Background : Our animal model of stress contained two components: (1) acute trauma, immobilization of rats in close proximity to a cat twice in 10 days, and (2) chronic social instability, 31 days of randomized housing of cage cohorts. Here we tested the hypothesis that daily social stimulation would block the development of the stress. Methods and Results : Beginning 24 h after the first cat exposure, adult male rats were given our established stress model, alone or in conjunction with daily social stimulation, in which all rats within a group interacted in a large apparatus for 2 h each day for the final 30 days. All behavioral, for example, anxiety, memory, startle testing, and physiological assessments, for example, body growth, organ weights, and corticosterone levels, took place following completion of the psychosocial stress period. Conclusion : From the above study, V. fauriei possess significant anti-stress properties and can be used for the treatment of stress-induced disorders.

Background : Ramie, Boehmeria nivea (L) Gaud, is a bast fiber plant of the nettle family (Urticaceae) and originated in Asia. We have taken an active interest in ramie breeding for edible ramie, and consequently select "Yeonggwang No.1" with high yielding and good quality for edible leaves in 2015. Methods and Results : "Yeonggwang No.1" is a new ramie variety for edible leaves, which was derived from the plants of the population for pure clone isolation from 2013 to 2014, and progressively for specific character and yield trial in 2014 to 2015. The yield trials were carried on the field and the greenhouse with two replications, respectively. The plant height of "Yeonggwang No.1" is about 140 ㎝ with 6 ㎝ higher than that of check variety "Seobang" The leaves are heart-shaped, with large size, and finely serrated margins. The color of the upper side of the leaf is dark green, and silvery white on the under surface. The flowers are light purple in color and are borne in declinate clusters in the axils of the leaves. The average SLW (specific leaf weight) was 8.56 ㎎/㎠, which was weight lighter than that of check "Seobang", but chlorophyll content measured by a Chlorophyll meter, SPAD-502 was 12.3 SPAD higher than that of "Seobang". Fresh leaf yield was the annual total 1,578 ㎏/10 a in the field, and 2,479 ㎏/10 a in the greenhouse, which was 98% level of "Seobang" in the field, and increased by 10% than check "Seobang" in the greenhouse. The fresh leaves yield of "Yeonggwang No.1" tended to increased in changes according to time more than "Seobang". Conclusion : As a new variety, Yeonggwang No.1 can be harvested leaves several times annually, with the yield range of 1,578 – 2,479 ㎏/10 a, having 72.3% moisture, 6.61% crude protein, 987 ㎎ calcium, 5.27 Fe in its leaves. These results seem to indicate that there is considerable scope for increasing the fresh leaf yield of ramie and improving the processing quality by means of selection from the large and comparatively unexplored pool of variation, which should be obtainable from this heterozygous plant.

The purpose of this study was to improve the functionality of a healthy drink with examining the possibility of manufacturing different enzymes (alpha-, beta-, glucose-amylase) in barley malts (BM) produced in various malting periods. The study showed that enzyme treatment increased significantly total polyphenol content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging activity and hydroxly radical scavenging activity in malted liquid samples (MLS) which obtained from various malting periods. The highest of TPC were found in Gluco-24M with 1.981 ㎎TAE/㎖, followed by Beta-24M and Alpha-72M with 1.878 ㎎TAE/㎖ and 1.845 ㎎TAE/㎖, respectively. The DPPH result revealed that percent of inhibition increased by 71-75% compared to the control. No statistical difference was found between MLS obtained by 24 hr of malting (24 M) and 72 hr of malting (72 M) after enzyme treatment. In addition, an increasing of hydroxyl radical was in the same trend to the TPC and DPPH. The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of enzyme treated samples was 1,5 times higher than the control. These results suggest the possibility of enzyme application to barley malts obtained in various germination periods for improving quality and functionality of barley malts.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds have long been clinically used in Korea to promote bone formation and prevent osteoporosis. In addition, the safflower buds (SB) were found to have more useful functional ingredients than safflower seed. Thus, we investigated the preventive effects of SB diet in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The rats were divided into five groups; sham operated group, OVX alone group, OVX plus 17β-estradiol (E2 10 ㎍/㎏, i.p.) and OVX plus SB diet feeding group (0.3% or 1%). Feeding of SB diet (0.3% or 3%) to OVX rats markedly increased trabecular formation in femur compared to OVX rats. Feeding of SB diet (0.3% or 3%) to OVX rats also decreased TRAP activity compared to OVX rats. These results suggest that SB diets have bone sparing effects by the decrease of osteoclast activity. We also observed that OVX rats fed with SB diet (0.3% or 3%) exhibited the decrease of calcium and phosphorus in serum compared to OVX-induced rats. Therefore, SB may be beneficial for the patients of osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women.

