Euzophera batangensis (Lepidotera: Pyralidae) is seriously damaging trunks or branches of persimmon tree (Diospyros sp.). We tested the attractiveness of (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol (Z9-14OH) and (Z9,E12)-tetradeca- 9,12-dien-1-ol (Z9,E12-14OH) with single or blended baits at southern parts of Korea in 2014 and 2015. The monoene was not attractive at all at three places during the two years. In 2014, diene was equally or more attractive than the mixture in Jinju and Suncheon, respectively. In 2015 too, the attractiveness of diene and mixture was not different in Jinju and Munsan. Monitoring of the seasonal occurrence of E. batangesis with the sex pheromone components revealed that it occurred three times a year; the first occurrence from early April to mid May, the second from early Jun to mid July, and the third from late August to late September.

Chitin synthase (CHS) is an important enzymatic component, which is required for chitin formation in the cuticles and cuticular linings of other tissues in insects. CHSs have been divided into two classes, class A and B, based on their amino acid sequence similarities and functions. Class A CHS (CHS-A) is specifically expressed in the epidermis and related ectodermal cells such as tracheal cells, while expression of class B CHS (CHS-B) is expressed in gut epithelial cells that produce peritrophic matrices. In this study, we cloned the CHS-A gene from the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua. The SeCHS-A mRNA was expressed in all developmental stages and specifically in the epidermis and tracheae tissue by RT-PCR analysis. Expression of SeCHS-A gene was suppressed by feeding double-stranded RNA (dsRNASeCHS-A, 150 ng/larva) in the fifth instar of S. exigua. The suppression of SeCHS-A gene expression significantly induced mortality on pupal stage. Also, larvae fed with dsRNASeCHS-A significantly enhanced pathogenicity of an entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana ANU1. These results suggest that the SeCHS-A gene plays an important role in development of S. exigua and dsRNA, which is a specific to SeCHS-A gene, may be applied to effective pest control with B. bassiana.

Oxalic acid has a nematicidal activity against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. High producer of oxalic acid was isolated, and then named as Aspergillus niger F22. Oxalic acid production was investigated under various temperatures from 20 – 33oC and rotational speeds in 5 L jar fermenters. Yield of oxalic acid increased with decreasing temperature. The highest yield was obtained at 23oC, showing the yield of oxalic acid of 8.7 g/L, whereas oxalic acid production was least at 33oC. At 20oC, the yield was lower than that of 23oC. At a rotational speed of 300 rpm, serious oxygen depletion was present from 48 - 72 h, resulting in low productivity of 26.2 mg /L·h. When a rotational speed was set at 600 rpm, dissolved oxygen tension was over 40% and oxalic acid production increased up to approximately 55%. Viscosity during the culture differed with temperatures. Viscosity increased with the increment of temperatures. When A. niger F22 was cultured at 23oC, viscosity was 810 cP, which was favorable for oxalic acid production.

Tetranychus urticae is extremely hard to control by conventional acaricides due to its rapid development of resistance to nearly all arrays of acaricide. As an alternative control measure of acaricide-resistant mites, RNA interference (RNAi)-based method has recently been suggested. A double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery method using multi-unit chambers was established and employed to screen the RNAi toxicity of 42 T. urticae genes. Among them, the dsRNA treatment of coatomer I (COPI) genes, such as coatomer subunit epsilon (COPE) and beta 2 (COPB2), resulted in high mortality [median lethal time (LT50) = 89.7 and 120.3 h, respectively]. The transcript level of the COPE gene was significantly (F3,9 = 16.2, P = 0.001) reduced up to 24% following dsRNA treatment, suggesting that the toxicity was likely mediated by the RNAi of the target gene. To identify the deferentially expressed gene upon dsRNA ingestion, RNA-seq was employed to compare the transcriptional profiles between mites fed dsEGFP and dsCOPB2. Approximately 928 of genes were up- or down-regulated significantly (P < 0.05) compared to control and 182 genes were commonly responded to the treatment of both dsRNAs. Those dsRNA-responsible genes were mainly categorized into metabolic enzymes, transporters and secretory proteins. Further study would be necessary to elucidate the roles of dsRNA-responsible genes in mite’s dsRNA uptake and defense.

