Sedimentary interbeds between lava flows of the Early Jurassic Kirkpatrick Basalt, East Antarctica, are long known to contain abundant fossil wood, including in situ-preserved tree trunks. Following an initial brief report containing only preliminary taxonomic assessments, however, these trunks have never been studied in greater detail. Here, we provide a detailed wood-anatomical description of in situ trunks and associated float specimens of fossil wood from several localities in the Mesa Range. Four genera are identified: Agathoxylon Hartig, Brachyoxylon Hollick et Jeffrey, Mixoxylon Chernomorets et Sakala and Protocupressinoxylon-type wood. This set completely challenges the image that prevailed until now of a little diversified paleoxyloflora in Antarctica during the Jurassic.

Propionic acid (PA) is commonly present in Emmental cheese (EM) with relatively high concentration. Even though PA is allowed as GRAS in the USA, it may cause neurological disorders if it is consumed excessively. The maximum level of the preservative PA in cheese is set at 3.0 g/kg by the Korean Food Code. Also, the minimum level of PA in EM (150 mg / 100 g) was set by Codex in 1967. Therefore, PA monitoring in EM, with relatively high level of intrinsic PA, is necessary to recommend the sound use of the PA in the EM ripened. The current official PA analysis method consisting of steam distillation and solvent extraction / evaporation, is too cumbersome to be handled in sample preparation process. In this study, acidic acetone-based direct extraction method was successfully applied to 12 EM samples for the determination of PA level.

The Transantarctic Mountains are an important corridor between the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Western Ross Sea, where most current ice streams and outlet glaciers arise. We investigated Ricker Hills, the largest exposed mountainous region between Southern Victoria Land and Terra Nova Bay, and dated the glacial landforms using in-situ cosmogenic-nuclide 10Be surface exposure dating to reconstruct the paleo-glacial dynamics. The surface of the Hollingsworth glacier lowered since the middle of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 (22.1 ka); therefore, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) occurred before that period. Cosmogenic, geomorphic, and climatic records constrained the glacial surface slope to be between 5.4° and 6.8°. The ice was 270–320 m thicker at the LGM (MIS 2) than presently but did not override the top surface of the Benson Knob. Moreover, previous glacial periods such as the local LGM (MIS 4) or Penultimate Glacial Maximum (MIS 6) maintained thicker ice than the LGM (MIS 2). The Ross Ice Shelf opening during the mid-Holocene (∼6 ka) caused the rapid collapse of the terminal outlet glaciers and supplied notable snow accumulation upstream, which stagnated lowering. The greatest lowering and retreat occurred during the late Holocene (2.3 ∼ 0.8 ka), when elephant seal colonies thrived in the Ross Embayment.

The remote lower reaches of the Rennick Glacier in the far north of Victoria Land hold some of the least-explored outcrop areas of the Transantarctic basin system. Following recent international field-work efforts in the Helliwell Hills, we here provide a comprehensive emendation to the regional stratigraphy. Results of geological and palaeontological reconnaissance and of petrographic, geochemical and palynostratigraphic analyses reveal a stack of three previously unknown sedimentary units in the study area: the Lower Triassic Van der Hoeven Formation (new unit, 115+ m thick) consists mainly of quartzose sandstone and non-carbonaceous mudstone rich in continental trace fossils. The Middle to Upper Triassic Helliwell Formation (new unit, 235 m thick) consists of coal-bearing overbank deposits and volcaniclastic sandstone and yielded typical plant fossils of the Gondwanan Dicroidium flora together with plant-bearing silicified peat. The succession is capped by c . 14 m of the sandstone-dominated Section Peak Formation (uppermost Triassic–Lower Jurassic). Our results enable more detailed correlation of the Palaeozoic–Mesozoic successions throughout East Antarctica and into Tasmania. Of particular interest is one section that spans the end-Permian mass extinction interval, which promises to allow detailed reconstructions of high-latitude vegetation dynamics across this critical interval in Earth history. Supplementary material: A Supplementary Data File containing supplementary information, figures S1–S7, and additional references is available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5118431

