The true bug genus Paromius from Korea is revised taxonomically. It comprises the following three species: P. exiguus (Distant, 1883), P. jejunus (Distant, 1883) and P. gracilis (Rambur, 1839). Among them, P. jejunus (Distant, 1883) is recorded for the first time in Korea. The pest bug injurious to rice culture, known as P. exiguus (Distant,1883), has been recorded erroneously by the previous authors from Korea due to the misidentification, which is rectified here with the support of morphological evidence. All the species of this genus are classified with proper redescriptions, and an identification key to species is provided with illustrations.

The fact that flip-flops, one of many different types of unstable shoes, are light and relatively easy to put on, accounts for their popularity among people. But because flip-flops rely heavily on the support of a single thong between your first and second toes, they impose a huge amount of pressure onto lower leg. Thus in the following experiment we tried to examine the different effects of flip-flops and running shoes in terms of their effect on muscle activity and fatigue of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius during walking. In order to measure an electromyogram we used Free EMG system. 10 men and 10 women in running shoes ran on treadmills for 15 minutes at 4.8km/h, 2 days later the same experiment was carried out, but this time, in flip-flops. p value turned out to be greater than .05 and thus there was no considerable difference between the effects of flip-flops and running shoes on muscle activity and fatigue during walking. Therefore we conclude that despite the fact that flip-flops are considered unstable, their effects on muscle activity and fatigue of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius are negligible.

Thermal death kinetics was examined to develop a heat treatment method to control the Pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, in wood packing materials for export goods. To determine the feasibility of microwave irradiation as an alternative treatment, we performed laboratory experiments on the blocks (200x200x250mm) of Douglas-fir artificially infested with live adults with subsequent 2.45GHz microwave energy irradiation. The 100% mortality of treated Pine wood nematode was achieved above 64℃ of the measured wood temperature, regardless of irradiated time. All measurement points in the blocks reached 64℃ within 84-312 seconds with microwave irradiation by wood weight. Likewise, the 100% mortality of nematodes were observed by hot water treatment on 62℃. We need further experimental verification, but commercial microwave (2.45GHz) treatment is a feasible alternative to conventional heat treatment to control Pine wood nematode on the wood packing materials for export goods.

For more than two decades, the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique has been used as a valuable tool to provide opportunities for studying fertilization, treating human infertility, and producing transgenic animals. Not only in facilitating fertilization but also in propagating mammalian species, ICSI has enhanced the potential of assisted reproductive technologies in human. Polyspermic fertilization has been one of major problems in pig reproduction, but the ICSI helped to solve the problem, and used widely to generate transgenic piglets. Although the ICSI technique is considered to be a very useful tool in assisted reproductive technologies, including generation of transgenic animals, there are some disadvantages using the technique. In this review, we describe the ICSI technique and its application in animal production and human infertility, and discuss advantage and disadvantage of the technique in mammals.

The purpose of this study was to investigate spirometric lung pattern, respiratory function and degree of fatigue by lung function tests and fatigue tests of 39 elderly people in a care facility aged 65 and over. The respiratory function tests were used to the Spirovit SP-1 and fatigue tests were used modified Piper fatigue scale(mPFS). Regarding the respiratory function, the FVC was 1.41±0.36ℓ, the FVC % predicted was 69.10±14.98%, the FEV1 was 1.02±0.31ℓ, the FEV1 % predicted was 63.27±16.05%, the FEV1/FVC was 72.77±13.40%, and the fatigue score was 5.83±1.09. As for the spirometric lung pattern, 19 patients had a restrictive pattern(48.7%), followed by 11 with a mixed pattern(28.2%), 5 with an obstructive pattern( 12.8%), and 4 with a normal pattern(10.3%). Regarding the respiratory function and fatigue by spirometric lung pattern, the FVC and the FVC % predicted of patients with a normal pattern or an obstructive pattern were greater than other groups at a statistically significant level. As for the FEV1, that of patients with a normal pattern was significantly higher than others, and for the FEV1 % predicted, that of patients with a normal pattern or a restrictive pattern was significantly higher(p<.001). Fatigue score by patients with a normal pattern was significantly less than patients of other patterns(p<.001). Therefore, pulmonary physical therapy is considered necessary to improve respiratory function and fatigue degradation of elderly in a facility.

Mealworms, Tenebrio molitor (L.) is used as an important animal feed additive for growth promotion and health management, but potentially exposes to fungal infection. In this work, virulence of two species of entomopathogenic fungi against the insect, and the relationship between abiotic features and virulence were investigated. Secondly our consideration was also given to the effect of chemical fungicides on conidial germination for risk control. Between Beauveria bassiana (Bb) and Metarhizium roberstii (Mr) (previously M. anisopliae), Bb isolates had much higher virulence (~100% mortality in 3~4 days after the treatment), rather than Mr isolates in laboratory assays. Next, fungus-treated mealworms were kept at wheat bran at 20, 25, 30 and 35℃ with 3, 6, 9 times of water spray to the feeds for set-up of different humidity conditions. Inoculation of fungi to mealworms was conducted by fungal spray and feeding methods, which resulted in higher virulence in feeding method. In the feeding method, all temperature treatments except 35℃ showed high virulence against mealworms, but any significant relationship between virulence and humidity was not observed. In the chemical fungicide screening, fluazinam (CAS No. 79622-59-6) and mancozeb (8018-01-7) significantly inhibited the germination of Bb and Mr conidia. This work suggest that contamination of wheat bran with fungal pathogens, particularly B. bassiana may induce mycosis of mealworms, but introduction of effective fungicides possibly reduce fungal infection.

