• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.140-147
• /
• 2019

An analytical method was developed for the determination of quinoxyfen in agricultural products using the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The samples were extracted with 1% acetic acid in acetonitrile and water was removed by liquid-liquid partitioning with $MgSO_4$ (anhydrous magnesium sulfate) and sodium acetate. Dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) cleanup was carried out using $MgSO_4$, PSA (primary secondary amine), $C_{18}$ (octadecyl) and GCB (graphitized carbon black). The analytes were quantified and confirmed by using LC-MS/MS in positive mode with MRM (multiple reaction monitoring). The matrix-matched calibration curves were constructed using six levels ($0.001-0.25{\mu}g/mL$) and the coefficient of determination ($R^2$) was above 0.99. Recovery results at three concentrations (LOQ, 10 LOQ, and 50 LOQ, n=5) were in the range of 73.5-86.7% with RSDs (relative standard deviations) of less than 8.9%. For inter-laboratory validation, the average recovery was 77.2-95.4% and the CV (coefficient of variation) was below 14.5%. All results were consistent with the criteria ranges requested in the Codex guidelines (CAC/GL 40-1993, 2003) and Food Safety Evaluation Department guidelines (2016). The proposed analytical method was accurate, effective and sensitive for quinoxyfen determination in agricultural commodities. This study could be useful for the safe management of quinoxyfen residues in agricultural products.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.115-123
• /
• 2019

An analytical method was developed for the determination of fenpropimorph, a morpholine fungicide, in hulled rice, potato, soybean, mandarin and green pepper using QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) sample preparation and LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). The QuEChERS extraction was performed with acetonitrile followed by addition of anhydrous magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride. After centrifugation, d-SPE (dispersive solid phase extraction) cleanup was conducted using anhydrous magnesium sulfate, primary secondary amine sorbents and graphitized carbon black. The matrix-matched calibration curves were constructed using seven concentration levels, from 0.0025 to 0.25 mg/kg, and their correlation coefficient ($R^2$) of five agricultural products were higher than 0.9899. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.001 and 0.0025 mg/kg, respectively, and the limits of quantification for the analytical method were 0.01 mg/kg. Average recoveries spiked at three levels (LOQ, $LOQ{\times}10$, $LOQ{\times}50$, n=5) and were in the range of 90.9~110.5% with associated relative standard deviation values less than 5.7%. As a result of the inter-laboratory validation, the average recoveries between the two laboratories were 88.6~101.4% and the coefficient of variation was also below 15%. All optimized results were satisfied the criteria ranges requested in the Codex guidelines and Food Safety Evaluation Department guidelines. This study could serve as a reference for safety management relative to fenpropimorph residues in imported and domestic agricultural products.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.89-104
• /
• 2021

Based on the TF-IDF weighted value that evaluates the importance of words that play a key role, the semantic network analysis(SNA) was conducted on the self-introduction letter of freshman at Korea National College of Agriculture and Fisheries(KNCAF) in 2020. The top three words calculated by TF-IDF weights were agriculture, mathematics, study (Q. 1), clubs, plants, friends (Q. 2), friends, clubs, opinions, (Q. 3), mushrooms, insects, and fathers (Q. 4). In the relationship between words, the words with high betweenness centrality are reason, high school, attending (Q. 1), garbage, high school, school (Q. 2), importance, misunderstanding, completion (Q.3), processing, feed, and farmhouse (Q. 4). The words with high degree centrality are high school, inquiry, grades (Q. 1), garbage, cleanup, class time (Q. 2), opinion, meetings, volunteer activities (Q.3), processing, space, and practice (Q. 4). The combination of words with high frequency of simultaneous appearances, that is, high correlation, appeared as 'certification - acquisition', 'problem - solution', 'science - life', and 'misunderstanding - concession'. In cluster analysis, the number of clusters obtained by the height of cluster dendrogram was 2(Q.1), 4(Q.2, 4) and 5(Q. 3). At this time, the cohesion in Cluster was high and the heterogeneity between Clusters was clearly shown.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.409-415
• /
• 2022

Plant growth and development are also affected by root-zone environment. Therefore, it is important to consider the variables of the root-zone environment when establishing an irrigation strategy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the volumetric moisture content (VWC), Bulk EC (ECb), and Pore EC (ECp) used by plant roots using FDR sensors in two types of rockwool media with different water transmission characteristics, using the method above this was used to establish a method for collecting and correcting available root-zone environmental data. For the experiment, two types of rockwool medium (RW1, RW2) with different physical characteristics were used. The moisture content (MC) and ECb were measured using an FDR sensor, ECp was measured after extracting the residual nutrient solution from the medium using a disposable syringe in the center of the medium at a volumetric moisture content (VWC) of 10-100%. Then, ECb and ECp are measured by supplying nutrient solution having different concentration (distilled water, 0.5-5.0) to two types of media (RW1, RW2) in each volume water content range (0 to 100%). The relationship between ECb and ECp in RW1 and RW2 media is best suited for cubic polynomial. The relationship between ECb and ECp according to volume moisture content (VWC) range showed a large error rate in the low volume moisture content (VWC) range of 10-60%. The correlation between the sensor measured value (ECb) and the ECp used by plant roots according to the volumetric water content (VWC) range was the most suitable for the Paraboloid equation in both media (RW1, RW2). The coefficient of determination the calibration equation for RW1 and RW2 media were 0.936, 0.947, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.272-279
• /
• 2021

