Search

Identifying the extracellular metabolites of microorganisms in fresh vegetables is industrially useful for assessing the quality of processed foods. Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (PCC) is a plant pathogenic bacterium that causes soft rot disease in cabbages. This microbial species in plant tissues can emit specific volatile molecules with odors that are characteristic of the host cell tissues and PCC species. In this study, we used headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) to identify volatile compounds (VCs) in PCC-inoculated cabbage at different storage temperatures. HS-SPME-GC-MS allowed for recognition of extracellular metabolites in PCC-infected cabbages by identifying specific volatile metabolic markers. We identified 4-ethyl-5-methylthiazole and 3-butenyl isothiocyanate as markers of fresh cabbages, whereas 2,3-butanediol and ethyl acetate were identified as markers of soft rot in PCC-infected cabbages. These analytical results demonstrate a suitable approach for establishing non-destructive plant pathogen-diagnosis techniques as alternatives to standard methods, within the framework of developing rapid and efficient analytical techniques for monitoring plant-borne bacterial pathogens. Moreover, our techniques could have promising applications in managing the freshness and quality control of cabbages.

Long-term storage of chili pepper powder results in physicochemical and microbiological changes that decrease its commercial value; these changes occur owing to fungal growth and production of off-flavor compounds. Herein, long-term-stored chili pepper powder (LSCPP) and fresh chili pepper powder (FCPP) were analyzed using internal transcribed spacer sequencing and volatile organic compound fingerprinting by headspace capillary-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry. Fungal analysis detected only Xeromyces bisporus with high accuracy in all the analyzed LSCPP samples. However, the proliferation of X. bisporus on nonspecific spots complicated the distinguishing process between the two groups based solely on fungal analysis. Therefore, nine compounds (three ketones, one alcohol, two aldehydes, one ester, one furan, and one sulfur compound) obtained by autoxidation and fungal metabolism were selected as potential markers for distinguishing LSCPP and FCPP. These above-mentioned substances, which were confirmed as off-flavor species owing to "stale" odor, emitted lipid fragrance and were used to successfully distinguish LSCPP from FCPP using principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: According to the research results, it was possible to discriminate between long-term stored and fresh chili pepper powders using nine VOC markers for quality control in industry. In addition, the fungus generated from long-term storage of chili pepper powder was Xeromyces bisporus, which was confirmed to be safe for intake because it does not form secondary toxic metabolites.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable, which is also widely consumed in Japan and China. However, little is known about the kimchi proteome. In this study, Korean and Chinese kimchi proteomes were evaluated by shotgun proteomics. A total of 250 proteins were annotated, and 29 of these were expressed at > 1% of the average relative abundance. Discrimination of the geographical origins of Korean and Chinese kimchi samples was possible using multivariate analysis of the proteomic data, and 23 proteins were expressed differently between the two types (p

Quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs) are toxic secondary metabolites of Lupinus plants. This study reports the simultaneous quantification of five alkaloids from Lupinus angustifolius L. and its processed foods by ultraperformance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection. After optimizing the extraction conditions, the analytical method was validated for the QAs in lupin beans and in three major processed foods through detection and quantification limits, linearity, precision, and accuracy. The detection and quantification limits of the QAs were 0.5-1.7 and 1.5-5.7 mg kg-1, respectively. The linearity was greater than 0.9992 and the precision was less than 3.1%. The recoveries of three different concentrations of each QA were 89.5-106.2%. For both raw lupin beans and processed foods, lupanine was the major QA, and 13-hydroxylupanine and angustifoline were detected in lower amounts. This method could be widely used for accurate risk assessment of QAs.

This study aimed to evaluate the virucidal effect and potential use as a disinfectant of undiluted and diluted slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on human noroviruses (HuNoVs) using the in vitro suspension test and in food test. The oxidization reduction potential of SAEW gradually decreased with the increase in distilled water volume. Moreover, as the volume of distilled water and the dilution ratio increased, the available chlorine concentration of the samples significantly decreased from 31.2 ± 0.63 (SAEW) to 1.3 ± 0.21 (1:10 dilution of SAEW solution) (p 4.00 log reduction), the reduction value of HuNoVs in cabbage samples was 4.65 (GI.6) and 4.28 (GII.4) log. These results suggest the potential application of SAEW for inactivating HuNoVs in the food industry. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-021-01011-w.

