• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.501-511
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• 2020

Xylophagous termites are capable of degrading lignocellulose by symbiotic gut microorganisms along with the host's indigenous enzymes. Therefore, the termite gut might be a potential niche to obtain natural yeasts with celluloytic, xylanolytic and ethanologenic traits required for bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we cultured 79 yeasts from three different termites viz. Coptotermes heimi, Odontotermes javanicus and Odontotermes obesus. After suitable screening methods, we identified 53 yeasts, which belonged to 10 genera and 16 different species of both ascomycetous and basidiomycetous yeasts. Most yeasts in the present study represent their first-ever isolation from the termite gut. Representative strains of identified yeasts were evaluated for their cellulolytic, xylanolytic, and ethanologenic abilities. None of the isolates showed cellulase activity; 22 showed xylanolytic activity, while six produced substantial quantities of ethanol. Among xylanolytic cultures, Pseudozyma hubeiensis STAG 1.7 and Hannaella pagnoccae STAG 1.14 produced 1.31 and 1.17 IU of xylanase. Among ethanologenic yeasts, the strains belonging to genera Candida and Kodamaea produced high amount of ethanol. Overall, highest ethanol level of 4.42 g/L was produced by Candida tropicalis TS32 using 1% glucose, which increased up to 22.92 g/L at 35 ℃, pH 4.5 with 5% glucose. Fermentation of rice straw hydrolysate gave 8.95 g/l of ethanol with a yield of 0.42 g/g using the strain TS32. Our study highlights the gut of wood-feeding termites as a potential source of diverse yeasts that would be useful in the production of xylanase and bioethanol.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.39-49
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• 2009

The purpose of this study were to compare school uniforms made in major and minor companies. Especially, purchasing motives, fitting satisfaction, and mending behaviors of school uniform were compared by middle and high school students. The most evident difference was exhibited in purchasing motive. Brand preference was the most important criterion in purchasing motive from a major company, while good pricing was the most important criterion in purchasing motive from a minor company. Apart from purchasing motive, purchasing behaviors such as fitting satisfaction, mending and mended part of school uniforms were not significantly different in relation to sex, grade, and type of company. These results indicate that major companies should consider lowering their prices and also adopt a high quality strategy for school uniform production. Minor companies need to identify areas of differentiation between themselves and larger companies, and produce niche market products that are for appealing to teenagers with a tendency to orient towards brands instead of quality. Furthermore, mature teenagers as consumers of school uniforms are receptive towards competition for reasonable price.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.441-449
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• 1995

The abundance of coarse woody debris (CWD) has been hypothesized to increase niche for forest dwelling insectivores, concentration of nutrients, and the diversity of invertebrates. However, no abjective assessment based on replication in the field has yet been done. this study was carried out to test the relationships between invertebrate availability and the abundance of four insectivores (Sorex trowbridgii, S. vagrans, S. monticolus and Neurotrichus gibbsii) in western Washington, USA. Pitfall traps were used to determine abundance and diversity of invertebrates. Abundance of insectivores was not different between habitats except for S. vagrans which was more abundant in habitats with low amounts of CWD than in habitats with high amounts of CWD. Simpson’s diversity index computed for invertebrates did not differ between habitats. There were no significant relationships between the diversity indices of invertebrates and the abundance of shrews. Shrew abundance and the Coleoperan beetles also did not show any significant relationship. The results suggested insectivores might select a wide range of prey items in addition to surface-active invertebrates.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.27-37
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• 2007

Preliminary investigation of CC process indicates that the process is feasible and has significant potential in construction automation approach of large objects. The process aims at automated construction of whole houses as well as sub-components. The potential of CC became evident from the initial investigations and experiments with various materials and geometries. Using this process, a single house or a colony of houses, each with possibly a different design, may be automatically constructed in a single run as shown on

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2008

Plant leaf surface is an important niche for diverse epiphytic microbes, including bacteria and fungi. Plant leaf surface plays a critical frontline defense against pathogen infections. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a starch-based super-absorbent polymer(SAP) combination, which enhances water potential and nutrient availability to plant leaves. We evaluated the effect of SAP on the maintenance of bacterial populations. In order to monitor bacterial populations in situ, a SAP mixture containing Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci that expressed recombinant green fluorescent protein(GFPuv) was spray-challenged onto whole leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. The SAP combination treatment enhanced bacterial robustness, as indicated by disease severity and incidence. Unexpectedly, bacterial numbers were not significantly different between leaves treated with the SAP combination and those treated with water alone. Furthermore, young leaves treated with the SAP combination had more severe symptoms and a greater number of bacterial spots caused by primary and secondary infections compared to young leaves treated with the water control. In contrast, bacterial cell numbers did not statistically differ between the two groups, which indicated that measurement of viable GFP-based bacterial spots may provide a more sensitive methodology for assessing virulence of bacterial pathogens than methods that require dilution plating following maceration of bacterial-inoculated leaf tissue. Our study suggests that the SAP combination successfully increased bacterial aggressiveness, which could either be used to promote the ability of biological agents to control weedy plants or increase the robustness of saprophytic epiphytes against competition from potentially harmful microbes.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.165-178
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• 1996

