Avocado, superfood, contains a variety of essential nutrients and phytochemicals. The purpose of this study was to explore whether avocado could modulate skin inflammation in vivo. We elucidated the pharmacological effects of avocado on compound 48/80- or histamine-induced scratching behaviors and 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin lesions in mice. Additionally, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of avocado and its underlying mechanism including its effect on the expression levels of inflammatory-related genes and nuclear factor -κB (NF-κB) in DNCB-induced AD-like skin lesions. The findings of this study demonstrate that avocado attenuated AD clinical symptoms including itching, eczematous, erythema and dryness and histamine levels in mice. Moreover, avocado suppressed both inflammatory cytokines expression as well as NF-κB and caspase-1 activation in AD-like skin lesions in mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that avocado may be a potential candidate for treating skin inflammatory diseases like AD.

Dendropanax morbifera Léveille (Araliaceae) is an endemic species growing in the south-western part of South Korea and has been used in folk medicine and health functional food. Several studies have indicated that extract of D. morbifera (DP) has cytotoxic activities on a number of human cancers, such as, breast cancer, lung cancer, hepatoma, and chorioepithelioma. Recently, polyacetylene and triterpene compounds have been isolated from the DP and showed to have anti-complement activity. β-Amyrin, α-amyrin, dendropanoxide, and β-sitosterol are isolated from DP. However, its biological activities in cancer have not yet been clearly elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the anti-cancer activity of isolated triterpenoids from the DP leaves by measuring the levels of cytotoxicity against MCF-7 human breast cancer and A549 human lung cancer cells. Six triterpenoids were isolated from the n-hexane fraction of DP leaves along with the known compounds. β-amyrin (1), α-amyrin (2), olean-12-en-3,24 β-diol (3), dendropanoxide (4), β-sitosterol (5), and stigmasterol (6). Compound 3 and 6 were isolated from DP for the first time. Cytotoxic activities of six compounds were evaluated against two human cancer cell lines by using the MTT in vitro assay. Among them, five compounds (1, 2, 4, 5, and 6) showed moderate cytotoxic activities toward the tested cell lines, and were safe to normal cells. Western blot analysis showed a decreased expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and increased levels of pro-apoptotic protein Bax in MCF-7 and A549 cells treated by β-amyrin and α-amyrin. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that five compounds (1, 2, 4, 5, and 6) treatment increased populations of sub-G1 (apoptosis) phase. The results of the present study revealed that triterpenoids from DP have the potential for further development as anticancer agents.

We estimated the orbit of the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite, through data from actual optical observations using telescopes at the Sobaeksan Optical Astronomy Observatory (SOAO) of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Optical Wide field Patrol (OWL) at KASI, and the Chungbuk National University Observatory (CNUO) from August 1, 2014, to January 13, 2015. The astrometric data of the satellite were extracted from the World Coordinate System (WCS) in the obtained images, and geometrically distorted errors were corrected. To handle the optically observed data, corrections were made for the observation time, light-travel time delay, shutter speed delay, and aberration. For final product, the sequential filter within the Orbit Determination Tool Kit (ODTK) was used for orbit estimation based on the results of optical observation. In addition, a comparative analysis was conducted between the precise orbit from the ephemeris of the COMS maintained by the satellite operator and the results of orbit estimation using optical observation. The orbits estimated in simulation agree with those estimated with actual optical observation data. The error in the results using optical observation data decreased with increasing number of observatories. Our results are useful for optimizing observation data for orbit estimation.

The whitebacked planthopper(WBPH), Sogatella furcifera is a serious pest of rice. The nymphs and adults suck phloem sap which causes reduced plant vigor, stunting, yellowing of leaves, delayed tillering in rice. This study was conducted to identify the optimum screening time for improved WBPH-associated QTL analysis and to develop the markers for use in breeding WBPH resistance. Resistance after 7 days infestation was observed in 100 lines(83.3%), after infestation for 14 days, resistance was observed in 14 lines(11.7%), and after infestation for 21 days, resistance was observed in 10 lines(8.3%). However, no after 14 days infestation was as similar as normal distribution in WBPH resistance. QTLs associated of the resistance detected in four regions on qWBPH1 and qWBPH8 in the intervals marker. After 7 days of infestation, the qWBPH1 was located in the interval RM3482-RM11966 and RM3709-RM11694 with LOD 4.0 and RM3709-RM11694 with LOD 3.5. After 14 days of infestation, The qWBPH1 was located in the interval RM3709-RM11694 with LOD 3.3. and RM3709-RM11694 with LOD 3.3. After 21 days of infestation, The qWBPH8 was located in the interval RM17699 with LOD 3.3. The QTLs on chromosome 1 was the most effective RM11694-RM11669 (LOD 3.3, variance 30%). The resistance lines were collected 10 plants of phenotye variation with genotype. The ratios of coincidence were used to determine resistance in 10 plants with phenotypic variation and a genotype of 8 markers. 3 markers were used: RM3482 on chr.1 represented 100%, RM8235 and RM11694 represented 80%, 90%, respectively, RM17699 on chr.8 represented 80% of the coincident ratio. These selected markers will be useful to rice breeding programs interested in new sources of WBPH resistance

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping is a highly effective approach for studying genetically complex forms of plant shattering. With QTLs mapping, the shattering loci can be described. SSR marker is based on the imformation of Simple Sequence Repeat and easy to analyze using PCR and has high reproducibility. For analyzing QTLs associated with shattering, we selected 219 SSR markers from 254 SSR markers and used them for implementing Mapmaker(Ver. 3.0) and Mapchart(Ver. 2.2). Mapmaker help to calculate distances between each markers and Mapchart is a program for drawing Genetic map. This Genetic map of rice (Oryza sativa L.) covering 2082.4 cM with 9.5 cM between makers in the Kosambi function has been constructed using 120 F1 DH plants from a single cross between the indica variety Chungchung and the japonica variety Nagdong.

Transgenic cymbidium plants containing drought and salt stresses tolerance genes were produced by using a highly efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. The gene (AtSZF2) is salt and drought stresses tolerant gene and transferred into cymbidium plants. These transgenic cymbidium plants are investigated for gene introduction by PCR and analyzed by salt and drought stresses to check its gene expression. To investigate the gene expression of AtSZF2, leaves of transgenic cymbidium plants were soaked in salt solution (200 mM NaCl). Also, transgenic cymbidium plants were kept under no watering for 6 weeks to check the expression of drought stress tolerance. As a result, wild type plants showed more damage than transgenic plants under salt treatment. Further, transgenic cymbidium plants retained green color and healthy status, while wild type plants showed no tolerance after 6 weeks of no-watering treatment.

Purple acid phosphatase is important for phosphorus remobilization in plants, but its role in plant adaptation to low phosphorus availability is not known. The cDNA encoding O. sativa purple acid phosphatase (OsPAP1) has 1008 bp with an open reading frame of 335 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of OsPAP1 cDNA shows of 50-51% identity with other plant purple acid phosphatases. OsPAP1 was expressed in rice plants and in cell cultures in the absence of phosphate (Pi). The expression was organ-specific with the strongest expression in Pi-deprived roots. Functional expression of the OsPAP1 gene in the transgenic Arabidopsis line was confirmed by northern and western blot analysis. OsPAP1 overexpression lines had higher phosphatase activity than wild-type. Overexpression of OsPAP1 in Arabidopsis plants resulted in increased Pi accumulation under Pi sufficient condition. These results show that the OsPAP1 gene represents more efficient Pi uptake and can be used to develop new transgenic dicotyledonous plants.