Human prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide, and its incidence rate continues to increase. Advanced prostate cancer is more difficult to treat than early forms due to its chemotherapy resistance. There is need for more effective agents that can inhibit the progression of advanced prostate cancer. Demethoxyfumitremorgin C (DMFTC) was isolated from the fermentation extract of the marine fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Antiproliferative activity of DMFTC against human prostate cancer PC3 cells was examined through cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry, the fluorescent nuclear imaging analysis with propidium iodide (PI), and proteins expression related to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were investigated via Western blotting. DMFTC inhibited PC3 cells growth through G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. It activated the tumor suppressor p53 and the Cdk inhibitor p21, which regulate the cell progression into the G1 phase. Additionally, PI-positive late apoptotic non-viable cells were increased and the expression levels of the G1-positive downstream regulators cyclin D, cyclin E, Cdk2, and Cdk4 were decreased by DMFTC treatment. These results suggest that DMFTC induces G1 arrest and apoptosis induction through regulation of p53/p21-dependent cyclin-Cdk complexes, and it may be a useful therapeutic agent for the treatment of human advanced prostate cancer.

Norovirus (NoV) prevalence was investigated in 100 sewage samples collected from 35 individual septic tanks around the drainage basin of Jaran Bay, Korea in January, May, and July of 2017. Genotypes and diversity of NoV strains detected in sewage samples were also assessed using the conventional RT-PCR and phylogenetic analysis. NoV GI or GII were detected in 22 (22.0%) and 24 (24.0%) samples, respectively. Thirteen genotypes were identified with three dominant genotypes (GI.9, GII.5 and GII.17) and GII.17 showed relatively higher prevalence during the survey period. GII.17 strains were clustered into recombinant type variant or NoV GII.17 Kawasaki variant. NoV GII.17 strains were considered emergent epidemic variants with widespread circulation. NoV surveillance strategy should include both environmental (sewage) and clinical data to reveal minor NoV genotypes likely cause of asymptomatic or underreported infections in the local population.

Seaweeds are a potential source of minerals, essential amino acids, fatty acids, proteins, and various bioactive compounds such as antioxidants. The higher water content of seaweeds reduces the shelf life and this requires the appropriate drying method. The drying conditions play a major role in the conservation of nutrient composition in dried seaweeds. In recent years, the seaweed industry has used many different drying methods with advantages and limitations. Hybrid hot-water Goodle dryer (HHGD) which is a special dryer mixed with hot-water and a Korean traditional heating system (Goodlejang) might be a solution to avoid these limitations. The present study evaluated the effect of drying conditions in HHGD on nutrient composition and bioactivities of brown seaweeds. Moreover, freeze-dryer (FD) and HHGD were employed in this study to compare the dried outputs obtained from four brown seaweed species. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of the hybrid hot-water Goodle drying method (HHGDM) on the nutritional composition and antioxidant activity of dried seaweeds. AOAC standard methods were used to analyze the proximate composition of dried samples and their 70% ethanol extract. The intracellular and extracellular antioxidant activities were evaluated using Vero cells and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer respectively. High performance liquid chromatography, apoptotic body formation, and in-vivo experiments were used for further confirmation of the quality of dried output. The proximate composition results obtained from drying in HHGD and FD did not exhibit any significant difference. Moreover, the seaweed extracts from the dried seaweeds by HHGD and FD dryings were also not different and both significantly down-regulated in-vivo and in-vitro oxidative stress. Furthermore, the high performance liquid chromatography results revealed that the two dryers did not make the major peaks different in the chromatograms. Freeze-drying method (FDM) provides elevated quality for dried output, but there are limitations such as high cost and low capacity. The results from a novel HHGD did not provide any significant difference with the results in FD and expressed a potential to avoid the limitations in FD. Overall, these findings solidified the applicability of HHGD over FD.

