• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.271-282
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• 2020

Sewage treatment plants are social infrastructure of cities. The sewage distribution rate in Korea is reaching 94% based on the sewage statistics based in the year of 2017. In Korean sewage treatment plants, use of PAC (Poly Aluminum Chloride) accounts for 58%. It contains a large amount of impurities (heavy metal) according to the quality standards, however, there have been insufficient efforts to reinforce the standards or technically improve the quality, which resulted in secondary pollution problems from injecting excessive coagulant. Also, the increase in the use of chemicals is leading to the increases in the annual amount of sewage sludge generated in 2017 and the need to reuse sludge. As such, this study aims to verify the possibility of reusing sludge by evaluating the stability of heavy metals based on the injection of coagulant mixture during water treatment which uses the torrefield wood powder and natural materials, and evaluating the sedimentation and heating value of sewage sludge. As a result of analyzing heavy metals (Cr, Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, As, Pb, and Ni) from the coagulant mixture and PAC (10%), Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Hg were not detected. As for Zn, while its concentration notified in the quality standards for drinking water is 3 mg/L, only a small amount of 0.007 mg/L was detected in the coagulant mixture. Maximum amounts of over double amounts of Fe, Cu, and As were found with PAC (10%) compared to the coagulant mixture. Also, an analysis of sludge sedimentation found that the coagulant mixture showed a better performance of up to double the speed of the conventional coagulant, PAC (10%). The dry-basis lower heating value of sewage sludge produced by injecting the coagulant mixture was 3,378 kcal/kg, while that of sewage sludge generated due to PAC (10%) was 3,171 kcal/kg; although both coagulants met the requirements to be used as auxiliary fuel at thermal power plants, the coagulant mixture developed in this study could secure heating values 200 kal/kg higher than the counterpart. Therefore, utilization of the coagulant mixture for water treatment rather than PAC (10%) is expected to be more environmentally stable and effective, as it helps generating sludge with better stability against heavy metals, having a faster sludge sedimentation, and higher heating value.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 1996

These experiments were conducted to monitor the change in $NO_3{^-}-N$ in a plastic film house where $NO_3{^-}-N$ have been accumulated in the soil of high level (about 370 mg/kg) The objective of this study was to obtain the information needed to establish the N Fertilizer recommendation based on the available N content in the soil for vegetable cultivation. The cultivated crops were chinese cabbage in the spring, lettuce in the summer, and chinese cabbage in the autumn. The crops were cultivated with and without N application. The concentration of $NO_3{^-}-N$ in the soil was analysed before and after the cultivation of each crop. When $NO_3{^-}-N$ in the soil is as high as 370 mg/kg. even without N application, the yield of the first season crop, cabbage in the spring was 175 ton/ha and that of second season crop, lettuce in the summer was 53 ton/ha. These yields were comparable with those obtained under the application of N fertilizer: meaning that no N application would be needed for those crops when $NO_3{^-}-N$ in the soil is as high as 370 mg/kg. The yield of third crop, cabbage in the autumn was higher under N application than that under no N application by 62%. The fate of $NO_3{^-}-N$ in the soil differed along with the crop sequence. In the first crop, 14.5% was absorbed by crop, 25.4% remained in the soil and 60.1% was unaccounted for. In the second season, 25.3% was absorbed by crop, 51.8% remained in the soil and 22.9% was unaccounted for. In the third crop, 62.8% was absorbed by crop, 19.4% remained in the soil and 16.8% was unaccounted for.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4603-4608
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• 2015