A pump-type eDNA filtering system that can control voltage and hydraulic pressure respectively has been developed, and applied a filter case that can filter out without damaging the filter. The filtering performance of the developed system was evaluated by comparing the eDNA concentration with the conventional vacuum-pressured filtering method at the catchment conduit intake reservoir. The developed system was divided into a voltage control (manual pump system) method and a pressure control (automatic pump system) method, and the pressure was measured during filtering and the pressure change of each system was compared. The voltage control method started with 65 [KPa] at the beginning of the filtering, and as the filtering time elapsed, the amount of filtrate accumulated in the filter increased, so the pressure gradually increased. As a result of controlling the pressure control method to maintain a constant pressure according to the designed algorithm, there was a difference in the width of the hydraulic pressure fluctuation during the filtering process according to the feedback time of the hydraulic pressure sensor, and it was confirmed that the pressure was converged to the target pressure. The filtering performance of the developed system was confirmed by measuring the eDNA concentration and comparing the voltage control method and the hydraulic control method with the control group. The voltage control method obtained similar results to the control group, but the hydraulic control method showed lower results than the control group. It is considered that the low eDNA concentration in the hydraulic control method is due to the large pressure deviation during filtering and maintaining a constant pressure during the filtering process. Therefore, rather than maintaining a constant pressure during filtering, it was confirmed that a voltage control method in which the pressure is gradually increased as the filtrate increases with the lapse of filtering time is suitable for collecting eDNA. As a result of comparing the average concentration of eDNA in lentic zone and lotic zone as a control group, it was found to be 96.2 [ng µL^-1] and 88.4 [ng µL^-1l], respectively. The result of comparing the average concentration of eDNA by the pump method was also high in the lentic zone sample as 90.7 [ng µL^-1] and 74.8 [ng µL^-1] in the lentic zone and the lotic zone, respectively. The high eDNA concentration in the lentic zone is thought to be due to the influence of microorganisms including the remaining eDNA.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.259-266
• /
• 2021

Cannabis (Marijuana) is one of the most widely used drugs in the world, and its distribution has been controlled in South Korea since 1976. Identification of 11-nor-Δ⁹-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) in urine can provide important proof of cannabis use, and it is considered scientific evidence in the forensic field. In this study, we describe a simultaneous quantitative method for identifying THCCOOH and THCCOOH-glucuronide in urine, using simple liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). THCCOOH-D₃ and THCCOOH-glucuronide-D₃ were used as internal standards. Validation results of the matrix effect, as well as recovery, linearity, precision, accuracy, process efficiency, and stability were all satisfactory. No carryover, endogenous or exogenous interferences were observed. The limit of detection (LOD) of THCCOOH and THCCOOH-glucuronide were 0.3 and 0.2 ng/mL, respectively. The developed method was applied to 28 authentic human urine samples that tested positive in immunoassay screening and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) tests. The ranges of concentrations of THCCOOH and THCCOOH-glucuronide in the samples were less than LOQ~266.90 ng/mL and 6.43~2133.03 ng/mL, respectively. The concentrations of THCCOOH-glucuronide were higher than those of THCCOOH in all samples. This method can be effectively and successfully applied for the confirmation of cannabinoid use in human urine samples in the forensic field.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.35 no.5
• /
• pp.565-573
• /
• 2022

Gingival inflammation is one of the main causes that can be related to various periodontal diseases. Human gingival fibroblast (HGF) is the major constituent in periodontal connective tissue and secretes various inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), upon lipopolysaccharide stimulation. This study is aimed at investigating the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities of Lotus Root extract (LRE) in Porphyromonas gingivalis derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS-PG)-stimulated HGF-1 cells. The concentration of NO and PGE₂, as well as their responsible enzymes, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), was analyzed by Griess reaction, ELISA, and western blot analysis. LPS-PG sharply elevated the production and protein expression of inflammatory mediators, which were significantly attenuated by LRE treatment in a dose-dependent manner. LRE treatment also suppressed activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in LPS-PG-stimulated HGF-1 cells. In addition, one of phase II enzyme, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase (NQO)-1, and its transcription factor, Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), were significantly induced by LRE treatment. Consequently, these results suggest that LRE ameliorates LPS-PG-induced inflammatory responses by attenuating TLR4/MyD88-mediated NF-κB, and activating NQO-1/Nrf2 antioxidant response element signaling pathways in HGF-1 cells.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.136-142
• /
• 2022

