Dentinogenic ghost cell tumor (DGCT) is a rare neoplasm, representing 1.9% to 2.1% of all odontogenic tumors. Peripheral DGCT is a rare tumor with only 25 cases previously described in the English literature. The majority of cases have been reported to occur in the anterior part of the jaws. A rare case of peripheral DGCT is reported, located in the lingual side of the anterior mandible of a 68-year-old man. The patient presented a pedunculated painless growth of 1.5cm in diameter. Radiographically, no bone involvement was found. The lesion was excised and histologically characterized by islands of epithelial cells showing ameloblastoma-like features within fibrous background tissue. Dysplasic dentin and ghost cells with calcifications were frequently observed. Areas showing a connection between tumor cells and the overlying mucosa were also identified.

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.

Biological properties of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of hemimetabolous insect are poorly characterized in innate immunity field. To investigate the biochemical properties of hemimetabolous insect’s AMPs, we purified the pyrrhocoricin-like AMP from the hemolymph of Riptortus pedestris and then named as riptocin. We successfully determined the primary protein structure and its cDNA sequence. Interestingly, the determined cDNA revealed that riptocin precursor is composed of 12 repeating units of active riptocins, which implied that riptocin precursor might require to be processed to generate active riptocins by several unidentified processing enzymes. In order to characterize the bio-processing mechanisms of riptocin precursor, we generated the antibody against active riptocin. Using quantitative PCR and Western blot analyses, we showed that gene of riptocin was started to express from the fatbody after three hours post bacterial infection. To address our hypothesis that active riptocin is generated from riptocin precursor by several processing enzymes, we need to obtain the riptocin precursor. Currently, we are expressing the recombinant riptocin precursor using in vitro translation system. Meanwhile, we investigated whether naive hemolymph (naive HL), which may contain precursor riptocin, can generate active riptocin when riptocin precursor was co-incubation with bacteria-challenged hemolymph (active HL), which may contain all processing enzymes. Actually, when naive HL was incubated with active HL, antimicrobial activity was dramatically increased, suggesting that processing enzymes in active HL may induce processing of riptocin precursor to generate active riptocins.

A choice in temporal discounting is often made on one preferred option between a sooner but smaller reward and a later but larger reward. In temporal discounting, a consumer undergoes an evaluation process concerning the trade-offs between time delay (i.e., a choice between sooner and later receipts) and the amount of reward (i.e., a choice between smaller and larger rewards). It has been evidenced that a surprisingly large number of consumers is inclined to choose a sooner option with a lower economic value. Those consumers tend to apply an excessive temporal discounting rate to the time delay and as a result, the sooner option with lower economic value stands out to be more attractive. However, there is another group of consumers who deliberately promote the long-term perspective in the evaluation process. Those consumers show a high tendency of choosing a later option with greater economic value. A key factor affecting the evaluation process is the sensitivity to time delay a consumer entails. The sensitivity to time delay could systematically affect the representations of hedonic pleasure being projected at different time delays and is the basis of individual differences in hedonic orientation. An anhedonia, a person with the ability to control physical pleasure, is likely to be less sensitive to time delay and apply a lower discounting rate for delayed rewards because he processes the presently available pleasure less intensively than do ordinary consumers. Thus, anhedonic consumers are more likely to choose a delay reward in temporal discounting choices. In a famous fable by Aesop, “The Ant and the Grasshopper” suggest a possible linkage between hedonic orientation and temporal discounting tendency. The story goes that the Grasshopper enjoys whatever is on its hands and does not give much thought to what is going to happen in the future, while the Ant takes on the hardship denying the current pleasure as he plans for the difficult winter time. We conducted an experiment to investigate the relationships among individual differences in hedonic orientation, and the behavioral choices in temporal discounting trials by examining the EEG theta (4-8 Hz) correlates. A hedonic orientation questionnaire was developed using twenty selected items from Physical Anhedonia Scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and Impulsive Buying Scale. Using the questionnaire, the hedonic orientation of fifteen participants was analyzed. Among them, five participants were classified into anhedonia (Ant-like, AN) group and ten participants were into hedonic pleasure dependent (Grasshopper-like, GH) group. Participants conducted ten temporal discounting trials and, in each trial, a choice was made between two options, either a smaller reward today (the “now” option) or a greater reward to be received after a specified time delay (the “future-oriented” option). The absolute theta activations while viewing a future-oriented option in each trial were analyzed as the neural correlates of temporal discounting. The results indicated that the hedonic orientation of participants had a high prediction power of not only behavioral choices in temporal discounting but also EEG theta activations in the frontal brain region. In analyzing temporal discounting tendencies, the discounting rate of AN group was found to be lower than that of GH group. In addition, EEG theta analysis shows two interesting activation patterns in the frontal region. First, AN group showed higher frontal theta activations than GH group indicating its deliberate engagement to future-oriented options. Second, theta activations in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), more specifically AF3 and AFz, were negatively correlated with the discounting rate of participants. Neuroscience researches often refer that DLPFC is associated with deliberate and analytic information processing. Therefore, the high theta activations in DLPFC could be considered as a distinctive neural indicator of high anhedonia traits and low temporal impulsivity.

