• Clean Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.263-269
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• 2020

Zeolite was synthesized hydrothermally using the water-treatment sludge, and the effects of various synthesis parameters like reaction temperature, reaction time, and Na2O/SiO2 molar ratio on the crystallization of zeolite were investigated. Crystal structure, physical property, and thermal stability of zeolite crystals were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, BET nitrogen adsorption, and TGA measurements. The removal efficiencies of nitrogen in ammonia, heavy metal ions, and TOC were calculated to evaluate zeolite's adsorption capacity. The primary chemical composition of water-treatment sludge was 28.79% Al2O3 and 27.06% SiO2. The zeolites were synthesized by merely employing the water-treatment sludge as silica and alumina sources without additional chemicals. Zeolite crystals synthesized through the water-treatment sludge were confirmed as an A-type zeolite structure. Zeolite A had the highest crystallinity obtained from a gel with the molar composition 2.1Na2O-Al2O3-1.6SiO2-65H2O after 5 h at a temperature of 90 ℃. The specific surface area of zeolite obtained was 55 ㎡ g-1, which was higher than commercial zeolite A. The removal efficiency of nitrogen in ammonia was 68% after 3 h of reaction time, while the removal efficiencies of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions were 99.1% and 99.3%, respectively. These results indicate active ion exchange between Pb2+ or Cd2+ ion and Na+ ion in the zeolite framework. The adsorption experiments on the different zeolite addition conditions were performed for 3 h with 300 ppm humic acid. Based on the results, TOC's highest efficiency was 83% when 5 g of zeolite was added.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.67-76
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• 2020

This paper reports an experimental study to evaluate the flexural behavior of concrete beams reinforced using Fe based shape memory alloy (Fe-SMA) bars. For the experiment, a concrete beam of 200mm×300mm×2,200mm was produced, and a 4% pre-strained Fe-SMA bar was used as a tensile reinforcement. As experimental variables, type of tensile reinforcement (SD400, Fe-SMA), reinforcement ratio (0.2, 0.39, 0.59, 0.78), activation of Fe-SMA (activation, non-activation), and joint method of Fe-SMA bar (Continuous, welding, coupler) were considered. The electric resistance heating method was used to activate the Fe-SMA bar, and a current of 5A/㎟ was supplied until the specimen reached 160℃. After the upward displacement of the specimen due to the camber effect was stabilized, a three-point flexural loading experiment was performed using an actuator of 2,000 kN capacity. As a result of the experiment, it was found that the upward displacement occurred due to the camber effect as the Fe-SMA bar was activated. The specimen that activated the Fe-SMA bar had an initial crack at a higher load than the specimen that did not activate it. However, as with general prestressed concrete, the effect of the prestress by Fe-SMA activation on the ultimate state of the beam was insignificant.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2021

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is widely used as a method of removing nitrogen oxide in large-capacity thermal power generation systems. Uniform mixing of the injected ammonia and the inlet flue gas is very important to the performance of the denitrification reduction process in the catalyst bed. In the present study, a computational analysis technique was applied to the ammonia injection system design process of a denitrification facility. The applied model is the denitrification facility of an 800 MW class coal-fired power plant currently in operation. The flow field to be solved ranges from the inlet of the ammonia injection system to the end of the catalyst bed. The flow was analyzed in the two-dimensional domain assuming incompressible. The steady-state turbulent flow was solved with the commercial software named ANSYS-Fluent. The nozzle arrangement gap and injection flow rate in the ammonia injection system were chosen as the design parameters. A total of four (4) cases were simulated and compared. The root mean square of the NH3/NO molar ratio at the inlet of the catalyst layer was chosen as the optimization parameter and the design of the experiment was used as the base of the optimization algorithm. The case where the nozzle pitch and flow rate were adjusted at the same time was the best in terms of flow uniformity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 2021

