This study was performed to estimate the salt content and evaluate the nutritional quality of free lunch meals served by welfare facilities for the elderly. We collected food items from 8 welfare facilities in Gyeonggi-do, and calculated the total salt content from the salinity and weight of individual food items. The average salt content from lunch meals was 5.68 g, which was over the recommended daily salt intake by the WHO. The greatest contributor to the salt content among the menu groups was soup and stew (37.5%). Soup, stew, deep-fried foods, and sauces were major sources of salt, while the most salty dishes were sauces, deep-fried food, salt-fermented food, and kimchi. The nutrient content was sufficient, except for calcium in both men and women, which was equal to approximately 1/3 of the dietary recommended intakes (DRIs) for Korean adults of their mean age. In addition, the index of nutritional quality (INQ) and nutrient adequacy ratios (NAR) of most nutrients were satisfactory, except for those of calcium and sodium. The INQs of calcium and sodium were 0.64 and 4.41, respectively, while the mean adequacy ratio of a meal was 0.95. These results suggest that multilateral efforts to lower sodium intake be considered and calcium sources be added, in order to improve the quality of meals served to the elderly at welfare facilities.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the self‐renewing, multipotent progenitors that give rise to all types of mature blood cells. The hallmark properties of HSCs are the ability to balance self‐renewal versus differentiation cell fate decisions to provide sufficient primitive cells to sustain haematopoiesis, while generating more mature cells with specialized capacities. In the present experiment, we optimized the techniques for isolation and identification of hematopoietic stem cells from cow peripheral blood. The objective of this study was to optimize the more accurate methodology for separation of mononuclear cells (MNCs) from peripheral blood and identification of HSCs by using a specific cell surface marker i.e. CD34. A total 10 peripheral blood samples were collected from Holstein dairy cows from jugular vein. We used Ficoll 400 in different concentrations from 1 to 12% and Ficollpaque Plus (1.077 g/ml) at different centrifugation speed and time. After Giemsa staining, we found more than 98% recovery of monocytes with Ficollpaque Plus (1.077 g/ml). It was demonstrated that Ficollpaque Plus (1.077 g/ml) and centrifugation at 400xg for 30 min is the best method for separation of MNCs from bovine peripheral blood. Separated MNCs were immediately subjected for magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) by using CD34 microbead kit. HSCs (CD34+ cells) recovery was 0.307% of peripheral blood. Peripheral blood MNCs and CD34+ cells were morphologically characterized by Giemsa staining. CD34+ cells were also confirmed by immunochemistry using FITC conjugated CD34 antibodies. HSCs were also confirmed by progenitor assay including burst forming unit‐erythroid (BFU‐E), colony forming cells‐ granulocyte (CFC‐G), colony forming cells‐ macrophage (CFC‐M), colony forming cells‐ granulocyte macrophage (CFU‐GM) and colony forming cells‐ granulocyte erythroid macrophage monocyte (CFCGEMM) on Methocult 4435.

This study investigated the effect of leaf form or phenotype and light intensity on the toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene removal of three foliage plants. Green and variegated forms of Ardisia pusilla, Scindapsus aureus, and Hedera helix plants were grown under 10 and 20 μmol･m-2･s-1 light intensities for 8 months and were tested for their volatile organic compound (VOC) removal efficiency for 15 h. In general, variegated forms of the plant species have higher VOC removal after 15 h of VOC exposure than green plants, particularly when grown in 10 μmol･m-2･s-1. This is more evident in A. pusilla and S. aureus than in H. helix. The highest rate of toluene, m-, p-, and o-xylene removal per hour by plants grown under 10 μmol･m-2･s-1 was achieved by variegated A. pusilla, while for ethylbenzene, variegated A. pusilla and variegated H. helix had the highest removal rate per hour. In plants grown in 20 μmol･m-2･s-1 light intensity, variegated and green H. helix have the highest removal rate per hour of toluene and m-, p-, and o-xylene. For ethylbenzene, variegated A. pusilla and green and variegated H. helix had the highest removal rates per hour. The plant with the lowest removal rate per hour for all five VOCs was green S. aureus grown under both light intensities. The percentage VOC removal rate of variegated over green plants was 22% higher at a lower light intensity

Light is very important for plant growth and a major limiting factor in indoor plant cultivation, such as in balconies. This study was conducted to investigate the light intensity and lettuce (Latuca sativa L.) growth in an apartment balcony affected by the direction of balcony. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), air temperature, and relative humidity in the east-, south-, or west-facing balcony were measured for a year. The lettuce was grown in the east-, south-, or west-facing balcony. The time and amount of light entering into the balcony differed according to the direction of the balcony window. Whereas light entered into the east-facing balcony from sunrise to noon, it entered into the west-facing balcony afternoon before sunset. The temperature and humidity in the balcony also varied according to the direction of the balcony window. Daily Light Integral (DLI) in the south-facing balcony was 20~50% of outdoor and DLI in east- or west-facing balconies was 10~20%. Also, the environmental characteristics of the balconies were affected seasonally. In the spring (from March to May), the DLI was around 10 mol･m-2･day-1 and the average temperature was around 25°C. But the DLI was below 10 mol･m-2･day-1 and the average temperature and relative humidity were around 30°C and over 60%, respectively, in the summer (from June to August). In the balcony, the average temperature was maintained around 10°C even in winter, which is a condition of freezing outdoor. Growth of the lettuce in the south-facing balcony was better than that of the other directions. This is attributed to better environmental conditions of south-facing balcony. Therefore, considering the environmental characteristics of the balcony, selection and management of crops with relatively low light demand like leafy vegetables are required. It is also recommended to cultivate crops from autumn to spring.

Two methods of nitrogen application at the 4th leaf stage were evaluated in direct-seeding rice cultivation on dry paddy soil: one was the top dressing of nitrogen on dry paddy condition before irrigation (TNDP) for labor saving, and the other was the top dressing of nitrogen on dry paddy with mechanical rotavation of the inter-row space (TNDPIR) for increasing the efficiency of nitrogen. To evaluate these two application methods, leaf chlorophyll contents, growth characteristics and yields were compared with two conventional methods, basal application (BA) and top dressing on flooded paddy condition at the 4th leaf stage (TNFP). The SPAD value of rice in TNDP was similar with that in TNFP throughout the whole growth stage of rice. Also, there were no differences in rice growth and yield between the two methods. However, in TNDPIR, the SPAD value was the highest during tillering stage among the four application methods, and the tiller number, LAI at heading stage and the panicle number were higher than the two conventional methods.