• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2013

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a dry eye test method using a paper based microfluidic device that improves inaccuracy caused by using one of current point-of-care dry eye tests such as Shirmer's. Methods: Wax printed hydrophilic chromatography papers were dyed with anthocyanin extracts to detect colorimetric display of liquid samples with varying pH. Fluid distribution rates were measured using artificial tears and human tears directly from 32 subjects. Results: With Shirmer's, fluid distribution rates with small amount of samples (less than $0.5{\mu}l$) were not displayed. However, with paper based microfluidic device, fluid imbibition distances over time were clearly showed. Also clinical results of dry eye from newly developed paper based microfluidic device showed correlation with the results from tear break up time tests. Conclusions: The newly developed paper based microfluidic devices were easy to use and exhibited more accurate clinical results than current dry eye point of care tests such as Shirmer's.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.373-381
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• 2007

Seed storage proteins (SSPs) are important for seed germination and early seedling growth. We studied the accumulation and degradation profiles of four major Arabidopsis 12S SSPs using a 2-DE scheme combined with mass spectrometric methods. On the 2-DE map of 23 dpa (days post anthesis) siliques, 48 protein spots were identified as putative full-length or partial $\alpha$, $\delta$ subunits. Only 9 of them were found in 12 dpa siliques with none in younger than 8 dpa siliques, indicating that the accumulation of 12S SSPs started after the completion of cell elongation processes both in siliques and in developing seeds. The length and strength of transcription activity for each gene determined the final contents of respective SSP. At the beginning of imbibition, 68 SSP spots were identified while only 2 spots were found at the end of the 4 d germination period, with $\alpha$, subunits degraded more rapidly than the $\alpha$ subunits. The CRC $\delta$ subunit was found to degrade from its C-terminus with conserved sequence motifs. Our data provide an important basis for understanding the nutritional value of developing plant seeds and may serve as a useful platform for other species.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.217-217
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• 2017

Seed priming leading to improved emergences, germination speed and uniformity under unfavorable conditions without loss of longevity are the best level of techniques. We studied the possibility to obtain primed seed with reduced mean germination time (MGT) and uniformity but with simple, fast and effective methods. The experiments were carried out at $15^{\circ}C$ for 16 hours with priming treatment. To compare the effects of each treatment, we used 200mM $CaCl_2$ priming or hydro priming or no imbibition after ultrasonication or red light treatment. The light treatment was performed by irradiating 2000 lux of red light for 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes. Addition, in order to investigate the effect of the priming solution, treated at 200mM $CaCl_2$ for 8 hours. Ultrasonication treatment was performed for 5, 10, and 20 minutes at exposures of 13.0, 17.3, and 21.6 kHz during priming. For liquid smoke (LS) treatment, seed soaked in 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 5.0% and 10.0% of diluted water and 200mM $CaCl_2$ solution. After each treatment, the seeds were dried to moisture content ranged 5-8% at $25^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours. The effect of seed treatment was evaluated with germination percentage (GP), MGT, germination index(GI), germination rate(GR), Germination Uniformity(GU) and heath seed percentage(HS). For several factors tested, we found that the desired germination improvement could be obtained by treating the seed with ultrasonication at 17.3 kHz for 5 minutes in water or red light exposure at 2000 lux for 120 min in water that resulted very similar to those used to 200mM $CaCl_2$ priming for 16 hrs. However, LS treatment showed no improvement in all diluted solution. Therefore, the methods applied ultrasonication and red light treatment showed high potential for fast and easy treatment avoiding pollution of salt solution waste.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 1985

