• Title/Summary/Keyword: Alternative plants

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Alternative splicing and expression analysis of High expression of osmotically responsive genes1 (HOS1) in Arabidopsis

  • Lee, Jeong-Hwan;Kim, Soo-Hyun;Kim, Jae-Joon;Ahn, Ji-Hoon
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.45 no.9
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    • pp.515-520
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    • 2012
  • High expression of osmotically responsive genes1 (HOS1), a key regulator of low temperature response and flowering time, encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase in Arabidopsis. Here, we report characterization of a newly identified splice variant (HOS1-L) of HOS1. Comparative analyses revealed that HOS1-L has a longer 5' nucleotide sequence than that of the previously identified HOS1 (HOS1-S) and that its protein sequence was more conserved than that of HOS1-S in plants. HOS1-L transcripts were spatio-temporally more abundant than those of HOS1-S. The recovery rate of HOS1-S expression was faster than that of HOS1-L after cold treatment. Diurnal oscillation patterns of HOS1-L revealed that HOS1-L expression was affected by photoperiod. An in vitro pull-down assay revealed that the HOS1-L protein interacted with the ICE1 protein. HOS1-L overexpression caused delayed flowering in wild-type plants. Collectively, these results suggest regulation of HOS1 expression at the post-transcriptional level.

Engineering Control of Mill Fire for High Volatile Sub-bituminous Coal (저급탄 미분기 화재발생 인자분석 연구)

  • Keel, Sang-In;Park, Ho-Young;Kim, Young-Joo;Youn, Sung-Hwan
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.53-58
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    • 2013
  • Lots of Coal power plants (about 30) using bituminous coals are being run in Korea. The use of high volatile low grade sub-bituminous coal is increasingly extended because of imbalance between the worldwide coal supply and demand. Mill-fire has been an important issue since the use of such sub-bituminous coal. In existing coal plants of Korea, shutdown of coal and air supplies could be only a way, and an alternative has not been found in suppressing the mill fire. The inside fowfield in the mills has a highly fuel-rich, low temperature, and high velocity and non-reactive such that it could be a nonreactive system essentially. Nevertheless, occasional fire-occurrence could be attributed to the existence of an ignition source. However it has not been so far investigated in detail. The current work has a focus on suppressing the mile fire via some parametric experimental study such as effects of temperature, residence time, ignition source, and inert gas mixing. The results show that an small amount of $CO_2$- or $N_2$-mixing with air is very effective in suppressing fire formation even at high temperatures or flying sparks. The results suggest that exhaust gas recirculation into the mill should be an alternative to suppress mill fire.

Traditional medicines for common dermatological disorders in Mauritius

  • Mahomoodally, Mohamad Fawzi;Hossain, Ziad Dil
    • CELLMED
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    • v.3 no.4
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    • pp.31.1-31.8
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    • 2013
  • This study has been geared to document primary information on common complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) used to treat and/or manage common dermatological disorders in Mauritius, a tropical multicultural island in the Indian Ocean. Data from 355 key informants was collected via a semi-structured questionnaire. Pearson correlation and Chi-squared test were performed to delineate any association. Quantitative indexes including the Importance Value (IV) and fidelity value were calculated. Results tend to indicate that cultural reasons were behind the use of CAM among Mauritians and traditional knowledge was mainly acquired either from parents/relatives or from self-experience. Among the medicinal plants mentioned, Aziadiracta indica (IV = 0.78) and Paederia tomentosa (IV = 0.70) were found to be most used plants. Calendula officinalis (IV = 0.15), Centella asiatica (IV = 0.22) and Agauria salicifolia (IV = 0.11) were also recorded to be used for common dermatological disorders though greatly under-utilised. Animal products were mentioned by 38.0% respondents and cow ghee was found to be commonly used in the management of measles (IV = 0.88). Spiritual healing was found to be used mainly for measles and warts. Given the plethora of novel information documented from the present survey, it can be suggested that the Mauritian population still relies to a great extent on CAM which needs to be preserved and used sustainably. Nonetheless, further investigation is required to probe the possible active constituents that could be the basis of an evidence based investigation to discover new drugs.

