• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.291-299
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• 2023

The benzo[a]pyrene in edible oils is extracted using methods such as Liquid-liquid, soxhlet and ultrasound-assisted extraction. However these extraction methods have significant drawbacks, such as long extraction time and large amount of solvent usage. To overcome these drawbacks, this study attempted to improve the current complex benzo[a]pyrene analysis method by applying the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method that can be analyzed in a simple and short time. The QuEChERS method applied in this study includes extraction of benzo[a]pyrene into n-hexane saturated acetonitrile and n-hexane. After extraction and distribution using magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride, benzo[a]pyrene is analyzed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (LC/FLR). As a result of method validation of the new method, the limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.02 ㎍/kg and 0.05 ㎍/kg, respectively. The calibration curves were constructed using five levels (0.1~10 ㎍/kg) and coefficient (R²) was above 0.99. Mean recovery ratio was ranged from 74.5 to 79.3 % with a relative standard deviation (RSD) between 0.52 to 1.58 %. The accuracy and precision were 72.6~79.4 % and 0.14~7.20 %, respectively. All results satisfied the criteria ranges requested in the Food Safety Evaluation Department guidelines (2016) and AOAC official method of analysis (2023). Therefore, the analysis method presented in this study was a relatively simple pretreatment method compared to the existing analysis method, which reduced the analysis time and solvent use to 92 % and 96 %, respectively.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.319-331
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• 2023

Aminoglycoside antibiotics, also known as aminoglycosides (AGs), are veterinary drugs effective against a wide range of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Owing to their recent use in cultured meats, it has become essential to establish an analytical method for safety management. AGs are highly polar compounds, and ion-pair reagents (IPRs) are used to ensure component separation. Owing to the high possibility of potential mechanical problems resulting from IPR addition to the mobile phase, an analytical method in which IPRs are added directly to the vial was explored. In this study, methods for analyzing 10 AGs via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with the addition of two IPRs were validated for selectivity, detection limit, quantitation limit, recovery, and precision. The detection limit was 0.0001-0.0038 mg/kg, the quantification limit was 0.004-0.011 mg/kg, and the linearity (R²) within the concentration range of 0.01-0.5 mg/kg was over 0.99. Recovery and precision (expressed as relative standard deviation) evaluated in the two matrices (beef and cell culture media) ranged from 70.7% to 120.6% and 0.2% to 24.7%, respectively. The validated AG analytical method was then applied to 15 meats prepared from chicken, beef, and pork, and 6 culture media and additives used in cultured meat. No AGs were detected in any of the 15 meats distributed in Korea; however, streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin were detected at levels ranging from 695.85 to 1152.71 mg/kg and 6.35 to 11.11 mg/kg, respectively, in the culture media additives. The LC-MS/MS method coupled with direct addition of IPRs to the vial can provide useful basic data for AG analysis and safety evaluation of meats as well as culture media and additives for cultured meats.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.12
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• pp.993-1003
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• 2023

Due to the increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the global mean temperature has risen by 1.1℃ compared to pre-industrial levels, and significant changes are expected in functioning of water supply systems. In this study, we assessed impacts of climate change and instreamflow management on water supply reliability in the Geum River basin, Korea. We proposed univariate climate response functions, where mean precipitation and potential evaporation were coupled as an explanatory variable, to assess impacts of climate stress on multiple water supply reliabilities. To this end, natural streamflows were generated in the 19 sub-basins with the conceptual GR6J model. Then, the simulated streamflows were input into the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) model. The dynamic optimization by WEAP allowed us to assess water supply reliability against the 2020 water demand projections. Results showed that when minimizing the water shortage of the entire river basin under the 1991-2020 climate, water supply reliability was lowest in the Bocheongcheon among the sub-basins. In a scenario where the priority of instreamflow maintenance is adjusted to be the same as municipal and industrial water use, water supply reliability in the Bocheongcheon, Chogang, and Nonsancheon sub-basins significantly decreased. The stress tests with 325 sets of climate perturbations showed that water supply reliability in the three sub-basins considerably decreased under all the climate stresses, while the sub-basins connected to large infrastructures did not change significantly. When using the 2021-2050 climate projections with the stress test results, water supply reliability in the Geum River basin was expected to generally improve, but if the priority of instreamflow maintenance is increased, water shortage is expected to worsen in geographically isolated sub-basins. Here, we suggest that the climate response function can be established by a single explanatory variable to assess climate change impacts of many sub-basin's performance simultaneously.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2024

