• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2002

In order to analyze the life cycle of A. artemisiifolia var. elation dormancy and some environmental factors inducing germination of the seeds were examined. The results were as follows : Dormancy of fertile seeds was broken in part within a month after seed collection in case of adequate moisture and alternating temperature was also effective in breaking dormancy. The temperature range, which allow germination was 12℃ ∼ 32℃. Optimum temperature for germination was 24℃. The seed of A. artemisiifolia var. elatior was light-independent. The difference of storage period appeared to have no particular effect on the viability of seeds at any time during the 9-month storage period. In the increasing temperature(IT) regime, A artemisiifolia var. elatior seeds started to germinate at 16℃, showing the higher temperature the greater germination rate, the final germination percentage was 99.34%. On the other hand, in the decresing temperature(DT) regime, seeds began to germinate at 20℃ with the 1.34% germination. An induced dormancy occurred at 12℃ making the 5.34% fecal germination in the DT regime. Low temperature was more effective to break dormancy than higher temperature Seeds of A. artemisiifolia var. elatior seems to be germinated in mid to late autumn or germination delayed until following spring. The above results suggest these variation of germination response in diverse environmental factors seems to be a physiological strategy to maintain their existence and to reproduce in the extreme thermal variation.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.393-400
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• 2016

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of germination temperature, storage container and storage temperature on Scrophularia buergeriana and Scrophularia takesimensis seeds. Methods and Results: Seed lengths of both species were 0.8 mm, while seed width differed, with S. buergeriana measuring 0.5 mm and S. takesimensis measuring 0.4 mm. The seeds of S. buergeriana were packaged in paper containers under room temperature ($15^{\circ}C$), cold temperature ($4^{\circ}C$), and freeze temperature ($-20^{\circ}C$). These seeds exhibited around 80% germination rate at temperatures between $15^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$. The germiantion rate of S. takesimensis, on the other hand, differed significantly at different germination temperatures. Seeds of S. takesimensis which were packaged in vinyl and paper containers and stored under room and cold temperatures, exhibited around 80% germination rate at $15^{\circ}C$. However, the germination rate of freeze-stored seeds were decreased to lower than 20% at germination temperatures of $15^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$ germiantion conditions. The rate of germination showed a low positive to a significantly negativie correlation with the other factor that were determined to evaluate the germination performance. Conclusions: This study elucidates the most suitable germination and storage conditions to increase the germination rate for the two species of Scrophularia buergeriana and Scrophularia takesimensis needs to be stored in paper containers under cold temperature and requires a temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ for germination. On the other hand, S. takesimensis in vinyl containers need to be stored at room temperature and those in paper containers at cold temperature, and a temperature of $15^{\circ}C$ is required for germination.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.213-219
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• 2004

Soybean plants were exposed to HTO vapor in an exposure box for 1 hour at different growth stages. Relative concentrations of TFWT at the end of exposure (percent ratios of TFWT concentrations to mean HTO concentrations in air moisture in the box during exposure) decreased on the whole in the order of leaf > shell > seed > stem with the highest values of 40.2% and 6.4% for leaf and stem, respectively. TFWT concentrations reduced by factors of several thousands to several hundred-thousands from the end of exposure till the harvest. The reduction factor decreased in the order of leaf > shell > seed > stem. Relative OBT concentrations at harvest (ratios of the OBT concentration in the dry plant part at harvest to the initial leaf TFWT concentration, ml $g^{-1}$) were in the range of $2.2{\times}10^{-5}{\sim}9.5{\times}10^{-3}$ for seeds being the highest when the exposure was performed at the actively seed-developing stage. The exposure time-dependent variation in the OBT concentration was much greater in seeds and shells than in leaves and stems. It was indicated that OBT would contribute to almost all the radiation dose due to the consumption of soybean seeds in most cases after an acute exposure of growing plants to HTO vapor. Present results are applicable to establishing and validating soybean $^3H$ models for an acute accidental release of HTO.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.635-641
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• 2011

Anti-atherogenic effects in tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) are involved with suppressed oxidative stress, cell adhesion molecules, and pro-inflammatory factors. The aim of this study was to determine whether green tea seed coat ethyl acetate fraction (GTSCE) could modulate cell adhesion molecules and inflammatory mediators in HUVEC stimulated with TNF-${\alpha}$. Nitric oxide (NO) production was significantly increased in TNF-${\alpha}$-stimulated HUVEC compared to TNF-${\alpha}$ only treated cells. The NO that is produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase dilates blood vessels and has protective effects against platelet and leucocyte adhesion. GTSCE at 25, 50, 75, and $100\;{\mu}g$/mL significantly (p<0.05) reduced TNF-${\alpha}$ production. GTSCE significantly (p<0.05) inhibited soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 level, in a dose-dependent manner. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 level was also significantly (p<0.05) inhibited by GTSCE treatment at $75\;{\mu}g$/mL compared to the TNF-${\alpha}$-only treated group. Total antioxidant capacity by GTSCE was significantly (p<0.05) enhanced compared to the TNF-${\alpha}$-only treated group. These results suggest that GTSCE can inhibit the production of cell adhesion molecules and inflammatory mediators and could be used as a candidate bioactive material to prevent the development of atherosclerosis.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.77-82
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• 2015

