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Citrus unshiu Marc. cv. Miyagawa-wase is one of the most widely cultivated citrus varieties on Jeju Island in Republic of Korea. Mutation breeding is a useful tool for inducing genetic diversity by causing genomic mutations in a short period of time. We previously conducted mutation breeding using gamma irradiation to develop new varieties of C. unshiu. Here, we describe one of these varieties, Yein-early, which has a redder peel, greater hardness, and higher sugar content compared with the wild type (WT). Yein-early leaves also showed a unique phenotype compared with the WT, characterized by longer longitudinal length, shorter transverse length, stronger curling, and longer petiole length. Genome resequencing of Yein-early and the WT uncovered significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions/deletions (InDels). These variations were crucial in identifying molecular markers unique to Yein-early. In addition, we developed an allele-specific PCR marker specifically targeting a homozygous SNP in Yein-early that distinguishes it from the WT and other citrus varieties. This study contributes to the understanding of pigment synthesis in fruits and provides a valuable tool for selection of the novel Yein-early variety in citrus breeding programs.

Gamma-ray irradiation is one of the most widely used mutagens worldwide. We previously conducted mutation breeding using gamma irradiation to develop new Citrus unshiu varieties. Among these mutants, Gwonje-early had an ovate shape, a protrusion of the upper part of the fruit, and a large fruit size compared with wild-type (WT) fruits. We investigated the external/internal morphological characteristics and fruit sugar/acid content of Gwonje-early. Additionally, we investigated genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion (InDel) variants in Gwonje-early using whole-genome re-sequencing. Functional annotation by Gene Ontology analysis confirmed that InDels were more commonly annotated than SNPs. To identify specific molecular markers for Gwonje-early, allele-specific PCR was performed using homozygous SNPs detected via Gwonje-early genome re-sequencing. The GJ-SNP1 and GJ-SNP4 primer sets were effectively able to distinguish Gwonje-early from the WT and other commercial citrus varieties, demonstrating their use as specific molecular markers for Gwonje-early. These findings also have important implications in terms of intellectual property rights and the variety protection of Gwonje-early. Our results may provide insights into the understanding of morphological traits and the molecular breeding mechanisms of citrus species.

Defensive responses to visually threatening stimuli represent an essential fear-related survival instinct, widely detected across species. The neural circuitry mediating visually triggered defensive responses has been delineated in the midbrain. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating the development and function of these circuits remain unresolved. Here, we show that midbrain-specific deletion of the transcription factor Brn3b causes a loss of neurons projecting to the lateral posterior nucleus of the thalamus. Brn3b deletion also down-regulates the expression of the neuropeptide tachykinin 2 (Tac2). Furthermore, Brn3b mutant mice display impaired defensive freezing responses to visual threat precipitated by social isolation. This behavioral phenotype could be ameliorated by overexpressing Tac2, suggesting that Tac2 acts downstream of Brn3b in regulating defensive responses to threat. Together, our experiments identify specific genetic components critical for the functional organization of midbrain fear-related visual circuits. Similar mechanisms may contribute to the development and function of additional long-range brain circuits underlying fear-associated behavior.

There are various methods for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein invasion, such as systemic chemotherapy, transarterial chemoembolization, transarterial radioembolization, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy. These methods have similar clinical efficacy but are designed with a palliative aim. Herein, we report a case that experienced complete remission through “associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS)” after concurrent chemoradiotherapy and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy. In this patient, concurrent chemoradiotherapy and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy induced substantial tumor shrinkage, and hypertrophy of the nontumor liver was sufficiently induced by portal vein ligation (stage 1 surgery) followed by curative resection (stage 2 surgery). Using this approach, long-term survival with no evidence of recurrence was achieved at 16 months. Therefore, the optimal use of ALPPS requires sufficient consideration in cases of significant hepatocellular carcinoma shrinkage for curative purposes.

‘Miyagawa-wase’ mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc. cv. Miyagawa-wase early) is one of the most widely cultivated citrus varieties on Jeju Island in Korea. Mutation breeding is a useful tool for the induction of genetic diversity for the rapid creation of new plant variants. We previously reported the use of gamma irradiation for the development of new citrus varieties. Here, we report a new mutant, Ara-unshiu, with a unique late fruit ripening phenotype. We investigated the fruit morphological characteristics including weight, vertical/transverse diameter, peel thickness, hardness, and color difference, as well as sugar and acid contents of the Ara-unshiu compared to wild-type controls. We then used whole genome re-sequencing and functional annotation by gene ontology to identify and characterize single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and insertion/deletion (InDel) variants in the Ara-unshiu, finding a greater abundance of annotated genes containing InDels compared to SNPs. Finally, we used allele-specific PCR to identify molecular markers among the homozygous SNPs detected from the Ara-unshiu genome sequencing. We report a primer set that effectively distinguishes the Ara-unshiu from the wild-type control and other citrus varieties. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms controlling the timing of fruit ripening and tools for the molecular breeding of citrus varieties.

