This study compares and analyzes changes in users’ perceptions of industrial catering food service quality before and after COVID-19. The survey enrolled 226 subjects at five industrial catering establishments in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province; a total of 204 customers with complete data were included in the final analysis. Factor analysis was conducted to verify convergence validity and construct reliability; results pertaining to ‘service and environmental hygiene’ and ‘quality of food’ were extracted. Among the general variables of food service quality, differences were obtained in the user’s perceptions of food service qualities according to gender, education, and marital status. Our results revealed that women, low education, and married people perceived significant differences in all attributes before and after COVID-19. Additionally, varied altered perceptions were determined for service quality according to the occupations of the subjects. However, no differences were obtained for pleasant dining environment in the ‘service and environmental hygiene factor’ and variety of desserts in the ‘food quality factor’.

The study was aimed to investigate the operational meal costs by kindergarten size in Seoul and to analyze recognition for optimal meal prices. A survey (31.6% recovery rate) was conducted on all kindergartens (779 kindergartens) in Seoul on April 2021 using descriptive analysis, t-test, and dispersion method. A price sensitivity measurement (psm) method was used to determine optimal meal prices. Result showed an average food cost for kindergartens of 2,647 won, an average labor cost of 605 won, an average operating cost of 146 won, and the total meal cost of 3,506 won. Total meal cost decreased with increasing kindergarten size (p<0.001). On the other hand, kindergartens with more students decreased the ratio of food cost to total meal cost, and operating cost and labor costs (p<0.001) increased. The optimal price of kindergarten operators' meal cost (OPP) was KRW 3,673. Furthermore, the analysis showed the sensitivity of operators' meal costs to kindergarten size was insignificant.

Garnet is one of the promising ceramic waste forms for immobilizing radioactive wastes. It has an A3 [VIII]B2 [VI]T3 [IV]O12 structure, so it can accommodate various cations of different sizes and coordination. Silicon usually occupies the centers of the tetrahedron structural site (T[IV]O4) in natural garnet. However, substitution of the T-site with iron, which has a relatively large ionic radius, causes the expansion of a unit cell volume of garnet and allows the incorporation of large cations such as actinides at other sites. Relatively few leaching data have been reported for ferrite garnet waste forms to date. In this study, we synthesized gadolinium-iron-garnet and evaluated the leaching property using cerium as a surrogate for actinide elements. The test specimens were made by cold pressing and sintering process. Three different standard leaching tests were performed as follows. The PCT-A (ASTM C1285) was performed for 7 days at 90°C to the crushed sample (0.149 to 0.074 mm). The ANSI/ANS-16.1 standard leach test was performed at ambient conditions for 5 days with constant replacement of leachate. Finally, the MCC-1 (ASTM C1220) test was performed for 28 days at 90°C with different types of leachants such as ultrapure water, brine, and silicate water. The last two leaching tests were conducted on monolithic specimens. After the end of the test, leachate was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (Agilent, ICP-MS 7700S).

The purpose of this study was to analyze the operators' perception of the allowable price range and the optimal price of kindergarten meals by using the PSM (price sensitivity measurement) technique and provide basic data on calculating kindergarten meal costs reflecting realistic meals. From April to May 2021, 779 kindergartens in Seoul were surveyed, based on 246 (31.6%) of the respondents. According to the survey, kindergarteners spent 3,506 won for meals on average, followed by 3,822 won for kindergarten attached to elementary school, 3,316 won for public kindergartens, and 2,896 won for private kindergartens (p<0.001). The allowed price range for the kindergarten meal service workers was estimated at 3,447~3854 won, 3,447 won for PMC (Point of Marginal Cheapness), and 3,854 won for PME (Point of Marginal Expensiveness). The appropriate cost of the kindergarten meal service provider was 3,950 won for kindergartens attached to elementary school, 3,425 won for public kindergartens, and 3,546 won for private kindergartens.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of the quality of school meals by parents of kindergarten children in Seoul, analyze the acceptance price and the optimal school meal cost using PSM (price sensitivity measurement) techniques, and provide basic data for improving the quality of kindergarten meals. The survey was conducted using descriptive statistics and PSM analysis of the responses of 1,272 parents of 779 kindergarten children belonging to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education from April to May 2021 and prior research analysis related to kindergarten meals. 74.1% of the parents surveyed were women, with 61% of children attending kindergartens attached to elementary schools, followed by private kindergartens (28.9%) and public kindergartens (10.1%). According to a study of the quality of meals, private kindergarten parents are highly satisfied with all the quality attributes of meals, such as “sanitation of dining environment” and “nutritionally balanced food” (p<0.001, p<0.01). The analysis of the acceptance price range and the optimal price for school meals showed that there was no significant variation based on the type of kindergarten establishment, with parents' acceptance price range ranging from 3,596 won to 4,454 won with an optimal price of 3,948 won.