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) plays an important role in cancer development, providing excess lipid sources for cancer growth by participating in de novo lipogenesis. Although several inhibitors of FASN have been developed, there are many limitations to using FASN inhibitors alone as cancer therapeutics. We therefore attempted to effectively inhibit cancer cell growth by using a FASN inhibitor in combination with an inhibitor of a deubiquitinating enzyme USP14, which is known to maintain FASN protein levels in hepatocytes. However, when FASN and USP14 were inhibited together, there were no synergistic effects on cancer cell death compared to inhibition of FASN alone. Surprisingly, USP14 rather reduced the protein levels and activity of FASN in cancer cells, although it slightly inhibited the ubiquitination of FASN. Indeed, treatment of an USP14 inhibitor IU1 did not significantly affect FASN levels in cancer cells. Furthermore, from an analysis of metabolites involved in lipid metabolism, metabolite changes in IU1-treated cells were significantly different from those in cells treated with a FASN inhibitor, Fasnall. These results suggest that FASN may not be a direct substrate of USP14 in the cancer cells. Consequently, we demonstrate that USP14 regulates proliferation of the cancer cells in a fatty acid synthase-independent manner, and targeting USP14 in combination with FASN may not be a viable method for effective cancer treatment.

To explore factors affecting attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccine, including sociodemographic characteristics and mental health status during the pandemic.Participants totaled 1,768, and were originally included in a community cohort study who responded to three online surveys related to COVID-19 (March 2020-March 2021). The K-means method was used to cluster trust and intention toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Baseline (2013-2018) sociodemographic characteristics, physical health status, and depressive symptoms were analyzed as exposure variables, and current mental health status was included in the analyses.Most participants were classified into the moderate trust and high intention cluster (838, 47.4%); those with high trust and high intention accounted only for 16.86%. They tended to be older, had high-income level, and regular physical activity at baseline (p0.05); their sleep quality and psychological resilience were relatively high, compared to other groups.Our results suggest that more efforts are required to enhance the need and trust of COVID-19 vaccines.

Capsaicinoids in red pepper powder are known to show anti-bacterial effects; however, their effects during kimchi fermentation are not known. This study aimed to investigate the effects of various concentrations of capsaicinoids on kimchi fermentation. Five sets of kimchi samples were prepared using 0 mg/kg (control), 98.34 ± 5.34 mg/kg (mild), 243.47 ± 3.71 mg/kg (medium), 428.63 ± 30.78 mg/kg (hot), and 1,320.49 ± 28.27 mg/kg (extreme) capsaicinoid. The characteristics of each kimchi sample, including pH, acidity, organic acid, sugars, sugar alcohol, capsaicinoid content, and microbial community were periodically investigated during fermentation. Kimchi with red pepper powder shows significantly higher acidity than control kimchi, whereas pH values were the same. Organic acid in kimchi with red pepper powder was higher than in control kimchi, probably caused by higher lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts in kimchi samples with red pepper powder. Our results show that addition of red pepper powder decreased Leuconostoc spp. counts in the bacterial community. In particular, Lactobacillus sakei and Leuconostoc gelidum counts increased and decreased, respectively, with increasing capsaicinoid content of red pepper powder added to kimchi. Overall, the results of this study indicate that physicochemical properties and LAB such as L. sakei and L. gelidum are influenced by capsaicinoid content. However, further studies are necessary to investigate the effects of the percentage of red pepper powder in kimchi on fermentation to provide practical guidelines for producing standardized kimchi.

Products of lupin, a leguminous plant belonging to genus Lupinus, have high protein contents and are consumed in Mediterranean and Middle East countries. However, quinolizidine alkaloids (Q...

A simple and rapid method was developed for the simultaneous determination of five preservatives, six artificial sweeteners, and nine synthetic dyes in kimchi using ultra-performance liquid chromat...