The purpose of this article is to revisit the biomechanical concepts of Paul Rolland's scholarship on bowing to provide a new framework of Rolland's underlying bowing principles. First, we discuss how whole body movements help facilitate natural bowing, which can generate better tone efficiently from freedom of movement. Second, we attend to the movements of the bow arm, which can be conceptualized as the natural rotation of the arm. Third, we comment upon the concept of balance, concerning bow hold, leverage, and bow pressure while discussing the particulars of finger placement, its function in bowing, and balance and leverage in the bow arm. The concepts of whole body, movement, and balance should be considered in variable conditions considering the relationship between body parts and the whole. Also, the three biomechanical concepts are not independent or self-sufficient but correlated ideas. Not only do these ideas help with the acquisition of technical skills, but they also pave the way for a pleasing and natural tone quality as well as enhanced musical expression.

The value of Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) for school and system improvement is widely acknowledged in education research and policy. Still, the question of how learning happens for teachers and education leaders involved in PLNs remains largely unanswered. Moreover, little research exists on the increasing number of international networks for professional learning developed among education systems globally. This case study explores one such network, which we identify as a Global Learning Network (GLN), the ARC Education Project. ARC describes itself as a self-funded network of policymakers, scholars, and system leaders from a range of national and state-level systems with a shared commitment to equity, excellence, wellbeing, inclusion, sustainability, democracy, and human rights. Employing content analysis, we analyze observational notes and materials from ARC summit meetings, joint statements issued by ARC systems, membership records, and other key ARC documents. We draw from Rodway and Farley-Ripple's (2020) application of social network theory to examine this GLN as a relational space, given the challenges of global collaboration. We consider five key components of PLN efficacy: collaboration, sense of purpose, reflective professional inquiry, leadership, and boundary crossing. Specifically, we interrogate how the boundedness of ARC's membership mediates opportunities for the construction of new knowledge in the network. We conclude with implications for professional learning in global networks.

Fuji, a major apple cultivar in Korea, is susceptible to white rot. Apple white rot disease appears on the stem and fruit; the development of which deteriorates fruit quality, resulting in decreases in farmers' income. Thus, it is necessary to characterize molecular markers related to apple white rot resistance. In this study, we screened for differentially expressed genes between uninfected apple fruits and those infected with Botryosphaeria dothidea, the fungal pathogen that causes white rot. Antimicrobial tests suggest that a gene expression involved in the synthesis of the substance inhibiting the growth of B. dothidea in apples was induced by pathogen infection. We identified seven transcripts induced by the infection. The seven transcripts were homologous to genes encoding a flavonoid glucosyltransferase, a metallothionein-like protein, a senescence-induced protein, a chitinase, a wound-induced protein, and proteins of unknown function. These genes have functions related to responses to environmental stresses, including pathogen infections. Our results can be useful for the development of molecular markers for early detection of the disease or for use in breeding white rot-resistant cultivars.

Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc. cv. Miyagawa-wase) is the most widely cultivated citrus variety in Korea. Although most varieties are imported from Japan, efforts have focused on developing new domestic varieties. We produced mutants by irradiating C. unshiu Marc. cv. Miyagawa-wase scions with gamma rays and grafting them onto C. unshiu Marc. cv. Miyagawa-wase branches. We compared the characteristics of these mutants with Miyagawa-wase fruit as a control. A mutant line named Jedae-unshiu with a unique fruit shape was selected for investigation in detail. The phenotype of Jedae-unshiu fruit demonstrated vertical troughs on the flavedo, smooth albedo without rough protruding fibers, and good adhesion between peel and flesh. In addition, Jedae-unshiu had thicker peels and higher fruit hardness than the control. Higher levels of hesperetin and narirutin, representative flavonoids, accumulated in the peel and flesh of Jedae-unshiu than those of the control. Cellular-level microscopic observations of the mature fruit peels demonstrated epidermal cell disruption in the control but not in Jedae-unshiu. Our results suggest that Jedae-unshiu has high possibility for development as a good storage variety containing large amounts of flavonoids, in addition to potential for ornamental value due to the unique shape of the fruit.

Night vision in mammals depends fundamentally on rod photoreceptors and the well-studied rod bipolar (RB) cell pathway. The central neuron in this pathway, the AII amacrine cell (AC), exhibits a spatially tuned receptive field, composed of an excitatory center and an inhibitory surround, that propagates to ganglion cells, the retina’s projection neurons. The circuitry underlying the surround of the AII, however, remains unresolved. Here, we combined structural, functional and optogenetic analyses of the mouse retina to discover that surround inhibition of the AII depends primarily on a single interneuron type, the NOS-1 AC: a multistratified, axon-bearing GABAergic cell, with dendrites in both ON and OFF synaptic layers, but with a pure ON (depolarizing) response to light. Our study demonstrates generally that novel neural circuits can be identified from targeted connectomic analyses and specifically that the NOS-1 AC mediates long-range inhibition during night vision and is a major element of the RB pathway.

