This study examines the performance of a penalized neural network and the replication of a customer engagement survey scale with text information in the hotel industry. Although the empirical analysis shows highly accurate model performance only in the training sample, the results also clarify the issues of the engagement scale.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe respiratory disease in humans, with a case fatality rate of approximately 35%, thus posing a considerable threat to public health. A lack of approved vaccines or antivirals currently constitutes a barrier for controlling disease outbreaks and spread. In this study, we generated a replication-defective recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing the MERS-CoV spike (S) protein (VSV/MERS). Uncleaved and cleaved S proteins were detected in VSV/MERS by western blotting. And VSV/MERS specifically transduced cells expressing human dipeptidyl peptidase 4, a receptor for MERS-CoV. To investigate the immunogenicity of VSV/MERS, mice were immunized intramuscularly with VSV/MERS and alum adjuvant. MERS-CoV S-specific IgG was detected in serum samples from immunized mice. These antibodies inhibited MERS entry in vitro, suggesting a protective efficacy of VSV/MERS immunity. The data demonstrate that VSV/MERS has potent immunogenicity and could serve as a novel potential vaccine platform for MERS in dromedary camels and human.

Obesity is a worldwide disease and one of the major risk factors. Virus among many factors can lead to obesity. Adenovirus 36 (Ad-36) is the adipogenic virus linked with human obesity. Nevertheless, there is no drug to treat both Ad-36 infection and obesity associated with virus. For the precedent study on anti-cholesterol test, Distylium racemosum (D. racemosum), Quercus salicina (Q. salicina) and Raphiolepis indica (R. indica) were selected. This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-cholesterol effects, anti-lipid effects and inhibition of Ad-36 replication from three extracts. D. racemosum (50 μg/mL) inhibited lipid accumulation on 3T3-L1 adipocyte. D. racemosum inhibited adipocyte differentiation through suppression of regulator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- γ (PPARγ) genes and adipocyte-specific genes such as adipocyte protein 2 (aP2). D. racemosum inhibited replication of Ad-36 at 50 μg/mL of concentration. Therefore, the extract of D. racemosum could be a candidate for development of anti-Ad-36 and anti-obesity drugs.

Recombinant baculovirus genome that absence part of ORF1629 has used to enhance efficiency of recombinant virus selection because a role of ORF1629 is believed to essential for viral replication in insect cells. It can be recovered by recombination with a transfer vector containing a complete ORF1629. Some recombinant bacmids were generated for this purpose. Recombinant bacmid GOZA, one of them, has a mini-F replicon for Escherichia coli and the partial ORF1629 gene. By accident, we could observe the replication of ApGOZA singly in Sf9 cells. Produced virus from ApGOZA was investigated for the existence of truncated ORF1629 not intact ORF1629 by PCR amplification and genomic sequencing. Also, we could observe the replication of AcGOZA alone in Sf9 cells. To analyze the influence of truncated ORF1629, the viral growth, BV production and polyhedral formation were conducted comparing to wild type virus and recombinat virus containing intact ORF1629. The results suggested the probability that ORF1629 is not essential for replication.

A novel insect-infecting positive sense single-stranded RNA virus, Riptortus pedestris virus-1 (RiPV-1), was found in the Riptortus pedestris transcriptome data by de novo assembly and further confirmed by RACE method. The genome of RiPV-1 consists of 10,554 nucleotides (nt) excluding the poly(A) tail and contains a single large open reading frame (ORF) of 10,371 nt encoding a 3,456 aa polyprotein and flanked by 71 and 112 nt 5' and 3' noncoding regions, respectively. RiPV-1 genome contains the consensus genome organization of picorna-like RNA helicase, cysteine protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) array in that order from the 5' to the 3' end. From the phylogenetic analysis, RiPV-1 was clustered with unassigned insect RNA viruses, APV and KFV, which suggests that these three insect picorna-like viruses might constitute a novel group of insect-infecting RNA viruses. Tissue tropism analysis revealed that RiPV-1 was relatively abundant in the thorax, abdomen, midgut and fat body. Interestingly, RiPV-1 replication was enhanced by Beauveria bassiana JEF-007 infection that was quantified using qRT-PCR. This study identified a novel insect-infecting virus and provided further insight into the relationship between virus, fungus and host.