Despite the importance of preventing the spread of human norovirus (NoV), effective disinfectants are lacking. In this study, the efficacy of disinfectants against NoV on various non-porous surfaces was investigated by immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and quantitative real-time reverse transcription (RT-q)PCR. Monoclonal anti-NoV antibody-conjugated magnetic beads captured intact viral particles for RT-qPCR after the treatment of surfaces with disinfectants. Viral suspensions of approximately 5.97 log10 genomic copies were inoculated onto rubber, glass, stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood, and polyvinyl chloride surfaces. Various elution buffers were used to elute NoV from surfaces. Ethanol (50–70%), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl, 100–1000 ppm), sodium metasilicate (SMS, 0.1% and 0.3%), and quaternary compounds (1000–2000 ppm) were investigated as disinfectants; the observed reductions were

Background There are several ways to determine psychological resilience. However, the correlation between each measurement is not clear. We explored associations of baseline relative “resilience” and risk with later self‐reported trait resilience and other biological/mental health indices. Methods We utilized baseline and follow‐up survey data from 500 participants aged 30–64 in the community cohort. Baseline “relative” resilience was defined by: (a) negative life events (NLEs) in the six months before baseline and (b) depressive symptoms at baseline, yielding four groups of individuals: i) “Unexposed and well,” “Vulnerable (depression),” “Reactive (depression),” and “Resilient.” “Trait” resilience at follow‐up was self‐reported using the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC). Associations between relative resilience at baseline, CD‐RISC, and heart rate variability (HRV) indices at follow‐up were assessed with generalized linear regression models after adjustments. Associations between baseline resilience and subsequent loneliness/depression indices were also evaluated. Results Overall trait resilience and its subfactors at follow‐up showed strong negative associations with “Reactive” at baseline (adj‐β for total CD‐RISC score: −11.204 (men), −9.472 (women)). However, resilience at baseline was not associated with later HRV, which was compared with the significant positive association observed between CD‐RISC and HRV at the same follow‐up time point. The “Reactive” exhibited significantly increased depressive symptoms at follow‐up. The overall distribution pattern of CD‐RISC subfactors differed by baseline resilience status by sex. Conclusions The “relative” resilience based on the absence of depression despite prior adversity seems to be highly related with trait resilience at follow‐up but not with HRV. The sub‐factor pattern of CD‐RISC was different by sex., The “relative” resilience based on the absence of depression despite prior adversity seems to be highly related with trait resilience at follow‐up but not with HRV. The subfactor pattern of CD‐RISC was different by sex.

Background : The present study aimed to investigate the association between resilience and cognitive function of middle-aged Koreans in a longitudinal setting. Methods : We utilized the baseline and 5-year follow-up data from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center study. The final number of participants included in the analysis was 397 (108 men, 289 women, mean age 55.4 years) who had valid measurements of both baseline resilience and Mini-Mental State Estimation at follow-up. The resilient people at baseline were operationally defined as the people who had at least one negative experience in the Life Experience Survey without depression, which was defined as a Beck Depressive Inventory-Ⅱ score of 20 or above. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination in both surveys. A generalized linear model was applied after adjusting for confounders. The association between resilience and cognitive function was further analyzed using stratification by median age and education level. Results : At follow-up, only in men, the resilience group showed a higher MMSE level compared to the reference group (β = 1.3, p = 0.002). Stratified by median age, both the younger group (β = 1.2, SE = 0.5, p = 0.031) and the older group among men (β = 2.1, SE = 0.7, p = 0.0069) showed a positive association between resilience and cognitive functions. However, when stratified by education level, only the low-education group presented the association (β = 1.7, SE = 0.5, p = 0.002). In women, no significant results were found. Limitation : This study had limited number of participants. Conclusion : Resilience at baseline was associated with more well-preserved cognitive function at follow-up in men.

Identifying the extracellular metabolites of microorganisms in fresh vegetables is industrially useful for assessing the quality of processed foods.

Cabbage kimchi, a popular side dish in Korean cuisine, produces several fermentation by-products (FBPs). Kimchi is praised for its flavor, taste, and texture when suitably fermented at 0.7% to 0.9% total acidity, or a pH of approximately 4.1. Beyond this acidity level, the quality of the product decreases, negatively impacting consumers' purchase preferences. Therefore, the current study seeks to develop an optimally fermented (OptF) kimchi indicator that can be inserted into product packaging to evaluate its utility at 4 and 10 °C. A gradual change in the total color difference (ΔE) was observed during the kimchi fermentation stage, and the highest ΔE values were observed at 4 (34.87) and 10 °C (37.99), after 9 weeks. Moreover, the color-change response function value F(Xc) was more linear at 4 and 10 °C (0.981 and 0.984, respectively) compared to the ΔE over time, during kimchi fermentation. Coefficients of determination for F(Xc)-carbon dioxide (0.983), F(Xc)-pH (0.979), and F(Xc)-titratable acidity (0.974) were sufficient to meet the optimal polynomial regression model, while that for F(Xc)-lactic acid bacteria (0.881) was not. Standardized residuals of predicted data indicated that 95% of the residuals were in the range of -2.0 to 2.0. The regression analysis further suggested that the OptF kimchi indicator could be used as a kimchi fermentation indicator. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Cabbage kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food, produces several fermentation by-products. After the optimal fermenting stage, the sensory evaluation of cabbage kimchi and consumers' purchase preference decreases. This study describes an optimally fermented kimchi indicator and its utility at 4 and 10 °C. Our results demonstrate the ability of this indicator to predict the freshness and fermentation stage of kimchi without the need for sensory evaluation. This method could help increase the purchase preference for commercial kimchi.

