Exposure or pandemic effect: Export boom in instant noodles from South Korea during COVID-19.

Amid the pandemic, it is crucial to comprehend both people's preferred food choices and the factors influencing food consumption. This understanding not only guarantees a stable food supply but also plays a pivotal role in economic recovery during times of recession. In 2020, South Korean instant noodles experienced an unprecedented surge in exports, catapulting the nation to the forefront of the global instant noodle market. The surge in the popularity of instant noodles during the pandemic can be partly attributed to their unique characteristics. However, the South Korean film Parasite, which garnered global acclaim around the same time, prominently featured instant noodle products. This exposure led to an extraordinary increase in internet searches for Korean-brand instant noodles. Therefore, this study utilized an interrupted time series model to investigate whether the surge in South Korean instant noodle exports was primarily a result of the 2019 coronavirus pandemic or the influence of the film. Our estimations indicate that the film's exposure effect predominantly explains the export boom of South Korean instant noodles.

Identification and expression profiles of nine glutathione S-transferase genes from the important rice phloem sap-sucker and virus vector Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) have received considerable attention in insects for their roles in insecticide resistance. Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) is a serious rice pest. L. striatellus outbreaks occur frequently throughout eastern Asia. A key problem in controlling this pest is its rapid adaptation to numerous insecticides. In this research, nine cDNAs encoding GSTs in L. striatellus were cloned and characterised. RESULTS: The cloned GSTs of L. striatellus belonged to six cytosolic classes and a microsomal subgroup. Exposure to sublethal concentrations of each of the six insecticides, DDT, chlorpyrifos, fipronil, imidacloprid, buprofezin and beta-cypermethrin, quickly induced (6 h) up-expression of LsGSTe1. The expression of LsGSTs2 was increased by chlorpyrifos, fipronil and beta-cypermethrin. Furthermore, exposure of L. striatellus to fipronil, imidacloprid, buprofezin and beta-cypermethrin increased the expression of the LsGSTm gene after 24 or 48 h. CONCLUSION: This work is the first identification of GST genes from different GST groups in Auchenorrhyncha species and their induction characteristics with insecticide types and time. The elevated expression of GST genes induced by insecticides might be related to the enhanced tolerance of this insect to insecticides and xenobiotics.