A radioimmunoassay technique has been developed for the determination of abscisic acid (ABA) in crude extracts from germinating rice (Oryza sativa L.). By this method, the changes in ABA level of rice during germination was investigated. The ABA content in rice seeds was found to be 76.5ng/g dry weight in Dong-jin variety and 91.1ng/g dry weight in Sam-gang variety. A rapid decrease in ABA content of rice occurred during germination within 24 hours after seed imbition. The decreasing rate of ABA content during germination showed a significant direct proportion to the imbibition temperature and water-absorbing rate of rice. The decrease in ABA content during germination was found to be caused partly by an elution of ABA from the tissue to the imbibing fluid, and partly by a metabolic conversion of ABA to another compounds. The germination process of rice occurred only when the tissue ABA level decreased below a certain level, and the decreasing rate of ABA level during germination correlated with the ability for germination at low temperature of rice.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.747-749
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• 1999

Various methods for seed treatments have been devised to improve the rate and uniformity of seed germination of gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Standl.). Hydropriming and priming, the imbibition of seeds in distilled water and osmotic solutions respectively, are useful techniques for early establishment of uniform seedlings. In this study, the optimum conditions for hydropriming and priming were determined in gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Standl.) seeds. Effect of hydropriming was compared with those of osmotic priming. Seeds, hydroprimed or primed with 50 mM solution of $KH_2PO_4$ and $KNO_3$ at $30^{\circ}C$ for 2 days, showed shorter $T_{50}$ (number of days to 50% of the final germination percentage) and MDG (mean number of days to germination) than those unprimed. The relative effectiveness of hydropriming and priming in improving the germinability of gourd seeds was more evident when germinated at $20^{\circ}C$ than at $25^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.411-417
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• 2006

This experiment was conducted to study whether priming with deep sea water results in enhancement of seed germination and to identify the optimum concentration of the priming solution, and duration of priming using sweet pepper (Cv. California wonder), rice (Cv. Ilpum) and ginseng seed. Sweet pepper and rice seeds were primed with 5 various concentrations (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 30%) for deep sea water for 48 hours, 24 hours and 12 hours at $25^{\circ}C$ and ginseng seeds in 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%, and 2,4,6, and 8 electrical conductivity (EC) which were made by desalinating deep sea water. Priming in deep sea water (DSW) improved the early and final germination percentage, mean germinal on rate, emergence percentage and root and shoot length, compared with plain water, $KNO_3$ and without priming treatments. In sweet pepper, 24 hours priming with 5 percentage DSW significantly improved the early germination percentage and radical length. It has also improved the mean germination and emergence days and early emergence percentage, compared with $KNO_3$ and control. Whereas, in rice, 48 hours priming with 10 percent DSW significantly improved the early germination percentage, plumule emergence percentage, root length and shoot height. Hence the best seed priming treatment on sweet pepper and Rice are 24 hours with 5 percentage DSW and 48 hours with 10 percentage DSW, respectively, whereas in ginseng, priming with EC4, EC8 and 25% DSW had shown better germination.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1999.07a
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• pp.63-67
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• 1999

We have isolated more than a dozen cDNA clones corresponding to genes that were expressed in Arabidopsis leaves when they were kept in the dark. The nucleotide sequence analysis showed that some of the clones encoded proteins with significant homology to $\beta$-glucosidase (din2), branched-chain $\alpha$-keto acid dehydrogenase subunit E1$\beta$(din3), and another subunit E2 (din4), yeast RAD23 (din5), asparagine synthetase (din6), pre-mRNA splicing factor SRp35 (din7), phosphomannose isomerase (din9), seed imbibition protein (din10), and 2-oxoacid-dependent oxidase (din11). Accumulation of transcripts from din3,4,6 and 10 occurred rapidly after the plants were transferred to darkness. Transcripts from din2,9, and 11 could be detected only after 24 h of dark treatment. Inhibition of photo-synthesis by DCMU strongly induced the accumulation of transcripts from those genes, and application of sucrose to detached leaves suppressed the accumulation both in the dark and by DCMU. These observations indicate that expression of the genes is caused by sugar starvation resulted from the cessation of photosynthesis. We further showed that din2-encoded protein also accumulated in senescing leaves. Given these results, possible roles of din genes in leaves in the dark and senescing leaves are discussed.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2002