Fusarium crown root rot (FCRR) is a severe fungal disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL) in tomato. Resistance to FORL is conferred by single dominant locus Frl on chromosome 9, but its precise genomic location is not clearly determined. In this study, detailed location of Frl was assessed by using a set of molecular markers physically anchored on Chr.9 and F2 and RIL population derived from FORL-resistant inbred AV107-4 (S.lycopersicum) x susceptible L3708 (S. pimpinellifolium). Bioassay of the two populations with a FORL strain isolated from Korea resulted in single dominant heritance of the resistance. Two SCAR and 11 CAPS markers encompassing 3.6Mb~72Mb of Chr.9 were developed from the Tomato-EXPEN 2000 map and SolCAP SNP-array analysis. These markers were genotyped on 345 F2 plants. A high level of cosegregation with the resistance were observed for 5 markers which were mapped at a large physical interval of 5.1Mb (T1212) to 46.4Mb (SSR237), indicating that genetic recombination was highly suppressed in this region. Cosegregation of these markers with Frl was confirmed by using 126 RILs. The results implied that, in contrast with the previously reported long arm, Frl is present on a pericentromeric region of short arm of Chr. 9, in which crossing-over is severely suppressed. The marker set was further tested on 12 FORL-resistance or susceptibility commercial cultivars. Unlike the biparental populations, frequent linkage break was observed for T1212 and D4 in commercial cultivars. T1212 and D4 showed 50% and 100% match with the phenotype, respectively. D4, a CAPS, was converted to a high resolution melting (HRM) marker and tested on 55 breeding lines from private seed companies (Fig.3). All breeding lines showed the HRM genotype for resistance allele, indicating that D4 can be useful for selecting FORL-resistance tomato plants.

In this study, enhancement of phosphorus and nitrogen recovery efficiency from livestock manure through Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate (MAP) crystallization method has been suggested as an alternative to solve the problems of the existing phosphorus resource recovery method. It can become a useful fertilizer. This study focused on improvement of phosphorus resource recovery by changing energy density of ultrasonic dose for MAP crystallization. Solubilization rate (as phosphate/phosphorus) of phosphorus in livestock manure was measured by ultrasonic treatment. The energy density range of 100-50,000 of ultrasonic dose was determined. Optimal ultrasonic energy density was 1,000 dose as 64.5% of phosphate ratio. However, when the higher than 1,000 dose of ultrasonic energy density did not more improve phosphate solubilization ratio. Consequently, when use ultrasonic treatment at 1,000 dose of energy density, the phosphorus could recover approximately 65% from livestock manure by MAP crystallization. Moreover, this MAP becomes more valuable due to its nature as a slow-release fertilizer.

The hydrothermal carbonization is one of attractive thermo-chemical method to upgrade biomass to produce biochar with benefit method from the use of no chemical catalytic. Hydrothermal carbonization improved that the upgrading and dewatering algal biomass, microalga as Chlorella vulgaris, which is conducted at temperatures ranging from 180 to 350℃ with a reaction time of 30 min. These characteristic changes in algal biomass were similar to those of coalification reactions due to dehydration and decarboxylation with increase of hydrothermal reaction temperature. The biochar became a solid fuel substance, the characteristics of which corresponded with fuel between lignite and sub-bituminous coal. The results of this study indicate that hydrothermal treatment can be used as an effective means to generate highly energy-efficient renewable fuel resources using algal biomass.

The inflammatory response to infections, such as bacteria and viruses is mediated by multiple host factors. The tumor related-genes are the important cytokines in mammals. However, a number of tumor related-genes are not identified in the rock bream. Here, we have reported the identification and molecular characterization of the tumor related genes. The LPS-induced TNF-α factor 1 and 2 (LITAF1, LITAF2), tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 14 (TNFSF14), tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 14 (TNFRSF14) and translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), programmed cell death 10 (PCD10) from rock bream are used for the under investigations. The LITAF1 and LITAF2 consist of 138 and 163 amino acids with a conserved LITAF domain. TNFSF14 and TNFRSF14 comprise 266 and 181 amino acid, respectively. TCTP encompasses of 170 amino acid containing two conserved TCTP signatures. Furthermore PCD10 consists of 210 amino acids. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we have obtained expression analysis results of LITAF1 and 2, TNFSF14, TNFRSF14, TCTP, PCD10 in the various tissue. Compared to the control, the tumor related genes mRNA is detected at a high levels in gill (LITAF1, TCTP), intestine (LITAF2), liver (PCD10), spleen (TNFSF14) and RBC (TNFRSF14). We have also performed gene expression analysis in the kidney, spleen, liver and gill after challenging with Streptococcus iniae, Edwardsiella tarda and Red seabream iridovirus. We have acquired the dynamic regulated mRNA expression to each of pathogen according to the tissue. Expression of tumor related-genes mRNA are significantly increased by infected with pathogens in most of the tissue. But oddly, PCD10 mRNA is expressed significantly decreased by S. iniae infection in all of tissues. Our results reveal that rock bream tumor relatived-genes may be involved in rock bream immune responses to pathogen infections, as well as, they also act like potential biomarkers for innate immunity.

