• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2011

The objective of this study is to evaluate antioxidant activities of black ginseng prepared by nine repeated steaming-drying cycles. Ethanol extracts from each cycle of ginseng showed 33.5~41.0% of yields, 36.2~44.5% of moisture content and $64\sim66^{\circ}Brix$ of soluble solids. As the number of steaming-drying cycles increased, pH decreased, while the absorbance at 420 nm increased remarkably after the 4th cycle. Although the amounts of Rg1 and Rb1 contents quite decreased, the total phenol content of black ginseng (the final cycle of ginseng) was increased to 126%, compared with that of white ginseng. Antioxidant activities, determined by ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), 2,2'-azinobis(3 ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, increased remarkably as the number of steaming-drying cycles increased. Especially, FRAP value increased 155.6%. Also, $IC_{50}$ values for DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of the final 9th-cycling product, decreased 4.5 folds and 9.7 folds, respectively, compared with those of white ginseng. Based on these results, it was suggested that antioxidant activities of black ginseng improve according to the increasing number of steaming-drying cycles, which was derived from increase of total phenol content.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.4
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• pp.578-586
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• 2013

This study was performed in Pinus rigida and Larix kaempferi plantations which occupy approximately 60% of artificial forest area in Korea. The objective of this study was to know the differences in soil physical and chemical properties between both plantations. Soil physical and chemical properties from published literature and analyzed soil data in national forest in 2010 and 2011 were analyzed by plantation regions and stand age of 5 years unit. Jeollanamdo in Pinus rigida plantations and Gyeongsangbuk-do in Larix kaempferi plantations showed higher soil chemical properties than those of other regions. Soil texture in both plantations was almost loam and sandy loam. Mean soil pH in Pinus rigida and Larix kaempferi plantations were 4.86 and 4.87, respectively and there was no relationship between soil pH and stand age. The mean concentrations of total nitrogen (%) and available phosphorus (mg $kg^{-1}$) were 0.21 and 11.00 for Pinus rigida plantation and 0.28 and 13.32 for Larix kaempferi plantation. In Larix kaempferi plantation, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and organic matter concentrations and C.E.C. were higher than those in Pinus rigida plantation and showed positive relationship with stand age. This positive relationship was also revealed between the exchangeable cations and soil pH. The results of this study provide an informative data in selecting tree species for planting and contribute to the establishing forest management plan for the maintenance of sustainable forests resources.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.216-224
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• 2009

$^{131}I$ is a radiological isotope being used widely for treatment of cancer as emitting gamma-ray and it is also applied to estimate the function of thyroid for its accumulation in thyroid. However, $^{131}I$ is more difficult to quantitate comapred to $^{99m}Tc$, because $^{131}I$ has multiple energy gamma-ray emissions compared to $^{99m}Tc$ which is a mono energetic gamma-ray source. Especially, scattered ray and septal penetration resulted by high energy gamma ray have a bad influence upon nuclear medicine image. The purpose of this study was to estimate scatter components depending on the different source locations within a phantom using Monte Carlo simulation (GATE). The simulation results were validated by comparing with the results of real experiments. Dual-head gamma camera (ECAM, Chicago, Illinois Siemens) with high energy, general-purpose, and parallel hole collimators (hole radius: 0.17 cm, septal thickness: 0.2 cm, length: 5.08 cm) was used in this experiment. The NaI crystal is $44.5{\times}59.1\;cm$ in height and width and 0.95 cm in thickness. The diameter and height of PMMA phantom were 16 cm and 15 cm, respectively. The images were acquired at 5 different locations of $^{131}I$ point source within the phantom and the images of $^{99m}Tc$ were also acquired for comparison purpose with low energy source. The simulation results indicated that the scattering was influenced by the location of source within a phantom. The scattering effects showed the same tendency in both simulation and actual experiment, and the results showed that the simulation was very adequate for further studies. The results supported that the simulation techniques may be used to generalize the scattering effects as a function of a point source location within a phantom.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.191-198
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• 2009

