• Title/Summary/Keyword: Cost-Effective

Search Result 6,018, Processing Time 0.042 seconds

Eco-friendly Control of Whiteflies by Two-Fluid Fogging System with Natural Substances in Greenhouses (이류체 포그시스템 및 천연물을 이용한 친환경적 가루이 방제)

  • Kim, Sung-Eun;Lee, Sang-Don;Lee, Moon-Haeng;Kim, Young-Shik
    • Journal of Bio-Environment Control
    • /
    • v.21 no.2
    • /
    • pp.114-119
    • /
    • 2012
  • We have conducted 4 experiments to develop the most environmental and effective use of the two-fluid fog system to prevent and exterminate whiteflies in tomato cultivation. In particular, these experiments used Vitamini tomatoes grown in stand-alone greenhouses at Buyeo Tomato Experiment Station as subjects. Each experiment utilized the fog system in a different way. The first experiment provided the control group, which was subject to the two-fluid fog system without additional humidity control. In the second experiment, the two-fluid fog system controlled the humidity level to be above 70%. The third and the fourth experiment utilized natural substances, which were 1.5 mg/L of Neem Oil and 2 mg/L of Oleic acid respectively, without additional humidity control. From the first experiment, we could observe that a simple use of the two-fluid fog system decreased the density of whiteflies in the greenhouses. This impact of the fog system on whiteflies was greater in the second experiment. By comparing the first and the second experiment, we concluded that whiteflies are more effectively prevented by maintaining a higher humidity level via the fog system's smaller water droplets that float in the air for longer time than the standard fog system in rather dry condition. In the third and the fourth experiments, the extermination level was 78% and 76.4% respectively, comparing only 53% in the first experiment without the humidity control. Therefore, using the natural substances in addition to the humidity control increases the extermination effectiveness. Considering the similar results from the 3rd and the 4th experiments, Oleic acid has a greater appeal for its lower price. Using the two-fluid fog system to both control the humidity on a daily basis and spray the substances for occasional extermination would reduce labor cost and increase production in an environmental way.

Treatment and Attachment Characteristics of Biofilm of Phanerochaete chrysosporium PSBL-1 in Wastewater (Phanerochaete chrysosporium PSBL-1 생물막을 이용한 오.폐수 처리 및 부착특성)

  • Lee, Soon-Young;Kang, Ki-Cheol;Won, Chan-Hee
    • Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
    • /
    • v.30 no.3
    • /
    • pp.271-277
    • /
    • 2008
  • The biofilm of white-rot fungi fully exposed in atmosphere are that operation is easy, management cost and energy waste is low. To develop biofilm of white-rot fungi fully exposed in atmosphere, basic test are as follows. To select most effective microoganism species, investigated treatment characteristics of wastewater containing non-biodegradable material for three species of white-rot fungi(Phanerochaete chrysosporium PSBL-1, Phanerochaete chrysosporium KCTC 6147, Trametes sp. KFCC 10941) and activated sludge. And then investigated attached and detached biomass of selected white-rot fungi species on HBC ring surface. Among the three strains tested, P. chrysosporium PSBL-1 and P. chrysosporium KCTC 6147 showed higher efficiency for organics removal than Trametes sp. KFCC 10941, and P. chrysosporium PSBL-1 showed higher efficiency for nitrogen removal than P. chrysosporium KCTC 6147 and Trametes sp. KFCC 10941. Respectively, 51$\sim$59.8%, 57.5$\sim$60.3% of NBDCOD was removed for P. chrysosporium PSBL-1 and P. chrysosporium 6147 in pH 3.5$\sim$5.5. TN removal efficiency showed 39.3$\sim$85.3%, 3.4$\sim$7.6% for P. chrysosporium PSBL-1 and P. chrysosporium 6147 in pH 4.5$\sim$11.5 respectively. Considered that white-rot fungi remove organism and nitrogen simultaneously, the microorganism selected white-rot fungi P. chrysosporium PSBL-1. White-rot fungi P. chrysosporium PSBL-1 attached on HBC ring surface 4,538 mg/L, 4,546 mg/L, 4,531 mg/L after 5 minutes, 4,575 mg/L, 4,573 mg/L, 4,568 mg/L after 10 minutes from initial MLSS 4,600 mg/L in pH 4, 7 and 10 respectively. Also detached biomass is negligible from right after attachment to 10 day in pH 4, 7 and 10.

