• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2022

Plasma refers to an ionized gas that is often referred to as "the fourth phase of matter", following solid, liquid, and gas. Plasma has traditionally been utilized for industrial applications such as welding and neon signs, but its promise in biomedical fields such as cancer treatment and dermatology has lately been recognized. Indeed, due to its beneficial effects in promoting collagen production, improving skin tone, and eliminating harmful bacteria in the skin, plasma treatment constitutes an important target for dermatological research. In this study, a plasma device for cosmetic manufacturing based on nitrogen, the main component of the atmosphere, was designed and assembled. Moreover, nitric oxide (NO) was selected since is easier to follow and evaluate than other nitrogen plasma active species, and its contents were measured to perform a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of plasma. First, an injection method, using different proximities labeled "sinking" and "non sinking" treatments, was performed to test the most efficient plasma treatment method. As a result, it was observed that the formulation obtained by a non sinking treatment was more effective. Furthermore, toner and ampoule were selected as cosmetics formulations, and the characteristics of the formulation and changes in the injected plasma state were observed. In both formulations, the successful injection of NO plasma was 2 times higher in toner formulation than ampoule formulation, and it gradually decreased with time, having dissipated after a week. It was confirmed that the nitrogen plasma used did not affect the stability of the toner and ampoule formulations at low temperature (4 ℃), room temperature (25 ℃), and high temperature (37 ℃ and 50 ℃) conditions. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of plasma cosmetics and highlight the importance of securing the stability of the injected plasma.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.647-658
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• 2021

In this study, the change of temperature, chemical composition, and helium gas of thermal water in Pohang area was observed from January 2018 to June 2019 in order to interpret the relationship with earthquake events. During observation period earthquakes above M 2.0 within 100 km in a radius from a geothermal well occurred 58 including two earthquake events with a magnitude of 3.0~3.9 and two earthquake events with a magnitude of 4.0~4.9. We introduce a q-factor and earthquake effectiveness (ε) to express the influence of each earthquake as magnitude and distance factors. The geothermal well of 715 m deep was developed in the Bulguksa biotite granite, and the water temperature was observed in the variation from 51.8 to 56.3℃ during monitoring period. At M 4.1 and M 4.6 earthquake events, the increase of geothermal water temperature (𝜟T 2.6~4.5℃) was recorded, and slight change in specific ionic components such as SO₄ and Cl, and of chemical types on the Piper diagram were observed. In the ³He/⁴He vs ⁴He/²⁰Ne diagram, the original mixing ratio of helium isotope before and after the magnitude 4.1 earthquake was slightly changed from 83.0% to 83.2% of crust-origin ⁴He, and the from 16.3% to 16.7% of mantle-origin ³He. Hot-cold water mixing ratio before and after earthquakes by using the quartz and chalcedony solubility curves of the silica-enthalpy mixing model was calculated to interpret the temperature change of geothermal water. The model calculation shows the increase of 6.93~7.72% and 1.65~4.94% of hot water ratio at E1 and E2 earthquakes, respectively. Conclusively, the magnitude of earthquake for observable change in the temperature and helium isotope of thermal water is of 4.1 or higher and q-factor value of 30.0 or higher in the study site.

• 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 Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.497-503
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• 2022

This study was conducted to investigate the horticultural media + decomposed granite + reused rock wool in the following mixing ratio: Control = 100:0, M1 = 80:0:20, M2 = 60:30:10, M3 = 40:30:30, M4 = 30:40:30, M5 = 0:50:50 (reused rockwool : decomposed granite : horticultural media) and develop the physicochemical properties and the growth of 'Sulhyang' strawberry runner plant. In the physical aspect of the horticultural media, statistical differences were recognized that the bulk density and particle density were lower in the control and M1. But the bulk density and particle density were high in the M3, M4, and M5, because it had high mixing ratio between recycled rock wool and decomposed granite. EAW and WBC showed a similar tendency. The air porosity and total porosity were higher in control and M1 than M3, M4, M5. Exchangeable cation (K⁺, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺) and base replacement capacity (CEC) were higher in control and M1, than M2, M3, M4, and M5. As a result of the cultivation of 'Sulhyang' runner plant, the plant length was long in M2, 32.1 cm and smaller than M5 to 28.4 cm. However, if the crown diameter, which is the growth indicator of the runner plant, all 6 treatments were formed 11.23 mm-12.03 mm, which is considered to be suitable for the growth of the runner plant. There wasn't a statistical difference between the weight and dry weight of the root. As a result, the growth difference of the seedlings by the horticulture media was similar. Therefore, considering the physical properties of the horticultural media, it was judged that the air porosity and total porosity would be improved when the recycled rock wool and the decomposed granite were properly mixed rather than the use of the horticultural media as a single medium, which would be advantageous for irrigation management.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.729-744
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• 2023

