We demonstrated an effective way of preparing melt spinnable mesophase pitches via catalytic hydrogenation of petroleum residue (fluidized catalytic cracking-decant oil) and their subsequent thermal soaking. The mesophase pitches thus obtained were analyzed in terms of their viscosity, elemental composition, solubility, molecular weight, softening point and optical texture. We found that zeolite-induced catalytic hydrogenation under high hydrogen pressure contributed to a large variation in the properties of the pitches. As the hydrogen pressure increased, the C/H ratio decreased, and the solubility in n-hexane increased. The mesophase pitch with entirely anisotropic domains of flow texture exhibited good meltspinnability. The mesophase carbon fibers obtained from the catalytically hydrogenated petroleum residue showed moderate mechanical properties.

The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae B is a powerful biological control agent against Monochamusalternatus, a crucial mediator of the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. In this study, production of destruxins(dtxs), insecticidal cyclic hexadepsipeptides, was monitored in the submerged culture of M. anisopliae B. Three typesof dtxs, i.e., destruxin A, B, and E, were produced during the culture. Among the three dtxs, the production yield ofdestruxin A was best, followed by destruxin B and E. Destruxin A production was increased when pH was controlledat 6.0, whereas production of destruxin E was not affected by the pH control. The highest yield of dtxs A, B, and Ewere 16.4, 7.3, and 6.1 mg L-1, respectively. Considering that process for dtxs production has not been optimized, M.anisopliae B has more powerful implication as a biocontrol agent.

The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is one of potent biological control agents against a variety ofinsect pests. In this study, we investigated enzyme production of M. anisopliae strains A and B. They produced extracellularenzymes for degrading the epidermis of Monochamus alternatus, a crucial mediator of the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchusxylophilus. With Q-TOF MS/MS analysis, 29 kDa protein, a major band on a SDS-PAGE gel, was identified as subtilisin-likeserine protease PR1A. M. anisopliae A produced an extracellular enzyme more efficiently than M. anisopliae B: however,enzyme activities targeted for the cuticle were comparable. Our results suggest that the two strains of M. anisopliae havethe biological potential against M. alternatus with insecticidal protease production.

The potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is a ubiquitous pest on potatoes, tobacco, tomato and othercrops. The small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida Murray, is a pest of European honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in severalcountries in the world. Propolis is a balm-like substance collected from plants by bees. Its chemical composition variesand depends mainly on the flora in the region in which it is collected as well as the bee species. Hitherto biologicalproperties and the chemical composition of the essential oil extracted from propolis of Korean origin are unknown. Inthis study, while searching for an environmentally friendly method to control these pests we evaluated the repellent effectsof essential oil of propolis collected from Bee Lab of Andong National University and found that it possess repellentactivity against both small hive beetle and potato tuber moth. Moreover, a total of 171 constituents of the oil were identifiedof which 6 were major compounds using GC/MS analysis. We also compared the chemical composition of this oil withthose from 2 Ethiopian regions.

The present study was carried out to assess the perception of entomophagy in the Korean population. 329 respondentsof varying age groups were included in a semi-structured questionnaire survey. Results revealed that altogether 88% ofthe respondents knew ‘entomophagy’ fully or partially which is higher than few other scientific reports examined consumeracceptance in different countries, probably suggesting a rich tradition of using insects for food and medicinal purposesin Korea. Males were found more inclined to accept insect as food while females were neophobic. A similar trend wasobserved in case of using insects as a food ingredient. Acceptance of insect as food and or food ingredients was foundmore among older people in comparison to younger people which could be presumably because of familiarity with ancestralknowledge. Taste or flavor was found the most important determinant factor followed by nutrition and environmental issues.The outcomes of the study advocate ‘awareness’ of food safety, environmental and health issues among consumers canbe an instrument for wide acceptance of entomophagy.