A Comparison of Discriminating Powers Between 14 Microsatellite markers and 60 SNP Markers Applicable to the Cattle Identification Test (소 동일성 검사에 적용 가능한 14 Microsatellite marker와 60 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker 간의 판별 효율성 비교)

  • Lim, Hyun-Tae;Seo, Bo-Yeong;Jung, Eun-Ji;Yoo, Chae-Kyoung;Yoon, Du-Hak;Jeon, Jin-Tae
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
    • /
    • v.51 no.5
    • /
    • pp.353-360
    • /
    • 2009
  • When 14 microsatellite (MS) markers were applied in the identifying test for 480 Hanwoo, the discriminating power was estimated as $3.43{\times}10^{-27}$ based on the assumption of a random mating group (PI). This rate is 1,000 times higher than that of 60 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. On the other hand, the power of the 60 SNP markers was estimated as $4.69{\times}10^{-20}$ and $8.02{\times}10^{-12}$ on the assumption of a half-sib mating group ($PI_{half-sibs}$) and a full-sib mating group ($PI_{sibs}$), respectively. These powers were 10 times and 10,000 times higher than those of the 14 MS markers. The results indicated that the total number of alleles (MS vs SNP = 146 vs 120) acted as a key factor for the discriminating power in a random mating population, and the total number of markers (MS vs SNP = 14 vs 60) was a dominant influence on the power in half-sib and full-sib populations. In the Hanwoo population, in which it was assumed that the entire population is the enormous half-sib group formed by the absolute genetic contribution of a few nuclear bulls, there will be only a 10 times difference in the discriminating power between the 14 MS markers and the 60 SNP makers. However, the probability of not excluding a candidate parent pair from the parentage of an arbitrary offspring, given that only the genotype of the offspring ($PNE_{pp}$) was 1,000 times higher as shown by the 14 MS markers than that by the 60 SNP markers. The strong points of SNP makers are the stability of the variation (low mutation rate) and automation of high-throughput genotyping. In order to apply these merits for the practical and constant Hanwoo identity test, research and development are required to set a cost-effective platform and produce a homemade apparatus for SNP genotyping.

Field Tests for Assessing the Bioremediation Feasibility of a Trichloroethylene-Contaminated Aquifer (관측정 자연표류 실험을 통한 트리클로로에틸렌(Trichloroethylene) 오염 지하수의 생물학적 복원 타당성 연구)

  • Kim Young;Kim Jin-Wook;Ha Chul-Yoon;Kim Nam-Hee;Hong Kwang-Pyo;Kwon Soo-Yul;Ahn Young-Ho;Ha Joon-Su;Park Hoo-Won
    • Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
    • /
    • v.10 no.3
    • /
    • pp.38-45
    • /
    • 2005
  • The feasibility of stimulating in situ aerobic cometabolic activity of indigenous microorganisms was investigated in a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated aquifer. A series of single-well natural drift tests (SWNDTs) was conducted by injecting site groundwater amended with a bromide tracer and combinations of toluene, oxygen, nitrate, ethylene and TCE into an existing monitoring well and by sampling the same well over time. Three field tests, Push-pull Transport Test, Drift Biostimulation Test, and Drift Surrogate Activity Test, were performed in sequence. Initial rate of toluene degradation was much faster than the rate of bromide dilution resulting from natural groundwater drift, indicating stimulation of indigenous toluene-oxidizing microorganisms. Transformation of ethylene, a surrogate probing overall activity of TCE transformation, was also observed, and its transformation results in the production of ethylene oxide, suggesting that some tolueneoxidizing microorganisms stimulated may express a orthomonooxygenase enzyme. Also in situ transformation of TCE was confirmed by greater retardation of TCE than bromide after the stimulation of toluene-oxidizing microorganisms. These results indicate that, in this environment, toluene and oxygen additions stimulated the growth and aerobic cometabolic activity of indigenous microorganisms expressing orthomonooxygenase enzymes. The simple, low-cost field test method presented in this study provides an effective method for conducting rapid field assessments and pilot testing of aerobic cometabolism, which has previously hindered application of this technology to groundwater remediation.

