The yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), has long been used as a key study organism in many fundamental researches, including biochemistry, physiology, and behavior. Lifespan and reproduction are two of the most important components of fitness in all insects, but it remains largely unexplored how these two traits are influenced by macronutrient intake in this beetle. In this study, we used the nutritional geometry framework to analyze the complex and interactive effects of dietary protein and carbohydrate intake on lifespan and reproductive performance in T. molitor beetle. Lifespan and the number of eggs laid throughout the lifetime were quantified from more than 2,000 individual beetles provided with one of 35 chemically defined diets representing a full combination of seven protein-to-carbohydrate ratios (P:C= 0:1, 1:5, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 5:1, or 1:0) and five protein plus carbohydrate concentrations (P+C=25.2, 33.6, 42, 50.4, or 58.8 %, dry mass). All measures of lifespan and egg production were expressed highly at high caloric intake, but they differed in the optimal P:C ratio where traits peaked. While lifespan was the longest at a moderately carbohydrate-biased P:C ratio of 1:1.36, the rate of egg production was maximized at a protein-biased P:C ratio of 1.75:1, suggesting a possible nutrient-mediated trade-off between lifespan and daily reproductive efforts in T. molitor beetles. Lifetime egg production was maximized at a P:C ratio of 1.31:1, which was still protein-biased but lower than that maximized egg production rate. Reproductive lifespan was the longest at a P:C ratio of 1:1.06. When given a food choice, T. molitor beetles preferred a P:C ratio of 1:1, which is closest to the ratio that enables T. molitor beetles to stay reproductively active as long as possible.

The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is an important industrial insect commercially produced around the world as food and feed. Temperature and nutrition are the two most influential environmental factors determining the rearing conditions in insects, but little is known about how these two factors interact to affect the performance of T. molitor larvae. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of temperature and dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) ratio on key performance traits in T. moltior larvae. Throughout their larval stage, the insects were reared on one of 36 treatment combinations of six temperatures (19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34 °C) and six protein:carbohydrate ratios (P:C = 1:5, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 5:1, 1:0) and their survivorship, development, growth rate, and pupal mass were monitored. Survivorship was high at low temperatures (< 25°C) and high P:C ratios (>1:1), but decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing P:C ratio. Increase in rearing temperature accelerated larval development but resulted in a reduced pupal mass. Thermal optimum for pupal mass (19.3°C) was thus lower than that for development time (28.1°C). The growth rate was maximized at 27.9°C and P:C 1.65:1 and decreased as both the temperature and the P:C ratio deviated from their optimum. All four key performance traits (survivorship, development time, pupal mass, growth rate) were optimized at temperatures between 25.7 and 27.4°C and P:C ratios between 1.17:1 and 2.94:1. Our data provide insights into how the production and nutritional value of T. molitor larvae can be improved through adjusting their rearing conditions.

Wolfiporia cocos is an edible fungus commercially cultivated in Asia. To investigate metabolic changes of W. cocos mycelia under both light and dark culture conditions, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses were performed. In terms of the total amount of sugars, alcohols, amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, and purines, there no significant differences between the W. cocos mycelia cultivated under light (L) or dark (D) conditions (p < 0.05). However, there were some differences with respect to the production of particular sugars and proteins. The levels of trehalose (L: 17.2 ± 0.3% vs. D: 13.9 ± 1.6%), maltose (L: 0.9 ± 0.1% vs. D: 0.3 ± 0.1%), turanose (L: 0.7 ± 0.2% vs. D: 0.1 ± 0.1%), glutamine (L: 1.6 ± 0.3% vs. D: 0.7 ± 0.2%), and proline (L: 0.3 ± 0% vs. D: 0.1 ± 0%) were all significantly higher under light condition (p < 0.05). In contrast, the levels of galactose (L: 13.7 ± 1.2% vs. D: 17.6 ± 2.0%), aspartic acid (L: 0.6 ± 0.1 % vs. D: 0.9 ± 0.1%), cystathionine (L: 0.6 ± 0.1% vs. D: 0.8 ± 0 %), and malic acid (L: 0.7 ± 0.1% vs. D: 1.2 ± 0.1%) were higher under the dark condition. It is worth noting that the amount of pachymic acid, a pharmaceutically active compound of W. cocos, was 1.68 times greater under the light condition (p < 0.05).