The aim of the present research is to explore the neural features of intertemporal choice. Intertemporal choice concerns the phenomenon of temporal discounting which demonstrates consumers’ tendency to devalue a future reward as the receipt of money reward is delayed further distantly into the future. It is also called the ‘present bias,’ a special kind of attachment consumers place to immediate a cash reward which consumers are willing to take even at a discount, instead of saving it for the future. The urge to choose an immediate reward at some discounting rates, i.e., temporal impulsivity, is deeply embedded in our instinct. On the other hand, the choice for a delayed option is made as a result of effortful and deliberate cognitive control, by suppressing the urge for instant gratification and shifting focus to the long-term gain. Neuroscience researchers have found the prefrontal cortex as a key brain region behind deliberate and analytic decision-making such as reward delay. The experimental paradigm used in this study adopted from Kirby, Petry, & Bickel (1999). There were ten intertemporal investment choices representing six different levels of discounting rates. Participants (N=21) were given the two investment options, as “take it now” and a “save for later” options, and they were asked to indicate a preferred option. The brain waves were recorded using a 32 channel EEG system. We conducted noise control by using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) in EEGLAB and analyzed the Event-Related Potentials (ERP) particularly focusing on the phase when each participant was examining the future-oriented “save for later” option. The behavioral responses were divided into two groups, one in which the present option was selected and the other in which a future-oriented “save it for later” option was selected. Custom-written Matlab codes were used to compare the differences in ERPs between the two choice responses. A greater positive component of P3 after 300 milliseconds at the onset of the future option was observed in the fronto-parietal regions when the “save it for later” options were chosen compared to when the “take it now” choices were made. Hence, during intertemporal choice, the fronto-parietal regions are likely to play a key role in enabling the long-term perspective and consequently, precipitate the choice of a future-oriented deal. The P3 signal across the fronto-parietal regions may potentially be a proximal indicator of a future-oriented choice during intertemporal financial decision-making.

Fucoidan has been extensively studied as medicinal materials due to its biological activities including osteoblastic differentiation effect. However, osteoblastic effect by fucoidan is unknown in alveolar bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (ABM-MSCs). The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of fucoidan on Osteoblastic differentiation in ABM-MSCs and explore its mechanism. Cell proliferation was analyzed by crystal violet staining. Osteoblast differentiation was determined by alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium accumulation assay and gene expression of osteoblast markers. We found that fucoidan induced cell proliferation of ABM-MSCs. Furthermore, fucoidan increased the ALP activity, calcium accumulation, and osteoblast specific genes such as Runx2, type I collagen alpha 1. Moreover, fucoidan induces the expression of asporin and bone morphogenic protein (BMP)-2 and asporin. Based on these results, these finding indicate that fucoidan induces osteoblast differentiation in ABM-MSCs and partially enhanced the mRNA expression of BMP-2 and asporin.

Beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua is difficult to control using chemical insecticides because of the development of insecticide resistance. Various control agents may use for eco-friendly beet armyworm managements, Entomopathogenic fungus is one of the promising control agents as an alternative to chemical control agent. At previous study we isolated a number of entomopathogenic fungi from soil samples and selected three entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae FT83, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus FG340 and Metarhizium anisopliae FG344 which had high virulence against larva of beet armyworm. To select an isolate having high virulence at high temperature against S. exigua, thermophilic pest, we conducted bioassay at five different temperatures(15, 20, 25, 30, 35℃). These three isolates showed the high mortality and low LT50 at 30℃. To select substrate for mass production these isolates were inoculated(5×10⁴/㎖, 20㎖) at barley, unpolished rice, wheat bran and rice bran and incubated for 14 days at 25℃. Wheat bran showed highest conidia production of M. anisopliae FT83 and P. funosoroseus FG340 and barley was suitable for M. anisopliae FG344.