Background: Many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients receiving monotherapy continue to experience symptoms, exacerbations and poor quality of life. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of direct switch from once-daily tiotropium (TIO) 18 ㎍ to indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) 110/50 ㎍ once daily in COPD patients in Korea. Methods: This was a randomized, open-label, parallel group, 12-week trial in mild-to-moderate COPD patients who received TIO 18 ㎍ once daily for ≥12 weeks prior to study initiation. Patients aged ≥40 years, with predicted post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) ≥50%, post-bronchodilator FEV₁/forced vital capacity <0.7 and smoking history of ≥10 pack-years were included. Eligible patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either IND/GLY or TIO. The primary objective was to demonstrate superiority of IND/GLY over TIO in pre-dose trough FEV₁ at week 12. Secondary endpoints included transition dyspnea index (TDI) focal score, COPD assessment test (CAT) total score, and rescue medication use following the 12-week treatment, and safety assessment. Results: Of the 442 patients screened, 379 were randomized and 347 completed the study. IND/GLY demonstrated superiority in pre-dose trough FEV₁ versus TIO at week 12 (least squares mean treatment difference [Δ], 50 mL; p=0.013). Also, numerical improvements were observed with IND/GLY in the TDI focal score (Δ, 0.31), CAT total score (Δ, -0.81), and rescue medication use (Δ, -0.09 puffs/day). Both treatments were well tolerated by patients. Conclusion: A direct switch from TIO to IND/GLY provided improvements in lung function and other patient-reported outcomes with an acceptable safety profile in patients with mild-to-moderate airflow limitation.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.624-629
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• 2022

Formaldehyde is an indoor pollutant that is harmful to humans, such as causing respiratory and skin diseases. Nitrogen plasma treatment was performed to introduce nitrogen groups on the surface of the activated carbon fibers (ACFs), and the adsorption characteristics of formaldehyde for the surface-modified ACFs were considered. As the nitrogen gas flow rate increased, the content of nitrogen functional groups introduced to the surface of the ACFs increased by about 7%, and the ratio of nitrogen functional groups to each type present was similar. Ultramicropores increased on the ACFs surface due to the etching effect of plasma treatment. The adsorption efficiency of formaldehyde on the modified ACFs surface was also enhanced. However, under the nitrogen flow rate of 120 sccm or more, the surface of the ACFs was excessively etched, and the specific surface area and the formaldehyde adsorption capacity decreased. Therefore, the content of the nitrogen groups is the main factor in the adsorption of formaldehyde on the nitrogen plasma-treated ACFs, but it can be found that the adsorption efficiency of formaldehyde is improved when the ACFs have a suitable pore structure.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.622-635
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• 2022

Purpose: Due to the change of demography, the ratio of senior drivers has increased and the transition to a super-aged society is expected to make more seniors drive in the future. Method: In this research, we analyzed medical characteristics of the driver's age-specific decline in body function and saw that both the function of the physical as well as mental capacities deteriorates as people age. Among them, various functions are precipitously weakened after reaching 70, implying that those over the age of 70 are classified as seniors in a medical sense. In this context, we also could identify that based on such age criteria, various safety policies for senior drivers should be developed and set up in Korea. Result: We could find a steep fall in the physical function of body after reaching 70 from the chronological change of cognitive function and judgment ability. In particular, it is revealed that the driving license institution and aptitude test for drivers over 70 should be thoroughly examined, as physical functions necessary for driving such as eyesight and hearing ability is not strong enough in many drivers over 70. Conclusion: Focusing on the physical capacity to drive, we tried to find the hazardous age bracket of senior drivers which might influence driving behaviors. Going forward, we expect this work would help to understand the policies for senior drivers and drivers' physical differences.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.177-184
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• 2021

Sex identification in day-old chicks is essential in the poultry industry. Currently, the feather-sexing using a sex-linked inheritance is a chick sexing method used extensively in the poultry industry. For chicks produced by feather-sexing, all females are early-feathering (EF) chicks and all males are late-feathering (LF) chicks. Therefore, investigating the effects of EF and LF phenotypes on production traits of chickens is critical. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the production performance between EF and LF chickens in Korean native commercial chickens. The results showed that the survival rate of the EF chickens was significantly higher than that of the LF chickens, from hatching to 12 weeks of age (P<0.05), with the highest difference observed in females. However, no significant difference was observed in body weight between the EF and LF chickens at almost all ages. In addition, no significant difference was observed between in feed utility, such as average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio, between the EF and LF groups. In conclusion, although the survival rate of early-feathering chickens was superior to that of late-feathering chickens, no significant difference was observed in growth performance and feed utility among Korean native chickens. The results suggest that production capacity is not influenced by feathering type in the establishment of a breeder structure and production system for feather-sexing Korean native chickens, which is valuable for the practical application of feather-sexing in the poultry industry.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.985-996
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• 2022