Background: Empirical studies on the effect of COVID-19 on mental health are limited by reliance on cross-sectional data and focus on specific at-risk groups T

Slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) is an effective disinfectant used to control food poisoning bacteria. In this study, we evaluated the sterilization effect of an SAEW stock solution and 5–90% SAEW solutions, and the potential for bacterial reactivation after disinfection. SAEW stock solution at ACC of 31.2 ± 0.22 mg/L, pH of 5.51 ± 0.01, ORP of 895 ± 6 mV for disinfection effect assessment was used. SAEW at a concentration of 40% resulted in a >6 log reduction in Yersinia enterocolitica in a suspension test and on cabbage. Analysing the bactericidal efficacies of 5–90% SAEW indicated that a concentration of >70% SAEW thoroughly eliminated Y. enterocolitica. Additionally, SAEW-sterilized cabbage was stored at 5 °C, 10 °C, 20 °C, and 30 °C for one week to investigate the resilience of the damaged bacteria. Following the disinfection with 40% SAEW, cabbage must be stored at a low temperature of 70% SAEW and indicate that the storage temperature of cabbage following the disinfection and washing are important for ensuring food safety.

Objective We aimed to investigate the mental health impact of COVID-19 on a demographically well-characterized population cohort by gender and previous depression status. Methods Among people who participated in a community cohort study between 2013 and 2018 with previous depression measurement, a total of 1928 people without quarantine experience (680 men and 1249 women) were included after responding to an online survey in March 2020. In the 2020 survey, people were queried about daily needs supply, social support, risk perception, change during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as mental health indices measuring loneliness, anxiety symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Separate analyses by gender were conducted to assess the association between COVID-19-related experiences and each mental health index, using multivariable logistic regressions with additional adjustment and stratification with pre-existing depression status. Results We could not observe significant gender differences for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and loneliness at 55 days after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Most external support, including daily needs supply and social support, protected men and women from experiencing severe anxiety (for life supply, OR = 0.92 (95%CI 0.88–0.97) (men) and OR = 0.95 (95% CI 0.91–0.99) (women); for social support, OR = 0.92(both for men and women, p

In this study, the changes in pH, organic acid content, acidity, and salinity of kimchi prepared at 0 days, stored 1-8 weeks at 4 and 10 degrees C, and stored at room temperature for two days were analyzed. Organic acids content was analyzed by using analytical technique of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This method was also validated using quality assurance parameters of linearity, limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ), precision, and spike recovery experiments. In the analysis of organic acids content (mg/kg), itwas found that thekimchi storedfor 1-8weeks at 4 and 10 degrees C showed gradual increase in the organic acids content during storage period. The order of organic acids was lactic acid >acetic acid> citric acid > malic acid > succinic acid > oxalic acid > fumaric acid. The pH values of kimchi stored at 4 degrees C, 10 degrees C, and 25 degrees C were 4.1, 3.6- 3.7, and 4.1, respectively.