Bioenergy Crop Production and Research Trends (바이오에너지 원료작물 생산 및 연구동향)

  • Kim, Kwang-Soo;Kim, Young-Bum;Jang, Young-Seok;Bang, Jin-Ki
    • Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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    • v.34 no.2
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    • pp.103-109
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    • 2007
  • The increasing industrialization of the world has led to precipitous rise for the demand of petroleum-based fuels. The world is presently confronted with the twin crises of fossil fuel depletion and environmental pollution. The search for alternative fuels, which promise a harmonious correlation with sustainable development, energy conservation, efficiency and environmental preservation, has become highly pronounced in the present. Bioenergy is playing an increasingly important role as an alternative and renewable source of energy. Use of Bioenergy has several potential environmental advantages. The most important perhaps is reduction in life cycle greenhouse gases emissions relatives petroleum fuels, since bioenergy is derived from plants which convert Carbon dioxide ($CO_{2}$) into Carbohydrates in their growth. Bioenergy includes solid biomass, biomas and liquid bio-fuels which are fuels derived from crop plants, and include biomass that's directly burned. The two most important bio liquid fuels today are bioethanol from fermenting grain, grass, straw or wood, and biodiesel from plant seed oil.

Integrated Power Generation Systems Based on High Temperature Fuel Cells - A Review of Research and Development Status - (고온형 연료전지 기반 통합형 발전시스템 - 연구개발 동향 고찰 -)

  • Kim, Tong-Seop;Park, Sung-Ku
    • Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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    • v.33 no.5
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    • pp.299-310
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    • 2009
  • Fuel cells are expected to be promising future power sources in both aspects of thermal efficiency and environmental friendliness. Accordingly, worldwide research and development efforts have been enormously increasing recently in various applications such as power plants, transportation and portable power sources. Among others, high temperature fuel cells, such as solid oxide fuel cells and molten carbonate fuel cells, are suitable for electric power plants. Moreover, their high operating temperature is quite appropriate to construct further advanced integrated systems. This paper reviews recent literatures on research and development of integrated power generation systems based on high temperature fuel cells. Research and development efforts are summarized in the area of fuel cell/ gas turbine hybrid systems, application of carbon capture technology to fuel cell systems, integration of coal gasification with fuel cells, and the use of alternative fuels.

Fuel Cell as an Alternative Distributed Generation Source under Deregulated Power Systems (규제가 없는 전력계통에서 대체분산전원으로서의 연료전지)

  • Lee, Kwang-Y.;Kim, Se-Ho;Kim, Eel-Hwan;Kim, Ho-Chan
    • The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers A
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    • v.55 no.12
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    • pp.561-569
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    • 2006
  • Because of the trend of deregulation, power industry is going through an unprecedented transformation in North America and Europe, and there are a host of acquisitions and mergers by the private sector to position themselves to take advantage of new business opportunities. Deregulation has accelerated the development of smaller generators and fuel cells will gradually become more attractive to mainstream electricity users as they improve in capability and decrease in cost. Fuel Cell technology is surveyed and the potential of using fuel cell as a distributed generation source is presented. This paper recommends the fuel cell power plants as alternative energy sources for distributed generation in Jeju Island, Korea. This will help in increasing fuel efficiency, at least double the current thermal plants', increasing the reliability of power supply, reducing the dependency on the HVDC link, providing quality power to the growing infrastructure, and maintaining clean air in meeting the free-trade international island.

