• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.195-207
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• 2006

Stem cells are the primordial, initial cells which usually divide asymmetrically giving rise to on the one hand self-renewals and on the other hand progenitor cells with potential for differentiation. Zygote (fertilized egg), with totipotency, deserves the top-ranking stem cell - he totipotent stem cell (TSC). Both the ICM (inner cell mass) taken from the 6 days-old human blastocyst and ESC (embryonic stem cell) derived from the in vitro cultured ICM have slightly less potency for differentiation than the zygote, and are termed pluripotent stem cells. Stem cells in the tissues and organs of fetus, infant, and adult have highly reduced potency and committed to produce only progenitor cells for particular tissues. These tissue-specific stem cells are called multipotent stem cells. These tissue-specific/committed multipotent stem cells, when placed in altered environment other than their original niche, can yield cells characteristic of the altered environment. These findings are certainly of potential interest from the clinical, therapeutic perspective. The controversial terminology 'somatic stem cell plasticity' coined by the stem cell community seems to have been proved true. Followings are some of the recent knowledges related to the stem cell. Just as the tissues of our body have their own multipotent stem cells, cancerous tumor has undifferentiated cells known as cancer stem cell (CSC). Each time CSC cleaves, it makes two daughter cells with different fate. One is endowed with immortality, the remarkable ability to divide indefinitely, while the other progeny cell divides occasionally but lives forever. In the cancer tumor, CSC is minority being as few as 3-5% of the tumor mass but it is the culprit behind the tumor-malignancy, metastasis, and recurrence of cancer. CSC is like a master print. As long as the original exists, copies can be made and the disease can persist. If the CSC is destroyed, cancer tumor can't grow. In the decades-long cancer therapy, efforts were focused on the reducing of the bulk of cancerous growth. How cancer therapy is changing to destroy the origin of tumor, the CSC. The next generation of treatments should be to recognize and target the root cause of cancerous growth, the CSC, rather than the reducing of the bulk of tumor, Now the strategy is to find a way to identify and isolate the stem cells. The surfaces of normal as well as the cancer stem cells are studded with proteins. In leukaemia stem cell, for example, protein CD 34 is identified. In the new treatment of cancer disease it is needed to look for protein unique to the CSC. Blocking the stem cell's source of nutrients might be another effective strategy. The mystery of sternness of stem cells has begun to be deciphered. ESC can replicate indefinitely and yet retains the potential to turn into any kind of differentiated cells. Polycomb group protein such as Suz 12 repress most of the regulatory genes which, activated, are turned to be developmental genes. These protein molecules keep the ESC in an undifferentiated state. Many of the regulator genes silenced by polycomb proteins are also occupied by such ESC transcription factors as Oct 4, Sox 2, and Nanog. Both polycomb and transcription factor proteins seem to cooperate to keep the ESC in an undifferentiated state, pluripotent, and self-renewable. A normal prion protein (PrP) is found throughout the body from blood to the brain. Prion diseases such as mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) are caused when a normal prion protein misfolds to give rise to PrP$^{SC}$ and assault brain tissue. Why has human body kept such a deadly and enigmatic protein? Although our body has preserved the prion protein, prion diseases are of rare occurrence. Deadly prion diseases have been intensively studied, but normal prion problems are not. Very few facts on the benefit of prion proteins have been known so far. It was found that PrP was hugely expressed on the stem cell surface of bone marrow and on the cells of neural progenitor, PrP seems to have some function in cell maturation and facilitate the division of stem cells and their self-renewal. PrP also might help guide the decision of neural progenitor cell to become a neuron.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2008

