• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.107-120
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• 2011

The ability to feed an expanding world population poses one of the greatest challenges to mankind in the future. Accompanying the increased demand for food by the expected nine billion inhabitants of Earth in 2050 will be a continual decrease in arable land area, together with a decline in crop yield due to a variety of stresses. For these formidable challenges to be met, future crops should not only by high-yielding, but also stress-tolerant and disease-resistant. In this review, we highlight the importance of genetic engineering as an indispensable tool to generate just such future crops. We briefly discuss strategies and available tools for biotechnological crop improvement and identify selected examples of candidate genes that may be manipulated so that current biological maxima in yield may be surpassed by comfortable margins. Future prospects and the necessity for basic research aimed at identifying novel target genes are also discussed.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.334-344
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• 2022

Bacterial wilt is a re-emerging disease on dry bean and can affect many other crop species within the Fabaceae. The causal agent, Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens (CFF), is a small, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is seed-transmitted. Infections in the host become systemic, leading to wilting and economic loss. Clean seed programs and bactericidal seed treatments are two critical management tools. This study characterizes the efficacies of five bactericidal chemicals against CFF. It was hypothesized that this bacterium was capable of forming biofilms, and that the cells within biofilms would be more tolerant to bactericidal treatments. The minimum biocide eradication concentration assay protocol was used to grow CFF biofilms, expose the biofilms to bactericides, and enumerate survivors compared to a non-treated control (water). Streptomycin and oxysilver bisulfate had EC95 values at the lowest concentrations and are likely the best candidates for seed treatment products for controlling seed-borne bacterial wilt of bean. The results showed that CFF formed biofilms during at least two phases of the bacterial wilt disease cycle, and the biofilms were much more difficult to eradicate than their planktonic counterparts. Overall, biofilm formation by CFF is an important part of the bacterial wilt disease cycle in dry edible bean and antibiofilm bactericides such as streptomycin and oxysilver bisulfate may be best suited for use in disease management.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.539-543
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• 2005

Elevated level of serum cholesterol in humans is a risk factor correlated with the development of coronary heart disease. We have screened lactic acid bacteria from pig and human feces for the development of probiotics which have an anti-cholesterol effect. We have used special media to isolate only lactic acid bacteria and they were subjected to the experiments such as oxgal test, carbohydrate fermentation test. Results from the acid tolerance test and growth test in the presence of oxgal demonstrated that some strains would likely survive in thuman stomach, where acidity is high, and in small intestine, where bile fluid is present. In conclusion, we were able to screen lactic acid bacteria which were tolerant against bile acid and supposed to be prominent to lower the cholesterol level in human serum.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.320-326
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• 2008

In this paper, we propose a new algorithm emulating the DNA characteristics for noise-tolerant pattern matching problem on digital system. The digital pattern matching becomes core technology in various fields, such as, robot vision, remote sensing, character recognition, and medical diagnosis in particular. As the properties of natural DNA strands allow hybridization with a certain portion of incompatible base pairs, DNA-inspired data structure and computation technique can be adopted to bio-signal pattern classification problems which often contain imprecise data patterns. The key feature of noise-tolerance of DNA computing comes from control of reaction temperature. Our hardware system mimics such property to diagnose cardiovascular disease and results superior classification performance over existing supervised learning pattern matching algorithms. The hardware design employing parallel architecture is also very efficient in time and area.