West Nile Virus (WNV) is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Vector mosquitoes usually acquire these pathogens fromfeeding on an infected host, and transmit the pathogens to a naive host during feeding events. To understand the virustransmission dynamics and to survey WNV throughout country, the present study has been conducted. We collected mosquitoesat urban parks in Seongnam, Wonju, Gunsan, Daegu, and Tongyeong using CDC light trap with Dry ice from April toSeptemper in 2017 (mosquito collecting is on going). Among collected mosquitoes, blood-fed mosquitoes were conductedblood meal identification assay and the other mosquitoes were subjected to virus detection using real-time PCR method.A total of 2,290 mosquitoes representing 6 genera and 15 species were collected. The most dominant species was Culexpipiens complex (42.1%) followed by Aedes albopictus (15.1%), Ae. vexans nipponii (14.6%), Ochlerotatus koreicus (9.8%),Cx. orientalis (6.5%), and Armigeres subalbatus (4.4%). The blood meal source were of mammal (93.3%), and birds (6.7%).So far, no WNV has been detected in any mosquitoes.

The members of the genus Flavivirus are noteworthy, as they cause infectious diseases in humans, such as Zika, denguefever, yellow fever, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis. Due to the increased awareness of the public health risk posedby flavivirus-infected mosquitoes, mosquito collections were performed in six urban parks of South Korea, as the parksare designated for human recreation but also provide suitable habitats for mosquitoes. We examined the diversity andabundance of mosquito species and conducted molecular diagnostics for the detection of flavivirus infections. Monthlycollections were carried out in each park from March to August in 2017. A total of 4,851 mosquitoes (5 genera and13 species) were collected using BG-sentinel traps and then investigated for flavivirus infections. Pathogenic flavivirusinfections causing human diseases were not observed in the field-collected mosquitoes. However, insect-specific flavivirus(ISF) infections were detected in several mosquito pools. ISF has been previously known to enhance or suppress the replicationof medically important flaviviruses in co-infected mosquito cells. In this study, partial sequences of ISF were analyzed.However, further studies are needed in order to determine its genetic characterization and biological function in vivo.

Invasive pests have posed an ecological threat as climate change has been accelerated, suggesting early prediction ofinvasive pests is required to minimize damages by them. As one of predictive tools, CLIMEX has been effectively usedin a few regions, including US, Australia, and Europe. It allows us to predict a species distribution on a local area inresponse to climatic conditions: and thus, potential distribution of invasive species, risk assessment of agricultural pests,and suitability of biological control agents have been tested by CLIMEX. In this study, we introduced how to use CLIMEXfor predicting a species distribution differed by climate change in terms of its functions, required data, and examplesof its application.

Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm. is a perennial herb found widely distributed in various regions of Korea, Europe, and New Zealand. The root of A. sylvestris have been extensively used in the treatment for antitussive, antipyretic, cough remedy in Oriental medicine, but the physiologically active function of the leaf of A. sylvestris is as yet unknown. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity and the mechanism of cell death of water extracts of leaf of Anthriscus sylvestris (WELAS), on human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Our data showed that WELAS treatment inhibited cell viability in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. In addition, the treatment of WELAS markedly induced apoptosis in FaDu cells, as determined by the viability assay, DAPI stain and FACS analysis. WELAS also increased the proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -9 and PARP (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase). In addition, exposure to WELAS decreased the expression of Bcl-2 (an anti-apoptotic factor), but increased the expression of Bax (a pro-apoptotic factor), suggesting that mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathways are mediated in WELAS-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results indicate that water extracts of leaf of A. sylvestris inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis via the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway in FaDu human hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Therefore, we propose that the water extracts of leaf of A. sylvestris is a novel chemotherapeutic drug, having growth inhibitory properties and induction of apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.

