• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.515-522
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• 2004

The vasorelaxant effect of serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine was investigated in rat isolated thoracic aorta. Fluoxetine induced a concentration-dependent relaxation in aorta precontracted with phenylephrine (PE) and KCl. These relaxations were suppressed by removal of the endothelium (-E) or pretreatment of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) and N(omega)-nitro-Larginine methyl ester (L-NAME), guanylate cyclase inhibitors, methylene blue (MB) and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo [4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), and $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers, nifedipine and verapamil, in PE-precontracted +E rings. However, fluoxetine-induced relaxations were not suppressed by pretreatment of $K^{+}$ channel blockers, tetrabutylammonium and glibenclamide, in PE-precontracted endothelium intact (+E) rings. The fluoxetine-induced relaxations were not suppressed by removal of the endothelium or pretreatment of LNNA and MB in KCl-precontracted +E rings. Also, fluoxetine inhibited PE-induced sustained contraction in +E rings. These inhibitory effects of fluoxetine on contractions could be reversed by removal of the endothelium or pretreatment of L-NNA, L-NAME, MB, ODQ, nifedipine and verapamil, but not by pretreatment of etrabutylammonium and glibenclamide. These findings suggest that the vasorelaxant effect of fluoxetine is modulated by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ with an involvement of endothelial NO-cGMP pathway and also may be related to the inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ entry through voltage-gated channel.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2016

Purpose: A water-spraying type automatic glochids removal system for cactus (Opuntia humifusa) stem was developed, and its performance was evaluated. The system was developed to reduce intensive human labor in removing glochids from cactus stem skin without inducing damage prior to further processing into value-added products. Methods: The developed system consists of conveyor and water-spraying systems. The conveyor system delivers cactus stems through water-spraying compartments and finally to a collecting box. In order to remove the glochids, rotating nozzles spray water over all areas (i.e., front and back faces and sides) of the cactus skin under controlled water pressure. Operating conditions such as conveyor speed, water pressure, angle of water-spraying nozzles, distance between conveyor belt and rotating nozzles, and angle of cactus flipping slide were adopted from our previous study and applied on the system design and manufacturing. The performance of glochids removal was evaluated by counting the number of glochids on the cactus stem before and after processing on the system. Results: The developed system performed efficiently and effectively under the pre-studied operating conditions except for the angle of cactus flipping slide. The new system had a glochids removal ratio of 94.1% without damaging the cactus skin. Considering the original number (approximately 30-60) of glochids, the remaining number was low (1-4), and most of them were found at the side edge of the cactus stem. This system can remove glochids from 360 cactus stems in 1 hr regardless of cactus size. Conclusions: The performance of the new system in glochids removal without damaging cactus skin is superior to any other existing device (i.e., brush type, rubber-friction type, and agitation type). The system is expected to be applied in cactus (O. humifusa) processing facilities.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2011

Introduction: This study compared the strength of osseointegration as determined by the resistance to reverse torque rotation of three different hydroxyapatite coated implants in the rabbit femur model. Materials and Methods: Three hydroxyapatite coated implants (HAPTITE), Tapered Screw-Vent (TSV) and BioTite-H - were used. A total of 40 implants were placed in the femur of 20 adult male rabbits. The animals were divided into two groups. In group A (n=10); one HAPTITE was placed into each right femur and one TSV was placed into each left femur. In group B (n=10); one HAPTITE was placed into each right femur and one BioTite-H was placed into each left femur. Five rabbits of each group were sacrificed at 4 and 8 weeks. The implants were removed by reverse torque rotation using a digital torque-measuring device. A total of 40 implants in 20 rabbits were used for the removal torque measurements. Results: In the Group A, 4 weeks after implant placement, the mean removal torque for the HAPTITE and TSV was $70.7{\pm}31.6$ N cm and $28.9{\pm}15.1$ N cm, respectively. Eight weeks after implant placement, the mean removal torque for the HAPTITE and TSV was $87.9{\pm}26.2$ N cm and $54.9{\pm}22.4$ N cm, respectively. In the Group B, 4 weeks after implant placement, the mean removal torque for the HAPTITE and BioTite-H was $58.0{\pm}29.6$ N cm and $37.7{\pm}14.1$ N cm, respectively. Eight weeks after implant placement, the mean removal torque for the HAPTITE and BioTite-H was $91.4{\pm}47.1$ N cm and $30.8{\pm}9.8$ N cm. HAPTITE showed a higher removal torque than the other implants. Conclusion: These results suggest that HAPTITE increases the strength of osseointegration significantly as determined by the resistance to reverse torque rotation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.35-44
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• 2014

