• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 1987

This study was carried out to prepare powdered smoked-dried mackerel which can be used as a soup base, and to examine storage stability and the taste compounds of Products. Raw mackerel are filleted, toiled for 10 minutes and pressed to remove lipids, and then soaked in extract solution of skipjack meat. This soaked mackerel are smoked 3 times to $10-12\%$ moisture content at $80^{\circ}C$ for 8 hours. And the smoked-dried mackerel were pulverized to 50 mesh. Finally, the powdered smoked-dried mackerel were packed in a laminated film $bag(PET/Al\;foil/CPP:\;5{\mu}m/15{\mu}m/70{\mu}m,\;15\times17cm)$ with air(product C), nitrogen(product N) and oxygen absorber(product O), and then stored at room temperature for 100 days. The moisture and crude lipid content of powdered smoked-dried mackerel was $11.3-12.3\%,\;12\%$, respectively, and water activity is 0.52-0.56. And these values showed little changes during storage. The pH, VBN and amino nitrogen content increased slowly during storage. Hydrophilic and lipophilic brown pigment formation showed a tendency of increase in product(C) and showed little change in product(N) and (O). The TBA value, peroxide value and carbonyl value of product(N) and (O) were lower than those of product (C). The major fatty acids of products were 16:0, 18:1, 22:6, 18:0 and 20:5, and polyenoic acids decreased, while saturated and monoenoic acids increased during processing and storage of products. The IMP content in products were 420.2-454.2 mg/100 g and decreased slightly with storage period. And major non-volatile organic acids in products were lactic acid, succinic acid and $\alpha-ketoglutaric$ acid. In free amino acids and related compounds, major ones are histidine, alanine, hydroxyproline, lysine, glutamic acid and anserine, which occupied $80.8\%$ of total free amino acids. The taste compounds of powdered smoked-dried mackerel were free amino acids and related compounds (1,279.4 mg/100 g), non-volatile organic acids(948.1 mg/100 g), nucleotides and their related compounds (672.8 mg/100 g), total creatinine(430.4 ntg/100 g), tetaine(86.6 mg/100 g) and small amount of TMAO. The extraction condition of powdered smoked-dried mackerel in preparing soup stock is appropriate at $100^{\circ}C$ for 1 minute. Judging from the results of taste and sensory evaluation, it is concluded that the powdered smoked-dried mackerel can be used as natural flavoring substance in preparing soups and broth.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.139-166
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• 2010

The supply chain management (SCM) systems have emerged as strong managerial tools for manufacturing firms in enhancing competitive strength. Despite of large investments in the SCM systems, many companies are not fully realizing the promised benefits from the systems. A review of literature on adoption, implementation and success factor of IOS (inter-organization systems), EDI (electronic data interchange) systems, shows that this issue has been examined from multiple theoretic perspectives. And many researchers have attempted to identify the factors which influence the success of system implementation. However, the existing studies have two drawbacks in revealing the determinants of systems implementation success. First, previous researches raise questions as to the appropriateness of research subjects selected. Most SCM systems are operating in the form of private industrial networks, where the participants of the systems consist of two distinct groups: focus companies and vendors. The focus companies are the primary actors in developing and operating the systems, while vendors are passive participants which are connected to the system in order to supply raw materials and parts to the focus companies. Under the circumstance, there are three ways in selecting the research subjects; focus companies only, vendors only, or two parties grouped together. It is hard to find researches that use the focus companies exclusively as the subjects probably due to the insufficient sample size for statistic analysis. Most researches have been conducted using the data collected from both groups. We argue that the SCM success factors cannot be correctly indentified in this case. The focus companies and the vendors are in different positions in many areas regarding the system implementation: firm size, managerial resources, bargaining power, organizational maturity, and etc. There are no obvious reasons to believe that the success factors of the two groups are identical. Grouping the two groups also raises questions on measuring the system success. The benefits from utilizing the systems may not be commonly distributed to the two groups. One group's benefits might be realized at the expenses of the other group considering the situation where vendors participating in SCM systems are under continuous pressures from the focus companies with respect to prices, quality, and delivery time. Therefore, by combining the system outcomes of both groups we cannot measure the system benefits obtained by each group correctly. Second, the measures of system success adopted in the previous researches have shortcoming