• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.343-350
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• 2012

A planar solid oxide fuel cell (PSOFC) is studied in its application in a high-temperature stationary power plant. Even though PSOFCs with external reformers are designed for application from the distributed power source to the central power plant, such PSOFCs may sacrifice more system efficiency than internally reformed SOFCs. In this study, modeling of the PSOFC with an external reformer was developed to analyze the feasibility of thermal energy utilization for the external reformer. The PSOFC system model includes the stack, reformer, burner, heat exchanger, blower, pump, PID controller, 3-way valve, reactor, mixer, and steam separator. The model was developed under the Matlab/Simulink environment with Thermolib$^{(R)}$ modules. The model was used to study the system performance according to its configuration. Three configurations of the SOFC system were selected for the comparison of the system performance. The system configuration considered the cathode recirculation, thermal sources for the external reformer, heat-up of operating gases, and condensate anode off-gas for the enhancement of the fuel concentration. The simulation results show that the magnitude of the electric efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 2 is 12.13% higher than that for Case 1 (reference case), and the thermal efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 3 is 76.12%, which is the highest of all the cases investigated.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.10
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• pp.125-135
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• 1992

Nine strains of xyl mutants that could not utilize xylose as a carbon source were isolated from E. coli JM109 by the treatment of NTG in order to investigate the regulation of xylose operon and to use recipient cells for the cloning of xylR gene. For the characterization of all isolated mutants, colony colors of all mutants on MacConkey-xylose and MacConkey-xylulose agar plate were observed for the utilization of xylose and xylulose, and the growth level and the activity of xylose isomerase and xylulokinase were determined in need. The isolated xylR/T mutants formed the white colony on MacConkey-xy-lose and MacConkey-xylulose agar plate. They did not detect the activity of xylose isomerase, and the activity of xylose isomerase was not restored in transformants of xylR/T mutant with pEX13 which contained xylA gene. xylR and xylT mutants were classified from xylR/T mutants depending upon the growth level in minimal medium. xylT mutants; DH13, DH121 and DH125 could grow a little in that medium, but xylR mutants; DH10, DH53, and DH60 could not grow that medium.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2017

Biocatalytic modification of natural resources can be used to generate novel compounds with specific properties, such as higher viscosity and reactivity. The production of hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs), originally found in low quantities in plants, is a good example of the biocatalytic modification of natural vegetable oils. HFAs show high potential for application in a wide range of industrial products, including resins, waxes, nylons, plastics, lubricants, cosmetics, and additives in coatings and paintings. In a recent study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PR3 was used to produce 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid (DOD) from oleic acid. This present study focused primarily on the utilization of three natural nut oils obtained from the Philippines -pili nut oil (PNO), palm oil (PO), and virgin coconut oil (VCO)- to produce DOD by P. aeruginosa strain PR3. Strain PR3 produced DOD from PNO and PO only, with PNO being the more efficient substrate. An optimization study to achieve the maximum DOD yield from PNO revealed the optimal incubation time and medium pH to be 48 h and 8.0, respectively. Among the carbon sources tested, fructose was the most efficiently used, with a maximum DOD production of 130 mg/50 mL culture. Urea was the optimal nitrogen source, with a maximum product yield of 165 mg/50 mL culture. The results from this study demonstrated that PNO could be used as an efficient substrate for DOD production by microbial bioconversion.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.77-88
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• 1999

This experiment was carried out to compare the cultural characteristics of mycorrizal fungi associated with Pinus species, and to form mycorrhizal association with Pinus thunbergii by artificial inoculation of these fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi tested showed great variations in cultural characteristics. Most fungal isolates was best grown on MP medium, except PDA for Lepista sp.(Ln73/92). Hagem for Rhizopogon rubescens(FRI91017), and FDA for Paxillus sp.(Pa60/92). Optimum temperature for these fungi was $25^{\circ}C$, except $30^{\circ}C$ for Pisolithus tinctorius(FRI91004 and Pt1). The range of pH conditions favorable for these fungal isolates were also variable from weak acidic(pH5) to weak alkalic(pH8). Utilization of the carbon sources for these mycorrhizal fungi was different. Fructose, glucose, and maltose were all utilized well, while xylose was not utilized generally. Mycelial growth on the media supplemented with potassium nitrate was better than those on other media with urea, asparagine, or peptone as a nitrogen source, and the poor growth was observed on the media with urea. Pisolithus tinctorius(Pt1) among 7 mycorrhizal fungi artificially inoculated for the mycorrhizal synthesis on pinus thunbergii seedlings in the test tube containing a mixture of peat moss-vermiculite(2:1, v/v) formed mycorrhizae successfully after 3 months. P. tinctorius formed branched and unbranched roots covered with thick fungal mantle and radiating extemal hyphae. Mycorrhizal root cross-sectioned by hand, stained, and observed by Nomarski interference microscope showed typical characteristics of ectomycorrhizae: fungal mantle on epidermal cells and thick Hartig net hyphae around cortex cells.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.407-412
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• 2014