In this study, the bio-phytoremediation and phytoremediation technologies were applied to the soils contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and heavy metals to evaluate the remediation efficacy from May 2012 to December 2013. Poplar (Populus bonatii Levl.) and Sun Hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) were selected and planted in phytoremediation practice. These plants were also utilized in the bio-phytoremediation practice, with the addition of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) and petroleum-degrading bacteria (Pseudomonos sp. NKNU01). Furthermore, physiological characteristics, such as photosynthesis rate and maximal photochemical yield, of all testing plants were also measured in order to assess their health conditions and tolerance levels in adverse environment. After 20 months of remedial practice, the results showed that bio-phytoremediation practice had a higher rate of TPH removal efficacy at 30-60 cm depth soil than that of phytoremediation. However, inconsistent results were discovered while analyzing the soil at 100 cm depth. The study also showed that the removal efficiency of heavy metals was lower than that of TPH after remediation treatment. The results from test field tissue sample analysis revealed that more Zinc than Chromium was absorbed and accumulated by the tested plants. Plant height measurements of Poplar and Sun Hemp showed that there were insignificant differences of growth between the plants in remediation plots and those in the control plot. Physiological data of Poplar also suggested it has higher tolerance level toward the contaminated soils. These results indicated that the two testing plants were healthy and suitable for this remediation study.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.336-341
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• 2015

The industrial-scale biological treatment of Chinese nutgall processing wastewater was conducted with a $200m^3$ expanded granular sludge bed reactor and a $900m^3$ bio-contact oxidation reactor. The temperature of the two reactors was controlled under mesophilic conditions ($32-40^{\circ}C$), through changing the proportion of the dilution water, which was composed of steam condensation water and residual circulating water. The effluent COD, gallic acid, chroma, total nitrogen, total phosphorus levels and pH of both the expanded granular sludge bed and bio-contact oxidation reactors were monitored. In addition, the redox potential in the expanded granular sludge bed was recorded. The total COD removal efficiency was 87.257% when the influent COD concentration was $14\;251{\pm}3\;148mg/L$, and the ratio of wastewater: dilution water was 1:5. The removal efficiencies of gallic acid, chroma, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were 72.221%, 43.940%, 64.151% and 39.316%, respectively. The effluent pH increased in either the expanded granular sludge bed reactor or the bio-contact oxidation reactor during the operation. The redox potential in the expanded granular sludge bed varied between -367 mV and -435 mV. The results indicate that the combined process was suitable for treating Chinese nutgall processing wastewater.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.47-58
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• 2005

Rice straw is one of the main renewable energy sources in Korea, and bio-oil is produced from rice straw with a lab. scale plant equipped mainly with a fluidized bed and a char removal system. We investigated how the reaction temperature affected the production of bio-oil and the efficiency of a char removal system. To elucidate how the temperature depended on the production of bio-oil, experiment were conducted between $450^{\circ}C\;and\;600^{\circ}C$ with a feed rate of about 300g/h. The mass balance was established in each experiment, and the produced gas and oil were analyzed with the aid of GCs and a GC-MS system. The char removal system is composed of a cyclone and a hot filter. In the experiments, we observed that the optimum reaction temperature range for the production of bio-oil is between $450^{\circ}C\;and\;500^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.458-463
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• 2005

Considering the characteristics of a filtration bio-reactor equipped with a mesh filter module which can effectively maintain high concentration of biomass and enhanced solid-liquid separation performance, the hybrid process of filtration bio-reactor combined with coagulation was investigated to get improved filtration characteristics as well as water quality in this work. Two bio-reactors (Run-1 & Run-2) were operated under the following conditions: working volume of 25 L, continuous loading of a synthetic wastewater (BOD: 200 mg/L, T-N: 50 mg/L, T-P: 5 mg/L), where an appropriate amount of alum ($Al_2(SO_4)_3{\cdot}18H_2O$) was added once a day into the reactor (Run-2). In the system without using a alum (Run-1), the clogging of mesh filter module was observed two times through 85 days of whole operation. Meanwhile, the filter module did not clog even at higher MLSS concentration (6,000~12,000 mg/L) and the stable filtration (0.7 mid) was continued in the case of using a alum. Due to the stable formation of cake layers, BOD and SS were shown below 6 and 3 mg/L, respectively. T-P and pH of the effluent were changed because of the intermittent addition of the alum. In the case of Al/P=2.5, the average T-P removal efficiency per day was 85.2% and the average T-P concentration of the effluent was 0.3 mg/L. However, the removal efficiency of phosphate was influenced by pH in the reactor.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.254-262
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• 2019

