for larval development, pupation rate, and pupal weight. Adding DDG on wheat bran showed positive results for larval weight, duration for larval developmental period, and pupation rate. However, adding MSG made longer duration for larval development, but it also improved larval weight, pupal weight with more than 90% pupation rate. We confirmed that adding 30～50% of DDG or MSG to conventional wheat bran have a strong potential to replace the conventional wheat bran insect feed for quality insect production.

The house fly, Musca domestica L. is a serious cosmopolitan pest in livestock production systems. Poultry farmers employ various techniques to control them but rely heavily on the use of chemicals which has the serious drawback of the target pest becoming resistant. We have selected two native natural enemies in Gyeonggi area where selected for the biological control of the house fly. Carcinops pumilio (Erichson) (Coleoptera: Histeridae), commonly found in poultry manure, is an important predator of house fly eggs and larvae. The substitute food source was developed for the mass rearing of C. pumilio. Spalangia nigroaenea (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) not only parasitized the host to produce its progeny but also killed host pupae by feeding. The parasitoid induced mortality had an effect on the parasitoid-to-host density relationships.

For ex-vivo diabetic control, the voltammetric diagnosis of glucose (GU) was conducted with a modified carbon nanotube paste electrode, using handheld analytical circuits. The optimum analytical conditions were attained within the 0.5-4.0 ug/L working range and at the 0.06 ug/L detection limit, which system was interfaced to the feedback circuits and was applied to human urine for diabetic-patient diagnosis. It can be used for ex-vivo flow control analysis, vascular flow detection and other medicinal assays. The equations of the patients’ urine are y=36.65x+12.13 and R²=0.987, those of the healthy person of y= 2.5x+10.9 and R²=0.928 (patients: 118 ug/L; healthy person: 12.34 ug/L).

경기도 8개 지역에서 2010년부터 2012년 동안 식균성인 노랑무당벌레의 발생기주를 조사한 결과, 흰가루병에 감염된 12종의 식물에서 관찰 이 되었다. 특히 가장 밀도가 높았던 배과원에서 노랑무당벌레는 7월 상순부터 11월 상순까지 발견되었다. 식균성인 노랑무당벌레의 장내에서는 흰가루병 균사나 포자 외에 다른 먹이의 흔적이 발견되지 않았고, 알과 번데기를 제외한 전 발육단계에서 균을 섭식하는 특성을 볼 때 절대적 식균성 곤충으로 생각된다. 25℃에서 오이 흰가루병균을 섭식한 노랑무당벌레의 발육기간은 알, 유충, 번데기, 성충이 각각 3.9, 10.4, 4.1, 37.7일 이었고, 발육단계별 오이 흰가루병 섭식량은 45.6, 144.4, 372.2, 628.1, 473.7 mm 2로 4령, 성충, 3령, 2령, 1령 순으로 많았다. 본 연구를 통해 노랑무당벌 레의 오이 흰가루병에 대한 섭식능력을 바탕으로 향후 유용 토착천적으로써 대량사육기술, 저독성 약제 선발 등 작물 흰가루병 종합방제기술(IPM) 에 대한 연구가 필요하리라 사료된다.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) causes acute diarrhea and dehydration in pigs with high mortality. PEDV is belong to Coronavirus, enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus. PEDV particles were composed of four structure proteins such as a glycosylated peplomer (spike, S) protein, envelope (E), glycosylated membrane (M) protein, and unglycosylated RNA-binding nucleocapsid (N) protein. Many of previous studies talk about this four structure proteins have a great potential to diagnosis and prevent PEDV. In this study we investigated expression of these structure proteins using the bacterial and baculovirus expression system. In bacterial expression system, our results showed that structure proteins fused polyhedrin and intein gene were expressed higher than non-fusion structure proteins. The expressed fusion proteins were used to immune mice for generating a polyclonal antibodies. In baculovirus expression system, co-infection of insect cells with these four recombinant baculoviruses led to self-assembly of virus-like particles as demonstrated by Transmission electron microscopy. They were confirmed by western blot analysis using pre-made polyclonal antibodies. Finding in this study may provide important information for vaccine and diagnostic development.

