Dendrolimus superans (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) has long been acknowledged to present in South Korea under the circumstance of a substantial change in species names of Dendrolimus. In the present study, we found that specimens of D. superans collected from South Korea were D. sibiricus, rather than D. superans. Comparison of Korean specimens to the D. superans from Japan and the D. sibiricus from Russia in terms of wing morphology, female and male genitalia, a partial COI gene sequence, and a partial internal spacer sequence 2 (ITS2) consistently supported the presence of D. sibiricus in South Korea. Phylogenetic analyses using concatenated sequences of COI and ITS2 from available individuals of D. sibiricus and D. superans both by Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods the Korea samples to be D. sibiricus.

Morphology of antennal sensilla and their distribution were investigated in male and female adults of Ooencyrtus nezarae, an egg parasitoid of Riptortus pedestris, using scanning electron microscopy. Antennae of O. nezarae was composed of scape, pedicel and seven flagella in both sexes. Six types of sensilla (s. trichodea, s. basiconica, s. chaetica, s. campaniformia, s. sickle-shaped and unknown s.) were identified from both sexes. Among them, s. trichodea and s. sickle-shaped were multiporous, others are not. They distributed in varying numbers. Sexual dimorphism was clearly observed in the distribution of s. trichodea (only on male antennae) and unknown sensilla (only on female antennae). These findings would be helpful for further studies on detailed sex specific-receptive functions of each antennal sensilla.

Particle morphology change and different experimental condition analysis during composite fabrication process by traditional ball milling with discrete element method (DEM) simulation were investigated. A simulation of the three dimensional motion of balls in a traditional ball mill for research on the grinding mechanism was carried out by DEM simulation. We studied the motion of the balls, the ball behavior energy and velocity; the forces acting on the balls were calculated using traditional ball milling as simulated by DEM. The effect of the operational variables such as the rotational speed, ball material and size on the flow velocity, collision force and total impact energy were analyzed. The results showed that increased rotation speed with interaction impact energy between balls and balls, balls and pots and walls and balls. The rotation speed increases with an increase of the impact energy. Experiments were conducted to quantify the grinding performance under the same conditions. Furthermore, the results showed that ball motion affects the particle morphology, which changed from irregular type to plate type with increasing rotation speed. The evolution was also found to depend on the impact energy increase of the grinding media. These findings are useful to understand and optimize the particle motion and grinding behavior of traditional ball mills.

PVDF Membrane has been used as material for the UF membrane through in-situ interfacial polymerization (IP) because of it’s outstanding properties such as high chemical resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. In this study, surface morphology change of PVDF membrane was researched depending on evaporation time. 13% PVDF 6020 was used for casting and the evaporation time period was from 5s to 600s. The surface morphology of the membrane was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and filtration was conducted in the cross flow method to evaluate the a performance of UF membrane. As a result, average pore size was increased with longer evaporation times which caused the decrease of rejection.

The anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have been noticed as the promising power sources. One of the most important components in AEMFC is the anion exchange membranes(AEMs). Recently various materials for AEMs have been investigated for fuel cell applications. Imidazolium-based long alkyl chain multiblock copolymers have drawn much interest due to their well-defined phase separation between hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks. We report herein the investigation of the effect of block ratio on the phase separation as well as mechanical and electrical properties of the corresponding membranes.

Since Loeb and Sourirajan has introduced phase inversion method for membrane fabrication, the phase separation technique became the mainstream of membrane fabrication methods. Phase inversion includes solvent evaporation, vapor induced phase separation, thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) and nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS). Among those, NIPS and TIPS process is widely studied and employed for membrane fabrication. Depending on the membrane fabrication processes such as NIPS and TIPS, corresponding morphology differs from macrovoid structure to spherulitic structure, respectively. In this presentation, comparison of NIPS and TIPS effect on the final membrane morphology and controlling the membrane morphology by tuning the NIPS and TIPS effect will be presented.

Semen collection from epididymis has been used as an important alternative tool, particularly on abnormal animals including those with joint disorder, poor sex drive and poor libido. However, previous studies had been focused on only recovery of sperm derived from testes, regardless of fundamental parameters such as age, body weight, scrotal circumference, testicular size (weight, length, width and volume) and semen volume. In addition, there is no precise castrating periods to recover sperm from young Hanwoo bulls’ testis. Therefore, we investigated fundamental parameters in Hanwoo bulls at 7, 8, 14, 15, 16 and 17 months of age, which parameter can be used for sperm recovery from testis. Before castration, body weight and scrotal circumference were recorded. After castration, testes were transported to laboratory and testicular weight, length and width were recorded. About 2 cm of epididymal tail was collected and minced using blades on 100 mm petridish. Minced epididymal tail tissues were mixed with Optixcell (France, IMV technologies) and debris were removed by filteration with 100 um nylon mesh. Seven to 8 months of age in bulls showed low fundamental parameters compared to those of at 14 to 17 months of age in bulls (body weight, 218-258 vs. 330-429 kg; scrotal circumference, 23.4-24.6 vs. 28.8-32.8 cm; testicular weight, 92-104 vs. 222.3-269.9 g; testicular length, 10.9-11.6 vs. 13.4-15.6 cm; testicular width, 4.7 vs. 6.2-6.6; testicular volume, 126.4-136.4 vs. 268.9-357.6 cm3, semen volume, 3.0-4.8 vs. 60.6-68.3 ml, p<0.001). In conclusion, to recover semen derived from epididymis of testis in young Hanwoo bull, these fundamental parameters should be satisfied; 330 kg of body weight, 28.8 cm of scrotal circumference, 222.3 g of testicular weight, 13.4 cm of testicular length, 6.2 cm of testicular width, 268.9 cm3 of testicular volume. In further study, fundamental parameters of 9 to 13 months of age in bull should be investigated to determine more accurate castrating periods for sperm recovery from testis.