• CELLMED
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.20.1-20.4
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• 2015

Ayurveda is often criticized for having empirical and non-evidence based approach to treat the patients. At the same time, modern medicine is also being criticized for having a non-holistic, reductionist and mechanistic approach of treating the patients which do not help in many real clinical situations. An open minded deduction of treatment approaches in both of these systems for a common patient however makes us to rethink that ideally both systems are similar with a common objective of offering a cure although in a manner which is better understood through their own methods of learning. The differences therefore, are more superficial rather than being deeply rooted in the understanding. A more tolerant viewpoint towards the competitive medical systems may therefore be a better approach to offer optimal health care to our people through a genuine amalgamation of these two health care sciences through an integrated approach. Once this tolerance is developed, it will give us an opportunity to think for a focused selection of type of health care depending upon the type of the disease and strength of the particular system in that area.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.91-106
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• 2013

Exserohilum turcicum is considered serious destructive disease of maize (Zea mays L.) in North Korea. This study aimed to understand genetic inheritance and combining ability of newly bred lines of maize tolerant to E. turcicum by diallel crosses. Three diallel sets for two different ecological regions and one agronomic trait; eastern (E), northern (N) and stay green (SG) involving 29 inbred lines were tested in eight locations of 2000 and 2001. E. turcicum infections were under natural conditions, respectively. Lines used were selected for high yield potential in test crosses with good agronomic traits and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Selection for race specific high resistance to biotic stresses was avoided to select quantitatively inherited genes. Host plant responses to E. turcicum were rated on a scale of 1 (highly tolerant) to 9 (highly susceptible). Highly significant variations were recorded in all trials. General combining ability (GCA) mean square was roughly twice that of specific combining ability (SCA). The genotype (G) by environment (E) interaction was highly significant. The overall results of genetic studies in three diallel sets show that genetic control for inbred tolerance to E. turcicum is polygenic and quantitatively inherited. New inbreds; E-3, N-1 and SG-4 confer better tolerance to E. turcicum than the widely used inbreds; Mo17, and B73. Proper use of genetic information from this study shall increase of corn production under high E. turcicum infection in the Far Eastern Regions of Korea and China.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.323-337
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• 2006

This work discussed the species composition, phylogeny, spatio-temporal distribution, ecology and natural history of North Korean Pinaceae or pine tree family, which seems to be important to maintain nature and ecosystem in the Korean Peninsula. Out of five genera and sixteen species of Pinaceae of the Korean Peninsula, North Korea contains four genera and eleven species of Pinaceae, including Pinus densilflora, P. koraiensis, P. pumila, Picea jezoensis, P. koraiensis, P. koraiensis var. koraiensis, P. pungsanensis, Larix gmelini, L. gmelinii var. olgensis, Abies holophylla and A. nephrolepis. In terms of phylogeny Pinus is closely related to Picea, and followed by Larix. Abies is close to Tsuga which only occur at Ullung Island. Distributional pattern of North Korean Pinaceae can be classified into four types; three species of nation-wide montane type i.e., Pinus densilflora, P. koraiensis and Abies holophylla, four species of central and northern subalpine type, i.e., Pinus pumila, Picea koraiensis, Larix gmelini and Abies nephrolepis, one nation-wide subalpine type, Picea jezoensis, and three species disjunctive to north type, i.e., Picea koraiensis var. koraiensis, P. pungsanensis, and Larix gmelinii var. olgensis. Pinaceae species occurring on the alpine and subalpine belts of North Korea, such as Pinus koraiensis, P. pumila, Picea jezoensis, P. koraiensis, P. koraiensis var. koraiensis, P. pungsanensis, Larix gmelini, L. gmelinii var. olgensis and A. nephrolepis are considered as the glacial descendant from the boreal region. Those species might have migrated from the north during the Pleistocene glacial epochs in search of favourable condition, and since the Holocene period they survived on the hostile alpine and subalpine environments, in which they are more competitive than warmth-tolerant temperate vegetation. Certain species, such as Picea pungsanensis, is segregated on the isolated mountains since the Pleistocene period, and forced to adapt to local environment, and eventually became an endemic species of North Korea. Recent rapid global warming trend especially in northern high mountains of North Korea could cause an unfavourable environment for the survival of cold-tolerant Pinaceae of the alpine and subalpine belts. Pinus densiflora, which is occurring on the montane belt might faced with difficulties due to both the deforestation and the outbreak of insect-borne disease, such as Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.113-126
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• 2012

