Air conditioner filters purify the air of indoor environments by removing air pollutants and supporting the efficiency of the unit’s cooling function. However, an air conditioner filter can become a microenvironment in which some fungi can grow as dust continues to accumulate and favorable humidity conditions are formed. Fungal growth in air conditioner filters could lead to fungal allergies or fungal diseases, in addition to emitting a foul odor. In an effort to understand what species causes this malodorous problem, we investigated the diversity of fungi found in air conditioners. Fungi were sampled from the collected air conditioner filters and grown on DG18 agar media. After purification for pure isolates, species identification was undertaken. Colony morphology was observed on PDA, MEA, CYA, and OA media. Microstructures of fruiting body, mycelia, and spores were examined using a light microscope. Molecular identification was performed by PCR and sequencing of PCR amplicons, and molecular phylogenetic analysis of sequenced DNA markers, including the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), the 28S large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA), the β-tubulin (BenA) gene, the Calmodulin (CaM) gene, and the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (RPB2) gene. Through this identification process, we found two fungal species, Aspergillus miraensis and Dichotomopilus ramosissimus, which are unrecorded species in Korea. We will now report their morphological and molecular features.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive lipid messenger involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation and various diseases. Recent studies have shown an association between periodontitis and neuroinflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and multiple sclerosis. However, the mechanistic relationship between periodontitis and neuroinflammatory diseases remains unclear. The current study found that lysophosphatidic acid receptors 1 (LPAR1) and 6 (LPAR6) exhibited increased expression in primary microglia and astrocytes. The primary astrocytes were then treated using medium conditioned to mimic periodontitis through addition of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharides, and an increased nitric oxide (NO) production was observed. Application of conditioned medium from human periodontal ligament stem cells with or without LPAR1 knockdown showed a decrease in the production of NO and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and interleukin 1 beta. These findings may contribute to our understanding of the mechanistic link between periodontitis and neuroinflammatory diseases.

CFRP materials are one of the excellent lightweight materials of the next generation. Also, the CFRP materials are attracting materials form the global automotive industry. However, CFRP material is made at a high cost of carbon fiber as raw material, so research of production cost reduction into the development of molding equipment and molding process technology related to mass production for the automotive industry is actively administered. Generally, CFRP is known as a high corrosion-resistant material in which no corrosion occurs. However, the investigation of the relationship with corrosion behavior on the roughness of CFRP's conditions according to is rarely studied. In this paper, the surface roughness has conducted three surface roughness conditions given arbitrarily, and the electrochemical evaluation has performed under the electrolysis conditions of 5 wt.% NaCl, which is the salt-water test condition of vehicle parts in automotive industries. Moreover, the samples were analyzed with changes of microstructures by FE-SEM and chemical composition's variation by EDS before and after electrochemical evaluation.

Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma (CCOC), a very rare neoplasm located mostly in the mandible, has been regarded as a benign tumor. However, due to the accumulation of case reports, CCOC has been reclassified as a malignant entity by the World Health Organization. Patients with CCOC present with regional swelling and periodontal indications with variable pain, often remaining misdiagnosed for a long period. CCOC has slow growth but aggressive behavior, requiring radical resection. Histologic analysis revealed the monophasic, biphasic, and ameloblastic types of CCOC with clear cells and a mixed combination of polygonal and palisading cells. At the molecular level, CCOC shows the expression of cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen, along with markers that assign CCOC to the sarcoma family. At the genetic level, Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1-activating transcription factor 1 fusion is regarded as the key feature for identification. Nevertheless, the scarcity of cases and dependence on histological data delay the development of an efficient therapy. Regarding the high recurrence rate and the potential of distant metastasis, further characterization of CCOC is necessary for an early and accurate diagnosis.