Temperature dependent development of Tetranychus. urticae Koch was studied on the leaf of eggplant at 17, 22, 27, 32 and $37^{\circ}C$. T. urticae showed a minimum mortality at $27^{\circ}C$ and it increased at higher or lower temperatures than $27^{\circ}C$. The hatchability was low at 17 and $37^{\circ}C$. The duration of development decreased with increasing temperatures i.e., 5.3d at $37^{\circ}C$ and 25.8d at $17^{\circ}C$. Linear regression analysis of temperature vs. rate of development yielded the higher $r^2{\geq}0.88$ resulting in a good fit of the estimated line in the range of $17{\sim}37^{\circ}C$. Developmental zero temperature was $12.5^{\circ}C$ for the entire immature stage of female and $12.8^{\circ}C$ for that of male. Thermal constants were 80.5 and 74.7 degree days for those of female and male, respectively. Adult life span and oviposition period decreased with increasing temperatures. The number of eggs laid per female peaked at 141.0 eggs at $27^{\circ}C$, while that was a minimum 78.0 eggs at $37^{\circ}C$. Rate of hatchability, ratio of female, and $R_o$ were increased up to $27^{\circ}C$, and than declined thereafter. Intrinsic rate of natural increase (Rm) increased with rising temperatures and showed a maximum 0.5652 at $37^{\circ}C$. Also, ${\lambda}$ increased with increasing temperature. Doubling time (Dt) and generation time (T) decreased with increasing temperature.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.387-394
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• 2017

Temperature-dependent oviposition model and life table parameters of Paromius exiguus (Distant), the causal agent of 'pecky' rice grain were examined at eight constant temperatures (17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5, and $35{\pm}^{\circ}C$) and a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D) h. Unit functions of the oviposition model were developed and life table parameters were estimated. The longevity of P. exiguus adults decreased with increasing temperature (123.8 days at $17.5^{\circ}C$ and 23.6 days at $32.5^{\circ}C$). Total fecundity was highest at $30^{\circ}C$ (585.2 eggs/female) and lowest at $17.5^{\circ}C$ (21.5 eggs/female). In order to develop a temperature-dependent oviposition model, adult aging-rate, temperature-dependent fecundity, age-specific survival rate, and age-specific cumulative oviposition rate equations were estimated. All unit equations ($r^2=0.92{\sim}0.98$) except for the temperature-dependent fecundity equation ($r^2=0.83{\sim}0.85$), described oviposition characteristics of P. exiguus adequately. Life table parameters of P. exiguus were estimated at various constant temperatures. Net reproduction rate ($R_0$) was highest at $30^{\circ}C$ (118.21). Mean generation time (T) was shortest at $32.5^{\circ}C$ (32.99 days) and doubling time (Dt) was shortest at $30^{\circ}C$ (5.69 days). The highest values of intrinsic rate of increase ($r_m$) and finite rate of increase (${\lambda}$) were 0.122 and 1.129 at $30^{\circ}C$, respectively.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.185-202
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• 2020

The diapause induction season in Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was estimated in Suwon. Three batches of adult generations were observed, the first one from early May to early July, the second from early or mid-July to early or mid-August, and the third from mid-August to October. In outdoor larval rearing, colony rearing occurring from mid-July to mid-August produced both non-overwintering and overwintering larvae, whereas late-reared colonies produced only overwintering larvae. Larvae collected during July and August in maize fields produced both non-overwintering and overwintering larvae, whereas late-collected larvae produced only overwintering larvae. The results indicated that O. furnacalis has a bi- or trivoltine complex life cycle in this area. In the laboratory, when larvae of all instars within 9 h after molting were first treated to a diapause induction condition (11:13 h = light:dark photoperiod and 20℃), almost all larvae were induced to diapause. However, when similar treatments were conducted age-specifically for the 5th instar larvae, diapause induction rates in 3- and 4-day-old larvae of the 5th instar decreased. In contrast, when larvae were subjected to the diapause induction treatment only during the periods from the hatching stage to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instar, almost all larvae were not induced to diapause. The results suggest that the early age of the 5th larval instar is the last stage for sensitivity to diapause induction stimuli. In the diapause-induced larvae, hemolymph trehalose content increased and body supercooling points dropped, compared with those in non-diapause larvae.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.111-120
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• 2019

Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Alydidae) is an economically important insect pest of soybean and fruit trees. We investigated the temperature effects on the adult fecundity and longevity, and determined the parameters of oviposition models and life table at different constant temperatures 15.8, 19.7, 24.0, 27.8, 32.6, 34.0, and $35.5^{\circ}C$. R. pedestris females reproduced successfully from 19.7 to $35.5^{\circ}C$ except $15.8^{\circ}C$. The longevity of R. pedestris was longest at $15.8^{\circ}C$ and it decreased with increasing temperature (76.6 days at $19.7^{\circ}C$ and 20.6 days at $35.5^{\circ}C$). The number of total eggs and viable eggs was highest at $24.0^{\circ}C$ (193.5 and 151.2). Egg hatchability was highest at $27.8^{\circ}C$ (84.0%). We compared the results of oviposition models and life table parameters using both total eggs and viable eggs. The parameter value (c: the maximum reproductive capacity) (190 eggs) of temperature dependent total fecundity model using total eggs was higher than that of the model using viable eggs. When we analyzed the life table parameter the values of net reproductive rate and mean generation time using viable eggs were lower than those using total eggs. The oviposition models and life table analysis using viable eggs will be helpful to understand the real population transition of R. pedestris in agricultural system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 1972

The trend and achievements of forest genetics research in abroad were investigated through observation tours and reference work and following facts were found to be important aspects which should be adopted in the forest genetics research program in Korea. Because of world wide recognization on the urgency of taking a measure to reserve some areas of the representative forest type on the globe before the extingtion of such forest type as the results of continuous exploitations of the natural forests to meet the timber demand all over the world, it is urgently needed to take a measure to reserve certain areas of natural stand of Pinus koraiensis, Pinus parviflora, Pinus densiflora f. erectra, Abies koreana, Quercus sp., Populus sp., etc. as gene pool to be used for the future program of forest tree improvement. And the genetic studies of those natural forest of economic tree species are also to be performed. 1. Increase of the number of selected tree for breeding purpose. Because of the fact that the number of plus tree at present is too small to carry out selection program for tree improvement, particularly for the formation of source population for recurrent selection of parent trees of the 2nd generation seed orchard it is to be strongly emphasized to increase the number of plus tree by alleviating selection criteria in order to enlarge the population size of plus trees to make the selection program more efficient. 2. Progeny testing More stress should be placed on carrying out progeny testing of selected trees with open pollinated seeds. And particular efforts are to be made for conducting studies on adult/juvenile correlation of important traits with a view to enable to predict adult performances with some traits revealed in juvenile age thus to save time for progeny testing. 3. Genotype-environment interaction Studies on genotype and environment interaction should be conducted in order to elucidate whether the plus trees selected on the good site express their superiority on the poor site or not and how the environment affect the genotype. And the justification of present classification of seed distribution area should be examined. 4. Seed orchard of broad leaf tree species. Due to the difficulty of accurate comparison of growth rate of neighbouring trees of broad leaf tree species in natural stand, it is recommended that for the improvement of broad leaf trees a seedling seed orchard is to be made by roguing the progeny test plantation planted densely with control pollinated seedlings of selected trees. 5. Breeding for insect resistant varieties. In the light of the fact that the resistant characteristics against insect such as pine gall midge (Thiecodiplosis japonensis U. et I.) and pine bark beetle (Myelophilus pinipera L.) are highly correlated with the amount and quality of resin which are known as gene controlled characteristics, breeding for insect resistance should be carried out. 6. Breeding for timber properties. With the tree species for pulp wood in particular, emphasis should be placed upon breeding for high specific gravity of timber. 7. Introduction of Cryptomeria and Japanese Cypress In the light of the fact that the major clones of Cryptomeria are originated from Yoshino source and are being planted up to considerably north and high elevation in Japan, those species should be examined on their cold resistance in Korea by planting them in further northern part of the country.