• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.358-383
• /
• 2015

The concept of 'carbon footprint' has been developed as a means of quantifying the specific emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) that cause global warming. Although there are still neither clear definitions of the term nor rules for units or the scope of its estimation, it is broadly accepted that the carbon footprint is the total amount of GHGs, expressed as $CO_2$ equivalents, emitted into the atmosphere directly or indirectly at all processes of the production by an individual or organization. According to the ISO/TS 14067, the carbon footprint of a product is calculated by multiplying the units of activity of processes that emit GHGs by emission factor of the processes, and by summing them up. Based on this, 'carbon labelling' system has been implemented in various ways over the world to provide consumers the opportunities of comparison and choice, and to encourage voluntary activities of producers to reduce GHG emissions. In the agricultural sector, as a judgment basis to help purchaser with ethical consumption, 'low-carbon agricultural and livestock products certification' system is expected to have more utilization value. In this process, the 'cradle to gate' approach (which excludes stages for usage and disposal) is mainly used to set the boundaries of the life cycle assessment for agricultural products. The estimation of carbon footprint for the entire agricultural and forestry sector should take both removals and emissions into account in the "National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report". The carbon accumulation in the biomass of perennial trees in cropland should be considered also to reduce the total GHG emissions. In order to accomplish this, tower-based flux measurements can be used, which provide a direct quantification of $CO_2$ exchange during the entire life cycle. Carbon footprint information can be combined with other indicators to develop more holistic assessment indicators for sustainable agricultural and forestry ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2018

Chamaecyparis obtusa (CO) has recently been attracting attention because of its beneficial effects on skin allergies, atopic dermatitis, and skin diseases, such as acne and eczema. In the present study, the extract from CO leaf grown in Jangseong gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea was evaluated for its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects in vitro. The total polyphenol content of the CO leaf extract was $25.89{\pm}0.31mg$ gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g. Gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of six compounds in the CO leaf extract: ${\alpha}-terpinene$ (3.03 mg/g), ${\alpha}-terpineol$ (9.48 mg/g), limonene (5.96 mg/g), borneol (59.78 mg/g), myrcene (4.85 mg/g), and sabinene (11.31 mg/g). The $RC_{50}$ values of the CO leaf extract for $H_2O_2$ and ABTS radical were $5.47{\pm}0.13mg/mL$ and $4.00{\pm}0.01mg/mL$, respectively. In addition, the CO leaf extract showed significant inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells and IgE-induced release of ${\beta}-hexosaminidase$ (degranulation) in mast-cell like RBL-2H3 cells. The cell viability assay showed that the CO leaf extract ($100{\sim}800{\mu}g/mL$) did not affect the viability of human normal skin fibroblast CCD-986sk cells significantly. Overall, these results suggest that the CO leaf extract is a potential functional cosmetic ingredient that can exert anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.541-546
• /
• 2009

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of a Korean traditional alcoholic beverage (yakju) prepared using different nuruk (Korean-style koji) concentrations and yeasts such as the fusant FA776 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae KOY-1, respectively. The fusant FA776, which has alcohol-fermenting and starch-utilizing properties, was formed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae KOY-1 and Saccharomyces diastaticus KCTC1804. The fermentation trial was conducted in a 5 L lab-scale jar at $25^{\circ}C$. The maximum alcohol production of the K-100 and F-50 reached levels of 135.0 mg/mL and 119.4 mg/mL, respectively. The pH values were in a range of 4.3-4.5. Total acidity was in a range of 0.47-0.60%. Organic acids and amino acids were analyzed in order to evaluate variations in its composition and content via HPLC analysis. Organic acids including lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, and pyruvic acid, and 16 kinds of amino acids, including aspartic acid, were detected in all treatments. K-100 showed the highest amino acid contents, whereas F-50 exhibited the lowest amino acid contents. Volatile flavor components such as phenylethyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, 2-methylthiophane, isobutyl alcohol, and ethyl succinate were detected as a major component in all treatments, as determined via gas chromatography. The results of our sensory evaluation demonstrated that Yakju fermented by the FA776 fusant yielded more favorable results than S. cerevisiae KOY-1.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.130-139
• /
• 2000

