Riptortus pedestris possesses Burkholderia as gut symbiont in a symbiotic organ M4 midgut. To answer why Burkholderia symbionts are not eliminated by Riptortu s immune responses, we developed two hypotheses: (i) Burkholderia symbionts do not activate host innate immunity, or (ii) Burkholderia symbionts are resistant to th e host immune responses. For the first hypothesis, we compared the antimicrobial activities of the cultured Burkholderia-injected hemolymph and symbiotic Burkhol deria-injected hemolymphs. As a result, the symbiotic Burkholderia induced antim icrobial activity like the cultured Burkholderia, indicating the symbiotic cells are st ill immunogentic to host. However, when the activated hemolymph was treated to the Burkholderia cells, the symbiotic Burkholderia showed much higher susceptibi lity than the cultured Burkholderia. To understand molecular basis of these results, we purified antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from Riptortus hemolymph. Similarly, the symbiotic Burkholderia exhibited the high susceptibility to the purified AMPs, riptocin and rip-defensin. To understand how symbiotic Burkholderia can survive in host in spite of their immuno-susceptibility, we examined the AMP expression i n the M4 midgut. Interestingly, the expression of AMPs is suppressed in the M4 mi dgut in comparison to that of the fat body. Finally, we proposed that the immuno-su sceptibility of Burkholderia symbiont helps them to retain in the symbiotic organ. Our in vivo data showing the rapid clearance of the symbiotic Burkholderia after inj ection to host Riptortus supports our proposal.

The Riptortus-Burkholderia symbiosis is a newly emerging insect-bacterium symbiotic system. This symbiosis system has a good merit as an experimental model system to produce the non-symbiotic (apo) and symbiotic (sym) host insect. In recent reported papers, the symbionts play important biological roles for the host insects. Meanwhile, juvenile hormone (JH) is one of major hormone synthesized corpora allata(CA) to control many physiology of insect. However, the study for cross-talk mechanism between symbionts and host hormones to control important physiological phenomenon of insects is almost none. In this study, we found that Riptortus speed up adult emerging and increase egg laying on presence of symbiont Burkholderia. Also we found that hexamerin proteins, which were controlled the expression by JH, were accumulated in sym-Riptortus hemolymph compare with apo-Riptortus. According as combined results, we hypothesized that the gut symbiont Burkholderia can control JH titer to conclude out beneficial effects such as development and reproduction of R. pedestris. To verify this hypothesis, we examined measurement of JH titer, expression of hexamerins as JH response genes and RNAi for hexamerin protein during whole Riptortus life on presence or absence of symbiont Burkholderia. All results demonstrated that gut symbiont controlled JH titer of Riptortus. Controlled JH amount by symbiont Burkholderia in host midgut regulated hexamerin protein expression for speeding up adult emerging and increasing egg production.

The centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans has been a medically important arthropod species by using it as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In this study, we derived a novel lactoferricin B like peptide (LBLP) from the whole bodies of adult centipedes, S. s. mutilans, and investigated the antifungal effect of LBLP. LBLP exerted an antifungal and fungicidal activity without hemolysis. To investigate the antifungal mechanism of LBLP, a membrane study with propidium iodide was first conducted against Candida albicans. The result showed that LBLP caused fungal membrane permeabilization. The assays of the three dimensional flow cytometric contour plot and membrane potential further showed cell shrinkage and membrane depolarization by the membrane damage. Finally, we confirmed the membrane-active mechanism of LBLP by synthesizing model membranes, calcein and FITC-dextran loaded large unilamellar vesicles. These results showed that the antifungal effect of LBLP on membrane was due to the formation of pores with radii between 0.74 nm and 1.4 nm. In conclusion, this study suggests that LBLP exerts a potent antifungal activity by pore formation in the membrane, eventually leading to fungal cell death.

