• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.290-298
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• 2021

This study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of applying phytoremediation technology by investigating soil and native plants in waste coal landfills exposed to heavy metal contamination for a long period of time. The ability of native plants to accumulate heavy metals using greenhouse cultivation experiments was alse evaluated. Plants were investigated at an abandoned coal mine in Hwajeolyeong, Jeongseon, Gangwon-do. Two species of native plants (Carex breviculmis. R. B. and Salix koriyanagi Kimura ex Goerz.) located in the study area and three Korean native plants (Artemisia japonica Thunb. Hemerocallis hakuunensis Nakai., and Saussurea pulchella (Fisch.) Fisch.) were cultivated in a greenhouse for 12 weeks in artificially contaminated soil. Soils contaminated with arsenic and lead were generated with arsenic concentration gradients of 25, 62.5, 125, and 250 mg kg^-1 and lead concentration gradients of 200, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg kg^-1, respectively. Results showed that none of the five plants could survive at high arsenic concentration treatment (125 and 250 mg kg^-1) and some plants died in 2000 mg kg^-1 lead concentration treatment soil. The plant translocation factor (TF) was highest in H. hakuunensis in arsenic treatments, and A. japonica in lead treatments, respectively. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) of plants was more than 1 in all species in arsenic treatment, whereas it was highest in H. hakuunensis. BF for all species was less than 1 in lead treatment. Particularly, in 2000 mg kg^-1 concentration lead treatment, A. japonica accumulated more than 1000 mg kg^-1 lead and was expected to be a lead hyperaccumulator. In conclusion, A. japonica and H. hakuunensis were excellent in the accumulation of arsenic heavy metals, and S. koriyanagi was excellent in lead accumulation ability. Therefore, the above mentioned three plants are considered to be strong contenders for application of the phytoremediation technology.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.1003-1012
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• 2018

This study is for checking the possibility of Lentinula edodes as cosmetic materials. For this we carried out biological active evaluation about anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by Lentinula edodes extracts. We extracted Lentinula edodes with water and 70% ethanol and then in order to evaluate anti-oxidant activity we treated samples by concentrations (100, 500, 1000) ${\mu}g/ml$ and carried out 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, the activity of 2,2'-azino-bis ( 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid )-diammonium salt (ABTS) cation radical scavenging and superoxide dismutase(SOD) like activity. Also, in order to evaluate effect of anti-inflammatory the samples in macrophages(RAW 264.7 cells), we carried out evaluation of cell viability, nitric oxide inhibitory activity western blot. The results of DPPH, $ABTS^+$ radical scavenging activity and SOD-like activity of the Lentinula edodes extracts increased in dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxic of samples by MTT assay showed no toxicity at the concentrations of 10, 25 and $50{\mu}g/ml$ of Lentinula edodes extract. Nitric oxide inhibition activity results showed that the extracts reduced NO productions in a concentration-dependent manner. Expression of inflammatory cytokines as $TNF-{\alpha}$, $PGE_2$ and $IL-1{\beta}$ decreased in a concentration-dependent manner and iNOS and COX-2 proteins expression rates were decreased significantly in western blot analysis. From the results of the experiment, it was comfirmed that the Lentinula edodes extracts had excellent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effect and could be used as a safe natural cosmetic material in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.1038-1047
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• 2018

This study confirmed possibility of cosmetic material for Espresso coffee grounds extracted at high temperature, high pressure, short time and Dutch coffee grounds extracted at low temperature, atmospheric pressure, long time. For this purpose, we evaluated the biological activities of antioxidant, anti-wrinkles and antimicrobial effects using ethanol extracts of Esproso and Dutch coffee grounds. The results of total polyphenolic compound contents was $90.39{\pm}0.04mg/g$ for Dutch coffee grounds extract, which was higher than $64.96{\pm}0.38mg/g$ for Espresso coffee grounds extract, based on $113.63{\pm}0.22mg/g$ for coffee beans extract as the reference one. DPPH radical scavenging activity and SOD-like activity of Dutch coffee grounds extract were found to be better than those of Espresso coffee grounds extracts, referenced on coffee bean extract. As a result of inhibition effect of Elastase activity, Dutch coffee grounds extract showed higher inhibition effect than Espresso coffee grounds extract, based on coffee bean extract. In addition, Dutch coffee grounds extract showed good anti-microbial effects at Escherichia coli, Bacillus, Propionibacterium acnes and there was little difference in the clear zone size between Dutch coffee grounds extract and coffee bean extract as a reference one. From the results of the experiments, it was confirmed that Dutch coffee grounds extract had excellent antioxidant, anti-wrinkle and antimicrobial effects and could be used as safe natural cosmetic material in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Urban Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.473-483
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• 2018