Liqueur was an ancient elixir made with various herbal medicinal material soaked in alcohol. Coffee liqueur is also a cordial prepared by soaking coffee with other ingredients in some degree of alcohol. In this study, coffee liqueur prepared with two variable factors, the alcohol percentages (20, 40 and 80%) and soaking period of roasted coffee (14, 21 and 30 days), were tested for the objective tastes. Five tastes (sourness, bitterness, astringency, umami and saltiness) and richness of coffee liqueur were measured by Taste Sensing System. Though correlation between soaking periods and tastes were quite low in general, some tastes, such as saltiness, aftertaste-B, aftertaste-A, umami, astringency and richness, were correlated well with changes of alcohol concentration (R, 0.648-0.929). If the high differences (between the minimum and maximum value in each taste) were considered, saltiness, aftertaste-B, aftertaste-A etc. could be the potent taste indicator for coffee liqueur manufacturing.

Ten embedded fossil logs sampled in situ from the middle Eocene volcano‐sedimentary rocks close to Suffield Point in the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica, are assigned to Protopodocarpoxylon araucarioides Schultze‐Motel ex Vogellehner, Phyllocladoxylon antarcticum Gothan, Agathoxylon antarcticum (Poole & Cantrill) Pujana et al., A. pseudoparenchymatosum (Gothan) Pujana et al. and an unidentified angiosperm wood. Differences in the taxonomic representation and growth‐ring characters of the Eocene woods on King George Island and coeval assemblages from Seymour Island, on the western and eastern sides of the Antarctic Peninsula respectively, are interpreted to result from environmental and climatic gradients across the Peninsula Orogen during the early Palaeogene. In particular, a precipitation gradient inferred across the Peninsula at that time might have been induced by a rain‐shadow effect.

During the 2016 Antarctic summer season, the fourth Korea Antarctic Geological Expedition (KAGEX IV) investigated the Ricker Hills in southern Victoria Land, Antarctica and collected 33 specimens of fossil wood from an outcrop of Triassic Beacon sandstone in a small basin, Ricker Hills area. Based on anatomical features, four specimens can be identified as belonging to the seed-fern wood Kykloxylon sp. (Corystospermales). A specimen is identified as Agathoxylon sp. and it is the first report of the genus from the Triassic deposits in Victoria Land, Antarctica. We are able to reconfirm that corystosperm trees were a dominant component of the Triassic forest vegetation in Antarctica, with minor occurrences of Agathoxylon trees of yet uncertain affinities from those results. In addition, the new occurrence of Agathoxylon at the Ricker Hills also shows us that there is still a shortage of fossil wood studies in Victoria Land.

Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO) syrup was prepared from organic rice, in which Lactobacillus plantarum as a starter was inoculated to raise its purity and also produce a fermented rice beverage. Of the five strains of lactic acid bacteria tested, L. plantarum was preferentially selected in terms of a viable cells (7.3 × 108 colony forming unit (CFU/mL) and higher dry cell weight (13 mg/mL). The fermented syrup-based medium did not affect the growth of L. plantarum. As expected, the residual sugar content gradually decreased by 1.34% compared with the initial concentration. It was apparent that the residual sugars but not oligosaccharides were removed during the L. plantarum fermentation period. The production of lactic acid was the highest (8125.78 mg/kg) among the organic acids produced in the fermented IMO syrup.