A number of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera strains that can hydrolyse and utilize starch as a carbon source were isolated from nuruk, a traditional Korean starter for rice wine fermentation, and their specific growth rates on starch-containing medium were compared to choose the prominent strain. S. fibuligera strain MBY1320 showed a higher growth rate at $42^{\circ}C$ than that of strain S. fibuligera KCTC7806, indicating that S. fibuligera MBY1320 has more thermo-tolerant machinery for starch hydrolysis and utilization than KCTC7806. Although the activity of ${\alpha}$-amylase at $30^{\circ}C$ was significantly lower for S. fibuligera MBY1320 than KCTC7806 (3,812.5 U vs. 14,878.5 U), S. fibuligera MBY1320 showed a much higher glucoamylase activity at $42^{\circ}C$ than S. fibuligera KCTC7806 (5,048.9 U vs. 13,152.3 U). Thus, a new S. fibuligera strain, with a higher starch-hydrolysing activity at elevated temperatures than that of other types of strain, this study reports.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.166-174
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• 2016

In order to find an efficient bacterial strain that can carry out nitrification and denitrification simultaneously, we isolated many heterotrophic nitrifying bacteria from wastewater treatment plant. One of isolates NS13 showed high removal rate of ammonium and was identified as Alcaligenes faecalis by analysis of its 16S rDNA sequence, carbon source utilization and fatty acids composition. This bacterium could remove over 99% of ammonium in a heterotrophic medium containing 140 mg/L of ammonium at pH 6-9, $25-37^{\circ}C$ and 0-4% of salt concentrations within 2 days. It showed even higher ammonium removal at higher initial ammonium concentration in the medium. A. faecalis NS13 could also reduce nitrate and nitrous oxide by nitrate reductase and nitrous oxide reductase, respectively, which was confirmed by detection of nitrate reductase gene, napA, and nitrous oxide reducase gene, nosZ, by PCR. One of metabolic intermediate of denitrification, $N_2O$ was detected from headspace of bacterial culture. Based on analysis of all nitrogen compounds in the bacterial culture, 42.8% of initial nitrogen seemed to be lost as nitrogen gas, and 46.4% of nitrogen was assimilated into bacterial biomass which can be removed as sludge in treatment processes. This bacterium was speculated to perform heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification simultaneously, and may be utilized for N removal in wastewater treatment processes.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.815-822
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• 2023

Organic pollution is one of the most common forms of water contamination. Under the Water Quality Conservation Act, indicators for measuring organic substances include BOD, COD, and TOC. Analysis of BOD and COD is labor-intensive, and in the case of organic substances where biological decomposition is not feasible or toxic substances are present, the accuracy is often low. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment is shifting towards TOC-centric management. With advancements in sensor technology today, various parameters can be monitored using sensors. In this study, digital monitoring of river TOC using a spectrophotometer called Spectro::lyser V3 was conducted. Initially, experiments were carried out at the Andong River Experiment Center to assess the applicability of the measurement equipment. Subsequently, data collected at the confluence of the Nakdong River was analyzed for the spatial distribution of TOC using the Kriging technique. This research proposes the utilization of sensors for river TOC monitoring and spatial distribution analysis. Real-time monitoring of changes in river TOC concentration can serve as fundamental data for pollution monitoring and response. Sensor-based river monitoring offers advantages in terms of temporal resolution and real-time data acquisition. When various spatial information interpretation methods are applied, it is expected to contribute to diverse studies such as aquatic ecological health, river water source selection, and stratification analysis in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.1094-1099
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• 2012