The composition of the deicer sprayed on the highway is spreading over the highway by the scattering or snow removal activity, or car movement and consequently affecting the vegetation environment around the highway. These are the cause of the damage of fruit trees and crops, and also the cause of corrosion of highway structures. The goal of this study is to estimate the detected range of deicer components from a highway. The concentration of the deicer components in gauze and soil were investigated according to the crossing distance from the highway. The data collected were then used to estimate the concentration range of deicer components in a rage of distance up to 100 m from the highway where the deicer was spread. The sample time and weight of gauze were measured before and after installation, and the soil was collected at more than three points in parallel with the highway at the gauze installation point. The components in gauze and soil were investigated in addition to the deicer components (Ca2+, Na+, Cl-) as well as Mg2+ and K+. As Ca2+ and Cl- components of deicer were affected by agricultural use, Na+ component was selected as a tracer and further SAR (Sodium Adsorption Ratio) of soil was analyzed to examine the degree of influence on vegetation indirectly. The gauze concentration was evaluated by the concentration of the deicer ingredient at the background concentration of the blank gauze. The total amount of the deicer sprayed in the study road for 4 months (winter season) was about 93 ton/km. In the gauze test, the spread of the deicer was detected at a distance of 100 m in study area, but the concentration of the deicer in the gauze by distance decreased rapidly within 10 m from the highway. And concentration of the deicer components in gauze and soil came down after rainy season (August ~ Sep.). The results showed that the components of the deicer could be spread widely by the wind. The effective range of the deicer on vegetation based on SAR in soil was estimated to be less than 20 m from the highway. This study examines the concentration changes of the deicer components in gauze and soils and shows that deicer components sprayed on the highway are accumulated and moved over time by wind, snow removal, terrain, water system and land use around the highway.

본 조사는 채집방법에 따른 곤충군집을 비교하기 위해 공검지 습지보호지역 내에서 쓸어잡기, 함정트랩, 버킷트랩 세 가지 방법을 이용하였다. 조사 시기는 5월 15~16일, 8월 3~4일, 11월 6~7일 총 3회 실시하였으며, 조사는 보호지역 중심부에서 실시하였다. 본 연구결과 세 방법으로 총 7목 51과 110속 120종 14,717개체가 채집되었다. 채집방법별로 쓸어잡기에서 4목 25과 36속 37종 331개체, 함정트랩에서 3목 12과 18속 19종 30개체, 버킷트랩에서 6목, 38과 76속, 84종, 14,121개체가 조사되었다. 군집 분석결과 다양도 지수는 쓸어잡기가 3.63으로 가장 높게 나타났으며 풍부도 지수는 버킷트랩이 8.69로 가장 높게 나타났다. 유사도 지수는 세 방법이 서로 0.2이하로 매우 낮았다.

To obtain information on the sanitary of indoor environment in greenhouses used for shiitake cultivation, bacteria associated with larvae and imagoes of Sciaridae flies, pest to shiitake mushroom, were isolated and identified. A total of 1,048 bacterial colonies were isolated from the flies’ larvae and 984 bacterial colonies were isolated from the flies’ imagoes. Based on molecular analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence, Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis of β-proteobacteria, Enterobacter asburiae and Raoultella ornithinolytica of γ -proteobacteria, Curtobacterium sp. and Microbacterium thalassium of Actinobacteria, and Penibacillus taichungensis of Firmicutes were identified from the colonies of the flies’ larvae. While, Bacillus megaterium, B. thuringiensis, Lysinbacillus sphaericus and L. fusifomis of Firmicutes, Microbacterium thalassium and Citricoccus parietis of Actinobacteria, and Enterobacter asburiae of γ-proteobacteria were identified from the flies’ imagoes. Some of the isolated bacterial species were known be human pathogens. Overall, the results of this study suggested that mushroom fly carrying human pathogenic bacteria is one of sources impact on the sanitary of indoor environment of greenhouses used for shiitake cultivation.

In this study, a correlation analysis of odor was performed in order to assess the reliability and the field applicability of the Odorous gas sensor for continuous real-time monitoring. Hydrogen sulfide was found to have a correlation of 41.5~65.8%, and Ammonia is was found to have very low correlation in less than 200 ppb concentration. Reactivity evaluation result, hydrogen sulfide is the reactivity was higher than the low concentration condition of 100 ppb or less indicated by 31.3~36.4% in the 100 ppb or more high density condition based on the reference density value. For ammonia was very low reactivity in the low-concentration conditions below 200 ppb. TVOC and composite odor assessment did not occur Reactivity no reference concentration value, the specific comparison between both sensors showed a similar trend. In the same Odorous gas sensor accuracy between the result, 40.3~130.6% hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, 69.1~104.9%, TVOCs is 24.7~98.6%, exhibited human odor intensity from 5.5~33.2%.