We investigated the role of competition in adaptation to varying water availability levels for two ecotypically-differentiated populations of Impatiens pallida found naturally in low- vs. high-water environments. In a greenhouse experiment, seedlings were grown in pure cultures at two densities (n=1 and 2 plants per pot) and in mixed cultures (n=2) under low-, medium- and high-water treatments. The two populations were shown to be genetically distinct across the range of environmental conditions in the greenhouse experiment, confirming previous findings. The two populations had similar morphological responses to density and water availability in pure cultures and mixtures, but the population from the high-water environment showed a greater growth response to high water availability than did the population from the low-water environment and the difference in growth between the two populations decreased from the high-water to low-water treatment. Relative competitive ability of two populations were compared under three different water treatments and two densities. Differential response to watering treatment and density were not reflected in a difference in relative competitive ability. Relative yield totals were significantly greater than 1 overall. The niche differentiation suggested by RYTs>1 may be responsible for the lack of differential competitive effects observed for populations in the three vatering treatments.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.212-226
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• 2002

North American ginseng production may have been maximized in the traditional growing areas in the last decade and further increases may be in woods grown root, for niche markets. The marketplace demands high quality roots. Most problems leading to low quality roots start with the grower and can be avoided. These include poor site selection, inadequate soil drainage, untimely and poorly applied pesticides, and neglect of good sanitary practices. Selection of low lying sites increased the plant damage from frost in Ontario in May 2002. Seeding is still the major method of propagation of ginseng in spite of some success in culturing different parts of the plant. Opportunities exist for shortening the stratification period of North American ginseng seed to allow spring planting. This may reduce disease incidence. Since only one-third of ginseng seed sown ultimately produces plants harvested after 3 years any approach that reduces disease incidence and improves seed germination, seedling emergence and crop stand must be pursued. Disease is the major problem in ginseng cutivation from seed stratification, soil preparation prior to planting, right through to drying of the roots. Replant disease remains as an unresolved problem and needs full characterization and new approaches for control. Much progress has been made in research and related extension activities in disease control although challenges will arise such as with Quintozene and its replacement with Quadris for control of diseases caused by Rhizoctonia. Decreased labor populations and increased associated costs for ginseng production are causing rapid mechanization in every aspect of the ginseng industry. Engineers, machinery dealers, and fabricators, and growers are being challenged to increase efficiency by mechanization.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

The behavioural patterns of individuals in the same species are very diverse. The phenomenon in which different behavioural phenotypes are maintained in the same species for long time can be explained by niche specialization or frequency dependent selection, but it has not been proven yet. Especially, the high prevalence of mental illnesses as extreme behaviour patterns is one of the challenges of evolutionary psychology. From an evolutionary point of view, several frameworks for studying various patterns of behaviours or psychopathologies may be proposed. In this paper, I briefly explain animal models, personality factor models, DSM-IV multiaxial models, FSD models, and RDoC models, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages, focusing on the evolutionary approach to behavioural variation among individuals.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

Objectives In regard to the social competition hypothesis, depression is viewed as an involuntary defeat strategy. A previous study has demonstrated that adaptation in microenvironments can result in a wide range of behavioural patterns including defense activation disorders. Using a simulation model with evolutionary ecological agents, we explore how the fitness of various defence activation traits has changed over time in different environments with high and low social mobility. Methods The Evolutionary Ecological Model of Defence Activation Disorder, which is based on the Marginal Value Theorem, was used to examine changes in relative fitness for individuals with defensive activation disorders after adjusting for social mobility. Results Our study examined the effects of social mobility on fitness by varying the d-values, a measure of depression in the model. With a decline in social mobility, the level of fitness of individuals with high levels of defense activation decreased. We gained insight into the evolutionary influence of varying levels of social mobility on individuals' degrees of depression. In the context of a highly stratified society, the results support a mismatch hypothesis which states that high levels of defence are detrimental. Conclusions Despite the fact that niche specialization in habitats composed of multiple microenvironments can result in diverse levels of defensive activation being evolutionary strategies for stability, decreased social mobility may lead to a decrease in fitness of individuals with highly activated defence modules. There may be a reason behind the epidemic of depression in modern society.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.94-108
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• 2023

Cancer cell heterogeneity is a serious problem in the control of tumor progression because it can cause chemoresistance and metastasis. Heterogeneity can be generated by various mechanisms, including genetic evolution of cancer cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs), and niche heterogeneity. Because the genetic heterogeneity of CSCs has been poorly characterized, the genetic mutation status of CSCs was examined using Exome-Seq and RNA-Seq data of liver cancer. Here we show that different surface markers for liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) showed a unique propensity for genetic mutations. Cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133)-positive cells showed frequent mutations in the IRF2, BAP1, and ERBB3 genes. However, leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5-positive cells showed frequent mutations in the CTNNB1, RELN, and ROBO1 genes. In addition, some genetic mutations were frequently observed irrespective of the surface markers for LCSCs. BAP1 mutations was frequently observed in CD133-, CD24-, CD13-, CD90-, epithelial cell adhesion molecule-, or keratin 19-positive LCSCs. ASXL2, ERBB3, IRF2, TLX3, CPS1, and NFATC2 mutations were observed in more than three types of LCSCs, suggesting that common mechanisms for the development of these LCSCs. The present study provides genetic heterogeneity depending on the surface markers for LCSCs. The genetic heterogeneity of LCSCs should be considered in the development of LCSC-targeting therapeutics.