• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2005

Agricultural sciences field in South Korea has many strong points such as numerous researchers, establishment of research infra-structure, excellence in research competitiveness and high technological level. However, there are also many weaknesses including insufficient leadership at related societies and institutes, deficiency of the next generation research group, and insufficiency in research productivity. There are many opportunities including increasing the importance of the biotechnological industry, activating international cooperation researches, and exploring the multitude of possible research areas to be studied. However, some threats still exist, such as pressure from the government of developed countries to open the agricultural market, the decrease of specialized farms, and intensification for researches to gratify economic and social demands. To encourage research activities in the agricultural sciences field in Korea, the following actions and systems are required: 1) formulation of a mid- and a long-term research master plan, 2) development of a database on the man power in related fields, 3) activation of top-down research topics, and associated increase of individual research grants, 4) development of special national programs for basic researches in agricultural sciences, 5) organization of a committee for policy and planning within the related societies, and 6) system development for the fair evaluation of the research results.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2005

Pathogens, insects and weeds have significantly reduced agricultural productivity. Thus, to increase the productivity, synthetic agricultural chemicals have been overused. However, these synthetic compounds that are different from natural products cannot be broken down easily in natural systems, causing the destruction of soil quality and agricultural environments and the gradually difficulty in continuous agriculture. Now agriculture is faced with the various problems of minimizing the damage in agricultural environments, securing the safety of human health, while simultaneously increasing agricultural productivity. Meanwhile, plants produce secondary metabolites to protect themselves from external invaders and to secure their region for survival. Plants infected with pathogens produce antibiotics phytoalexin; monocotyledonous plants produce flavonoids and diterpenoids phytoalexins, and dicotylodoneous plant, despite of infected pathogens, produce family-specific phytoalexin such as flavonoids in Leguminosae, indole derivatives in Cruciferae, sesquitepenoids in Solanaceae, coumarins in Umbelliferae, making the plant resistant to specific pathogen. Growth inhibitor or antifeedant substances to insects are terpenoids pyrethrin, azadirachtin, limonin, cedrelanoid, toosendanin and fraxinellone/dictamnine, and terpenoid-alkaloid mixed compounds sesquiterpene pyridine and norditerpenoids, and azepine-, amide-, loline-, stemofoline-, pyrrolizidine-alkaloids and so on. Also plants produces the substances to inhibit other plant growths to secure the regions for plant itself, which is including terpenoids essential oil and sesquiterpene lactone, and additionally, benzoxazinoids, glucosinolate, quassinoid, cyanogenic glycoside, saponin, sorgolennone, juglone and lots of other different of secondary metabolites. Hence, phytoalexin, an antibiotic compound produced by plants infected with pathogens, can be employed for pathogen control. Terpenoids and alkaloids inhibiting insect growth can be utilized for insect control. Allelochemicals, a compound released from a certain plant to hinder the growth of other plants for their survival, can be also used directly as a herbicides for weed control as well. Therefore, the use of the natural secondary metabolites for pest control might be one of the alternatives for environmentally friendly agriculture. However, the natural substances are destroyed easily causing low the pest-control efficacy, and also there is the limitation to producing the substances using plant cell. In the future, effects should be made to try to find the secondary metabolites with good pest-control effect and no harmful to human health. Also the biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolites have to be elucidated continuously, and the metabolic engineering should be applied to improve transgenics having the resistance to specific pest.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.261-270
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• 2014

This study was conducted to establish the method for preserving chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) that enables long-term storage in liquid nitrogen ($LN_2$) for developmental engineering or preservation of species. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of simple freeze-thaw treatment on viability of PGCs in chickens and to the optimal protocol for PGCs freezing. PGCs obtained from the germinal gonade of an early embryos of 5.5~6 day (stage 28) of Isa Brown, Korean Ogye (KO), White Leghorn and Commercial breeds, using the MACS method were suspended in a freezing medium containing a freezing and protecting agents (e.g. dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG) and propylene glycol (PG)). The gonadal cells, including PGCs, were then frozen in 1 of the following cryoprotectant treatments : 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 0% cryoprotectant (DMSO, EG, PG) as a control. Effects of exposure to simple freezing, with different concentrations of the cryoprotectant solution, were examined. After simple freezing, the viability of PGCs after freeze-thawing was significantly higher for Commercial breeds ($88.7{\pm}2.4%$) than KO ($85.1{\pm}0.4%$), Isa Brown ($84.6{\pm}0.2%$) and White Leghorn ($85.9{\pm}0.1%$) (p<0.05) using 10% EG cryoprotectant. Therefore, these systems may contribute in the improvement of cryopreservation for a scarce species in birds preservation. This study established a method for preserving chicken PGCs that enables systematic storage and labeling of cryopreserved PGCs in liquid ($LN_2$) at a germplasm repository and ease of entry into a database.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.6
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• pp.676-683
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• 2007