Plant Microbial Fuel Cells (P-MFCs) are biomass-based energy technologies that generate electricity from plant and root microbial communities and are suitable for natural fundamental solutions considering sustainable environments. In order to develop P-MFC technology suitable for domestic waterfront space, it is necessary to analyze international research trends first. Therefore, in this study, 700 P-MFC-related research papers were investigated in Web of Science, and the core keywords were derived using VOSviewer, a word analysis program, and the research trends were analyzed. First, P-MFC-related research has been on the rise since 1998, especially since the mid to late 2010s. The number of papers submitted by each country was "China," "U.S." and "India." Since the 2010s, interest in P-MFCs has increased, and the number of publications in the Philippines, Ukraine, and Mexico, which have abundant waterfront space and wetland environments, is increasing. Secondly, from the perspective of research trends in different periods, 1998-2015 mainly carried out microbial fuel cell performance verification research in different environments. The 2016-2020 period focuses on the specific conditions of microbial fuel cell use, the structure of P-MFC and how it develops. From 2021 to 2023, specific research on constraints and efficiency improvement in the development of P-MFC was carried out. The P-MFC-related international research trends identified through this study can be used as useful data for developing technologies suitable for domestic waterfront space in the future. In addition to this study, further research is needed on research trends and levels in subsectors, and in order to develop and revitalize P-MFC technologies in Korea, research on field applicability should be expanded and policies and systems improved.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2024

To assess the ecological changes of Korean fir (Abies koreana E. H. Wilson) under climate change conditions, growth and physiological responses were analyzed over a 5-year period in a control group (outdoors) and in a treatment group where the temperature and CO2 levels were elevated to closely resemble RCP 4.5 conditions. The results showed an increasing trend in annual branch length of A.koreana in the climate change treatment group over time. While climate change conditions did not significantly impact the morphological differences of A.koreana leaves, they did influence the biomass of the leaves, suggesting that as climate change progresses, the productivity of A.koreana leaves may decline. On the other hand, the chlorophyll content in A.koreana under climate change conditions was higher in the climate change treatment group, whereas the photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, water use efficiency and stomatal conductance was higher in the control group. This suggests that an environment with elevated temperature and CO2 could influence an increase in stomatal density, but having a negative impact on photosynthetic reactions. Further research on stomatal density under each environmental treatment will be required to confirm this hypothesis. Additionally, as this study only observed changes in leaf biomass, further empirical research should be considered to understand the changes in biomass of A.koreana under climate change conditions. In conclusion, the environmental adaptability of A.koreana is expected to weaken in the long term under elevated temperatures and CO2.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2024

In this study, we investigated the migration level of items specified in the Korean Standards and Specifications for Utensils, Containers, and Packages (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Notification) for 50 utensils and hygiene products made of biodegradable resins. Our results revealed that one Polylactide (PLA) baby tableware contained 20 mg/L in consumption of potassium permanganate, exceeding the standard of 10 mg/L or less. In all other samples, formaldehyde, lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) levels could be considered very safe and remained below the standard. Moreover, we tested the PLA baby tablewares (n = 21) for migration into a food simulant (4% v/v acetic acid) upon repeated elution at 100℃ for 30 min or UV irradiation for 2 h. We detected increased formaldehyde and As amounts at the repeated 100℃ treatment for 30 min compared to those upon repeated UV irradiation. However, the migration level was markedly low under both conditions. Furthermore, the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) calculated on an infant-to-child basis from the formaldehyde and As migration at 100℃ for 30 min in the PLA sample was at the maximum value, i.e., 6.0×10^-4 mg/kg b.w./day and 1.3×10^-1 ㎍/kg b.w./day, corresponding to 0.40% and 10.42% of the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI, 0.15 mg/kg b.w./day) and Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI, 9.0 ㎍/kg b.w./week), respectively. Therefore, in this study, we confirmed that biodegradable synthetic resins are safe to use for food.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1082-1094
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of Leuconostoc spp. isolated from radish kimchi and to investigate the potential for the use of functional ingredients by evaluating enzymatic characteristics, safety, and immune-enhancing effects among the isolates, including Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC53103 (LGG) as a control strain. All test strains exhibited β-glucosidase enzyme activity that releases β-1,4 sugar chain bonds. In addition, as a result of antibiotic resistance assay among the isolates, MIC values on 8 antibiotics were below compared to the EFSA standard, and hemolytic experiments confirmed that all showed gamma hemolysis without hemolytic ability. As a result of the antibacterial activity experiment, the Leu. mesenteroides K2-4 strain showed a higher activity than LGG against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, the activity of the NF-kB/AP-1 transcription factor increased when the isolates were treated in macrophage RAW cells. These results were related to increasing the high mRNA expression levels on TNF-α and IL-6 by Leu. mesenteroides K2-4 strain to be treated at low concentration. Consequently, we suggest that it will be useful as a candidate for functional food ingredients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2024