Sedimentary strata of the Beacon Supergroup (BS) are exposed in the wide areas of northern Victoria Land (NVL), Antarctica. However, despite its wide exposures, it has not been extensively studied yet comparing to the equivalent strata in Central Transantarctic Mountains and southern Victoria Land. BS in NVL formed on top of an unconformity developed on the basement of the early Paleozoic in age and the upper boundary of the supergroup is mostly demarcated by Ferrar Dolerite intrusion or Kirkpatrick Basalt, Jurassic in age. The late Paleozoic glacial deposits herald initiation of sedimentation of the BS. Permian Takrouna, Triassic-Jurassic Section Peak, and Jurassic Shafer Peak formations follow on top of the basal glacial deposit. There are very rare reports for the sedimentary strata on top of the BS or Ferrar Group. A representative outcrop section of the basal glacial deposit transitionally changing into the Takrouna Formation occurs in the Lanterman Range, northern part of NVL. Slopes of Morozumi Range and Helliwell Hills, west of the Lanterman Range, expose the Takrouna Formation which needs to be tested for the geological age based on new plant fossils. BS at the southern part of the Freyberg Mountains in the north of the Evans Neve, is characterized by basal glacial tillite and overlying Takrouna Formation. Some glossopterids leaf fossils occurred at the formation. Low relief hills in the west of the Mesa Range expose thin BS which is intruded by sill of Ferar Dolerite. The Section Peak and Shafer Peak formations in the Deep Freeze Range and Eisenhower Range near Priestly Glacier occur in the topographically high area and yield lots of fossil woods. In order to understand the basin evolution along the Paleo-Pacific margin of the Gondwana including Antarctica and Australia, the new views with new age constraints, stratigraphic data, and paleontological data including plant fossils are required.

During the first Korea Antarctic Geological Expedition (KAGEX I, 2013/2014), fossil wood was collected from the Triassic fluvial deposits of the Beacon Supergroup at Skinner Ridge in northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. The material is coalified and partially silicified; most specimens are slightly compressed due to burial compaction. In spite of this imperfect preservation, anatomical features of both the xylem and the pith could be observed in some specimens. The xylem displays prominent growth rings and usually araucarioid or somewhat mixed-type radial pitting with some abnormal rings partly composed of parenchymatous tissues. Some specimens also have a wood cylinder that is divided radially by parenchymatous zones. These anatomical features indicate a systematic affinity with Kykloxylon Mey.-Berth., T.N.Taylor et Ed.L.Taylor, a characteristic wood type of the Umkomaciaceae, which flourished throughout Gondwana during the Triassic. The Kykloxylon specimens in this study represent the only wood fossil taxon in the Triassic of Victoria Land, except for a dubious report of Antarcticoxylon Seward in 1914. This may indicate a low diversity of Triassic wood fossils in this area, as in other parts of Antarctica. On the contrary, diverse other gymnosperm organs are known to occur in the Triassic of Antarctica. This low diversity of wood taxa compared to the various plant organs in the Triassic of Antarctica is remarkable. We hypothesize three major reasons for this: 1) the overall structural uniformity of gymnosperm wood compared to other vegetative and especially reproductive organ diversity; 2) the overwhelming dominance of corystosperm plants, with a minor component of voltzialean conifers in the canopy-forming forest vegetation during the Triassic in Antarctica; and 3) the very few systematic studies of fossil wood compared to other plant macrofossils.

Background/Objectives: The residual pesticide problem even in Herbal Medicinal Materials (HDMs) has increasingly brought concerns to the patients (consumers). Methods/Statistical Analysis: For the estimation of pesticides' exposure to consumers via herbal drugs, it must be required that the transfer rates (TRs%) of the residual pesticides from raw to the final herbal drug, occurring via processing steps, be determined. The TRs% of 13 pesticides belonging to 6 groups were investigated from 7 HDMs by employing independent drying and/or decoction steps. Residues were quantitated in dried HDMs and decoctions using GC-ECD. Findings: The fate of the pesticide in the HDM (after drying and decoction) was mainly dependent on the nature of the pesticide, and not on the nature of the HDM. However, among the five HDMs, Daechu showed the most universal holding capability for the all tested pesticides even after drying process. The low cumulative average TR% (up to 0.4%), of drying and decoction, was obtained from mevinphos, chlorpyrifos, p,p'-DDE and diazinon, whereas chlorfenapyr (34.3%), bifenthrin (54.3%) and fenvalerate (56.7%) had high cumulative average TR%. Improvements/Application: This TR% s of residual pesticides shall be used for the establishment of sound and cost-effective HDMs management system in the future.

