Multiple starters consisting of two Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains (MJ1-4 and EMD17), Pichiafarinosa SY80, and Rhizopus oryzae were used for Doenjang making. Bacillus strains were selected based on their abilities to inhibit toxinogenic fungi and Bacillus cereus, fibrinolytic activity, and their ability to confer good flavor to Cheonggukjang. P. farinosa SY80 and R. oryzae, previously isolated from soy sauce, were selected because they were not inhibited by two bacilli. Doenjang was prepared by inoculation of multiple starters (A1 Doenjang). Control Doenjang was prepared by inoculation of B. subtilis KACC 16750 (Natto strain) and Aspergillus oryzae KCCM 60166 (A2 Doenjang). Another control (A3 Doenjang) was prepared by inoculation of microorganisms present in rice straw. Doenjang samples were fermented for 70 days at 20℃. pH of 3 samples decreased from the initial value of 6.4 to 5.8~6.0 and titratable acidity (TA) increased from 0.6 to 1.1~1.3. The amount of amino-type nitrogen increased during fermentation. There were slight differences in moisture, crude-protein, and crude-fat contents after 70 days. Contamination of fungi was observed only in A3 Doenjang and B. cereus was not detected from all 3 samples. A1 Doenjang showed the highest fibrinolytic activity and A2 Doenjang the second. These results indicate that Doenjang made with carefully selected starters was functionally improved and microbially more safe.

This study was performed to evaluate antimicrobial resistance of food-borne pathogens isolated from retail meat in Korea. A total of 157 samples of beef, pork, and chicken were collected and analyzed for E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter. Resistances to tetracycline were declined in accord with reduced usage of tetracycline in live stock production. E. coli stains from chicken meat had higher multi-drug resistance ratio than strains from other meat. One extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli and two ESBL producing Salmonella were identified in this study. ESBL producing Salmonella strains were confirmed to carry CTX-M-1 type genes.

Biogenic amine은 주로 단백질이 풍부한 전통장류 중 된 장과 간장에서 높게 발생하고 있다. 현재까지 국내외 식중독 사고를 보면 biogenic amine중 tyramine, histamine과 putrescine에 의한 보고가 있다. 전통장류의 biogenic amine 에 대한 위생적인 문제를 해결하기 위해 전통장류 제조에 적합한 발효미생물 중에서 biogenic amine 비생성 및 분해하는 미생물을 선발하여 종균으로 적용한다면 biogenic amine에 대한 문제를 해결할 수 있을 것이다. 이러한 문제의 해결을 위해 본 연구에서는 우수한 발효능력과 함께 유해균에 대해 강한 길항 능력을 지니며, biogenic amine 을 생산하지 않지만 높은 분해능력을 보이는 균주를 선발하여 장류제조 종균으로의 이용가능성을 실증하였다. 결론적으로 선발된 장류발효균주를 종균으로 이용하여 메주 제조 및 청국장 제조 등에 이용한다면 biogenic amine과 Bacillus cereus를 안전한 수준으로 낮출 수 있을 것으로 사료되었고, 전통장류의 HACCP적용을 위한 HAZARD를 관리하는 우수한 수단으로 이용될 수 있을 것이다. 또한 향후에는 단일 균종만 종균으로 사용할 경우 전통장류의 우수한 풍미를 재현하는데 한계가 있기 때문에 종균들을 적절하게 조합한 혼합발효를 통해 제조한다면 풍미가 좋을 뿐만 아니라, 위생문제를 해결한 우수한 장류를 생산 할 수 있을 것으로 판단되었다.

This study was performed to evaluate antimicrobial resistance of food-borne pathogens isolated from retail meat in Korea. A total of 157 samples of beef, pork, and chicken were collected and analyzed for E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter. Resistances to tetracycline were declined in accord with reduced usage of tetracycline in live stock production. E. coli stains from chicken meat had higher multi-drug resistance ratio than strains from other meat. One extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli and two ESBL producing Salmonella were identified in this study. ESBL producing Salmonella strains were confirmed to carry CTX-M-1 type genes.

We have screened Bacillus strains suitable for the fermentation of soybean products with respect to the control of Bacillus cereus and the reduction of biogenic amines. Of 26 isolates, a strain named as the SCK A08 carried antimicrobial activity against B. cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, major food poisoning species in soybean products. PCR analysis revealed that the SCK A08 strain did not contain genes for Bacillus cereus toxins including nonhemolytic enterotoxin, hemolytic enterotoxin, cytotoxin K, cereulide and certrax. The SCK A08 strain could degrade histamine, tyramine, putrescine, and cadaverine by 67.41%, 76.59%, 57.32%, and 50.69%, respectively, during fermentation in cooked soybeans containing 0.5% (w/w) of each biogenic amine. The morphological and biochemical properties and phylogenetic relationships based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate was most closely related to Bacillus licheniformis. Use of the strain SCK A08 would be a potential measure to overcome two hygienic problems that were frequently faced during manufacture of traditionally fermented soybean products.