In this study, we have developed a lab scale bioreactor to identify the characteristics of nitrification reaction according to operation condition (temperature, inhibitor (as Cl), activated nitrifying bacteria (ANB). etc) to improve nitrification efficiency at low temperature. Recovery rate of nitrification took about 4 days to reach the normal level by injected ANB after inhibition shock of CI injection at $20^{\circ}C$, when measured the concentration of $NO_2{^-}-N+NO_3{^-}-N$ in the effluent. In the case of $10^{\circ}C$, recovery of nitrification rate took about 4 days to reach the level of half to the normal level and 7 days for complete recovery which took 3 days more than those at $20^{\circ}C$. At $10^{\circ}C$ considering the winter season, the specific nitrification rate(SNR) of the from 1 day to 6 days after injected ANB according to its operation condition increased from 0.029 to 0.767 mgN/gSS/hr. The simulated SNR for the 8th day after the injected ANB at $10^{\circ}C$ was 0.840, 3.625 mgN/gSS/hr, respectively as linear function and exponential function, expecting to exceed level of 2.592 mgN/gSS/hr at normal condition. It was confirmed that injection of ANB during low temperature operation has many effects for improving nitrification efficiency through this study. In future studies, if further studies are carried out the determination of ANB injection and the design of efficient ANB reactor considering the changes of operating characteristics by site, it will contribute to the improvement of nitrification efficiency in winter season.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.475-480
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• 2021

Interest in edible insects such as Protaetia brevitarsis has increased rapidly, and several insect producers use these insects in industrialized mass production. However, mass rearing of insects can cause insect diseases. Sprouted barley is a valuable source of nutrients and has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of sprouted barley as a feed additive for producing healthy P. brevitarsis larvae. P. brevitarsis larvae were fed feeds with or without sprouted barley, and their body weight and larval period wewe checked weekly. To confirm the antibacterial effects of sprouted barley, in vitro bioassays were performed by counting Serratia marcescens colonies, and in vivo bioassays were performed by determining the survival rate and body weights of the S. marcescens-infected larvae. Larvae fed different feeds were analyzed for their nutrient compositions (i.e., such as proximate composition, minerals, amino acids, and heavy metals). Larvae fed 5% and 10% sprouted barley had maximum weight increases of 19.2% and 23.1%, respectively. Both treatment groups had significantly shorter larval periods than those of the control group. Sprouted barley markedly inhibited the growth of entomopathogenic S. marcescens. Furthermore, larvae fed sprouted barley exhibited higher Cu, Zn, and K levels. Seventeen amino acids were present in larvae fed sprouted barley, of which, tyrosine and glutamic acid were predominant. No heavy metals were detected in any of the investigated groups. Therefore, sprouted barley may be a suitable feed additive for producing high-quality P. brevitarsis larvae.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2021

Livestock manure is used as an organic fertilizer to replace chemical fertilizers after sufficient fermentation in an aerobic bioreactor. On the other hand, liquid manure disposal problems occur repeatedly because soil spraying is restricted during the summer when the crops are growing. To use liquid fertilizer (LF) as an additional nutrient source for crops, it is necessary to reduce the amount of suspended solids (SS) in the liquid fertilizer and secure stability problems against pathogenic microorganisms. This study examined the effects of the simultaneous SS removal and E.coli sterilization in the LF using the microbubble (MB) generator (FeMgO catalyst insertion). The remaining SS were further removed using the integrated microbubble and microfilter system. During the floating process in the MB device, the SS were removed by 57.9%, and the coliform group was not detected (16,200→0 MPN/100 mL). By optimizing the HRT of the integrated system, the removal efficiency of the SS was improved by 92.9% under the 0.1h of HRT condition. After checking the properties of the treated LF, 64.5%, 70.1%, 54.9%, and 51.5% of the TCOD, SCOD, PO4-P, and TN, respectively, were removed. The treated effluent from such an integrated system has a lower SS content than that of the existing LF and does not contain coliforms; therefore, it can be used directly as an additional fertilizer.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.318-331
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• 2021

This study was conducted on the assumption that bone age would be more effective when it comes to physique and physical fitness assessment for adolescents, and the purpose of this study was to identify the differences in physique and physical fitness for students in their adolescence through bone age and chronological age in order to contribute to the well-balanced physique and physical fitness development in adolescents and the health improvement in students. Total 874 adolescents(483 males, 391 females) aged 11~16 were selected as subjects out of the total population of 1100 adolescents aged 6~16 based on the PAPS(Physical Activity Promotion System) and age standards of the TW3 method; and skeletal maturation, which symbolize the indicators of biological maturation, were evaluated by using the TW3(Tanner-Whitehouse 3) method after hand-wrist radiographs, and birth date was used for chronological age. A stadiometer and InBody 270 (Biospace, Korea) were used to measure 2 components in physique. A total of 7 components in physical fitness, which included muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, cardiovascular endurance, balance, agility, were measured as well. A independent samples t-test was conducted for data processing using SPSS 25.0, and the significance level was set at p< .05. The study results are as follows. First, bone age and chronological age used for physique comparison in males aged 11 and 12, height and weight showed significant difference; in males aged 13, weight showed signicant difference. Weight and height in females aged 11, and height in females aged 12 showed significant difference. Second, bone age and chronological age used for physical fitness comparison in males aged 11, muscular strength, power, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance showed significant difference; in males aged 12, muscular strength. power, cardiovascular endurance; in males aged 13, flexibility showed significant difference. Muscular strength, power, flexibility, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance in females aged 11, and flexibility in females aged 14 showed significant difference. As a result, this study concluded that in a period of rapid skeletal growth, evaluating physique and physical fitness based on bone age is more accurate than evaluating based on chronological age.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.19-32
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• 2022