To investigate the preference of food of the elderly for developing processed elderly food, this study was conducted from February 2014 to March 2014 by questionnaire including dietary behaviors, food preference, and frequency of food intake to 119 elderly (49 males and 70 female) who were more than 65 years old and living in Jeonju. Most subjects ate three meals regularly and most of the subjects’ favorite meal time was lunch. The duration time of one meal was 20 min (48.74%). The most preferred taste was delicate and sweet. The subject preferred cooked rice with multi-grains, kalguksu (hot noodle), and abalone porridge to other staple foods. Almost 50% of the subjects liked soybean paste soup and stew, and the ratio of elderly who liked Chinese cabbage kimchi was 72.3%. Preference for panfried foods leaned toward pan fried fish fillet and mung bean pancake. Most subjects preferred plant foods like vegetables, lettuce, and seaweeds. The elderly in Jeonju liked roasted pork, grilled yellow croaker, and stir-fried octopus. Cooked and seasoned vegetables (namul) were the most preferred type by the elderly. Preferences for dishes and food materials were not affected by sex and ages. Most subjects preferred eating out with Korean food. Preference for eating food was selected in grilled beef ribs, a pork cutlet, sushi·broiled eels, and Chinese noodles. Western Japanese and Chinese food were preferred by an elderly subject, who was male and who liked Japanese food more than female.

Due to its rapid development of resistance to nearly all arrays of acaricide, Tetranychus urticae is extremely hard to control using conventional acaricides. As an alternative control measure of acaricide-resistant mites, RNA interference (RNAi)-based methods have recently been suggested. A double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery method using multi-unit chambers was established and employed to screen the RNAi toxicity of 42 T. urticae genes. Among them, the dsRNA treatment of coatomer I (COPI) genes, such as coatomer subunit epsilon (COPE) and beta 2 (COPB2), resulted in high mortality [median lethal time (LT50) = 89.7 and 120.3h, respectively]. The transcript level of the COPE gene was significantly (F3,9 = 16.2, P =0.001) reduced by up to 24% following dsRNA treatment, suggesting that the toxicity was likely mediated by the RNAi of the target gene. As a toxicity enhancement strategy, the recombinant dsRNA was generated by reciprocally recombining half-divided fragments of COPE and COPB2. The two recombinant dsRNAs exhibited higher toxicity than the respective single dsRNA treatments as determined using LT50 values (79.2 and 81.5h, respectively). This finding indicates that the recombination of different genes can enhance RNAi toxicity and be utilized to generate synthetic dsRNA with improved RNAi efficacy.

As demand for Tenebrio molitor increases in animal feed market, improvement of mass-rearing indoor system became more crucial. This study is aimed at establishing the technology for conserving genetic resource of Tenebrio molitor, and increasing the technology utilization. This year, in advance, this experiment was designed for examining the developmental characteristics of eggs and larvae. To research the developmental characteristics under different temperatures, eggs, larvae and papae were treated at 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5 and 30°C. At 25°C, larvae were exposed to various photoperiod conditions, LD 14:10, 12:12, and 10:14. The results show that the temperature range which affected hatching was 15~32.5°C. To achieve 70 percent or higher hatching rate 17.5~27.5°C was required. Furthermore, hatching occurred within 10 days, when the eggs were treated in 22.5~27.5°C. In regard of larval development, shorter developmental period, and higher pupation and eclosion rates were observed in 25~27.5°C. The shortest larval period was recorded at 14L:10D. At 10L:14D, in contrast, pupae showed the lowest chance of eclosion. Overall, larval development was optimal in long-day condition.