Background: To determine the potential value of serum tumor markers in predicting pCR (pathological complete response) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively monitored the pro-, mid-, and post-neoadjuvant treatment serum tumor marker concentrations in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (stage II-III) who accepted pre-surgical chemotherapy or chemotherapy in combination with targeted therapy at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between September 2011 and January 2014 and investigated the association of serum tumor marker levels with therapeutic effect. Core needle biopsy samples were assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) prior to neoadjuvant treatment to determine hormone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2), and proliferation index Ki67 values. In our study, therapeutic response was evaluated by pCR, defined as the disappearance of all invasive cancer cells from excised tissue (including primary lesion and axillary lymph nodes) after completion of chemotherapy. Analysis of variance of repeated measures and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed for statistical analysis of the data. Results: A total of 348 patients were recruited in our study after excluding patients with incomplete clinical information. Of these, 106 patients were observed to have acquired pCR status after treatment completion, accounting for approximately 30.5% of study individuals. In addition, 147patients were determined to be Her-2 positive, among whom the pCR rate was 45.6% (69 patients). General linear model analysis (repeated measures analysis of variance) showed that the concentration of cancer antigen (CA) 15-3 increased after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in both pCR and non-pCR groups, and that there were significant differences between the two groups (P=0.008). The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of pre-, mid-, and post-treatment CA15-3 concentrations demonstrated low-level predictive value (AUC=0.594, 0.644, 0.621, respectively). No significant differences in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or CA12-5 serum levels were observed between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.196 and 0.693, respectively). No efficient AUC of CEA or CA12-5 concentrations were observed to predict patient response toward neoadjuvant treatment (both less than 0.7), nor were differences between the two groups observed at different time points. We then analyzed the Her-2 positive subset of our cohort. Significant differences in CEA concentrations were identified between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.039), but not in CA15-3 or CA12-5 levels (p=0.092 and 0.89, respectively). None of the ROC curves showed underlying prognostic value, as the AUCs of these three markers were less than 0.7. The ROC-AUCs for the CA12-5 concentrations of inter-and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the estrogen receptor negative HER2 positive subgroup were 0.735 and 0.767, respectively. However, the specificity and sensitivity values were at odds with each other which meant that improving either the sensitivity or specificity would impair the efficiency of the other. Conclusions: Serum tumor markers CA15-3, CA12-5, and CEA might have little clinical significance in predicting neoadjuvant treatment response in locally advanced breast cancer.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2010

The effects of an Acanthopanacis cortex water extract on lipid levels, lipid peroxide, total antioxidant status and antioxidant enzyme activities were evaluated in rats fed one of the following diets for six weeks: normal diet and deionized water (ND), normal diet and Acanthopanacis cortex water extract (NDC), high fat diet and deionized water (HFD), high fat diet and Acanthopanacis cortex water extract (HFDC). The food intakes were significantly lower, but the food efficiency ratios were significantly higher in the high fat diet groups. The level of HDL-cholesterol in the plasma was significantly increased and the levels of LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride in the plasma were significantly decreased by the Acanthopanacis cortex water extract in the high fat diet groups. As a a result, the AI (atherogenic index) and CRF (cardiac risk factor) were significantly lower in the high fat diet groups that were treated with Acanthopanacis cortex water extract. The triglyceride and the total cholesterol of the liver were also significantly upregulated in the high fat diet groups, while the total cholesterol of the liver decreased in response to treatment with Acanthopanacis cortex water extract (HFDC). The plasma and liver concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were significantly reduced by the addition of Acanthopanacis cortex water extract to the normal diet groups. The total antioxidant status (TAS) in the plasma was significantly upregulated by adding Acanthopanacis cortex water extract to the high fat diet groups. The activities of SOD, catalase and GST were also significantly higher in the Acanthopanacis cortex water extract groups when compared to the ionized water groups. The activity of GSH-Px and the concentration of GSH in the liver were significantly higher following the addition of Acanthopanacis cortex water extract to the high fat diet groups. Taken together, these results suggest that a supplementation of the diet of rats fed a high fat diet with Acanthopanacis cortex water extract improves lipid metabolism, reduces lipid peroxide and improves the activities of antioxidant enzymes, which may have favorable effects on antioxidant systems by improving the total antioxidant status (TAS).