Background Kimchi, a Korean food, is now produced and consumed in many other countries. In this study, the macro, trace, and toxic element content in varieties of kimchi from Korea and China was evaluated. A health-risk assessment, involving the calculation of estimated dietary intake values, was undertaken. To discriminate among samples with different origins, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied. Results The analytical methods used for analyses were successfully validated. In the quantification of elements, no significant differences were detected in the concentrations of the elements that were analyzed. Based on the fresh weight of kimchi, among the macro elements, the concentrations of Na and K were relatively high, with values of 4181.9-9919.8 mg kg-1 and 1661.8-6623.5 mg kg-1 , respectively. Among the trace elements that were analyzed, zinc in Korean samples, and strontium in Chinese samples showed the highest concentrations, at 2.67 and 2.98 mg kg-1 , respectively. Concentration levels of the toxic trace elements were within permissible limits. The amount of daily intake and provisional daily intake of each element calculated based on kimchi intake confirmed its safety for consumption. Linear discriminant analysis and PCA successfully discriminated among the samples of Chinese and Korean origin. Conclusion The provisional daily intake of the toxic elements was within provisional tolerable daily intake values. The normal intake of kimchi could not pose a threat upon consumption. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Food contamination—especially by rodents—may cause microbial infections when consumed. Various spices contaminated with rodent fecal matter or hair, and several pathogenic microorganisms are often detected in the same spice sample. As such, it is imperative to constantly monitor contamination levels in food. Herein, we investigated the efficacy of two DNA extraction kits and ultimately used the DNeasy® mericon® Food Kit to monitor the contaminant levels associated with murine substances in 56 red pepper powder samples. We tested the samples for Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The Ct values of the samples were between 30 and 36. No significant fluorescence (Ct > 37) was detected in any samples. Murine DNA was detected in 30.3% of samples comprising six domestic and 11 imported red pepper powders and in 68.7% of the imported samples; 47.1% of samples with murine contamination tested positive for S. aureus. Our findings suggested that red pepper powder contaminated with murine substances likely contains S. aureus, which may potentially influence the health of consumers. Hence, these results may serve as a reference for members of the food industry aiming to improve food safety and quality.

The identification of volatile compounds (VCs) related to flavors is important for confirming food quality, and instrumental techniques are required to effectively and accurately identify and determine the VCs responsible for such flavors. The VCs related to kimchi flavor were analyzed by headspace hot injection and trapping (HS-HIT), which is a type of multiple headspace sample enrichment sampling technique. For the HS-HIT sampling technique, the cool injection system temperature was optimized to −40 °C and the multiple sampling frequency was optimized to nine injections. Moreover, HS-HIT was compared with static headspace (SHS) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) sampling techniques for the VC analysis of kimchi. The overall peak intensities in the total ion chromatograms (TICs) with SHS and HS-SPME were lower than with HS-HIT. Although the HS-HIT sampling technique was complementary to the HS-SPME sampling technique for VC analysis, it allowed more sulfur compounds characteristic of kimchi to be identified than the SHS and HS-SPME sampling techniques. Therefore, we recommend the use of the HS-HIT sampling technique with GC-MS for identifying the VCs associated with kimchi flavor. This study confirmed the usefulness of the HS-HIT sampling technique for the analysis of VCs.

Recently, construction industry shows active expansion in overseas construction market. But the active work limited in construction work, on the other hand, design-drawing work is evaluated shortage of competitive power. So this study aim to improve the competitive of ‘domestic design-drawing work’thorough objective evaluation. Objective evaluation is consist of ‘design attribution’. Design attribution is based on the execution drawing and complement by existing reasearch, expert interview. And then, list up the ‘design attribution’ evaluation list to carry out a survey targeting hands-on worker. Survey is consist of ‘Likert 5-point scale, FMEA method’. As a result, construction company and design company show different opinions in both relative position evaluation and importance evaluation. Keywords : Design Quality, General attribution, Information attribution, Non-information attribution, FMEA method 1. 서론 1.1 연구의 배경 및 목적 해외건설협회 통계자료에 따르면 우리나라 해외 건설 수주 금액은 2015년 10월 기준 누적 수주금액 7,115억불을 달성하였고, 동기간 전년 대비 수주액은 6%, 진출 국가는 10%를 초과하는 등 해외건설시장에서 꾸준한 성장세를 유지하고 있다. 그 결과 ENR지(Engineering News Record)에 따르면, 지난해 우리나라 건설 산업 글로벌 경쟁력이 2년 연속(2014년 기준) 세계 7위를 기록한 것으로 나타났다. 하지만 세부지표별로 자세히 살펴보면 이는 시공경쟁력에만 국한된 것으로, 설계경쟁력은 상대적으로 저평가(12년 10위 →13년 19위)

The present study investigated the survival of murine norovirus (MNV) during the fermentation of cabbage kimchi and baek kimchi at different temperatures. Changes in MNV titer, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count, capsaicinoid and organic acid content, pH, salinity, and acidity were measured for 6 weeks. MNV titer was reduced to a greater degree during storage at 10 °C (P

