Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a naturally occurring antioxidant and has been previously used to treat diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, the autophagy effects of ALA against oxidative stress-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell injury remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ALA in autophagy and apoptosis against oxidative stress in the SH-SY5Y human dopaminergic neuronal cell line. We examined SH-SY5Y phenotypes using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay (cell viability/proliferation), 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride nuclear staining, Live/Dead cell assay, cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, immunoblotting, and immunocytochemistry. Our data showed ALA attenuated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced ROS generation and cell death. ALA effectively suppressed Bax up-regulation and Bcl-2 and BclxL down-regulation. Furthermore, ALA increased the expression of the antioxidant enzyme, heme oxygenase-1. Moreover, the expression of Beclin-1 and LC-3 autophagy biomarkers was decreased by ALA in our cell model. Combined, these data suggest ALA protects human dopaminergic neuronal cells against H2O2-induced cell injury by inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis.

최근 기능성 게임의 교육적인 활용에 대한 관심이 증가하면서, 게임의 교육적 효과성에 대한 많은 연구들이 이뤄지고 있다. 본 논문에서는 인지기능 향상을 위한 기능성 게임인 ‘바우바우 프렌즈’를 개발했다. 이 콘텐츠는 인지기능 중 집행기능(Executive function), 지속적 주의력 (Sustained attention), 분리적 주의력(Divided attention)을 다루고 있다. 본 연구에서 개발된 게임의 유용성을 증명하기 위해 EEG 실험을 수행했으며, 게임 전 뇌파와 게임 진행 중 뇌파를 측정하여 비교분석했다. 결과적으로 지속적 주의력 게임(Simon)과 분리적 주의력 게임(Cooking)이 인지기능 향상에 긍정적인 효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 보다 아동의 인지기능 향상이라는 명확한 검증을 위해서는 추후 아동을 대상으로 한 EEG 실험을 추가로 수행할 필요가 있다.

This study investigated the fumigant activity of phosphine (PH3) on 2 kinds of mealybug (Pseudococcus longispinus and P. orchidicola (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)) adults and nymphs. All of the two mealybugs adults showed higher LCT99 values than nymphs, and P. longispinus showed higher tolerance than P. orchidicola in a 12 L desiccator. The absorption of phosphine on 13 nursery plants showed 12.2~41.5% difference depending on the plant. All of the mealybugs treated with phosphine 2 mg/L in 0.5 m3 fumigation chamber for 4 h showed 100% fumigant activity, except P. longispinus adult (approximately 90% at bottom part). However, when the exposure time was increased to 24 h, all of them showed 100% mortality. In the treatment of 10 m3 container, the 24 h treatment of phosphine showed 100% mortality to P. longispinus and P. orchidicola adults and nymphs. In all the experiments, no phytotoxicity of phosphine observed on 13 plants until 1 month after treatment.

A combination using phosphine (PH3) and ethyl formate (EF) was performed to compensate for the disadventages (long exposure time and phytotoxicity) of a single substance. P. longisipinus was more susceptible to mixed phosphine and ethyl formate than P. orchidicola in 12 L dessicator. Mortality of mixed treatment was higher than aggregated mortalities that treated individually, so it indicated to have a synergic effect on each other. Ethyl formate was showed higher adsorption rate than phosphine on imported nursery plants and showed differences depending on the plant. P. longispinus and P. orchidicola was showed 100% mortality when phosphine and ethyl formate was treated as 1 g/m3 and 30 g/m3 for 4 hour in 0.5 m3 fumigation chamber and in 10 m3 container. Phytotoxicity was evaluated to mixture of phosphine and ethyl formate at 1 month after treatment.

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is one of the most important pest species devastating many horticultural and ornamental crops and fruit trees. In the present study, a field strain was collected in January 2001 and has been selected for sixteen years with acequinocyl. The resistance ratio calculated from the LC50 of eggs and adults was 191- and 4,237-fold, respectively. The laboratory-selected acequinocyl resistance (LSAR16) strain was screened with 11 acaricides for cross-resistance. The detoxifying enzyme activities and quantitative real-time PCR analysis were performed in the LSAR16 strain. Crossing experiments revealed that LSAR16 strain was inherited maternally, incompletely dominant and monogenic. Most importantly, we identified two new point-mutations at mitochondrial cytb from acequinocyl resistant T. urticae.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of two different feeding systems on blood metabolites in Holstein heifers and analyze the economic impacts of the feeding systems. The following two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of feeding system on blood metabolite changes in Holstein heifers and analyze the economic impacts of the two systems. In experiment 1, the effects of two different feeding systems on cortisol, progesterone, and estradiol in Holstein heifers were examined. In experiment 2, the effects of two different feeding systems on the body weights of Holstein heifers and profitability of the two feeding systems were studied. Results showed that the pasture-raised heifers showed significantly decrease in the levels of blood cortisol (p<0.05) and increases in the levels of progesterone and estradiol (p>0.05) when compared with heifers raised in indoor feeding system. The average daily gain was significantly higher (p<0.05) in indoor-raised heifers (0.73 kg/day) as compared to pasture-raised heifers (0.58 kg/day). Also, 25.2% more profits were obtained from the pasture feeding system as compared to the indoor feeding system. These results together would be useful in the investigation of feeding system and growth performance in dairy cattle.

