The spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), was originally observed in a few Asian countries, but is now found even in North America and Europe. Genetic information on geographic variation and relationship may broaden our understanding of origin and migration. As a first step, in this study, a portion of mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced to understand genetic relationship and diversity in Korea. Sequencing of 104 individuals provided 57 haplotypes, with the maximum sequence divergence of 1.5%, suggesting high haplotype diversity and moderate sequence divergence. Comparison to GenBankregistered D. suzukii haplotypes (possibly from Spain, Portugal, USA) has shown 100% sequence identity to most of the haplotypes found in this study, but two USA sequences were found to be independent haplotypes, with the sequence divergence ranging from 0.5% ~ 1.4% from our samples in the 553-bp comparison. Phylogenetically, no separable group was found, but, population genetically, the only Chinese population, Sandong, was significantly differentiated (p < 0.05) from all Korean populations, without sharing any haplotype. Among 28 pairwise comparisons of Korean populations only two comparisons showed a significant genetic differentiation, indicating that no population in Korea is completely isolated. Geographically, one haplotype (SWDBA06) was relatively widespread (five among nine localities) and a few haplotypes were found in more than one locality, but most haplotypes were restricted in a locality as a single individual. Overall, high rate of per generation female migration (Nm = 0.75 ~ infinite) and low level of geographic separation (FST=0~0.40) among localities were characteristic. Current data is limited mainly to Korean localities, thus, an expanded study may provide further scrutinized analysis for the fly.

Insect pollinators of the endanger orchid Cypripedium japonicum were surveyed and identified during two years, as a part of a conservation project of the orchid at Jukyeup-san and Hwaak-san (Mt.), South Korea. In total 40 individuals of 16 species in 4 families were identified. The dominant family was Halictidae, and Lasioglossum exiliceps Vachal visited the most frequently C. japonicum during the surveys. The average visiting frequency was 2.5 individuals per hour and the highest 4.3, from 12:00 – 13:00 in a day. After 15:00 insects did not visit the flowers at all. However, all of the visiting insects were found to not carry a pollinium or pollens of the orchard on their bodies; pollen carryover by any of the visiting insects did not occur at all. The orchid seems to require certain pollinators in particular body thickness due to its unique pollination mechanism. The orchid has two exit route openings, around 1 cm in diametre, where the entrapped insects can exit and an anther is situated just in front of each opening. It was inferred that a pollen carrier should be around 1 cm in body thickness. Therefore, the candidate species as the proper pollen carriers can be Tetralonia nipponensis Perez, Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans Smith and Bombus consobrinus Dahlbom among the surveyed visitors.

2010년과 2011년 추계 광양만에서 식물플랑크톤 군 집구조와 그들의 성장에 미치는 환경요인을 파악하기 위해 만내외측의 19~20개 정점에서 생물학적 요인과 무생물학적 요인을 조사하였다. 또한 식물플랑크톤에 대한 영양염 첨가 효과를 알아보기 위해 2010년 현장 10개 정점의 표층수를 이용하여 생물검정실험을 수행하였다. 2010과 2011년의 영양염 수평적 분포특성은 내만해역I (정점1~9)과 섬진강의 영향을 직간접적으로 받을 수 있는 해역II (정점10~14)에서 상대적으로 높게 나타났고, 해역III (정점15~20)으로 갈수록 점차적으로 감소하여 해역별 차이가 명확하였다. 반면, 크기별로 분획된 Chl. a함량은 영양염농도가 낮은 해역으로 갈수록 극미소(Nano와 Pico)크기의 생물량이 상대적으로 증가하였다. 이와 같은 양상은 2010년보다 2011년이 두드러졌다. 2010년 은편모조류가 대부분의 정점에서 85% 이상으로 우점하였고, 2011년에도 은편모그룹이 전체 식물플랑크톤 군집중 대부분의 정점에서 50% 이상의 높은 비율을차지하였으나, 2010년의 출현개체수의 1/10 수준에 머물렀다. 은편모그룹 다음으로 높은 비율을 차지한 생물군이 규조류 Chaetoceros spp.와 Skeletonema spp.로 나타났다. 생물검정실험에서는 전 해역에서 N첨가군과 NP첨가군의 효율이 대조군과 P첨가군에 비하여 높았고, 특히 현장 영양염농도가 낮게 기록된 정점8과 20의 NP영양염첨가군에서 약 2배의 높은 효율을 보였다. 결과적으로 광양만에서 추계 갑작스럽게 높은 영양염이 공급될 경우 Skeletonema spp.와 같은 영양염 흡수능이 뛰어난 생물이 우점할 수 있을 것이며, 성층붕괴와 같은 일정량의 지속적인 영양염공급은 세포크기가 작은 기회성 특징을 가진 은편모그룹의 성장에 유리한 조건이라는 것을 알 수 있었다.

