In this study, the effects of heat-moisture treatment (boiling or steaming for 45 min) prior to hot air drying (70 o C for 8 h) on water activity (Aw), moisture (MC), Brix, color, and texture of dried sweet potato slices were investigated to identify the best pretreatment condition for producing dried sweet potato with the best eating quality. Dried sweet potato slices pretreated by boiling (BL) showed significantly lower Aw, MC, and hardness while Brix was significantly higher than with steaming (ST) treatment. There were no significant differences for the color, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and brittleness indexes. At 8 h drying, the Aw, MC, Brix, and hardness of the BL and ST samples were 0.81 and 0.82, 19.71% and 25.53%, 53.80% and 49.40%, and 20.49 kg/cm 2 and 31.98 kg/ cm 2 , respectively. This information will be useful for manufacturers in the production of dried sweet potato slices. These findings provide evidence of the feasibility of heat-moisture treatments in the production of dried sweet potato.

Radioisotope ADME (RI-ADME) studies are enabling visualization of the biodistribution in molecular imaging. We applied RI-ADME to investigate the tumor targeting capacity and biodistribution of trastuzumab-monomethyl auristatin F (LCB14-0110) in JIMT-1 xenograft mice and healthy marmoset. The LCB14-0110 was labelled with 125I. 125I-LCB14-0110 was intravenously administered to the animals. The gamma-count and single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) was conducted for biodistributioon and bioimaging of the biopharmaceutics. Tumor uptake in xenograft mice was highest at three-day after 125I-LCB14-0110 administration in both the biodistribution and SPECT/CT bioimaging. Alternatively, blood and organ tissues showed gradual decrease in radioactivity over time. In marmosets, radioactivity in all organ tissues rapidly reduced and no specific targeting of organs was observed in the biodistribution study and SPECT/CT imaging. Hence, 125ILCB14- 0110 demonstrated effective tumor targeting capacity and accumulated in JIMT-1 cell-bearing mice. However, accumulation did not occur in the organs of xenograft mice. Additionally, marmosets showed rapidly decrease in radioactivity throughout the entire body without accumulation in the normal organs. We also confirmed that the drug distribution was similar in normal organs between the two experimental animal species except spleen. Therefore, 125I is expected to be a useful tool in the study of RI-ADME in biopharmaceuticals through minimal antibody modification.

This study examined the effects of freshwater discharge by artificial dikes from the Kanwol and Bunam lakes on the dynamics in the Chunsu Bay, Yellow Sea, Korea, during the summer season based on three-dimensional numerical modeling experiments. Model performances were evaluated in terms of skill scores for tidal elevation, velocity, temperature, and salinity and these scores mostly exceeded 90 %. The variability in residual currents before and after the freshwater discharge was examined. The large amount of lake water discharge through artificial dikes may result in a dramatically changed density field in the Chunsu Bay, leading to an estuarine circulation system. The density-driven current formed as a result of the freshwater inflow through the artificial dikes (Kanwol/Bunam) caused a partial change in the tidal circulation and a change in the scale and location of paired residual eddies. The stratification formed by strengthened static stability following the freshwater discharge led to a dramatic increase in the Richardson number and lasted for a few weeks. The strong stratification suppressed the vertical flux and inhibited surface aerated water mixing with bottom water. This phenomenon would have direct and indirect impacts on the marine environment such as hypoxia/anoxia formation at the bottom.

본 연구는 온실의 온도와 CO2농도를 높이기 위해 DME버너용 연료로 DME가스를 사용했을 때 DME 연소가스의 성능을 결정하고 겨울에 상추와 양배추의 엽록소 함량 그리고 무게와 건조무게에 대한 영향정도를 조사하기 위해 수행되었다. 각각 온실1과 온실2에 처방 된 DME-1과 DME-2 처방은 덕트의 평균 DME 유량 17.4 m3 min-1과10.2 m3 min-1으로 구성됐으며, 대조군(DME-3)으로 남겨진 온실3에는 DME 가스가 공급되지 않 았다. DME 공급 시간은 각각 주차 별로 1주차는 하루당 0.5시간, 2주차는 1시간, 3주차는 1.5시간, 4주차는 2 시간으로 설정하였다. 각각 처방마다 엽록소 함량과 상추와 배추의 건조 전, 후 중량을 측정했으며, 연구결과 무처리구인 온실3과 비교하여 온실1과 온실2 의 CO2 농도는 각각 265%, 174% 증가하였고, 온도의 경우 4.8oC, 3.10oC 상승하였다. DME 가스를 제외한 다른 조건이 같은 온실에서 재배된 상추와 양배추의 엽록소 함량과 생체중, 건물중은 온실1에서 (유의적으로) 가장 높았으며, 온실2는 대조구 온실보다 높았다. 이러한 결과는 DME가스 연소에 의한 CO2 농도 차이에 기인된 것으로 판단된다. 일반적으로 가스연소에 의해 발생되는 유해가스 증상은 나타나지 않았으며 동절기 난방과 CO2 공급이 동시에 필요할 경우 DME가스가 기존의 경유 또는 LPG 등을 대체할 수 있는 가능성을 확인하였다. 향후 정밀한 연구를 통하여 효율적인 난방방식으로의 검토가 적극 필요하다고 판단된다.

Melon thrips, Thrips palmi Karny (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a worldwide polyphagous pest. The management of this pest have mainly relied on chemical agents. However, the overuse is harmful to the environment and results in insects resistance. Therefore, alternative eco-friendly control methods that have different mode of action, such as biological control, are necessary to overcome the current issue. In this study, we isolated entomopathogenic fungi from Korean soil, and characterized them via morphological and molecular techniques and pathogenicity assay against Tenebrio molitor larvae. The isolated fungi were screened for virulence against T. palmi under laboratory conditions and the results were used to establish a thrips-pathogenic fungal library. The highly virulent isolates were selected and further characterized for optimum culture conditions and application as biopesticide in the field.