This study aims to systematically investigate the insect diversity within the distinct coastal grassland and mountain habitats of East Busan, Busan Metropolitan City. The objective is to gather foundational data that will inform natural environment conservation plans and contribute to policy formulation. Employing a comprehensive collection approach, we utilized trapping nets, pitfall traps, and flying insect traps to capture a broad spectrum of insect species. The investigation identified a rich diversity of 132 species across 9 orders and 52 families. Coleoptera emerged as the most prevalent order with 13 families and 41 species, followed by Diptera with 8 families and 24 species, and Lepidoptera with 9 families and 21 species. To assess the biodiversity and structure of these communities by habitat type, we applied several biodiversity indices: the Shannon-Wiener index (H'), Margalef index (R), and Pielou evenness index. Coastal grasslands exhibited an H' of 3.153, R of 11.08, and a Pielou evenness of 0.371; coastal mountains showed an H' of 2.922, R of 13.02, and a Pielou evenness of 0.202. These metrics reveal no significant differences in diversity and evenness between the two habitats. The endangered Copris tripartitus was notably observed in coastal grasslands, alongside 20 species classified as Least Concern (LC) in the National Red List across both habitats. The comparative analysis of biodiversity and evenness levels across coastal grassland and mountain areas highlights the ecological significance of both habitats in supporting a diverse insect fauna. The detection of endangered and LC species within these areas emphasizes the critical need for ongoing monitoring and the development of effective conservation strategies tailored to protect Busan's coastal ecosystems. The findings underscore the necessity of conducting periodic surveys to monitor faunal changes and inform conservation efforts actively. By ensuring the continued protection of insect diversity, these efforts will play a pivotal role in maintaining the ecological integrity of coastal areas, thereby supporting broader environmental conservation objectives.

This study aimed to collect foundational data essential for devising a natural environment conservation plan and implementing relevant policies. It underscores the significance of understanding the current state of the natural environment. Our research concentrated on surveying the biodiversity and distribution of key natural habitats within Busan Metropolitan City, with the goal of gathering crucial data to guide the development of conservation and management strategies. The focus of our investigation was on the insect populations in Ilgwang, covering two primary habitats: mountains and wetlands. The survey, conducted from July to September 2023, utilized various collection methods, including pitfall traps, fly traps, sweeping nets, and aspirators. Our findings documented the presence of 109 species across 88 genera, 50 families, and 9 orders. Specifically, the study identified two species from the order Odonata, two from Blattodea, one from Mantodea, six from Orthoptera, eleven from Hemiptera, twenty-nine from Coleoptera, twelve from Diptera, ten from Lepidoptera, and thirty-five from Hymenoptera. Through community analysis, biodiversity indices were calculated, revealing a Shannon-Wiener index (H') of 4.07 for mountain habitats and 3.92 for wetlands. The Margalef richness index (R) displayed values of 13.92 for mountains and 14.78 for wetlands, while the Pielou evenness index indicated values of 0.96 and 0.91, respectively. Among the identified species, one was classified as endangered, and thirteen were designated as of Least Concern, according to legal protection statuses.

The study of blowfly (Diptera, Calliphoridae) biodiversity and distribution is crucial for forensic investigations involving cadavers. Abiotic and biotic factors, such as seasonality and habitat type, have significant impacts on blowfly populations. However, few forensic entomology studies have been conducted in South Korea, particularly the Gyeongsangnam-do region. To address this, in this study, an extensive year-long survey was conducted to analyze the compositions, habitat preferences, distribution, and seasonal abundance of forensically relevant blowflies in urban and forested habitats in Gyeongsangnam-do, utilizing mouse carcass-baited traps set for 48 h each month. A total of 3,478 adult blowflies were recorded, encompassing six genera and 14 species, with a noted absence of specimens during the winter months. The predominant species was Lucilia porphyrina, accounting for 37.1% of the total sample, followed by Chrysomya pinguis (27.5%), Lucilia sericata (7.6%), and Lucilia illustris (7.1%). The species composition was consistent across all surveyed regions; however, seasonal variation in species diversity was evident, with a peak in spring and decline in summer. Notably, certain species exhibited clear preferences for either urban (Calliphora calliphoroides and L. sericata) or forested habitats (L. porphyrina and Ch. pinguis). This pioneering study elucidates the diverse blowfly communities in Gyeongsangnam-do, highlighting significant seasonal and habitat-dependent variations.