The change of validity of blood zinc protoporphyrin test by different cut-off level in lead workers (연취급 근로자들의 혈중 ZPP 농도 선별기준에 따른 정확도의 변화)

  • Kim, Yong-Bae;Ahn, Hyun-Cheol;HwangBo, Young;Lee, Gap-Soo;Lee, Sung-Soo;Ahn, Kyu-Dong;Lee, Byung-Kook
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
    • /
    • v.30 no.4 s.59
    • /
    • pp.741-751
    • /
    • 1997
  • Measurement of blood lead (PbB) and blood zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) are most common biological indices to identify the individual at risk for excess or the health sequences by lead exposure. Because PbB is known most important and reliable index of lead exposure, PbB is often regarded as a gold standard to detect lead exposure. But in Korea PbB is a secondary test item of detailed health check-up with positive finding of screening test in most occasion. Our lead standard requires all lead workers to take annual heath-check twice a year for investigation of their health effect due to lead exposure. Blood ZPP is one of most important index to detect high lead absorption in lead workers as a screening test. Measurement of blood ZPP is known ,well to correlate with PbB in steady state of exposure in most lead workers and is often used as a primary screening test to detect high lead absorption of lead workers with the advantage of simplicity, easiness, portability and low cost. The current cut-off criteria of blood ZPP for further detailed health check-up is $100{\mu}g/d\ell$ which is supposed to match the level of $40{\mu}g/d\ell$ of PbB according to our standard. Authors tried to investigate the validity of current criteria of cut-off level $(100{\mu}g/d\ell)$ of blood ZPP and possible another better cut-off level of it to detect the lead workers whose PbB level over $40{\mu}g/d\ell$. The subjects in our study were 212 male workers in three small scale storage battery industries. Blood ZPP, PbB and hemoglobin (Hb) were selected as the indices of lead exposure. The results were as follows. 1. The mean of blood ZPP, PbB and Hb in lead workers were $79.5{\pm}46.7{\mu}g/d\ell,\;38.7{\pm}15.1{\mu}g/d\ell,\;and\;14.8{\pm}1.2g/d\ell$, respectively. There were significant differences in blood ZPP, PbB and Hb by industry (P<0.01). 2. The percents of lead workers whose blood ZPP were above $100{\mu}g/d\ell$ in the group of work duration below 1, 1-4, 5-9 and above 10 years were 8.6%, 17.2%, 47.6%, and 50.0%, respectively. The percents of lead workers whose PbB were above $40{\mu}g/d\ell$ in those were 31.4%, 40.4%, 71.4%, and 86.4%, respectively. 3. The percents of lead workers whose PbB were below $40{\mu}g/d\ell$, $40-59{\mu}g/d\ell$ and above $60{\mu}g/d\ell$ were 54.7%, 34.9% and 10.4%, respectively. Those of lead workers whose blood ZPP were below $100{\mu}g/d\ell$, $100-149{\mu}g/d\ell$ and above $150{\mu}g/d\ell$ were 79.2%, 13.7% and 7.1%, respectively. 4. Simple linear regression of PbB on blood ZPP was statistically significant (P<0.01) and as PbB was $40{\mu}g/d\ell$, blood ZPP was $82.1{\mu}g/d\ell$. 5. While the highest sensitivity and specificity of blood ZPP test to detect lead workers with PbB eve. $40{\mu}g/d\ell$ were observed in the cut-off level of $50{\mu}g/d\ell$ and $100{\mu}g/d\ell$ of blood ZPP, respectively, the highest validity (sensitivity+specificity) of blood ZPP to detect lead workers with PbB over $40{\mu}g/d\ell$ was observed in the cut-off level of around $70{\mu}g/d\ell$ of blood ZPP. But even with optimal cut-off level of around $70{\mu}g/d\ell$ of blood ZPP, still 25.0% of false negative and 20.7% false positive lead workers were found. As the result of this study, it was suggested that reconsideration of current blood ZPP cut-off of our lead standard from $100{\mu}g/d\ell$ to somewhat lower level such as around $70{\mu}g/d\ell$ and the inclusion of PbB measurement as a primary screening test for lead workers was highly recommended for the effective prevention of lead workers.

