• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1073-1081
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• 2018

In this study, an operational data set was analysed by establishing a path model to figure out the actual cause-effect relationship of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP); in particular, for the effluent concentrations of T-N and T-P. To develop the path models, data sets of operational records including effluent concentrations and operational factors were obtained from a field scale WWTP of $680,000m^3$ of treatment capacity. The models showed that the relationship networks with the correlation coefficients between variables for objective expressions indicated the strength of each relationship. The suggested path models were verified according to whether the analyzation results matched known theories well, but sophisticated minute theoric relationships could not be cropped out distinctly. This indicates that only a few paths with strong theoric casual relationships were represented as measured data due to the high non-linearity of the mechanism of the removal process in a biological wastewater treatment.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.601-613
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• 2023

Low liquid limit silt, widely distributed in the middle and down reaches of Yellow River, has the disadvantages of poor grading, less clay content and poor colloidal activity. It is very easy to cause vehicle jumping at the bridge-embankment transition section when the low liquid limit silt used as the backfill at the abutment back. In this paper, a series of laboratory tests were carried out to study the physical and mechanical properties of the low liquid limit silt used as back filling. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) was excited by active MgO and hydrated lime to solidify silt as abutment backfill. The optimum ratio of firming agent and the compaction and mechanical properties of reinforced soil were revealed through compaction test and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) test was used to study the pore characteristics and hydration products of reinforced soil. 6% hydrated lime and alkali activated slag were used to solidify silt and fill the model of subgrade respectively. The pavement settlement regulation and soil internal stress-strain regulation of subgrade with different materials under uniformly distributed load were studied by model experiment. The effect of alkali activated slag curing agent on curing silt was verified. The research results can provide technical support for highway construction in silt area of the Yellow River alluvial plain.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.576-581
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• 2014

Sodium chloride is an important ingredient added to most of foods which contributes to flavor enhancement and food preservation but excess intake of sodium chloride may also cause various diseases such as heart diseases, osteoporosis and so on. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a salty flavor enhancer on the quality and sensorial properties of the NaCl/MSG complex and actual food system. For characterizing the spray-dried NaCl/MSG complex, surface dimension, morphology, rheology, and saltiness intensity were estimated by increasing MSG (0-2.0%) levels at a fixed NaCl concentration (2.0%). MSG levels had no effect of the characteristics of the NaCl/MSG complex, although the addition of MSG increased the surface dimension of the NaCl/MSG complex significantly (p<0.05). Furthermore, the effect of MSG on enhancing the salty flavor was not observed in the solution of the NaCl/MSG complex. In the case of an actual food system, model meat products (pork patties) were prepared by replacing NaCl with MSG. MSG enhanced the salty flavor, thereby increasing overall acceptability of pork patties. Replacement of NaCl with MSG (<1.0%) did not result in negative sensorial properties of pork patties, although quality deterioration such as high cooking loss was found. Nevertheless, MSG had a potential application in meat product formulation as a salty flavor enhancer or a partial NaCl replacer when meat products were supplemented with binding agents.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.267-271
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzyme can cause inflammation. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is also involved in the inflammatory response through regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B $NF-{\kappa}B$(). Areca catechu is one of the known fruit plants of the Palmaceae family. It has been used for a long time as a source of herbal medicine in Indonesia. In this study, we explored the effect of Indonesian Areca catechu leaf ethanol extract (ACE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and carrageenan-induced paw edema models. Recently, this natural extract has been in the spotlight because of its efficacy and limited or no toxic side effects. However, the mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory effect remains to be elucidated. MATERIALS/METHODS: We measured NO production by using the Griess reagent, and determined the expression levels of inflammation-related proteins, such as iNOS, COX2, and $NF-{\kappa}B$, by western blot. To confirm the effect of ACE in vivo, we used the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. RESULTS: Compared to untreated cells, LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells treated with ACE showed reduced NO generation and reduced iNOS and COX-2 expression. We found that the acute inflammatory response was significantly reduced by ACE in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that ACE can inhibit inflammation and modulate NO generation via downregulation of iNOS levels and $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling in vitro and in vivo. ACE may have a potential medical benefit as an anti-inflammation agent.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.389-397
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• 2021

