Information on the Covid-19 situation in North Korea and the country’s policy response to the pandemic has been fragmented and incomplete. To better understand North Korea’s Covid- 19-related policies, this article assesses the legal measures that have been implemented by this isolated, totalitarian country to counter the pandemic, including the Emergency Law on the Prevention of Epidemics (ELPE), which was enacted in August 2020. Compared to related laws prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, North Korea’s legal measures implemented in the face of the current pandemic have distinct characteristics. The measures, which appear to supersede other laws, prescribe draconian punishments for violations and expedite criminal sanction. This article concludes that stringent measures have been implemented in North Korea to prevent the spread of Covid-19, to protect Kim Jong-un, and to reinforce the regime’s stability. These measures are likely to be repeated in future epidemics, as they have achieved the status of law.

The carbon anode material for lithium-ion battery was prepared by pyrolysis fuel oil and waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) additive. The pitch was synthesized as a medium material for carbon anode by heat treatment. The waste PET additive improved the softening point and thermal stability of the pitch. La and Lc of the anode material (heat-treated pitch) increased at higher treatment temperature but decreased by waste PET additive. The electric capacity was evaluated based on effects of defective cavity and developed graphite interlayer, respectively. When the La and Lc of the anode material decreased, the electric capacity by cavity increased based on defective graphite structure. Therefore, the addition of waste PET causes the improved capacity by the cavity. The anode material which has a high efficiency (over 95%) and C-rate (95%, 2 C/0.1 C) was obtained by controlling the process of heat treatment and PET addition. The mechanism of lithium-ion insertion was discussed based on effects of defective cavity and developed graphite interlayer.

소나무재선충병의 나무주사는 살선충제를 중심으로 실시되어 왔으며, 매개충인 솔수염하늘소와 북방수염하늘소의 방제는 주로 항공방제나 지상방제를 통하여 이루어졌다. 본 연구에서는 나무주사를 통하여 매개충 (솔수염하늘소)을 방제하기 위한 연구로 Abamectin+Acetamiprid ME, Thiamethoxam DC 약제의 나무주사시 솔수염하늘소의 약효발현농도, 처리 후 기간별 효과(2017년~2018년)를 검토하였다. 실내 발현농도 시험에서는 Acetamiprid, Thiamethoxam LC50 value는 각각 0.102ppm, 0.083ppm 으로 나타 났으며, 야산(포장)에서 Abamectin+Acetamiprid ME, Thiamethoxam DC 처리구의 100.0% 치사 소요일 수는 처리 90일 후 11.0일, 9.4일, 처리 360일 후 11.6일, 10.0일로 나타나서 두 약제 모두 3월 처리시 다음해에 발생하는 매개충 (솔수염하늘소) 방제까지 가능함을 확인 할 수 있었다.

It is not easy to detect East Asia’s presence in the field of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), despite its large economy. In addition to having less active foreign direct investment (FDI) relative to GDP and fewer investment treaties, East Asian economies and societies seem to possess certain characteristics that have contributed collectively to the dearth of ISDS cases in East Asia. Examples are the short history of international arbitration, the avoidance of litigation, the high proportion of state-owned enterprises in outward FDI from China, and the concentration of FDI in industries in which investor-state disputes are less likely to occur. This trend, however, is likely to change gradually with the ongoing socioeconomic changes in the region, including the increase in both outward and inward FDI, the increasing number of investment treaties, the growing familiarity with international (investment) arbitration among legal experts, the diversification of FDI, and the decreasing fear of administrative litigation.

This study purposed to examine the effect of low power laser on pain response and axonal regeneration. In order to prepare peripheral nerve injury models, we crushed the sciatic nerve of Sprague-Dawley rats and treated them with low power laser for 21 days. The rats were divided into 4 groups: normal group(n=10); control group(n=10) without any treatment after the induction of sciatic nerve crush injury; experimental group I(n=10) treated with low power laser(0.21mJ/㎟) after the induction of sciatic nerve crush injury; and experimental group II(n=10) treated with low power laser(5.25mJ/㎟) after the induction of sciatic nerve crush injury. We measured spontaneous pain behavior(paw withdrawal latency test) and mechanical allodynia(von Frey filament test) for evaluating pain behavioral response, and measured the sciatic function index for evaluating the functional recovery of peripheral nerve before the induction of sciatic nerve crush injury and on day 1, 7, 14 and 21 after the induction. After the experiment was completed, changes in the H & E stain and toluidine blue stain were examined histopathologically, and changes in MAG(myelin associated glycoprotein) and c-fos were examined immunohistologically. According to the results of this study, when low power laser was applied to rat models with sciatic nerve crush injury for 21 days and the results were examined through pain behavior evaluation and neurobehavioral, histopathological and immunohistological analyses, low power laser was found to affect pain response and axonal regeneration in both experimental group I and experimental group II. Moreover, the effect on pain response and axonal regeneration was more positive in experimental group I to which output 0.21mJ/㎟ was applied than in experimental group II to which 5.25mJ/㎟ was applied.