  • PDF

Impact of Net-Based Customer Service on Firm Profits and Consumer Welfare (기업의 온라인 고객 서비스가 기업의 수익 및 고객의 후생에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Eun-Jin;Lee, Byung-Tae
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
    • /
    • v.17 no.2
    • /
    • pp.123-137
    • /
    • 2007
  • The advent of the Internet and related Web technologies has created an easily accessible link between a firm and its customers, and has provided opportunities to a firm to use information technology to support supplementary after-sale services associated with a product or service. It has been widely recognized that supplementary services are an important source of customer value and of competitive advantage as the characteristics of the product itself. Many of these supplementary services are information-based and need not be co-located with the product, so more and more companies are delivering these services electronically. Net-based customer service, which is defined as an Internet-based computerized information system that delivers services to a customer, therefore, is the core infrastructure for supplementary service provision. The importance of net-based customer service in delivering supplementary after-sale services associated with product has been well documented. The strategic advantages of well-implemented net-based customer service are enhanced customer loyalty and higher lock-in of customers, and a resulting reduction in competition and the consequent increase in profits. However, not all customers utilize such net-based customer service. The digital divide is the phenomenon in our society that captures the observation that not all customers have equal access to computers. Socioeconomic factors such as race, gender, and education level are strongly related to Internet accessibility and ability to use. This is due to the differences in the ability to bear the cost of a computer, and the differences in self-efficacy in the use of a technology, among other reasons. This concept, applied to e-commerce, has been called the "e-commerce divide." High Internet penetration is not eradicating the digital divide and e-commerce divide as one would hope. Besides, to accommodate personalized support, a customer must often provide personal information to the firm. This personal information includes not only name and address, but also preferences information and perhaps valuation information. However, many recent studies show that consumers may not be willing to share information about themselves due to concerns about privacy online. Due to the e-commerce divide, and due to privacy and security concerns of the customer for sharing personal information with firms, limited numbers of customers adopt net-based customer service. The limited level of customer adoption of net-based customer service affects the firm profits and the customers' welfare. We use a game-theoretic model in which we model the net-based customer service system as a mechanism to enhance customers' loyalty. We model a market entry scenario where a firm (the incumbent) uses the net-based customer service system in inducing loyalty in its customer base. The firm sells one product through the traditional retailing channels and at a price set for these channels. Another firm (the entrant) enters the market, and having observed the price of the incumbent firm (and after deducing the loyalty levels in the customer base), chooses its price. The profits of the firms and the surplus of the two customers segments (the segment that utilizes net-based customer service and the segment that does not) are analyzed in the Stackelberg leader-follower model of competition between the firms. We find that an increase in adoption of net-based customer service by the customer base is not always desirable for firms. With low effectiveness in enhancing customer loyalty, firms prefer a high level of customer adoption of net-based customer service, because an increase in adoption rate decreases competition and increases profits. A firm in an industry where net-based customer service is highly effective loyalty mechanism, on the other hand, prefers a low level of adoption by customers.