Pile foundation is a typical form of bridge foundation and viaduct, and large-diameter rock-socketed piles are typically adopted in bridges with long span or high piers. To investigate the effect of a mountain slope with a deep overburden layer on the bearing characteristics of large-diameter rock-socketed piles, four centrifuge model tests of single piles on different slopes (0°, 15°, 30° and 45°) were carried out to investigate the effect of slope on the bearing characteristics of piles. In addition, three pile group tests with different slope (0°, 30° and 45°) were also performed to explore the effect of slope on the bearing characteristics of the pile group. The results of the single pile tests indicate that the slope with a deep overburden layer not only accelerates the drag force of the pile with the increasing slope, but also causes the bending moment to move down owing to the increase in the unsymmetrical pressure around the pile. As the slope increases from 0° to 45°, the drag force of the pile is significantly enlarged and the axial force of the pile reduces to beyond 12%. The position of the maximum bending moment of the pile shifts downward, while the magnitude becomes larger. Meanwhile, the slope results in the reduction in the shaft resistance of the pile, and the maximum value at the front side of the pile is 3.98% less than at its rear side at a 45° slope. The load-sharing ratio of the tip resistance of the pile is increased from 5.49% to 12.02%. The results of the pile group tests show that the increase in the slope enhances the uneven distribution of the pile top reaction and yields a larger bending moment and different settlements on the pile cap, which might cause safety issues to bridge structures.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.145-159
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• 2004

A mathematical model and its computer solution program were proposed to analyze the motion of contact lenses which are being subject to lid-blinking. The equation was derived by incorporating an acceleration induced lid's force exerting on the contact lens, the viscous damping resistance in the tear layer beneath the lens and the sliding frictional force between the lid and the contact lens surface into the formulation of differential equation describing the vibration. The model predicts the time-dependent displacement from the equilibrium postion during/after the blinking. During the blinking, as the time for the completion of one cycle of blinking decreases the off-the-equilibrium displacement of contact lens increases while the decrease of diameter in the contact cause the opposite effect. It is found that lid pressure exerting on the lens cause an insignificant lens displacement from the equilibrium position. After blinking the frequency of damped oscillation of contact lens decreases as the diameter of lens increases, due to the incresed surface while the reduced blinking time does not cause a significant frequency change. This is because that driving force for the contact lens movement posterior to blinking is the capillary-induced force not the lid force.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.242-248
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• 2011

Objectives: Busan is reported to have the highest mortality rate among 16 provinces in Korea, as well as considerable health inequality across its districts. This study sought to examine overall and cause-specific mortality and deprivation at the town level in Busan, thereby identifying towns and causes of deaths to be targeted for improving overall health and alleviating health inequality. Methods: Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for all-cause and four specific leading causes of death were calculated at the town level in Busan for the years 2005 through 2008. To construct a deprivation index, principal components and factor analysis were adopted, using 10% sample data from the 2005 census. Geographic information system (GIS) mapping techniques were applied to compare spatial distributions between the deprivation index and SMRs. We fitted the Gaussian conditional autoregressive model (CAR) to estimate the relative risks of mortality by deprivation level, controlling for both the heterogeneity effect and spatial autocorrelation. Results: The SMRs of towns in Busan averaged 100.3, ranging from 70.7 to 139.8. In old inner cities and towns reclaimed for replaced households, the deprivation index and SMRs were relatively high. CAR modeling showed that gaps in SMRs for heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and physical injury were particularly high. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that more deprived towns are likely to have higher mortality, in particular from cardiovascular disease and physical injury. To improve overall health status and address health inequality, such deprived towns should be targeted.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.539-549
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• 2022