The habitat of the cockroach varies by species. The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) lives in human dwellings, while the Japanese field roach (Blattella nipponica) lives in a mountainous region. Based on phylogenetic analysis of mtCO I, the two species are closely related to each other and B. germanica is divergent from wild species such as B. nipponica. Their habitats and walking speed differ even though the two species have similar morphology. We hypothesized that habitats might influence walking speed via changes to appendage morphology and enzyme-based physiological differences. We found that phenotype such as appendage length and esterase isozyme expression were clearly different between the two species. These differences might be responsible for the observed difference in walking speed.

We report on an all-solution-processed hydrothermal method to control the morphology of ZnO nanostructures on Si substrates from three-dimensional hemispherical structures to two-dimensional thin film layers, by controlling the seed layer and the molar contents of surfactants during their primary growth. The size and the density of the seed layer, which is composed of ZnO nanodots, change with variation in the solute concentration. The ZnO nanodots act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for the main ZnO nanostructures. When the seed layer concentration is increased, the ZnO nanostructures change from a hemispherical shape to a thin film structure, formed by densely packed ZnO hemispheres. In addition, the morphology of the ZnO layer is systematically controlled by using trisodium citrate, which acts as a surfactant to enhance the lateral growth of ZnO crystals rather than a preferential one-dimensional growth along the c-direction. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results reveal that the ZnO structure is wurtzite and did not incorporate any impurities from the surfactants used in this study.

Flower-like nickel oxide (NiO) catalysts were coated on NiCrAl alloy foam using a hydrothermal method. The structural, morphological, and chemical bonding properties of the NiO catalysts coated on the NiCrAl alloy foam were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, Xray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. To obtain flower-like morphology of NiO catalysts on the NiCrAl alloy foam, we prepared three different levels of pH of the hydrothermal solution: pH-7.0, pH-10.0, and pH-11.5. The NiO morphology of the pH-7.0 and pH-10.0 samples exhibited a large size plate owing to the slow reaction of the hydroxide (OH−) and nickel ions (Ni+) in lower pH than pH-11.5. Flower-like NiO catalysts (~4.7 μm-6.6 μm) were formed owing to the fast reaction of OH− and Ni2+ by increased OH− concentration at high pH. Thus, the flower-like morphology of NiO catalysts on NiCrAl alloy foam depends strongly on the pH of the hydrothermal solution.

The cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella L. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a specialized insect that uses its mouthparts(stylets) to feed from the phloem of its host plants, which are found among the Brassicaceae and Asteraceae. Female whiteflies lay their eggs in circular patterns embedded in wax on the underside of the leaves. These were collected from the leaf of triangular lettuce, Crepidiastrum sonchifolium throughout the whole Chungnam province, 2013. We reared the cabbage whitefly on the egg-plant. The elongate-oval eggs are laid upright in a semicircle on the underside of Brassica leaves but didn’t in lab. Initially pale and translucent, the eggs become darker. Nymphs are scale-like and covered with wax; their color is white with two yellow spots on the abdomen. On the dorsal surface of the last abdomial segment is the vasiform orifice charactersitic of the group. The fourth instar is called the “pupa”. The pupa is thicker, immobile, and pale in color with red eyes. The adults are tiny, about 1.5 mm long, and moth-like. The head and thorax are dark. The abdomen is yellow and covered by a conspicuous white waxy layer. The forewings have a faint, dark bar. If disturbed, the adults fly readily. The duration of development of immature stages of Aleyrodes proletella decreased with increase in temperature, the mortality was higher below 16 ℃ and above 28 ℃.

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs) are chitin-modifying enzymes that deacetylate chitin to form chitosan. In insects, this modification may contribute to the affinity and/or cross-linking of chitin/chitosan-like polysaccharides for a variety of structural proteins that may lead to diverse mechanical properties of the cuticle. DmCDA1 (serpentine) and DmCDA2 (vermiform) from Drosophila melanogaster play roles in development and morphology of embryonic tracheal tubes. We previously reported the functional importance of TcCDA1 and TcCDA2 orthologs to DmCDA1 and DmCDA2 from Tribolium castaneum, in molting, morphology of cuticle, and movement of legs. In this study, we further analyze ultrastructural defects of the cuticles and leg joints in TcCDA1- and TcCDA2-deficient insects. Loss of function of TcCDA1 and TcCDA2 causes disorganized chitinous horizontal laminae and vertical pore canals of rigid adult cuticle (e.g. elytron). Both proteins are also required for laminal organization in soft cuticle (e.g. hindwing). Morphological analysis of TcCDA1- and TcCDA2A-deficient adult revealed that ruptured tendons between femur and tibia cause the defects in movement of the leg joint. This work was supported by NRF (NRF-2015R1A2A2A01006614).