Using Trophic State Index (TSI) Values to Draw Inferences Regarding Phytoplankton Limiting Factors and Seston Composition from Routine Water Quality Monitoring Data (영양상태지수 (trophic state index)를 이용한 수체 내 식물플랑크톤 제한요인 및 seston조성의 유추)

  • Havens, Karl E
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.33 no.3 s.91
    • /
    • pp.187-196
    • /
    • 2000
  • This paper describes a simple method that uses differences among Carlson's (1977) trophic state index (TSI) values based on total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (CHL) and Secchi depth (SD) to draw inferences regarding the factors that are limiting to phytoplankton growth and the composition of lake seston. Examples are provided regarding seasonal and spatial patterns in a large subtropical lake (Lake Okeechobee, Florida, USA) and inter- and intra-lake variations from a multilake data set developed from published studies. Once an investigator has collected routine water quality data and established TSI values based on TP, CHL, and SD, a number of inferences can be made. Additional information can be provided where it also is possible to calculate a TSI based on total nitrogen (TN). Where TSI (CHL)<>TSI (SD), light attenuating particles are large (large filaments or colonies of algae), and the phytoplankton may be limited by zooplankton grazing. Other limiting conditions are inferred by different relationships between the TSI values. Results of this study indicate that the analysis is quite robust, and that it generally gives good agreement with conclusions based on more direct methods (e.g., nutrientaddition bioassays, zooplankton size data, zooplankton removal experiments). The TSI approach, when validated periodically with these more costly and time-intensive methods, provides an effective, low cost method for tracking long-term changes in pelagic structure and function with potential value in monitoring lake ecology and responses to management.

  • PDF

Egg Antibody Farming and IgY Technology for Food and Biomedical Applications (식품과 생의학을 위한 계란 항체생산과 IgY 기술의 활용)

  • Sim, Jeong S.;Sunwoo, Hoon H.
    • Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
    • /
    • 2003.07b
    • /
    • pp.37-54
    • /
    • 2003
  • It has been recognized that the hen. like its mammalian counterparts. provides young chicks with antibodies as protection against hostile invaders. This system facilitates the transfer of specific antibodies from serum to egg yolk. and provides a supply of antibodies called immunoglobulin Y(IgY) to the developing embryo and the hatched chick. The protection against pathogens that the relatively immuno-incompetent newly hatched chick has. is through transmission of antibodies from the mother via the egg. Egg yolk. therefore. can be loaded with a large amount of IgY against pathogens which can immobilize the existing or invading pathogens during the embryo development or in day-old chicks. Thus. the immunization of laying hens to various pathogens results in production of different antigen-specific IgY in eggs. Egg yolk contains 8~20 mg of immunoglobulins (IgY) per $m\ell$ or 136~340 mg per yolk suggesting that more than 30 g of IgY can be obtained from one immunized hen in a year. By immunizing laying hens with antigens and collecting IgY from egg yolk. low cost antibodies at less than $10 per g compared to more than $20.000 per g of mammalian IgG can be obtained. This IgY technology opens new potential market applications in medicine. public health veterinary medicine and food safety. A broader use of IgY technology could be applied as biological or diagnostic tool. nut-raceutical or functional food development. oral-supplementation for prophylaxis. and as pathogen-specific antimicrobial agents for infectious disease control. This paper has emphasized that when IgY-loaded chicken eggs are produced and consumed. the specific antibody binds. immobilizes and consequently reduces or inhibits the growth or colony forming abilities of microbial pathogens. This concept could serve as an alternative agent to replace the use of antibiotics. since today. more and more antibiotics are less effective in the treatment of infections. due to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.