Abamectin, soil-born bacterial acaricides, has been intensively used to control Tetranychus urticae. Target site insensitivity and enhanced activity of detoxification enzymes have been considered as major resistance mechanisms. Here, we identified the differentially expressed genes after feeding sublethal dose of abamectin for 36 h by RNA-seq analysis. About 4.9 million reads (± 2,630,543 reads) were assembled into T. urticae. Among a total of 75 genes showing differential transcription, 18 and 14 genes were up- and down-regulated over two fold ratio, respectively. In the validation analysis, the calculated fold change of each genes between RNA-seq and qPCR were moderately correlated (r 2 = 0.661). A cuticular protein was shown as the highest up-regulated gene (192.3-fold) and a chitinase was revealed to be the highest down-regulated (-16.4-fold). Further study would be necessary to validate their roles in T. urticae adaptation to acaricides.

Emergence of resistant two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) can induce the over usage of standard amount of acaricides and result in various side effects. Rapid resistance monitoring is essential step for the efficient management of resistant populations by enabling the selection of appropriate acaricides. Here, we evaluated the 10 acaricides to determine its suitability on residual contact vial bioassay (RCV) by using PyriF strain as standard. Five acaricides (Abamectin, monocrotophos, tebufenpyrad, bifenazate and cyflumetofen) revealed the dose-dependent mortality within 8 h, whereas other remaining acaricides (Fenbutatin oxide, fenpyroxymate, flufenoxuron, spiromesifen and etoxazole) did not. This finding suggests that the application of RCV method is limited depending on the mode of action and physicochemical properties of each acaricide. Resistance levels to five acaricides (Abamectin, monocrotophos, tebufenpyrad, bifenazate and cyflumetofen) were determined for four field populations of TSSM by using RCV diagnostic kit. All TSSM populations showed the highest sensitivity to cyflumetofen, indicating that it would be most effective in controling field populations. RCV diagnostic kit would enable to provide crucial information for choosing the most appropriate acaricides in the field.

The resistance levels to carbamate (CB) and organophosphate (OP) insecticides were determined by topical application in 14 field strains of Nilaparvata lugens. The resistance levels to CB and OP were 1.3~47.5-fold and 1.4~14.4-fold higher than a susceptible strain, respectively. A quantitative sequencing (QS) protocol was established to determine the allele frequencies of four acetylcholinesterase point mutations putatively associated with CB and OP resistance. The allele frequencies of the four mutations (G119A, F/Y330S, F331H and I332L) in field strains ranged from ca. 0.0~51.7%, 0.0~88.9%, 2.5~47.7%, 5.1~56.0% and 6.7~57.3%, respectively. The F331H and I332L were tightly linked each other, suggesting these mutations may occur simultaneously. In the correlation analysis, G119A was not well correlated with actual resistance levels (r2= < 0.232), whereas F331H and I332L showed a better correlation with the resistance levels of benzofuranyl methylcarbamates (r2= 0.595). This finding indicates that F331H and I332L mutation frequencies may be used as molecular markers for detecting carbamate resistance in N. lugens. A QS protocol detecting the F331H and I332L mutation frequencies would be employed as a supportive tool for rapid monitoring of CB insecticide resistance levels in N. lugens

The screening of effective lethal genes was conducted via the systemic delivery of dsRNA for the RNA interference (RNAi)-based management of Tetranychus urticae. Four candidate genes (coatomer protein complex, T-COP; M1 metalloprotease, T-M1MP; Ribosomal protein S4, T-RPS4; A subunit of V-ATPase, T-VATPase) with a reference genes (EGFP) were tested for the experiment. Translocated dsRNA to the leaf disc (ca. 30 mm diameter) was detected at 12 h post-treatment, indicating that dsRNA could move through leaf veins. In the evaluation of mortality, the T-COP, T-RPS4 and T-VATPase exerted moderate levels of toxicity at 72 h post-treatment among four dsRNA tested. Knockdown of the target genes were confirmed by quantitative PCR, suggesting that RNAi of target genes was accomplished by feeding dsRNA. In summary, the dsRNA delivery via leaf disc was effective in screening lethal genes, and some genes, such as T-COP, T-M1MP, T-RPS4 and T-VATPase, can be applicable for establishing a RNAi-based control system against T. urticae.