in measuring the SCM success. User satisfaction, system utilization, and user attitudes toward the systems are most commonly used success measures in the existing studies. These measures have been developed as proxy variables in the studies of decision support systems (DSS) where the contribution of the systems to the organization performance is very difficult to measure. Unlike the DSS, the SCM systems have more specific goals, such as cost saving, inventory reduction, quality improvement, rapid time, and higher customer service. We maintain that more specific measures can be developed instead of proxy variables in order to measure the system benefits correctly. The purpose of this study is to find the determinants of SCM systems success in the perspective of vendor companies. In developing the research model, we have focused on selecting the success factors appropriate for the vendors through reviewing past researches and on developing more accurate success measures. The variables can be classified into following: technological, organizational, and environmental factors on the basis of TOE (Technology-Organization-Environment) framework. The model consists of three independent variables (competition intensity, top management support, and information system maturity), one mediating variable (collaboration), one moderating variable (government support), and a dependent variable (system success). The systems success measures have been developed to reflect the operational benefits of the SCM systems; improvement in planning and analysis capabilities, faster throughput, cost reduction, task integration, and improved product and customer service. The model has been validated using the survey data collected from 122 vendors participating in the SCM systems in Korea. To test for mediation, one should estimate the hierarchical regression analysis on the collaboration. And moderating effect analysis should estimate the moderated multiple regression, examines the effect of the government support. The result shows that information system maturity and top management support are the most important determinants of SCM system success. Supply chain technologies that standardize data formats and enhance information sharing may be adopted by supply chain leader organization because of the influence of focal company in the private industrial networks in order to streamline transactions and improve inter-organization communication. Specially, the need to develop and sustain an information system maturity will provide the focus and purpose to successfully overcome information system obstacles and resistance to innovation diffusion within the supply chain network organization. The support of top management will help focus efforts toward the realization of inter-organizational benefits and lend credibility to functional managers responsible for its implementation. The active involvement, vision, and direction of high level executives provide the impetus needed to sustain the implementation of SCM. The quality of collaboration relationships also is positively related to outcome variable. Collaboration variable is found to have a mediation effect between on influencing factors and implementation success. Higher levels of inter-organizational collaboration behaviors such as shared planning and flexibility in coordinating activities were found to be strongly linked to the vendors trust in the supply chain network. Government support moderates the effect of the IS maturity, competitive intensity, top management support on collaboration and implementation success of SCM. In general, the vendor companies face substantially greater risks in SCM implementation than the larger companies do because of severe constraints on financial and human resources and limited education on SCM systems. Besides resources, Vendors generally lack computer experience and do not have sufficient internal SCM expertise. For these reasons, government supports may establish requirements for firms doing business with the government or provide incentives to adopt, implementation SCM or practices. Government support provides significant improvements in implementation success of SCM when IS maturity, competitive intensity, top management support and collaboration are low. The environmental characteristic of competition intensity has no direct effect on vendor perspective of SCM system success. But, vendors facing above average competition intensity will have a greater need for changing technology. This suggests that companies trying to implement SCM systems should set up compatible supply chain networks and a high-quality collaboration relationship for implementation and performance.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.499-506
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• 2014