Aloe is widely used as a cosmetic and medicinal plant. Numerous studies have reported that aloe gel extract has antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, immunity, and skin antiaging properties. However, few studies have investigated the properties of fermentation products of aloe processing byproducts. Aloe stalks and leaves remain as byproducts after the aloe beverage manufacturing process. This study evaluated whether fermentation products of blender and press extracts of aloe processing byproducts (BF and PF, respectively) that remain after beverage manufacturing were useful as functional biomaterial by investigating their effects on adipocyte differentiation, hyaluronic acid (HA) production, tyrosinase activity, and antioxidant activity. Co-fermentation of G. xylinus and S. cerevisiae was conducted for fermentation of aloe processing byproducts. The BF and PF products did not induce observable cytotoxicity effects. However, BF and PF products did inhibit a 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation compared with control, with the BF product displaying greater inhibition of 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation than the PF product. HA production increased in HaCaT cell cultures as the concentration of the MF product increased, as compared with the untreated control. The levels of tyrosinase inhibition, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity also depended on the MF product concentration. This study indicates that the fermented products of aloe processing byproducts have biological potential for applications in the manufacturing of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and beverages. These laboratory bench results provide the foundation for future studies of scaling and practical applications at the industrial level.

Functional deficits persist after spinal cord injury (SCI) because axons in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) fail to regenerate. However, modest levels of spontaneous functional recovery are typically observed after trauma and are thought to be mediated by the plasticity of intact circuitry. The mechanisms underlying intact circuit plasticity are not delineated. Here, we characterize the in vivo transcriptome of sprouting intact neurons from Ngr1 null mice after partial SCI. We identify the lysophosphatidic acid signaling modulators LPPR1 and LPAR1 as intrinsic axon growth modulators for intact corticospinal motor neurons after adjacent injury. Furthermore, in vivo LPAR1 inhibition or LPPR1 overexpression enhances sprouting of intact corticospinal tract axons and yields greater functional recovery after unilateral brainstem lesion in wild-type mice. Thus, the transcriptional profile of injury-induced sprouting of intact neurons reveals targets for therapeutic enhancement of axon growth initiation and new synapse formation.

This qualitative case study explores the intersection of family literacy, bilingualism, and critical media literacy by examining how mother-child conversations about children's videos helped preschool, bilingual children develop critical perspectives on gender roles. As part of a larger qualitative study, this study focused on 4-year-old, Korean-descent children's conversations with their mothers about gender representations in children's videos as well as in their drawing. The data were collected over three months through multiple sources, including observations, interviews, and children's artifacts. The findings of this study suggest that critical media literacy practices can be used in bilingual households as a tool to enrich family literacy environments in which mother and child explore gender representations in children's media in an interactive and critical way.

Citrus fruits are rich sources of different phytochemicals for human health due to their high anti-oxidant capacity. However, the anti-aging effect of citrus fruits has not been well understood. In this study, methanol extracts taken at various developmental stages from tissues of Citrus unshiu was used to investigate its anti-aging effect by an elastase/collagenase inhibition assay, and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was carried out to identify the potential anti-aging compositions. The elastase/collagenase inhibitory activity was greatest in the flesh of immature green fruit (i.e., early July flesh (EJF)), and four candidate compounds were selected by GC-MS and evaluated by a collagenase inhibition assay. Three of the four candidate compounds (heptadecanoic acid, D-allose, and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (HMF)) showed anti-aging activity, and the activity was highest in heptadecanoic acid, followed by D-allose and HMF. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and anti-oxidant activity (DPPH and ferric reducing anti-oxidant power (FRAP) assay) were also investigated. Interestingly, the patterns of the total phenolic/flavonoid content and the anti-oxidant activity were different from that of the elastase/collagenase inhibitory activity. Flowers had the most anti-oxidant activity followed by immature fruit, and the fruit peels had more anti-oxidant activity than its flesh at all stages of development. This study demonstrated that the flesh of immature fruit and flowers of C. unshiu could be sources of anti-aging and anti-oxidant agents for human health, respectively.

The indicator "mean years of schooling (MYS)" has been one of two education indicators in the Human Development Index calculated by UNDP since 2010. In view of greatly expanded role of education in modern development, this study develops a multivariate panel regression model of socio-economic factors where changing rate of MYS becomes the dependent variable. This research develops a model of socio-economic determining factors where changing the rate of MYS is the dependent variable. The proposed model will include five independent variables to assess the impact on MYS for 97 countries from 1995 to 2017. The most important finding is that dependency with a negative impact on MYS was the most influential factor, followed by urbanization with a positive impact on MYS. The impact from income with a positive impact and population with a negative impact was the third most important factor depending on the income and urbanization subgroup. This study highlighted the offsetting impact of dependency rate and urbanization rate to length of education depending on the income and urbanization subgroups of countries. However, the general policy implications proposed here are subjected to substantial revision if the analysis of scaling results from income and urbanization subgroup analysis are incorporated, because the impact from these two offsetting factors would vary widely depending on the particular subgroup.