The research aims to develop a rapid and easy analytical method for methoprene using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A simple, highly sensitive, and specific analytical method for the determination of methoprene in livestock products (beef, pork, chicken, milk, eggs, and fat) was developed. Methoprene was effectively extracted with 1% acetic acid in acetonitrile and acetone (1:1), followed by the addition of anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) and anhydrous sodium acetate. Subsequently, the lipids in the livestock sample were extracted by freezing them at -20℃. The extracts were cleaned using MgSO₄, primary secondary amine (PSA), and octadecyl (C₁₈), which were then centrifuged to separate the supernatant. Nitrogen gas was used to evaporate the supernatant, which was then dissolved in methanol. The matrix-matched calibration curves were constructed using 8 levels (1, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 150 ng/mL) and the coefficient of determination (R²) was above 0.9964. Average recoveries spiked at three levels (0.01, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/kg), and ranged from 79.5-105.1%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) smaller than 14.2%, as required by the Codex guideline (CODEX CAC/GL 40). This study could be useful for residue safety management in livestock products.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.23-33
• /
• 2023

Sucrose (suc) is a disaccharide that consists of glucose (glu) and fructose (fru). It is a carbohydrate source that acts as a nutrient molecule and a molecular signal that regulates gene expression and alters metabolites. This study aimed to evaluate whether suc-specific signaling induces an increase in bioactive compounds by exogenous suc absorption via roots or whether other factors, such as osmotic stress or biotic stress, are involved. To compare the osmotic stress induced by suc treatment, 4-week-old cultured mugwort plants were subjected to Hoagland nutrient solution with 10 mM, 30 mM, and 50 mM of suc or mannitol (man) for 3 days. Shoot fresh weight in suc and man treatments was not significantly different from the control. Both man and suc treatments increased the content of bioactive compounds in mugwort, but they displayed different enhancement patterns compared to the suc treatments. Mugwort extract treated with suc 50 mM effectively protected HepG2 liver cells damaged by ethanol and t-BHP. To compare the biotic stress induced by suc treatment, 3-week-old mugwort plants were subjected to microorganism and/or suc 30 mM with Hoagland nutrient solution. Microorganisms and/or suc 30 mM treatments showed no difference about the shoot fresh weight. However, sugar content in mugwort treated with suc 30 mM and microorganism with suc 30 mM treatment was significantly higher than that of the control. Suc 30 mM and microorganism with suc 30 mM were effective in enhancing bioactive compounds than microorganism treatment. These results suggest that mugwort plants can absorb exogenous suc via roots and the enhancement of bioactive compounds by suc treatment may result not from osmotic stress or biotic stress because of microorganism, but by suc-specific signaling.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.249-263
• /
• 2023

Collaborative Filtering, a representative recommendation system methodology, consists of two approaches: neighbor methods and latent factor models. Among these, the latent factor model using matrix factorization decomposes the user-item interaction matrix into two lower-dimensional rectangular matrices, predicting the item's rating through the product of these matrices. Due to the factor vectors inferred from rating patterns capturing user and item characteristics, this method is superior in scalability, accuracy, and flexibility compared to neighbor-based methods. However, it has a fundamental drawback: the need to reflect the diversity of preferences of different individuals for items with no ratings. This limitation leads to repetitive and inaccurate recommendations. The Adaptive Deep Latent Factor Model (ADLFM) was developed to address this issue. This model adaptively learns the preferences for each item by using the item description, which provides a detailed summary and explanation of the item. ADLFM takes in item description as input, calculates latent vectors of the user and item, and presents a method that can reflect personal diversity using an attention score. However, due to the requirement of a dataset that includes item descriptions, the domain that can apply ADLFM is limited, resulting in generalization limitations. This study proposes a Generalized Adaptive Deep Latent Factor Recommendation Model, G-ADLFRM, to improve the limitations of ADLFM. Firstly, we use item ID, commonly used in recommendation systems, as input instead of the item description. Additionally, we apply improved deep learning model structures such as Self-Attention, Multi-head Attention, and Multi-Conv1D. We conducted experiments on various datasets with input and model structure changes. The results showed that when only the input was changed, MAE increased slightly compared to ADLFM due to accompanying information loss, resulting in decreased recommendation performance. However, the average learning speed per epoch significantly improved as the amount of information to be processed decreased. When both the input and the model structure were changed, the best-performing Multi-Conv1d structure showed similar performance to ADLFM, sufficiently counteracting the information loss caused by the input change. We conclude that G-ADLFRM is a new, lightweight, and generalizable model that maintains the performance of the existing ADLFM while enabling fast learning and inference.