Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces a variety of insecticidal crystal proteins and widely used as one of the most successful biological control agents. Recently, studies that introduce cry genes into crops to create pest resistance have made much progress, and the total area of land planted with Bt crops has increased substantially. In this study, pest resistance of 8 transgenic Bt rice events with a synthetic cry1Ac gene linked to rice rbcS-tp sequence were assessed under laboratory conditions. Bioassays were performed against Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, which is a significant pest of rice in Asia. C. medinalis larvae were shown to be susceptible to all eight events, even though there were differences between the causes of death. The results differed between developmental stages of the larvae, despite the fact that all 8 events led to high mortalities. These results may be a significant foundation for the evaluation of improved transgenic Bt rice.

‘Mantari’ is a new variety of oyster mushroom for the bottle culture. It was bred by mating with monokaryons isolated from ‘DM11732’ and ‘Chunchu-2ho’. The optimum temperature for the mycelial growth was 26~29°C on PDA medium and that for the primordia formation and the growth of fruiting body of ‘Mantari’ was 18°C and 16°C on sawdust media. It took 32 days to finish spawn running, 4 days to finish primordia formation, 3 days to finish fruitbody growth in the bottle culture. In the characteristics of fruit body, pilei were round type and dark grayish, stipe color was gray-white color and stipe shape was long and thin. The yield per bottle was 179g/900ml and was 5% higher than that of control veriety(Chunchu-2ho). As results of the physical properties of fruit body, springness, cohesive, gumminess and brittleness of stipe tissue were 96%, 76%, 160g and 15kg, respectively.

Nanosized zeolites were prepared in an autoclave using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH), and H2O, at various hydrothermal synthesis temperatures. Using transmission electron microscopy and particle size analysis, the nanopowder particulate sizes were revealed to be 10-300 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the synthesized nanopowder was silicalite-1 zeolite. Using atomic layer deposition, the fabricated zeolite nanopowder particles were coated with nanoscale TiO2 films. The TiO2 films were prepared at 300 oC by using Ti[N(CH3)2]4 and H2O as precursor and reactant gas, respectively. In the TEM analysis, the growth rate was ~0.7 Å/cycle. Zeta potential and sedimentation test results indicated that, owing to the electrostatic repulsion between TiO2-coated layers on the surface of the zeolite nanoparticles, the dispersibility of the coated nanoparticles was higher than that of the uncoated nanoparticles. In addition, the effect of the coated nanoparticles on the photodecomposition was studied for the irradiation time of 240 min; the concentration of methylene blue was found to decrease to 48%.

The antioxidant capacities, total phenolic contents (TPC), and total quercetin contents (TQC) of a red (Chenjujuck), a yellow (Sunpower), and a white (Grasier) onion cultivar were determined in this study. Onion was separated into edible portion and dry skin. In the case of edible portion, the yellow onion had the highest antioxidant activity, followed by the red onion. The white onion showed neither antioxidant activity nor quercetin compounds. On the other hand, the dry skin of the red onion showed higher antioxidant activity than yellow onion skin. The white onion skin had slight antioxidant activity, low TPC, and no quercetin compounds. In addition, the flavonoid compounds of the edible portion and dry skins of these colored onions were analyzed by UFLC(ultra-fast liquid chromatography). The major compounds were quercetin 3,4-diglucoside and quercetin 4- glucoside in yellow and red onion edible portion, whereas the major compounds in yellow and red onion skins were quercetin 4- glucoside, quercetin, and quercetin 3,4-diglucoside.

Recently, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cry genes encoding insecticidal Cry proteins have been widely applied for the construction of transgenic crops resistant to insect pests. This study aimed to construct novel mutant cry1Ac genes for genetically modified crops with enhanced insecticidal activities. Using multi-site directed mutagenesis, 34 mutant cry1Ac genes were synthesized and converted at 24 amino acid residues, located on domain I (8 residues) and domain II (16 residues). These mutant genes were expressed as a fusion protein with polyhedrin using the baculovirus expression system. The expressed proteins were occluded into polyhedra and activated stably to 65 kDa by trypsin. Among these, Mut-N04, N06, and N16 showed high levels of insecticidal activites against larvae of Plutella xylostella, Spodoptera exigua, and Ostrinia furnacalis. Mut-N16, which showed the highest insecticidal activity, is expected to be a desirable cry gene for introduction into transgenic crops. This study could provide useful means to construct mutant cry genes with improved insecticidal activities and expanded host spectrum for transgenic crops.

