The striped fruit fly (SFF), Zeugodacus scutellata, is an agricultural pest species with a strong and rapid reproductive ability that can cause significant harm. To control the population of these kind of pests, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is being used as one of the effective methods. SIT involves the introduction of sexually transmitted factors that reduce the reproductive capacity of males. This study shows that knocking down the testis-specific serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (Zs-Tssk1) gene alters male fertility and male-initiated types of communication. Since Zs-Tssk1 influences the physiology of the testes, spermatogenesis is also affected, which in turn alters the lifespan of Zs-Tssk1 knock down group in comparison with the control. Based on these results, Zs-Tssk1 may be crucial in reproductive function, and its down-regulation may be helpful in controlling SFF through SIT.

In Korea, the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) and the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) are the two most common honey bee species. These two closely related species are known to have different sensitivity levels to various insecticides due to millennia of exposure to different pests and pesticides. It is reported that A. cerana is known to be more sensitive to several insecticides, such as amitraz, fenitrothion, and fipronil, than A. melllifera. Multiple studies investigated toxicological responses and related CYPome in A. mellifera, but little is known in A. cerana. The goal of this study is to elucidate the underlying mechanism of different toxicological responses between two bee species, with an emphasis on cytochrome P450 (P450), a significant enzyme involved in metabolic activities. The differences in basal P450 expression patterns were investigated by comparing the relative expression levels of P450 orthologs in several dissected organisms of each species. To compare the sensitivity against major insecticides, lethal doses of major insecticides relevant to both honey bee species were assessed by topical and oral ingestion bioassays. The determined sublethal doses of insecticides were applied to honey bees, and the inducibility of P450s was investigated by comparing the expression patterns of multiple P450s. From these results, this study eventually attempts to compare the toxicological differences between two Apis species with differences in induced cytochrome P450 expression levels.

Riptortus pedestris has established symbiotic interactions with specific bacteria from soil environment in every generations. The soil environment is extremely heterogeneous with microbial diversity, suggesting that bacterial composition of the R. pedestris can be affected by surrounding environments. Therefore, we investigated spatiotemporal variation of bacterial communities in wild R. pedestris collected from five mainland areas and Jeju Island in South Korea across insect generations. Among the 390 R. pedestris adults collected, we detected a total of 28 bacterial genera from the symbiotic region of insects. Among the bacterial genera, genus Caballeronia bacteria was the most abundantly detected regardless of sampling site and generation. Nevertheless, bacterial richness varied among the insect generations with 10 genera detected in overwintered generation, 15 genera in the 1st generation and 18 genera in the 2nd generation. Moreover, we found five bacterial genera that were exclusively detected from the Jeju island compared to the mainland areas surveyed.

The Varroa mite, Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite that afflicts honey bees, has become increasingly resistant to acaricides like fluvalinate due to its widespread use. The target site insensitivity mechanism, mediated by the L925V/M/I mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel, plays a major role in resistance. Additionally, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (Cyp450s) appear to function as a metabolic resistance factor; however, no Cyp450-mediated resistance mechanism has been reported to date. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize Cyp450s associated with fluvalinate resistance. A synergistic bioassay confirmed the involvement of Cyp450s in conferring tolerance or resistance to fluvalinate. Correlation analysis between mortality data and the expression levels of Cyp450 genes led to the identification of several candidates that may play a crucial role in fluvalinate resistance. Analysis of tissue distribution patterns revealed that these genes were most abundantly expressed in the cuticle and synganglion. This suggests that, despite their relatively low expression level, they may play a critical role in protecting the target site from fluvalinate due to its predominant expression in neuronal tissues. Functional analysis, in conjunction with baculovirus expression, demonstrated that fluvalinate has high inhibition rates against the recombinant candidate Cyp450s, suggestive of their strong interaction with fluvalinate. We discussed the potential utilization of their expression levels as a molecular marker for diagnosing metabolic resistance in field-collected Varroa mites.

The aphid genus Tuberaphis Takahashi belongs to the tribe Cerataphdini (Hemiptera: Hormaphidinae) and comprises 17 valid species. Generally, its species are distributed in East and South East Asia, where they primarily feed on Styrax spp. (Styracaceae) and utilize species within the Loranthaceae family as their secondary hosts. They form various shapes of galls on Styrax, looking coral and broccoli etc. Currently, the only aphid species reported to exclusively produce gall forms resembling broccoli head-shaped is Tuberaphis takeouchii (Takahashi). For the first time in Korea, an aphid species forming gall structures with a broccoli-head-like appearance has been discovered. We confirmed that the species discovered in Korea is a new species through morphological and molecular comparisons with T. takenouchii (Takahashi). To comprehend the life cycle of this new species, we conducted a year-long study investigating how the gall forms change and examined aphid polymorphism across different seasons. The results of this study additionally include as followings: 1) Species identification, 2) DNA barcoding, 3) population genetic analyses, and 4) morphological comparison using SEM

Nutrient acquisition by insect herbivores affect all aspect of the the lifespan of individauls. For seed-sucking insect herbivores, they face challenges with nutrient acquisition due to requirement for extra-oral digestion of seed contents into a readily-ingestible state. In this study, we demonstrated environmentally-transmitted Caballeronia insecticola allow seed-sucking R. pedestris to overcome challenges with extra-oral digestion. Through the evaluation, first, we found symbiotic insects exhibited enhanced feeding efficiency by consuming significantly larger amount of food per feeding attempt compared to apo-symbiotic insects (P<0.05). Then, we observed feeding behavior modification in the symbiotic insects from the behavior tracking evaluation. Symbiotic insects displayed dichotomic behavior which can be generally divided into early focused feeding and later subdued resting periods. By contrast, apo-symbiotic insects displayed unordered behavior by frequent switches between feeding and walking behavior.

