• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 2020

The study objective was to evaluate the enhanced removal of high concentrations of phosphorus from synthetic wastewater (solely phosphorus-containing) and real wastewater (pig manure) by using carbon nanotube (CNT)-coated steel slag. Generally, phosphorus removal by steel slag is attributed to Ca²⁺ eluted from the slag. However, in this study, CNT was used to control the excess release of Ca²⁺ from steel slag and increase the phosphorus removal. The phosphorus removal rate by the uncoated steel slag was lower than that of the CNT-coated steel slag, even though the Ca²⁺ concentrations were higher in the solution containing the uncoated steel slag. Therefore, the phosphorus removal could be attributed to both precipitation with Ca²⁺ eluted from steel slag in aqueous solution and adsorption onto the surface of the CNT-coated steel slag. Furthermore, the protons released from the CNT surface by exchanging with divalent cations acted to reduce the pH increase of the solution, which is attributed to the OH^- eluted from the steel slag. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics of the CNT-coated steel slags followed the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order model, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of the uncoated and CNT-coated steel slags was 6.127 and 9.268 mg P g^-1 slag, respectively. In addition, phosphorus from pig manure was more effectively removed by the CNT-coated steel slag than by the uncoated slag. Over 24 hours, the PO₄-P removal in pig manure was 12.3% higher by the CNT-coated slag. This CNT-coated steel slag can be used to remove both phosphorus and metals and has potential applications in high phosphorus-containing wastewater like pig manure.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.281-289
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• 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the exopolysaccharides (EPS)-producing lactic acid bacteria from Taiwanese ropy fermented milk (TRFM) for developing a clean label low-fat fermented milk. Methods: Potential isolates from TRFM were selected based on the Gram staining test and observation of turbid suspension in the culture broth. Random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and API CHL 50 test were used for strain identification. After evaluation of EPS concentration, target strains were introduced to low-fat milk fermentation for 24 h. Fermentation characters were checked: pH value, acidity, viable count, syneresis, and viscosity. Sensory evaluation of fermented products was carried out by 30 volunteers, while the storage test was performed for 21 days at 4℃. Results: Two EPS-producing strains (APL15 and APL16) were isolated from TRFM and identified as Lactococcus (Lc.) lactis subsp. cremoris. Their EPS concentrations in glucose and lactose media were higher than other published strains of Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris. Low-fat fermented milk separately prepared with APL15 and APL16 reached pH 4.3 and acidity 0.8% with a viable count of 9 log colony-forming units/mL. The physical properties of both products were superior to the control yogurt, showing significant improvements in syneresis and viscosity (p<0.05). Our low-fat products had appropriate sensory scores in appearance and texture according to sensory evaluation. Although decreasing viable cells of strains during the 21-day storage test, low-fat fermented milk made by APL15 exhibited stable physicochemical properties, including pH value, acidity, syneresis and sufficient viable cells throughout the storage period. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris APL15 isolated from TRFM had good fermentation abilities to produce low-fat fermented milk. These data indicate that EPS-producing lactic acid bacteria have great potential to act as natural food stabilizers for low-fat fermented milk.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1973

In order to obtain the basic informations on the production of single cell protein from ethanol, 145 yeast strains utilizing ethanol as a sole carbon source were isolated from 32 soil samples in Korea. A yeast strain showing the highest cell yield among the isolated strains was selected and identified. The optimum culture condition, utilization of other carbon sources and the cultural characteristics for the selected yeast, and the chemical analysis of the yeast cell composition, and utilization of ethanol by the selected yeast were investigated. All the culture was carried out in the shaking flasks. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The selected yeast strain was identified as Debaryomyces nicotianae-SNU 72. 2. The optimum composition of the medium for the selected yeast is : Ethanol 40 ml, Urea 0.5 g, Potassium phosphate (dibasic) 0.5 g, Ammoium phosphate (monobasic) 0.15 g, Magnesium sulfate 0.05 g, Calcium chloride 0.01g, Yeast extract 0.005 g, Tap water 1000 ml. 3. The optimum pH was 5.0-5.5, the optimum temperature $30-33^{\circ}C$ and the aerobic state was unimportant. 4. Utilization of methanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol, n-butanol, iso-butanol, tert-amyl alcohol and acetic acid by the selected yeast was very weak. So substitution of the subtrate was thought to be impossible. 5. Studies on the propagation of the yeast cells showed that the lag phase of the yeast cells lasted 16 hours, and the logarithmic growth phase extended 16 to 28 hours. The specific growth rate was about $0.19\;hr^{-1}$ and the doubling time was 3.6 hours during the logarithmic growth phase. 6. As the result of the chemical analysis of the dry yeast cells, the content rate of the crude protein was 55.19 %, the content of others was similar to the average content of the yeast component. 7. After 34 hours cultivation, under the optimum culture condition investigated, the dry cell yield against the amount of the added ethanol was 53.4 % (W/V%), the dry cell yield against the amount of the utilized ethanol was 73.6 % (W/V%), the evaporation rate of ethanol was about 19.1 %.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.141-152
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• 2020