Various insect pests infest crops including vegetables and ornamentals during crop production. Chemical pesticides have generally used until recently to control pests. Many pests are very difficult to control using organic pesticides because of the development of insecticide resistance and their rapid population increase. Entomopathogens are the promising alternative control methods. Entomopathogenic fungi are good candidates to control sucking insects such as aphid, whitefly and mite because the fungi can infect without ingestion. Conidia or blastospores of fungal entomopathogens are sprayed onto target plant and/or insect, adhered on insect surfaces, and penetrated into hemocoel through insect cuticle. Then the fungus utilize insect nutrients and kill the host insect. During this process, fungus was influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature, relative humidity and UV light. These are causing slow mortality and preventing wider application and use of mycopescitide using entomopathogenic fungi. In addition, control efficacy with fungal entomopathogen differed fungal isolate and host insect. Therefore, we need to study selection of high virulence isolate, mass production, formulation and application techniques to develop mycopesticide.

The juvenile ossifying fibroma, differentiated from the large group of ossifying fibroma based on the patient’s age, common sites, and clinical characteristics, is a rare but locally aggressive benign tumor with high recurrence rate. Herein, we report a case of juvenile ossifying fibroma located in the right mandible, which is an uncommon site. A 8-years- old male child presented to the pediatric unit of our institution with swelling on the right mandible. Radiographically, it was presented as an expanded and radiolucent lesion. Histology revelaed hypercellular fibroblastic proliferation with anastomosing osteoid trabeculae with rounded, strongly basophilic calcified mass rimmed by osteoblasts. Surgical management was done, and regular follow-up is advised

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 19 acaricides to determine its suitability for residual contact vial bioassay (RCV) by using PyriF strain as a reference. Twelve acaricides (Amitraz Abamectin, Bifenthrin, Bifenazate, Chlorfenapyr, Cyenopyrafen, Cyflumetofen, Endosulfan, Fenothiocarb, Monocrotophos, Omethoate and Tebufenpyrad) revealed the dose-dependent mortality within 8 h, whereas other remaining acaricides (Dicofol, Etoxazole, Fenbutatin oxide, Fenpyroxymate, Flufenoxuron, Spiromesifen and Pyridaben) 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 12 acaricides 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.

Beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua are difficult to control using chemical insecticides because of the development of insecticide resistance. For eco-friendly beet armyworm managements, various control agents are required. Entomopathogenic fungus is one of promise control agents as an alternative to chemical control agent. We isolated entomopathogenic fungi from soil samples of suwon by insect-bait method using Galleria mellonella and conducted bioassay to larva of beet armyworm. As a result of bioassay isolate FG274, FG340, FG344 had high virulence as 100% against second instar larva of S. exigua. To identify the fungus isolates, their’s morphological characteristic was observed and ITS of 18srRNA was sequenced. ITS sequence of FT274, 340, 344 were highly matched (100%) to that of Beauveria bassiana, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus, Metarhizium anisopliae. To investigate the optimal concentration, three isolates were sprayed at three different concentration(1×106 ,107 and 108 conidia/㎖) in laboratory conditions. 나타내었다.

Use of conidia or spores of entomopathogenic fungi are influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature and relative humidity and caused slow and fluctuation of mortality. In addition, although the fungi have the advantage of a restricted host range, this specificity is one of the limiting factors for their use. These factors are preventing wider application and use of these biocontrol agents. To mitigate such problems we selected an Beauveria bassiana Bb08 which kill green peach aphid with its liquid culture filtrate. In this study we conducted bioassay with the fungal culture filtrate and culture fluid to greenhouse pests such as cotton aphid, whitefly and thrips. Culture fluid showed high mortality against green peach aphid, as well as cotton aphid, sweet potato whitefly, and western flower thrips. However, control effect of culture filtrate varied with pests. Culture filtrate showed high mortality to cotton aphid. Mortality of western flower thrips with culture filtrate was slower than culture fluid including spores and sweet potato whitefly was much lower. These results indicated that the culture fluid of Beauveria bassiana Bb08 has potential to simultaneously control various greenhouse pests.

