The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the quality of high moisture rye silage. Rye forage (Secale cereale L.) was harvested at the heading stage (27.3% of dry matter (DM)) and cut into approximately 3-5 cm lengths. Then, the forage divided into 4 treatments with different inoculants: 1) No additives (CON); 2) Lactobacillus brevis strain 100D8 at a 1.2 x 105 colony-forming unit (cfu)/g of fresh forage (LBR); 3) Leuconostoc holzapfelii strain 5H4 at a 1.0 x 105 cfu/g of fresh forage (LHO); and 4) Mixture of LBR and LHO (1:1 ratio) applied at a 1.0 x 105 cfu/g of fresh forage (MIX). About 3 kg of forage from each treatment was ensiled into a 20 L mini-bucket silo in quadruplicate for 100 days. After silo opening, silage was collected for analyses of chemical compositions, in vitro nutrient digestibilities, fermentation characteristics, and microbial enumerations. The CON silage had the highest concentrations of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber (p = 0.006; p = 0.008) and a lowest in vitro DM digestibility (p < 0.001). The pH was highest in CON silage, while lowest in LBR and MIX silages (p < 0.001). The concentrations of ammonia-N, lactate, and acetate were highest in LBR silage (p = 0.008; p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Propionate and butyrate concentrations were highest in CON silage (p = 0.004; p < 0.001). The LAB and yeast counts were higher in CON and LHO silages compare to LBR and MIX silages (p < 0.001). However, the mold did not detect in all treatments. Therefore, this study could conclude that L. brevis 100D8 and Leu. holzapfelii strain 5H4 can improve the digestibility and anti-fungal activity of high moisture rye silage.

The present study was aimed to estimate the effect of ensiling period and bacterial inoculants on chemical compositions and fermentation characteristics on rye silage harvested at delayed stage. Rye (Secale cereale L.) was harvested after 20 days of heading stage (29.4% dry matter, DM). The harvested rye forage was applied with different inoculants following: applications of distilled water (CON), Lactobacillus brevis (LBB), Leuconostoc holzapfelii (LCH), or mixture of LBB and LCH at 1:1 ratio (MIX). Each forage was ensiled into 20 L mini bucket silo (5 kg) for 50 (E50D) and 100 (E100D) days in triplicates. The E50D silages had higher in vitro digestibilities of DM (IVDMD, p<0.001) and neutral detergent fiber (IVNDFD, p=0.013), and lactate (p=0.009), and acetate (p=0.011) than those of E100D, but lower pH, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and yeast. By inoculant application, LCH had highest IVDMD and IVNDFD (p<0.05), while MIX had highest lactate and lowest pH (p<0.05). The CON and LCH in E50D had highest LAB and yeast (p<0.05), whereas LBB in E100D had lowest (p<0.05). Therefore, this study concluded that LCH application improved the nutrient digesbility (IVDMD and IVNDFD) of lignified rye silage, and longer ensiling period for 100 days enhanced the fermentation characteristics of silage compared to ensiling for 50 days.

This study was conducted to estimate the effect of different cutting lengths on fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of whole crop rice (WCR) silage. The WCR was harvested at the yellow ripe stage (43.7%, DM), and then cut at 5 (R05), 10 (R10), and 20 cm (R20) of the theoretical length of cut with no cut WCR (R60). Each forage was ensiled into 20 L mini bucket silo (5 kg) for 150 days in quadruplicates. The cutting lengths were not affected the chemical compositions of WCR silage (p > 0.05). The pH (p < 0.001) and concentration of ammonia-N (p = 0.022) in WCR silage were increased linearly with the increase of cutting length. The concentration of lactate had quadratic effect (p = 0.007), which was highest in R20 silage (p < 0.05). The concentration of acetate was increased linearly (p = 0.014), but the concentration of butyrate was decreased linearly (p = 0.033). The lactic acid bacteria count was decreased linearly (p = 0.017), and yeast count had quadratic effect (p = 0.009), which was the highest in R20 silage (p < 0.05). Aerobic stability had strong quadratic effect (p < 0.001), which was the highest in R20 silage (p < 0.05). In conclusion, R60 silage had highest pH by a linear increase of ammonia-N concentration and led to low aerobic stability. While R20 silage had the lowest pH by high lactate concentration and led to high aerobic stability.

The present study investigated effects of antifungal and carboxylesterase inoculant on rumen fermentation with different rumen pH. Corn silage was treated without inoculant (CON) and with a mixed Lactobacillus brevis 5M2 and L. buchneri 6M1 (MIX). Rumen fluid was collected from two cannulated Hanwoo heifers before morning feeding (high rumen pH at 6.70) and 3 h after feeding (low rumen pH at 6.20). Dried corn silage was incubated in the rumen buffer (rumen fluid + anaerobic culture medium at 1:2 ratio) for 48 h at 39oC. Eight replications for each treatment were used along with two blanks. Both in a high and a low rumen pH, MIX silages presented higher (p<0.05) the immediately degradable fraction, the potentially degradable fraction, total degradable fraction, and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) than those of CON silages. Incubated corn silages in a low rumen pH presented lower (p<0.05) total degradable fraction, ammonia-N, total VFA (p=0.061), and other VFA profiles except acetate and propionate, than those in a high rumen pH. The present study concluded that application of antifungal and carboxylesterase inoculant on corn silage could improve degradation kinetics and fermentation indices in the rumen with high and low pH conditions.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne zoonosis and SFTS virus is transmitted to humans by tick bites. The aim of this study was to monitor tick population and its SFTS virus infection. During March 2014 to October 2015, ticks were monthly sampled using dry-ice bait trap and flag method from 4 collecting points in Boeun-gun. A total of 16,500 ticks, including 14,646 Haemaphysalis longicornis (88.7%), 1,825 H. flava (11.1%), and 29 Ixodes nipponensis (0.2%), were collected. Ticks were pooled (5,156 ticks in 456 pools) and tested by RT-PCR and nested PCR and the minimum infection rate of ticks was 0.27% (14 pools) consisting of 0.13% H. longicornis (6 pools), 1.19% H. flava (8 pools). This annual surveillance study will be needed for long-term monitoring of ixodid ticks in Korea.