The rapid on-site measurement of hydroponic nutrients allows for the more efficient use of crop fertilizers. This paper reports on the development of an embedded on-site system consisting of multiple ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for the real-time measurement of the concentrations of macronutrients in hydroponic solutions. The system included a combination of PVC ISEs for the detection of NO₃, K, and Ca ions, a cobalt-electrode for the detection of H₂PO₄, a double-junction reference electrode, a solution container, and a sampling system consisting of pumps and valves. An Arduino Due board was used to collect data and to control the volume of the sample. Prior to the measurement of each sample, a two-point normalization method was employed to adjust the sensitivity followed by an offset to minimize potential drift that might occur during continuous measurement. The predictive capabilities of the NO₃ and K ISEs based on PVC membranes were satisfactory, producing results that were in close agreement with the results of standard analyzers (R² = 0.99). Though the Ca ISE fabricated with Ca ionophore II underestimated the Ca concentration by an average of 55%, the strong linear relationship (R² > 0.84) makes it possible for the embedded system to be used in hydroponic NO₃, K, and Ca sensing. The cobalt-rod-based phosphate electrodes exhibited a relatively high error of 24.7±9.26% in the phosphate concentration range of 45 to 155 mg/L compared to standard methods due to inconsistent signal readings between replicates, illustrating the need for further research on the signal conditioning of cobalt electrodes to improve their predictive ability in hydroponic P sensing.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.134-142
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• 2006

The treatment of high-strength swine wastewater by anaerobic digestion combined with an aquatic plant system was investigated. Anaerobic digestion of swine wastewater gave volatile solids (VS) removal efficiencies of 43.3%, 52.1% and 54.5% for hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 20, 30, 40 days, respectively. The removal efficiencies of VS, total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) decreased with increasing VS volumetric loading rate (VLR). Higher organic removal efficiency was observed at longer HRTs for the same VS volumetric loading rate. As VS volumetric loading rate increased, biogas production increased and the methane content of the biogas decreased. Experiments using duckweed (Lemna species) as an aquatic macrophyte gave the following results. In the case of nitrogen, removal efficiency was above 60% and effluent concentration was below 10.0 mg/L when the influent ammonia-N loading was about $1.0\;g/m^2/day$. In the case of phosphorus, removal efficiency was above 55% and effluent concentration was below 2.0 mg/L when the influent $PO_4$-P loading was about $0.15\;g/m^2/day$. In addition, crude protein and phosphorus content of duckweed biomass increased from 15.6% to 41.6% and from 0.8% to 1.6%, respectively, as the influent nutrient concentration increased. The treatment of high-strength swine wastewater by anaerobic digestion combined with an aquatic plant system offers good performance in terms of organics and nutrient removal for relatively low operation and maintenance costs. The results indicate that under appropriate operational conditions, the effluent quality is within the limits set by Korean discharge criteria.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.482-495
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• 2019

This study compared the productivity of fish and vegetables grown using the hybrid biofloc technology-aquaponics (HBFT-AP), a semi-recirculating aquaculture system (SRAS), and hydroponics (HP). For the study of fish productivity (HBFT-AP vs. SRAS), fish were provided feed containing 3.0% monobasic potassium phosphate (MKP) for 18 weeks. After the 18-week feeding trial, the average weight of the sampled population (n=100) was not significantly different (P>0.05), while hematocrit (PCV, %), hemoglobin (Hb, g/dL), and plasma K (mEq/L) were significantly different (P<0.05) between the two groups (HBFT-AP: 47.83%, 15.48 g/dL, and 1.39 mEq/L; SRAS 34.83%, 11.81 g/dL, and 2.48 mEq/L). Leaf vegetable productivity (HBFT-AP vs. HP) was compared in three experiments (EXP 1-3), and slower growth was observed in both groups in EXP 2, in which pH was maintained at 5.0 or less throughout the experiment. During the 18-week feeding trial, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), $NO_3-N$, and $PO_4-P$ levels increased with time in the HBFT-AP system, while the concentration of $NO_2-N$ remained below 0.1 mg/L throughout the study.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.78-89
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• 2022

ANODE-free Li-metal batteries (AFLMBs) operating with Li of cathode material have attracted enormous attention due to their exceptional energy density originating from anode-free structure in the confined cell volume. However, uncontrolled dendritic growth of lithium on a copper current collector can limit its practical application as it causes fatal issues for stable cycling such as dead Li formation, unstable solid electrolyte interphase, electrolyte exhaustion, and internal short-circuit. To overcome this limitation, here, we report a novel dual-salt electrolyte comprising of 0.2 M LiPF₆ + 3.8 M lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide in a carbonate/ester co-solvent with 5 wt% fluoroethylene carbonate, 2 wt% vinylene carbonate, and 0.2 wt% LiNO₃ additives. Because the dual-salt electrolyte facilitates uniform/dense Li deposition on the current collector and can form robust/ionic conductive LiF-based SEI layer on the deposited Li, a Li/Li symmetrical cell exhibits improved cycling performance and low polarization for over 200 h operation. Furthermore, the anode-free LiFePO₄/Cu cells in the carbonate electrolyte shows significantly enhanced cycling stability compared to the counterparts consisting of different salt ratios. This study shows an importance of electrolyte design guiding uniform Li deposition and forming stable SEI layer for AFLMBs.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2004