In an attempt to develop an efficient method for the propagation of mature Prunus yedoensis (45 to 55 years old), green wood cuttings from normal branch and sprouts branch were treated with three different kinds of auxin (Rootone < 1-naphthylacetamide 0.4% >, IBA 100 ppm, and control and two different kinds of fog systems (0.9 L/min. and 0.54 L/min.). The Rootone treatment showed higher values in the percentage of rootings (PR) and the mean number of roots per cutting (NR) than the IBA treatment in the early stage. However, in the late stage, the values of PR and NR in the Rootone treatment become lower than those in the IBA 100 ppm treatment. On the other hand, root development ceased 62 days after taking cuttings for all of the treatments. The IBA 100 ppm treatment showed the best performance in root development (PR= 89.5%, NR = 6.5, LR=6.4 cm). The values of PR (76.5%) and NR (6.4) in the 0.9 L/min. of fog treatment was higher than those (PR = 71.7% and NR = 5.4) in the 0.54 L/min. of fog treatment. The cuttings from sprouts (PR: 74.8%, NR: 5.9, LR: 5.7 cm) showed slightly better performance in rooting rate that the cuttings from shoots (PR : 73.3%, NR: 5.9, LR: 5.4 cm). Statistically significant interactions were presented among most of the different combinations of three factors (auxin treatments, fog treatments, and types of cuttings). The PR showed the highest value of 98.0% in the combination of cuttings of shoots+IBA 100 ppm+0.54 L/min. fog treatments. In case of NR, the cuttings from normal branch showed a higher value than the cuttings from sprouts branch under the fog treatment of 0.9 L/min., while this tendency was reversed under the fog treatment of 0.54 L/min.. The perigon development of roots, which reflects the number and the direction of roots, was best in the IBA treatment (85.6%).

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.383-388
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• 2010

Identification of natural compounds that can prevent the development of obesity in vivo is time consuming and expensive. We have used in vitro systems derived from pig adipose tissue to screen simple aqueous or ethanolic extracts of Korean medicinal herbs (KMH) for their anti-adipogenic potential. A total of 183 extracts were tested for their actions in lipogenesis of pig adipose tissue and differentiation of pig preadipocytes. Ethanol extracts were prepared from 72 and aqueous extracts were prepared from 111 medicinal herbs. Both an ethanolic and an aqueous extract were prepared from 65 of these. Thirteen extracts substantially altered rates of lipogenesis in vitro. The effects of KMH on lipogenesis of pig adipose tissue are as follows. Elevens reduced lipogenesis to rates that were more than 40% lower than control and four of these reduced rates of lipogenesis by more than 70%. The most potent anti-lipogenic extracts were those obtained in ethanol from Iridaceae and from Sophora flavescens AIT as well as both the aqueous and ethanolic extracts from Lysimachia vulgaris L. Two extracts, those prepared in water from Caesalpiniae lignum and from Phellodendri cortex, were found to promote rates of lipogenesis in vitro. The effects of KMH on differentiation of pig preadoipocytes are as follows. Twentyeight extracts altered the rates of differentiation of cultured porcine preadipocytes. Sixteen increased and twelve reduced the rates of differentiation of preadipocytes. Extracts prepared in ethanol from Moutan radicis cortex and from Ostericum koreanum and those prepared in water from Angelicae gigantis radix, from Inula henenium L and from Magnolia flos doubled the rate of differentiation of cultured porcine preadipocytes. Ten extracts reduced the in vitro rate of differentiation of porcine preadipocytes by more than 35%. These were the ethanolic extracts from Glycyrrizae radix, Nepetae spica and from Polygala myrtifolia and the aqueous extracts from Amaranthaceae, Asparagus cochinchinesis, Atractylodis rhizoma alba, Citrus junos TANAKA, Cyperus rotundus, Epimedium grandiflorum and from Moutan radicis cortex. Only the ethanolic extract from Polygala myrtifolia was able to both reduce lipogenesis in adipose tissue slices and retard differentiation of cultured preadipocytes. The results of our study will provide meaningful information to identify medicinal herbs which would reduce fat deposition in livestocks and humans.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 2011

