Fermented total mixed ration (TMR) is a novel feed for ruminants in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the quality of TMR and in vitro ruminal fermentation. Strains of three LAB spp. (Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. mucosae) were used in fermentation of TMR. Inoculations with the three LAB spp. lowered pH and increased concentrations of lactic acid, acetic acid, and total organic acid compared to non-LAB inoculated control (only addition of an equivalent amount of water) (p<0.05). Bacterial composition indicated that aerobic bacteria and LAB were higher. However, E. coli were lower in the fermented TMR than those in the control treatment (p<0.05). Among the treatments, L. brevis treatment had the highest concentration of total organic acid without fungus detection. Gas production, pH, and ammonia-nitrogen during ruminal in vitro incubation did not differ throughout incubation. However, ruminal total VFA concentration was higher (p<0.05) in the LAB spp. treatments than the control treatment at 48 hours. Overall, the use of L. brevis as an inoculant for fermentation of high moisture. TMR could inhibit fungi growth and promote lactic fermentation, and enhance digestion in the rumen.

We investigated primary ecological characters, such as life cycle and morphology of the lawn cutworm, Spodoptera depravata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which is one of the most economically damaging pests to grasses. For larval culture the turfgrass, Zoysia japonica, was provided as a feed source at 25℃ and 60±5% humidity. Development period of each stage was as follows: 4.11±0.19 days for eggs, 25.17±3.02 for larvae, 8.80±0.28 for pupae and 7.57±0.95 for adults. Larval stages continued to 7th instar and this result contrasts to pre-existing data, which indicate 6th instar in S. depravata. Developmental period of each instar of S. depravata ranged from the minimum of 2.1 days to the maximum of 4.81 days, with the 7th instar longest. Correlation analysis between body length and head capsule width of each instar showed a significant correlation between the two measures. Pupal colors were changed from the light brown and green right after pupation to dark brown as pupal cuticle hardens. Wing length of adults in both sexes was similar, but forewing of male had obvious outer line and eyespot with dark gray-brown background, whereas that of female had less obvious in these characters, with light gray-brown background. Pre-period of eggs deposition was 2 days, oviposition period was 4.6 days, average fecundity per female was about 419 eggs, and rate of hatching was about 83%.

벼메뚜기는 분류학적으로 메뚜기목(Orthoptera), 메뚜기과(Acrididae)에 속하는 곤충으로 작물에 피해를 주는 해충으로 인식하고 있지만 예로부터 단백질 보충을 위하여 채집하여 튀기거나 볶음요리 로 이용해 왔다. 벼메뚜기는 갈색거저리, 쌍별귀뚜라미 등과 함께 식품공전에 등록되어 있으나 1년 1세대로 가을철에 채집하여 이용하는 실정으로 공급확대에 한계가 있다. 최근 우리나라에서 벼메뚜기를 사육하고자 하는 농가와 다양한 용도로 가공을 통해 이용하려는 수요가 점차 증가하고 있으나 연중사육기술이 개발되지 않아 대량사육하는 농가가 거의 없는 실정이다. 이에 벼메뚜기의 연중대량사육기술 뿐만 아니라 인공사료 및 자동화 사육시설 개발에 따른 생산비 절감 기술 개발이 필요한 실정이다. 벼메뚜기의 먹이로는 여름작물로 옥수수, 수단그래스, 겨울작물로 밀, 보리 등의 볏과작물이 있으며 많은 양의 생엽과 발육에 적합한 작물의 선발 및 볏과작물의 통곡실 가루를 이용한 인공사료의 개발로 먹이공급 부족 시 15~20일 급여 가능하며, 벼메뚜기 사육시설로 단독형, 연결형, 절충형 등의 사육시설을 개발하여 연결형 사육시설의 수확량과 생존율이 가장 높았으며, 예취 급이 노동력이 단독형의 16% 소요되었다.