JAK2 V617F mutation is a common event in chronic myeloproliferative disorders. However, de novo acute myeloid leukemia with JAK2 V617F is rarely encountered. The authors report the case of a 74-year-old male with de novo acute myeloblastic leukemia without maturation (AML M1) and a JAk2 V617F heterozygotic mutation. Despite treatment with standard AML regimens, the patient died 2 months after a diagnosis of acute leukemia. This case of an AML patient with a JAK2 V617F mutation with a poor prognosis suggests that despite its rarity, a JAK2 V617F mutational study be considered for prognostic purposes in AML.

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is one of important immune regulator. TCTP has been implicated in cellular processes including the cell growth, cell cycle progression, apoptosis regulation and the protection of cells against various stress condition. In this study, we cloned and characterized TCTP from rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus), which is an economically important species in the Korea aquaculture industry. The Full-length of rock bream TCTP (RbTCTP) cDNA was 1041 bp and contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 513 bp, which encoded 170 amino acid sequence. The 5' untranslated region (UTR) was 90 bp while the 3' UTR was 538 bp, containing a polyadenylation signal (ATTAAA). The identity of amino acid sequence was 76%, 75% and 74% in tilapia, orange-spotted grouper and Japanese seaperch, respectively. The positions of microtuble-binding region, Ca⁺ binding region and TCTP signature regions in RbTCTP were similar with those of other fish species and mammalian. The RbTCTP mRNA was expressed highest in the muscle. Expression of TCTP mRNA were significantly variable according to injection of red seabream iridovirus (RSIV), Streptococcosis (S. iniae) and Edwardsiella tarda (E. tarda).

Cereal seeds, sorghum, foxtail millet, hog millet, adlay, and corn are traditionally used as health assistant as well as energy supplying food in Korea. While beneficial phytochemicals to human have revealed in cereals, the information on peptides from cereals is far less accumulated than major reserve protein. Here, we analyzed peptide profiles using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) in cereal seeds for construction of peptide information and attempted to develop peptide biomarkers for cereal identification. To optimize the analysis condition of SELDI-TOF MS, the effect of dilution factor on binding affinity to protein chips was tested using CM10 and Q10 arrays. Peptide clusters were significantly different at the level of 0.01 p-value. Peak spectra were the most stable in 1:50 of dilution factor in both chip arrays. Numbers of detected peak of 5 cereal seeds were 131 in CM10 and 74 in Q10 array. Each cereal was grouped as a cluster and well discriminated into different cluster in the level of 0.01 p-value. Numbers of potentially identified peptide biomarkers are 11, 13, 9, 5 and 12 in sorghum, foxtail millet, hog millet, adlay and corn, respectively. This study demonstrates that each cereal seed have own distinguishable specific peptides although their function are not identified yet in this study. In addition, the proteomic profiling using SELDI-TOF MS techniques could be a useful and powerful tool to discover peptide biomarker for discrimination and assess crop species, especially under 20 kDa.

A new rose variety, ‘Love Letter’ was selected from the progenies of a cross between ‘Red Giant’ and ‘Ensemble’ by rose breeding team of the Gyeonggi-Do Agricultural Research and Extension Services(GARES) in 2011. ‘Love Letter’ was crossed in 2007 and seedlings were produced. After the test of specific characters from 2008 to 2011, it was finally selected and named. ‘Love Letter’ was developed because of distinctive characters such as growth uniformity and high yielding potential. A standard type with large sized flower, It has red(Red Group 46A) color flower. ‘Love Letter’ takes 43 days from pruning to blooming and cut flower productivity was 152 stems/m2 in a year. The stems of cut flower have no thorn and the length was long with 70.5 cm. It has 9.3 cm in flower diameter and 32.4 in petal numbers per flower. Vase life of the this cultivar could be as long as 12 days.

A new rose variety, ‘Venus Berry’ was selected from the progenies of a cross between ‘Boy Friend’ and ‘GSR10315’ by rose breeding team of the Gyeonggi-Do Agricultural Research and Extension Services(GARES) in 2011. ‘Venus Berry’ was crossed in 2007 and seedlings were produced. After the test of specific characters from 2008 to 2011, it was finally selected and named. ‘Venus Berry’ was developed because of distinctive characters such as growth uniformity and high yielding potential. The petal of flower is so thick and has no scratch. A standard type with large sized flower, it has light pink(Red Purple Group 69C) color flower. ‘Venus Berry’ takes 45 days from pruning to blooming and cut flower productivity was 194.1 stems/m2 in a year. The length of cut flower was long with 65.5 cm. It has 10.2 cm in flower diameter and 43.6 in petal numbers per flower. Vase life of the this cultivar could be as long as 12 days.