This study determined diagnostic threshold of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) for cytological endometritis (CEM) and its impacts on reproductive performance in dairy cows. Uterine cytology using 407 Holstein cows was performed at 4 weeks postpartum and proportion of endometrial cells and PMN was evaluated. A receiver operating characteristics curve was built to assess the cutoff level above which the PMN proportion affected the hazard of pregnancy by 200 days postpartum. The cutoff level for CEM was set at ≥14% PMN (sensitivity = 31.3%, specificity = 81.7%, P < 0.05). Cows with CEM had a lower probability of resumption of cyclicity (OR = 0.58 P < 0.05) and lower hazard of pregnancy by 200 days postpartum (hazard ratio = 0.58, P = 0.0001) than cows without CEM. Cows with CEM tended to have a lower probability of pregnancy to the first insemination (OR = 0.65, P < 0.1) and a greater number of insemination per conception (2.3 vs 2.2, P < 0.1) than cows without CEM. In conclusion, the threshold level of PMN was 14% to define CEM at 4 weeks postpartum and CEM decreased subsequent reproductive performance in dairy cow

Ochratoxin A, which is frequently detected in cereals and infant diets worldwidely, is a mycotoxin to damage mainly the kidney and liver. Because ochratoxin A is highly thermostable compound. it is necessary to study ways of reducing level of ochratoxin A by controling processing steps. However, food processes, including extrusion, expansion, roasting, and steam cooking, which are used in order to mitigate the contents of ochratoxin A, are known to produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are generated from radicals decomposed by pyrolysis. Therefore, this study analyzed the levels of 4 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benz (a) anthracene, chrysene, benzo (b) fluoranthene and benzo (a) pyrene in rice-based products made in high pressure and heating process. Rice samples were finely ground, and homogenized samples were alkaline treatement with 1 M KOH/EtOH and extracted with liquid-liquid extraction method using n-hexane. The extracted solution was pretreated with a silica cartridge. The purified solution was dried with nitrogen gas and dissolved in 1 mL of dichloromethane and injected into GC/MSD. We had overall recoveries for 4 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons spiked into rice samples ranging from 92.8 to 110.2%. The limit of quantitations of benz (a) anthracene, chrysene, benzo (b) fluoranthene and benzo (a) pyrene in rice-based product were 0.19 ng/g, 0.38 ng/g, 0.51 ng/g, and 0.31 ng/g, respectively. However, these 4 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in all processed rice samples were not detected.

We analyzed the variation in occurrence time and intensity of attacks by the rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis Walker) on several crops. We found similar occurrence patterns of C. suppressalis in different crops. Overwintering larvae showed no difference in pupal period and weight compared to the non-overwintering ones. However, the larval period was reduced to 19.1 days in Miscanthus field, in contrast to that in the paddy fields. Efficiency of the emergence trap was confirmed to be greater than that of the delta trap for capturing C. suppressalis adults. It is necessary to adjust the control period because of the advancement in occurring time of C. suppressalis in recent years. The larvae of C. suppressalis experience favorable environmental conditions for overwintering in Miscanthus fields. The results of this study provide important inputs for the development of environment-friendly control methods.

The leafhopper subfamily, Typhlocybinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae), caused direct damage by sap-sucking or indirect damage by transmission of viruses or diseases to the host plants, so Typhlocybinae is one of the most important insect pests in agriculture, urban ecology, forest, etc. in the world. However, their identifications are very difficult due to small size and morphological similarities, and their exact biological information such as host plants and life cycle are not reported yet for most species. So, we construct an integrated biological database that presents accurate diagnostic methods (illustrated key characters, DNA barcoding data), patterns and seasons of occurrences, and some ecological photographs such as dorsal habitus of specimens and plant damages

The subfamily Iassinae Walker belongs to the family Cicadellidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). A total of 124 genera with 1,999 species have been described in the world. To date, two genera, Batracomorphus Lewis and Iassus Fabricius, and 5 species of the subfamily have been recorded in Korea. In this talk, one new species and one new record of the genus Batracomorphus and one new species and two new records of the genus Iassus from Korea are presented. And we also provide biological information such as host plants and distributional records of the Korean Iassine species.

