A full-length sequence of a thrombin inhibitor (designated as hemalin) from the midgut of pathenogenetic Haemaphysalis longicornis has been identified. Sequence analysis shows that this gene belongs to a Kunitz-type family, containing two Kunitz domains with high homology to boophilin, the thrombin inhibitor from Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. The recombinant protein expressed in insect cells delays bovine plasma clotting time and inhibits both thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting and platelet aggregation. A 20-kDa protein was detected from the midgut lysate with antiserum against recombinant hemalin. The gene expresses at all stages of the tick except for the egg stage and mainly in the midgut of the female adult tick. Real-time PCR analysis shows that this gene has a distinctly high expression level in the rapid bloodsucking period of the larvae, nymphs, and adults. Disruption of the hemalin gene led to a 2-day extension of the tick blood feeding period, and 27.7% of the ticks did not successfully complete the blood feeding. These findings indicate that the newly indentified thrombin inhibitor from the midgut of H. longicornis might play an important role in tick blood feeding.

Pine wilt is the most important disease of pine trees in Korea, Japan and China. The pathogen causing this disease, the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophylus), is transmitted vectored by adults of some cerambycid beetle species and the Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus, is the major vector species in Korea. Although chemical insecticides have been used to kill vector insect and thus prevent transmission of the pathogen, the efficacy is not good. In Japan, to control this insect, an entomopathogenic fungus was studied and developed as an insecticide. This is thought to be the convenient and effective method to control M. alternatus. Recently, there are several reports about the pinewood nematode is vectored by also the pine sawyer, M. saltuarius, in Korea. The objective of this study, therefore, was to isolate and identify entomopathogenic fungi from M. saltuarius cadaver to control it. We collected the cadaver of M. saltuarius and then screened several fungi colonies. The pathogenicity of each fungus was tested using oak longicorn beetle, Moechotypa diphysis, as substitutive insect. M. diphysis is also serious pest to various trees in forest. As the result, only one of them showed high pathogenicity against M. diphysis. Selected fungus was identified by microscopic examination and DNA analysis. Pathogenicity was also evaluated to M. saltuarius.

In the present study, performances of several in vitro maturation (IVM) systems for porcine follicular oocytes were evaluated, and an efficient chemically defined IVM system for porcine oocytes was proposed. The proposed one-step culture system supplemented with polyvinylalcohol (PVA) gave competitive efficiencies in terms of oocyte maturation and blastocyst development after parthenogenetic activation and in vitro culture, compared with the conventional two-step culture system by a supplementation of porcine follicular fluid (pFF). Additionally, it is identified that the proposed chemically defined one-step culture system yielded the comparable level of blastocyst production to the conventional maturation system in porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Therefore, one can eliminate un-expected effects accompanied by supplementation of pFF. No medium replacement during whole maturation period is an additional benefit by applying this new system. Thus, these data support that the developed PVA supplemented chemically defined one-step IVM system for porcine follicular oocyte might be used in porcine SCNT program.

원형질체 융합에 의한 화합성 및 불화합성 종간 체세포잡종을 얻었다. 화합성 종간인 Pleurotus ostreatus 와 P. florida 의 융합체는 이질핵체 (heterokaryon) 를 형성하였고, 불화합성 종간인 P. cornucopiae + P. florida , P. ostreatus + Ganoderma applanatum, P. florida + Ganoderma lucidum, 그리고 P. ostreatus + Flammulina velutipes 는 합핵체(synkaryon) 를 형성하였다. 이질이핵체는 동일한 양상의 자실체를 형성하는데 비해 합핵체는 유사분열상의 꺽쇠연결체 형성, 한쪽 친과 유사한 자실체 형성, 비정상적 유전형질 분리 및 유전자재조합 현상을 나타내었다. 화합성 및 불화합성 계통간 융합체의 RAPD 분석결과 화합성 종간 융합체는 동일한 DNA 패턴을 나타내었고, 불화합성 종간 융합체는 한쪽 친과 유사한 DNA 양상이면서 비양친 DNA 밴드도 형성하였다. 합핵체의 패턴은 microgenome insertion type 과 macrogenome insertion type 으로 구분되었다. 합핵체의 자실체 발생은 융합 모균주 양친의 자가임성에 의존하는데 이는 느타리의 동형핵체 자가임성과 유사한 양상이었고, 교배형 전환과 관련이 있는 것으로 사료된다. 여기서는 이러한 관점에서 논할 것이다.

Carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes were prepared by pyrolysis of polyimides having carboxylic acid groups and applied to the hydrogen separation. The polymeric membranes having carboxylic acid groups showed different steric properties as compared with polymeric membranes having other side groups (-CH3 and -CF3) because of the hydrogen bond between the carboxylic acid groups. However, the microporous CMS membranes were significantly affected by the decomposable side groups evidenced from the wide angle X-rat diffraction, nitrogen adsorption isotherms, and single gas permeation measurement. Furthermore, the gas separation properties of the CMS membranes were essentially affected by the pyrolysis temperature. As a result, the CMS membranes Prepared by Pyrolysis of polyimide containing carboxylic acid froups at 700℃ showed the H2 permeability of 3,809 Baller [1×10-10 H cm(STP)cm/cm2.s.cmHg], H2/N2, selectivity of 46 and H2/CH4 selectivity of 130 while the CMS membranes derived from polyimide showed the H2 permeability of 3,272 Barrer, H2/N2 selectivity of 136 and H2/CH4 selectivity of 177.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone을 포함하는 폴리이미드 전구체의 열분해 공정을 통해 탄소분자체막을 제조하였으며 열분해성 고분자를 포함하는 전구체를 통해 제조된 막의 구조 및 기체 투과 특성에 대해 연구 하였다. 열분해성 고분자를 포함하는 전구체의 열적 특성을 조사한 결과 열적으로 안정한 폴리이미드의 경우 550℃에서 분해되는 것을 확인할 수 있었으며 열분해성 고분자의 경우 400℃에서 분해가 시작되는 것을 TCA를 통해 확인하였다 제조된 탄소분자체막의 기체 투과 특성을 조사한 결과 최종 열분해 온도가 증가됨에 따라 기체 투과도는 감소하였으며 열분해성 고분자를 포함한 전구체로부터 제조된 탄소분자체막의 경우 기체 투과가 향상됨을 알 수 있었다. 열분해성 고분자를 함유하는 전구체로부터 550℃에서 열분해를 통해 제조된 탄소분자체막의 경우 O2 투과도 808 Barrer [10-10cm3 (STP)cm/cm2scmHg]과 O2/N2선택도 7을 나타내었다.

This study investigated a suitable method that could be applied for Asian chain fern [Woodwardia japonica (L. f.) Sm.] to propagate gametophytes and promote sporophyte formation. The gametophytes used in all experiments were obtained from germinated spores in vitro and were subcultured at 8-week intervals. The most appropriate media for gametophyte propagation was identified by culturing 300 ㎎ of gametophyte in Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium (1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2), and Knop medium for 8 weeks. As a result, fresh weight of the gametophyte was increased by 56.7-fold on MS medium. Moreover, antheridium formation as well as gametophyte growth was improved on MS medium, especially. To improve the sporophyte formation ex vitro, 1.0 g of gametophyte was ground with distilled water and spread on eight combinations onto four different culture mediums, such as bed soil, peat moss, perlite and decomposed granite. Then generation and growth of sporophytes were investigated after cultivation for 10 weeks. As a result of this experiment, peat moss had a promotive effect of sporophyte formation at single-use and mixed culture soils. In particular, a mixture of bed soil, peat moss and perlite in a 1:1:1 ratio (v/v/v) led to the accelerated formation (782.5 ea/pot) and the frond growth of sporophytes. This included increases in length and width of fronds. However, promotive effect of gametophyte growth and sporophyte formation was not found at single-use and treatment with high ratio of bed soil.