Abstract. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is considered as a benign tumor with local aggressive course, consisting of myofibroblastic spindle cells with an inflammatory cells infiltration. IMTs are more usually found in the lung and very rarely in the mandible. We report an IMT of the mandible in a 54-year-old man. The patient complained of pain on the right side of mandible. Radiographically, the lesion was occupied in the right mandible with bone destruction. Although the initial diagnosis was an osteomyelitis, the histopathologic examination and immunohistochemistry revealed it to be an IMT. Histologically, the lesion was composed of inflammatory cells infiltration within a variably fibroblastic or myofibroblastic spindle cell background. Immunohistochemically, spindle cells stained with smooth muscle actin (SMA) and CD68 (KP1), but uniformly negative with desmin and cytokeratin.

Odontoblasts and/or dental pulp cells are responsible for tooth repair as well as dentin formation. Adhesion and migration are critical processes for tissue regeneration. This study was performed to clarify whether Pam3 modulates adhesion and migration of a murine odontoblast-like cell line, MDPC-23 cell and TLR2 signaling is engaged in this process. TLR2 expression in MDPC-23 cells was examined by RT-PCR. Adhesion assay was performed using type Ⅰ collagen-coated plates. Migration ability was determined by a commercial assay kit. Phosphorylation of IκB-α, JNK, p38, and ERK was examined by Western blot analysis. TLR2 was functionally expressed in MDPC-23 cells. Pam3CSK treatment enhanced adhesion and migration of MDPC-23 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Blockade of TLR2 using its antibody restored Pam3CSK-induced adhesion and migration of MDPC-23 cells. These findings indicate that Pam3CSK, an immune activator from gram negative bacteria, can promote adhesion and migration ability of MDPC-23 cells via TLR2.

Bemisia tabaci, sweetpotato whitefly, has been recognized one of the most destructive insect pests worldwide because of increased resistance to some insecticide groups requiring alternative strategies for its control. We conducted a study of the influence of relative humidity, temperature and different developmental stages on the susceptibility of sweetpotato whitefly to conidia of Isaria javanica isolate, which had been reported high virulence against Q biotype of B. tabaci. The mortality of tobacco whitefly was low at low constant relative humidities, but was high when kept high humidity for first 24 hours and transferred to low humidity. The Isaria isolate had wide range of temperature (15℃ to 35℃) to control sweetpotato whitefly. The isolate has virulence to the egg and all developmental stages of nymph of B. tabaci. These results indicated that the isolate had good control effects at various environmental conditions and is an excellent candidate to develop a microbial pesticide to control sweetpotato whitefly.

Sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), especially Q biotype, has been recognized one of the most destructive insect pests worldwide because of increased resistance to some insecticide groups requiring alternative strategies for its control. We studied the conidia production of entomopathogenic fungus Isaria javanica Pf04, which had been reported high virulence isolate against Q biotype of B. tabaci, using grain. Brown rice was most suitable for conidia mass production of the isolate of I. javanica. Conidia was produced high at 25 ~ 27.5℃. The isolate produced more spores when conidia suspension directly inoculated onto media than two-phase fermentation. When concentration of inoculum was high spore production was high, but increasing rate of conidia production was highest at low inoculum concentration (1×105 conidia/ml) as 6,700 times increase compared with 20 times increase at high inoculum concentration (1×108 conidia/ml). These results indicated that the isolate can produce more conidia with cheap agricultural product and can develop as a microbial pesticide to control sweetpotato whitefly.

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.

Amoxicillin, a well-known antibiotic, has a broad spectrum against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. This experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effect of micronized and non-micronized amoxicillin prepared using different comminution techniques on change in blood concentration of rats. Forty adult male Sprague Dawley rats (6~7 weeks of age, body weight 128.3 ± 10.7 g) were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: micronized amoxicillin (MA) group treated with micronized amoxicillin trihydrate powder (particle size, over 90% of 10 μm), non-micronized amoxicillin (NMA) group treated with non-micronized amoxicillin trihydrate powder (particle size, over 70% of 100 μm), given 480 mg/kg body weight once daily for four days. The results showed a significant increase in serum concentration in the MA group on days 3 and 4, compared to the NMA group (P<0.05). In particular, serum concentration of the MA group on day 4 was increased almost two times that of the NMA group. The results indicate that due to the increase of the drug’s oral bioavailability, higher serum concentration would be achieved with the micronized amoxicillin trihydrate than with the non-micronized drug.