The study was conducted to determine greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories in grasslands. After ‘Low Carbon Green Growth’ was declared a national vision on 2008, Medium-term greenhouse gas reduction was anticipated for 30% reduction compared to Business As Usual (BAU) by 2020. To achieve the reduction targets and prepare to enforce emissions trading (2015), national GHG inventories were measured based on the 1996 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Guidelines (IPCC GL). The national Inventory Report (NIR) of Korea is published every year. Grassland sector measurement was officially added in 2014. GHG removal of grassland soil was measured from 1990 to 2012. Grassland area data of Korea was used for farmland area data in the「Cadastral Statistical Annual Report (1976~2012)」. Annual grassland area corresponding to the soil classification was used「Soil classification and commentary in Korea (2011)」. Grassland area was divided into ‘Grassland remaining Grassland’ and ‘Land converted to Grassland’. The accumulated variation coefficient was assumed to be the same without time series changes in grassland remaining grassland. Therefore, GHG removal of soil carbon was calculated as zero (0) in grassland remaining grassland. Since the grassland area increases constantly, the grassland soil sinks constantly . However, the land converted to grassland area continued to decrease and GHG removal of soil carbon was reduced. In 2012 (127.35Gg CO2), this removal decreased by 76% compared to 1990 (535.71 Gg CO2). GHG sinks are only grasslands and woodlands. The GHG removaled in grasslands was very small, accounting for 0.2% of the total. However, the study provides value by identifying grasslands as GHG sinks along with forests.

This study was carried out survey to compare using status of physical therapy for elderly persons between urban and rural area in Honam. There were 16 places consisting of general clinics, departments of family medicine, pain medicine, and orthopedics that run outpatient physical therapy. This study distributed 636 questionnaires in total and collected 400 responses. Regionally, 200 responses out of 311 questionnaires from Gwangju and 200 responses out of 325 questionnaires from Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do were collected. Regionally speaking, Gwangju was 62% while Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do regions were 88%, indicating patients in rural areas employed more public transportation, which was statistically significantly different. There was a difference between urban and rural areas with regard to questions regarding improvement with physical therapy. Factors related to the number of physical therapy visits per week that showed a significant difference between urban and rural areas found by the linear regression analysis result were working hours, whether the patient exercised or not, and pain stress. This result suggest that it is necessary to reduce working hours and pain stress experienced by rural elderlies as well as to encourage regular exercise via national polices.

본 연구는 방울토마토의 MA 저장시 저장기간 연장과 품질 유지를 위한 비천공 breathable 필름 종류를 구명하고자 진행되었다. 강원도에 위치한 플라스틱 하우스에서 수경재배한 토마토를 담적색기에 수확하여 5oC, 11oC, 그리고 24oC에서 산소투과도가 각기 다른 비천공 breathable 필름(10,000; 20,000; 40,000; 60,000; 80,000; 100,000 cc/m2.day.atm)과 천공필름으로 포장하여 저장하였다. 저장 중 생체중 감소율은 세가지 온도 모두에서 모든 비천공 breathable 필름처리구에서는 0.6%미만이었으나, 천공필름은 5oC는 2.93%, 11oC는 13.29%, 그리고 24oC에서는 27.24%에 달하였다. 포장내 이산화탄소와 산소 농도를 볼 때 5oC와 11oC에서 20,000 cc 필름, 24oC에서 40,000 cc 필름이 MA 조건에 근접한 수치를 보였다. 에틸렌 농도는 산소투과도가 가장 낮은 10,000 cc에서 모든 온도에서 가장 높았다. 저장 중 외관상 품질과 최종일에 측정한 경도와 당도는 5oC와 11oC의 20,000 cc 필름, 24oC의 40,000 cc 필름이 높은 수치를 나타내었다. 그러나 산도와 비타민 C 함량은 필름처리에 대한 일정한 경향을 보이지 않았다. 이상의 결과로 보았을 때, MA 저장시 포장내 대기조성과 저장 종료일의 과실 품질 등을 비교한 결과 방울토마토는 5oC와 11oC에서 20,000 cc 필름, 24oC에서는 40,000 cc 필름이 적합하였다.