Insects are among the most diverse groups of animals on the planet, representing more than half of all known living organisms. These insects are found in nearly every environment. Although humans regard certain insects as pests and attempt to control them using insecticides, most insects perform complex ecological functions, and provide either direct or indirect economic benefits to humans. Recently, the importance of insects used as food sources or as pets has increased in many countries, including Korea. In addition, several insects have a strong influence on people's emotion. Insect-mediated mental healthcare program is designed to help people who have disorders with physical, behavior and development. Children who have mental disorder, the experimental group that was provided with an insect-mediated mental healthcare program over a total of 8 sections, one section per week, 60 minutes per section, followed by pre-test and post-test. They responded to therapeutic effect after the completion of the program. Further research on the basis of this study is expected to help children with emotional therapy in other areas.

Bees of the genus Osmia are cavity-nesting solitary species that play important roles as pollinators. Nest traps are one of the most common methods to study Osmia bees. To elucidate the optimal environmental conditions of nesting sites, we investigated the effects of location, direction, altitude, and sites of nest traps on the rate of trap-nesting Osmia spp. During the collection period, the average rate of trap-nesting Osmia spp. collected within 90 days after the installation of traps was 17.0±20.0%. This percentage was 2.7-fold higher than that of trap-nesting bees in 30 days after the installation of traps. The Jeongseon location exhibited the highest rates of trap-nesting Osmia spp. collected in 30 and 90 days, representing 11.1 ±17.6% and 23.2±22.5%, respectively. The direction of the nest traps did not affect the rate of trap-nesting Osmia spp. The altitude ranges of the traps were 0-199 m, 200-399 m, 400-599 m, 600-799 m and over 800 m. Interestingly, the altitude range of 600-799 m showed the highest rate of trap-nesting bees, which was 40.4±3.9%. Higher altitudes seemed to correspond to higher rates of trap-nesting bees. With regards to the sites where the nests were placed, the rate of trap-nesting bees in a mud wall of an old house was 45.1±25.2%, which was 3-fold higher than that of a nest in an apple orchard. The flowering plants collected at different locations during the trap-nesting activity of Osmia bees belonged to 18 families and 34 species. In conclusion, the rates of trap nests colonized by Osmia spp. were affected by altitude, site, and plant diversity.

Insect is an important player in the ecosystem as a prey for animals. Moreover, they are a valuable candidate food source for rearing animal. Tenebrio molitor (Coeloptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae are known as a good food source with high protein, unsaturated fatty acid, minerals. Therefore, it has strong potential to substitute the conventional meat consumption. To utilize T. molitor as a feed, the standard mass-rearing protocol is required. To make standard mass-rearing protocol, we tested different temperature(17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5 and 30°C) conditions for egg, larvae, pupae and adult T. molitor to identify the optimal rearing condition. Hatching was occurred within 15~32.5°C range. However, 17.5~27.5°C was required to get more than 70 % hatching rete. When the eggs were treated in 22.5~27.5°C, all eggs were hatched within 10 days. As larval development, shorter developmental period, higher pupation and eclosion rates were observed within 25~27.5°C temperature range. In addition, we compared the number of egg, oviposition duration and time required to start egg-laying. The minimum egg-laying(258.40±10.86) was observed at 17.5°C, but the maximum(749.10±7.45) was at 27.5°C. The maximum oviposition duration (137.00±12.73 day (mean±S.D.)) was achieved at 27.5°C, but the minimum (87.50±3.54 day (mean±S.D.)) was at 30°C. The time required to start egg-laying was less than 10 days at 17.5, 27.5, and 30°C. To consider all the factors, we concluded that the optimal temperature is 27.5 °C.

The population of managed honey bees has been dramatically declining the recent past in worldwide. The one of most common disease of bees is nosemosis, the nosemosis is caused by microsporidia in the genus Nosema. Nosema apis and N. ceranae have been described as honeybee pathogens. These microsporidia are highly evoloved fungi with an obligately intracellular parasitic lifstyle. The disease causes significant detriment to honey production and results in economic losses. In our knowledge, Fumagillin is the only antibiotic approved for control of nosemosis in honey bees, however this antibiotic may have unintended effects on the honey bee host, ultimately contributing to increased prevalence and pathogenicity of Nosema. Therefore, we screened anti-Nosema substances from entomopathogenic fungal culture filtrates using in vitro polar tube germination assay. These fungal metabolites are employed as antibiotic agents. As results, Total 3 samples (23% of 13 total samples) showing the germinating inhibition against N. ceranae. This screening method may be useful for the detection of anti-Nosema substances from various samples and selected samples in this study may be a good feature to be used in the development of a new biocontrol method of nosemosis.

