Understanding molting process in subterranean termites is a critical step to implement successful control program as chitin synthesis inhibitor baits interfere molting process of termites. In the present study, we report detailed molting process in Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto, 1968 that foraging workers start fasting period 5 days after they were collected and finished their entire molting process for the next 5 to 6 days. Ecdysis took less than an hour, specifically 9.2 ± 4.9 minutes from jack-knife posture to separation of the antenna and 36.6 ± 8.5 minutes from separation of the antenna to regain mobility. We believed relatively short time window of molting process in R. speratus kyushuensis may affect lengthy colony elimination time.

본 연구는 아유르베딕 단식을 체험하면서 느끼는 어려움과 신체적, 심리적 변화에 대한 경험을 본질적 차원에서 분석해 봄으로써 단식에 대한 인식의 전환을 돕고, 비움과 정화의 차원에서 단식의 필요성을 느끼게 도와줌으로써 좀 더 쉽게 단식을 적용해 볼 수 있도록 하는데 그 목적을 두고 진행되었다. 경험을 있는 그대로 바라보고 그 근저에 있는 본질을 밝히기 위해 현상학적 연구방법을 이용했고, 분석과정을 거쳐 93개의 의미단위와 13개의 하위구성요소 및 5개의 구성요소를 도출하였다. 본 연구는 단식의 과정을 심도 있게 기술했다는 것에서 첫 번째 의의를 찾을 수 있다. 이를 통하여 단식을 시도하려는 사람들에게 단식의 과정에 대한 정보를 제공하고 단식에 대한 이해를 높일 수 있는 밑바탕을 마련하였다. 또한 단식을 통하여 얻을 수 있는 신체적, 심리적 변화를 직접 확인한 것과 이를 통해 생활 속에서도 부담스럽지 않고 보다 쉽게 단식을 접할 수 있는 방법을 제시함으로 이를 통해 신체적, 심리적, 정신적으로 온전한 자신을 찾아가는 법을 시도할 수 있는 길을 제시하였다는 것에 본 연구의 의의가 있다.

This study demonstrated the effects of extracts from the mushroom Keumsa sangwhang(Phellinus linteus) (KPLE) on fasting glucose and cholesterol levels in human blood. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled human intervention study, healthy volunteers were randomized to receive 3.3 g of KPLE (n=31) or placebo (n=31) per day by oral administration for 8 weeks. The cholesterol and fasting serum glucose levels were evaluated before and after treatment. The fasting serum glucose level was significantly decreased by KPLE administration (p<0.01), but the total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDLcholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations did not change. This study suggests a possibility that KPLE may be useful as a functional food for the prevention of diabetes mellitus.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of tea catechin on fasting blood glucose in experimental diabetes model. Type 2 diabetes mellitus in rats was induced by high fat diet/low-dose streptozotocin. The experimental group was divided into 3 different groups, non-diabetes control (NC) group, diabetes mellitus (DM) group, and diabetes mellitus+P60 (DM+P60) group. Polyphenon 60(P60) administered with dissolved in 0.2% dringking water. At 16 weeks after P60 treatment, fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin and serum triglyceride levels were measured. The glucose metabolism-related genes were studied in rat liver by RNA-seq analysis. Fasting blood glucose levels increase by four times in the DM group compared to the NC group. In the DM+P60 group, it was decreased by 24% compared to the DM group. The HOMA-IR index was increased in the DM group and it decreased in the DM+P60 group compared to the DM group. The serum triglyceride level increased by 148% in the NC group, and decreased by 22% in the DM+P60 group compared to the DM group. Glucokinase mRNA expression was decreased in the liver of DM group compared to NC group, whereas the phosphofructokinase 1, glucose-6-phosphotase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase expression did not show significant differences in DM group liver. In DM+P60 group, liver glucokinase expression was increased significantly (P: 5.00E-05) compared with DM group. This study shows that P60 beneficially modifies glucose metabolism and markedly enhances glucose tolerance in experimental diabetic rats. Dietary supplementation with P60 could potentially contribute to nutritional strategies for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.