This research was conducted to develop root media containing ground and aged pine bark (GAPB) and ground and raw pine bark (GRPB). After analysis of physico chemical properties, the pine barks were blended with peat moss (PM) or coir dust (CD) in various ratios to formulate 12 root media. Then, two out of 12 root media were chosen based on the physical properties for further experiments. The pre-planting nutrient charge fertilizers (PNCF) were incorporated into two root media and chemical properties were analysed again. The total porosity (TP), container capacity (CC), and air-filled porosity (AFP) of GAPB were 78.7%. 39.4%, and 38.3%, respectively, while those of GRPB were 74.7%, 41.2%, and 33.4%, respectively. The percentage of easily available water (EAW, from CC to 4.90 kPa tension) and buffering water (BW, 4.91-9.81 kPa tension) in GAPB were 12.7% and 8.5%, respectively, which were a little lower than the 13.5% and 8.8% in GRPB. The pH and EC were not different significantly, but cation exchange capacity was different between the two pine barks (GAPB: pH 5.26, EC $0.61dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, CEC $15.7meq{\cdot}100g^{-1}$; GRPB: pH 5.19, EC $0.32dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, CEC $9.32meq{\cdot}100g^{-1}$). The concentrations of exchangeable cations in GAPB were Ca 0.32, K 0.05, Mg 0.27 and $0.12cmol+{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, whereas those in GRPB were Ca 0.28, K 0.08, Mg 0.25 and $0.09cmol+{\cdot}kg^{-1}$. The concentrations of $PO_4$-P, $NH_4$-N and $NO_3$-N were 485.8, 0.62 and $0.91mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ in GAPB and 578, 1.00 and $0.82mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ in GRPB, respectively, when those were analyzed in the solution of the saturated paste. The TP, CC and AFP in the two selected media were 89.3 and 76.3, and 13.0% in PM+GAPB (8:2, v/v) and 88.2, 68.2 and 20.0% in CD+GRPB (8:2), respectively. The pHs and ECs were 3.8 and $0.24dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in PM+GAPB which were a little lower than 5.8 and $0.65dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in CD+GRPB. However, the pHs analysed before and after incorporation of PNCF in the two root media did not show large differences. This is because the solubility of dolomitic lime is very low, and the pH it is expected to rise gradually when crops are cultivated int he root media. The information obtained in this study should facilitate effective formulation of root media containing pine bark.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.441-447
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• 1998

This study was performed to investigate the changes of amount of S. typhimurium during cooking processes using pork and japchae (a Korean food which is made from meat, vegetables and noodles), and to support a practical application to develop a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) model. The pork was purchased in a retail shop, cut ($0.5\;cm\;{\times}\;10\;cm\;{\times}\;10\;cm$, 25 g), tested for Salmonella contamination (results: negative), inoculated with S. typhimurium ($10^{7}\;CFU/g$), then treated in various conditions related to cooking. Mter thawing for 24 hours in various conditions, the number of S. typhimurium was increased to $10^{10}\;CFU/g$ at a refrigerated temperature ($4~10^{\circ}C$), and to $10^{21}\;CFU/g$ at room temperature ($22~29^{\circ}C$). Mter thawing in a microwave oven for 40 seconds, the number of S. typhimurium increased to $10^{8}\;CFU/g$. During the thawing period, the number of S. typhimurium increased over time. At the refrigerated temperature, the number of the bacteria was $10^{10}\;CFU/g$ after 24 hours, $10^{13}\;CFU/g$ after 48 hours, and $10^{20}\;CFU/g$ after 72 hours. At room temperature the number of bacteria reached $10^{11}\;CFU/g$ in 2 hours, $10^{15}\;CFU/g$ in 4 hours, $10^{16}\;CFU/g$ in 8 hours, $10^{18}\;CFU/g$ in 12 hours, and $10^{21}\;CFU/g$ in 24 hours. Mter cooking in a frying pan (150{\pm}7^{\circ}C$) for 3 minutes, the bacterial count was $10^{16}\;CFU/g$. After cooking in hot water for 20 minutes, the bacterial count was $10^{7}\;CFU/g\;at\;60^{\circ}C,\;10^{6}\;CFU/g\;at\;63^{\circ}C,\;and\;10^{4}\;CFU/g\;at\;65^{\circ}C$. The fried pork was mixed with cooked vegetables, noodles, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and seasonings to make Korean japchae. This process took $10{\pm}2$ minutes. The bacterial count in the japchae increased to $10^{7}\;CFU/g$ from the count of $10^{6}\;CFU/g$ of the fried pork before it was mixed with the other ingredients. These results indicate that the amount of S. typhimurium is effected by various different cooking processes. This study can suggest that pork should be cooked in water at over $65^{\circ}C$ for 20 minutes in order to prevent food poisoning, if the pork is contaminated with S. typhimurium. The presence of S. typhimurium in the raw pork is identified in an HA for japchae, and the primary CCP for japchae is inadequate cooking (cooking method and time/temperature). We need to standardize time-temperature-size and amount of pork in cooking japchae, because pork is usually cooked in ordinary frying pans when we make this food.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.6 no.4 s.13
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• pp.69-83
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• 1990

Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino is a kind of perennial liana plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Since it was first discovered and reported to the Japanese academy in 1977, it came to be widely known to China and Southeast Asia areas as well as Japan. In Korea its name began to appear in the first half of 1980's, and it is now being nationwidely cultivated and popularized as tea stuffs. Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino has remarkably strong propagation power. In addition. since it contains a great quantity of beneficial components, especially saponin it is believed to have excellent medical effects, too. This study was undertaken to examine the value of Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino as a health-promotint tea, by investigating the components creating the flaver of tea and the saponin ingredient making medical effects as well as by inspecting whether Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino products show different component arrangements according to their growing districts. As raw materials of the experiment, three kinds of Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino samples produced in Suwon, Geochang and Uleungdo were taken. To accomplish the formerly stated goals, the contained quantity of the proximate composition, free sugar, reducing sugar, free amino acid, minerals, tannin, caffeine and vitamin C were measured respectively and compared between the samples, while the saponin content was compared with heat extracted from panax ginseng. The results of the experiment are as follows: 1. In the case of the proximate composition, the crude fat content was the highest in the Gymostemma pentaphyllum Makino material from Geochang (1.62%), the second in that from Suwon (1.56%), and the lowest in that from Uleungdo (1.0%). In addition the Geochang: produced sample had the greatest quantity of the crude protein and ash contents: the order of the crude Protein content was the Geochang produced (17.83%), the Suwon-produced (15.87%), and the Uleungdo-produced(12.28%), while that of the ash content was the Geochang-produced (14.80%), the Uleungdo-produced(10.17%), and the Suwon-produced(9.34%). 2. As for the reducing sugar contents, the Suwon-produced scored the highest of the three (3.3%), while the Geochang-produced was 1.3% and the Uleungdo-produced 0.5%. The total content of free sugar was 1.07% (the Suwon-produced), and 0.49% (the Geochang-produced) respectively but the sample from Uleungdo showed almost no free sugar content. The contained quantity of fructose and glucose was the highest among the kinds of free sugar both in the Suwon-produced and in the Geochang-produced. 3. The content of amino acid was the highest in the Suwon-produced(1.41%), the second in the Geochang-produced(1.37%), and the lowest in the Uleungdo-produced(0.53%). In the experiment, sixteen kinds of amino acid were extracted-Asp. Thr. Ser. Glu. Gly. Ala. Val. Het. Ileu. Leu. Tyr. Phe. Lys. His. Arg. Try. All of them except glutamic acid and methionine showed the highest quantity score in the Suwon-produced, while the glutamic acid content was the higest in the Uleungdo-produced and the methionine content in the Geochang-produced. The sequential arrangement of the sixteen contents according to their magnitude ranged from glycine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid (the highest) to tryptophan, serine and lysine (the lowest). 4. Ten kinds of mineral were detected-Ca, Mn, Cd, K, Na, Pb, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu. Among them, the content of Cd, Na, Mg, Zn and Fe was the highest in the Geochang-produced and that of K in the Suwon-produced. 5. The Geochang-produced materials contained much a larger quantity of tannin (6.3%) than the Suwon-produced (2.6%). Neither caffeine nor vitamin C was detected in the three kinds of materials. 6. In the case of the saponin content the Geochang-produced showd 2.39%, the Uleungdo-produced 1.77% and the Suwon-produced 1.49% respectively. However, it was found also that the saponin content of Gymostemma pentaphyllum Makino was the same kind as that of panax ginseng.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.353-360
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• 2015

Yakju, a Korean traditional alcoholic beverage, is made from rice and Nuruk. In this study, the fermentation characteristics of Yakju was investigated using rice and rice starch. Ingredients was classified into raw material (rice, rice starch) and starter (enzyme supplements, modified Nuruk, traditional Nuruk, and yellow rice koji) for fermentation. The crude protein content of rice, rice starch, and starter were determined as follows (%): rice 6.69, rice starch 0.44, enzyme supplements 7.84, modified Nuruk 15.29, traditional Nuruk 14.28, and yellow rice koji 7.28. The alcohol content of rice with traditional Nuruk ($20.13{\pm}0.12%$) was higher than other Yakju. The concentration of organic acids of rice starch-based Yakju (389.83~538.34 mg%) was higher than that of rice Yakju (259.27~357.70 mg%). The concentration of nitrogen compound of rice Yakju (498.38~5976.93 ppm) was higher than that of rice starch-based Yakju (600.43~4463.79 ppm). In line with these findings, further studies will be necessary for the quality analysis of the rice, rice starch and fermented starter (enzyme supplements, modified Nuruk, traditional Nuruk and yellow rice koji).

