In recent years, various methods of measuring body temperature have been developed using wireless biosensors to facilitate an early detection of pregnancy and parturition in cows. However, there are no studies on real-time monitoring of cattle body temperature throughout pregnancy. Therefore, we investigated the daily mean ruminal temperature in pregnant cows throughout pregnancy using a ruminal bio-capsule sensor and then evaluated the temperature variation between pregnant and non-pregnant cows. In pregnant cows, the mean and standard deviation of ruminal temperature was 38.86 ± 0.17℃. Ruminal temperature in pregnant cows slowly decreased until 180 to 190 days after artificial insemination and after that, the temperature increased dramatically until just before parturition. Furthermore, the means ruminal temperature was significantly different between pregnant and nonpregnant cows. The mean and standard deviation of ruminal temperature were as follows: 38.68 ± 0.01℃ from days 80 to 100, 38.78 ± 0.02℃ from days 145 to 165, 38.99 ± 0.45℃ from days 200 to 220, 39.14 ± 0.38℃ from days 250 to 270 before parturition. Therefore, our results could provide useful data for early detection of pregnancy and parturition in Korean cows.

ICT 기반의 해충 이미지 전송 시스템은 담배거세미나방과 파밤나방을 예찰하고 방제하는데 필요한 효과적인 유인 해충 전송수단이다. 시설 온실내 담배거세미나방과 파밤나방을 유인하기 위하여 스마트 트랩을 이용하였다. 스마트트랩은 나방류 해충유인을 위해 성페로몬 4종 장착하였으며 유인된 해충은 특수 카메라를 이용하여 이미지 촬영이 가능하였다. 또한, 해충유인 발광트랩 처리구는 황색광을 사용한 발광 트랩을 사용하였다. 또한 대조구로 기존에 널리 사용되는 델타트랩은 한 종류의 성페로몬을 장착하여 유인력 검정에 이용하였다. 성페로몬 한 종류만 사용한 델타트랩 처리는 담배거세미나방 페로몬 루어를 사용하였고, 4종류의 성페로몬을 설치한 스마트 트랩 처리구는 담배거세미나방, 뒷날개흰나방, 파밤나방, 왕담배나방용 성페로몬 루어를 사용하였다. 실험은 2018년 6월 1일부터 8월 31일까지 함안 시설원예연구소의 13m2의 소형비닐하우스에서 수행하였으며 공시작물은 파프리카 ‘시로코’ 품종과 토마토 ‘데프니스’ 품종을 사용하였다. 나방류 해충의 유인력 검정결과 파프리카와 토마토를 식재한 온실 모두 성페로몬 루어 한 종류를 설치한 델타트랩보다 유인발광 트랩 처리구에서 높은 나방류 유인율을 나타내었다. 시험기간 유인발광 트랩의 경우 유인 포획된 총 나방수는 파프리카 온실에서 평균 97마리, 토마토 온실에서 75마리가 유인 포획되어 가장 높았다. 그러나, 성페로몬 1종 및 4종을 설치한 델타트랩 및 스마트트랩처리구는 두 개의 온실 모두 평균 5마리 이하의 유인율을 나타내었다. 따라서, 시설내 나방류 예찰 및 유인 방제하기 위해서는 기존 성페로몬만 사용하기 보다는 유인발광 트랩을 함께 설치하는 것이 나방류 유인포획에 효과적이라고 판단되었다.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) belong to cell membrane protein family, which regulate various physiological process such as reproduction, behavior and immune etc. In other to identify the GPCRs in pheromone gland of Maruca vitrata, we carried out transcriptome analysis from both females. Transcriptome analysis in the pheromone gland yielded approximately 22Gb and 47,528 transcripts showed positive FPKM value. 48 Genes involved in GPCRs were identified such as pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide receptor (PBANr), prostaglandin receptors, neuropeptide receptor, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor, galanin receptor, calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor, diuretic hormone receptor, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor, frizzled and orphan receptors, etc. Various expression of GPCRs in the pheromone gland indicates the role of pheromone gland may not be limited to the production of pheromone.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been considered an alternative source of neuronal lineage cells, which are difficult to isolate from brain and expand in vitro. Previous studies have reported that MSCs expressing Nestin (Nestin+ MSCs), a neuronal stem/progenitor cell marker, exhibit increased transcriptional levels of neural development-related genes, indicating that Nestin+ MSCs may exert potential with neurogenic differentiation. Accordingly, we investigated the effects of the presence of Nestin+ MSCs in bone-marrow-derived primary cells (BMPCs) on enhanced neurogenic differentiation of BMPCs by identifying the presence of Nestin+ MSCs in uncultured and cultured BMPCs. The percentage of Nestin+ MSCs in BMPCs was measured per passage by double staining with Nestin and CD90, an MSC marker. The efficiency of neurogenic differentiation was compared among passages, revealing the highest and lowest yields of Nestin+ MSCs. The presence of Nestin+ MSCs was identified in BMPCs before in vitro culture, and the highest and lowest percentages of Nestin+ MSCs in BMPCs was observed at the third (P3) and fifth passages (P5). Moreover, significantly the higher efficiency of differentiation into neurons, oligodendrocyte precursor cells and astrocytes was detected in BMPCs at P3, compared with P5. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that neurogenic differentiation can be enhanced by increasing the proportion of Nestin+ MSCs in cultured BMPCs.

The tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura(Fabricius), is a major pest of tomato and frequently demands control measures. The timing of insecticide application is a key factor in determining its efficiency, so an experiment was designed to investigate this. Application of insecticide was based on three criteria: (i) the number of trap-caught moths in a Delta-type trap with a commercial sex pheromone lure placed in the center of the target area, soon after plant emergence; (ii) the percentage of plants exhibiting pinhole-type damage (10% or 20%) and (iii) the percentage of plants exhibiting shot hole-type damage (10% or 20%) compared to a check plot without any control measures. We found that the number of trap-caught moths was, compared to the other methods, the best means of deciding on insecticide application in tomato plant to control the tobacco cutworm. Using pheromone traps, we obtained the best performance of the insecticide Shinnago, causing > 90% larval mortality. Without insecticide application, tomato yield reduction due to the tobacco cutworm larva damage was 27%.

Pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) produced in the suboesophageal ganglion stimulates pheromone biosynthesis in the pheromone gland, mediating sexual behaviors. Based on the transcriptome of the head, PBAN in the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata, was identified. To examine the pheromonotropic activity of PBAN in the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata, a PBAN (Mvi-PBAN) was synthesized. When female adults were injected with a synthetic Mvi-PBAN, pheromone production showed a maximal increase 2 h post-injection. PBAN was expressed in all examined tissues and developmental stages. In contrast, PBAN receptor (PBANr) was detected in the female tissues and all developmental stages except for adult male. In addition, two types of PBANr were identified from the transcriptome of the pheromone gland, suggesting that the molecular signal on the pheromone gland may transduce via PBANr.