Destruxins (Dtxs) are insecticidal cyclic hexadepsipeptides produced by the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. Media composition for dtxs production was optimized with industrial grade media. Glycerol and casein peptone were selected as a carbon source and a nitrogen source, respectively. Dtxs production varied with C/N ratios. High yields of dtxs were observed at C/N ratios ranging 0.3 to 1.5, with concentrations mostly higher than 800 mg/L. Low yields were caused by high C/N ratio ranging from 3.0 to 8.0, resulting in less than 500 mg/L. The highest yield of Dtxs was obtained with 2% glycerol and 3% casein peptone, showing 192.2 mg/L of dtx A, 911.1 mg/L of dtx B, and 113.3 mg/L of dtx E, respectively. These results indicated that dtxs production is highly influenced by C/N ratio, especially the content of nitrogen source.

We study the angular correlation function of bright (Ks ≤ 19.5) Extremely Red Objects (EROs) selected in the Subaru GTO 2 deg2 field. By applying the color selection criteria of R − Ks > 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0, we identify 9055, 4270, and 1777 EROs, respectively. The number density is consistent with similar studies on the optical − NIR color selected red galaxies. The angular correlation functions are derived for EROs with different limiting magnitude and different R −Ks color cut. When we assume that the angular correlation function w() follows a form of a power-law (i.e., w() = A−), the value of the amplitude A was larger for brighter EROs compared to the fainter EROs. The result suggests that the brighter, thus more massive high-redshift galaxies, are clustered more strongly compared to the less massive galaxies. Assuming that EROs have redshift distribution centered at hzi ∼ 1.1 with z = 0.15, the spatial correlation length r0 of the EROs estimated from the observed angular correlation function ranges ∼ 6-10 h−1Mpc. A comparison with the clustering of dark matter halos in numerical simulation suggests that the EROs are located in most massive dark matter halos and could be progenitors of L∗ elliptical galaxies.

The vascular system of plants consists of two conducting tissues, xylem and phloem, which differentiate from procambium cells. Xylem serves as a transporting system for water and signaling molecules and is formed by sequential developmental processes, including cell division/expansion, secondary cell wall deposition, vacuole collapse, and programmed cell death (PCD). PCD during xylem differentiation is accomplished by degradation of cytoplasmic constituents, and it is required for the formation of hollow vessels, known as tracheary elements (TEs). Our recent study revealed that the small GTPase RabG3b acts as a regulator of TE differentiation through its autophagic activation. By using an Arabidopsis in vitro cell culture system, we showed that autophagy is activated during TE differentiation. Overexpression of a constitutively active RabG3b (RabG3bCA) significantly enhances both autophagy and TE differentiation, which are consistently suppressed in transgenic plants overexpressing a dominant negative form (RabG3bDN) or RabG3bRNAi (RabG3bRNAi), a brassinosteroidinsensitive mutant bri1-301, and an autophagy mutant atg5-1. Wood (called secondary xylem) is the most abundant biomass produced by land plants including Populus and Eucalyptus, and therefore is considered to be one of the most cost-effective and renewable bioenergy resources. In an attempt to enhance xylem differentiation and thus to improve biomass traits in poplars, we generated transgenic poplars overexpressing the RabG3bCA form. As notable phenotypes, both stem height and diameter were increased and xylem area in vascular bundles was significantly expanded in RabG3bCA transgenic poplars compared to control plants. Taken together, these results demonstrate that RabG3b regulates xylem differentiation in both Arabidopsis and Populus. This study enhances our understanding of biological mechanisms underlying wood formation and serve as a framework to engineer the quality and quantity of wood as useful biomass.