Mealworms, Tenebrio molitor (L.) is used as an important animal feed additive for growth promotion and health management, but potentially exposes to fungal infection. In this work, virulence of two species of entomopathogenic fungi against the insect, and the relationship between abiotic features and virulence were investigated. Secondly our consideration was also given to the effect of chemical fungicides on conidial germination for risk control. Between Beauveria bassiana (Bb) and Metarhizium roberstii (Mr) (previously M. anisopliae), Bb isolates had much higher virulence (~100% mortality in 3~4 days after the treatment), rather than Mr isolates in laboratory assays. Next, fungus-treated mealworms were kept at wheat bran at 20, 25, 30 and 35℃ with 3, 6, 9 times of water spray to the feeds for set-up of different humidity conditions. Inoculation of fungi to mealworms was conducted by fungal spray and feeding methods, which resulted in higher virulence in feeding method. In the feeding method, all temperature treatments except 35℃ showed high virulence against mealworms, but any significant relationship between virulence and humidity was not observed. In the chemical fungicide screening, fluazinam (CAS No. 79622-59-6) and mancozeb (8018-01-7) significantly inhibited the germination of Bb and Mr conidia. This work suggest that contamination of wheat bran with fungal pathogens, particularly B. bassiana may induce mycosis of mealworms, but introduction of effective fungicides possibly reduce fungal infection.

Methanol as a carbon source in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene has an advantage over methane and hydrogen in that we can avoid optimizing an etching reagent condition. Since methanol itself can easily decompose into hydrocarbon and water (an etching reagent) at high temperatures [1], the pressure and the temperature of methanol are the only parameters we have to handle. In this study, synthetic conditions for highly crystalline and large area graphene have been optimized by adjusting pressure and temperature; the effect of each parameter was analyzed systematically by Raman, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, atomic force microscope, four-point-probe measurement, and UV-Vis. Defect density of graphene, represented by D/G ratio in Raman, decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing pressure; it negatively affected electrical conductivity. From our process and various analyses, methanol CVD growth for graphene has been found to be a safe, cheap, easy, and simple method to produce high quality, large area, and continuous graphene films.

본 연구는 베트남 하노이 지역에서 8가지 한국 토마토 품종 (핑크탑, 큐피랑, 슈퍼도태랑, 선레드, 선글러브, TP-7 플러스, 러블리 250, 광복)과 1가지 베트남 품종(FM 120)을 대상으로 봄-여름 및 가을-겨울 작기에 따른 수확량 및 과실 특성을 비교 분석하였으며, 그 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. 작기에 따라 초장, 경장, 주당 과실수 및 수확량(kg)은 유의성이 있었으며 가을-겨울 작기에서 높게 나타났다. 전체적으로 한국품종이 베트남 품종에 비해 높은 생육특성을 보인 반면, 과실수와 수확량에서는 베트남 품종이 우수하였다. 2. 토마토 과실의 주요 특성인 과장, 과폭 및 과중은 작기에 따라 유의한 차이를 보였으며 가을-겨울 작기에서 높은 수치를 나타내었지만 TSS 함량은 봄-여름 작기에서 높았다. 건물중과 비타민C 함량은 작기에 따라 유의한 차이가 없었다. 품종별 과실 특성은 한국 품종이 우수하였지만 비타민C 함량은 베트남 품종이 높았다. 3. 봄-여름 작기에서 한국품종의 경우 수확량 및 과실특성에서 가을-겨울 작기 재배에 비해 큰 감소를 보인 반면 베트남 품종은 큰 차이를 보이지 않았다. 따라서 본 실험에 이용된 8가지 한국 품종의 경우 봄-여름 작기보다는 가을-겨울 작기 재배가 적합할 것으로 판단된다.