In order to isolate thermophilic compost-promoting bacteria with high activity of cellulase and xylanase, spent mushroom substrates with sawdust were collected from mushroom cultivation farm, Jinju, Gyeongnam in Korea. Among of the isolates, one strain, designated HJ01 was selected by agar diffusion method. The strain HJ01 was identified as members of the Bacillus subtilis by biochemical characteristics using Bacillus ID kit and VITEK 2 system. Comparative 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain HJ01 formed a distinct phylogenetic tree within the genus Bacillus and was most closely related to Bacillus subtilis with 16S rDNA gene sequence similarity of 99.3%. On the basis of its physiological properties, biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strain HJ01 was classified within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus subtilis HJ0 is proposed. The cellulase and xylanase activity of B. subtilis HJ0 was slightly increased according to bacterial population from exponential phase to stationary phase in growth curve for B. subtilis HJ01.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a fatal disorder wherein patients suffer from sensory, motor, and cognitive loss. Currently, the identification and validation of biomarkers for diagnosing AD and other forms of dementia are increasingly important. Olfactory dysfunction is present in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Alzheimer’s patients show neuropathological changes in areas of the brain central to the olfactory processing center, suggesting the theoretical importance and potential diagnostic utility of investigating functional changes in olfaction in these patients. However, the usefulness of olfactory screens to serve as informative indicators of Alzheimer’s is precluded by the lack of knowledge regarding neural and molecular mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction onto Alzheimer's diseases. To test these ultimate questions, we used molecular and electrophysiological recording techniques to find out the difference of olfactory responses and AD related protein expression patterns by using fly model, Drosophila melanogaster that over-expresses the human β -amyloid, tau protein. We postulated that such flies would present with progressive olfactory impairments compared with age-matched wild type control flies. In this study, our hypothesis is that there is a correlation between olfactory deficits and the spatial expression pattern of β-amyloid and tau protein deposition. Therefore, we demonstrate a specific concentration of lesions in central olfactory structures such as antenna and Maxillary palps. Our study indicates that deficits on olfactory identification may occur in AD, which will be valuable as an indicator of neuropathogenesis.

Cinnamaldehyde as the main component of Cinnamomum plants is well known as mammalian transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) agonist, also activated by low temperature stimuli and mechanosensation. The other TRP subfamily, transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) sensitive to pungent compounds such as capsaicin and allicin mediates the feeling of warmth. Both TRPA1 and TRPV1 channels are abundantly distributed in sensory neurons. Thus, there is possibility that these channels modulate repellent behaviors of mosquitoes and Drosophila through olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). In order to confirm this hypothesis, we carried out laboratory repellent tests with cinnamaldehyde to Aedes aegypti females using arm-in-cage test and to a wild type and two TRP channel mutants Drosophila lines using a choice assay. Cinnamaldehyde showed strong repellency against Ae. aegypti and Drosophila wild adults at tested concentrations. However, a mutant fly line did not discriminate or detect the existence of the repellent. These behavioral data suggest that cinnamaldehyde may directly target the TRP channel. More studies to elucidate neural correlates of repellency to ainnamaldehyde compound are as follows: 1) Identifying the ORNs mediating cinnamaldehyde detection using single-sensillum recording techniques, 2) Co-localization of TRP genes on olfactory organs of Ae. aegypti and Drosophila using in situ hybridization and 3) Whether the Aedes TRP homologs might function in cinnamaldehyde repellency using rescued TRP chennels of Drosophila.