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of high energy diet on growth 26mon, 28mon, and 30mon in Hanwoo at different ages. High energy diet required not only an amount of concentrate on days of fattening periods but also induced cost for the management. We hypothesized that high energy diet was able to reduce a fattening period to reach a certain quality grade. A $2{\times}3$ factorial arrangement (High energy, control vs 26, 28, 30month endpoints) in a completely random design was used to feed 48 Hanwoo steers. Four steers were fed in same pen and 12 pens were used for treatment. Blood was drawn from each steers on every other months during early, middle, and final fattening periods. Over all ADG and feed efficiency were not different between high energy and control diet (P > 0.05). Dry matter intake was induced 30 mo-old early and final fattening periods at high energy diet. Serum glucose concentration were increased (P < 0.05) at 30 and 26month old steers. Marbling scores were greater at 30 month old than 26 and 28 month old Hanwoo steers. Carcass weight of Hanwoo steers were greater at 30 mon-old groups than other groups. These result indicated that high energy diet (+3% TDN) and slaughter endpoint collectively contribute to the observed quality grade compositional differences among three final fattening periods of Hanwoo steers.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2006

The first Japanese pilot-scale $CO_2$ sequestration project has been undertaken in an onshore saline aquifer, near Nagaoka in Niigata prefecture, and time-lapse well logs were carried out in observation wells to detect the arrival of injected $CO_2$ and to evaluate $CO_2$ saturation in the reservoir. $CO_2$ was injected into a thin permeable zone at the depth of 1110m at a rate of 20-40 tonnes per day. The total amount of injected $CO_2$ was 10400 tonnes, during the injection period from July 2003 to January 2005. The pilot-scale demonstration allowed an improved understanding of the $CO_2$ movement in a porous sandstone reservoir, by conducting time-lapse geophysical well logs at three observation wells. Comparison between neutron well logging before and after the insertion of fibreglass casing in observation well OB-2 showed good agreement within the target formation, and the higher concentration of shale volume in the reservoir results in a bigger difference between the two well logging results. $CO_2$ breakthrough was identified by induction, sonic, and neutron logs. By sonic logging, we confirmed P-wave velocity reduction that agreed fairly well with a laboratory measurement on drilled core samples from the Nagaoka site. We successfully matched the history changes of sonic P-wave velocity and estimated $CO_2$ saturation a(ter breakthrough in two observation wells out of three. The sonic-velocity history matching result suggested that the sweep efficiency was about 40%. Small effects of $CO_2$ saturation on resistivity resulted in small changes in induction logs when the reservoir was partially saturated. We also found that $CO_2$ saturation in the $CO_2$-bearing zone responded to suspension of $CO_2$ injection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.625-630
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• 2005

Background : Determining the cause of an exudative pleural effusion is sometimes quite difficult, especially between malignant and tuberculous effusions. Twenty percent of effusions remain undiagnosed even after a complete diagnostic evaluation, including pleural biopsy. The activity of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), which is the one of proinflammatory cytokines, is increased in both infectious and malignant effusions. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic efficiency of TNF-${\alpha}$ activity in distinguishing tuberculous from malignant effusions. Methods : 46 patients (13 with malignant pleural effusion, 33 with tuberculous pleural effusion) with exudative pleurisy were included. TNF-${\alpha}$ concentrations were measured in the pleural fluid and serum samples using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio (pleural fluid TNF-${\alpha}$ : serum TNF-${\alpha}$) was calculated. Results : TNF-${\alpha}$ concentration and TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio in the pleural fluid were significantly higher in the tuberculous effusions than in the malignant effusions (p<0.05). However, the serum levels of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the malignant and tuberculous pleural effusions were similar (p>0.05). The cut off points for the pleural fluid TNF-${\alpha}$ level and TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio were found to be 136.4 pg/mL and 6.4, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve were 81%, 80% and 0.82 for the pleural fluid TNF-${\alpha}$ level (p<0.005) and 76%, 70% and 0.72 for the TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio (p<0.05). Conclusion : We conclude that pleural fluid TNF-${\alpha}$ level and TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio can distinguish a malignant pleural effusion from a tuberculous effusion, and can be additional markers in a differential diagnosis of tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion. The level of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the pleural fluid could be a more efficient marker than the TNF-${\alpha}$ ratio.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.419-425
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• 2017