In 2005, a survey was conducted to identify virus diseases on victory onion, Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum grown in Ulleung island located in the East Sea. A total of 61 samples were collected from victory onion in the neighborhood of Seonginbong. The identification of viruses from the samples were carried out by electron microscopy and RT-PCR using primers species specific to GCLV, LYSV, SLV, OYDV and genus specific to Allexivirus, respectively. From sixty-one samples, filamentous rod particles (600-900 nm) were detected from four victory onion samples in EM, three samples containing SLV and one sample containing both SLV and Allexivirus in RT-PCR analysis, respectively. Victory onions naturally infected by the viruses were asymptomatic apparently. The viruses detected by RT-PCR were further characterized by the nucleotide sequence analysis of the coat protein region. Three isolates of SLV showed approximately 99% identities in the nucleotide and amino acid sequences, suggesting that they were likely to be the same strain. On the other hand, they showed approximately 75.7~83.7% identities in the nucleotide and 89.2~97.0% in amino acid sequences compared with the previously reported SLV isolates in Allium. The CP gene of the Allexivirus showed approximately 99.2% nucleotide identities and 98.8% amino acid identities with Garlic virus A. However, there was relatively low homology ranging from 60.6% to 81.5% compared with other Allexiviruses (GarV-C, GarV-E, GarV-X, GMbMV, and Shal-X). These data suggested that two viruses, SLV and GarV-A identified from victory onion, are named SLV-Ulleungdo and GarV-A-Ulleungdo, respectively. This is the first report of viruses infecting victory onion.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of various cropping system applied with cattle slurry on productivity of sorghum $\times$ sudangrass hybrid (SSH) and environmental pollution in paddy land. cropping systems used in this study were consisted of two designs, such as double-cropping sorghum $\times$ sudangrass hybrid followed by whole crop barley applied with cattle slurry (DSSCS) and mono-cropping sorghum $\times$ sudangrass hybrid followed by hairy vetch used as green manure (MSSGM). The field experiments were conducted on the clay loam at Backsanmyun, Kimje, Chunlabukdo province in Korea for three years (May 2006 to Apr. 2009). This study was arranged in completely randomized design with three replicates. The yield of dry matter (DM) of SSH in DSSCS increased significantly as compared with that of MSSGM (P<0.05). The contents of crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) of SSH were not influenced by cattle slurry and green manure. The pH, and contents of OM, T-N and $P_2O_5$ in soil samples collected from DSSCS after the end of experiment were higher than those of MSSGM. The pH, and contents of OM in DSSCS treatment were remarkably higher than those at the beginning of the experiment (p<0.05). However, The pH, and contents of OM in MSSGM treatment were hardly influenced, as compared with those at the beginning of the experiment. The contents of T-N in soil samples collected both from DSSCS snd MSSGM treatments were remarkably higher than those at the beginning of the experiment (p<0.05). In addition, the concentrations of CEC in soil samples collected at the end of the experiment were remarkably higher than those at the beginning of the experiment (p<0.05). The concentrations of $NO_3$-N, $NH_3$-N and $PO_4$-P in leaching water were hardly influenced by the cropping system and application of cattle slurry.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 2008

An emergy concept was used to evaluate the environment and economy of the estuarine areas of Yeongsan River, Seomjin River, and Han River in Korea. The emergy evaluations clearly showed ecological and socioeconomic characteristics of the estuarine areas that act as ecological and economic centers of surrounding areas. River, tide, and rain provided most of the renewable emergy inputs to the estuarine areas with their contribution to the total emergy input less than 8%. The estuarine areas mostly relied for their operation on the purchased emergy which accounted for $92{\sim}98%$ of the total emergy input to the systems. Emergy indices such as emergy use per unit area, population carrying capacity, environmental loading ratio, and emergy sustainability index revealed that the estuarine areas of Yeongsan River, Seomjin River, and Han River are not sustainable at the current level of economic activities in the areas. The ecological economic values of the environment of the areas were in the range of $7.29{\sim}22.06$ million Em\/ha/yr. They are more than twice that for the whole country, indicating the ecological and economic importance of the eatuarine areas. It is, therefore, urgent to establish and implement estuarine management policies to protect and restore the ecological and economic potentials of the estuarine areas of Yeongsan River, Seomjin River, and Han River. Management plans for the estuarine areas should include both demand-side measures such as reduction of population and economic concentration and consideration of ecological carrying capacity in planning stages for utilization and development of the areas, and supply-side ones such as restoration of degraded ecosystems and construction of new productive ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2013