Probiotics, enzymes, organic acids, oligosaccharides, antioxidants, and other functional materials are actively being explored as alternatives to antibiotics. Probiotics include live beneficial microorganisms that colonize the intestinal tract and competitively inhibit attachment and growth of harmful microbes. Probiotics also increase feed efficiency by assisting in nutrient absorption and digestion. The current study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of a new probiotic, CS-A, as a dietary supplement of a fermented product on growth performance, feed intake, and feed conversion efficiency in broiler chickens, and to evaluate its value as an alternative for antibiotics used as a feed additive. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects of CS-A were investigated in vitro and the in vivo effects of a constant concentration of supplemented CS-A on growth rate and feed efficiency were evaluated. In addition, the safety of CS-A was assessed by examination of common symptoms and mortality. Determination of minimal inhibitory concentration revealed an excellent antibacterial effect of CS-A. Cytotoxicity was low and anti-inflammatory effects were achieved at the effective concentration of CS-A. Supplementation with 0.1% CS-A resulted in a feed efficiency score of 1.84 in broilers, compared to 2.00 in the control group. There were no adverse clinical findings, necropsy findings, hematology, and altered serum biochemistry parameters, and no mortality. Thus, it is concluded that CS-A is safe and effective as a feed additive.

Acteoside acts as an anti-oxidative activity and anti-apoptosis in the cells. But, it has been not studied on maturation and development of porcine oocytes. The aims of the present study were to examine the effects of acteoside on the morphological progress of meiosis, developmental competence, and ROS in porcine oocytes. Oocytes were matured in tissue culture medium-199, supplemented with acteoside at various concentrations: 0 (control), 10, 30 and 50 μM. The oocytes maturation rates of groups supplemented with acteoside were no significantly different (81.13, 85.96, 82.95 and 83.68%, respectively). Level of ROS was significantly decreased in acteoside treated group. Furthermore, the parthenogenetic blastocyst rate was significantly improved in 10 μM acteoside treated group compared with control group (44.83 vs. 27.75%). And we investigated effect of acteoside on the oocytes condition represented by cytoplasmic maturation by homogeneous distribution and formation of cytoplasmic organelles and regulation of apoptosis-related genes. In the results. during IVM, 10 μM acteoside treated oocytes showed that the mitochondria and lipid droplet were smaller and homogeneous distribution in cytoplasm compare with control oocytes. And reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) of parthenogenetic blstocysts revealed that acteoside increased the anti-apoptotic genes (Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL), whereas reduced the expression of pro-apoptotic genes (Bax and Bak). In conclusion, based on the results, the effect of acteoside on IVM was not attractive. However, in acteoside treated group, cytoplasmic maturation seemed to be improved with morphologically uniform distribution of cytoplasmic organelles. Furthermore, embryonic development in acteoside treated group was significantly highly increased than that of non-treated group. Our results represents that addition of acteoside to the IVM medium has a beneficial effect in physiology of porcine oocytes, providing a improved method for porcine oocytes in vitro. * This work was supported by a grant (Code# PJ008148) from BioGreen21 Program, Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

The Samia cynthia ricini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is a commercial silk-producing insect belonging to an insect family Saturniidae in Bombycoidea. The species that has presumably been originated in India, is distributed in India, China, and Japan. Unlikely domestic silkworm the prime host plant for the species is a castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis in Euphorbiaceae). Recently, the eri-silkworm also is reared in Korea and is expected to be utilized for a diverse purpose. In this report, we present the complete mitochondrial genome of the species with the emphasis of a few major characteristics. The 15,384-bp long S. cynthia ricini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) mitochondrial genome was amplified into three long overlapping fragments (from COI ~ ND4, ND5 ~ lrRNA, and lrRNA ~ COI) and subsequent several short fragments using the long fragments as temperate. The primers for both long and short fragments were designed solely for lepidopteran genomes, without any species-specific primers. As a usual the genome is composed of 37 genes: 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes, and one large non-coding region termed the A+T-rich region. Arrangement of the genome is identical to those of other lepidopteran mitochondrial genome, but this differs from the common arrangement found in a diverse insect order, by the movement of tRNAMet to a position 5’- up stream of tRNAIle. Unlikely previous report on the start codon for COI gene in Lepidoptera S. cynthia ricini COI gene starts with typical ATT codon located between tRNATyr and the beginning region of COI gene. The 22 tRNAs that are interspersed throughout the mitogenome ranged in length from 62 to 71 bp. All tRNAs but tRNASer(AGN) were shown to be folded into the expected cloverleaf secondary structures. More detailed structural and phylogenetic analyses among Bombycidae and Saturniidae in connection with other families in the Bombycoidea will be performed soon