High-quality and high-phytonutrient watermelon fruits have strong market opportunities besides their health related benefits. Hence, investigating quality and nutritional related traits of watermelon genetic resources could provide important baseline data in breeding for increased lycopene content thereby increasing the marketability of watermelon. To this end, we have examined some fruit morphological traits and lycopene content of 105 genetic resources. Seeds, originally obtained from 22+ countries, were obtained from the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Jeonju, South Korea, grown in an experimental field and harvested at a fully mature stage. The size of pistil scar (SPS), the width of stripes (WS), weight of fruit (WF), length of fruit (LF), width of fruit (WIF), the thickness of pericarp (TP), soluble solids content (SSC), fruit shape in longitudinal section, ground color of skin, the intensity of the green color of skin, fruit shape at the apical part, grooving distribution, conspicuousness of stripes, and main color of the flesh were recorded on the field and inside laboratory and the lycopene was measured using spectrophotometric and HPLC methods. Watermelon fruits have shown a diverse morphological characters. Red and pink fleshed fruits dominated in the entire collections. Fruits with higher thickness of rind were found to exhibit less soluble solid content (SSC). Korean origin fruits were characterized by intermediate SSC while the United States of America (USA), Russia (RUS), Tajikistan (TJK), Turkmenistan (TKM), Taiwan (TWN), and Uruguay (URY) originated fruits had the highest SSC. The lycopene content varied between 41.37 and 182.82 ㎍/g, 2.81 and 163.72 ㎍/g, and 3.54 and 255.47 ㎍/g using HPLC, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and microplate reader spectrophotometer, respectively. Red- and pink-fleshed fruits had the highest levels of lycopene content compared to the yellow- and orange-fleshed. Lycopene content had a significant positive correlation with SSC, however, no correlations were detected between lycopene and other quantitative fruit morphological characters. Our study demonstrated high diversity exists in fruit morphological traits and lycopene content of the germplasm collections which provide beneficial baseline data for a future breeding program and utilization of watermelon germplasm collections in gene banks for the maintenance and improvement of the current levels of production, marketability, and health-related benefit of watermelon fruits.

The objective of this study is to investigate how investors in the Stock Exchange of Thailand practically trade in response to a magnitude of profits and losses, given a discussion of the widely well-known behavioral explanation, so called as the disposition effect. We provide empirical evidence of an existence of the V-shaped disposition effect, which has been recently found in several advanced equity markets. By adopting the methodology suggested by An’s (2016) and Fama and Macbeth (1973), we document that stock return patterns in relation to aggregate unrealized gains and losses of investors are consistent with the V-shaped selling schedule, given an increase in unrealized gains and losses over the period of January 1996 to December 2015. The effect of unrealized gains is stronger than that of unrealized losses and this asymmetry underlies the existence of the V-shaped disposition effect in the Thai equity market. Interestingly, the effect of the V-shaped selling schedule is strongest over the short-term holding time horizon. Last but not the least, stocks for which investors have large unrealized gains and losses outperform in the following month and the long-short trading strategy, based on this premise, generates the average 1.7% monthly (equivalent to 20.0% per year) abnormal return.

This study investigates the application of management information systems to the quality of local government financial reports, especially the principle of transparency and the law of accountability, which have been measures of financial statement performance evaluation. The study was conducted in Enrekang Regency, Indonesia, which, based on the results of the examination, the Supreme Audit Board reported the status of Disclaimer, Fair with Exceptions, and Fair without Exceptions for three years each. This study used a sample of 35 respondents, finance department employees who worked on local government financial reports. Descriptive quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire instrument, then with the assistance of the Program Solution and Product Statistics (SPSS) Program, data were processed to test hypotheses. The results showed that the use of management information systems based on information and communication technology (ICT) had a significant influence on the quality of local government financial reports. The findings of this study indicate that the application of ICT-based management information systems affects the accountability and transparency of local government financial reports. This finding is reinforced by the use of the principles of government agility in the form of government apparatuses that apply responsive dexterity, flexibility agility, and competency agility.