광양만에서 야광충 Noctiluca scintillans의 개체군 동태를 파악하기 위해서 수계지리학적 및 생리생태학적 특성을 2010부터 2012년까지 3년 동안 19 또는 20개 정점에서 조사를 수행하였다. 조사기간 동안 야광충은 하계의 수온범위가 15˚C에서 22˚C로, 염분이 25.0 psu에서 30.0 psu 사이의 환경조건에서 높은 밀도로 출현하였다. 이와 반대로, 그들의 개체군은 동계 4˚C의 낮은 수온 조건에서도 출현하였으나, 동계를 비롯하여 춘계, 추계에는 야광충의 개체수가 현저하게 감소하였다. 특히 27˚C 이상의 높은 수온과 12.0 psu 이하의 낮은 염분조건의 환경에서는 야광충 개체수의 사멸로 이어졌다. 야광충의 먹이원인 Chl.a 농도와는 동계, 춘계, 추계에는 양(+)의 상관관계가 성립되었고, 하계 야광충의 높은 밀도가 관찰되었을 때에는 Chl.a 농도와 음(-)의 상관관계를 보였다. 이는 야광충의 포식압에 의한 영향으로 생각되며, 하계와 같이 야광충의 개체수밀도가 높았을 때에는 식물 플랑크톤(Chl.a)을 현저하게 포식하여 음(-)의 상관성을 나타내었을 것이고, 나머지 계절의 양(+) 상관관계는 야광충의 개체수를 유지하는데 일정량 먹이원이 필요하였다는 것을 의미한다.

The anti-proliferative efficacy of t,t-conjugated linoleic acid (t,t-CLA), c9,t11-CLA, and t10,c12-CLA was compared in several human cancer cell lines. Gastric NCI-N87, liver Hep3B, pancreas Capan-2, and lung NCI-H522 cancer cells were incubated with 50 μM CLA isomers over a period of 6 days. The t,t-CLA inhibited the growth of all cancer cell lines to different extents, but c9,t11-CLA and t10,c12-CLA inhibited or stimulated the growth of the cancer cell lines. NCI-N87 cells were the most sensitive to growth inhibition and apoptosis from all CLA isomers tested. In NCI-N87 cells, CLA isomers reduced the release of arachidonic acid (AA) via the inhibition of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2 ) activity, consequently reducing the production of PGE2 through the inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The efficacies of CLA isomers were in the following order (from most to least effective): t,t-CLA, t10,c12-CLA and c9,t11-CLA. Overall, these results imply that the anti-proliferative efficacy of t,t-CLA on cancer cells, especially NCI-N87 cells, was greater than other CLA isomers due to its induction of apoptosis through the inhibition of cPLA2 and COX-2 activities.

We sequenced 17,329 bp of mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the black dwarf honey bee, Apis andreniformis (Hymenoptera: Apidae), that lacks ~200 bp of the A+T-rich region for the completion of the genomic sequence. The gene arrangement of A. andreniformis mitogenome is identical to that of A. cerana. However, the genome contains 5 additional tRNALeu(CUN) located 4 copies between tRNAMet and tRNAGln, and 1 copy between tRNAGln and tRNAAla, along with the typical sets of genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs) including regular tRNALeu(CUN) and the A+T-rich region (at least 923 bp). Only 1 copy of tRNALeu(CUN) differed by 1 bp from other 4 copies of tRNALeu(CUN). Each additional tRNALeu(CUN) is followed by nearly identical 68-bp long repeat sequence (95.6% identity). All 13 protein coding genes have typical start codons found in insect mitochondrial PCGs (2 ATA, 9 ATT, and 2 ATG).