The Effects of Horticultural Activity with Reminiscence Materials and Singing Time on the Ability to Recall Words and Depression in the Elderly with Mild Dementia

  • Kim, Jung Min;Yun, Suk Young;Choi, Byung Jin;Cho, Mun Su
    • Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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    • v.21 no.6
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    • pp.515-521
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    • 2018
  • The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of horticultural activities with reminiscence materials and singing songs on the ability to recall words and depression in the elderly with mild dementia. A total of 20 sessions of a horticultural therapy program was held once or twice a week from July 14, 2015 to November 3, 2015 for the elderly with mind dementia at the social welfare center in D city. The subjects of this study were 13 women and the mean age was 81.2 years. The ability to recall words significantly improved from $8.6{\pm}1.8$ before the program to $9.4{\pm}0.6$ after the program (p=.012). However, there was no significant difference in the score of depression after the program. Synergistic effects were generated by applying horticultural activities, singing and reminiscence therapy activities simultaneously, and it was effective in recalling memories. As emotional functions were associated with hormones in vivo, there were emotional ups and downs at each session and short-term alternative therapies were not sufficient to completely eliminate neurotoxic substances caused by dementia.

Investigation on Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities, Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents of Some Thai Edible Plants as an Alternative for Antibiotics

  • Lee, J.H.;Cho, S.;Paik, H.D.;Choi, C.W.;Nam, K.T.;Hwang, S.G.;Kim, Soo-Ki
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.27 no.10
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    • pp.1461-1468
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    • 2014
  • This study was aimed to examine the antibacterial and antioxidative properties of seven edible plants from Thailand to develop alternative antibiotics as feed additives. The plants include Citrus aurantifolia Swingle (Lime) fruits and its leaves, Sesbania grandiflora L. (Agati sesbania) leaves, Piper sarmentosum Roxb (Wild betal) leaves, Curcuma domestica Valeton (Turmeric) roots, Morinda citrifolia L. (Beach mulberry) leaves, Cassia siamea britt (Siamea cassia) leaves, and Cocos nucifera L. (Coconut) peels. The plants were extracted by methanol, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. Antibacterial activities with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined by agar diffusion assay against Escherichia coli, Burkholderia sp., Haemopilus somnus, Haemopilus parasuis, and Clostridium perfringens that were considered pathogenic strains in livestock infection. Methanol extracts of C. aurantifolia Swingle fruits and leaves showed the broadest spectrum of antibacterial activities except for C. perfringens. Butanol extract of S. grandiflora L. leaves showed the strongest activity against Burkholderia sp. with MIC, $135{\mu}g/mL$. P. sarmentosum Roxb leaves showed antibacterial activities against E. coli, Burkholderia sp. and H. parasuis. Ethyl acetate and water extracts from C. domesitca Valeton roots showed MIC of $306{\mu}g/mL$ and $183{\mu}g/mL$, respectively against only C. perfringens. Antioxidative activity was determined by 2-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl photometric assay. The methanol extracts of C. aurantifolia Swingle fruits and P. sarmentosum Roxb leaves showed the highest antioxidant activity among all the extracts with 3.46 mg/mL and 2.70 mg/mL effective concentration 50% ($EC_{50}$) values, respectively. Total contents of phenolics and flavonoids were measured from the plant extracts. Methanol extracts of S. grandiflora L. and chloroform extracts of C. domestica Valeton were found to have the highest amount of total phenolics, 41.7 and $47.8{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Flavonoid content of methanol extracts in S. grandiflora L. T was $22.5{\mu}g/mL$ and the highest among plant extracts tested. These results indicated that C. aurantifolia Swingle, S. grandiflora L., P. sarmentosum Roxb, and C. domestica Valeton have antibacterial and antioxidant activities and can be used as alternative antibiotics or potential feed additives for the control of animal pathogenic bacteria.