Using primary data collected through semi-structured interviews conducted during February 2019, this article examines citizen’s awareness and knowledge of Khon Kaen Smart City (KKSC) among the residents of five contiguous municipalities within Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. A self-weighted sample of 420 respondents was selected through a two-stage, 30-cluster sampling process. In the first stage, a sample of 30 artificial clusters of 100 households each was selected. In the second, 14 households were randomly selected from each of these clusters. The head of household or, if unavailable, a resident aged 18 or over was interviewed. The study applies the “citizens as democratic participants” dimension of Simonofski et al.’s (2019) evaluative framework. Results found that, because of ineffective citizen engagement, the levels of awareness and knowledge about KKSC were low. However, multiple logistic regression found that, despite the low levels of awareness and knowledge, education and income could establish an independent effect on awareness of KKSC. Those who completed post- secondary school were more aware of KKSC than those who finished only secondary or primary education. Similarly, the analysis of data clearly indicated that educational attainment, solely and independently from all other socio-economic and demographic variables, could explain the positive effect of education on knowledge about KKSC.

This study seeks to analyze the effect of Non-Performing Loans and Capital Adequacy Ratio on Return on Assets on ten conventional banks listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI-IDX). This study uses secondary panel data for 2015-2019 in the form of CAR and NPL values from ten conventional banks listed on the BEI-IDX during the 2020 observation period. The research approach is quantitative descriptive with data analysis methods, namely, linear regression. The testing phase of this study includes: transform value, F-test, T-test and hypothesis test with significancy level sig < 0.05. The results of this study reveal that Non-Performing Loans had a significant negative effect (t = -2,637) (0.011 <0.0) on Return on Assets, while Capital Adequacy Ratio has no significant effect on ROA (0.760 > 0.05). R2 value is 0.128 or 12.8%. It has a significant effect on variables, calling efforts by banks, governments, and authorities monetary of related institutions to maintain the stability of finance. The reduction of Non-Performing Loan impacts on assets and capital adequacy ratio, besides, the normal NPL will control the stability of finance. If a balance is created either in the form of values or amounts of the variables, the reduction in Non-Performing Loans will be controlled.

This study aims to analyze the influence of apparatus resources, organizational commitment, internal control on the accountability of village fund allocations with the level of education as a moderating. Accountability analysis of village fund allocation is carried out at every stage of planning, implementation stage, administration stage, reporting stage, and accountability stage. The study was conducted in 18 villages in Undaan District, Kudus Regency - Indonesia, with a total sample of 115 village officials. Structural Equation Model analysis techniques with Warp Partial Least Square were used to test the research hypotheses. The results showed that apparatus resources, organizational commitment, and internal control had a positive effect on the accountability of village fund allocations. The level of education strengthens the influence of apparatus resources on the accountability of village fund allocations. The findings of the study further prove that commitment has positive implications for achieving accountability. It means that the higher the commitment made by the government apparatus, the better and higher the effect on accountability in managing public funds. With an ethical commitment of the government apparatus in managing the budget, the use of funds can be in accordance with the planning and designation so that goals can be achieved.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate total phenolic content (TPC) and individual phenolic compounds in leaves of perilla genetic resources, assess whether they could be used as distinguishing factor among germplasms, and evaluate their relationship with some quantitative and qualitative morphological characters. TPC and individual phenolic compounds were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu method and UPLC-PDA system, respectively. Wide variations in TPC (7.99 to 133.70 ㎎GAE/g DE), rosmarinic acid (ND to 21.05 ㎎/g DE), caffeic acid (ND to 1.17 ㎎/g DE), apigenin- 7-O-diglucuronide (ND to 2.21 ㎎ luteolin equivalent (㎎LUE)/g DE), scutellarein-7-O-glucuronide (ND to 5.25 ㎎ LUE/g DE), and apigenin-7-O-glucuronide (ND to 2.81 ㎎ LUE/g DE) were observed. Intensities of green pigment at abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces were positively correlated with phenolic compounds whereas leaf length and width had negative correlation. Purple pigmented accessions were shorter in leaf length and width but exhibited higher amount of phenolic compounds compared to green pigmented accessions in most cases. Leaf shape was not related with content of phenolic compounds, color of leaves, and length/width of leaves. TPC and individual phenolic compounds along with morphological characters could be useful distinguishing factors for perilla genetic resources.