The value of lithium has significantly increased due to the rising demand for electric cars and batteries. Lithium is primarily found in pegmatites, hydrothermally altered tuffaceous clays, and continental brines. Globally, groundwater-fed salt lakes and oil field brines are attracting attention as major sources of lithium in continental brines, accounting for about 70% of global lithium production. Recently, deep groundwater, especially geothermal water, is also studied for a potential source of lithium. Lithium concentrations in deep groundwater can increase through substantial water-rock reaction and mixing with brines. For the exploration of lithim in deep groundwater, it is important to understand its origin and behavior. Therefore, based on a nationwide preliminary study on the hydrogeochemical characteristics and evolution of thermal groundwater in South Korea, this study aims to investigate the distribution of lithium in the deep groundwater environment and understand the geochemical factors that affect its concentration. A total of 555 thermal groundwater samples were classified into five hydrochemical types showing distinct hydrogeochemical evolution. To investigate the enrichment mechanism, samples (n = 56) with lithium concentrations exceeding the 90th percentile (0.94 mg/L) were studied in detail. Lithium concentrations varied depending upon the type, with Na(Ca)-Cl type being the highest, followed by Ca(Na)-SO₄ type and low-pH Ca(Na)-HCO₃ type. In the Ca(Na)-Cl type, lithium enrichment is due to reverse cation exchange due to seawater intrusion. The enrichment of dissolved lithium in the Ca(Na)-SO₄ type groundwater occurring in Cretaceous volcanic sedimentary basins is related to the occurrence of hydrothermally altered clay minerals and volcanic activities, while enriched lithium in the low-pH Ca(Na)-HCO₃ type groundwater is due to enhanced weathering of basement rocks by ascending deep CO₂. This reconnaissance geochemical study provides valuable insights into hydrogeochemical evolution and economic lithium exploration in deep geologic environments.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.35
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• pp.7-13
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• 2023

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated the effect of using a customized bolus on dose delivery in the treatment plan when cervical cancer protruded out of the body along with the uterus and evaluated reproducibility in patient set-up. Materials & Methods: The treatment plan used the Eclipse Treatment Planning System (Version 15.5.0, Varian, USA) and the treatment machine was VitalBeam (Varian Medical Systems, USA). The radiotherapy technique used 6 MV energy in the AP/PA direction with 3D-CRT. The prescribed dose is 1.8 Gy/fx and the total dose is 50.4 Gy/28 fx. Semiflex TM31010 (PTW, Germany) was used as the ion chamber, and the dose distribution was analyzed and evaluated by comparing the planned and measured dose according to each position movement and the tumor center dose. The first measurement was performed at the center by applying a customized bolus to the phantom, and the measurement was performed while moving in the range of -2 cm to +2 cm in the X, Y, and Z directions from the center assuming a positional error. It was measured at intervals of 0.5 cm, the Y-axis direction was measured up to ±3 cm, and the situation in which Bolus was set-up incorrectly was also measured. The measured doses were compared based on doses corrected to CT Hounsfield Unit (HU) 240 of silicon instead of the phantom's air cavity. Result: The treatment dose distribution was uniform when the customized bolus was used, and there was no significant difference between the prescribed dose and the actual measured value even when positional errors occurred. It was confirmed that the existing sheet-type bolus is difficult to compensate for irregularly shaped tumors protruding outside the body, but customized Bolus is found to be useful in delivering treatment doses uniformly.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.31-41
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• 2024