This study established a method for preserving chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) that enables long-term storage in liquid nitrogen ($LN_2$) for preservation of the species. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Ethylene Glycol (EG) and Propylene Glycol (PG) on viability of cryopreserved PGCs with vitrification in Korean Native Chicken (Ogye), and to fine should be find or to the optimal protocol for PGCs freezing. One of the important components of cryopreservation process is cryopreservation medium that plays a vital role in preventing cellular injury during freeze-thawing. Cryoprotective agents have been known to improve cell viability after freeze-thawing. PGCs obtained from the germinal gonade of 5.5~6 day (stage 28) chick embryos, using the MACS method were suspended in a freezing medium containing a freezing and protecting agents. Gonads were harvested from stage 28 chick embryos and pooled in groups of 10E embryos, contributing gonads to the cell suspension. The gonadal cells, including PGCs, were then frozen in 1 of the following cryoprotectant treatments: 2.5% EG, 5% EG, 10% EG, 2.5% PG, 5% PG, 10% PG, and 0% cryoprotectant as a control. Effects of exposure to vitrification solution and vitrification, with different concentrations of the cryoprotectant solution, were examined. After freezing and thawing, survival rates of the frozen-thawed PGCs from the 0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15% EG plus FBS treatment were 44.24%, 64.51%, 85.63%, 80.51% and 73.52% (p<0.05), respectively. The viability of PGCs after freeze-thawing was significantly higher for 10% EG plus FBS treatment than for 10% PG + FBS treatment (p<0.05)(85.63% vs 66.81%). Therefore, these systems may contribute in the improvement of cryopreservation for a scarce species in birds preservation. This study established a method for preserving chicken PGC that enables systematic storage and labeling of cryopreserved PGCs in liquid N at a germplasm repository and ease of entry into a database. In the future, the importance for this new technology is that poultry lines can be conserved while work is being conducted on improving the production of germline chimeras.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.279-293
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• 2003

Somatic chromosomes about 13 taxa of Korean Euphorbia L. was investigated to estimate its taxonomic significance. Somatic chromosome numbers of treated taxa were 2n= 12, 20, 22, 28, 40, 42, 56, therefore basic chromosome numbers of those were x=6, 7, 10, 11. The chromosome numbers of E. pallasii Turcz. (2n=20), E. hylonoma Hand.-Mazz (2n=20.), E. fauriei H. L$\acute{e}$v. & Vaniot ex H. L$\acute{e}$v (2n=28) and E. jolkini Boiss. (2n=28) were determined for the first time in this study. The chromosome numbers of four taxa were same as previous ones; E. sieboldiana Moor. & Decne. (2n=20), E. ebracteolata Hayata (2n=20), E. humifusa Willd. ex Schlecht. (2n=22). But those of six taxa were different; E. esula L (2n= 16, 20, 60, 64 vs 2n=20), E. helioscopia L. (2n=12, 42 vs 2n=42), E. lucorum Rupr. (2n=28, 40 vs 2n=56), E. pekinensis Rupr. in Maxim. (2n=24 vs 2n=28, 56), E. maculata L. (2n=28, 42 vs 2n=12), E. supina Raf. (n=7 vs 2n=40). E. ebracteolata, E. pallasii and E. hylonoma were distingushcd from the other taxa by the chromosome numbers, size and satellites, E. maculata, E. humifusa, E. supina had the different basic and somatic chromosome numbers in spite of the similar morphological. anatomical and palynological chracters. The chromosomal character of Korean Euphorbia was supported the Ma and Hu's systems, and as above results, it was found to be a good character in delimiting above sections and estimating relationships for some species.