We have analyzed infrared (IR) images of Jupiter which was observed at the McDonald Observatory, Texas, U.S.A., during the P/SHoemaker-LEvy 9 (SL9) impact period and about one week after the last impact. The IR images were obtained on the 2.7m telescope using a NICMOS array with filters to isolate the 1.5 μm NH3 band, the 2.3 μm CH4 band, the 2.12 μm H2 S(0) pressure-induced absorption, and the continua at 1.58 μm and 2.0 μm (short K-band). All images except those with the 1.58 μm continuum filter show bright impact sites against the relatively dark Jovian disk near the impact latitude of about 45° S. This implies that dusts originated from the impacts reflect the solar radiation at high altitudes before absorbed by stratospheric CH4, NH3 or H2. The impact sites observed with the 2.3 μm filter are conspicuously bright against a very dark background. The morphology of impact sites, G, L, and H at 2.3 and 2.12 μm filters shows clearly an asymmetric structure toward the incident direction of the comet fragments, in agreement with the studies of visible impact images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. Comparisons of reflectances of G, L, and H sites with simple radiative transfer models suggest that optically thick dust layers were formed at high altitudes at which methane absorption attenuates incoming sunlight only by about 1%. The dust layers in these sites seem to form at about the same altitude regardless of the magnitude of the impacts, but they appear to descend gradually after the impacts. The dust layers have optical depths of 2-5, according to the models.

Background: Angelica gigas, A. sinensis, and A. acutiloba are commercially important in the herbal medicine market, and among them, A. gigas has the highest economic value and price. However, their similar morphological traits are often used for fraud. Despite their importance in herbal medicine, recognition of the differences between Angelica species is currently inadequate. Methods and Results: A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed for direct detection and identification of A. gigas, A. sinensis, and A. acutiloba. The gene for the distinction of species was targeted at ITS in the nucleus and trnC-petN gene in chloroplasts. The optimized multiplex PCR in the present study utilized each Angelica species-specific primer pairs. Each primer pair yielded products of 229 base pairs (bp) for A. gigas, 53 bp for A. sinensis, 170 bp for A. acutiloba. Additionally non-specific PCR products were not detected in similar species by species-specific primers. Conclusions: In the present study, a multiplex-PCR assay, successfully assessed the authenticity of Angelica species (A. gigas, A. sinensis, and A. acutiloba). and whole genome amplification (WGA) was performed after DNA extraction to identify, the species in the product. The detection method of raw materials developed in the present study could be applied to herbal medicine and health functional food management.

Compared to wide ranges of genetic variation of natural populations, very limited Miscanthus cultivar has been released. This study was the first report on the development of Miscanthus cultivar by means of radiation breeding. Seeds of M. sinensis were initially exposed to gamma rays of 250 Gy for 24 h, generated from a 60Co gamma-irradiator. The irradiated seeds were sown and then the highly tiller-producing mutants were selected for this study. Biomass-related parameters including tiller number, plant height, stem diameter, and leaf number were measured. Ploidy level and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were investigated to characterize the mutants compared to wild type (WT) Miscanthus. Plant height and tiller number were negatively related, where multi-tillering mutants were relatively short after 4 month growth. However stem diameter and leaf number were greater in mutants. All the materials used in this study were diploid, implying that the mutants with greater tiller numbers and stem diameter were not likely related to polyploidization. Based on the sequence of ITS regions, the mutants demonstrated base changes from the gamma irradiation where G+C content (%) was decreased in the ITS1, but increased in ITS2 when compared to WT sequence. ITS2 region was more variable than in ITS1 in the mutants, which collectively allows identification of the mutants from WT. Those mutants having enhanced tillers and allelic variations might be used as breeding materials for enhanced biomass-producing Miscanthus cultivars.

We focus on the improvement of accuracy of sea surface wind over complex coastal area during the warm season. Local Analysis Prediction System (LAPS) was used to improve the initial values in Mesoscale Meteorological model (MM5). During the clear summer days with weak wind speed, sea surface wind simulated with LAPS was compared with the case without LAPS. The results of modeling with LAPS has a good agreement mesoscale circulation such as mountain and valley winds on land and in case of modeling without LAPS, wind speed overestimated over the sea in the daytime. And the results of simulation with LAPS indicated similar wind speed values to observational data over the sea under influence of data assimilation using BUOY, QuikSCAT, and AMEDAS. The present study suggests that MM5 modelling with LAPS showed more improved results than that of without LAPS to simulate sea surface wind over the complex coastal area.

We focused on improvement in simulation of wind fields for the complex coastal area. Local Analysis and Prediction System(LAPS) was used as a data assimilation method to improve initial conditions. Case studies of different LAPS inputs were performed to compare improvement of wind fields. Five cases have been employed : Ⅰ) non data assimilation, Ⅱ) all available data, Ⅲ) AWS, buoy, QuikSCAT, Ⅳ) AWS, buoy, wind profiler, Ⅴ) AWS, buoy, AMEDAS. Data assimilation can supplement insufficiency of the mesoscale model which does not represent detailed terrain effect and small scale atmospheric flow fields. Result assimilated all available data showed a good agreement to the observations rather than other cases and estimated well the local meteorological characteristics including sea breeze and up-slope winds. Result using wind profiler data was the next best thing. This implies that data assimilation with many high-resolution sounding data could contribute to the improvements of good initial condition in the complex coastal area. As a result, these indicated that effective data assimilation process and application of the selective LAPS inputs played an important role in simulating wind fields accurately in a complex area.