Food waste compost with high salt content produced by aerobic digestion, but concerns about application of cropland. To address this issue, food waste is being composted by mixing it with livestock manure, which has a lower salt content. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the growth characteristics of red pepper and soil chemical properties for continuous application with different amounts of food waste compost with manure (FWC). Treatments were consisted of no fertilizer (NF), inorganic fertilizer (N-N-P₂O₅-K₂O, 19.0-11.2-14.9 kg 10a^-1), and inorganic fertilizer + food waste compost with manure (NPKFWC). FWC treatment was applied at three treatment rates based on soil organic matter content: 900 kg 10a^-1, 1,800 kg 10a^-1, and 2,700 kg 10a^-1 ( referred to a s FWC 1, 2, 3 , respectively). As a r esult of the red pepper yield was about 1.8 times higher in NPKFWC 1 and NPKFWC 2 than that in the NF, but decreased in the NPKFWC 3, 300% of the recommended FWC application rate. Yield decreased in all FWC treatments with continuous application for three year and also decreased about 40% from 3,265 kg 10a^-1 in the first year to 1,948 kg 10a^-1 in the third year. For the soil chemical properties, the content of soil organic matter, available P₂O₅, and exchangeable cations increased in the FWC treatments, and were higher than the NF. Exchangeable sodium in all treatments was increased slightly compared to the soil before used, and no significant salinization was observed in the FWC. This study confirmed that excessive use of FWC not only reduced nutrient use efficiency, but also decreased the red pepper yield. Therefore, it is concluded that optimum usage of FWC is effective for agroecological impacts.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.103-134
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• 1977

The physiological and biochemical role of potassium for upland crops according to recent research reports and the nutritional status of potassium in Korea were reviewed. Since physical and chemical characteristics of potassium ion are different from those of sodium, potassium can not completely be replaced by sodium and replacement must be limited to minimum possible functional area. Specific roles of potassium seem to keep fine structure of biological membranes such as thylacoid membrane of chloroplast in the most efficient form and to be allosteric effector and conformation controller of various enzymes principally in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Potassium is essential to improve the efficiency of phoro- and oxidative- phosphorylation and involve deeply in all energy required metabolisms especially synthesis of organic matter and their translocation. Potassium has many important, physiological functions such as maintenance of osmotic pressure and optimum hydration of cell colloids, consequently uptake and translocation of water resulting in higher water use efficiency and of better subcellular environment for various physiological and biochemical activities. Potassium affects uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients and quality of products. potassium itself in products may become a quality criteria due to potassium essentiality for human beings. Potassium uptake is greatly decreased by low temperature and controlled by unknown feed back mechanism of potassium in plants. Thus the luxury absorption should be reconsidered. Total potassium content of upland soil in Korea is about 3% but the exchangeable one is about 0.3 me/100g soil. All upland crops require much potassium probably due to freezing and cold weather and also due to wet damage and drought caused by uneven rainfall pattern. In barley, potassium should be high at just before freezing and just after thawing and move into grain from heading for higher yield. Use efficiency of potassium was 27% for barley and 58% in old uplands, 46% in newly opened hilly lands for soybean. Soybean plant showed potassium deficiency symptom in various fields especially in newly opened hilly lands. Potassium criteria for normal growth appear 2% $K_2O$ and 1.0 K/(Ca+Mg) (content ratio) at flower bud initiation stage for soybean. Potassium requirement in plant was high in carrot, egg plant, chinese cabbage, red pepper, raddish and tomato. Potassium content in leaves was significantly correlated with yield in chinese cabbage. Sweet potato. greatly absorbed potassium subsequently affected potassium nutrition of the following crop. In the case of potassium deficiency, root showed the greatest difference in potassium content from that of normal indicating that deficiency damages root first. Potatoes and corn showed much higher potassium content in comparison with calcium and magnesium. Forage crops from ranges showed relatively high potassium content which was significantly and positively correlated with nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium content. Percentage of orchards (apple, pear, peach, grape, and orange) insufficient in potassium ranged from 16 to 25. The leaves and soils from the good apple and pear orchards showed higher potassium content than those from the poor ones. Critical ratio of $K_2O/(CaO+MgO)$ in mulberry leaves to escape from winter death of branch tip was 0.95. In the multiple croping system, exchangeable potassium in soils after one crop was affected by the previous crops and potassium uptake seemed to be related with soil organic matter providing soil moisture and aeration. Thus, the long term and quantitative investigation of various forms of potassium including total one are needed in relation to soil, weather and croping system. Potassium uptake and efficiency may be increased by topdressing, deep placement, slow-releasing or granular fertilizer application with the consideration of rainfall pattern. In all researches for nutritional explanation including potassium of crop yield reasonable and practicable nutritional indices will most easily be obtained through multifactor analysis.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.10
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• pp.1090-1102
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• 2009