Kidney cells of canine embryos were separated into single cells using collagenase and dispase. Primary culture was conducted using these cells. To remove fibroblasts, these cells were treated with edetate disodium dihydrate (Na2EDDA), and pure epithelial cells were separated. Recombinant retrovirus particles that manifest teromerase were produced and inoculated into primary culture cells to produce immortalized canine cell strains (JNUCK-1 and JNUCK-2). To examine the characteristics of the produced cell strains, the growth curve, maximum cultured households, and expressed proteins (keratin) were identified. The JNUCK-1 and JNUCK-2 cell lines showed division ability until the 30th generation without growth retardation. JNUCK-1 and JNUCK-2 cell lines clearly expressed telomerase until the 25th generation. The canine distemper virus (CDV) was inoculated into the JNUCK-1 and JNUCK-2 cell lines, as well as in the Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line. The maximum titer of CDV from the JNUCK-1 cell strain was about 200 times higher than that from the MDCK cell strain. However, the JNUCK-2 cell strain produced a lower titer than the MDCK cell strain. We established a new canine kidney epithelial cell line (JNUCK-1) that could produce CDV with high titer.

Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are a group of insect viruses and symbiotic to some endoparasitoid wasps classified in to Braconidae and Ichneumonidae. Though a lot of PDV genes are identified and analyzed in the host-parasitoid molecular interactions, PDV replication is still far from our understanding. PDVs are replicated in the wasp ovary during late pupal stage. A PDV, Cotesia plutellae bracovirus (CpBV), is symbiotic to Cotesia plutellae. The C. Plutellae ovary was analyzed in transcriptome by 454 pyrosequencing. The ovarian transcriptome provided several major DNA polymerases including Pol α, Pol δ, and Pol ε. All contigs matched to these polymerases were expressed in C. plutellae. Especially DP1 contig homologous to Pol α was highly expressed during late pupal and female adult stages. Its RNA interference significantly suppressed CpBV viral titre in the ovary. This study suggests a hint that CpBV replication uses a host DNA polymerase, in which Pol α may play a specific role in the viral replication in the ovary.

Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are a group of insect double stranded DNA viruses and symbiotically associated with host endoparasitoid wasps. Their segmented genome is located in host chromosome(s) in a proviral form. Viral replication is initiated at the ovary during late pupal stages. Little is known about the factors involved in the viral replication. This study analyzed the ovarian transcripts of an endoparasitoid wasp, Cotesia plutellae, by 454 pyrosequencing and subsequent gene annotation. Out of 2,226 contigs and 12,457 singletons, 50 transcripts categorized in DNA replication, coat proteins, and viral origins were selected as putative viral replication factors. The selected genes were analyzed in their expressions according to host wasp development. Quantitative real-time RT-PCRs showed that some of the selected genes were expressed during the viral replication at late pupal stage. Using RNA interference, five putative genes were tested in their implication in the viral replication by analyzing viral DNA amplification, structure of ovarian calyx, and parasitism. RNA interference of contig#1004 (broad complex) or contig#174 (a viral DNA polymerase gene) significantly inhibited DNA amplification without any impairment of viral formation, and subsequently resulted in significant reduction in the wasp parasitism. This study reports that two wasp genes (or not encapsidated viral genes) are implicated in the viral DNA amplification and viral coat protein production during the polydnaviral replication.

내부기생봉의 일종인 프루텔고치별(Cotesia plutellae)이 배추좀나방(Plutellae xylostella)을 대상으로 생물적 방제제로 이용되고 있다. 이 기생봉은 생식기관에 폴리드나바이러스를 공생시키고, 이 바이러스의 존재는 기생봉의 성공적 기생에 필수적이다. 본 연구는 암컷 프루텔고치벌 성장에 따라 플리드나바이러스의 복제시기를 결정하였으며, 또한 교미나 기주 요인에 따른 암컷의 생식 능력을 분석하였다. 기생봉은 발육조건에서 용화 2일째 겹눈과 날개와 같은 성충조직을 발달시키기 시작했으며, 5일째에는 촉각을 포함한 모든 성충조직이 발달되어 우화 직전 단계의 모습을 보였다. 프루텔고치벌 폴리드나바이러스에 대한 다클론성항체에 의한 면역블로팅 분석은 용화 4일째에서 바이러스 복제를 확인할 수 있었다. 바이러스 입자들은 용화 5일째 산란관 내부에서 투과전자현미경으로 관찰되었다. 우화후 난소소관의 길이는 변하지 않았지만, 독샘과 난소받침의 크기는 증가했다. 교미한 암컷은 에서 약 8일관 생존하였으며, 초기 4일동안 집중된( 이상) 산란을 보였다. 미교미 암컷은 교미한 암컷에 비해 낮은 산란을 보였으며, 이 미수정난은 모두 수컷으로 발육하였다. 프루텔고치벌은 배추좀나방과 미국흰불나방(Hyphantria cunea)모두를 기생시킬 수 있었다. 그러나 배추좀나방에서 더 빠르고, 높은 기생율을 보였다.