This study has investigated the effect of isometric contractile force and muscle activity applying sperficial heat according to the time from the biceps brachii muscle. In this study, 20 university students participants without musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. By applying a hot pack 5min, 10min, 20min and 30min respectively. After that measurement are skin temperature, contractile force and muscle activity. Skin temperature of the hot 5 min applied that rapidly changing. Increasing the time it takes to apply a variance has been reduced(p<.001). Isometric contractile force was not statistically significant but highest when applying the hot pack 5 minutes and lowest when applying the hot pack 30 minutes(p<.001). Muscle activity and median frequency was highest when applying the hot pack 5 minutes. To analyze the above results, it was found that isometric contractile force and muscle activity changed according to the applying time. These result lead us to the conclusion that this study will be more evidence for changes in muscle contraction to apply hot pack on clinic.

Suspension culture is a useful tool for culturing embryonic stem (ES) cells in large-scale, but the stability of pluripotency and karyotype has to be maintained in vitro for clinical application. Therefore, we investigated whether the chromosomal abnormality of ES cells was induced in suspension culture or not. The ES cells were cultured in suspension as a form of aggregate with or without mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and 0 or 1,000 U/ml leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) was treated to suspended ES cells. After culturing ES cells in suspension, their karyotype, DNA content, and properties of pluripotency and differentiation were evaluated. As a result, the formation of tetraploid ES cell population was significantly increased in suspension culture in which ES cells were co-cultured with both MEFs and LIF. Tetraploid ES cell population was also generated when ES cells were cultured alone in suspension regardless of the existence of LIF. On the other hand, the formation of tetraploid ES cell population was not detected in LIF-free condition, in which MEFs were included. The origin of tetraploid ES cell population was turned out to be E14 ES cells and not MEFs by microsatellite analysis and the basic properties of them were still maintained despite ploidy-conversion to tetraploidy. Furthermore, we identified the ploidy shift from tetraploidy to near-triploidy as tetraploid ES cells were differentiated spontaneously. From these results, we demonstrated that suspension culture system could induce ploidy-conversion generating tetraploid ES cell population. Moreover, optimization of suspension culture system may make possible mass-production of ES cells.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of gait training using functional electrical stimulation on the improvement of hemiplegic patients' functions for balance and gait velocity. The subjects of the experiment were determined to be 10 each hemiplegic patients who had been diagnosed with stroke or brain damage six months or longer earlier assigned to an experimental group and a control group respectively. The subjects were evaluated before the experiment using Tetrax and 10M gait tests, received gait training five times a week for four weeks using functional electrical stimulation and were evaluated after the experiment in the same method as used in the evaluation before the experiment. In order to examine differences between the experimental group that received gait training using functional electrical stimulation and the control group that was treated by functional electrical stimulation and received gait training thereafter, differences between before and after the experiment were analyzed using paired sample t-tests and differences in changes after the experiment between the experimental group and the control group were analyzed using independent sample t-tests in order to compare the two groups with each other. Experimental results showed significant differences in weight bearing, balance and gait velocity between before and after the experiment in the experimental group(p<.05). In the control group, whereas weight bearing and gait velocity did not show any significant difference between before and after the experiment(p>.05), balance showed significant differences(p<.05). Weight bearing, balance and gait velocity change rates showed significant differences between the experimental group and the control group(p<.05). In conclusion, it was indicated that gait training using functional electrical stimulation is effective for enhancing stroke patients' weight bearing rates, balance abilities and gait velocity.

We present a list of Korean fungivorous Tenebrionidae associated with higher fungi (Basidiomycetes). Most fungivorous tenebrionids are associated with the order Aphyllophorales. A total of31 Tenebrionid species (both adults and larvae) belonging to four tribes (Bolitophagini, Toxicini, Scaphidernini, and Diaperini) are presented in our checklist. Of these, 62 percent are obligate mycetobionts, In addition, 42 fungal hosts of fungivorous tenebrionids are presented. Both thetenebrionids and the fungal hosts reported here are found throughout Korea.

