• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.3755-3759
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• 2010

A on-line SPE (solid phase extraction)-HPLC preconcentration method was developed for the determination of phenolic compounds at trace levels in environmental water sample. XAD-4 and Dowex 1-X8 were used as sorbent in the on-line SPE-HPLC method for the selective enrichment of nine phenolic compounds, which are included in the priority pollutants list of the US EPA. Also alumina prefiltering considerably reduced the amount of interfering peaks due to humic substances that could accumulated due to the preconcentration step and prevent quantification of polar phenolic compounds in environmental water samples. This method was used to determine the phenolic compounds in tap and river water and superiority to the US EPA 625 method in its enrichment factor, pretreatment time, recoveries, and detection limit. The limits of detection were in the range of $0.3-0.9\;{\mu}g/L$ in tap water sample.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.829-834
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to determine the minimum enrichment time for different types of food matrix (pork, beef, and fresh-cut lettuce) in an effort to improve Escherichia coli detection efficiency. Fresh pork (20 g), beef (20 g), and fresh-cut lettuce (20 g) were inoculated at 1, 2, and 3 Log CFU/g of Escherichia coli. Samples were enriched in filter bags for 3 or 5 h at $44.5^{\circ}C$, depending on sample type. E. coli cell counts in the samples were enriched in E. coli (EC) broth at 3 or 5 h. One milliliter of the enriched culture medium was used for DNA extraction, and PCR assays were performed using primers specific for uidA gene. To detect E. coli (uidA) in the samples, a 3-4 Log CFU/mL cell concentration was required. However, E. coli was detected at 1 Log CFU/g in fresh pork, beef, and fresh-cut lettuce after 5, 5, and 3-h enrichment, respectively. In conclusion, 5-h enrichment for fresh meats and 3-h enrichment for fresh-cut lettuce in EC broth at $44.5^{\circ}C$, and PCR analysis using uidA gene-specific primers were appropriate to detect E. coli rapidly in food samples.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.120-123
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• 2018

Background: Analysis of enrichment of $UO_2$ is important to verify the information declared by the license-holders. The redundancy methods are required to guarantee the analysis result. Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC) used to analyze it with alpha spectrometry and consign to Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS). This article evaluated the similarity of the results with two methods and derive correlation equation. It could be compared to the results measured by TIMS running by KBSI. Materials and Methods: There are not many certified materials for the uranium enrichment value. Therefore, 34 uranium pellets, which have the wide range of uranium enrichment from 0.21 to 4.69 wt%, were used for the experiments by the alpha spectrometry and the TIMS. Results and Discussion: The study shows there are the tendency of analyzed enrichment by each equipment. It shows uranium enrichment with alpha spectrometry evaluated 17% higher than that with TIMS on average. The regression equations were also derived in case the similarity between the two results with two methods is lower than predicted. Two experiments were designed to compare the effect of number of samples. The $R^2$ was 0.9977 with 34 pellets. It shows the equation is appropriate to predict the enrichment values by TIMS with that of alpha spectrometry. The $R^2$ was 0.9858 with four pellets for ten times. The $R^2$ decreased while the number of samples increased. The discrepancy between the lowest and highest enrichment seems to be one of the reason for it. Conclusion: KINAC expects the first equation with 34 samples is useful to predict the result with TIMS, the redundancy method, based on the alpha spectrometry. The extra samples are necessary to collect if the enrichment value analyzed by TIMS is lower than the value predicted with the equation. Further study would be followed related to the impact of the peak counts for each uranium isotopes, sample amount and number of experiments when TIMS established in KINAC by the end of 2018.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.465-470
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• 2016

Sample preparation methods were evaluated for effectiveness in detecting foodborne pathogens from sprout seeds. The methods included: Rinse.-Test portions were rinsed with 0.1% peptone water, and the pellet after centrifugation was inoculated into pre-enrichment media; and Sprouting.-Seed samples were sprouted before pre-enrichment and sprouted seeds were inoculated into pre-enrichment media. In rinse method, E. coli was isolated from 13 of 280 sample units. In sprouting method, E. coli was isolated from 12 of 135 sample units. E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and L. monocytogenes were not detected in any of the samples. In the trials for recovering Salmonella enterica from artificially contaminated alfalfa seeds, the soak, rinse, and sprouting methods were evaluated. The detection rates of S. enterica were statistically different according to the amount of the sample tested and selective medium type (P < 0.05).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.989-996
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• 2012

Nitrate contamination of water environments can create serious problems such as eutrophication of rivers. Conventional biological processes for nitrate removal by heterotrophic denitrification often need additional organic substrates as carbon sources and electron donors. We tried to accelerate biological denitrification by using bioelectrochemical reactor (BER) in which electrode works as an electron donor. Denitrification activity of 8 environmental samples from various sediments, soils, groundwaters, and sludges were tested to establish an efficient enrichment culture for BER. The established enrichment culture from a soil sample showed stable denitrification activity without any nitrite accumulation. Microbial community analysis by using PCR-DGGE method revealed that dominant denitrifiers in the enrichment culture were Pantoea sp., Cronobacter sakazakii, and Castellaniella defragrans. Denitrification rate ($0.08kg/m^3{\cdot}day$) of the enrichment culture in BER with electrode poised at -0.5 V (vs Ag/AgCl) was higher than that ($2.1{\times}10^{-2}kg/m^3{\cdot}day$) of BER without any poised potential. This results suggested that biological denitrification would be improved by supplying potential throughout electrode in BER. Further research using BER without any organic substrate addition is needed to apply this system for bioremediation of water and wastewater contaminated by nitrate.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.39.1-39.1
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• 2014

