The use of radar-based systems for vessel monitoring is not suitable in populated areas, due to the high electromagnetic emissions. In this paper, a camera based vessel recognition system for application in the context of Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) and Homeland Protection (HP) is proposed. Our approach is designed to extend the functionality of traditional VTS systems by permitting the classification of both cooperative and non-cooperative targets, using camera images only. This allows enhancing the surveillance function in populated areas, where public opinion is strongly concerned about electromagnetic emissions and therefore antennas are suspiciously observed and radars are not allowed. Experiments have been carried out on a publicly available data set of images coming from the ARGOS boat traffic monitoring system in the City of Venice (Italy). The obtained classification accuracy of 89.6% (with 11 different classes of boats) demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

High membrane costs hinders large scale application of microporous ceramic membranes. Preparation on elements of large specific membrane area are a prospective strategy to overcome this problem. NF membranes with a cut-off of 450 Da were produced for first time in a 163-channel tube geometry of 1.25 m². The membranes were successful tested in drink water production and in treatment of produced water from oil production. Zeolite-NaA-membranes were prepared for the first time inside of 1.2 m long tubes in four channel geometry of 0.9 m². Natural gas is dried by stripping with triethylene glycol (TEG). TEG will be regenerated by distillation at 190°C to 205°C. A pilot plant for TEG drying with Zeolite-NaAmembranes at 120°C for a capacity of 10.000 m³/h natural gas and is running since October 2016.

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute plans to develop a coronagraph in collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and to install it on the International Space Station (ISS). The coronagraph is an externally occulted one-stage coronagraph with a field of view from 3 to 15 solar radii. The observation wavelength is approximately 400~nm, where strong Fraunhofer absorption lines from the photosphere experience thermal broadening and Doppler shift through scattering by coronal electrons. Photometric filter observations around this band enable the estimation of 2D electron temperature and electron velocity distribution in the corona. Together with a high time cadence ($<$12~min) of corona images used to determine the geometric and kinematic parameters of coronal mass ejections, the coronagraph will yield the spatial distribution of electron density by measuring the polarized brightness. For the purpose of technical demonstration, we intend to observe the total solar eclipse in August 2017 with the filter system and to perform a stratospheric balloon experiment in 2019 with the engineering model of the coronagraph. The coronagraph is planned to be installed on the ISS in 2021 for addressing a number of questions (e.g., coronal heating and solar wind acceleration) that are both fundamental and practically important in the physics of the solar corona and of the heliosphere.

Cyst nematodes are well known to cause serious yield losses in many important crops producing in Korea such assoybeans and Chinese cabbage. Recently, a new cyst nematode Heterodera trifolii has been recorded in the highland vegetablesgrowing area occurring severe yield losses. As a newly recorded pest, the severity of the nematode is still not clear tomost of the farmers. Identification of this nematode is another big issue as the nematode existed in the field with Heteroderaschachtii. Recent reports revealed that the pest is steadily spreading within the highland areas and has a huge possibilityto spread over Korea. Therefore, it is the high time to set a monitoring or warning systems and test more feasible managementstrategies to prevent the dispersal of this nematode.

Animals must maintain proper balance between energy intake and expenditure. Recently, we descovered the enzymaticco-factor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) inhibits feeding in Drosophila. BH4 biosynthesis requires the sequential action of theconserved enzymes Punch, Purple, and Sepiapterin Reductase (Sptr). Although we observe increased feeding upon lossof Punch and Purple in the adult fat body, loss of Sptr must occur in the brain. We found Sptr expression is requiredin four adult brain neurons that express NPF, the fly homologue of the vertebrate appetite regulator NPY. Mechanistically,we found BH4 deficiency reduces NPF levels, while excess BH4 increases NPF accumulation without altering its expression.

Orius minutus (L.) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is a native predators of soft body insects such as mites, thrips, and aphids.We compared 24 h consumption rate of O. minutus with that of a commercialized O. laevigatus (Fieber) on egg andadult stage of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). Orius minutus predated 1.4 times more adult T. urticae(58 mites) in 24 h than O. laevigatus. Similarly, O. minutus consumed 128 eggs while O. laevigatus consumed 98 eggsin 24 h without statistical difference. These results suggest that native O. minutus can be applied for the augmentativebiological control after the development of mass-rearing method.

Nitiric oxide (NO) and eicosanoids function as crucial immune mediators in insects. This study focuses on cross-talkbetween two immune mediators in term of humoral immune response in Spodoptera exigua. Up-regulation of eight differentanti-microbial peptides (AMP) was observed against bacterial challenge. In contrast, injection of E. coli along with L-NAMEsignificantly down regulation the AMP production whereas D-NAME was not effective. The injection of E. coli withdexamethasone or SNAP also decreased AMP production whereas arachidonic acid (AA) compensated the dexamethasoneeffects. RNA inerferece against SeNOS showed the down-regulation of defensin mRNA level, whereas dsNOS injectionswith AA reversed the gene regulation.

Through an integration of seasonal climate forecasts (SCF) and rice pest epidemiological models, a potential risk forrice pest epidemics can be predicted even before a cropping season starts. The objective of the study was to developand evaluate an epidemiological “rtdSim” model for tungro, a vector-born rice disease, aiming at predicting a seasonaltungro risk in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. Predicting tungro epidemics requires many components explaining thecomplex nature of the three-cornered pathosystems (virus, vector, and host) and their interactions with environmental variables.The rtdSim model successfully calculated number of rice hills infected with the rice tungro virus through its vector, thegreen leafhopper (GLH). The present study highlights the potential for developing a climate-based early warning systemfor rice pests, thus allowing better decision-making on a seasonal level.