This study examines consumer perceptions of vase life (VL) guarantees for cut flowers based on artificial intelligence (AI) predictions. Data were collected through surveys conducted in Osaka and Fukuoka, Japan, targeting both general customers and individuals in the flower industry. Results revealed that although awareness of AI technology was widespread, trust in AI’s ability to predict VL varied among customer groups. General customers in Fukuoka showed greater interest in VL guarantees, a willingness to pay higher prices, and higher trust levels in AI-based prediction systems compared with customers in Osaka. Conversely, flower industry professionals expressed less interest in VL guarantees and were less inclined to pay higher prices regarding AI systems, despite moderate trust in AI’s capabilities. Consumer preferences highlighted demand for VL guarantees, particularly in Osaka, whereas guarantees of up to 7 days were preferred. Notably, 48.3% of general customers favored a 7-day guarantee, whereas 44.7% of flower industry professionals preferred a 10-day guarantee. Understanding these differences in consumer perceptions of VL guarantees and AI can inform the development of effective guarantee systems for cut flowers and enhance public relations strategies in distribution and export markets.

The effects of light intensity and external sucrose on the vase life of cut roses were estimated by monitoring the net photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence. Cut flowers were held under different light intensities 10 (L10) or 50 (L50) μmol‧m-2‧s-1 with or without treatment with external sucrose. We found substantial differences in stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate, photosystem II (PSII) quantum efficiencies, specific fluxes, and vase life of the cut flowers when exposed to different light intensities. Light intensity at 50 μmol‧m-2‧s-1 increased photosynthesis capacity, thus delaying petal senescence and extending the vase life of cut flowers. L50 flowers maintained a high photosynthetic rate by reducing heat dissipation (DI0/RC) and increasing electron transport (ET0/TR0 and ET0/ABS) in the electron transport chain of the photosynthesis apparatus. The application of external sucrose extended the vase life of cut flowers by improving water balance and sustaining turgor pressure in the petals of the cut flowers. The net rate of photosynthesis of the cut flowers was increased by higher light intensity; however, it was not affected by the application of external sucrose. Our results indicate that the application of external sucrose is necessary to improve the longevity of cut flowers when endogenous sucrose production by photosynthesis is insufficient under low light conditions during the postharvest period. In addition, our results revealed that most of the photosynthetic parameters were significantly correlated with the vase life of cut rose flowers. Moreover, the relation between the rate of photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters indicates that the rise from the basic dark-adapted fluorescence yield to the maximum (OJIP transient) method can be used as a tool for the evaluation and prediction of the photosynthesis rate in cut flowers.

식품 중 곰팡이 이물에 대한 연구를 위하여 식품 제조 및 유통/보관현장에서의 곰팡이 오염수준 및 주요 곰팡이류를 조사하였다. 측정은 식품유형별 총 9장소 (젓갈류, 식초류, 쌀류, 밀가루류, 냉동만두류, 면류, 과자류, 육가공류, 김치류)와 유통/보관현장 총 8장소(물류 창고)에서 진행하였고, 각 생산라인에서 부유곰팡이, 표면 곰팡이 오염도를 조사하였다. 측정결과, 육가공류 생산현장에서 부유곰팡이 오염도가 가장 높게 측정되었으며, 김치류 생산현장에서의 부유곰팡이 오염도가 가장 낮게 측정되었다. 설비 및 벽면에서의 표면 곰팡이 오염도의 경우, 식품 제조 및 유통/보관 현장에 관계없이 거의 검출되지 않았다. 현장에서 검출된 주요곰팡이를 조사한 결과, Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp., 종이 우점종 곰팡이로 조사되었다.

In this study, magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were electrochemically synthesized in an aqueous electrolyte at a given potential of -1.3 V for 180 s. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that dendrite-like Fe3O4 nanoparticles with a mean size of < 80 nm were electrodeposited on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The Fe3O4/GCE was utilized for sensing chloramphenicol (CAP) by cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry. A reduction peak of CAP at the Fe3O4/GCE was observed at 0.62 V, whereas the uncoated GCE exhibited a very small response compared to that of the Fe3O4/GCE. The electrocatalytic ability of Fe3O4 was mainly attributed to the formation of Fe(VI) during the anodic scan, and its reduction to Fe(III) on the cathodic scan facilitated the sensing of CAP. The effects of pH and scan rate were measured to determine the optimum conditions at which the Fe3O4/GCE exhibited the highest sensitivity with a lower detection limit. The reduction current for CAP was proportional to its concentration under optimized conditions in a range of 0.09-47 μM with a correlation coefficient of 0.9919 and a limit of detection of 0.09 μM (S/N=3). Moreover, the fabricated sensor exhibited anti-interference ability towards 4-nitrophenol, thiamphenicol, and 4-nitrobenzamide. The developed electrochemical sensor is a cost effective, reliable, and straightforward approach for the electrochemical determination of CAP in real time applications.

The damage of citrus fruit by yellow tea thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, was first confirmed in 2008, and has since been one of the serious pests of citrus in Jeju. This was reported on damage symptom on tangor cultivar, Setoka (Tangor Norin No. 8) fruits cultivated in a greenhouse and the characteristic of spatial disttribution of S. dorsalis caught on yellow sticky traps was conducted in three commercial citrus orchards. The feeding habits by S. dorsalis cause rind blemishes on the navel part of fruit. The damage is characterized by being scarped and figure like covered cloud on satsum mandarine fruit, but on by a brown ring of rough russeting that occurs on navel part of Setoka fruit. The season of damage occurrence was from middle of June to late of July. There was a highly significant relationship between the average number of thrips per trap and the maximum number caught on a trap. The overall differences between the linear regression models obtained from mean-variance relationship for each surveyed fields were tested by type Ⅲ error and contrast method. The characteristic of spatial distribution of S. dorsalis was better described by Taylor's power law than Iwao's patchiness regression, and the dispersion index which is the slope (=1.72) of linear regression model showed the aggregated distribution pattern. The sequential sampling stop lines at fixed precision level of 0.20, 0.25 and 0.30 were calculated.