This study investigated the effect of a long-term high-fat diet on energy metabolic substrate utilization in resting rats in order to revalue source fat energy efficiency during a high-fat diet and its effect on energy expenditure and body fat accumulation. Sprague-Dawley male rats at 4 weeks of age were bought from Orient Bio Con. The rats were divided into a control (CON) group and a high-fat diet (HF) group. Rats ate a high-fat diet (w/w 40%, kcal/kcal 64.9%) ad libitum for 5 weeks. Food intake and body weight were measured every day at 09:00 throughout the experimental period. Energy expenditure was measured using an animal energy metabolism chamber after 4 weeks. The final body weight did not change between the CON and HF groups, but caloric intake was significantly higher in the HF group than in the CON group (p<0.05). There was no difference between the groups in oxygen uptake, however carbon dioxide production was significantly higher in the HF group. Also, the respiratory exchange ratio was higher in the HF group. Carbohydrate oxidation was lower in the HF group than in the CON group, but fat oxidation in the HF group was greater. These results mean that energy substrate oxidation at rest is affected by diet composition, especially dietary fat content. Abdominal fat fad weights were significantly higher by 33% in the HF group than in the CON group even though the calorie intake in the HF group was higher by 6%. These results suggested that the dietary fat calorie value might have a higher Atwater value of 9 kcal/g, which mean that dietary fat calorie values could be reconsidered in body weight control scenarios such as which the obese or weight class athletes.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 2005

This study was accomplished using attached $A^2/O$ process that contains nonsurface-modified and surface-modified polyethylene media inside the Anaerobic/Anoxic, Oxic tank, respectively. We could make the hydrophobic polyethylene media have hydrophilic characteristics by radiating ion beam on the surface of the media. The objectives of this study is to investigate the removal efficiencies of the organics and nitrogen when the step feed ratio of raw wastewater into anaerobic and anoxic tank is changed. In this case, we assumed that the denitrification rate can be improved because the nitrifiers in anoxic tank can perform denitrification using RBDCOD instead of artificial carbon sources (for example, methanol, etc.). The wastewater injection rate into anaerobic/anoxic tank was set up by the ratio of 10 : 0, 9 : 1, 8 : 2, 6 : 4, and the results of BOD removal efficiency showed similar trends with $93.3\%,\;92.6\%,\;92.4\%\;and\;91.6\%$, respectively. But the BOD removal efficiency (utilization of the organics) in the anoxic tank was in the order of 9 : 1 $(84.8\%)$, 10 : 0 $(77.0\%)$, 8 : 2 $(75.3\%)$, and 6 : 4 $(61.1\%)$. The T-N removal efficiency was most high when the ratio is 9 : 1 $(67.4\%)$, and other conditions, 10 : 0, 8 : 2, 6 : 4, showed $61.3(\%),\;60.7\%,\;55.5\%$, respectively; the ratio 6 : 4 was found to be lowest T-N removal efficiency, lower than the ratio 9 : 1 by $12\%$. Though the nitrification rate of the ratio 10 : 0, 9 : 1, and 8 : 2 showed similar levels, the ratio 6 : 4 showed considerable inhibition of nitrification, ammonia was the great portion of the effluent T-N. The advantages of this process is that this process is cost-saving, and non-toxic methods than injecting the artificial carbon source.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2024

Fishing net waste (FNW) constitutes over half of all marine plastic waste and is a major contributor to the degradation of marine ecosystems. While current treatment options for FNW include incineration, landfilling, and mechanical recycling, these methods often result in low-value products and pollutant emissions. Importantly, FNWs, comprised of plastic polymers, can be converted into valuable resources like syngas and pyrolysis oil through pyrolysis. Thus, this study presents a process for generating high-purity hydrogen (H₂) by catalytically pyrolyzing FNW in a CO₂ environment. The proposed process comprises of three stages: First, the pretreated FNW undergoes Ni/SiO₂ catalytic pyrolysis under CO₂ conditions to produce syngas and pyrolysis oil. Second, the produced pyrolysis oil is incinerated and repurposed as an energy source for the pyrolysis reaction. Lastly, the syngas is transformed into high-purity H₂ via the Water-Gas-Shift (WGS) reaction and Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA). This study compares the results of the proposed process with those of traditional pyrolysis conducted under N₂ conditions. Simulation results show that pyrolyzing 500 kg/h of FNW produced 2.933 kmol/h of high-purity H₂ under N₂ conditions and 3.605 kmol/h of high-purity H₂ under CO₂ conditions. Furthermore, pyrolysis under CO₂ conditions improved CO production, increasing H₂ output. Additionally, the CO₂ emissions were reduced by 89.8% compared to N₂ conditions due to the capture and utilization of CO₂ released during the process. Therefore, the proposed process under CO₂ conditions can efficiently recycle FNW and generate eco-friendly hydrogen product.