Post-ejaculation of sperms into the female reproductive tract, acquisition of sperm capacitation is an essential step in the fertilization process. Accordingly, during in-vitro fertilization, the successful fertilization requires necessarily induction of capacitation in the retrieved sperms. To date, many candidate substances have been considered as capacitation inducers. However, there were no reports about the comparison of efficiency inducing sperm capacitation among diverse capacitation inducers. Therefore, we tried to determine an inducer showing the best capacitation performance in mouse sperms by comparing the preimplantation development of in-vitro-fertilized embryos using sperms experiencing capacitation by a variety of capacitation inducers. For these, calcium, progesterone, bovine serum albumin (BSA), heparin, lysophosphaticylcholine (Lyso-PC) were used as candidate capacitation inducers. Optimized concentration of each inducer were determined by accessing ratio of sperms experiencing acrosome reaction using coomassie G-250 blue staining. Subsequently, in vitro fertilization was performed using sperms incubated in each optimized concentration inducer. The ratio of fertilized oocytes was observed. As the results, Calcium at 2.7 mM and 0.3% (w/v) BSA showed the highest fertilization rates compared to 15 μM progesterone, 50 mM heparin, and 100 μM Lyso-PC. From these results, we found that 2.7 mM calcium and 0.3% (w/v) BSA were the most effective sperm capacitation inducers of mouse sperm for in vitro fertilization. From these results, we could identify that, among diverse sperm capacitation inducers, 2.7mM calcium and 0.3% (w/v) BSA were the most effective inducers for in vitro fertilization.

Chrysanthemums (Dendranthema grandiflorum ‘Iwanohakusen’) were grown in a greenhouse with complete nutrient solution system to investigate the effect of silicon (Si) supplement on salt induced deleterious effects in chrysanthemum plants. The experiment was conducted in plastic pots supplemented with a mixture of upland soil : leaf mold : river sand (3:3:4, v:v:v). Si and salinity were treated in combination with two levels of NaCl (0 and 100 mM) and two sources of silicon (K2SiO3, KSi and silicate fertilizer, SiF) at the same concentration (1.8 mM Si) by weekly-drenching for 12 weeks. Chrysanthemum plants supplemented with Si increased in fresh and dry matter enhancing water content and salinity tolerance. The plants grown under salt stress produced less fresh and dry matter than control plant. However, Si supplement to plants under salt stress ameliorated negative effects of salt stress. In soil, EC and NaCl increased by salt stress were mitigated by Si supplement. Salt stress significantly decreased the contents of K and P in leaf, but Si supplement under salt stress significantly recovered the decreased contents with enormous desorption of K and P in soil. Added Si significantly increased content of available SiO2 with its adsorption by salt stress in soil, which was directly related to Si accumulation in leaf. However, Si uptake by roots was suppressed by salt stress irrespective of Si supplement. Si supplement did not ameliorated the negative effects of salt stress on chlorophyll content and membrane integrity in leaf of chrysanthemum plant although significantly increased Si content in leaf, but reversed pest (Liriomyza trifolii) resistance to above-control level.

We have used bulked segregant analysis to screen the strain-specific DNA marker associated thermophilic strain of Pleurotus eryngii. Bulked genomic DNAs of Pleurotus eryngii were amplified by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using OP-A, OP-B, OP-L, OP-P, OP-R and OP-S primers to screen the strain-specific DNA marker. A unique DNA fragment of 500 bp was amplified with OP-A11 primer from the psychrophilic strain and sequenced. A sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker was designed on the basis of the determined sequence and named as OP-A11-1. The PCR analysis with the OP-A11-1 primer showed that this SCAR marker clearly distinguish the psychrophilic strains from the control strains.

Haemaphysalis longicornis (Hl) as members of the ixodid tick inhabits lots of grass thicket of field and mountain. Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites that can mediate a variety of diseases to human and animals, causing Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Particularly, ticks can trigger an inflammatory response representing symptoms about swelling and itching in human. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of H. longicornis extract (HlE) on production of inflammatory cytokines and their mRNA in human monocytic THP-1 cells. In a time- and dose-dependent manner, human monocytic THP-1 cells was treated with HlE. Supernatants were analyzed for the production of cytokines using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). mRNA level in the culture cells was measured by a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). As a result of this study, HlE significantly induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 in THP-1 cells. These results suggest that HlE increase the release of proteins and mRNAs level of inflammatory cytokines in THP-1 cells. HlE may play a role in contributing to inflammatory diseases through stimulation of immune cells. Further research of H. longicornis is needed to better understand the elucidation of the pathogenic mechanism.