This study examined the food purchasing behavior of rural housewives in Bibong-myeon, Hwaseong. The survey targeted grocery shopping for the home, in particular by housewives. The type of grocery store frequented, age, socioeconomic factors, and ease of purchase were compared with interests in health foods. One super supermarket (SSM), three supermarkets (SM), and four convenience stores were examined in the research area, whereas a large-scale discount store and grocery stores were also examined outside the research area. The grocery store visiting rate was 61.5% in the research area and 38.5% in the other area. The SSM (62.7%) and SM (29.9%) in the research area and LDS (57.1%) and SSM (16.7%) in the other area were most frequently visited. Major purchasing products greatly differed according to the grocery store type. Major foods purchased in the SSM were grain, meat, and fish. Major foods purchased in the LDS and SM were processed products and vegetables, respectively. The LDS visiting frequency was 41.7% for 2-3 times per month and 41.7% for <1 time per month. The means of transport were mostly by private car (87.5%), whereas the SSM was visited 1-2 times per week 53.1% of the time by foot. In addition, various grocery stores are absent in rural areas and it is therefore important to find other methods to assess the food environment of rural areas. In future research, it will be necessary to design various ways to perform food environment research.

S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase-like protein 1 (AHCYL1), also known as IP3 receptor- binding protein released with IP3 (IRBIT), regulates IP3-induced Ca2+ release in the cytoplasm of cells and, therefore, is likely to be an important gene regulating various biological processes in the oviduct of chickens. However, the identification of the AHCYL1 gene in chickens has not been investigated. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine the tissue- and cell-specific expression of AHCYL1 gene in chicken organs, especially in reproductive organ, and determine functional actions of AHCYL1 in chicken oviduct development via estrogen. The results indicated that AHCYL1 mRNA is expressed in chicken reproductive organs and DES(diethylstilbesterol, a synthetic estrogen agonist) stimulates the cell specific expression of AHCYL1 in immature chicken oviduct. These results suggest that AHCYL1 is a novel estrogen-stimulated gene associated with development of the chicken oviduct. Next, in the present study, we show that inhibition of Erk1/2 can block DES-induced AHCYL1 expression. Also, we found that knockdown of AHCYL1 expression down-regulates expression of oviduct specific genes and AHCYL1 expression is regulated at the post-transcriptional level by specific miRNAs. These results strongly suggest that estrogen-mediated AHCYL1 gene expression plays a crucial role in growth, differentiation and function of the hen oviduct. Also, our results will be useful for understanding the fundamental mechanism(s) of estrogen action responsible for development of hen oviduct. This research was funded by the World Class University (WCU) program (R31-10056), Basic Science Research Program (2010-0013078) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology and by the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program (No.PJ008142), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

The genus Linaeidea Motschulsky, 1860, contains six species, and is distributed in China, Japan, USSR, Europe, with only two species known in Korea (Gressitt and Kimoto, 1963; Seeno and Wilcox, 1982; Kimoto and Takizawa, 1994; Lee and An, 2001). Morphological notes of the immature stages and life history of Japanese L. aenea (Linne, 1758) were well studied by Kimoto (1962)and Kimoto and Takizawa (1994). Very little is known about the immature stages of this genus from Korea: only the larva of L. aenea have been briefly described and illustrated by Lee (1996). According to Hennig (1938), this genus is separable from the genus Chrysomela, in having sternal tubercles which are disappeared in the last instar larvae. However, the L. adamsi was not applied in the diagnosis character of this genus. The purpose of this results are to provide a key, detailed description, illustration and tubercles patterns of all known Korean species of genus Linaeidea as the basic data for the phylogenetic study the subfamily Chrysomelinae.