Monitoring fish movement is important to understand how physiology adapts to environmental change. To explore the applicability of a video tracking system for determining if chemical cues attract or repel aquatic animals, the movement patterns of rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, were analyzed upon exposure to various materials, including extracts of sea urchin, rock worm, bait worm, krill, barley kernel, and commercial fish feed. Pellets were prepared by mixing freeze-dried tissues with a cellulose and corn flour mixture. Behavioral analysis was carried out with five fish that had been acclimated in the adaptation zone of a Y-shaped tank. Preference toward chemical cues was quantified by assessing the frequency rock bream were observed in a discrete zone around the test material located at the end of each arm and the duration each fish stayed in each zone. The analysis of fish movement upon exposure to commercial feed and barley kernel at each end, respectively, indicated a clear preference toward the feed relative to the barley kernel. Movement responses were further tested with pellets containing extracts of sea urchin, one of the species collected on a large scale, and other materials including krill and worms. A stronger preference toward sea urchin (100%) was observed based on the duration of stay in the test zone, compared to krill (90.1 ± 44.2%), bait worm (81.1 ± 39.1%), rock worm (73.7 ± 28.9%), and barley (63.9 ± 25.9%), under the conditions tested. A detailed comparison of rock bream movements toward each material revealed significant differences in frequency and duration, respectively, between pairs of test materials including krill (74 ± 29.8 and 375.6 ± 118.9) vs. rock worm (41.5 ± 18.7 and 160.2 ± 42.6), krill (86.3 ± 22.9 and 477.1 ± 84) vs. bait worm (36.2 ± 5.5 and 166.1 ± 50.7), and rock worm (45.9 ± 26.2 and 213.7 ± 100.1) vs. bait worm (34.6 ± 21.7 and 159.5 ± 98.5). Rock bream exhibited preference for the test materials in the following order: commercial fish feed > sea urchin > krill > rock worm > bait worm > barley. The results suggest a higher potency of sea urchin extract as a rock bream fishing bait compared to the other materials that are used as commercial bait.

Data for fish species composition and the catch of fish species were obtained from the daily trading records for the period between April and December 2016 to 2018 at the set net fishing grounds in Yeosu Bay, Korea. The annual mean total catch was 195.8 tons, and the dominant species was the Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius), which accounts for about 55 percent of the total catch. The catch increased in spring and autumn. Increase in spring is caused by not Spanish mackerel but other fish while the increase in autumn by Spanish mackerel. The distinct increase of the catch in summer, 2017 was due to the new recruitment of small-sized Spanish mackerel, which was probably to be from the fish population hatched in spring in the East China Sea. Our results showed a strong correlation between water temperature and catch fluctuation. The catch increases with the increase in water temperatures, and the periodic pattern of the water temperature and catch fluctuation is more consistent in the offshore waters, in which warm current flows, than in the coast waters.

Gindai (Pristipomoides zonatus) is one of six snappers in a management complex called the Deep 7 of the Hawaiian Islands. Little is known about its life history and a preliminary analysis of otolith thin sections indicated the species may exhibit moderate growth with a lifespan approaching 40 years. Preliminary age estimates from the previous study were reinvestigated using the same otolith sections in an attempt to validate those ages with bomb radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dating. From the misalignment of birth years for the otolith ¹⁴C measurements with regional references - the post-peak bomb ¹⁴C decline period - it was concluded that previous ages were inflated from overcounting of the earliest growth zone structure in otolith sections. The oldest gindai was re-aged to 26 years once the age reading was adjusted for early overcounting, 13 years younger than the original estimate of 39 years for this fish. In general, the earliest otolith growth of gindai was massive and complicated by numerous subannual checks. The approach of lumping the early growth structures was supported by the alignment of ¹⁴C measurements from otolith core material (first year of growth). The result was greater consistency of calculated birthdates with the ¹⁴C decline reference, along with minor offsets that may indicate age estimation was imprecise by a few years for some individuals. The revised von Bertalanffy growth function applied to the validated age-at-length estimates revealed more rapid growth (k = 0.378 cf. 0.113) and a lifespan of approximately 30 years. The findings presented here are a case study of how the bomb ¹⁴C decline period can be used as a tool in the refinement of age reading protocols.