A fabrication method to improve the processability of thermoplastic carbon nanotube (CNT) mat composites was investigated by using in-situ polymerizable and low viscous cyclic butylene terephthalate oligomers. The electrical conductivity of the CNT mat composites strongly depended on the compression pressure, and the trend can be explained in terms of two cases, low and high compression pressure, respectively. High CNT mat content in the CNT mat composites and the surface of the CNT mat composites with fully contacted CNTs was achieved under high compression pressure, and direct contact between four probes and the surface of the CNT mat composites with fully contacted CNTs gave resistance of 2.1Ω. In this study the maximum electrical conductivity of the CNT mat composites, obtained under a maximum applied compression pressure of 27 MPa, was 11 904 S m-1, where the weight fraction of the CNT mat was 36.5%.

This study was conducted to evaluate the feeding value of the spent mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) substrates (SMS) in laying hens (Hy-Line Brown). The fresh spent mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) substrates collected from the DOJUN farm were fermented with Bacillus subtilis EJ3 for 2 weeks. A total of twenty-four laying hens were fed corn-soy based experimental diets containing 0% (control), 5% (T1), 10% (T2) and 15%(T3) fermented SMS for 7 weeks. There were no significant differences among the treatments in egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion and viability during the experimental period. Feed intake was significantly lowered in control (118.3 g) than T1 (121.9 g), T2 (120.3 g) and T3 (122.4 g). There were no significant differences among the treatments eggshell breaking strength, thickness and haugh unit, whereas the yolk color of T1, T2 and T3 were significantly heavy than T0. The palatability of boiled meat was significantly better in the T3 laying hens than in the T0 laying hens. In conclusion, fermented SMS can be used as resource of feed in laying hen feed at 5.0-15% level without effect on performance and egg qualify.

Chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn′s disease and ulcerative colitis are associated with increased risk of colon adenocarcinoma. Apoptic induction of colon cancer cells by cytokines and death receptors is an important anti-cancer therapy. We observed that co-administration of TNFα and IFNγ in human colon cancer cell line, HCT116, resulted in cell death and expression of IL-32. Cleavage forms of caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP were increased in TNFα / IFNγ-treated HCT116. mRNA expression of death receptors, including TNFR1 and Fas were not changed and NO generation was not induced by combination of TNFα and IFNγ. However, mRNA expression of IL-32α, β, and γ was increased in TNFα / IFNγ-treated HCT116. To determine the effect of IL-32 in HCT116 cell apoptosis by TNFα / IFNγ stimulation, IL-32 siRNA-transfected HCT116 cells were cultured with TNFα / IFNγ and cell proliferation was measured. IL-32 siRNA induced slight recovery of cell viability of TNFα / IFNγ-stimulated HCT116. These results suggest that IL-32 is not directly related to apoptosis of HCT116 by TNFα / IFNγ stimulation. However, IL-32 expression by TNFα or TNFα / IFNγ in a colon cancer cell line is very interesting because of the unknown effect of IL-32 in colon cancer. Our study will contribute to development of studies for IL-32 function in human colon cancer and anti-cancer therapies using cytokines.

The CRL(Conforming Run Length) control chart can perform for high yield processes and define the number of conforming items between two consecutive non-conforming ones. But the CRL control chart is not appropriate for lower yield processes because it is difficult to detect small shift in processes with the CRL control chart. This paper presents a combined CRL-CUSUM control chart and this is more efficient than CRL control chart for detecting small shift and uses the Markov Chain approach to calculate ARL(Average Run Length) values.