Objectives: Soy sauce is a famous traditional Asian sauce. Astragali Radix, the root of Astragalusmembranaceus Bunge, is an Oriental medicinal material widely used as the food ingredients in Korea. Methods/Statistical analysis: The spiced soy sauces with boiling meats, fish and mushrooms were mixed with Astragali Radix water extract with the different ratios. In this study, the characteristics such as pH, total acids, buffering capacity, solid contents of the spiced soy sauces (Matkanjang in Korean) were investigated with the identification and comparison of the ratio of the organic acids identified in the final products. Findings: The spiced soy sauce with Astragali Radix water extract showed higher pH value. Total organic acids contents decreased as the amount of Astragali Radix water extract increased. The spiced soy sauce of mushrooms showed the better buffering capacity than others. Twenty free organic acids were detected in the spiced soy sauces mixed with Astragali Radix water extract. Three of them were not detected in the original soy sauce. The four organic acids such as oxalic acid, 2-hydroxy caproic acid, malic acid and linoleic acid were detected in the spiced soy sauces, but they were under the detection limit in the raw soy sauce. Improvements/Applications: These results will be able to be used for the quality control of the spiced soy sauce that is one of the most popular traditional sauces in Korea. Keywords: Astragali Radix, Derivatization, GC-MS, Organic Acids, Spiced Soy Sauce

The most commonly used infant formulas contain lactose originating from cow milk. Goat milk has recently been claimed to be nutritionally more effective for infants than other milks. In baby foods, much emphasis is placed on the concentrations of intestinal microflora-promoting oligosaccharides, which are generally transferred into lactose from milk during crystallization process. Here we show that higher level of free sialic acid is present in goat lactose powder compared to cow lactose powder. Without proteinase K treatment, the amount of 3-sialyllactose and 6-sialyllactose were similar in goat and cow lactose powders. However, after proteolysis, 6-sialyllactose was present at higher levels in goat than in cow lactose powder. Galactooligosaccharides, a group of prebiotics, are present in milk in the form of glycoproteins. Galactooligosaccharide content was also higher in goat lactose powder than in cow lactose powder.

The distribution of fossil wood genera has been demonstrated to be an effective proxy for Mesozoic terrestrial climates. In this study, we investigated the phytocoenoses, which were associated with Xenoxylon confirmed to be a marker for a cool and/or wet climate in a boreal hemisphere (i.e., Xenoxylon-phytocoenoses) during the Mesozoic, using specimens of fossil wood. It was confirmed that Xenoxylon co-occurs more often with some wood genera than with others. For example, Protocedroxylon, a wood that is most likely related to the Pinaceae, is the genus most often associated with Xenoxylon-phytocoenoses. Although Taxodioxylon is also found in Xenoxylon-phytocoenoses, it is not found, however, as consistently as Protocedroxylon. The distribution and diversity of Xenoxylon-phytocoenoses changed throughout the Mesozoic. During the Late Triassic and Late Cretaceous, Xenoxylon-phytocoenoses had low diversity and were restricted to higher palaeolatitudes during the Late Cretaceous. However, during the Early to Middle Jurassic, Xenoxylon- phytocoenoses were distributed much farther south, while their diversity concomitantly increased sharply. From the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous, the distribution of Xenoxylon-phytocoenoses moved northward in Europe and even more so in East Asia. The changes in the distribution of Xenoxylon-phytocoenoses are in agreement with changes in both global and regional climates. Our results also demonstrated that, within the Xenoxylon distribution range, the corresponding phytocoenoses were differentiated along a latitudinal gradient and according to the global climate change patterns during the Mesozoic.