This study aims to reveal how EA affects BAX and NF-kB involved in cell deaths from global ischemia, and to do this, observes the changes of BAX and NF-kB caused by EA application after transient global ischemia. The experimental method is to give rise to global ischemia and apply EA to 27 SD rats with the particulars of being six-week-old, male, around-300 gram-weighing, and adapted to laboratory environment for more than a week, and divide them into three groups, that is, GV20 EA group(n=9), L14 EA group(n=9), no-treatment GI group(n=9), and then observe their changes of BAX and NF-kB at the time lapse of 6 hours, 9 hours and 12 hours after ischemia, using western blotting. The numerical decrease of BAX expression at the time lapse of 9 hours after EA application, though not statistically significant, was observed in GV20 EA group and L14 EA group, and the NF-kB expression appeared statistically significant decrease in GV20 EA group and L14 EA group, but the expression was higher in the group with EA application. Therefore, EA application at the early phase of global ischemia is considered to affect BAX and NF-kB and play a positive role in decreasing apoptosis and cell deaths by inflammation.

The genus Gonioctena Chevrolat is distributed in the Holarctic and Oriental regions, with more than 80 species. Many species of the genus have great similarity in external morphology and coloration, often cause misidentifications. Thus, the shape of the aedeagus is mainly used to distinguish closely related species. Fifty-four species, more than half of the known taxa, occur in northeastern Asia, including 18 species in the Russian Far East, 29 in China, 11 in Korea, and 18 in Japan. Among these, G. gracilicornis Kraatz (type locality: Amur) is widely distributed in Russia, China, Mongolia and Korea. However, extensive investigation on Gonioctena in Korea revealed that the Korean population of G. gracilicornis differs from that of the Russian by the coloration, the puncturation of pronotum, and the shape of aedeagus. The purpose of this study is to describe a new species of Gonioctena that was previously misidentified as G. gracilicornis. A key to Korean Gonioctena, distribution, and host plant are also provided.

The purposes of this study identify how attributes of the website impact on consumer attitude toward the website. For this purpose, the study tested covariance structural model which set relationships among independent variables (interactivity and shopping value), meditated variable (relationship commitment), and dependent variables(attitude toward website). The data were collected from a sample of 239 internet shopper of college female students. The covariance structural model and research hypothesis analyzed by using SPSS 16.0 and AMOS 5.0 program. The results are as follows: First, the structural model is accepted significantly. Second, interactivity and shopping value of website have a positive influence on relationship commitment. Third, interactivity, shopping value of website, and relationship commitment have a positive impact on attitude toward the website. Forth, even if shopping value has not a positive influence on attitude toward the website, it was found to have a significant effect on attitude toward the website through the relationship commitment.

Immuno-MemBlot is a technique for detecting, analyzing, and identifying proteins, similar to the Western blot technique but differing in that protein samples are not separated electrophoretically but are spotted through circular or slot templates directly onto the membrane. Recently we developed a new Immuno-MemBlot (IMB) method applying immunoreactions and coloring procedures directly in the wells of MemBlot apparatus, which were connected by canals to perform drainage for reagent application and buffer irrigation. This IMB method was designed to get theimmunoblot results more rapidly and clearly than the previous immunoblot ones. This study is aimed to evaluate the analytical accuracy of IMB using different biological assay. In the sensitivity test of IMB the monoclonal antibody can clearly detect the 30 ng (about 12 pM) of Mucocidin peptide (35 mer), and is also available to detect at least 10 ng (about 4 pM) of Mucocidin peptide (35 mer). The IMB was effective in the quantitative analysis of methothrexate (MTX) assay for cellular apoptosis. And more, this IMB is useful to screen large number of specific samples with ease and accuracy in a short time. In the screenings for the presence of Mucocidin in saliva the quantitative comparison is conspicuous among 48 persons depend on the different conditions ofgender, drinking and smoking habits, and oral diseases. Therefore, it is presumed that, even though the target proteins were partly degraded, a specific epitope can be detected if a monoclonal antibody was still reactive. Conclusively, these data suggest that the IMB can be useful in the primary qualitativeand quantitative analysis of proteins in various fluids, i.e., blood, saliva, tear, urine, etc.