For rapid production of freesia ‘Shiny Gold’ shoots by using a bioreactor, several culture conditions were investigated. Young shoots (< 1 ㎝) obtained from freesia corm section in vitro were used as plant materials for this experiment. As a basic experimental environment, 20 young shoots were inoculated into a 5 L balloon type bubble reactor which contained 1 L 1/2 strength MS medium supplemented with 30 g sucrose (3%), and the aeration was 0.1 vvm (vessel volumes per minute). The bioreactors were placed in a growth room with 23℃ temperature, 60% relative humidity and 60 μmol·m-2·s-1 light condition (16 h/8 h, day/night). The concentrations of MS media were set with 1/4, 1/2, 1 strength, medium volume 10, 20, 40%, sucrose concentration 3, 6, 9%, and aeration 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 vvm. After 4 weeks of cultivation, the growth indexes including the fresh and dry weight, and plant height were evaluated. At the same time, the consumption, pH, and EC of medium were estimated 4 weeks after incubating. The best results were achieved when 40 young shoots were incubated in a bioreactor in which 1 L of 1/2 strength MS medium supplemented with 6% sucrose was used for the rapid production of freesia shoots. The shoots were 17 cm in plant height and 1.0 g in fresh weight only 4 weeks after incubation which could be a good plant material suitable for corm enlargement i

Background : Ginseng is becoming depleted of virgin cultivation area due to the problem of replant failure. Ginseng farmers have become more burdensome in operating expense because they are more likely to go out to other cities in search of virgin cultivation area. In addition, the quality and yield of ginseng cultivated in one place for many years depend on the rapidly changing climate every year. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for continuous production of ginseng in a facility by solving the problems of replant failure and investigating basic soil composition and growth characteristics of ginseng for 2 - 6 years. Methods and Results : This study was carried out in a 90 ㎝ wide, 50cm deep and 22 m long bed made of sandwich panels in a 90% shaded facility for ginseng cultivation. In the lower part of the bed, a 100 ㎜ pipe for drainage and steam sterilization was installed, and the pearlite was filled at a height of 100 ㎜ as a drainage material. The soil for ginseng cultivation was put into the bed. Soil composition was tested in five combinations including virgin soil, yokto, peat moss, pearlite, and vermiculite with different composition ratios including control. The native seedlings were transplanted and grown from 2 years to 6 years. In the growth characteristics and yield of ginseng, the best treatments were virgin soil 55%, yokto 10%, Peatmoss 25%, Perlite 5% and 5% vermiculite. Also, the bulk density was reduced by 30% compared to the control. Soil pH and EC tended to increase slightly during all treatments. In the ginsenoside analysis, there were no unusual results for the soil composition and they were almost similar. Conclusion : As a method to continuously grow ginseng in the facility, we tried to grow ginseng by filling the soil in the bed. Soil composition should be within the range of chemistry and physics suitable for cultivation of ginseng, and it is necessary to analyze the economy and reduce the operating expense. In the future, researches on soil disinfection and nutrient management methods for continuous use should be continued.

Background : Ginseng widely cultivated as a major medicinal herb in Korea, is economically important crop for farmer. Ginseng root disease caused by soil borne pathogens is main factors restricting the quantity and quality of ginseng. The disease can result in harvest loss of up to 20~70% and limits the replanting of ginseng under same field for long time. The traditional control method of agrochemical use is not recommend to control soil borne disease because of difficulty in use and unstable effect. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of several antagonistic microbes for developing biological control method of ginseng root rot. Methods and Results : To select biocontrol agents against ginseng soil borne disease, several bacteria were isolated from ginseng root and rhizosphere soil evaluated in vitro screening of antifungal bacterial against ginseng root pathogens. Two antagonistic bacteria, ES17 and CJ4, showed the strongest inhibition effect against ginseng root pathogen. In the pot experiment under greenhouse conditions, ginseng seedling dipped in bacterial suspension at inoculum density of 106 cfu/ml for 1 hour were planted in pot containing inoculum. Control effect was examined depend on disease severity index at 30 days after inoculation. Ginseng root treated with CJ4 and ES17 isolate reduced root rot disease development on the ginseng root with degrees of control efficacy of 85% and 70%, respectively. Conclusion : Two biocontrol agent, Burkholderia ambifaria CJ4 and Paenibacillus strain ES17, had strong antifungal efficacy against ginseng soil borne pathogens. These results obtained from in vitro test and pot experiment suggest the potential applicability of the biocontrol agent to control ginseng root rot caused by various soil borne pathogens.