14-3-3 proteins are known to play a pivotal role in a diverse array of cellular events such as cell survival, apoptosis, and signal transduction. Numerous 14-3-3 ζ have been cloned and characterized from a host of eukaryotic organisms including human, plants, yeast, fruit fly and silkworm. However, no study on Spodoptera exigua 14-3-3ζ in conjunction with virus infection has so far been reported in insects. It appears that expression of Se14-3-3ζ was decreased starting 24 h post-SeNPV infection as SeNPV titers seemed to increase as evidenced by intense bands of SeNPV IAP3. Interestingly, confocal microscopic analysis revealed that Se14-3-3ζ is expressed at the apical side of the NPV-uninfected gut cells, whereas it was detected mainly in the nucleus of the NPV-infected cells. Thus, despite the biological significance of Se14-3-3ζ in S. exigua in conjunction with molecular interactions between SeNPV and S. exigua is unclear now, our data suggest that Se14-3-3 ζ protein plays a role to protect S. exigua from the infection or inhibit replication of SeNPV.

Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway is known to play a pivotal role in various cellular events and antiviral responses in both vertebrates and insects. In an attempt to elucidate the potential involvement of STAT on S. exigua-SeNPV interactions, the full length cDNA of SeSTAT was cloned from S. exigua. Analysis of temporal expression patterns shows that SeSTAT is expressed in all stages of life cycle such as larvae, pupae, and adult. Spatial expression analysis shows that it is highly expressed in fat body and Malpighian tubule. Interestingly, SeSTAT is induced at 24 h in response to either laminarin or LTA injection in larvae. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) shows that the binding of nuclear extracts from fat body cells immune-challenged with LTA to STAT5 probe was observed. In addition, SeSTAT was nuclear-translocalized in both fat body and gut cells that were challenged with LTA and laminarin, respectively. Finally, gene silencing of SeSTAT shows that SeNPV number appears to be increased. It suggests that SeSTAT may act as a negative regulator against SeNPV in midgut.

18th of May means the memorial (symbolic) day for Kwang-Ju citizens who resisted against Korean army in order to democratize South Korea in 1980. <Fig.1> illustrates the still image of 5.18 Kwang-Ju affairs. This work was shown in Hub City of Asian Culture Project, “Integrating”, administered by the national government of Korea in Kwang-Ju, 2007, for memorial of 5.18 Kwang-Juaffairs[1]. As the proverb says, “It's better to see it once than hearing it a thousand times.” Eyes as the visual organ play an important role in order to operate human sense organ. These visual images of 5.18 affairs are aroused from their resistance souls and reported for the live scene in those days. Indirectly we are able to feel an emotion of tremble like a fear of 5.18. Inspiration of visual scene propagates through human brain-waves.

As an effective generalist predator of aphids and other hemipteran pests, Harmonia axyridis has been a successful biological control agent. Interestingly, it was known that there were varied in color patterns on H. axyridis elytra. In fact, Seo & Youn (2007) reported that H. axyridis had five color patterns, for example, succinea 1, 2, conspicua, spectabilis, and axyridis. But there are uncertain that H. axyridis elytra colour patterns are regulated by genetic polymorphism. So we tried to what is the reason that color patterns are greatly variable. To identify DNA markers linked to a elytra polymorphism, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was performed on DNA samples from four female succinea, conspicua, spectabilis and Coccinella septempunctata which is another species in Coccinellidae. AFLP analysis with the restriction endonuclease combination EcoRⅠ and MseⅠwas performed. Using 12 AFLP primer pairs, nine AFLP fragments which is specific between succinea, conspicua, spectabilis was identified. These nine AFLP fragments were isolated, cloned and sequenced. Subsequent UPGMA cluster analysis revealed three major group of H. axyridis populations. These genetic tree showed that H. axyridis elytra colour diversity was affected by genetic polymorphism. For more genetically understanding elytra colour genes, different primer combinations may be need to be generate enough polymorphic markers. These genetic analyses may be facilitate the understanding of molecular mechanism behind wing colour pattern formation.