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate of the anti-inflammatory effects of Schisandra chinensis seed oil(SSO) on the production of pro-inflammatory substances in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.Methods : SSO was measured the production of pro-inflammatory factor (NO, PGE2, IL-1β iNOS and, COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. we used the following methods : cell viability assay, Griess reagent assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting analysis.Results : The cell viability of SSO(0∼500 μl/mL) processing group was 96.9% and the processing of SSO didn't have an effect on the cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effect of the nitric oxide (no) production of SSO(500 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL) was each 70.3%, 37.6% and 26.5%. IL-1β production inhibition ability of SSO(500 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL) was each 49.88% and 48.8%. PGE2 production inhibition ability of SSO(500 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL) was each 49.88% and 73.1%, 70.5%. By using SSO, it experimented about iNOS protein expression inhibition ability, that is the NO production enzyme. iNOS protein expression increased in the group processing LPS independently. iNOS protein expression decreased in the group processing SSO together. The expression of the COX-2 protein decreased 89.6%, 81.8% in the group processing SSO. The significance was in the relationship with NO formation inhibition with the relationship with the PGE₂ formation inhibition and iNOS protein, it confirmed in SSO with the COX-2 protein.Conclusions : Stimulation of the RAW 264.7 cells with LPS caused an elevated production of nitric oxide (NO), IL-1β and PGE₂ which was markedly inhibited by the pretreatment with SSO without causing any cytotoxic effects. The reduced expressions of iNOS protein were consistent with the reductions in NO production in the culture media. SSO may be useful for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.378-386
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• 2018

GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR (GRF) genes encode plant-specific transcription factors and play critical roles in regulating the growth and development of lateral organs. In order to explore the agricultural potential of Brassica rapa GRF genes (BrGRFs), we constructed two BrGRF-overexpressing B. napus plants (BrGRF3-1OX and -9OX). BrGRF3-1OX and -9OX developed larger cotyledons, leaves, and seeds than the wild type. The increased organs' sizes were due to increases in cell number, but not due to cell size alterations. RT-PCR analysis revealed that BrGRFs regulated the expression of a wide range of genes that are involved in gibberellin-, auxin-, cell division-related growth processes. Taken together, our data indicate that BrGRFs act as positive regulators of B. napus growth, thus raising the possibility that they may serve as a useful genetic source for crop improvement with respect to organ size and seed production.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.8-9
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• 2017

Soybean yield has been low and unstable in Japan and other areas in East Asia, despite long history of cultivation. This is contrasting with consistent increase of yield in North and South America. This presentation tries to describe perspective of breaking stagnation of soybean yield in East Asia, considering the factors of the different yields between regions. Large amount of rainfall with occasional dry-spell in the summer is a nature of monsoon climate and as frequently stated excess water is the factor of low and unstable soybean yield. For example, there exists a great deal of field-to-field variation in yield of 'Tanbaguro' soybean, which is reputed for high market value and thus cultivated intensively and this results in low average yield. According to our field survey, a major portion of yield variation occurs in early growth period. Soybean production on drained paddy fields is also vulnerable to drought stress after flowering. An analysis at the above study site demonstrated a substantial field-to-field variation of canopy transpiration activity in the mid-summer, but the variation of pod-set was not as large as that of early growth. As frequently mentioned by the contest winners of good practice farming, avoidance of excess water problem in the early growth period is of greatest importance. A series of technological development took place in Japan in crop management for stable crop establishment and growth, that includes seed-bed preparation with ridge and/or chisel ploughing, adjustment of seed moisture content, seed treatment with mancozeb+metalaxyl and the water table control system, FOEAS. A unique success is seen in the tidal swamp area in South Sumatra with the Saturated Soil Culture (SSC), which is for managing acidity problem of pyrite soils. In 2016, an average yield of $2.4tha^{-1}$ was recorded for a 450 ha area with SSC (Ghulamahdi 2017, personal communication). This is a sort of raised bed culture and thus the moisture condition is kept markedly stable during growth period. For genetic control, too, many attempts are on-going for better emergence and plant growth after emergence under excess water. There seems to exist two aspects of excess water resistance, one related to phytophthora resistance and the other with better growth under excess water. The improvement for the latter is particularly challenging and genomic approach is expected to be effectively utilized. The crop model simulation would estimate/evaluate the impact of environmental and genetic factors. But comprehensive crop models for soybean are mainly for cultivations on upland fields and crop response to excess water is not fully accounted for. A soybean model for production on drained paddy fields under monsoon climate is demanded to coordinate technological development under changing climate. We recently recognized that the yield potential of recent US cultivars is greater than that of Japanese cultivars and this also may be responsible for different yield trends. Cultivar comparisons proved that higher yields are associated with greater biomass production specifically during early seed filling, in which high and well sustained activity of leaf gas exchange is related. In fact, the leaf stomatal conductance is considered to have been improved during last a couple of decades in the USA through selections for high yield in several crop species. It is suspected that priority to product quality of soybean as food crop, especially large seed size in Japan, did not allow efficient improvement of productivity. We also recently found a substantial variation of yielding performance under an environment of Indonesia among divergent cultivars from tropical and temperate regions through in a part biomass productivity. Gas exchange activity again seems to be involved. Unlike in North America where transpiration adjustment is considered necessary to avoid terminal drought, under the monsoon climate with wet summer plants with higher activity of gas exchange than current level might be advantageous. In order to explore higher or better-adjusted canopy function, the methodological development is demanded for canopy-level evaluation of transpiration activity. The stagnation of soybean yield would be broken through controlling variable water environment and breeding efforts to improve the quality-oriented cultivars for stable and high yield.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.71-86
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• 2014