Phosphorus desorption study is essential to understanding P behavior in agricultural and environmental soils because phosphorus is considered as two different aspects, a plant nutrient versus an environmental contaminant. This study was conducted to determine soil P buffering power related to P desorption quantity intensity (Q/I) parameters, $Q_{max}$(an index of P release capacity) and $l_0$(an index of the intensity factor), and to investigate the characteristics of relationship between the P desorption Q/I parameters and the soil properties. Soil samples were prepared with treatments of 0 and $100mg\;P\;kg^{-1}$ applied as $KH_2PO_4$ solution. The P desorption Q/I curves were obtained by a procedure using anion exchange resin beads and described by an empirical equation ($Q=aI^{-1}+bln(I+1)+c$). The P desorption Q/I curves for the high available P (${\g}20mg\;kg^{-1}$ of Olsen P) soils were characteristic concave trends with or without soil P enrichment, whereas for the low available P (${\lt}20mg\;kg^{-1}$ of Olsen P) soils, the anticipated Q/I concave curves could not be obtained without a proper amount of P addition. When the soils were enriched in phosphates, the values of desorbed solid phase labile P and solution P, such as $Q_{max}$ and $I_0$ respectively, were increased, but the ratio of $Q_{max}$ versus $I_0$ was decreased. Thus, the slope of desorption Q/I curve represented as phosphorus buffering power, $|BP_0|$, is decreased. The $|BP_0|$ values of the high available P soils ranged between 48 and $61L\;kg^{-1}$ in the P untreated samples and between 18 and $44L\;kg^{-1}$ in the P enriched samples. Overall $|BP_0|$ values of both low and high available P soils treated with $l00mg\;P\;kg^{-1}$ ranged between 14 and $79L\;kg^{-1}$. The $Q_{max}$, values ranged between 71.4 and $173.1mg\;P\;kg^{-1}$, and the lo values ranged between 0.98 and $3.82mg\;P\;L^{-1}$ in the P enriched soils. The $Q_{max}$ and $I_0$ values that control the P buffering power may be not specifically related to a specific soil property, but those values were complicatedly related to soil pH, clay content, soil organic matter content, and lime. Also, phosphorus release activity, however, markedly depended on the desorbability of the applied P as well as the native labile P.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.161-171
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• 2009

A 'continuous removal of organic matters (CROM) system' using a native freshwater bivalve in Korea Anodonta woordiana, was developed to determine its potential of controlling various sestons in eutrophic lake system, and to evaluate its effect on water quality improvement under consideration of sediment addition as habitat. We designed CROM experiments with four treatments: no mussels and no sediment (W, negative control), no mussels and sediment (WS, positive control), mussels and no sediment (WM), and mussels and sediment (WMS). The experiments were performed at the condition of 18${\sim}$25 L $h^{-1}$ of inflow, mussel density of 486.1 indiv. $m^{-2}$, and temperatures between 15 and $22^{\circ}C$ for 13 consecutive days. Physicochemical and biological parameters were measured at daily (10:00 am) intervals after the mussel addition. Results indicated that mussel stockings without addition of sediment effectively removed sestons (suspended solids and chlorophyll-a) at nearly same level over 80 percentage of the control during the study, while there were no differences in removal activities of sestons between with and without sediment (P>0.5). Therefore, it clearly suggests that CROM system using A. woordiana has a strong potential to control the seston in surface water of eutrophic lake.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2004

Stretch-activated channels (SACs) responds to membrane stress with changes in open probability (Po). They play essential roles in regulation of cell volume and differentiation, vascular tone, and in hormonal secretion. SACs highly present in Xenopus oocytes and Ascidian oocytes are suggested to be involved in the regulation of pH and fluid transport to balance the osmotic pressure, but remain unclear in mammanlian oocytes. This study was investigated to find the presence of SACs in hamster oocytes and to examine their electrophysiological properties. To infer a role of SAC in relation to the development of early stage, we followed up to the stage of two-cell zygote with patch clamp techniques. Single channels were elicited by negative pressure (lower than ­15 cm$H_2O$). Interestingly, SACs were dependent on permeable cations such as $Na^+$ or $K^+$. As permeable cation removed from both sides across the membrane, SAC activity completely disappeared. When permeable cations present only in intracellular compartment, outward currents appeared at positive potentials. In contrast to this, inward currents occurred only at the negative voltage when permeable cation absent in cell interior. These result suggests that SAC carry cations through the nonselective cation channel (NSC channel). Taken together, we found that stretch activated channels present in hamster oocyte and the channel may carry cations through NSC channels. This stretch activated-NSC channels may play physiological role(s) in oocyte growth, maturation, fertilization and embryogenesis in fertilized oocytes to two-cell zygotes of hamster.