Objectives The widely promising applications of graphene nanomaterials raise considerable concerns regarding their environmental and human health risk assessment. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the toxicity profiling of graphene family nananomaterials (GFNs) in alternative in vitro and in vivo toxicity testing models. Methods The GFNs used in this study are graphene nanoplatelets ([GNPs]–pristine, carboxylate [COOH] and amide [NH2]) and graphene oxides (single layer [SLGO] and few layers [FLGO]). The human bronchial epithelial cells (Beas2B cells) as in vitro system and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as in vivo system were used to profile the toxicity response of GFNs. Cytotoxicity assays, colony formation assay for cellular toxicity and reproduction potentiality in C. elegans were used as end points to evaluate the GFNs’ toxicity. Results In general, GNPs exhibited higher toxicity than GOs in Beas2B cells, and among the GNPs the order of toxicity was pristine>NH2>COOH. Although the order of toxicity of the GNPs was maintained in C. elegans reproductive toxicity, but GOs were found to be more toxic in the worms than GNPs. In both systems, SLGO exhibited profoundly greater dose dependency than FLGO. The possible reason of their differential toxicity lay in their distinctive physicochemical characteristics and agglomeration behavior in the exposure media. Conclusions The present study revealed that the toxicity of GFNs is dependent on the graphene nanomaterial’s physical forms, surface functionalizations, number of layers, dose, time of exposure and obviously, on the alternative model systems used for toxicity assessment.

Objectives: The widely promising applications of graphene nanomaterials raise considerable concerns regarding their environmental and human health risk assessment. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the toxicity profiling of graphene family nananomaterials (GFNs) in alternative in vitro and in vivo toxicity testing models. Methods: The GFNs used in this study are graphene nanoplatelets ([GNPs]–pristine, carboxylate [COOH] and amide [NH2]) and graphene oxides (single layer [SLGO] and few layers [FLGO]). The human bronchial epithelial cells (Beas2B cells) as in vitro system and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as in vivo system were used to profile the toxicity response of GFNs. Cytotoxicity assays, colony formation assay for cellular toxicity and reproduction potentiality in C. elegans were used as end points to evaluate the GFNs’ toxicity. Results: In general, GNPs exhibited higher toxicity than GOs in Beas2B cells, and among the GNPs the order of toxicity was pristine>NH2>COOH. Although the order of toxicity of the GNPs was maintained in C. elegans reproductive toxicity, but GOs were found to be more toxic in the worms than GNPs. In both systems, SLGO exhibited profoundly greater dose dependency than FLGO. The possible reason of their differential toxicity lay in their distinctive physicochemical characteristics and agglomeration behavior in the exposure media. Conclusions: The present study revealed that the toxicity of GFNs is dependent on the graphene nanomaterial’s physical forms, surface functionalizations, number of layers, dose, time of exposure and obviously, on the alternative model systems used for toxicity assessment.

In this paper, we propose a fast and accurate gaze recognition method by using the correlation of a small amount of computation facial components. The proposed method detects the face, eyes, nose and mouth. In the detected face region, using the Haar-like features, the center point of the detected area, the distance between each of the components, and each of the components was extracted through the angle of the three corners of the triangle in the components of the detected face. The extracted features in the learning set were used for recognition experiments with the Random Forest algorithm, achieving a very high recognition rate of 99.46% for the recorded results. In addition, the perform rate was demonstrated to be 23.6fps.

To protect a network from malicious activities, intrusion detection systems can be used. Most of intrusion detection systems examine incoming packets with detection signatures to detect potential malicious packets. Because the portion of malicious packets is usually very small, it is not efficient to examine incoming packets with all signatures. In this paper, we propose a method that reduces the number of signatures to be examined and show the experimental results of our proposed method.

As the use of the Internet has increased tremendously, the network traffic involved in malicious activities has also grown significantly. To detect and classify such malicious activities, Snort, the open-sourced network intrusion detection system, is widely used. Snort examines incoming packets with all Snort rules to detect potential malicious packets. Because the portion of malicious packets is usually small, it is not efficient to examine incoming packets with all Snort rules. In this paper, we apply two indexing methods to Snort rules, Prefix Indexing and Random Indexing, to reduce the number of rules to be examined. We also present experimental results with the indexing methods.