Purpose:To evaluate current feeding practices and maternal nutritional knowledge on complementary feeding. Methods:Mothers of babies aged 9-15 months who visited pediatric clinics of 14 general hospitals between September and December 2008 were asked to fill questionnaires. Data from 1,078 questionnaires were analyzed. Results:Complementary food was introduced at 4-7 months in 89% of babies. Home-made rice gruel was the first complementary food in 93% cases. Spoons were used for initial feeding in 97% cases. At 6-7 months, <50% of babies were fed meat (beef, 43%). Less than 12-month-old babies were fed salty foods such as salted laver (35%) or bean-paste soup (51%) and cow's milk (11%). The following were the maternal sources of information on complementary feeding: books/magazines (58%), friends (30%), internet web sites (29%), relatives (14%), and hospitals (4%). Compared to the 1993 survey, the incidence of complementary food introduction before 4 months (0.4% vs. 21%) and initial use of commercial food (7% vs. 39%) had decreased. Moreover, spoons were increasingly used for initial feeding (97% vs. 57%). The average maternal nutritional knowledge score was 7.5/10. Less percentage of mothers agreed with the following suggestions: bottle formula weaning before 15-18 months (68%), no commercial baby drinks as complementary food (67%), considering formula (or cow's milk) better than soy milk (65%), and feeding minced meat from 6-7 months (57%). Conclusion:Complementary feeding practices have considerably improved since the last decade. Pediatricians should advise timely introduction of appropriate complementary foods and monitor diverse information sources on complementary feeding.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.679-686
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• 2008

Background: Cellular remnants in the bioprosthetic heart valve are known to be related to a host's immunologic response and they can form the nidus for calcification. The extracellular matrix of the decellularized valve tissue can also be used as a biological scaffold for cell attachment, endothelialization and tissue reconstitution. Thus, decellularization is the most important part in making a bioprosthetic valve and biological caffold. Many protocols and agents have been suggested for decellularization, yet there ave been few reports about the effect of a treatment with hypotonic solution prior to chemical or enzymatic treatment. This study investigated the effect of a treatment with hypotonic solution and the appropriate environments such as temperature, the treatment duration and the concentration of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) for achieving proper decellularization. Material and Method: Porcine aortic valves were decellularized with odium dodecylsulfate at various concentrations (0.25%, 0.5%), time durations (6, 12, 24 hours) and temperatures ($4^{\circ}C$, $20^{\circ}C$)(Group B). Same the number of porcine aortic valves (group A) was treated with hypotonic solution prior to SDS treatment at the same conditions. The duration of exposure to the hypotonic solution was 4, 7 and 14 hours and he temperature was $4^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$, respectively. The degree of decellularization was analyzed by performing hematoxylin and eosin staining. Result: There were no differences in the degree of decellularization between the two concentrations (0.25% 0.5%) of SDS. Twenty four hours treatment with SDS revealed the best decellularization effect for both roups A and B at the temperature of $4^{\circ}C$, but there was no differences between the roups at $20^{\circ}C$. Treatment with hypotonic solution (group A) showed a better ecellularization effect at all the matched conditions. Fourteen hours treatment at $4^{\circ}C$ ith ypotonic solution prior to 80S treatment revealed the best decellularization effect. The treatment with hypotonic solution at $20^{\circ}C$ revealed a good decellularization effect, but his showed significant extracellular matrix destruction. Conclusion: The exposure of porcine heart valves to hypotonic solution prior to SDS treatment is highly effective for achieving decellularization. Osmotic treatment with hypotonic solution should be considered or achieving decellularization of porcine aortic valves. Further study should be carried out to see whether the treatment with hypotonic solution could reduce the exposure duration and concentration of chemical detergents, and also to evaluate how the structure of the extracellular matrix of the porcine valve is affected by the exposure to hypotonic solution.