Astragali Radix, the root of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge, is a crude drug used widely in Oriental medicines as a tonic and in ordinary foods such as chicken soup. The herb is used in the treatment of patients with symptoms such as weakness and fatigue, or of patients with numbness of limbs and apoplectic sequelae. Astragali Radix has a good note, a dry-green, mild fruity and fruity-winey odor, as well as a medicinal one. The most of Astragali Radix products are circulated as a dried form like any other herbal medicinal materials in the market. The volatiles of fresh, oven-dried and freeze-dried Astragali Radix were analyzed by second-dimensional GC coupled to mass spectrometer after SPME sampling. Seventy three volatile compounds were identified in the three types of Astragali Radix samples. Only 27% and 7% of the fresh volatiles survived after oven-drying and freeze-drying, respectively. Each 10 volatiles were newly detected in each dried sample. The canonical discriminant analysis showed the samples were clearly differentiated from each other by the fresh and dried Astragali Radix volatiles.

Mt. Geummubong is Korea's major fossil tree fern site. In the early 1900's Ogura reported Cyathocaulis Ogura fossil tree fern stems and a fossil gymnosperm wood species, Xenoxylon latiporosum (Cramer) Gothan, from the Nakdong Formation. The site has been recently reinvestigated and a new fossil wood, attributable to Xenoxylon meisteri Palib. et Jarm., was collected. Moreover, Ogura's X. latiporosum specimens were thoroughly revised. Although most of these specimens are inadequately preserved for identification, at least one of Ogura's specimens should be reclassified as X. meisteri. Fossil tree ferns have been recognized as indicative of a tropical, frost-free climate, although some extant species grow in the temperate climate zone, whereas Xenoxylon Gothan is thought to have thrived in a cool, wet climate. The seemingly paradoxical co-occurrence of Xenoxylon and tree ferns is discussed and is predicted to suggest a cool-temperate Early Cretaceous climate in Southern Korea. Conversely, several palaeoclimatic reconstructions based on fossil leaf flora have inferred a warm-temperate to subtropical climate for East Asia during the Early Cretaceous. Our results, however, are corroborated by a recent analysis of the oxygen isotope composition of vertebrate teeth, and suggest that some Early Cretaceous leaf flora should be reinterpreted. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Araucarioxylon Kraus is a widely known fossil-genus generally applied to woods similar to that of the extant Arau- cariaceae. However, since 1905, several researchers have pointed out that this name is an illegitimate junior nomenclatural synonym. At least four generic names are in current use for fossil wood of this type: Agathoxylon Hartig, Araucarioxylon, Dadoxylon Endl. and Dammaroxylon J.Schultze-Motel. This problem of inconsistent nomenclatural application is compounded by the fact that woods of this type represent a wide range of plants including basal pteridosperms, cordaitaleans, glossopterids, primitive conifers, and araucarian conifers, with a fossil record that extends from the Devonian to Holocene. Conservation of Araucarioxylon has been repeatedly suggested but never officially proposed. Since general use is a strong argument for con- servation, a poll was conducted amongst fossil wood anatomists in order to canvass current and preferred usage. It was found that the community is divided, with about one-fifth recommending retention of the well-known Araucarioxylon, whereas the majority of others advocated use of the legitimate Agathoxylon. The arguments of the various colleagues who answered the poll are synthesized and discussed. There is clearly little support for conservation of Araucarioxylon. A secondary aspect of the poll tackled the issue as to whether Araucaria-like fossil woods should be either gathered into a unique fossil-genus, or whether two fossil-genera should be recognized, based on the respective presence or absence of axial parenchyma. A majority of colleagues favoured having one fossil-genus only. Agathoxylon can be used legitimately and appears to be the most appropriate name for such woods. However, its original diagnosis must be expanded if those woods lacking axial parenchyma are to be included.