The need for polar education was further emphasized, depending on the importance of the pole, which is the best place for climate change detection and prediction, and treasure trove of future technology and resources. Therefore, this study analyzed the general cognitive and affective characteristics of elementary school students' polar literacy, and in addition, analyzed the cognitive and affective characteristics according to the level of diversity about polar experience. The items developed for the study were revised through a pilot survey of 43 fifth graders. They consisted of questions about gender, polar experience, scientific literacy, polar knowledge, polar literacy skills, polar literacy beliefs, and polar literacy attitudes. The types of questions used are selectable, reliable, and Likert (4 points), for a total of 66 questions. The students who participated in the study were 323 fifth grade elementary students. The study found that students were more interested in the dramatic consequences of polar changes than the scientific causes and processes associated with it. This is confirmed through the fact that they are more interested in and familiar with polar creatures suffering from polar changes than understanding ice, which is the main feature of and the central mechanism of polar changes. Students also recognized the issue of polar climate change as a global issue other than their own. They believe that what happens in the Arctic and Antarctica will affect the whole world, but not significantly to himself and his community. The level of knowledge about polar region and the ability to analyze and infer were not significantly related to each other, and students with a higher level of diversity of experience about polar region had a better understanding of polar science and technology. In this research, it is meaningful to check the characteristics related to the students' polar region and to use it as a basic data to show the direction in which polar literacy education should proceed in the future.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.269-277
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• 2022

With the recent development of the biological enzymatic reaction industry, lactic acid (LA) can be mass-produced from biomass sources. In particular, a catalytic process that converts LA into acrylic acid (AA) is receiving much attention because AA is used widely in the petrochemical industry as a monomer for superabsorbent polymers (SAP) and as an adhesive for displays. In the LA conversion process, NaY zeolites have been previously shown to be a high-activity catalyst, which improves AA selectivity and long-term stability. However, NaY zeolites suffer from fast deactivation due to severe coking. Therefore, the aim of this study is to modify the acid-base properties of the NaY zeolite to address this shortcoming. First, base promoters, Ca ions, were introduced to the NaY zeolites to tune their acidity and basicity via ion exchange (IE) and incipient wetness impregnation (IWI). The IWI method showed superior catalyst selectivity and stability compared to the IE method, maintaining a high AA yield of approximately 40% during the 16 h reaction. Based on the NH₃- and CO₂-TPD results, the calcium salts that impregnated into the NaY zeolites were proposed to exit as an oxide form mainly at the exterior surface of NaY and act as additional base sites to promote the dehydration of LA to AA. The NaY zeolites were further treated with KOH before calcium impregnation to reduce the total acidity and improve the dispersion of calcium through the mesopores formed by KOH-induced desilication. However, this KOH treatment did not lead to enhanced AA selectivity. Finally, calcium loading was increased from 1wt% to 5wt% to maximize the amount of base sites. The increased basicity improved the AA selectivity substantially to 65% at 100% conversion while maintaining high activity during a 24 h reaction. Our results suggest that controlling the basicity of the catalyst is key to obtaining high AA selectivity and high catalyst stability.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.17-28
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• 2022

The application of supplemental activated biochar pellet fertilizers (ABPFs) was evaluated by investigating key factors such as changes of surface paddy water and soil chemical properties and rice growth responses during the growing season. The treatments consisted of control, activated rice hull biochar pellet (ARHBP-40%), and activated palm biochar pellet (APBP-40%) applications. It was shown that the lowest NH₄⁺-N and PO₄^--P concentrations were observed in surface paddy water to the ARHBP-40%, while the NH₄⁺-N concentration in the control was abruptly decreased until 30 days after transplant in the soil. However, the lowest NH₄⁺-N concentration in the blended biochar application was 9.18 mg L^-1 at 1 day of transplant, but its ABPFs application was observed to be less than 1 mg L^-1 at 56 days after transplant. The lowest PO₄^--P concentration in paddy water treated ARHBP-40% ranged from 0.06 mg L^-1 to 0.08 mg L^-1 until 30 days after transplant among the treatments. For the paddy soil, the NH₄⁺-N concentration in the control was abruptly decreased from 177.7 mg kg^-1 to 49.4 mg kg^-1, while NO₃^--N concentration was highest, 13.2 mg kg^-1 in 14 days after transplant. The P₂O₅ concentrations in the soils increased from rice transplants until the harvesting period regardless of the treatments. The highest K₂O concentration was 252.8 mg kg^-1 in the APBP-40% at 84 days after transplant. For the rice growth responses, plant height in the control was relatively high compared to others, but grain yield was not significantly different between the control and ARHBP-40%. The application of ARHBP-40% can minimize nitrogen and phosphorous application rates into the agro-ecosystem.