In this study, we evaluated an edge detector for small-beam dosimetry. We measured the dose linearity, dose rate dependence, output factor, beam profiles, and percentage depth dose using an edge detector (Model 1118 Edge) for 6-MV photon beams at different field sizes and depths. The obtained values were compared with those obtained using a standard volume ionization chamber (CC13) and photon diode detector (PFD). The dose linearity results for the three detectors showed good agreement within 1%. The edge detector had the best linearity of ${\pm}0.08%$. The edge detector and PFD showed little dose rate dependency throughout the range of 100~600 MU/min, while CC13 showed a significant discrepancy of approximately -5% at 100 MU/min. The output factors of the three detectors showed good agreement within 1% for the tested field sizes. However, the output factor of CC13 compared to the other two detectors had a maximum difference of 21% for small field sizes (${\sim}4{\times}4\;cm^2$). When analyzing the 20~80% penumbra, the penumbra measured using CC13 was approximately two times wider than that using the edge detector for all field sizes. The width measured using PFD was approximately 30% wider for all field sizes. Compared to the edge detector, the 10~90% penumbras measured using the CC13 and PFD were approximately 55% and 19% wider, respectively. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the edge detector was close to the real field size, while the other two detectors measured values that were 8~10% greater for all field sizes. Percentage depth doses measured by the three detectors corresponded to each other for small beams. Based on the results, we consider the edge detector as an appropriate small-beam detector, while CC13 and PFD can lead to some errors when used for small beam fields under $4{\times}4\;cm^2$.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.373-383
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• 2011

Tributyltin (TBT) is one of endocrine disrupters which are known as having similar function to sex steroid hormone inducing apoptosis in various tissues of rodents. Recently, it has been reported that TBT induces apoptosis in thymus causing the decreased thymic function, but little is known about the mechanism. To elucidate the mechanism, three-week-old SD female rats were orally administrated with TBT 1, 10, and 25 mg per body weight (kg) and sesame oil as a control for 7 days. On day 8, the thymi were obtained and weighed, and then the number of thymocytes was counted. We also performed H&E staining, TUNEL assay, and Annexin V flow cytometric analysis to examine the apoptosis rates and the structure in the thymus. Next, we investigated the adipogenesis and apoptosis-related mRNA expression levels in the thymi by real-time PCR. The thymic weight and the number of thymocytes were decreased by TBT in a dose-dependent manner. As a result of the H&E staining, the boundary between cortical and medullary area was blurred in the thymi of TBT treated rats compared to those of controls. In the results of TUNEL assay and Annexin V flow cytometric analysis, apoptosis rates in the thymus were increased after TBT treatment. The expression levels of thymic epithelial cell marker genes such as EVA, KGF, AIRE, and IL-7 were significantly decreased in the thymi of TBT treated rats, but $PPAR{\gamma}$, aP2, PEPCK, and CD36 were significantly increased. The expression of $TNF{\alpha}$ and TNFR1 as apoptosis-related genes also was significantly increased after TBT treatment. The present study demonstrates that TBT can increase the expression of adipogenesis and apoptosis-related genes leading to apoptosis in the thymus. These results suggest that the increased adipogenesis of thymus by TBT exposure might induce apoptosis in the thymus resulting in a loss in thymic immune function.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.91-97
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• 2011

This study was performed to assess the microbiological quality and potential health risk of fresh-cut produce and organic vegetables sampled from supermarkets and department stores in Korea. A total of 96 samples comprised three types of fresh-cut produce (sprouts, mixed-vegetables, fruit) and three types of organic vegetables (lettuce, perilla leaf, green pepper). The samples were analyzed for total viable cell counts, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. The microbiological counts of fruit were very low. Sprouts were highly contaminated by total viable cell counts ($8.3{\pm}0.57$ log CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae ($7.1{\pm}0.76$ log CFU/g), and coliforms ($4.9{\pm}0.40$ log MPN/g), and showed a high incidence level of B. cereus ($2.9{\pm}0.48$ log CFU/g). Of the fresh-cut produce analyzed, six (13.6%) mixed-vegetable salads were E. coli positive. S. aureus was detected in only one sprout sample and one mixed-vegetable salad, and its contamination levels were under 2 log CFU/g, which is appropriate for Korean standards (<3 log CFU/g) of fresh-cut produce. Of the organic vegetables, lettuces were highly contaminated by total viable cell counts ($6.4{\pm}0.74$ log CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae ($5.7{\pm}0.98$ log CFU/g), and coliforms ($3.7{\pm}1.72$ log MPN/g). Two (13.6%) organic lettuce and one (7.1%) perillar leaf sample were E. coli positive, and S. aureus was detected in one lettuce and two perilla leaf samples. Salmonella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected in any of the fresh-cut produce or organic vegetables analyzed.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.317-322
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• 2010