In this study, the performance characteristics of the K-based sorbents (KEP-CO2P2, KEPCO RI, Korea) has been studied in relation with the heat exchanger structure and shape in a mixing zone of the carbonator in the bench-scale dry $CO_2$ capture process. Two types of heat exchangers (different structure and shape) were used in the carbonator as CASE 1 and CASE 2, in which the experiment has been continuously performed under the same operating conditions. During the continuous operation, working temperature of carbonator was 75 to $80^{\circ}C$, that of regenerator was 190 to $200^{\circ}C$, and $CO_2$ inlet concentration of the feed gas was 12 to 14 vol%. Especially, to compare the dynamic sorption capacity of sorbents, the differential pressure of the mixing zone in the carbonator was maintained around 400 to 500 mm $H_2O$. Also, solid samples from the carbonator and the regenerator were collected and weight variation of those samples was evaluated by TGA. The $CO_2$ removal efficiency and the dynamic sorption capacity were 64.3% and 2.40 wt%, respectively for CASE 1 while they were 81.0% and 4.66 wt%, respectively for CASE 2. Also, the dynamic sorption capacity of the sorbent in CASE 1 and CASE 2 was 2.51 wt% and 4.89 wt%, respectively, based on the weight loss of the TGA measurement results. Therefore, It was concluded that there could be a difference in the performance characteristics of the same sorbents according to the structure and type of heat exchanger inserted in the carbonator under the same operating conditions.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.268-275
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• 2017

The photosynthetic rates of crops depend on growth environment factors, such as light intensity and temperature, and their photosynthetic efficiencies vary with growth stage. The objective of this study was to compare two different models expressing canopy photosynthetic rates of romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., cv. Asia Heuk romaine) using three variables of light intensity, temperature, and growth stage. The canopy photosynthetic rates of the plants were measured 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after transplanting at closed acrylic chambers ($1.0{\times}0.8{\times}0.5m$) using light-emitting diodes, in which indoor temperature and light intensity were designed to change from 19 to $28^{\circ}C$ and 50 to $500{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$, respectively. At an initial $CO_2$ concentration of $2,000{\mu}mol{\cdot}mol^{-1}$, the canopy photosynthetic rate began to be calculated with $CO_2$ decrement over time. A simple multiplication model expressed by simply multiplying three single-variable models and a modified rectangular hyperbola model were compared. The modified rectangular hyperbola model additionally included photochemical efficiency, carboxylation conductance, and dark respiration which vary with temperature and growth stage. In validation, $R^2$ value was 0.849 in the simple multiplication model, while it increased to 0.861 in the modified rectangular hyperbola model. It was found that the modified rectangular hyperbola model was more suitable than the simple multiplication model in expressing the canopy photosynthetic rates affected by environmental factors (light Intensity and temperature) and growth factor (growth stage) in plant factory modules.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.9-24
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• 1997

Surfactant-aided in situ soil flushing has been proposed as an alternative for the expensive and time consuming 'pump and treat' technology in remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater Injected surfactants can effectively solubilize contaminants sorbed to the soil matrix or nonaqueous phase liquids(NAPLs) in residual saturation. The contaminants solubilized in groundwater are recovered and treated further. The theoretical background of the technology and the results of the field operations, mostly in the US. were summarized. In addition, the factors crucial to the successful application of the technology were discussed. Cost analyses and technical limitations in current applications were also discussed. In conclusion, it is likely that in situ surfactant flushing become a viable option for soil remediation in limited cases. Currently, further advances with respect to operation cost and to treatment efficiency are required for more extensive application of the technology. However, the current trends in soil remediation, specially the growing emphasis on risk based corrective action and natural attenuation, will increase the competitiveness of the technology. For example, removal of easily washable contaminants by short term soil flushing followed by long term monitoring and natural attenuation can greatly reduce the operation cost and time.