귀환 창업자(Returnee CEO)는 그 독특한 역량 때문에 기업 성과에 적지 않은 영향을 미치고 있다고 알려져 있다. 기존 연구에서는 일반적으로 귀환 창업자의 개인 능력에 주목하고 귀환 창업자의 혁신성이 기업성과에 긍 정적 영향을 미친다고 보았다. 그러나 현실적으로 귀환 창업자는 다양한 사회 모국(母國) 자본을 보유하고 있으며, 단순히 귀환 창업자인지 여부가 기업에게 같은 정도의 영향을 미치는 것은 아니다. 또 창업자들의 해외 사회관계와 지식 이전 능력 역시 상이하기 때문에 기업 성과에 서로 다른 영향을 미칠 수도 있다. 본 연구는 기존 연구에서 아직 발굴하지 않은 귀환 창업자의 소셜 네트워크에 초점을 두며 귀환 창업자의 모국 소셜 네트워크가 귀환 창업 자가 모국에 돌아간 후의 창업성과에 미치는 영향을 규명하고자 한다. 여기에서 더 나아가 귀환 창업자의 해외 사회관계와 지식 이전 능력이 어떠한 조절 효과를 미치는지, 소셜 네트워크 이론을 통해 설명한다. 중국 국적 귀환 창업자 303명을 대상으로 한 설문 자료를 분석한 결과, 강화된 모국 사회관계는 기업 성과에 긍정적인 영향을 미친다는 것을 발견하였다. 동시에, 귀환 창업자의 해외 사회관계 및 지식 이전 능력은 성과에 정(+)의 조절 효 과를 가지게 되는 것도 발견하였다. 본 연구는 귀환 창업자에 관한 연구를 사회관계의 측면으로 고도화하여 현실 설명력을 부여했다는 의의가 있다. 또 지식 이전의 실제 효과를 분석함으로써 기업이 귀환 창업자의 역량을 충분 히 활용하는 데에 있어 실무적 함의가 있을 것으로 기대한다.

Parasites have co-evolved with their host for a long period of time, resulting in unique parasitic systems tailored to each host species. This makes them suitable for research on physiological function control through cross-species molecules like miRNA. The body louse, a vector of bacterial pathogens, is particularly valuable as a model insect due to their frequent feeding on human blood, which results in the continuous ingestion of human-derived miRNA and injection of salivary gland-derived miRNA into the human body. In this study, we conducted miRNA sequencing on body lice with mixed stages and identified 105 miRNAs, including 50 novel miRNAs. Sequence analysis of human miRNAs remaining in body lice and the functional analysis of these miRNAs are in progress.

Fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major pest worldwide, and since its first domestic invasion was confirmed in 2019, its damage has been steadily increasing in crops such as corn until recently. In order to provide basic data for the management of FAW, we conducted a comparison of host preference and nutritional composition analysis of corn varieties. A total of 12 varieties of corn were selected for the experiment. To investigate the preference among the varieties, we examined the host preferences at the population level and the individual level, and found no statistically significant differences. In the population-level experiment, the highest damage rate was observed for Saekso 4 and the lowest for Heukgeom 2. In the individual-level experiment, the highest damage rate was found for Kangilok and the lowest for Oryun 2 when using leaves, and the highest for Saekso 1 and the lowest for Dreamok when using stems. As a result, the population-level and individual-level results were not consistent, suggesting that FAW's corn variety preference is not clear and may vary depending on various conditions such as corn tissue. Composition analysis of the 12 varieties showed no correlation between composition and FAW preference among the varieties, and considering the feeding behavior of FAW, which are highly polyphagous, it is recommended to control FAW as early as possible to improve control effectiveness.

It is well known that invertebrates do not have adaptive immunity because of their short life cycle. Especially, insects have a strong innate immune system, including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) production, to protect themselves from a wide range of pathogens. Previously, we identified over 60 genes related to AMP production, including Toll and Imd pathways, and characterized their immunological role in response to pathogenic infection through target gene-specific RNAi. This resulted in decreased expression levels of most AMPs in the larvae which were injected with target gene-specific dsRNA and microbes. Currently, we are focusing on studying the regulation of AMP production through epigenesis. It may help us understand how to regulate the innate immune system induced by pathogenic infection.

The primary therapeutic approach for Brucella species infections has mainly been based on antibiotic treatment. However, the development of vaccines for brucellosis control remains controversial. Furthermore, there is currently no licensed vaccine available for human brucellosis. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a combination of recombinant protein vaccines against Brucella (B.) abortus infection using a mouse model. Two B. abortus genes, namely dapB and gpm, were cloned and expressed in competent Escherichia (E.) coli DH5α using the pCold-TF vector. Successfully cloned vectors were subjected to PCR amplification using specific primer pairs. The apparent sizes of dapB and gpm were detected at 807 bp and 621 bp, respectively. Besides, the purified recombinant proteins dapB and gpm were detected using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis with correct sizes of 82.86 kDa and 87.61 kDa, respectively. These recombinant proteins were used to immunize mice as a combined subunit vaccine (CSV) to elicit host immunity against B. abortus infection. Mice immunized with CSV exhibited increased proliferation of CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells at week 7th and 9th before sacrifice, in comparison to the control group. Notably, CSV immunization showed a significant decrease in bacterial burden in the spleen compared to the control group. Altogether, CSV using dapB and gpm induced host adaptive immune response against Brucella infection, suggesting its potential as an effective new subunit vaccine candidate.