Today, mobile advertising is an important tool as interactive communication has a great potential to promote market sales. This study is to examine the effect of price perception on behavioral intention to use mobile phone-based promotions, and compare the differences in choice heuristics between levels of the intention to use mobile promotions. Multi-item scales for price perception, choice heuristics and mobile-based promotions were either developed in our qualitative study or adopted from existing scales in literatures (Lichtenstein, et al., 1993; Bettman & Park, 1980). Based on behavioral intention to use, mobile promotions were classified into three types, such as sales promotion, reward program and brand ads. All items were measured on a seven point rating scale (1=very unlikely, 7=very likely). A pilot study was conducted in which 97 female consumers who had ever redeemed mobile promotions for purchasing fashion products. Respondents were aged from 18 to 35 years (average age=23.6 years). Factor analysis revealed that price perception extracted three factors, such as price consciousness (items =4, Cronbach’s α=.90), coupon proneness (items =5, Cronbach’s α=.89), and sales proneness (items =4, Cronbach’s α=.89). Regression analysis was used to examine the effect of the price perceptional factors on use intentions for mobile promotions. For sales promotion, price consciousness (β=.27, p<.01) and coupon proneness had significant effects on intention to redeem for sales or coupon (F=13.59, p<.001, Adjusted R2=.29); price consciousness (β=.22, p<.05) and coupon proneness (β=.36, p<.01) significantly affected behavioral intention to participate in reward program (e.g., QR code events, point mileage, free gift, etc.) (F=10.34, p<.001, Adjusted R2=.23); and intention to use brand ads was significantly affected by sales proneness (β=.26, p<.05) and price consciousness (β=.24, p<.05; F=9.18, p<.001, Adjusted R2=.21). For purchasing in mobile context, consumer choice heuristic was consisted of five rules: compensatory, lexicographic, price-based conjunctive, affect-referral heuristic and sequent elimination in the mobile context. It is found that consumer choice rule was differed by intention to use mobile promotions. There was a significant difference in lexicographic (MLow=3.89, MHigh=4.63, t=-3.54, p<.01), price-based conjunctive (MLow=3.64, MHigh=4.13, t=-2.12, p<.05), and affect-referral heuristic (MLow=3.31, MHigh=4.02, t=-2.95, p<.01) between high and low levels of use intention for redemption for sales or coupon; for reward program, there was significant difference in price-based conjunctive (MLow=3.45, MHigh=4.27, t=-3.72, p<.001) or sequent elimination (MLow=4.39, MHigh=5.00, t=-2.13, p<.05) between the high and low levels of use intention. Also, there was a significant difference in price-based conjunctive rule between high and low levels of use intention for brand ads (MLow=3.49, MHigh=4.30, t=-3.76, p<.001). The findings extended a consumer choice model under mobile promotional stimuli and discussed a managerial implication to build effective promotional strategy in the context of mobile commerce..

This study is the first report about the toxicity of pesticides to the mycophagous predator, I. koebelei, of powdery mildew of agricultural crops. Pesticides we tested are composed of synthetic and environmental-friendly products and being used conventionally for the control of insect or microbial pests on cucumber in Korea. our study was conducted to determine the relative toxicities of several pesticides used in Korea cucumber production to mycophagous natural enemy, I. koebelei and to provide a background for implementation of integrated powdery mildew management programs. Based on IOBC classification, three insecticides, bifenthrin + imidacloprid, acetamiprid + indoxacarb, acetamiprid + etopheprox are classified as having a Class 4 (harmful). Spiromesifen showed the low toxicity to the survival and the fecundity of I. koebelei when this chemical had been exposed to 3rd larva or newly emerged adult via feeding with cucumber powdery mildew. However, pyriproxyfen not only decreased the fecundity of female adult but also strongly prohibited from pupation. Many commercial biological or botanical pesticides can restrict the population of I. koebelei. However, Q pact (a.i. Ampelomyces quisqualis 94013), Top seed (a.i. Paenibacillus polymyxa AC-1), BT one (Bacillus thuringiensis) and Solbitchae (insecticidal microorganism) had no toxicity to I. koebelei when this chemical had been exposed to 3rd larva or newly emerged adult feeding with cucumber powdery mildew.