Sclerotinia rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a devastating disease that poses a serious threat to perilla production in Korea. Identifying effective sources of resistance offers long term prospects for improving management of this disease. Screening disease resistant genetic resources is important for development of disease-resistant, new cultivars and conduct related research. In the present study, perilla germplasm were screened in vitro against S. sclerotiorum using detached leaf method. Among 544 perilla accessions, two were highly resistant (IT226504, IT226533), five were resistant (IT226561, IT226532, IT226526, IT226441, and IT226589), five were moderately resistant (IT226525, IT226640, IT226568, IT220624, and IT178655), 16 were moderately susceptible, 31 were susceptible, and 485 were highly susceptible. The resistant accessions in this study could serve as resistance donor in the breeding of Sclerotinia rot resistance or subjected to selection procedure of varietal development for direct use by breeders, farmers, researchers, and end consumers.

Inflorescence, stem, and leaf samples of lettuce grown in a greenhouse in spring and autumn seasons were assayed for sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) content by high performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of SLs were significantly higher in the inflorescences followed by upper leaf and stem compared to the other plant parts in most of the samples. SLs content (sum of lactucin and lactucopicrin) in various tissues of lettuce cultivated in spring season varied from 5.7 to 22.5 fold ranging from 27.4 ㎍/g dry weight (DW) in the upper stem (cultivar “PI 176588”) as the lowest to as high as 2,292.0 ㎍/g DW in the inflorescence (cultivar “709849-1”). During autumn cultivation, the concentration of SLs varied from 2.0 to 14.4 fold ranging from as low of 32.4 ㎍/g DW in the lower stem (cultivar “PI176588”) to as high of 838.0 ㎍/g DW in the upper leaf (cultivar “Dambaesangchu”). Higher lactucin (1.2 to 5.6 fold) and lactucopicrin (1.1 to 3.9 fold) concentration was observed during spring compared to autumn cultivation in most of the samples. SLs content in various organs of lettuce increases from the basal plant part going upwards. As lactucin and lactucopicrin are the major SLs which affects the sensory property of lettuce, their quantitative variation in the lettuce cultivars is useful for breeding new varieties with better consumer acceptance.

Background : The purpose of this study is to select potential genetic resources from safflower germplasm collected from India based on their oil compositions and agronomic characteristics. Methods and Results : The agronomic characteristics were measured during the growing period of the safflower. Total oil contents were recovered by Soxhlet extraction and the fatty acid compositions were analyzed by using gas chromatography. The mean of plant height, leaf length and leaf width were 100.19 ㎝, 20.49 ㎝, and 7.29 ㎝, respectively. The percentage of leaf margin with serration was 95%, and 2% of the total resources didn’t have spines on the involucral bract. K185681 had no spines on the involucral bract and the plant height was the smallest. 73% of the flower of safflower was yellow. 68% of safflower germplasm changed flower color from yellow to red. Total oil contents of 267 safflower accessions showed a significant variability among the entire domain of collections and ranged from 5.81 to 38.91%. Palmitic and stearic acid were ranged from 4.98 to 6.65%, and 1.82 to 2.73%, respectively. Oleic and linoleic acid showed a wide variation which ranged from 10.53 to 22.27%, and 69.46 to 81.26%, respectively. Linolenic acid was ranged from 0.06 to 0.13%. K185639 and K185639 had the highest total oil contents and linoleic acid, respectively. Cluster analysis based on oil composition and agronomic characteristics data divided the germplasm collections into three groups. Group Ⅲ having 114 accessions contained accessions with taller plant height than the other groups. Group Ⅱ having 68 accessions, the main color of flower was white but the other groups were yellow. Oleic acid showed a strong negative correlation (r = -0.9691**) with linoleic acid. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on the oil compositions and agronomic characteristics data revealed that the first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) together explained 36.28% total variation. Conclusion : These results showed that K185681, K185639 and K185639 could be useful to develop breeding and functional food.