We developed the smart mosquito counter device (height 1080 mm x width 560 mm x diameter 320 mm, 220V 60Hz 30 W), which can attract the blood sucking female mosquitoes by emitting CO2 gas (300ml/min), can count the number of the captured mosquitoes by an infra-red beam area sensor, can identify the some mosquito species by analyzing mosquito image patterns using RGB (Red, Green, and Blue), and can send the captured mosquitoes’ number and pictures through the CDMA module at the real time. We operated the smart mosquito device and we could know when any mosquito peak time was in a day as well as what the mosquito species are and the captured mosquito numbers are. We found that the accuracy of the smart device was about over 95% compared the real mosquito data including numbers and images and transmitted data by CDMA. Because we can know the mosquito occurrence peak times, locations, and mosquito species by this device, we can efficiently control mosquitoes at the right time, and we can alert the public for any mosquito-born diseases based on the mosquito occurrence data. We can improve the quality of mosquito vector control with the functions of this device and we will develop the smart device to identify more mosquito species.

There are over 3,000 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world; currently 56 species are reported in Korea. Mosquitoes can act as vectors for many disease-causing viruses and parasites during blood sucking. Various species of mosquitoes are estimated to transmit various types of disease to more than 700 million people annually in Africa, South America, Central America, Mexico, Russia, and much of Asia, with millions of resultant deaths. At least two million people annually die of these diseases, and the morbidity rates are many times higher still. To prevent the spread of diseases, KNIH (Korea National Institute of Health) used three categorized methods; identifying or taxonomic analysis of mosquitoes, detecting virus caring mosquitoes, and detecting malaria from Anopheline mosquitoes. We have proved that taxonomic analysis using DNA barcording method (COI gene) is useful to complement identification of mosquito species. In detecting virus, we have reported Cx. orientalis as a new potential Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vector. We also reported that the Anopheline mosquito species composition and Plasmodium vivax infection rates in malaria hot spot in Korea.

The gingival epithelium of the oral cavity is constantly exposed to exogenous stimuli such as bacterial toxins, allergens, and thermal changes. These exogenous stimuli are resisted by innate host defense in gingival epithelial cells. However, it is unclear exactly how the exogenous stimuli affect detrimentally on the human gingival epithelial cells. Here, we investigated whether the allergen, such as house dust mite (HDM) extract, is linked to Ca2+ signaling and proinflammatory cytokine expression in primary cultured human gingival epithelial cells. HDM extract induced an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in a dose-dependent manner. Extracellular Ca2+ depletion did not affected on the HDM extract-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. The HDM extractinduced increase in [Ca2+]i was abolished by the treatment with U73122 and 2-APB, which are inhibitors of phospholipase C (PLC) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor. Moreover, HDM extract induced the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)-8. These results suggest that HDM extract triggers PLC/IP3-dependent Ca2+ signaling and IL-8 mRNA expression in primary cultured human gingival epithelial cells.

In this study, we established the pre-treatment conditions that could increase the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content during barley germination. In the process, three different barley samples were prepared, which differed in the pre-treatedment processes. The specimens were stored at 50 for 1 h after being kept in water at room temperature for 4 h (HKW sample), kept in sufficient water for 4 h (KW sample), or left untreated (CO sample). After the pre-treatment, the barely samples were germinated for 35 h. A sample was taken from each batch in 5-h intervals, extracted with water, and physicochemical characteristics and radical scavenging activity were measured. As a result, we found that the contents of phenolic compounds (18.02-30.63 mg/100 g) and flavonoids (1.87-4.63 mg/100 g) were higher in HKW, showing similar trends. Also the GABA contents in the HKW and KW samples were higher than that in the CO sample. Furthermore, the radical scavenging activities of DPPH and ABTS were the highest in the HKW sample, having values in the ranges of 58.49-77.40% and 54.57-88.10%, respectively. All in all, we found that in order to increase the antioxidative activity and GABA content of the barley samples, it would be suitable to pre-treatment the specimens after the post-immersion heat treatment. In addition, pre-treating the KW samples is appropriate only after immersion time. Lastly, the optimum germination time of the batches was found to be 20-25 h.

This study was performed in order to determine the effect of roasting (160 for 0, 30, 60, 90 min) on the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of hot water extracts of dried Liriope platyphylla. With respect to Hunter’s color value, lightness and yellowness decreased roasting time increased. The difference (ΔE value) in lightness, redness and yellowness was 15.88 and 22.94 for 30 and 60 min. The 30 min roasted sample contained more soluble solid content (12.7 °Brix) than other samples. The pH and acidity of the 60 min roasted sample were 5.06 and 0.14%, respectively. The highest contents in reducing sugar and total phenolic compounds contents was obserned in the 60 min roasted sample (17.68, and 35.01 g/100 g, respectively), and flavonoid content was the highest in the 90 min roasted sample (10.53 mg/100 g). The crude saponin content of the 90 min roasted sample (21.90 mg/100 g) was higher than that of others samples (8.0-15.36 mg/100 g). Moreover, ginsenosides such as Re, Rg3, and Rh2, were detected, among which the Rh2 content was the highest. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (31.64-53.72%), 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)- 6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity (61.59-96.71%), and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (72.38-183.11%) were higher in the roasted samples than in the control group. As a result, we confirmed that roasting increased the amount of active compounds, which increased the yield of useful extract.