There are generally two kinds of spent filter; one is spent filter media for mainly gaseous purification such as HEPA filter, the other is spent filter cartridge for liquid purification such as CVCS BRS cartridge type filter. The spent filter cartridge from liquid purification system has been storing in special shielding space in auxiliary building in NPPs since the beginning of 2006 according to the long term storage strategy for decaying short lived radionuclide and gaining the time for selecting practical treatment technology before final packaging. The spent filter cartridges generated Kori-1 reactor vary in their sizes as in length from 913 mm to 290 mm and range in radiation level from several hundred mSv per hour to below mSv per hour . It is high time that the spent filter cartridge is treated and packaged because LILW repository in Wolsung area is operating and Kori-1 reactor is scheduled to decommission. The spent filter cartridge is one of the wet solid wastes required of solidification. It is difficult for the spent filter cartridge to solidify because of their shape, structure, physical and chemical characteristics in addition to having high radiation level. NSSC notice defines that solidification of wet solid wastes include that solid material such as spent filter is encapsulated with cement, etc. as a form of macro-encapsulation. The radioactive waste acceptance criteria describes that non-homogeneous waste having above 74,000 Bq/g such as spent filter, dry active waste should be encapsulated with qualified material. Homogeneous waste such as spent resin, sludge, concentrated waste (liquid waste evaporator bottoms), etc. should be solidified complied with requirements except that spent filter which is allowed to encapsulate. It is needed to guide to the practice of these two requirements for spent filter. The sampling and test method is different between homogeneous solidification waste form and spent filter cartridge encapsulation waste form. For example, how core sample can be taken and how void space can be measured among spent filter cartridge in encapsulation waste form. The technical evaluation report for spent filter cartridge polymer encapsulation by US NRC has been reviewed and the technical position of US NRC was identified. As a result of review, improvement fields of waste acceptance criteria for spent filters are pointed out, and the technical position of US NRC for spent filter cartridge solidification is summarized. The recommendation on improvement directions for spent filter cartridge encapsulation is suggested.

Fermented total mixed ration (TMR) is a novel feed for ruminants in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the quality of TMR and in vitro ruminal fermentation. Strains of three LAB spp. (Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. mucosae) were used in fermentation of TMR. Inoculations with the three LAB spp. lowered pH and increased concentrations of lactic acid, acetic acid, and total organic acid compared to non-LAB inoculated control (only addition of an equivalent amount of water) (p<0.05). Bacterial composition indicated that aerobic bacteria and LAB were higher. However, E. coli were lower in the fermented TMR than those in the control treatment (p<0.05). Among the treatments, L. brevis treatment had the highest concentration of total organic acid without fungus detection. Gas production, pH, and ammonia-nitrogen during ruminal in vitro incubation did not differ throughout incubation. However, ruminal total VFA concentration was higher (p<0.05) in the LAB spp. treatments than the control treatment at 48 hours. Overall, the use of L. brevis as an inoculant for fermentation of high moisture. TMR could inhibit fungi growth and promote lactic fermentation, and enhance digestion in the rumen.

Environmental temperature has strong impacts on the rate and efficiency of nutrient use in insects, but little is knownabout how changes in temperature influence their nutrient preference. Here we examined the effect of temperature onthe nutrient preferences of mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor L.) by offering them a choice between two nutritionallycomplementary diets (P:C 1:5 vs. 5:1) at four different temperatures (20, 25, 30, or 35 ̊C). Beetles selected protein andcarbohydrate in a 1:1 ratio at 25 and 30 ̊C, but exhibited a significant preference for carbohydrate at 20 and 35 ̊C. Theseresults indicate that nutrient preference can shift plastically to match the altered nutrient requirement of beetles underchanging thermal conditions. The present findings have implications for the impacts of climate warming on diet selectionin insects.