Background : To select potential plant resources as natural antioxidants and functional materials, e valuation of N-(p-coumaroyl)serotonin (CS) and N-feruloylserotonin (FS) in 43 safflower accessions collected from South Asia was conducted. Method and Results : CS and FS were analyzed by using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC). Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activities were estimated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and reducing power (RP). The mean CS content was 32.74 ㎎/g dried extract (DE) with a range from 3.44 to 83.30 ㎎/g DE, and the FS content ranged from 1.43 to 34.53 ㎎/g·DE with a mean of 12.69 ㎎/g DE. The mean of TPC of 43 safflower accessions was 55.22 ㎍ GAE/㎎·DE. The average values of antioxidant activities based on DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and RP assay showed 48.77 ㎍ ASC eq/㎎ DE, 97.62 ㎍ ASC eq/㎎ DE, 70.22 ㎍ ASC eq/㎎ DE, and 50.01 ㎍ ASC eq/㎎ DE, respectively. The 43 safflower accessions were classified into two groups based on the complete linkage cluster analysis using their CS, FS, TPC, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and RP. Group Ⅱ showed higher CS, FS and antioxidant activity than Group Ⅰ (p < 0.05). K185245 and K185247 were included in Group Ⅱ, K185245 had the highest CS and FS, and K185247 was the highest in TPC, DPPH, and ABTS. CS had significant positive correlation with FS (r = 0.849**). Significantly high correlation coefficients were recorded between TPC and antioxidant assays including DPPH, ABTS, and RP. The first two principal components had accounted for the 80.46 % of the total variance. Conclusion : These results showed that K185245 and K185247 could be used as a source of valuable natural antioxidant materials and could be useful to develop new functional materials.

Background : Carotenoids are pigments that are found in plants, fruits, bacteria, and fungi. β -carotene and canthaxanthin are orange pigments among thousands of carotenoids that possess potent antioxidant activity. The objective of this study was to determine β-carotene and cantaxanthin in 55 Kimchi cabbage germplasm using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. Method and Results : 55 Kimchi cabbage accessions were sown in plug trays in the end of August, 2016. All the tissue samples were freeze-dried for 1 week and ground into fine powder and stored at -20℃ until analysis. Crude carotenoids from freeze-dried materials (100 mg) were extracted using 1 ㎖ of 100% (v/v) hexane in 10 minutes by using sonication bath followed by centrifugation. The average β-carotene contents was 1.43 ㎎·㎏-1 and ranged from 0.76 (IT 120045) to 2.25 ㎎·㎏-1 (IT 100378). The average canthaxanthin content in the entire domain of sample was 0.59 ㎎·㎏-1 with a range between 0.36 (IT 32746) and 1.08 ㎎․㎏-1 (IT 100386). Canthaxanthin content was significantly positively correlated with β-carotene (r = 0.65**) and leaf length (r = 0.63**). However, canthaxanthin was negatively correlated with cotyledon color (r = -0.41**). Principal component analysis results of the first two components (PC1 and PC2) explained 44.53% of the point variability. Conclusion : The resources with the highest β-carotene and canthaxanthin content are IT 100378, 100386, 100391, and 110828. This study could be useful to select a potential sources of health beneficial carotenoids (β-carotene and canthaxanthin) in Kimchi cabbage germplasm in nutraceutical formulations and for further applications as a breeding material and other research activities.