Northern corn leaf blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum Pass is considered the most important disease infecting corn (Zea mays L.) in the Peoples' Republic of Korea (North Korea). It contributes to the food shortage in North Korea. The objectives of the current research were to study resistance expression and responses of corn crosses made between ten hybrids from North Korea and inbreeding lines ($S_{3-4}$ stage) from the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The experiments were conducted in six trials with a total of 184 crosses including two commercial hybrids in each trial. The trials were conducted at two locations in North Korea (Mirim and Eunsan) and one location in South Korea (Gunwi) under natural infestation of E. turcicum. Host plant responses were rated on a scale of 1 (highly tolerant) to 9 (highly susceptible). A total of 111 crosses (62.4%) showed significant tolerant or susceptible response variations among three locations; 42 crosses (22.8%) at two locations and 69 crosses (39.0%) at one location, respectively. At least 8 crosses of high level of tolerance and 12 crosses of high level of susceptibility showed significantly different biotic responses (P = 0.05). The results of the current study and historical reviews of E. turcicum epidemics in both North and South Korea suggest that breeding of tolerance with quantitatively inherited genes should be carried out for a sustainable corn production in North Korea.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.118-123
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• 2008

This study was executed to breed new cultivar of E. senticosus suitable for seed harvesting by selection method from 896 native plants collected from 35 regions. Basic selection points were C.V. values of characters such as filament length, blooming period, shoot length, no. of shoot and hundred fruits weight. By four steps of selection, two lines having high biomass yielding, diseases tolerant and fruiting capacities were finally selected and registered as new cultivar of Eleutherococcus senticosus at the Korea seed & variety service by regulation for seed production and marketing of plant variety.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1980.09a
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• pp.151-170
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• 1980

Physiological response of Panax ginseng var. atropurpureacaulo (purple stem variety, Pg) to light was reviewed through old literatures and recent experiments. Canopy structure, growth, pigment, leaf anatomy, disease occurence, transpiration, photosynthesis (PS), leaf saponin, photoperiodism and nutrient uptake were concerned. P. ginseng var. xanthocarpus (yellow berry variety, Px) and Panax quinquefolius(Pq) were compared with Pg if possible. Compensation point(Cp) increased with increase of light and ranged from 110 to 150 at $20^{\circ}C$ but from 140 to 220 at $30^{\circ}C$ with 4 to 15 Klux indicating occurence of light and temperature-dependent high photorespiration. Characteristics of Korea ginseng to hate high temperature was well accordance with an observation 2000 years ago. Korea ginseng showed lower Cp and appeared to be more tolerant to high light intensity and temperature than American sheng although the latter showed greater PS, stomata frequency and conductance, chlorophyll and carotenoids. Px showed lower PS than Pg probably due to higher Cp. Total leaf saponin was higher in leaves grown under high light. Ratio or diol saponin and triol saponin(PT/PD) decreased with increase of light intensity during growing mainly due to decrease of ginsenoside $Rg_1$ but increase of ginsenoside Rd. Leaves of Pg and Px had $Rg_1$ but no $Rb_3$ which was only found as much as $20\%$ of total in Pq leaves, and decreased with increase of light intensity. Re increased in Pg and Px but decreased in Pq with increase of light. PT/PD in leaf ranged 1.0-1.5 in Pg and Px but around 0.5 in Pq. Korea ginseng has Yang characteristics(tolerant to high light and temperature), cultured under Eum(shade) condition and long been used for Yang efficacy (to build up energy) while Pq was quite contrary. Traditional low light $intensity(3-8\%)$ for Korea ginseng culture appeared to be strongly related to historical unique quality. Effect of light quality and photoperiodism was not well known. Experiences are long but scientific knowledge is short for production and quality assessment of ginseng. Recent scientific knowledge of ginseng should learn wisdom from old experiences.