The human β-amyloid (Aβ) cleaving enzyme (BACE-1) is a target for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatments. This study was conducted to determine if acacetin extracted from the whole Agastache rugosa plants had anti-BACE-1 and behavioral activities in Drosophila AD models and to determine acacetin’s mechanism of action. Acacetin (100, 300, and 500 μM) rescued amyloid precursor protein (APP)/BACE1-expressing flies and kept them from developing both eye morphology (dark deposits, ommatidial collapse and fusion, and the absence of ommatidial bristles) and behavioral (motor abnormalities) defects. The RT-PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that the protective effect of acacetin on Aβ production is mediated by transcriptional regulation of BACE-1 and APP, resulting in decreased APP protein expression and BACE-1 activity, and reduced Aβ production by interfering with BACE-1 activity and APP synthesis, resulting in a decrease in the levels of the APP carboxy terminal fragments and the APP intracellular domain, and finally, resulting in a decrease in the number of amyloid plaques.

Insect antennae play important roles in finding mates and in locating food source and oviposition sites. Riptortus pedestris is an important pest of soybean and sweet persimmon in Korea. The male R. pedestris adult produce the aggregation pheromone attracting the conspecific nymphs and both sexes of adults. The pheromone was known as a cue for food finding, but the 1st instar nymph can develop to the 2nd instar without food. This phenomenon may suggest that the 1st instar nymph may have different sensilla system from other instars. Thus, we investigated the morphology and distribution of antennal sensilla and antennal response to the aggregation pheromone (AG) of each nymphal stage using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Electroantennography (EAG). As expected, first instar nymph did not have sensilla trichodea 3 (T3) and chaetica 3 (Ch3) which existed in other instar nymphs. The antennae of the 1st instar nymph did not responded to AG, with no difference from control. For further elucidation of the functions of sensilla T3 and CH3, single sensillum recording to AG will be done.

In the present study, exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) with different particle sizes were coated onto polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers by a direct coating method. The flexural properties, interlaminar shear strength, and the morphology of the xGnP-coated carbon fiber/phenolic matrix composites were investigated in terms of their longitudinal flexural strength and modulus, interlaminar shear strength, and by optical and scanning electron microscopic observations. The results were compared with a phenolic matrix composite counterpart prepared without xGnP. The flexural properties and interlaminar shear strength of the xGnP-coated carbon fiber/phenolic matrix composites were found to be higher than those of the uncoated composite. The flexural and interlaminar shear strengths were affected by the particle size of the xGnP, while the particle size had no significant effect on the flexural modulus. It seems that the interfacial contacts between the xGnP-coated carbon fibers and the phenolic matrix play a role in enhancing the flexural strength as well as the interlaminar shear strength of the composites.

한반도에 서식하는 노루의 계통분류학적 위치는 아직까지 명확하게 정리되어 있지 않으며, 최근까지 내륙과 제주도 지역에 서식하는 노루 간 외부형태와 유전학적 차이가 있다고 여러 차례 보고되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 외부형태와 유전적으로 차이가 나타나 두 아종으로 여겨지는 내륙과 제주도 노루의 머리뼈 특성에 있어서도 차이가 있을 것으로 생각하고, 그 차이를 비교․분석하여 한국노루의 분류학적 위치를 좀 더 명확하게 규명하고자 실시하였다. 총 50개체의 성체 노루 머리뼈를 비교․분석한 결과 머리뼈최대길이, 뒤통수뼈관절융기-치조점사이길이, 머리뼈바닥길이, 머리뼈최 대폭, 광대뼈사이폭, 눈확사이폭, 얼굴길이, 위어금니열길이 등에서 유의한 차이가 나타나 제주노루가 내륙노루 보다 머리뼈의 크기 및 형태가 작은 것으로 나타났다. 두개골의 형태는 노루 아종 간 차이를 결정하는 중요한 요소이며, 위도, 경도, 고도에 직접적인 영향을 받지는 않지만 이 요소들이 1차 생산자에 영향을 미쳐 먹이식물에 변화를 가져오고 노루의 먹이 선택과 연관되어 순차적으로 두개골 형태에도 영향을 미친다. 따라서 한반도에 서식하는 노루 두개골의 계량형태학적 특성을 비교․분석한 결과 내륙 노루는 아종인 C. p. tianschanicus와 비슷한 반면, 제주 노루는 시베리아노 루 3아종 및 유럽노루와 확연한 차이를 나타냈다. 이상의 결과를 종합해 볼 때 제주도 지역에 서식하는 노루의 경우 제주도에만 서식하는 고유종으로 아종 수준의 분류가 가능할 것으로 생각한다.