The impact of free cyanide ($CN^-$) and thiocyanate ($SCN^-$) on the $CN^-$ (CDO) and $SCN^-$ degraders (TDO) to nitrify and denitrify aerobically was evaluated under alkaline conditions. The CDO's were able to nitrify under cyanogenic conditions, achieving $NH_4{^+}-N$ removal rates above 1.66 mg $NH_4{^+}-N.L^{-1}.h^{-1}$, except when $CN^-$ and $SCN^-$ loading was 15 mg $CN^-/L$ and 50 mg $SCN^-.L^{-1}$, respectively, which slightly inhibited nitrification. The TDO's were able to achieve a nitrification rate of 1.59 mg $NH_4{^+}-N.L^{-1}.h^{-1}$ in the absence of both $CN^-$ and $SCN^-$, while the presence of $CN^-$ and $SCN^-$ was inhibitory, with a nitrification rates of 1.14 mg $NH_4{^+}-N.L^{-1}.h^{-1}$. The CDO's and TDO's were able to denitrify aerobically, with the CDO's obtaining $NO_3{^-}-N$ removal rates above 0.67 mg $NO_3{^-}-N.L^{-1}.h^{-1}$, irrespective of the tested $CN^-$ and $SCN^-$ concentration range. Denitrification by the TDO's was inhibited by $CN^-$, achieving a removal rate of 0.46 mg $NO_3{^-}-N.L^{-1}.h^{-1}$ and 0.22 mg $NO_3{^-}-N.L^{-1}.h^{-1}$ when $CN^-$ concentration was 10 and 15 mg $CN^-.L^{-1}$, respectively. However, when the CDO's and TDO's were co-cultured, the nitrification and aerobic denitrification removal rates were 1.78 mg $NH_4{^+}-N.L^{-1}.h^{-1}$ and 0.63 mg $NO_3{^-}-N.L^{-1}.h^{-1}$ irrespective of $CN^-$ and $SCN^-$ concentrations.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1059-1065
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• 2004

Bio sparging experiments were conducted in a laboratory column to investigate the potential removal of diesel contaminated groundwater. The objectives in this study were (a) to determine the extent of diesel degradation in laboratory columns under supplement of nutrient; (b) to determine the effect of variation of air flow in the removal of diesel and (c) to evaluate the potential enhancement of diesel degradation as a function of temperature. Our results showed that the nutrient supplement and higher air flow greatly enhanced diesel degradation. However, the variation of water temperature examined slightly increased degradation rate of diesel fuel.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.501-512
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• 2000

This study was carried out to develop the new process for RBC process which is capable of nutrient removal and to obtain its design parameters for Sludge Settling Type Rotating Biological Contactors by comparing RBC with RBC combined with HBR (Hanmee Bio-Reactor). To achieve more than 90% of organic removal efficiency, organic loading rate less than $6.0g\;BOD/m^2/d$ is recommended. Nitrification rate was about 90% at $6.0g\;BOD/m^2/d$. TN removal efficiency of RBC+HBR was higher than those of RBC1 and RBC2. TN removal efficiency at condition of $5.0g\;BOD/m^2/d$ was about 60% in RBC1. When BOD loading rate was $6.0g\;BOD/m^2/d$. TN removal efficiencies in RBC2 and RBC+HBR were about 70%, 80%, respectively. TP removal efficiency was more than about 67% for RBC1, about 63% for RBC2 and about 71 % for RBC+HBR at the same loading rate. From the blank experiment to observe removal efficiency in the first stage, it can be known that COD removal efficiency was about 30% and suspend solids settling rate was about 45%. It was proved that RBC+HBR is much better in sludge dewatering than RBC.