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 1976

This study was conducted to test the harvesting operation of two kinds of rice varieties such as Milyang #15 and Tong-il with a imported two furrow Japanese combine and was performed to find out the operational accuracy of it, the adaptability of this machine, and the feasibility of supplying this machine to rural area in Korea. The results obtained in this study are summarized as follows; 1. The harvesting test of the Milyang #15 was carried out 5 times from the optimum harvesting operation was good regardless of its maturity. The field grain loss ratio and the rate of unthreshed paddy were all about 1 percent. 2. The field grain loss of Tong-il harvested was increased from 5.13% to 10.34% along its maturity as shown in Fig 1. In considering this, it was needed that the combine mechanism should be improved mechanically for harvesting of Tong-il rice variety. 3. The rate of unthreshed paddy of Tong-il rice variety of which stem was short was average 1.6 percent, because the sample combine used in this study was developed on basisof the long stem variety in Japan, therefore some ears owing to the uneven stem of Tong-il rice could nat reach the teeth of the threshing drum. 4. The cracking rates of brown rice depending mostly upon the revolution speed of the threshing drum(240-350 rpm) in harvesting of Tong-il and Milyang #15 were all below 1 percent, and there was no significance between two varieties. 5. Since the ears of Tong-il rice variety covered with its leaves, a lots of trashes was produced, especially when threshed in raw materials, and the cleaning and the trashout mechanisms were clogged with those trashes very often, and so these two mechanisms were needed for being improved. 6. The sample combine of which track pressure was $0.19kg/cm^2$ could drive on the soft ground of which sinking was even 25cm as shown in Fig 3. But in considering the reaping height adjustment, 5cm sinking may be afford to drive the combine on the irregular sinking level ground without any readjustment of the resaping height. 7. The harvesting expenses per ha. by the sample combine of which annual coverage area is 4.7 ha. under conditions that the yearly workable days is 40, percentage of days being good for harvesting operation is 60%, field efficiency is 56%, working speed is 0.273m/sec, and daily workable hours is 8 hrs is reasonable to spread this combine to rural area in Korea, comparing to the expenses by the conventional harvesting expenses, if mechanical improvement is supplemented so as to harvest Tong-il rice. 8. In order to harvest Tong-il rice, the two furrow combine should be needed some mechanical improvements that divider can control not to touch ears of paddy, the space between the feeding chain and the thrshing drum is reduced, trash treatment apparatus must be improved, fore and rear adjust-interval is enlarged, and width of track must be enlarged so as to drive on the soft ground.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.554-565
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of raw Cassia tora L. powder added-diets on reducing cadmium accumulation in rats. The experimental animals were Sprague-Dawley family(♂, 4 weeks) which was classified into normal group CN, compared group CS, Cd-added group Cl and groups C2, C3, C4 in which 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% of the Cassia tora L. powder are added, respectively. The growth rate and food efficiency ratio, and the amounts of accumulated cadmium in rats for S weeks were measured and analyzed. The results are as follows; 1. The rates of weight gain decreased in the order of C3>C2>C4>Cn>Cs>Cl groups, and Cl group to which only cadmium water had been fed was the lowest among them. The correlation between groups Cl and C3 was significantly different at the 1% level. 2. Food efficiency ratio(FER) decreased in the order of C3>C2>Cs>Cn>C4>Cl, and the FERs of C3, C2, CS, CN and C4 are greater than that of Cl by 22.87, 19.59, 18.54, 14.20 and 13.17%, respectively. 3. As for the Cassia tora L. powder-added groups, the amounts of cadmium accumulated in organs and tissues, that is, the brain, heart, spleen, liver, lungs, testicles. kidney, femoral muscle and leg bones were 0.45 $\pm$ 0.04 to 0.83$\pm$0.04, 1.68$\pm$0.02 to 2.16$\pm$0.02, 3.26$\pm$0.05 to 4.62$\pm$0.27, 37.52$\pm$0.09 to 47.71$\pm$0.73, 1.07$\pm$0.10 to 1.66$\pm$0.04, 1.04$\pm$0.06 to 1.24$\pm$0.08, 36.79$\pm$0.20 to 39.61 $\pm$0.53, 0.87$\pm$0.02 to 1.00$\pm$0.02 and 0.65$\pm$0.17 to 1.27 $\pm$ 0.06 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g, respectively. 4. The accumulated Cd content for C4 was the lowest among Cassia tora L. powder-added groups. When the results for C4 are compared with those for Cl, it is observed that each cadmium content accumulated in the brain, heart spleen, liver, lungs, testicles, kidney. femoral muscle and leg bones is dropped by 49.03, 22.56, 36.02, 35.75, 41.75, 36.20, 37.00, 22.77 and 56.67 %, respectively. On the other hand. the accumulated Cd content increased in the order of brain

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.774-784
