• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.376-386
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• 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbial hazards posed by food utensils and fixtures in food service operations at selected middle and high schools located in Seoul, Korea. Methods: We collected 200 samples of utensils and fixtures including cups, spoons/chopsticks, food trays and tables from five different schools in Seoul. Target microorganisms of this study were divided into two groups: total bacterial count and total coliform as indicators of microbial contamination and Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus as pathogens of food poisoning. We used selective media to quantify microbial concentration and 16S rRNA PCR assay for qualitative analysis. In addition, intensive interviews with nutritionists were conducted and observations were made to identify factors that may affect microbial contamination. Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between the microbial concentration and operation characteristics of each operation. Results: The level of microbial concentration in school B and C were significantly lower than in school A, D and E (p<0.05). Some samples from school A, D and E showed over 3.4 log CFU/100 $cm^2$ (total bacterial count) and 1.0 log CFU/100 $cm^2$ (total coliform), which requires immediate hygienic action. The number of customers per staff member, periodicity of hygiene education for staff and daily operation time of sterilizers were also found to be important factors related with the microbial contamination of food service operations. Conclusions: These results suggested that not only a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) approach, but also efforts to assess internal risk factors within operations be needed to reduce the microbial contamination of food utensils and fixtures. This study is expected to provide preliminary data for assessing microbial hazards in food service operations.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2016

The biodegradable film application can escape from plastic environmental pollution. This experiments studied the effect of biodegradable mulch film on the soil microbial community using fatty acid methyl ester method in soybean production field. The soil $NO_3$-N content in polyethylene mulch film (PE) soil was significantly higher than biodegradable mulch film soil (p < 0.05). The soil microbial community of Gram negative bacteria showed significantly higher in biodegradable mulch film soil than PE mulch film soil (p < 0.05). In addition, biodegradable mulch film soil had significantly low ratio of cy17:0 to $16:1{\omega}7c$ and cy19:0 to $18:1{\omega}7c$ compared with those of PE mulch film soil (p < 0.05), indicating that microbial stress decreased. The ratio of cy17:0 to $16:1{\omega}7c$ and cy19:0 to $18:1{\omega}7c$ should be considered as a potential responsible factor for the obvious differentiation that was observed between the biodegradable mulch film soil and PE mulch film soil in a upland field. The results of this experimentation show the potential of using biodegradable mulch film in place of PE.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.457-463
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• 2011

This study was carried out to compare the toxicity of nano and micrometer particles with Cu and Zn on soil microbial community and metal uptake of buck wheat. In microcosm system, soil was incubated for 14 days after soil aliquots were artificially contaminated with 1,000 mg/kg Cu, Zn nano and micro particles, respectively. After then, buck wheat was planted in incubating soils and non incubating soils. After 14 days, we compared bioaccumulation of metal, and microbial carbon substrate utilization patterns between incubating soils and non-incubating soils. The enrichment factor (EF) values of incubating samples were greater than non-incubating soils. Dehydrogenase activity had been inhibited by Cu and Zn nanoparticles in non-incubating soil, as well as it had been inhibited by Zn micro particles in incubating soils. Results of biolog test, it was not significant different between nano particles and micro particles. It cannot be generalized that nanoparticles of metal are always more toxic to soil microbial activity and diversity than micrometer-sized particles and the toxicity needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2014

Nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) are predominant Fusarium-producing mycotoxins found in grains, which are mainly produced by Fusarium asiaticum and F. graminearum. NIV is found in most of cereals grown in Korea, but the genetic basis for NIV production by F. asiaticum has not been extensively explored. In this study, 12 genes belonging to the trichothecene biosynthetic gene cluster were compared at the transcriptional level between two NIV-producing F. asiaticum and four DON-producing F. graminearum strains. Chemical analysis revealed that time-course toxin production patterns over 14 days did not differ between NIV and DON strains, excluding F. asiaticum R308, which was a low NIV producer. Both quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Northern analysis revealed that the majority of TRI gene transcripts peaked at day 2 in both NIV and DON producers, which is 2 days earlier than trichothecene accumulation in liquid medium. Comparison of the gene expression profiles identified an NIV-specific pattern in two transcription factor-encoding TRI genes (TRI6 and TRI10) and TRI101, which showed two gene expression peaks during both the early and late incubation periods. In addition, the amount of trichothecenes produced by both DON and NIV producers were correlated with the expression levels of TRI genes, regardless of the trichothecene chemotypes. Therefore, the reduced production of NIV by R308 compared to NIV or DON by the other strains may be attributable to the significantly lower expression levels of the TRI genes, which showed early expression patterns.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1158-1163
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• 2011

The present study was aimed to evaluate the soil microbial communities by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) method in paddy soils at 20 sites in Gyeongnam Province. The soil microbial biomass carbon content of fan and valley $1,266mg\;kg^{-1}$ was higher than alluvial plain $578mg\;kg^{-1}$ (p<0.05). In addition, The dehydrogenase activity of fan and valley $204{\mu}g\;TPF\;g^{-1}\;24h^{-1}$ was higher than alluvial plain $93{\mu}g\;TPF\;g^{-1}\;24h^{-1}$ (p<0.05). The communities of total bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria in the fan and valley paddy soils were significantly higher than those in the alluvial plain paddy soils (p<0.05). Total bacteria communities should be considered as a potential responsible factor for the obvious microbial community differentiation that was observed between the fan and valley and alluvial plain in paddy soils.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.2025-2030
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• 2010

When $Cu^{2+}$ was used as an electron acceptor, removal of $Cu^{2+}$ was achieved from the synthesized wastewater (SW) in the cathode compartment of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). By addition of $KNO_3$, the different initial pH of the SW showed no effect on the removal efficiency of $Cu^{2+}$. For $Cu^{2+}$ concentration of 50 mg/L the removal efficiencies were found to be 99.82%, 99.95%, 99.58%, and 99.97% for the $KNO_3$ concentrations of 0, 50, 100 and 200 mM, and to be 99.4%, 99.9%, 99.7%, and 99.7% for pH values of 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. More than 99% $Cu^{2+}$ was removed for the $Cu^{2+}$ concentrations of 10, 50, and 100 mg/L, while only 60.1% of $Cu^{2+}$ was removed for the initial concentration of 200 mg/L (pH 3). The maximum power density was affected by both $KNO_3$ concentration and initial concentration of $Cu^{2+}$. It was increased by a factor of 1.5 (from 96.2 to 143.6 mW/$m^2$) when the $KNO_3$ concentration was increased from 0 to 200 mM (50 mg/L $Cu^{2+}$), and by a factor of 2.7 (from 118 to 319 mW/$m^2$) when $Cu^{2+}$ concentration was increased from 10 to 200 mg/L (pH 3).

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.693-702
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• 2010