We present the results of our analysis of the RR Lyrae (RRL) variable stars detected in two transition-type dwarf galaxies (dTrans), ESO294-G010 and ESO410-G005 in the Sculptor group, which is known to be one of the closest neighboring galaxy groups to our Local Group. Using deep archival images from the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have identified a sample of RR Lyrae candidates in both dTrans galaxies [219 RRab (RR0) and 13 RRc (RR1) variables in ESO294-G010; 225 RRab and 44 RRc stars in ESO410-G005]. The metallicities of the individual RRab stars are calculated via the period-amplitude-[Fe/H] relation derived by Alcock et al. This yields mean metallicities of <[Fe/H]>_{ESO294} = -1.77 +/- 0.03 and <[Fe/H]>_{ESO410} = -1.64+/- 0.03. The RRL metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) are investigated further via simple chemical evolution models; these reveal the relics of the early chemical enrichment processes for these two dTrans galaxies. In the case of both galaxies, the shapes of the RRL MDFs are well-described by pre-enrichment models. This suggests two possible channels for the early chemical evolution for these Sculptor group dTrans galaxies: 1) The ancient stellar populations of our target dwarf galaxies might have formed from the star forming gas which was already enriched through "prompt initial enrichment" or an "initial nucleosynthetic spike" from the very first massive stars, or 2) this pre-enrichment state might have been achieved by the end products from more evolved systems of their nearest neighbor, NGC 55.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2014

North Korea's uranium enrichment facility is a matter of international concern. It is of particular alarming to South Korea with regard to the security and safety of the country. This situation requires continuous monitoring of the DPRK and emergency preparedness on the part of the ROK. To assess the detectability of an undeclared uranium enrichment plant in North Korea, uranium concentrations in the air at both a short and a long distance from the enrichment facility were estimated. $UF_6$ source terms were determined by using existing information on North Korean facility and data from the operation experience of enrichment plants from other countries. Using the calculated source terms, two atmospheric dispersion models (Gaussian Plume Model and HYSPLIT models) and meteorological data were used to estimate the uranium particle concentrations from the Yongbyon enrichment facility. A maximum uranium concentration and its location are dependent upon the meteorological conditions and the height of the UF6 release point. This study showed that the maximum uranium concentration around the enrichment facility was about $1.0{\times}10^{-7}g{\cdot}m^{-3}$. The location of the maximum concentration was within about 0.4 km of the facility. It has been assumed that the uranium sample of about a few micrograms (${\mu}g$) could be obtained; and that few micrograms of uranium can be easily measured with current measurement instruments. On the contrary, a uranium concentration at a distance of more than 100 kilometers from the enrichment facility was estimated to be about $1.0{\times}10^{-13}{\sim}1.0{\times}10^{-15}g{\cdot}m^{-3}$, which is less than back-ground level. Therefore, based on the results of our paper, an air sample taken within the vicinity of the Yongbyon enrichment facility could be used to determine as to whether or not North Korea is carrying out an undeclared nuclear program. However, the air samples taken at a longer distance of a few hundred kilometers would prove difficult in detecting a clandestine nuclear activities.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.233-240
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• 1991

U-235 enrichment has been measured non-destructively by passive gamma-ray pulse height analysis. Measurement source is 185.7 keV gamma-ray which is emitted from uranium sample during alpha decay of U-235 in it. Factors influencing the measurement such as sample composition, attenuation effect of container wall, collimation effect and counting efficiency were evaluated. Under the optimized counting system, the measured relative errors were~8%, ~8% and~1% from Tag values at 95% confidence level for depleted UF$_{6}$ cylinders, depleted UO$_2$powder, and natural UO$_2$powder respectively.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.191-197
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• 2005

An immunochromatographic (IC) strip for the rapid detection of Salmonella spp. in the enriched sample was developed. Affinity purified Salmonella polyclonal antibody was conjugated with 40 nm colloidal gold particles which were prepared by citrate method in our laboratory. The antigen-antibody-gold complex was captured by Salmonella antibody attached to test line of nitrocellulose membrane during the capillary migration of sample. Specificity of the IC strip was calculated to be 100% (12/12) and sensitivity was 97.6% (41/42) in the test with pure cultured bacteria. Salmonella was artificially inoculated into raw pork macerated with enrichment broth. And then it was 10-fold diluted from $5.2{\times}10^{8}CFU/ml$ to 5.2 CFU/ml. The IC strip could detect $5.2{\times}10^{6}CFU/ml$ before enrichment. However, the lowest limit of detection was 5.2 CFU/ml after overnight incubation. The results indicated that the IC assay was a rapid, economical and simple method with high specificity and sensitivity for the detection of Salmonella spp. without using any equipment.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.87-91
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of conventional culture and real-time PCR for detection of Cronobacter spp. in powdered foods. Infant formula, baby food and Misugaru inoculated with Cronobacter were enriched in distilled water as first enrichment step, followed by incubating in Enterobacteriaceae enrichment (EE) broth as second enrichment step. A loopful of enriched sample was streaked onto Druggan-Forsythe-Iversen agar, followed by incubating at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. One milliliter of the enriched distilled water and EE broth were used in real-time PCR assay. No statistical differences were observed in the number of positive samples between culture method and real-time PCR (p>0.05) in all types of food samples. The number of positives of real-time PCR was higher in the first enrichment media (distilled water) than the second enrichment media (EE broth), though there was no significant difference (p>0.05). It appears that some components of the second enrichment broth, EE broth, inhibit the reaction of real-time PCR. These results show that real-time PCR using a single enrichment with distilled water could be useful as an effective screening method for detection of Cronobacter while saving much time and labor compared to conventional culture method.