본 연구는 양념 닭 가슴살의 양념 액에 귤 껍질 추출물(CPE, 2%), 양파 껍질 추출물(OPE, 2%), calcium lactate(2%), 난황 유래 phosvitin(0.1%)과 CPE, OPE 및 calcium lactate 복합처리를 첨가하였을 때 서로 다른 저장온도와 저장기간에 따른 항균 효과 및 품질 변화를 확인하고자 수행되었다. 모든 저장온도와 저장기간에서 CPE, OPE 및 복합 처리군의 총 호기성 세균 수는 대조구에 비해 유의적으로 낮게 확인되었으며, 가장 높은 미생물 생장 억제 효과가 있었던 처리군은 CPE 처리군이었다. 하지만, calcium lactate와 phosvitin 처리군의 미생물의 성장 억제 효과는 나타나지 않았다. pH의 경우, calcium lactate와 OPE 처리군은 모든 저장온도의 저장 0일차에서 대조구에 비해 유의적으로 낮은 값을 나타내었다. OPE 처리군은 모든 저장온도와 저장기간에서 다른 처리구들에 비해 유의적으로 높은 적색도를 나타내었고, CPE와 함께 저장온도에 따른 유의적 차이를 나타내지 않았다. 하지만 이러한 OPE 처리군은 풍미, 맛 및 종합적 기호도에서 다른 처리구들에 비해 유의적으로 낮은 값을 보였으며, calcium lactate와 phosvitin 처리군의 종합적 기호도는 대조구와 유의적 차이가 나타나지 않았다. 결론적으로, 양념 닭가슴살의 CPE, OPE 및 복합처리군에서 저장온도를 달리한 저장기간에 따른 미생물 억제 효과를 확인할 수 있었으나, 관능적 특성을 개선하는 방법의 개발이 필요하다고 판단된다.

Background : Some of invasive plants, which were introduced from foreign countries, have caused problems in Korea. Invasion of these invasive plants in the ecosystem threatens the habitat of endemic species, reducing biodiversity, and causing a disturbance in the ecological system. Hypochaeris radicata L. (Asteraceae), the most invasive plants in Korea, particularly in Jeju Island, invade farmland, and autochthonous forest, establishing monocultures and modifying the ecosystem structure. This invasive species has become a serious environmental problem because they displace the indigenous plant species. This study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidantive effects of ethanolic extracts from different parts (root, stem, seed and leaf) of the invasive exotic species Hypochaeris radicata L. Methods and Results : The aim of present study was to estimate the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and to investigate in vitro antioxidant potential of ethanolic leaf, root, seed, and stem extracts of the Hypochaeris radicata. Antioxidant activity was assessed by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay, reducing power activity, [2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)] ABTS+ assay and ferrous ion chelating activity. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also determined and expressed in gallic acid and quercetin equivalent respectively. The results of the study indicate that the ethanolic extracts of the leaf, root, seed, and stem of H. radicata posses significant scavenging activity against DPPH (21.25% for leaf, 34.98% for root, 60.76% for seed and 45.25% for stem at 250 μg/ml each) and ABTS+ radical scavenging activity (14.85% for leaf, 17.40% for root, 35.91% for seed and 24.70% for stem at 250 μg/ml each), reducing power activity (0.178 absorbance at 300 μg/ml for leaf, 0.211 absorbance at 300 μg/ml for root, 0.447 absorbance at 300 μg/ml for seed, 0.276 absorbance at 300 μg/ml for stem). The free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities may be attributed to the presence of adequate phenolic (gallic acid content is 361.92.98 μg/g in leaf, 356.59μg/g in root, 719.72 μg/g in seed and 512.08 μg/g stem) and flavonoid compounds (219.52 μg/g in leaf, 75.67μg/g in root, 281.39 μg/g in seed and 215.66 μg/g stem). This study revealed that the ethanolic extracts of both leaf, root, seed and stem of H. radicata has demonstrated significant antioxidant activity. Conclusion : In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated that Hypochaeris radicata seed ethanol extracts are rich in phenolics and have a strong antioxidant activity and a radical-scavenging action in all of the tested methods. This suggests that Hypochaeris radicata is a good source of natural antioxidants.