Aspergillus spp. is widely spread in the world on feeds and foods. They have been known to produce aflatoxins, which are mutagenic and carcinogenic to humans. The objective of this study was to determine the optimum gamma-irradiation dose for controling the growth of Aspergillus spp. to ensure safety of feeds. Four species fungal spore ($10^7$ spore/mL) exposed to 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 kGy of gamma radiation were inhibited in their growth and $AFB_1$ productivity by ${\geq}5\;kGy$. Meantime, the growth of fungal inoculated on feeds was inhibited at ${\geq}3\;kGy$. However, $AFB_1$ presented in aqueous solution was not be inactivated completely by ${\leq}10\;kGy$ irradiation. These results indicate that Aspergillus spp. on feeds could be controlled by 5 kGy gamma-irradiation but detoxification of $AFB_1$ demands a higher dose of gamma-irradiation (${\geq}10\;kGy$).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.329-334
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• 2010

Escherichia coli O157:H7 causes hemolytic uremic syndrome and hemorrhagic colitis in humans. The objectives of this study were to produce monoclonal antibody(MAb) against E. coli O157:H7 and to develop an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for the rapid detection of E. coli O157:H7 in agri-stockbreeding. The characterization of MAb produced from hybridoma cell (HKEC 4G8-5) was validated by ELISA and Western blot. The produced MAb was specific to E. coli O157:H7 and showed weak cross-reaction to Staphylococcus aureus. The detection limit of ELISA based on 4G8-5 MAb was $10^5\;cell/mL$. Although the ELISA could not detect E. coli O157:H7 in the meat and sprout samples inoculated with $1{\times}10^1\;cell$/10 g without enrichment, the same samples after enrichment for 6 hr were confirmed to be positive by ELISA. These results indicated that the ELISA combined with short enrichment (6 hr) is useful tool for rapid screening of E. coli O157:H7 in various samples.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.937-944
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• 2017

To investigate the beneficial effects of fiber derived from agar on the lipid and glucose metabolism of obese model mice, changes in the fat accumulation, lipid content, and insulin concentration were measured in C57BL/6N mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and treated with a beverage containing agar (BCA) for 9 weeks. The feed efficiency ratio was significantly decreased in the HFD+BCA treatment group, although the body weight and food intake were maintained a constant level. Also, the fat accumulation in the fatty tissue and liver were lower in the HFD+BCA treatment group than in the HFD+Vehicle treatment group. Furthermore, a significant decrease was detected in the levels of total cholesterol (TC) and LDL after the BCA treatment, while a constant HDL level was maintained in the same group. Moreover, the serum insulin concentration was significantly decreased in the HFD+BCALo (Low concentration) and HFD+BCAMi (Middle concentration) groups compared to the HFD+Vehicle group. Therefore, the results suggest that the long-term administration of dietary fiber from agar can improve fat accumulation in the fatty tissue and liver, the serum lipid profile, and the insulin concentration in the blood. Also, the results provide evidence that the inclusion of agar fiber in beverages results in significant hypolipidemic and hypoinsulinemic effects.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.195-201
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the current status of hygiene performance and food preparation/storage condition in restaurants during the summer season in order to evaluate the sanitary management systems in restaurants against climate change. Total 30 restaurants located in Gyeonggi participated in a survey in which they were asked current hygiene performance, food preparation/storage condition, and purchasing practices for 5 food ingredients. As results, regarding the performance degree of respondents on food hygiene management, the average scores of 9 questions were well over 4 points. However, only 6.83% of the respondents claimed that they use sanitizers (chlorine) to disinfect food ingredients. About food storage condition, a high proportion of respondents said that they store food materials in plastic bags or airtight containers following pretreatment and use refrigerator for the storage of pretreated food materials. However, 5.55% and 14.85% of respondents answered that they store pretreated food materials in the kitchen or inside of dining room, respectively. Respondents (21.50%) answered that they store pretreated food materials for more than 6 hours before cooking. Therefore, food materials need to be disinfected properly with sanitizer to remove microbial contamination and stored at refrigerator using closed bags or containers before cooking in order to prevent foodborne disease in restaurants especially during summer season.