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to present management guidelines for critical control points by analyzing microbiological hazardous elements through screening Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHF) menus in an effort improve the microbiological quality of foods prepared by restaurant operations. Steamed spinach with seasoning left at room temperature presents a range of risk temperatures which microorganisms could flourish, and it exceeded all microbiological safety limits in our study. On the other hand, steamed spinach with seasoning stored in a refrigerator had Aerobic Plate Counts of $2.86{\pm}0.5{\log}\;CFU/g$ and all other microbiological tests showed that their levels were below the limit. The standard plate counts of raw materials of lettuce and tomato were $4.66{\pm}0.4{\log}\;CFU/g$ and $3.08{\pm}0.4{\log}\;CFU/g$, respectively. Upon washing, the standard plate counts were $3.12{\pm}0.6{\log}\;CFU/g$ and $2.10{\pm}0.3{\log}\;CFU/g$, respectively, but upon washing after chlorination, those were $2.23{\pm}0.3{\log}\;CFU/g$ and $0.72{\pm}0.7{\log}\;CFU/g$, respectively. The standard plate counts of baby greens, radicchio and leek were $6.02{\pm}0.5{\log}\;CFU/g$, $5.76{\pm}0.1{\log}\;CFU/g$ and $6.83{\pm}0.5{\log}\;CFU/g$, respectively. After 5 minutes of chlorination, the standard plate counts were $4.10{\pm}0.6{\log}\;CFU/g$, $5.14{\pm}0.1{\log}\;CFU/g$ and $5.30{\pm}0.3{\log}\;CFU/g$, respectively. After 10 minutes of chlorination treatment, the standard plate counts were $2.58{\pm}0.3{\log}\;CFU/g$, $4.27{\pm}0.6{\log}\;CFU/g$, and $4.18{\pm}0.5{\log}\;CFU/g$, respectively. The microbial levels decreased as the time of chlorination increased. This study showed that the microbiological quality of foods was improved with the proper practices of time-temperature control, sanitization control, seasoning control, and personal and surface sanitization control. It also presents management guidelines for the control of potentially hazardous foods at the critical control points in the process of restaurant operations.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-41
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• 2019

Thanks to the rapid development of information technologies, the data available on Internet have grown rapidly. In this era of big data, many studies have attempted to offer insights and express the effects of data analysis. In the tourism and hospitality industry, many firms and studies in the era of big data have paid attention to online reviews on social media because of their large influence over customers. As tourism is an information-intensive industry, the effect of these information networks on social media platforms is more remarkable compared to any other types of media. However, there are some limitations to the improvements in service quality that can be made based on opinions on social media platforms. Users on social media platforms represent their opinions as text, images, and so on. Raw data sets from these reviews are unstructured. Moreover, these data sets are too big to extract new information and hidden knowledge by human competences. To use them for business intelligence and analytics applications, proper big data techniques like Natural Language Processing and data mining techniques are needed. This study suggests an analytical approach to directly yield insights from these reviews to improve the service quality of hotels. Our proposed approach consists of topic mining to extract topics contained in the reviews and the decision tree modeling to explain the relationship between topics and ratings. Topic mining refers to a method for finding a group of words from a collection of documents that represents a document. Among several topic mining methods, we adopted the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm, which is considered as the most universal algorithm. However, LDA is not enough to find insights that can improve service quality because it cannot find the relationship between topics and ratings. To overcome this limitation, we also use the Classification and Regression Tree method, which is a kind of decision tree technique. Through the CART method, we can find what topics are related to positive or negative ratings of a hotel and visualize the results. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the representation of an analytical approach for the improvement of hotel service quality from unstructured review data sets. Through experiments for four hotels in Hong Kong, we can find the strengths and weaknesses of services for each hotel and suggest improvements to aid in customer satisfaction. Especially from positive reviews, we find what these hotels should maintain for service quality. For example, compared with the other hotels, a hotel has a good location and room condition which are extracted from positive reviews for it. In contrast, we also find what they should modify in their services from negative reviews. For example, a hotel should improve room condition related to soundproof. These results mean that our approach is useful in finding some insights for the service quality of hotels. That is, from the enormous size of review data, our approach can provide practical suggestions for hotel managers to improve their service quality. In the past, studies for improving service quality relied on surveys or interviews of customers. However, these methods are often costly and time consuming and the results may be biased by biased sampling or untrustworthy answers. The proposed approach directly obtains honest feedback from customers' online reviews and draws some insights through a type of big data analysis. So it will be a more useful tool to overcome the limitations of surveys or interviews. Moreover, our approach easily obtains the service quality information of other hotels or services in the tourism industry because it needs only open online reviews and ratings as input data. Furthermore, the performance of our approach will be better if other structured and unstructured data sources are added.