A total of nine Korean indigenous goats were used in a cross-over arrangement to give nine replicates per treatment, and they were housed individually assigned to 1 of 9 dietary treatments. Nine treatments were 0, 500, and 1000 ppm of quercetin supplementation in diets by mixing roughage and concentrate with different ratios (RC ratio) of 3:7 (RC 30), 5:5 (RC 50) and 7:3 (RC 70). Nutrient utilizations of dry matter, crude fat and NDF were not affected by neither RC ratio nor dietary quercetin (p>0.05), but the rate of crude protein and ADF increased in animals in RC 70 group regardless of quercetin supplementation (p<0.05). In addition, higher RC ratio increased (p<0.05) N retention and N retention rate. Total VFA, acetic acid, propionic acid, iso-butyric acid, butyric acid, iso-valeric acid and valeric acid contents were not affected (p>0.05) by dietary quercetin. Meanwhile, lower total cholesterol level exhibited in animals in RC 70 group compared to RC 30 or 50 groups, unrelated to dietary quercetin (p<0.05), however other plasma parameters were not influenced (p>0.05) by RC ratio and dietary quercetin. Our results indicated that both RC ratio and dietary quercetin may not directly affect the production indices and immune responses in Korean indigenous goat

Recent research has suggested that the dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) balance is a critical determinant of fitness in insects. In this study, we examined the effects of dietary P:C balance on life-time reproductive success in the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor. Both males and females lived the longest when fed on P:C 1:1 diet. Throughout their adult lives, females fed on P:C 1:1 diet laid significantly more eggs than those on nutritionally imbalanced diets (P:C 1:5 or 5:1). When given a choice, beetles regulated their intake of protein and carbohydrate to a ratio close to 1:1. Taken together, our results indicate the balanced intake of protein and carbohydrate maximizes life-time reproductive success in this species.

Macronutrient balance has a strong influence on fitness in insects. Previous studies have revealed that altering the concentrations of yeast and sugar in the semi-synthetic diet has a profound impact on lifespan and fecundity in Drosophila melanogaster, indicating the role of dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) balance in determining these two key components of fitness. However, since yeast contains not only proteins but also other macro- and micronutrients, this lifespan-determining role of dietary P:C balance needs to be corroborated using a chemically defined diet. In this study, the effects of dietary P:C balance on lifespan and fecundity were investigated in female D. melanogaster flies on one of eight isocaloric synthetic diets differing in P:C ratio (0:1, 1:16, 1:8, 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 or 4:1). Lifespan and dietary P:C ratio were related in a convex manner, with lifespan increasing to a peak at the two intermediate P:C ratios (1:2 and 1:4) and falling at the imbalanced ratios (0:1 and 4:1). Ingesting nutritionally imbalanced diets caused flies to start ageing earlier and senesce faster. Egg production increased progressively as the dietary P:C ratio rose from 0:1 to 4:1. Long-lived flies at the intermediate P:C ratios(1:2 and 1:4) stored a greater amount of lipids than those short-lived ones at the two imbalanced ratios (0:1 and 4:1). These findings provide a strong support to the notion that dietary P:C balance is a critical determinant of lifespan and fecundity in D. melanogaster.

Protein and carbohydrate are the two most important macronutrients that have profound impacts on fitness and demography in most insects. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) balance and mating status on feeding behavior, longevity and fecundity in male and female mealworm beetles, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). In the first experiment, we measured the amount of protein and carbohydrate consumed by mated and unmated beetles of both sexes. Newly emerged beetles were allowed to mate for 24 h before they were simultaneously provided with two nutritional imbalanced but complementary synthetic diets (P:C =1:5 vs. 5:1) for 24 successive days. Mated females not only consumed significantly more nutrients but also exhibited a greater preference for protein than did mated males and unmated controls. In the second experiment, we determined longevity and fecundity from a total of 120 male and female beetles that were confined to feed on one of three no-choice foods differing in P:C balance (P:C=1:5,1:1 or5:1) throughout their entire lives. Fecundity was recorded as the total number of eggs laid by individual females until death. Both male and female beetles lived significantly longer and laid more eggs over the lifetime on a balanced diet (1:1) than on the two imbalance diets (1:5 and 5:1), suggesting that the Darwinian fitness was maximized when the diet was equally balanced in protein and carbohydrate. Mated male and female beetles had a shorter longevity compared to their unmated counterparts, indicating that there was a significant survival cost to mating in this insect.