Four new species of the genus Alloclubionoides collected from mountain litter and hillock litter around the agricultural ecosystem of Korea are described in the present work with appropriate body measurements and morphological illustrations; A. hwaseongensis sp. nov., A. imi sp. nov., A. namhansanensis sp. nov. and A. nasuta sp. nov. Females of A. hwaseongensis sp. nov., A. namhansanensis sp. nov. and A. nasuta sp. nov. can be distinguished based on the epigyne shape and structure of internal genitalia from previously described species. Males of A. imi sp. nov. can also be distinguished based on the shapes of retrolateral tibial apophysis, embolus tip and conductor from previously described species. Also, a key to the Korean Alloclubionoides spiders is provided. Alloclubionoides gajiensis Seo, 2014 is newly synonymized with Alloclubionoides cochlea (Kim et al. 2007).

한국고유종인 밭고랑거미과의 봉화밭고랑거미Agroeca bonghwaensis (Seo, 2011) 수컷을 측정치 및 형태학적 도해와 함께 처음으로 기재한다. 봉화밭고랑거미의 수컷은 A. brunnea (Blackwall, 1833) 수컷의 더듬이다리기관과 유사하나 끝부분이 뭉뚝한 후측면돌기와 기부가 넓고 끝부분이 넓은 갈고리 모양의 중부돌기로 쉽게 구분된다.

The antioxidant and antitumor properties of natural products, often recognized in traditional medicine systems, represent therapeutic modalities to reduce or prevent uncontrolled oxidation processes which in turn potentially ameliorate or tumor based symptoms of chronic diseases. We have studied the antioxidant and antitumor effects of Amanita muscaria (A. muscaria) in vitro and examined whether the A. muscaria has synergistic effects on antioxidant and antitumor properties. Although A. muscaria induced a dose-dependent increase in antioxidant activity, the latter has a consistently higher antioxidant effect. In mouse monocytes, the lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced tumor necrosis- (TNF-) synthesis was significantly inhibited by A. muscaria in a dose dependent manner and synergistic effects were clearly demonstrated with the A. muscaria on TNF- inhibition. A. muscaria effect was also evident on inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B activity, cyclooxygenase-II activity, and lipid peroxidation in mouse monocytes. This presented results may be a starting point for a comprehensive characterization of biological effects of A. muscaria.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been considered an alternative source of neuronal lineage cells, which are difficult to isolate from brain and expand in vitro. Previous studies have reported that MSCs expressing Nestin (Nestin+ MSCs), a neuronal stem/progenitor cell marker, exhibit increased transcriptional levels of neural development-related genes, indicating that Nestin+ MSCs may exert potential with neurogenic differentiation. Accordingly, we investigated the effects of the presence of Nestin+ MSCs in bone-marrow-derived primary cells (BMPCs) on enhanced neurogenic differentiation of BMPCs by identifying the presence of Nestin+ MSCs in uncultured and cultured BMPCs. The percentage of Nestin+ MSCs in BMPCs was measured per passage by double staining with Nestin and CD90, an MSC marker. The efficiency of neurogenic differentiation was compared among passages, revealing the highest and lowest yields of Nestin+ MSCs. The presence of Nestin+ MSCs was identified in BMPCs before in vitro culture, and the highest and lowest percentages of Nestin+ MSCs in BMPCs was observed at the third (P3) and fifth passages (P5). Moreover, significantly the higher efficiency of differentiation into neurons, oligodendrocyte precursor cells and astrocytes was detected in BMPCs at P3, compared with P5. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that neurogenic differentiation can be enhanced by increasing the proportion of Nestin+ MSCs in cultured BMPCs.

X-chromosome inactivation is one of the most complex events observed in early embryo developments. The epigenetic changes occurred in female X-chromosome is essential to compensate dosages of X-linked genes between males and females. Because of the relevance of the epigenetic process to the normal embryo developments and stem cell studies, X-chromosome inactivation has been focused intensively for last 10 years. Initiation and regulation of the process is managed by diverse factors. Especially, proteins and non-coding RNAs encoded in X-chromosome inactivation center, and a couple of transcription factors have been reported to regulate the event. In this review, we introduce the reported factors, and how they regulate epigenetic inactivation of X-chromosomes.