Accidental anchor drop can cause disturbances to seabed materials and pose significant threats to the safety and serviceability of submarine structures such as pipelines. In this study, a series of anchor drop tests was carried out to investigate the penetration mechanism of a Hall anchor in sand and clay. A special anchor drop apparatus was designed to model the inflight drop of a Hall anchor. Results indicate that Coriolis acceleration was the primary cause of large horizontal offsets in sand, and earth gravity had negligible impact on the lateral movement of dropped anchors. The indued final horizontal offset was shown to increase with the elevated drop height of an anchor, and the existence of water can slow down the landing velocity of an anchor. It is also observed that water conditions had a significant effect on the influence zone caused by anchors. The vertical influence depth was over 5 m, and the influence radius was more than 3 m if the anchor had a drop height of 25 m in dry sand. In comparison, the vertical influence depth and radius reduced to less than 3 m and 2 m, respectively, when the anchor was released from 10 m height and fell into the seabed with a water depth of 15 m. It is also found that the dynamically penetrating anchors could significantly influence the earth pressure in clay. There is a non-linear increase in the measured penetration depth with kinematic energy, and the resulted maximum earth pressure increased dramatically with an increase in kinematic energy. Results from centrifuge model tests in this study provide useful insights into the penetration mechanism of a dropped anchor, which provides valuable data for design and planning of future submarine structures.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1-18
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• 2020

Purpose - This study investigates whether a listing effect exists in cross-border M&As and whether the effect can be attributed to the uncertainty of the GDP growth rate in the target firm's home country. We apply a joint variable analysis using M&A announcement data from the Korea Exchange (KRX), Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), and the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) from 2004 to 2013. We also conduct an event study using the measure of the uncertainty of the GDP growth rate (based on IMF statistics) in 55 target countries. Design/methodology - We measure the abnormal return (AR) using the market-adjusted model. We test the significance of the AR and the cumulative abnormal return (CAR) using a one-sample t-test. We examine the characteristics of the CARs depending on whether the target company is listed by applying a difference analysis using CAR as a test variable. In addition, we set CAR (-5, +5) as a dependent variable to identify the cause of the listing effect, and test both the financial characteristic variables of the acquirer and the collective characteristic variables of the merger as independent variables in the multiple regression analysis. Findings - First, we find the listing effect of cross-border M&As in the KRX, SSE, and TWSE, which represent the capital markets in Korea, China, and Taiwan, respectively. This listing effect persists during the global financial crisis and has a negative effect on the wealth of acquiring shareholders, especially when the target countries are emerging markets. Second, greater uncertainty regarding the target countries' economic growth in cross-border M&As has a negative effect on the wealth of acquiring firms' shareholders. Third, our empirical analysis demonstrates that the listing effect is attributable to the fact that firms listed in a target country with greater uncertainty of economic growth are more directly and greatly exposed to uncertain capital markets through stock markets, than are unlisted firms. Originality/value - This study is significant in that it presents a new strategic perspective in the study of cross-border M&As by demonstrating empirically that the listing effect is attributable to the uncertainty regarding the economic development of the target firms' home countries.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.257-262
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• 2014

Meta-analysis is a statistical integration method that delivers an opportunity to overview the entire result by integrating and analyzing many quantitative research results. This study will find meaningful mediator variables for criterion variables that affect purchase and repurchase intentions in e-commerce, on the basis of the results of a meta-analysis. We reviewed a total of 114 e-commerce studies published in Korean journals between 2000 and 2014, where a cause and effect relationship is established between variables that are specified in the conceptual model of this study. In this meta-analysis, the path between trust and purchase intention showed the biggest effect size. The second biggest effect size was found in the path between commitment and purchase intention, while the smallest one was obtained with perceived. Thus, we present the theoretical and practical implications of these results and discuss the differences among these results through a comparative analysis with previous studies.