True hermaphrodites are animals of equivocal sex in which both male and female gonads develop simultaneously. The frequency of true hermaphroditism is higher in pigs than in other domestic animals. Two Korean pigs were diagnosed with true hermaphroditism showing ovotestes, epididymes, penes, and uteri. Histomorphologically, the testicular tissues consisted of Sertoli cells that were devoid of spermatogenic germ cells and showed proliferation of interstitial cells. However, the uteri were of normal architecture and had well-developed uterine endometrial glands. The samples were 38, XX female karyotype without the sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene. The findings of this study could contribute to the understanding of true hermaphroditism in the Korean pig industry. * This work was supported by a grant (Code# PJ008148) from BioGreen21 Program, Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

Recently, farmers of mushroom farms in Korea express the difficulty of shiitake cultivation due to the damage of oak log beds by unknown reason. To elucidate the cause of the damage, we investigated and isolated fungi from inside wood chip of the damaged shiitake log bed. Four of green fungi were obtained and their morphology and molecular properties examined. Trichoderma atroviride, Trichoderma citrinoviride, Hypocrea lixii (Trichoderma harzianum), and Hypocrea lutea (Gliocladiumviride) were identified. Hypocarea lutea is newly described in Korea. These species were able to produce extracellular enzymes such as cellulase, pectinase, and xylanse that might degrade wood components of oak logs. This study provides strong evidence that Trichoderma fungi are involved in the recent damages of shiitake log beds In Korea.

The silkworm (Bombyx mori), as an industrial insect, possesses a high economic value. Casual discrimination and accumulated genetic information of silkworm varieties are essential ground for the practical utilization and long-term conservation. In this study, nine available microsatellite loci were successfully genotyped from ~50 silkworm strains preserved in Korea. According to genotyping analysis, we obtained 3 ~ 16 alleles per locus, with an average of 7.4, the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.04 to 0.98, and the polymorphic information content (PIC) ranging from 0.06 to 0.88, revealing that some loci are highly variable. Among 54 strains 13 strains were casually identified by the presence of 17 strain-specific apomorphic alleles. Furthermore, 30 among remaining strains contained strain-specific allele combinations that are also apomorphic to each strain, allowing us to discriminate each of these from other strains by genotyping of multiple loci. These results collectively suggest that the silkworm microsatellite DNA is actually and potentially important molecular marker for the discrimination of the silkworm strains that are preserved as hundreds in Korea, as more loci are genotyped.

Freshwater green algae are one of the important sources of bioenergy in the future. Spirogyra is a conjugating filamentous zygnematacean green algal genus that is widely distributed worldwide with more than 400 species. Despite its widespread occurrence throughout the world, cytological studies of the genus have been limited. We investigated karyological features and chromosome numbers for seven Korean Spirogyra species. Most of the species examined in the present study showed significant karyological features, inner organization of nucleolus, heavily stainable nucleolar substance and the diffuse-centric nature of chromosomes, typical of the Conjugales. Chromosome number ranged from n=12 in S. varians to n=38 in S. africana. Aberrant cytokinesis resulted in binucleate and tetranucleate cells, which sometimes provide cytological explanation for different morphology and ploidal changes in clonal culture of Spirogyra or even different cells within the same filament. The present chromosome data also substantiates the earlier held assumption that aneuploidy must have been the chief driving force for speciation and evolution of the genus Spirogyra.

자가사리 정자는 체외수정을 하는 일반적인 수중형의 형태를 하고 있으나 미토콘드리아의 많은 수, 핵 돌기 및 두 개의 편모를 가지는 구조적 차이를 보여주었다. 핵의 기부에는 두 개의 깊이 함입된 핵와에 각각 말단부중심립을 포함하고 두 개의 중심립은 축사를 형성할 기저체로서의 기능을 하며 서로 평행하게 배열되어 있었다. 부수체는 중심립에서부터 핵막 사이의 공간에 있으며 이들 사이의 공간적 관계를 안정화시키는 역할을 하는 것으로 여겨진다. 미토콘드리아는 중편세포질에서 2층 또는 3층으로 배열되어 있으며 그 수는 40개 정도가 있었다. 정자는 두 개의 편모를 가지며 각 편모에 2개씩 즉 4개의 axonemal fins가 나있고 이들은 축사의 이중미세소관 3번과 8번 양쪽의 원형질막이 돌출되어 나타났다. 세포질관을 덮고있는 외벽은 원형질막과 소포체 수조로 구성 되며 이들 사이에 수많은 결합구조가 발달되어 있었다. 이와같이 자가사리의 정자는 구형의 핵, 깊은 핵와, 미토콘드리아의 배열 및 편모의 구성에 있어서 메기과와 동자개과의 정자와 유사하나 이들 두 과와는 핵 돌기, 핵와, 축사 및 axonemal fins의 수에 있어서는 차이를 보여주었다. 정자의 중편과 꼬리의 구성에서 메기목 4과 중 퉁가리과와 동자개과의 계통적 유연관계가 가장 밀접한 것으로 나타났다.