Background : Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is one of the most important medicinal plants in Korea, but its yields are often reduced by a variety of root pathogens. The root rot of ginseng is a destructive soil-borne disease caused by Cylindrocarpon destructans (teleomorph: Ilyonectria radicicola). To monitor contamination with C. destructans in ginseng harvested in 2015 were sampled from 57 different growing fields. The spore number of C. destructans was quantified by use of a specific primers and selective media (radicicol) in soils of ginseng fields. Methods and Results : The ginseng samples were surface-sterilized and placed on potato dextrose agar plates for 7 day incubation at 20℃. Emerging fungal colonies were counted primarily based on colony and conidia morphology. Further species level identification was confirmed by ITS rDNA sequencing. For quantification of the soil-borne C. destructans, the genomic DNA was extracted from the soil using a NucleoSpin soil kit (MN, Germany). Density of C. destructans was determined by species specific real time PCR (qPCR). The qPCR was completed by running a melting curve analysis. Conclusion : The C. destructans associated with root rot disease of ginseng were detected in more than 60% in pyeongtaek-1, pochenon-1, jecheon-1, chungju-1 and jinan-4. As results of the study, the correlation between pathogen density and identification clearly clarified in the soil.

Background : The area of ginseng cultivation has nearly exhausted in the main ginseng growing area in Korea but virgin fields need for ginseng cultivation due to continuous cropping injury. To count for the decrease of the virgin fields of ginseng cultivation, technical improvement to increase, or maintain the amount of harvest are necessary in ginseng cultivation. The Ginseng Rain-sheltered Shade House is one of the efficient cultivation techniques as reducing the damages caused by natural disaster such as blight, high temperature & humidity, dry, and heavy rain & snow. However a soil description needs to be developed to reduce the period of re-cultivation because ginseng has to be cultivated at the only one ginseng rain-sheltered house without soil or cultivation change. Methods and Results : This study was carried out in the ginseng rain-sheltered house where ginseng had cultivated and harvested one time. Each section of Cultivation of sudan grass+flooding, rice straw+flooding, and flooding was covered with vinyl and then, all areas were solarized through the summer season. The soil temperature was inspected at 5cm, 10cm, 15cm, and 20cm below ground. As a result, the soil temperature of the place with vinyl covered and solarized was approached to 40℃ regularly during the period of high temperature in July and August. After the solarization, the inspection result of Cylindrocarpon destructans spore density checked by Real time PCR was that C. destructans spores were not found at the place where sudan glass+flooding and rice straw+flooding were used. However, the detected number of C. destructans spores in the inspection condition was roughly 9 at the soil samples from the fields which were flooded and solarized, and 33 at those from the repeatedly cultivated fields. The evaluations of aerial part growth by measurements were good in the following order: Sudan grass+flooding, rice straw+flooding, and flooding. Conclusion : The purpose of this study was to reduce the period of ginseng re-cultivation in a ginseng rain-sheltered shade house. The incidence rate of the pathogens distantly decreased by the treatments of sudan glass + flooding, rice straw+flooding, and solarization.

Background : This experiment was carried out to improve the labor-intensive task to construct of the traditional ginseng shading system in Korea. In this experiment the selected shading materials was new 6 kinds that HDPE - knitted- monofilament and taped PE Net, with taking into account of the amount of light and the amount of leakage to screen the UV stabilized 0.3% - 0.6%. Compared with the traditional shading material, the black-shading material (wt. 200g/㎡) and the yellow shading material (wt. 300g/㎡) was suitable for the ginseng growing environments in Korea. Methods and Results : The installation of shading system was the 45 degree slope -2 meter height from the ground with the selected shading materials for the wide structure ginseng cultivation. Temperature and light intensity was measured with a week interval from the surface to a height of 30cm. The two kinds of the 1st selected materials and the traditional black + blue two layer shading materials, aluminum screen, Canada Gintec shading material, total 5 kinds of materials were installed in wide structure. The growing environmental analysis was measured using data logs (watchdog 1600series). Conclusion : In the first selection of shading materials for Ginseng wide structure, the levels of light intensity were higher in order of blue-shading> Aluminum- shading> black-shading order. The temperatures of the under wide structures were lower in order of the black-shading< aluminum-shading screen< blue-shading order, especially the temperature of the black shading material was lower than the outside temperature. For the second selection of shading material of the ginseng wide structure, the black and yellow shading material were superior to the other materials, in the amount of light shading material and growing conditions and the degree of leakage etc. The temperatures of mid-May in wide structures of ginseng cultivation were higher in order of aluminum-screen> Canada shading materials (Gintec Co.) 2 layer material> Yellow shading> black shading order, and also the amounts of light intensity also was shown to be with the same manner