This study investigated the effects of light intensity on growth performance, blood components, eye condition, and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. Three hundred and fifty-two 1-day-old male chicks were assigned to one of four treatments (four repetitions per treatment, 22 birds per repetition) and reared in a floor pen for 5 weeks. From the second week, chicks were reared under four different levels of light intensity (5, 20, 35, and 50 lx) and the lighting duration was maintained at 18-hours light : 6-hours dark (18L : 6D). The feed intake and body weight were measured weekly. At 35 days of age, 12 birds per treatment were randomly selected for blood sampling, eye measurement, and carcass analysis. There were no significant differences in body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio among treatments. Triglyceride levels in the serum were significantly higher in the 5 lx treatment, and creatinine was significantly lower in the 5 lx treatment (p < 0.05). The heterophil : lymphocyte ratios decreased significantly as light intensity increased (p < 0.05); however, other blood cell compositions were not affected by light intensity. Interleukin-6 content was significantly higher in the 5 lx treatment than in other treatments (p < 0.05), but the content of tumor necrosis factor-α was not significantly different among treatments. Serum corticosterone concentration was significantly higher at 5 lx than at 20, 35, and 50 lx (p < 0.05). The corneal diameter was the highest in 5 lx treatment (p < 0.05), and tended to increase as the light intensity decreased. Other eye parameters were not significantly different among treatments, but displayed a tendency to increase as the light intensity decreased. Carcass yield and part yields were not affected by light intensity. Meat quality parameters (pH, color, cooking loss, and water-holding capacity) did not show significant difference among the treatments. The results indicate that a light intensity of 5 lx may increase physiological stress or have a negative effect on broiler welfare, even if the performance and carcass characteristics are not affected. Therefore, a light intensity of 20 lx or above is recommended considering both the growth performance and welfare of broilers.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.19-36
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• 2022

Objectives This study is to investigate the effects and mechanisms of Imyo-san (IMS) on the obese mice model induced by high-fat diet. Methods Antioxidative capacity was measured by in vitro method. C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into 5 groups (n=7). Normal group was fed general diet (Normal). The other 4 groups were fed high fat diet (HFD) with water (Control), with Garcinia gummi-gutta (GG, Garcinia gummi-gutta 200 mg/kg), with low-dose IMS (IMSL, Imyo-san 0.54 g/kg) and with high-dose IMS (IMSH, Imyo-san 1.08 g/kg). Results IMS showed high radical scavenging activity. After 6 week experiment, body weight, food intake, food efficiency ratio (FER), epididymal fat and liver weight, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1), phospho-acetyl-CoA carboxylase (p-ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), SREBP-2, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), phospho-liver kinase B1 (p-LKB1), phospho-AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor 𝛼 (PPAR𝛼), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor 𝛾 coactivator-1𝛼 (PGC-1𝛼), uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT-1A), and histology of liver and epididymal fat were measured and analysed. Body weight gain, FER, liver and epididymal fat weight of IMS groups were significantly decreased. There were significant improvements in blood lipids with less TG, TC, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol and more HDL-cholesterol. Proteins associated with lipid synthesis (SREBP-1, p-ACC, FAS, SCD-1) and cholesterol (SREBP-2, HMGCR) was improved. Factors regulating lipid synthesis and lipid catabolism (p-LKBI, p-AMPK, PPARα, PGC-1α, UCP-2, CPT-1A) were increased. In histological examinations, IMS group had smaller fat droplets than control group. All results increased depending on concentration. Conclusions It can be suggested that IMS has anti-obesity effects with improving lipid metabolism.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.167-174
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• 2022

The objective of this study is to evaluate the dynamic properties of DUS (damping-up system) composed of the materials with excellent damping capacity, and to compare with those of the conventional hangar bolt. The main parameters are the type and hardness (𝜂_H), of rubber and the prestress force (value converted from the compression strain (𝜂_R) in the stress-strain relationship of rubber). The dynamic properties were examined from the natural frequency (𝜔_n), maximum response acceleration (A_m), amplification coefficient (𝛼_p), maximum relative displacement (𝚫_m), and damping ratio (𝜉_D). The test results showed that the A_m, 𝛼_p, and 𝚫_m values of DUS were 46.3%, 46.6% and 62.9% lower, respectively, and the 𝜉_D value was 3.89 times higher, when compared to those of the conventional hangar bolt. In particular, the 𝛼_p value was 1.3 for DUS, and 2.45 for the conventional hanger bolt, which were similar to those of rigid and flexible components specified in KDS 41 17 00, respectively. Consequently, in the optimal details of DUS, the 𝜂_H values of 50 and 45 were required for the NR (natural rubber) and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and the 𝜂_R value of 5% was also recommended.