Cadmium (Cd) toxicity is a serious limitation for agricultural production. In this study, we explored tolerance mechanism associated with Cd toxicity tolerance in alfalfa plants. We used three distinct alfalfa cultivars M. sativa cv. Vernal, M. sativa cv. Zhung Mu, and M. sativa cv. Xing Jiang Daye in this study. Cd showed declined chlorophyll score in Xing Jiang Daye compared with Zhung Mu and Vernal. No significant change observed among the cultivars for root and shoot length. Atomic absorption spectroscopy analysis demonstrated a significant accumulation of Cd, Fe, S and PC in distinct alfalfa cultivars. However, Zhung Mu and Xing Jiang Daye declined Cd accumulation in root, where Fe, S and PC incremented only in Zhung Mu. It suggests that excess Cd in Zhung Mu possibly inhibited in root by the increased accumulation of Fe, S and PC. This was further confirmed by the response of Fe (MsIRT1) and S transporters (MsSULTR1;2 and MsSULTR1;3), and MsPCS1 genes associated with Fe, S and PC availability and translocation in roots and shoots. It suggests that specially the transcript signal inducing the responses to adjust Cd especially in Zhung Mu. This finding provides the essential background for further molecular breeding program for forage crops.

The objective of the present study was to determine the best model to describe and quantify the changes in live body weight, height at withers, height at rump, body length and chest girth of Holstein cows raised under Korean feeding conditions for 50 months. The five standard growth models namely polynomial linear regression models, regression of growth variables on the first and second-order of ages in days (model 1) and regression of growth variables on age covariates from first to the third-order (model 2) as well as non-linear models were fitted and evaluated for representing growth pattern of Holstein cows raised in Korean feeding circumstances. Nonlinear models fitted were three exponential growth curve models; Brody, Gompertz, and von Bertalanffy functional models. For this purpose, a total of 22 Holstein cows raised in Korea used in the period from April 2016 to May 2020. Each model fitted to monthly growth curve records of dairy cows by using PROC NLIN procedure in SAS program. On the basis of the results, nonlinear models showed the lower root mean square of error (RMSE) for live body weight, height at withers, height at rump, body length and chest girth (12.22, 1.95, 1.55, 4.04, 2.06) with higher correlation coefficiency (R2) values for live body weight, height at withers, height at rump, body length and chest girth (0.99, 0.99, 0.99, 1.00, 1.00). Overall, the evaluation of the different growth models indicated that the Gompertz model used in the study seemed to be the most appropriate one for standard growth of Holstein cows raised under Korean feeding system.

Acacetin, which is present in damiana (Turnera diffusa ) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia ), has several pharmacologic activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. However, the effect of acacetin on head and neck cancers has not been clearly established. This study aimed to examine the effects of acacetin on cell growth and apoptosis induction in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells. These were investigated by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, Live/Dead cell assay, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride staining, caspase-3 and caspase-7 activation assay, and immunoblotting in FaDu cells. Acacetin induced FaDu cell death in a dose-dependent manner, with an estimated IC50 value of 41.9 µM, without affecting the viability of L-929 mouse fibroblasts as normal cells. Acacetin treatment resulted in nuclear condensation in the FaDu cells. It promoted the proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8, and -9 with increasing amounts of the cleaved caspase isoforms in FaDu cells. Acacetin-induced apoptosis in FaDu cells was mediated by the expression of Fas and activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Immunoblotting showed downregulation of the anti-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, but upregulation of the mitochondria-dependent pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Badin FaDu cells after acacetin treatment. These findings indicate that acacetin inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells via both the death receptor-mediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway and the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Low thermal conductivity carbon fibers from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) are currently being explored as an alternative for traditional rayon-based carbon fibers with a thermal conductivity of 4 W/m K. Compared to multiple component electrospinning, this research demonstrated another feasible way to make low thermal conductivity carbon fibrous material by electrospinning PAN followed by carbonization and alkali activation. The effects of activation condition on microstructure, pore formation, and thermal conductivity of the resultant carbon nanofibrous material were investigated. The processing-structure-thermal conductivity relationship was revealed and mechanism of thermal conductivity reduction was discussed. The overall thermal conductivity of the prepared carbon nanofibrous material is a result of combined effects from factors of carbon structure and number of pores rather than volume of pores or specific surface area. The activated carbon nanofibrous materials showed thermal conductivity as low as 0.12 W/m K, which is a reduction of ~ 99% when compared to that of solid carbon film and a reduction of ~ 95% when compared to that of carbon nanofibrous material before activation.