Species diversity of ant fauna inhabiting the university campus in the Seoul Metropolitan city, Hanyang University is documented in this investigation. Totally, 14 species of 8 genera belong to 3 subfamilies discovered in study area. Our results are compared with the previous works on ant fauna in the forest and urban habitats based on species number difference. In study area, site 12 and 13 contain wide forest area and diverse environmental elements such as rotten wood, leaf mold and group of living tree. Site 7 has small forest area, but show wide variety of environments like site 12 and 13. Urbanized region like site 8, 10 or area in construction like site 1 show the most lowest diversity. Aside from diversity, Four ant species, Paratrechina flavipes, Lasius spp., Camponotus japonicas, Tetramorium caespitum, appear at almost all habitat, seems to have strong tolerance to environmental change.

Skin is the outermost organ and acts as a barrier between the organism and environment. Skin protects the organism from environmental insults, such as chemicals, pathogens, and UV light. Much of the protective function of skin is dependent on the epidermis, a multi-layered epithelium that is composed of various cell types such as keratinocytes and melanocytes. Keratinocytes produce protective components through a sophisticated differentiation process. Disturbance of keratinocyte differentiation is related to several skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. In this study, we prepared extract of combined medicinal plants (ECMP) consisting of Taraxacum platycarpum H. Dahlstedt, Heartleaf Houttuynia, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer, and root bark of Ulmus davidiana. We demonstrated that ECMP enhanced keratinocyte differentiation and barrier functionality using an in vitro cell culture system and in vivo animal test. Treatment of cultured keratinocytes with ECMP resulted in induction of keratinocyte differentiation, as evidenced by increased differentiation markers such as involucrin, loricrin, and filaggrin. In line with these results, ECMP decreased proliferation of keratinocytes cultured in vitro. ECMP applied topically to tape-stripped mouse skins accelerated reduction of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), indicating fast recovery of barrier function. Immunohistochemistry showed that ECMP increased the filaggrin level in tape-stripped mouse skins. These results suggest that ECMP may be applicable for keratinocyte differentiation-related skin diseases.

The nutritional quality of host plant is critically important for insect herbivores to maximize their fitness, but it is relatively unexplored whether the ingestion of a specific host plant will have the same effects on insects under different thermal conditions. We have used a multi-factorial experimental design to investigate how the nutritional quality of host plant and temperature interact to affect life-history traits in a generalist caterpillar Hyphantria cunea (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) feeding on five different host plants. Caterpillars raised on Platanus occidentalis, Sophora japonica and Prunus x yedoensis exhibited substantially higher survival, faster growth and heavier mass at pupation than those on Cornus kousa and Betula platyphylla. Caterpillars developed more quickly and attained a smaller final body mass at higher temperatures, but the way that these traits responded to temperature differed by host plant. Caterpillars on P.occidentalis displayed a monotonic decrease in development time with increasing temperature, but the development time of those on P. x yedoensis declined with temperature in a biphasic manner. Furthermore, the rate at which pupal mass increased with decreasing temperature was much greater for caterpillars on P.occidentalis than those on P. x yedoensis.

Protein and carbohydrate are the two most important macronutrients that have profound consequences for the fitness of insects. Many insects are capable of balancing the intake of multiple nutrients to minimize the fitness costs associated with ingesting diets that are imbalanced with respect to protein and carbohydrate. It has been hypothesized that insects will redress the imbalance of their nutrient state through increasing the appetite for specific nutrients that are ingested in deficit. We tested this possibility using a mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Newly emerged beetles were confined to one of two nutritionally imbalanced foods that contained only protein or carbohydrate (P:C ratio = 0:42 and 42:0, expressed as % dry mass) for 16 days, after which they were given an opportunity to choose between two nutritionally imbalanced diets (0:42 versus 42:0). Over the first few days of the food choice, beetles that had previously experienced protein-limitation preferred protein to carbohydrate while the reverse was true for those that had experienced carbohydrate-shortage. Such contrasting patterns of diet preference observed between the two groups of beetles diminished subsequently as the insects recovered from nutrient imbalance. Our results provide strong support for the long-standing idea that attaining the right balance of nutrients is the main motive for foraging in insects.