• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.709-717
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• 2008

Rhizofiltration for cesium uptake by sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var.) was investigated for groundwater contamination. The cesium removal by sunflowers was greater than 98% of the total cesium in solution, and the uptake by beans was also greater than 99% within 24 hours of the rhizofiltration, showing that the rhizofiltration has a great capability to remove cesium from the contaminated water system. Experiments at various pH of solution indicated that a solution of pH $5{\sim}9$ yielded very high cesium accumulation in two plants. From the results of the analysis for cesium accumulation in plant parts, about 80% of cesium transferred into the plant from solution was accumulated in the root part and less than 20% of cesium existed in the shoot part (including leaves). Results suggest that only the roots of the fully grown plant used for rhizofiltration should be disposed or post-treated and thus the cost and time to treat massive amounts of grown plants could be dramatically reduced when sunflower and bean are used in the real field. The results of SEM and EDS analyses indicated that the most of cesium were accumulated in the root surface as a ionic phase rather than a soil precipitation phase.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.489-495
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• 2005

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) from Burdock (Arctium lappa L.) was purified and characterized. Purification of polyphenol oxidase was achieved by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Phenyl-sepharose CL-4B hydrophobic chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified PPO was estimated to be 30 kDa by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In a substrate specificity, maximum activity was achieved with chlorogenic acid, followed by catechol and catechin. Whereas, there was low activity with hydroquinic acid, resorcinol or tyrosine. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were 7.0 and 35$\circC$ with catechol, respectively. The enzyme was most stable at pH 7.0 while unstable at acidic and alkaline pH. The enzyme was stable when heated to 40$\circC$. But heating at 50$\circC$ for more than 30 min caused 50% loss of activity. Ascorbic acid, L-cystein and $Cu^{2+}$ inhibited the activity of pholyphenol oxidase.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.37-48
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• 2014

Lab scale rhizofiltration by using four plants was performed to investigate the uranium removal efficiency from groundwater. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.), radish sprouts (Raphanus sativus L.) and buttercup (Oenanthe javanica) were cultivated during 3 weeks in the phytotron. Glass jar ($12cm{\times}12cm{\times}8cm$ for each), containing 350 ml of the artificially uranium contaminated solution was used for 72 hours of the rhizofiltration. In experiments with different initial uranium concentration ($18.00{\mu}g/L$, $31.00{\mu}g/L$, $84.00{\mu}g/L$ and $116.00{\mu}g/L$) in solution, more than 70% of the initial uranium were removed by using lettuce, Chinese cabbage and radish sprouts and the residual uranium concentration in solution maintained lower than USEPA water tolerance limit ($30{\mu}g/L$). From the rhizofiltration experiments at various pH conditions, the highest uranium removal for all four plants was acquired at pH 3 in solution. Rhizofiltration experiments testing two field samples of groundwaters having high uranium concentrations ($86.00{\mu}g/L$ and $173.00{\mu}g/L$) were duplicated and more than 83% of the initial uranium were removed from the groundwater within 72 hours of rhizofiltration by using radish sprouts, which, suggests that the rhizofiltration can be a useful process to remediate uranium contaminated groundwater in the field. After the rhizofiltration experiment, the SEM and EDS analyses for the root surface of the radish sprouts were conducted, suggesting that the main mechanism of the rhizofiltration for the removal of uranium from groundwater would be surface precipitation on the root surface of the plant.

• Proceedings of the Technology Innovation Conference
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• 1997.07a
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• pp.222-223
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• 1997

By analyzing the successful innovation case of potato microtuber mass production technology, a representative case of technology-push type creative innovation in an imitation oriented research culture, this paper attempts to figure out conceptual model of creative innovation that is initiated by the public laboratories in catching-up country, Stages of creative innovation can be divided into the internal R&D stage and the external commercialization stage. Success of the internal R&D stage depended on autonomy to secure creative research idea and commitment of individual researchers. Psychological pressure evoked from sportlights of mass media and commitment of sponsor increased the intensity of research efforts of the researcher Recognition of research problem and its significance was intensified by site visits of agricultural fields, and the recognized higher impacts of expected research results and knowledge creation achieved were a fundamental source of self-motivation. In the stage of commercialization stage, various legal, socio-economic, and psychological barriers were confronted. In a catching-up country lacking of experiences of creative innovation, creative innovation process can be regarded as a barrier elimination and cultural revolution process. Among the barriers, psychological refusal of farmers to corn-sized potato seeds was critical, which finally enforced to further researches to enlarge the size of potato seeds. In addition, the researcher has concentrated his research efforts in one specialized research area by getting a series of similar research project funds rather than diversification. It was lucky for him to have a chance to carry out a series of similar researches in one research area during the last 10 years. In getting research funds from government and private companies continuously in one research area, both internal and external promoters played significant roles.