The bumblebee, Bombus ignitus (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is a valuable natural resource that is widely utilized for greenhouse pollination in South Korea. Understanding the magnitude of genetic diversity and geographic relationships is of fundamental importance for long term preservation and utilization. As a first step, we sequenced a partial COI gene of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) corresponding to the “DNA barcode” region and the complete internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA from 88 individuals collected in nine South Korean localities. The complete ITS2 sequences were longest among known insects, ranging in size from 2,034 bp ~ 2,052 bp, harboring two duplicated 112-bp long repeats. The 658-bp long mtDNA sequences provided only six haplotypes with a maximum sequence divergence of 0.61% (4 bp), whereas the ITS sequences provided 84 sequence types with a maximum sequence divergence of 1.02% (21 sites). The combination of the current COI data with those of published data suggest that the B. ignitus in South Korea and China are genetically a large group, but those in Japan can be roughly separated into another group. Overall, a very high per generation migration ratio, a very low level of genetic fixation, and no discernable hierarchical population were found to exist among the South Korean populations of B. ignitus, which suggests panmixia. This finding is consistent with our understanding of the dispersal capability of the species.

Worldwide studies on Apis cerana variation for biogeography and genetic diversity depended largely on a 86~93 bp-long mitochondrial non-coding region (internal spacer region) located between tRNALeu and COII (named as NC2), possibly due to higher variability among available markers. In order to incorporate the A. cerana occurring in South Korea into world extensive data, we also sequenced the NC2 from 118 A. cerana samples collected over nine Korean localities and 66 A. cerana samples over seven Asian localities, such as China, Vietnam, and Thailand. These data were combined with preexisting world data to scrutinize genetic relationships of A. cerana in South Korea to outside distributional range. Sequencing of 184 samples provided a total of ten haplotypes: five from Korea, six from China, one from Vietnam, and two from Thailand. Among them eight were new, whereas two were previously reported ones. Phylogenetic analysis of A. cerana NC2 haplotypes so far found including ours has confirmed the presence of four major groups of A. cerana (Asian mainland group, Sundaland group, Palawan group, and Luzon-Mindahnao group) and all haplotypes found in this study also were included in the Asian mainland group. In order to find further variable regions that can be used as sequence-based marker several mitochondrial non-coding regions and nuclear intron regions are in the middle of testing.

Embryonic stem cell-preconditioned microenvironment is important for cancer cells properitities by change cell morphology and proliferation. This microenvironment induces cancer cell reprogramming and results in a change in cancer cell properties such as differentiation and migration. The cancer microenvironment affects cancer cell proliferation and growth. However, the mechanism has not been clarified yet. Using the ES-preconditioned 3-D microenvironment model, we provide evidence showing that the ES microenvironment inhibits proliferation and reduces oncogenic gene expression. But ES microenvironment has no effect on telomerase activity, cell viability, cellular senescence, and methylation on Oct4 promoter region. Furthermore, methylation of Nanog was increase on ES-preconditioned microenvironment and supports results that no difference on RNA expression levels. Taken together, these results demonstrated that in the ES-preconditioned 3-D microenvironment is a crucial role for cancer cell proliferation not senescence.

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 purpose of this study was to examine the degree of knowledge of care workers working at long term care hospitals and nursing homes on pressure ulcer. A total of 81 care workers including 34 at long term care hospitals and 47 at nursing homes were surveyed. 24 questions were used to evaluate their degree of knowledge on pressure ulcer. Their knowledge on pressure ulcer scored 12.84 out of the total score of 24 points(SD=3.40), which was equal to 53.50 (SD=24.23) out of 100 points. Their knowledge on the prevention of pressure ulcer was highest among the subareas of evaluation. Their knowledge on pressure ulcer statistically significantly differed according to education on pressure ulcer(P<.05). A pressure ulcer is a skin disorder that may be prevented and cured. At this point when long term care facilities are rapidly increasing, care workers highlevel knowledge on and good management of pressure ulcer is very important. Practically educating them on pressure ulcer including the provision of recent, updated relevant knowledge will be necessary.

Spills of M/V Hebei Spirit on 7th December 2007 caused a seriously damage to the ecosystem of Korean coast. Of these, microbial communities (i.e., attached benthic micro-algae) were reported to be sentive to the environmental change so it can be used for ecological risk assessment. Our experiment was designed to examine the ecological risk assessments for oil pollutant using benthic attached algal community on the artificial substrates of acrylic plates. Field monitoring in the culture system was conducted in Jangmok Bay. The abundances of attached micro-algae on artificial substrates gradually increased with increasing of sampling times. Among them, diatoms were the most important colonizer of coastal water, with the genera Cylindrotheca and Navicular most abundant. In particular, developed the culture system has correctly measured qualitative and quantitative abundance of attached micro-algae because same acrylic plates as artificial substrates were used. Thus, this culture system may be directly applied to the ecological risk experiments of microbial community structure from oil pollutants.