Antibodies raised against the purified p-subunit of $\beta$-conglycinin were used in immunohistochemical studies to monitor the pattern of $\beta$-conglycinin mobilization in the cotyledons during soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed germination. Western blot analysis revealed that the break down of the $\beta$-subunit of $\beta$-conglycinin commenced as early as 2 days after seed imbibition (DAI). Concurrent with the degradation of the $\beta$-subunit of $\beta$-conglycinin, accumulation of 48, 28, and 26 kD proteolytic intermediates was observed from 2 to 6 DAI. Western blot analysis also revealed that the acidic subunit of glycinin was mobilized earlier than the basic subunit. The basic glycinin subunit was subjected to proteolysis within 2 DAI resulting in the appearance of an intermediate product approximately 2 kD smaller than the native basic glycinin subunit. In contrast to the major seed storage proteins, lipoxygenase was subjected to limited proteolysis and was detected even after 8 DAI. The first sign of $\beta$-conglycinin breakdown was observed near the vascular strands and proceeded from the vascular strands towards the epidermis. Protein A-gold localization studies using thin sections of soybean cotyledons and antibodies raised against the $\beta$-subunit of $\beta$-conglycinin revealed intense labeling over protein bodies. A pronounced decrease in the protein A-gold labeling intensity over protein bodies was observed at later stages of seed germination. The protein bodies, which were converted into a large central vacuole by 8 DAI, contained very little 7S protein as evidenced by sparse protein A-gold labeling in the vacuoles.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.421-426
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• 2008

Freshly harvested seed of Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.; CMV) was strongly dormant because of hardseedness. Seeds of freshly harvested germinated only 8% while clipping the seed coat completely overcome the innate dormancy, which indicates inhibition of germination of the seed is mainly due to seed coat (87%). The dormant (intact) hard seeds did not imbibe water whereas the non-dormant (clipped) seeds took up rapidly. In natural environment condition, the hard seed coat dormancy was broken only after 5 months after seed harvest. To break such a strong seed coat dormancy, the chemical and heat treatments were effective. Concentrated sulfuric acid was more effective than dry heat and hot water treatments. Hot water treatment improved germination but the germination percentage was less than 41%. Treatments increased germination due to its effect on the seed coat integrity. A scanning electron microscope reveled that disruption of seed coat layers and subsequent development of numerous crack in the hilum region of the seed and on the seed coat surface of concentrated sulfuric acid treatment and formation of cracks in the dry heat treatments, respectively, were observed in the seed coat surface, which served as water entry points.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1622-1628
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• 2006

Bacteria from the Methylobacterium genus, called pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria (PPFMs), are common inhabitants of plants, potentially dominating the phyllosphere population, and are also encountered in the rhizosphere, seeds, and other parts of plants, being versatile in nature. The consistent success of the Methylobacterium plant association relies on methylotrophy, the ability to utilize the one-carbon compound methanol emitted by plants. However, the efficiency of Methylobacterium in plant growth promotion could be better exploited and thus has attracted increasing interest in recent years. Accordingly, the present study investigated the inoculation effects of Methylobacterium sp. strains CBMB20 and CBMB 110 on seed imbibition to tomato and red pepper on the growth and accumulation of phytohormone levels under gnotobiotic conditions. Seeds treated with the Methylobacterium strains showed a significant increase in root length when compared with either the uninoculated control or Methylobacterium extorquens $miaA^-$ knockout mutanttreated seeds. Extracts of the plant samples were used for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), trans-zeatin riboside (t-ZR), and dihydrozeatin riboside (DHZR) assays by immunoanalysis. The treatment with Methylobacterium sp. CBMB20 or CBMB 110 produced significant increases in the accumulation of IAA and the cytokinins t-ZR and DHZR in the red pepper extracts, whereas no IAA was detected in the tomato extracts, although the cytokinin concentrations were significantly increased. Therefore, this study proved that the versatility of Methylobacterium as a plant-growth promoting bacteria could be better exploited.