Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play essential roles in normal and pathophysiological function in liver. In steady state, HSCs contribute to retinoid storage, immune tolerance, and extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. Upon liver injury, they become activated and lead to morphological and functional changes. Studies have demonstrated that activation of HSCs by various stimuli such as toxins, microbial infection, or metabolic overload can promote the fibrotic changes in liver by production of ECM. Herein, we provide current knowledge about the basic characteristics of HSCs and the mechanism by which they are activated.

본 연구에서는 비브리오 패혈증 예방과 치료에 유용한 항생제를 제시하기 위해 V. vulnificus의 독소유전자 분포와 항생제 내성을 분석하였다. 2015년부터 2017년까지 3년간 전남지역에서 발생한 비브리오 패혈증 환자로부터 분리되어 보관된 18균주와 전남지역에서 채취된 어패류 및 횟집 수족관수에서 분리된 5균주, 총 23균주를 대상으로 하였다. 실험에 사용된 V. vulnificus 23균주 모두 V. vulnificus로 재확인되었다. V. vulnificus 균주의 독소유전자를 분석한 결과, 23균주 중 19균주(82.6%)에서 RtxA 독소 유전자가 확인되었고, 23균주 모두에서 viuB와 vvhA 독소 유전자가 검출되었다. 이러한 결과는 독소유전자의 검출율이 기존 보고에 비해 높은 것이며, 실험에 사용한 모든 V. vulnificus 균주가 1개 이상의 독소유전자를 보유한 것으로 생선회 섭취와 상처를 통한 비브리오 패혈증 감염의 위험성이 상존하고 있었다. 따라서 횟집 종사자 등에 대한 비브리오 패혈증 예방 교육이 필요한 것으로 판단되었다. V. vulnificus에 대한 항생제 내성 실험결과 cefoxitin 항생제에 94.4%가 내성을 나타내었고, chloramphenicol과 tetracycline 등 14종의 항생제에 감수성을 나타내었다. 비브리오 패혈증 치료에 chloramphenicol과 tetracycline 항생제를 사용하는 현 치료법이 유용한 것으로 판단되었다.

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of mulberry cake mixed diet on larval growth of Protaetia brevitarsis. As a result of adding mulberry cake to oak fermented sawdust and mulberry fermented sawdust, the survival rate of P. brevitarsis larvae were higher than those of the control when mass rearing larvae. When fed oak fermented sawdust with 3, 5% and 10% of mulberry cake, the cumulative proportion of larvae over 2.5g was 92.9% at 65 days, 90.8% at 55 days, and 96.3% at 45 days after rearing at 25±1℃, respectively. When fed mulberry fermented sawdust with 3%, 5% and 10% of mulberry cake, the cumulative proportion of larvae over 2.5g was 86.2% at 85 days, 90.7% at 75 days, and 91.5% at 75 days after rearing at 25±1℃, respectively.

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of mulberry leaf mixed diet on larval growth of Protaetia brevitarsis. As a result of adding mulberry leaves to oak fermented sawdust, the survival rate of P. brevitarsis larvae were higher than those of the control when mass rearing larvae. When fed oak fermented sawdust with 5%, 10% and 20% of mulberry leaves, the cumulative proportion of larvae over 2.5g was 93.1% at 65 days, 95.6% at 55 days, and 93.9% at 55 days after rearing at 25±1℃, respectively. Also, heavy metals were not detected in larvae of P. brevitarsis fed on mulberry leaves.

Melon thrips, Thrips palmi Karny (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a worldwide polyphagous pest. The management of this pest have mainly relied on chemical agents. However, the overuse is harmful to the environment and results in insects resistance. Therefore, alternative eco-friendly control methods that have different mode of action, such as biological control, are necessary to overcome the current issue. In this study, we isolated entomopathogenic fungi from Korean soil, and characterized them via morphological and molecular techniques and pathogenicity assay against Tenebrio molitor larvae. The isolated fungi were screened for virulence against T. palmi under laboratory conditions and the results were used to establish a thrips-pathogenic fungal library. The highly virulent isolates were selected and further characterized for optimum culture conditions and application as biopesticide in the field.

Developmental characteristics of immature stages of Ostrinia scapulalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), which is a main insect pest against legume crops, were investigated at constant temperatures to prepare fundamental data for integrated pest management. Egg, larva and pupa could survive at temperatures from 16oC to 36oC. Developmental periods of those stages became shorter with increasing temperature between 16 and 31oC, 16 and 36oC, and 16 and 34oC, respectively. The lower developmental thresholds and degree-days(DD) were determined as 13.0oC and 56.9DD, 13.8oC and 277.5DD, and 14.2oC and 90.8DD using a linear regression model between temperature and development rate. Other parameters for explaining development of this species were estimated using a few non-linear models for developmental rate, distribution, and survivorship.

A species of Beauveria bassiana is widely used for biological pest management in many countries. Many efforts have been given to figure out the clear fungal mode of action to enhance the insecticidal activity. Homologous recombination (knock-out) or hairpin RNA (knock-down) is popularly used in fungal gene function study, but gene cloning and generation of knock-out or -down mutants takes long time or temporarily knock-downed. Here in this work, we used previously generated egfp-expressing B. bassiana strain (Bb-egfp #3) and integrated dsegfp to the Bb-egfp #3 using a protoplast integration method. This work suggests that protoplast integration with dsRNA possibly generate significantly reduced gene expression in B. bassiana and the reduction is quite stable over generations which provide easy of functional study for fungal mode of action.

In order to develop the D. adamsi breeding technique that is highly likely to be used as an emotional pet insect, the results of the D. adamsi was collected in the large exhibition Jang Tae-san in Daejeon to the indoor breeding began to spawn after 10 days after the training, the egg laying period was 33.6 days, the average number of spawn per female was 27.7, and the period was 11.8 days. D. adamsi larvae bred with food of oak-boiled molted two times, the duration of 1st larvae development was 11.8 days, 2nd larvae 14.5 days, and the third larvae was 29.4, and the larvae were used to build houses using Masato(soil) and in the pupae, and then in April of the following year. D. adamsi has a characteristic to build a house with fallen leaves and spawn one or two eggs in the fallen leaves, and the results of the spawn mat test using fallen leaves, leaf mold and a sawdust, etc., and the number of spawn was high in the Masato was spread about 3 ~ 5cm, and a fallen leaves on a 10 cm or so, and the growth and survival rate of the larvae were also high. Larvae breeding density was 2 ~ 3 ℓ in the container size to raise the object was normal growth, the higher the density mortality was high and the growth was sluggish. Larvae feeding conditions were normally developed in dry fallen leaves and fermented fallen leaves, compared to the sterile fallen leaves, oak sawdust, sterile fallen leaves and oak sawdust was abnormal, the mortality rate was higher than 50%.