The leaf beetle, Chrysolina aurichalcea (Coleoptera: Chysomelidae), is a pest damaging plants of Compositae. In order to understand the genetic diversity and geographic variation we sequenced a portion of mitochondrial COI gene (658 bp) and complete nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the species collected from seven Korean localities. A total of 17 haplotypes (CACOI01 ~ CACOI17), with the maximum sequence divergence of 3.04% (20 bp) were obtained from COI gene sequence, whereas 16 sequence types (ITS2CA01 ~ ITS2CA16), with the maximum sequence divergence of 2.013% (9 bp) were obtained from ITS2, indicating substantially larger sequence divergence in COI gene sequence. Phylogenetically, the COI gene provided two haplotype groups with a high nodal support (≥ 87%), whereas ITS2 provided one sequence type group with a high nodal support (≥ 92%). The result of COI gene may suggest the presence of historical biogeographic barriers that bolster genetic subdivision in the species. Different grouping pattern between COI gene and ITS2 sequences were interpreted in terms of recent dispersal, reflected in the ITS2 sequence. Finally, finding of unique haplotypes and sequence types only from Beakryeng-Islet population was interpreted as an intact remnant of ancient polymorphism. As more samples are analyzed using further hyper-variable marker, further fruitful inference on the geographic contour of the species might be available.

Historically the rise of contagious diseases and epidemics has been mainly caused by lack of food safety knowledge and negligence in personal hygiene. Food poisoning is an example that have been caused by lack of proper knowledge in food safety and personal hygiene. In order to prove this hypothesis, our team distributed a total of 225 survey sheets to middle school students. Survey questions mainly focused on the students' food safety knowledge, personal hygiene and regular dietary habits. We used 12 items to determine the stages of change in teenagers and divided into 3 stages of change: precontemplation stage (poor problem recognition), contemplation and preparation stage (some problem recognition), and action stage. Out of the 225 students surveyed, 105(47.1%) were male and 118 (52.9%) were female; 44.0% were in 7th grade, 33.0% in 8th grade, and 24.0% in 9th grade. In stages of change model, 3.8% were classified in pre-contemplation stage, 31.1% in preparation stage, and 65.1% in action stage. The awareness of the significance of food safety has a strong positive correlation with the stages of change food safety behavior (P<0.001), which suggesting our questionnaires regarding stages of change and food safety behavior were quite credential. Stages of change were also correlated with the consumption of unsanitary foods (P<0.01) and with the frequent hand washing (P<0.05). The stages of change showed a positive correlation with the food safety knowledge level (P<0.05). The four questions (out of 10) with the least percentage of correct answers were questions about the meaning of Norovirus (23.6%), the meaning of expiration date (43.6%), the meaning of food poisoning (36.4%), and proper food-handling (36.0%).

The leaf beetle, Chrysolina aurichalcea (Coleoptera: Chysomelidae), is a pest damaging plants of Compositae. In order to understand the genetic diversity and geographic variation of the species we sequenced a portion of mitochondrial COI gene (658 bp) and complete nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) collected from seven Korean localities. A total of 18 haplotypes (BARCA01 ~ BARCA18), with the maximum sequence divergence of 3.04% (20 bp) were obtained from COI gene sequence, whereas 17 sequence types (ITS2CA01 ~ ITS2CA17), with the maximum sequence divergence of 2.013% (9 bp) were obtained from ITS2, indicating substantially larger sequence divergence in mitochondrial gene sequence. Phylogenetically, the mitochondrial DNA has shown several haplotypes formed independent groups with substantially high node support (≥ 90%), whereas no such grouping was evidenced for ITS2, indicating different behaviors of the two molecules. Such difference may reflect a diverse dynamics of the species such as biogeographic history, mating behaviors, and also possibly different mode of inheritance of the two molecules, but requires further scrutinized examination of the dataset. In terms of population genetic perspective, overall no population subdivision was detected from both molecules, except for locality 7 (Eocheong islet) from mitochondrial DNA. As more scrutinized analysis is performed, further fruitful inference on the geographic contour of the species might be available.

The seven-spotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has a broad ecological range, living almost anywhere there are aphids for feeding. In this study, we isolated and characterized a total of 10 microsatellite loci from the species. The loci were validated and characterized using 25 samples collected from five Korean localities. The number of alleles and heterozygosity observed at each locus ranged from 4 to 16 and from 0.37 to 0.89, respectively. None of the loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and there was no indication of significant linkage disequilibrium among pairs of loci. These microsatellite markers should be very valuable markers for population genetic studies of Coccinella septempunctata.