Background : Alpha-linolenic acid is a type of omega-3 fatty acid and has been reported to be found at a remarkably high content in seeds of perilla (Perilla frutescens). The purpose of this study was to investigate the fatty acid compositions in 45 perilla accessions collected from Russia and recommend the potential genetic resources related to their fatty acid compositions. Methods and Results : The 45 accessions of perilla seeds which were collected from Russia were used for the study. Perilla seed oil was recovered using hexane in a soxhlet extraction method. The fatty acid compositions were analyzed using gas chromatography. The total oil content was ranged between 28.39 and 46.89%. The compositions of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid ranged from 5.57 to 7.09%, 1.16 to 2.27%, 11.83 to 19.55%, 11.92 to 16.71%, and 59.19 to 67.28%, respectively. Cultivars 'Dayu', 'Daeyu' and 'Anyu' showed lower linolenic acid composition compared to the average value of linoleic acid in perilla germplasms collected from Russia. Cluster analysis based on the fatty acid composition of the 45 perilla accessions segregated into three groups. Group Ⅰ characterized as higher palmitic, stearic and oleic acid compositions compared to other groups. Group Ⅱ which contained 12 accessions had high total oil and linoleic acid composition. Group Ⅲ characterized as a higher linolenic acid composition compared to other groups (p < 0.001). Oleic acid showed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.825) with linolenic acid. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first two principal components together explained 74.4% total variation. Conclusion : Our results indicated that accessions IT235818, IT235820, IT226739 which exhibited high linolenic acid composition could be useful to develop new functional vegetable oil materials.

Background : Sclerotinia rot, caused by a fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the serious and unpredictable yield losses in perilla (Perilla frutescens) leaf production in Korea. Screening disease resistant genetic resources is necessary to develop disease-resistant cultivars and conduct related research. Methods and Results : A Total of 150 perilla accessions, including 123 Korean landraces and 27 cultivars developed in Korea, were evaluated for resistance to Sclerotinia rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) using detached leaf inoculation technique. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum isolate KACC40457 was inoculated at the seedling stage (five to six leaves). For detached leaf method, a mycelial plug was placed fungus-side down on the main leaf vain and incubated at 22 ± 1℃ on moistened paper towel in a plastic box. Three Korean landraces, including IT117036, IT117106, and IT117110, and cultivar IT229431 showed 100% of resistance ratio (no. of plants showed below 1 ㎝ of lesion size/total evaluated plants × 100). Seven accessions including five landraces, IT117080, IT117107, IT117048, 117042, 117029, and two cultivaers, IT276225 and IT213781, showed high level of resistance that is higher than 80% of resistance ratio Conclusion : 11 accessions which showed strong and moderate level of resistance to Sclerotinia rot could be possibly used by breeders, farmers, and researchers to produce new disease resistant cultivars and use them commercially. However, research related to the exploration of appropriate materials (accessions) for breeding cultivars with good quality, high functional components, high consumer acceptability, etc. should be continued, considering pathogenicity test was conducted in young stage.

Reverse breeding is a new plant breeding strategy based on crossover suppression during meiosis. This brings forth unprecedented possibilities like the almost instantaneous generation of homozygous parents for a chosen heterozygote. As a proof of concept, an Arabidopsis (Columbia-Landsberg) heterozygote was created that carried a RNAi:DMC1 construct stopping crossover formation. Gametes of this heterozygote were grown directly into doubled haploid offspring. These offspring show different combinations of (non-recombinant) Columbia and Landsberg chromosomes. Among these doubled haploids we retrieved the original Columbia parent and a complete set of chromosome substitution lines. From among these we could easily select two so called “complementing DHs” from which the Col-Ler hybrid could be re-created. Essentially, breeders can now bring single choice uncharacterized heterozygotes into a hybrid breeding program by creating parental lines for them. Reverse breeding superficially resembles apomixis (clonal reproduction through seeds) since both allow the preservation of heterozygous genotypes. Reverse breeding, however, has very different uses because it generates homozygous breeding lines. It thus allows for the improvement of the starting heterozygote because new traits can be introgressed into its newly produced parental lines. Reverse breeding is thought to be suitable for crops with smaller chromosome numbers (x ≤ 12). It will be discussed how reverse breeding could be developed for such crops, and it will be shown how reverse breeding presents very interesting new possibilities studying epistasis and heterosis through chromosome substitution lines. Further experiments with reverse breeding lines allow testing of a variety of intriguing breeding questions like to what extent a (heterozygous) genome actually determines a plants phenotype.