국내에서 개발중인 콘크리트 저장용기는 방사성 물질의 격납 건전성을 유지하기 위하여 내부에 캐니스터를 포함하고 있다. 본 논문에서는 콘크리트 저장용기 내부 캐니스터의 뚜껑 용접시, 용접시간 저감과 이에 따른 캐니스터 용접부의 구조적 건 전성을 확보하기 위한 방안으로, 정상, 비정상 및 사고조건에서 캐니스터 용접부 균열을 진전시키는 하중에 의해 발생되는 균열 깊이를 분석하여, 용접부의 최대 허용결함깊이를 평가하였다. 정상, 비정상 및 사고조건에서의 구조해석은 범용 유한 요소해석 프로그램인 ABAQUS를 사용하였으며, 허용결함깊이는 ASME B&PV Code Section XI에 따라 막응력과 조합하중 에 대해 평가하였다. 평가결과 콘크리트 저장용기의 캐니스터 용접부의 허용결함깊이는 18.75 mm로 평가되었으며, 이는 NUREG-1536에서 권고하고 있는 임계결함깊이를 만족하고 있는 것으로 나타났다.

Earthworms, especially Eisenia andrei, are cultivated for a variety of purposes including waste disposal and compost production. In this study, bacteria from earthworm gut were cultured and the dominant species identified. Subsequently, we isolated bacteriophages able to lyse the isolated gut bacteria. Two dominant genera of gut bacteria, Aeromonas sp. and Citrobacter sp. were identified by using MALDI-TOF MS analysis and a library was constructed to find lytic phages. Phage EF1 showed lytic activity for C. freundii and two Citrobacter isolates, C. braakii and C. murliniae. These 3 species have similar sensitivities to EF1. Several aspects of the life cycle of EF1 were investigated by using C. freundii under optimal growth conditions. EF1 infects C. freundii with a moderate latent period, approximately 25 min, and a large burst size averaging 5 × 109 per infected cell. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of EF1 was well maintained under diverse conditions including a broad temperature range of 40°C to 50°C and a wide pH range of 4 to 11. In conclusion, the results indicate that earthworm casting contain a wide range of bacteria species, for which there are various corresponding bacteriophages.

We determined the effects of different water temperatures (15, 20, and 25℃) and photoperiod cycles (24L:0D, 12L:12D, and 0L:24D) on the oxygen consumption of the offspring of a cultured Japanese strain (JJ), a selected Korean strain (KK), and intraspecific hybrid strains (JK and KJ) of red seabream, Pagrus major, under starvation conditions. The different fish strains, water temperatures, and photoperiod cycles had effects on the mean oxygen consumption of fish. Oxygen consumption increased with increasing water temperatures for all photoperiod treatments (p <0.001). Fish held in continuous darkness (0L:24D) used consistently less oxygen than fish exposed to continuous light (p <0.05). The oxygen consumption of fish exposed to the light phase in a 12L:12D photoperiod was higher than that of fish in the dark phase of the 12L:12D cycle, and differences were significant in three of the strains: JJ (15℃), KK (15 and 20℃), and KJ (25℃). The oxygen consumption of the inbred (JJ and KK) and intraspecific hybrid (JK and KJ) strains varied with differing water temperatures and photoperiod cycles. The JK strain displayed significantly higher oxygen consumption than the other strains under all experimental conditions except 15℃ with a 0L:24D photoperiod. The JK and KJ strains usually showed the highest and lowest oxygen consumption values, respectively, whereas the inbred strains exhibited intermediate values. Oxygen consumption in the JJ and JK strains was usually higher than that of the KK and KJ strains. We propose that differences in the thermal sensitivity and photosensitization properties of the strains contribute to differences in their ability to adapt to changes in water temperature and photoperiod, thus resulting in differences in the amplitude of their metabolic rates.