Honey bees are crucial pollinators for agricultural and natural ecosystems, but are experiencing heavy mortality in Korea due to a complex suite of factors. Extreme winter losses of honey bee colonies are a major threat to beekeeping but the combinations of factors underlying colony loss remain debatable. Finding solutions involves knowing the factors associated with high loss rates. To investigate whether loss rates are related to Varroa control and climate condition, we surveyed beekeepers in korea after wintering (2021–2022 to 2022–2023). The results show an average colony loss rate of 46%(2022) and 17%(2023), but over 40% colony loss before wintering at 2022. Beekeepers attempt to manage their honey bee colonies in ways that optimize colony health. Disentangling the impact of management from other variables affecting colony health is complicated by the diversity of practices used and difficulties handling typically complex and incomplete observational datasets. We propose a method to 1) Varroa mite population Control by several methods , and 2) Many nursing bee put in hive before wintering.

The Varroa mite, Varroa destructor is an ectoparasite that parasitizes honey bees. The widespread usage of acaricides, particularly fluvalinate, has resulted in the emergence of resistance in Varroa mite populations all over the world. The goal of this study is to track fluvalinate resistance in Varroa mite field populations in Korea using both bioassay and molecular markers. To accomplish this, a residual contact vial (RCV) bioassay for on-site resistance monitoring was developed. Early mortality evaluation in the RCV bioassay was effective for reliably separating mites with the knockdown resistance (kdr) genotype, but late mortality evaluation was useful for distinguishing mites with additional resistance factors. The RCV bioassay of 14 field mite populations collected in 2021 revealed potential resistance development in four populations. Quantitative sequencing was used as an alternate method to examine the frequency of the L925I/M mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel (vgsc), which is related with the fluvalinate kdr phenotype. While the mutation was not present in Varroa mite populations in 2020, it appeared in 2021, rose in frequency in 2022, and was practically ubiquitous across the country by 2023. This recent emergence and rapid spread of fluvalinate resistance within a span of three years demonstrate the Varroa mite's significant potential for developing resistance. This situation emphasizes the critical necessity to replace fluvalinate with alternate acaricides, such as fenpyroximate, coumaphos, and amitraz. A few novel vgsc mutations potentially involved in resistance were identified. Potential factors driving the rapid expansion of resistance were further discussed.

Recently, as the possibility of unexpected outbreaks of alien insects has increased due to climate change such as global warming, the importance of early control through rapid and accurate spread of exotic forest pest and change prediction diagnosis is required. This study summarizes and reports the followings: the establishment of monitoring strategy for exotic insects by the investigation of species distribution range through field surveys and others, the development of new diagnostic technique through microstructures and life-cycle, the dispersal of exotic insects, and ecological impact assessment using ecological methods and with the expansion of exotic insects and development of ecosystem impact prediction model.

Background: ErigoPro enables acute stroke patients to carry out stable weight-bearing training with gradual verticalization. Study on the effectiveness of robotic assisted treatment equipment for chronic patients is insufficient. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effect of dynamic vertical posture training using ErigoPro on trunk alignment and balance in chronic stroke patients. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: The subjects of this study were 30 patients were randomly assigned to a study group of 15 patients and a control group of 15 patients. The study intervention was carried out for 50 minutes per day consisting of 30 minutes of general neuro-physiotherapy and 20 minutes of ErogoPro training, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Results: The study group showed difference in trunk inclination (P<.05), kyphotic angle (P<.05), lateral deviation of the spine (P<.05), thoracic angle (P<.01), timed up and go test (P<.01), Berg balance score (P<.01). There was a significant difference between the groups in the trunk inclination (P<.05), timed up and go test (P<.01), Berg balance score (P<.05). Conclusion: It could be seen that the treatment combined with ErigoPro training for 8 weeks was effective in restoring trunk alignment and improving balance ability in chronic stroke patients.

This study examined the efficacy of various chlorinating agents in partitioning light water reactor spent fuel, with the aim of optimizing the chlorination process. Through thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, we assessed the outcomes of employing MgCl2, NH4Cl, and Cl2 as chlorinating agents. A comparison was drawn between using a single agent and a sequential approach involving all three agents (MgCl2, NH4Cl, and Cl2). Following heat treatment, the utilization of MgCl2 as the sole chlorinating agent resulted in a moderate separation. Specifically, this method yielded a solid separation with 96.9% mass retention, 31.7% radioactivity, and 44.2% decay heat, relative to the initial spent fuel. In contrast, the sequential application of the chlorinating agents following heat treatment led to a final solid separation characterized by 93.1% mass retention, 5.1% radioactivity, and 15.4% decay heat, relative to the original spent fuel. The findings underscore the potential effectiveness of a sequential chlorination strategy for partitioning spent fuel. This approach holds promise as a standalone technique or as a complementary process alongside other partitioning processes such as pyroprocessing. Overall, our findings contribute to the advancement of spent fuel management strategies.

This study (1) explored spatio-temporal population distribution patterns in Jeonju by using emerging hot spot analysis and (2) identified the influential factors to determine the spatio-temporal patterns by using multinomial logit model. The major findings are as follows. First, the results of emerging hot spot analysis indicated that the 100*100m grid in the urban area of Jeonju was found to have a category of hot spots, whereas most of the cold spot series was concentrated in the outskirts of the city. Also, new towns such as Jeonju Eco City, Jeonbuk Innovation City, and Hyocheon District were persistent or intensifying hot spots, Third, the results of multinomial logit model revealed that the factors influencing deterrmining the spatio-temporal patterns were accessibility to schools, hospitals, parks, and walfare services. This study offered a deeper understanding of urbanization and regional changes in Jeonju, and important information for urban planning.