Macronutrients ($Na^+$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$), yield and yield components, bioaccumulation and translocation of metal in plant parts of three Vigna species (V. cylindrica, V. mungo, V. radiata) were evaluated at 0, 50, 100 and $150mgkg^{-1}$ soil of Nickel (Ni). A marked inhibition (p < 0.001) in the distribution of various macronutrients was noticed in these Vigna species except for $Mg^{2+}$ content of the shoot and leaves. Similarly, all species retained more $Ca^{2+}$ in their roots (p < 0.05) as compared to the aerial tissues. Ni induced a drastic decline (p < 0.001) for various yield and yield attributes except for 100 seed weight. Toxicity and accumulation of Ni in plant tissues considerably increased in a concentration dependent manner. Vigna species signify an exclusion approach for Ni tolerance as both bioaccumulation factor (BF) and translocation factor (TF) were less than 1.0. The Ni content of plants being root > shoot > leaves > seeds. Scoring for percentage stimulation and inhibition (respective to control) at varying levels of Ni revealed tolerance of the species in an order of V. radiata > V. cylindrica > V. mungo. The acquisition of Ni tolerance in V. radiata seems to occur through an integrated mechanism of metal tolerance that includes sustainable macronutrients uptake, stronger roots due to greater deposition of $Ca^{2+}$in the roots, restricted transfer of Ni to above ground tissues and seeds as well as exclusion capacity of the roots to bind appreciable amount of metal to them. Thus, metal tolerant potential of V. radiata could be of great significance to remediate metal contaminated soil owing lesser impact of Ni on macro-nutrients, hence the yield.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.82-85
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• 2011

Bakanae disease symptom were observed in barnyard grass in paddy field in Heanam, Jeonnam. The infected plants were blighted and white mass of spore were formed on the stem. Fusarium species were isolated from infected stem and the isolates were identified as Fusarium fujikuroi based on their morphological and molecular characteristics. The isolates of F. fujikuroi were assigned to reference of F. fujikuroi among related Fusarium species based on the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene sequence. Pathogenicity of the fungal isolates was confirmed on seedlings of rice and barnyard grass by artificial inoculation. The results indicated that barnyard grass can be inoculum source of Bakanae disease on rice. Thus, effective weed management is necessary to Bakanae disease control and healthy seed production.

• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.338-351
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• 2003

UV radiation is the most dangerous stress factor among permanent environmental impacts on human skin. Consequences of UV exposure are aberrant tissue architecture, alterations in skin cells including functional changes. Nowadays new kinds of outdoor leisure-time activities and changing environmental conditions make the question of sun protection more important than ever. It is necessary to recognize that self-confident consumers do not consider to change their way of life, they demand modern solutions on the basis of new scientific developments. In the past one fundamental principle of cosmetics was the use of physical and organic filter systems against damaging UV-rays. Today new research results demonstrate that natural protecting cell mechanisms can be activated. Suitable biological actives strongly support the protection function not from the surface but from the inside of the cell. A soy seed preparation (SSP) was proven to stimulate natural skin protective functions. The major functions are an increased energy level and the prevention of DNA damage. These functions can I be defined as biological UV protection. The tumor suppressor protein p53 plays a key role in the regulation of DNA repair. p53 must be transferred into the phosphorylated form to work as transcription factor for genes which are regulating the cell cycle or organizing DNA repair. A pretreatment with SSP increases the phosphorylation rate of p53 of chronically UV-irradiated human keratinocytes significantly. According to the same test procedure SSP induces a dramatic increase in the expression of the tumor suppressor protein p14$^{ARF}$ that is supporting the p53 activity by blocking the antagonist of p53, the oncoprotein Mdm2. Mdm2, a ubiquitin E3-ligase, downregulates p53 and at the same time it prevents phosphorylation of p53. The positive influence of the tumor suppressor proteins explains the stimulation of DNA repair and prevention of sunburn cell formation by SSP, which was proven in cell culture experiments. In vivo the increased skin tolerance against UV irradiation by SSP could be confirmed too. We have assumed, that an increased repair potential provides full cell functionality.y.