  • PDF

Development of Dust Recycling System and Dust Cleaner in Pipe during Vitrification of Simulated Non-Radioactive Waste (모의 비방사성폐기물의 유리화시 발생 분진의 재순환처리장치 및 배관 내 침적분진에 의한 막힘 방지용 제진장치의 개발)

  • Choi Jong-Seo;You Young-Hwan;Park Seung-Chul;Choi Seok-Mo;Hwang Tae-Won;Shin Sang-Woon
    • Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
    • /
    • 2005.06a
    • /
    • pp.110-120
    • /
    • 2005
  • For utilizing vitrification to treat low and intermediate level waste, industrial pilot plant was designed and constructed in October 1999 at Daejon, Korea through the joint research program among NETEC, MOBIS and SGN. More than 70 tests were performed on simulated IER, DAW etc. including key nuclide surrogate(Cs, Co); this plant has been shown to vitrify the target waste effectively and safely, however, some dust are generated from the HTF(High Temperature Filter) as a secondary waste. In case of long term operation, it is also concerned that pipe plugging can be occurred due to deposited dust in cooling pipe namely, connecting pipe between CCM(Cold Crucible Melter) and HTF. In this regard, we have developed the special complementary system of the off-gas treatment system to recycle the dust from HTF to CCM and to remove the interior dust of cooling pipe. Main concept of the dust recycling is to feed the dust to the CCM as a slurry state; this system is regarded as of an important position in the viewpoint of volume reduction, waste disposal cost and glass melt control in CCM. The role of DRS(Dust Recycling System) is to recycle the major glass components and key nuclides; this system is served to lower glass viscosity and increase waste solubility by recycling B, Na, Li components into glass melt and also to re-entrain and incorporate into glass melt like Cs, Co. Therefore dust recycling is helpful to control the molten glass; it is unnecessary to consider a separate dust treatment system like a cementation equipment. The effects of Dust Cleaner are to prevent the pipe plugging due to dust and to treat the deposited dust by raking the dust into CCM. During the pilot vitrification test, overall performance assessment was successfully performed; DRS and Dust Cleaner are found to be useful and effective for recycling the dust from HTF and also removing the dust in cooling pipe. The obtained operational data and operational experiences will be used as a basis of the commercial facility.

  • PDF

Analysis of Actual State for Hospice Programs in Korea (호스피스 프로그램 운영 현황 조사)

  • Chang, Hyun-Sook;Park, Sylvia;You, Sun-Ju
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
    • /
    • v.3 no.1
    • /
    • pp.4-17
    • /
    • 2000
  • Purpose : This study aimed to investigate and to evaluate the present conditions of hospice programs in Korea for supplying data useful in making policy in hospice, which is not institutionalized yet. Method : For this purpose we surveyed 59 hospice programs regarding the general characteristics, manpower, patients, services, financial conditions, and facilities. Thirty-seven hospice programs answered the questionnaires. Result : They were 11 tertiary hospitals, 11 other hospitals, 3 clinics, 12 home care hospice, and 1 freestanding hospice. Only 9 hospice programs have all of the essential professionals: physicians, nurses, social workers, clergies, and volunteers. In some hospice programs, volunteers who had not been trained for hospice provided services to terminal patients. More than half of the hospice said they provided services to the patients who lost their consciousness and were not suitable for hospice care. 16% of the hospice said they did not keep the patients' record. Some hospitals including tertiary hospitals provided such intensive care as radiotherapy, TPN, injections to hospice patients. Many hospice programs other than hospitals didn't charge patients for hospice care. 60% of the hospice said they suffered from financial problems. Most of the hospice wards were not built for hospice use at first. So they did not have such supplementary facilities as dayroom, waiting room, special bathing facilities etc. Conclusion : For improving the quality of terminal patients and promoting the cost effective use of health care resources, it is necessary to consider the institutionalization of hospice. The institutionalization of hospice programs can improve the quality of hospice care and the standardization of the hospice program can hasten its institutionalization.

  • PDF