This study was carried out in order to investigate the colorimetric values, the color sensation and sensibility for naturally dyed fabrics with microbial prodiginine colorant and to find out the relationship among color sensation, color sensibility factors and colorimetric properties of them. Color sensation and sensibility of four different fabric stimuli coloring red purple by a microbial prodiginine colorant produced from Zooshikella sp. were subjectively evaluated by university students. The color sensibility for the naturally dyed fabrics was classified into four factors: 'pleasantness', 'gracefulness', 'characteristic' and 'relax'. Color sensibility factor 'pleasantness' was the dominant factor for the naturally dyed fabrics with microbial prodiginine colorant. All color sensibility factors showed a significant correlations with the color sensation and colorimetric properties of the dyed fabrics with prodiginine. There were showed significant relationships between the color sensibility factors and lightness $L^{\ast}$, color saturation $C^{\ast}$, $a^{\ast}$ and $b^{\ast}$. Also, color preference of the dyed fabrics with prodiginine was found to be influenced mainly by color sensibility factors.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.529-536
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of levels of cottonseed meal with various carbohydrate sources in concentrate on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in dairy bulls. Four, 6 months old dairy bulls were randomly assigned to receive four dietary treatments according to a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. Factor A was carbohydrate source; cassava chip (CC) and cassava chip+rice bran in the ratio of 3:1 (CR3:1), and factor B was cotton seed meal levels in the concentrate; 109 g CP/kg (LCM) and 328 g CP/kg (HCM) at similar overall CP levels (490 g CP/kg). Bulls received urea-lime treated rice straw ad libitum and were supplemented with 10 g of concentrate/kg BW. It was found that carbohydrate source and level of cotton seed meal did not have significant effects on ruminal pH, ammonia nitrogen concentration, microbial protein synthesis or feed intake. Animals which received CC showed significantly higher BUN concentration, ruminal propionic acid and butyric acid proportions, while dry matter, organic matter digestibility, populations of total viable bacteria and proteolytic bacteria were lower than those in the CR3:1 treatment. The concentration of total volatile fatty acids was higher in HCM than LCM treatments, while the concentration of butyric acid was higher in LCM than HCM treatments. The population of proteolytic bacteria with the LCM treatments was higher than the HCM treatments; however other bacteria groups were similar among the different levels of cotton seed meal. Bulls which received LCM had higher protein digestibility than those receiving HCM. Therefore, using high levels of cassava chip and cotton seed meal might positively impact on energy and nitrogen balance for the microbial population in the rumen of the young dairy bull.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1163-1174
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• 2021

Casein-derived antioxidant peptides by using microbial proteases have gained increasing attention. Combination of two microbial proteases, Protin SD-NY10 and Protease A "Amano" 2SD, was employed to hydrolyze casein to obtain potential antioxidant peptides that were identified by LC-MS/MS, chemically synthesized and characterized in a oxidatively damaged HepG2 cell model. Four peptides, YQLD, FSDIPNPIGSEN, FSDIPNPIGSE, YFYP were found to possess high 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability. Evaluation with HepG2 cells showed that the 4 peptides at low concentrations (< 1.0 mg/ml) protected the cells against oxidative damage. The 4 peptides exhibited different levels of antioxidant activity by stimulating mRNA and protein expression of the antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), but decreasing the mRNA expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). Furthermore, these peptides decreased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), but increased glutathione (GSH) production in HepG2 cells. Therefore, the 4 casein-derived peptides obtained by using microbial proteases exhibited different antioxidant activity by activating the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway, and they could serve as potential antioxidant agents in functional foods or pharmaceutic preparation.

• Journal of Preventive Veterinary Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.143-147
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• 2018

The present study aimed to develop growth prediction models of Listeria monocytogenes in processed meat products, such as mixed pressed hams, to perform accurate microbial risk assessments. Considering cold storage temperatures and the amount of time in the stages of consumption after opening, the growth of L. monocytogenes was determined as a function of temperature at 0, 5, 10, and $15^{\circ}C$, and time at 0, 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days. Based on the results of these measurements, a Baranyi model using the primary model was developed. The input parameters of the Baranyi equation in the variable temperature for polynomial regression as a secondary model were developed: $SGR=0.1715+0.0199T+0.0012T^2$, $LT=5.5730-0.3215T+0.0051T^2$ with $R^2$ values 0.9972 and 0.9772, respectively. The RMSE (Root mean squared error), $B_f$ (bias factor), and $A_f$ (accuracy factor) on the growth prediction model were determined to be 0.30, 0.72, and 1.50 in SGR (specific growth rate), and 0.10, 0.84, and 1.35 in LT (lag time), respectively. Therefore, the model developed in this study can be used to determine microorganism growth in the stages of consumption of mixed pressed hams and has potential in microbial risk assessments (MRAs).