A Study of Unregistered Manufacturing Plants: Their Problems and Alternative Policies (首都圈 無登錄工場 問題와 對策에 관한 硏究)

  • Hwang, Man-Ik
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.31 no.3
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    • pp.489-507
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    • 1996
  • The purpose of this study is to examine the increasing number of unregistered manufacturing plants and related problems, and to recommend alternative solutions to the problems. Data are obtained from a field survey of randomly selected small scale manufacturing plants in Seoul and its suburban cities. A total number or respondents are 533, and 416 of them are unregistered plants. The Capital Regional Planning has had a goal during last three decades to lead a balanced regional economic development by restriction manufacturing plants in the Capital Region and by encouraging them in other regions in the nation. It was 1984 when a comprehensive planning was established to achieve this goal. Sets of various regulations, by-laws and codes have been implemented to regulate manu-facturing activities in the Capital Region to achieve the goal. The region is divided into three sub-regions, and a different degree of regulations is applied to each sub-region. Only a certain types of industries are allowed in a particular sub-region. For instance, a plant manufacturing high-technology products could be allowed in the most urbanized sub-region. All manu-facturing plant in the Capital Region which has ares size of larger than 200"\;"$m^2$ is compulsory to register to the local government office. In practice, however, it is not common or sometimes almost impossible to get approval for many applicant manufacturers because of strict regulations. There have been increasing number of plants in the Capital Region during last several decades, despite the strict regulations. Many of those newly established plants are without formal registration at the local administration office. howerver. These are so called 'unregisterd' plants. Surveyed data and many government official data show that many of unregistered plants have been established in recent years. which indicate that current regulations are no longer effective. The number of unregistered plants are increasing tin the Capital Region because of many locational advantages in the region for plants, particularly those in small scale. Unregistered plants are the source of many problems, such as local water pollution or noise pollution in residential areas. There are also many administration problems, bed\cause they are not registered. The central government has attempted to cure the problems of unregistered plants. For example, the government allowed a unregistered plant to remain at present site for three ydars, if it met certain conditions in three years. However, this program was unsuccessful because many of those plants were not able to meet the concitions. Three times the government renewed the term for those which did not meet conditions since 1989, but it was afraid to be without success. There are many evidences that current policies to control manufacturing plants are not effective. The Capital Region must face mounting problems if ploicies are not reformed soon. This study suggests that the policy of the Capital Regional Planning has to be reoriented to provide more favorable policies for manufacturing plants in the Capital Region than current regulations which is aimed to restrict manufacturing activities. It is time to improve many existing problems in the region through reforms and of current regulations to foster unregistered plants. This study also proposes many smaller-area sub-divisions instead of current three large area sub-regions which is too broad to apply single kind of regulation, or codes. Flexible regulations and codes can be applied to such a small-area sub-divivisions based on location and industrial characteristics of the individual sub-divisions. It is necessary to provide decent industrial environment in the Capital Region, which is best equipped to provide many favorable industrial locational factors in the nation, thus this nation can be further prepared to compete in an inter-national market at an era of globalization in manufacturing.

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Effects of District Energy Supply by Combined Heat and Power Plant on Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation (열병합발전을 이용한 집단에너지사업의 온실가스 감축효과)

  • Shin, Kyoung-A;Dong, Jong-In;Kang, Jae-Sung;Im, Yong-Hoon;Kim, Da-Hye
    • Journal of Climate Change Research
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    • v.8 no.3
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    • pp.213-220
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of this study is to analyze effects of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction in district energy business mainly based on Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants. Firstly this paper compares the actual carbon intensity of power production between conventional power plants and district energy plants. To allocate the GHG from CHP plants, two of different methods which were Alternative Generation Method and Power Bonus Method, have been investigated. The carbon intensity of power production in district energy plants ($0.43tonCO_2e/MWh$) was relatively lower than conventional gas-fired power plants ($0.52tonCO_2e/MWh$). Secondly we assessed the cost effectiveness of reduction by district energy sector compared to the other means using TIMES model method. We find that GHG marginal abatement cost of 'expand CHP' scenario (-$134/ton$CO_2$) is even below than renewable energy scenario such as photovoltaic power generation ($87/ton$CO_2$). Finally the GHG emission reduction potential was reviewed on the projected GHG emission emitted when the same amount of energy produced in combination of conventional power plants and individual boilers as substitution of district energy. It showed there were 10.1~41.8% of GHG emission reduction potential in district energy compared to the combination of conventional power plants and individual boilers.