Laying hens are known to be able to 'bio-accumulate' the health-promoting ingredients of their diet into eggs. The purpose of this study was to characterize lignan-rich eggs as functional food fed with Schisandra fruit by-product (SCP). Experimental diets were formulated using yellow corn, rice bran, soybean meal, fish meal, meat bone meal, poultry meal, vitamin premix, mineral premix, CaCO₃, and supplemented Schisandra chinensis by-product. This experiment conducted a completely randomized design with 5 treatments for 5 laying hens. Levels of SCP were fed control diet or each formulated diet containing 1%, 3%, 5% and 7% SCP powder. The weight of eggs and the lignan content in white and yolk of egg were investigated every 7 days. Egg production and egg weight were not affected by diet at less than 5% SCP in the diet, but were significantly reduced when the diet was supplemented with a high concentration of 7% SCP after 3 weeks. Yolks and white in eggs were analyzed by using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the lignans profile. Higher dietary SCP supplementation significantly increased gomisin N and schisandrin C in Acetonitrile (p<0.05). Gomisin N in egg white increased in a concentration-dependent manner, but shisandrin C not detected. These results indicated that the use of SCP powder in layering diets was effective in egg quality and for the production of lignans fortified eggs. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Schisandra by-product with less than 5% can produce lignans-enrich eggs used as functional foods.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the vocabulary and problem-solving ability characteristics of adolescents with developmental disabilities related to leisure and recreation and use them as basic data in education and support of recreation activities for adolescents with developmental disabilities. The study participants were comprised of adolescents with developmental disabilities, divided into two groups based on their receptive language age: those under 10 years old and those 10 years and older. The results obtained through this study are as follows. First, there was a significant difference in leisure and recreation vocabulary between the two groups according to receptive language age. Second, there was a significant difference in problem-solving ability between the two groups based on their receptive language age. Third, the analysis of the correlation between leisure and recreation vocabulary and problem-solving abilities within each group revealed that the under 10 years old group showed the highest correlation in basic vocabulary and basic problem-solving abilities, while the 10 years and older group exhibited the highest correlation in intermediate and advanced levels of problem-solving abilities. Fourth, the analysis of incorrect responses to leisure and recreation vocabulary showed a high rate of selecting vocabulary related to similar topics as incorrect answers. Additionally, the analysis of overreactions to problem-solving abilities indicated an increasing tendency of incorrect responses in items requiring context comprehension. Additionally, the analysis of incorrect responses to problem-solving abilities indicated a tendency of higher error rates in items requiring context comprehension. The results of this study provide insights for discussing directions in communication-related skills education for the smooth recreation life of adolescents with developmental disabilities. Accordingly, it is expected to be utilized as foundational information for educational and support programs aimed at the successful recreation activities of adolescents with developmental disabilities.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.392-401
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• 2023

Corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the world's most important crops, along with wheat and rice, with a global corn production expected to reach 1,154.5 million tons in 2023. Considering this grain production, The generation of corn cob is expected to reach approximately 207.8 million tons in 2023. However, as an agricultural by-product, corn cobs are often considered waste and remain underutilized. Phytosterols, which are abundant in vegetable oils such as corn oil, provide a number of health benefits, including liver health, cholesterol reduction, and protection against chronic diseases such as diabetes. In this study, we investigated the potential of Kwangpyeongok ears, which are commonly used as grain and silage corn in Korea. We also examined the variation in phytosterol content with the maturity of corn ears to identify the optimal time for utilization. At the beginning of physiological maturity, corn cobs had 113.3 mg/100g DW of total phytosterols, which was highest phytosterol abundance during the growth stage. Corn kernels also had the highest phytosterol content at the beginning of physiological maturity. While previous studies on corn bioactive compounds have mainly focused on the kernels, the results of this study highlight that cobs are an excellent source of these compounds. Furthermore, phytosterol levels were influenced by genetic factors and developmental stages, suggesting the to increase the use of cobs as a source of bioactive compounds.