The main goal of this work was to investigate changes in microbiological quality and dominant bacterial communities present in minimally processed Platycodi radix (Doraji) under vacuum packaging during cold storage using matirix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry fingerprinting. Microbiological analysis of raw Platycodi radix throughout the manufacturing process highlighted the presence of high numbers of total viable cells both before and after storage. Further, the dominant bacterial communities changed during processing and storage, with greater richness detected in Enterobacteriaceae; specifically, Serratia fonticola and Rahnella aquatilis became abundant in Platycodi radix after processing. During storage at 5 and 15℃, the quality diminished and the relative abundance of Leuconostoc spp. increased; Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides and Leuconostoc citreum were the main bacterial communities in decayed Platycodi radix at the end of storage. Microorganisms present in Platycodi radix products during processing and storage are potentially involved in deterioration. The identification of dominant bacteria can be helpful in the effective establishment of packaging and storage conditions to prolong the freshness of minimally processed Platycodi radix products.

This study was aimed at evaluating the antifungal potentials of twelve plant extracts (Terminariae Fructus, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Cinnamomi Cortex, Taraxacum Platycarpum, Rubi Fructus, Caesalpiniae Lignum, Myristicae Semen, Caryophylli Flos, Sanguisorbae Radix, Alpiniae Katsumadaii Semen, Scutellariae Radix, Astragalus membranaceus) in preventing storage rot symptoms in ginger (Zingiber officinale). Samples were collected from ginger that had been stored for 120 days at 10-12 . A total of ten fungi were isolated from stored non-spoiled and spoiled ginger and identified using internal transcribed spacer gene sequencing as Hypocrea virescentiflava, Fusarium oxysporum, Acremonium strictum, Fusarium solani, and Cadophora fastigiata. The causal fungus of storage rot was identified as F. oxysporum by pathogenicity test. Twelve candidate plant extracts were screened for antifungal activity against F. oxysporum isolated from spoiled ginger by using the disk diffusion method. In minimal inhibitory concentration (MICs) test, all ethanolic extracts of Cinnamomi Cortex, Taraxacum platycarpum, and Caryophylli Flos exhibited higher antifungal activity against F. oxysporum than other plant extracts. The MIC value of Cinnamomi Cortex and Caryophylli Flos were determined to be 10 ìg/disc. The MIC of T. platycarpum, 2.5 ìg/disc, was the lowest. Based on the results, it was concluded that Cinnamomi Cortex, T. platycarpum, and Caryophylli Flos have potential to serve as effective treatments to prevent storage rot of ginger.

The objective of this study was to determine the mitotic intervals (τ0) of two consecutive cell divisions and synchronous embryonic cleavage in grass puffer, Takifugu niphobles at different water temperatures (18, 20, 22, and 24℃). The color of the fertilized egg was light yellowish. The egg type was demersal and unadhesive. Egg weight was 0.09±0.002 mg. The sizes of unfertilized eggs were smaller than fertilized eggs in major axis and minor axis at 20℃ (p<0.05). The size of the fertilized egg of 18℃ water temperature group at the blastodisc stage was the smallest (p<0.05), but no significant differences were observed in the other water temperatures group except 18℃ water temperature group (p>0.05). The first cleavage stages at 18, 20, 22, and 24℃ were at 75, 90, 105, and 120 mins, respectively. As water temperature was increased, embryonic development and formation time of the first cleavage furrow were accelerated. There were negative correlation between τ0 and water temperature for grass puffer (Y=–1.225X+70.05, R2=0.988, n=10, where Y was τ0 and X was temperature). This study confirmed that successful hatching of grass puffer was related to water temperature. Chromosome manipulation will be helpful for this species using cleavage frequency and τ0.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different light-emitting diode (LED) on the stress response of workers before and after a flower arrangement (FA) activity. Participants were 16 office workers who performed FA under 7 out of 8 LED lighting conditions: darkness, white (at correlated color temperature of 4,500 K), red, blue, green, magenta, cyan, and yellow; no FA is performed in the darkness condition. To identify significant differences among the different lighting conditions, the heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), heart rate variability (HRV) consisting of standard deviation of the normal-normal intervals (SDNN), total power (TP), ratio of the low and high frequency (LF/HF), and blood pressure were measured before and after FA. The salivary cortisol level was analyzed immediately after FA. The correlations among HR, HRV, and cortisol showed that the blue and green lights positively affected stress-responses and caused considerable reduction of stress. However, there was only a minor significant difference among other lighting colors, although individual lights may impact one or more parameters. These findings reflect that the methodologies and results of this study can be effectively used to achieve a highly active horticultural therapy with the constructive assistance of LED lighting colors.