Carbon short fibers/copper composites with different carbon short fiber contents up to 15 wt.% as reinforcements are prepared to investigate the influence of the carbon short fiber surface coating on the microstructure, density, and electrical properties of the carbon short fibers/copper composites. The carbon short fibers were surface treated by acid functionalization followed by alkaline treatment before the coating process. It was observed from the results that coated type copper nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of the carbon short fibers. The surface treated carbon short fibers were coated by copper using the electroless deposition technique in the alkaline tartrate bath by using formaldehyde as a reducing agent of the copper sulfate. The produced coated carbon short fibers/copper composite powders were cold compacted at 600 MPa, and then sintered at 875 °C for 2 h under (hydrogen/nitrogen 1:3) atmosphere. A reference copper sample was also prepared by the same method to compare between the properties of pure copper and the carbon short fibers/copper composites. The phase composition, morphology, and microstructure of the prepared carbon short fibers/copper composite powders as well as the corresponding carbon short fibers/copper composites were investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), respectively. The density and the electrical resistivity of the sintered composites were measured. It was observed from the results that the density was decreased; however, the electrical resistivity was increased by increasing the carbon short fibers wt.%.

‘Japonica 7’(Registration No. BPI-NSIC-2019-Rc 584)은 열대지역에 적응하는 고품질 다수성 자포니카 벼를 개발 하기 위하여 2020년 육성되었으며 육성 과정 및 주요 특성은 다음 과 같다. 1. ‘Japonica 7’은 열대지역 적응 고품질 자포니카 다수성 품종 육성을 목적으로 필리핀 소재 국제미작연구소 (IRRI)에서 농촌진흥청 파견 연구원 주도로 2012년 건기에 필리핀 국제미작연구소에서 ‘Japonica 2’와 ‘IR11K233’를 교배한 후 계 통육종법으로 육성된 품종이다. 2. 2012년 우기에 F1세대로 부터 얻은 종자를 이용하여 F6 세대까지 계통을 전개하는 과정에서 선발된 ‘IR101055-52-2- 1-2-2’ 계통을 대상으로 2017~2018년 2년간 우기 및 건기 각 2회 지역적응시험을 실시한 결과 그 우수성이 인정되어 2020 년에 필리핀 벼 품종심의위원회에서 장려품종으로 선정되고 ‘Japonica 7’으로 명명되었다. 3. ‘Japonica 7’은 파종부터 수확까지 생육일수가 111일인 조생종으로, 간장과 수장, 포기당 이삭수는 ‘MS 11’과 비슷하다. 등숙률은 89%로 ‘MS 11’보다는 낮은 편이나 ‘Japonica 1’ 보다는 높았다. 현미천립중은 23.3g으로 ‘MS 11’과 비슷한 중립중이다. 4. 병해충 반응은 도열병과 잎집무늬마름병 및 흰잎마름병 에는 중도저항성이나 퉁그로바이러스에는 약하다. 벼멸구와 애멸구에는 중도 또는 감수성이었으나 이화명충의 일종인 White stemborer에는 ‘MS 11’과 비슷하게 강한 편이다. 5. ‘Japonica 7’의 곡립은 중립종이고 완전미 도정수율이 58.8%로 ‘MS 11’보다 높았으며, 필리핀 소비자 선호도는 ‘Japonica 7’이 대비품종인 ‘MS 11’ 보다 쌀에서는 75.6%, 밥맛에서는 81.1%로 현저하게 높게 나타났다. 6. ‘Japonica 7’의 수량은 필리핀 지역적응시험 평균 3.03 MT/ha로 대비품종 ‘MS 11’보다 17% 높았으며 시험한 전지역에서 전반적으로 표준품종인 ‘MS 11’보다 전 지역에서 안정적으로 높은 수량을 나타냈다.

The fish influx and behavioral properties at a set-net off Goseong, South Korea were investigated using an imaging sonar. As a result, the average influx of fish was 33.9% at day time and 66.1% at night time, respectively, which indicated that a majority of fish entered into a playground in the set-net at night. The fish behavioral properties such as target (fish) length, range, orientation and major-axis angle were examined and compared among survey dates (4, 5, and 6 June 2019) using the statistical analysis tool (analysis of variance, ANOVA). The behavioral properties presented differently sometime of survey dates. This is preparatory study to support fish behavior properties in a set-net. It is expected that more elaborated behavioral information of fishes in the set-net is beneficial for designing and deploying a set-net fishing gear as well as general fish behavior research in the future.