Thermal death kinetics was examined to develop a heat treatment method to control the Alnus ambrosia beetle, Xylosandrus germanus, in wood packing materials for export goods. To determine the feasibility of microwave irradiation as an alternative treatment, we performed laboratory experiments on the blocks (200x200x250mm) of Douglas-fir artificially infested with live adults with subsequent 2.45GHz microwave energy irradiation. The 100% mortality of treated Alnus Ambrosia Beetle was achieved above 58℃ of the measured wood temperature, regardless of irradiated time. All measurement points in the blocks reached 58℃ within 84-312 seconds with microwave irradiation by wood weight. Likewise, the 100% mortality of breetles were observed by hot water treatment on 52℃. We need further experimental verification, but commercial microwave (2.45GHz) treatment is a feasible alternative to conventional heat treatment to control Alnus ambrosia beetle on the wood packing materials for export goods.

Predatory gamasid mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) is living in soil and litter. They feed on nematode, collembolan and insect larvae. This research compared diversity of gamasid mite in organic and conventional apple orchards. Soil samples were collected in spring season of 2011 to 2012 (5 for each orchard system). Fifteen families, 54 species and 15 families, 50 species were collected from organic and conventional orchards, respectively. In total 18 families and 77 species of gamasid mite were collected. Shannon Diversity was average 2.5 in organic orchard and 2.3 in conventional orchard. Major dominant species was Eugamasus fujisanus (Parasitidae) in organic orchard and Uropoda hokkaidoensis (Uropodidae) in conventional orchard. Parasitidae and Uropodidae were preferred in soil surface, large soil pores and decaying organic material litter. Future, more research on composition of gamasid mite, biotic and abiotic factors in orchard system are demanded.

Soil biodiversity is important for proper functioning of soil ecosystem. Soil microarthropods play roles in cycling of nutrients and decomposition of organic matter. We compared the diversity of oribatid mites in organically and conventionally managed apple orchards. Sampling were done from 10 orchards; 5 from organic and 5 from conventional, in spring season of 2011 and 2012. Species richness and abundance were higher in conventional (25, 4,222/m2) than organic orchard (21, 1,906/m2). Diversity index was higher in conventional than organic orchard. Common dominant species present in orchards were Perglumna duplicata nipponica and Scheloribates latipes. Only observed in apple orchards were Pilogalumna tenuiclava, Protoribates agricola, Hypochthonius luteus, Punctoribates manzanoensis, Punctoribates sphaericus, and Scheloribates corpusculum. In organic orchard, Suctobelbella naginata and Tectocepheus cuspidentatus were only present. Pergalumna altera, Galumna longiporosa, and Protoribates lophotrichus, Galumna sp. were found only in conventionally managed apple orchard. Further study on the functional aspects and association with other soil biotic and abiotic factors are demanding.

To enhance the production efficiency of foreign protein in baculovirus expression system, the effects of polyhedrin fragments were investigated by fusion expression them with the enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP). Recombinant viruses were generated to express EGFP fused with polyhedrin fragments based on the minimal region for self-assembly and the KRKK nuclear localization signal (NLS). The increase of EGFP production by fusion expressions was confirmed through protein and fluorescence intensity analyses. The importance of nuclear localization for enhanced production of EGFP was shown by the mutation of the NLS within the fused polyhedrin fragment. Among the fusion expressed protein in cytoplasm, the most hyper-expression was observed in the fusion of amino acids 32 to 59 of polyhedrin. Polyhedrin fragment fusion expression with classical swine fever virus E2 protein also resulted hyper-enhanced expression of E2 protein. However, the fusion expression of porcine circovirus ORF2 with polyhedrin fragment did not show significant enhance of ORF2 production. These results suggested that the enhancement of foreign protein production when fused with polyhedrin is caused by the enhanced stability of expressed protein.

Interferon induced transmembrane protein-1 (Ifitm-1) has been reported to have an important role in primordial germ cell formation, and it has expressed in female reproductive organ. In the present study, Ifitm-1 gene expression was identified in testes and all part of epididymis using western immunoblot and immunohistochemistry. Interestingly, Ifitm-1 expression was observed on the head of spermatozoa. To investigate the role of Ifitm-1 gene expression in behavior of spermatozoa after acrosome reaction, fresh sperm was incubated with calcium ionophore to induce acrosome reaction, whereas the expression of Ifitm-1 was not altered after the acrosome reaction. Then to identify the effect of Ifitm-1 in sperm motility and other seminal parameters, different concentration of Ifitm-1 antibody was incubated with spermatozoa, and seminal parameters were assessed using computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA). Interestingly, motility, progressive, and VAP were increased in the sperm with Ifitm-1 antibody treated compared to rabbit serum, however other parameters such as straightness were not changed. In order to identify the functional significance of Ifitm-1 in fertilization, capacitated spermatozoa were pre-incubated with anti- Ifitm-1 antibody and subsequently examined the ability to adhere to mouse oocytes. However, any defection or alteration in sperm-egg fusion was not found, Ifitm-1 antibody treated or non-treated spermatozoa showed a normal penetration. Although the precise role of Ifitm-1 in sperm motility and following fertilization need to be elucidated, this study suggests that the activation of Ifitm-1 on the sperm may enhance the motility of spermatozoa in mice.