Serial basic tests were conducted for the determination of fundamental kinetics and for the actual application of kinetic parameter to food waste digestion with precise measurement of methane production under a thermophilic condition. The effects of food particle size, sodium ion concentration, and volatile solid (VS) loading rate on the anaerobic thermophilic food waste digestion process were investigated. Results of serial test for the determination of fundamental kinetic coefficients showed the value of k (maximum substrate utilization rate coefficient) and KS (half-saturation coefficient) as $0.24hr^{-1}$ and $700mg/{\ell}$, respectively, for non-inhibiting organic loading range. No inhibition effect was shown until $5g/{\ell}$ of sodium ion concentration was applied to a serum bottle reactor. However, the volume of methane gas was decreased gradually when the concentrations of more than $5g/{\ell}$ of sodium ion applied. All sizes of food waste particle showed the same constants (A : 0.45) but the maximum substrate utilization rate constant ($k_{HA}$) was inversely proportional to particle size. As an average particle size increased from 1.02 mm to 2.14 mm, $k_{HA}$ decreased from $0.0033hr^{-1}$ to $0.0015hr^{-1}$. The result reveals that particle size is one of the most important factors in anaerobic food waste digestion. There was no inhibition effect of sodium ion when VS loading rate was $30g/{\ell}$. And maximum injection concentration of VS loading rate was determined about $40g/{\ell}$.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.37 no.7
• /
• pp.432-440
• /
• 2015

Biochar, a by-product from pyrolysis of biomass, is a promising option to mitigate climate change by increasing soil carbon sequestration. This material is also considered to have potential to remediate a soil with heavy metal pollution by increasing the soil's adsorptive capacity. This study conducted the assessment of two biochars considering the climate change mitigation potential and heavy metal removal capacity at the same time. Two kinds of biochars (BC_Ch, TW_Ch) were prepared by pyrolyzing the biomass of burcucumber (BC_Bm) and tea waste (TW_Bm). The soils polluted with Pb were mixed with biochars or biomass and incubated for 60 d. During the incubation, $CO_2$, $CH_4$, and $N_2O$ were regularly measured and the soil before and after incubation was analyzed for chemical and biological parameters including the acetate extractable Pb. The results showed that only the BC_Ch treatment significantly reduced the amount of Pb after 60 d incubation. During the incubation, the $CO_2$ and $N_2O$ emissions from the BC_Ch and TW_Ch were decreased by 24% and 34% compared to the BC_Bm and TW_Bm, respectively. The $CH_4$ emissions were not significantly affected by biochar treatments. We calculated the GWP considering the production of amendment materials, application to the soils, removal of Pb, and soil carbon storage. The BC_Ch treatment had the most negative value because it had the higher Pb adsorption and soil carbon sequestration. Our results imply that if we apply biochar made from burcucumber, we could expect the pollution reduction and climate change mitigation at the same time.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.423-429
• /
• 2008

Currently, Ash-free clean coal producing process by solvent extraction is under development. The produced ash-free clean coal can be directly combusted in a gas turbine which results in substantial improvement of power generation efficiency. However, the clean coal produced by the solvent extraction still contain trace amount of alkali metal which may cause corrosion on turbine blades during the direct combustion. In present work ${\alpha},{\beta}$-metal (Zr and Ti) phosphates and H-Y zeolite were synthesized and their ion exchange characterizations were investigated for the application on alkali metal removal for clean coal production. $Na^+$ ion removal capacities of the metal phosphates and H-Y zeolite were measured and compared in both aqueous solution (100 ppmw, $Na^+$) and coal dissolved N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP, 12 ppmw $Na^+$) at elevated temperature. In aqueous solution, the ${\beta}$ form metal phosphates showed very high ion exchange capacities compared to ${\alpha}$ form. ${\beta}$ form metal phosphates also showed higher $Na^+$ removal capacities than H-Y zeolite. In ion exchange medium of NMP, all the ${\alpha}$ form metal phosphates showed over 90% of $Na^+$ ion removal efficiency in the temperature range of 200 to 400 while that of H-Y zeolite decreased as a half when the temperature was over 350. In addition, the regenerated metal phosphates by acid treatment showed no sign of degradation in $Na^+$ removal efficiency. Among the metal phosphates used, $Zr_{0.75}Ti_{0.25}(HPO_4)_2$ showed the best performance in $Na^+$ removal and is expected to be the most suitable inorganic ion exchanger for the alkali metal removal process.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.391-397
• /
• 2011

The use of Hydrogen as a fuel is receiving considerable attention and as a result, research on novel methods of hydrogen production is necessary so that the hydrogen demands in the future can be satisfied. This study presents experimental data on methanol Autothermal Reformation that quantifies the relationship between the oxygen-to-methanol ratio ($O_2/CH_3OH$) and reformer efficiency. For each catalyst configuration, the $O_2/CH_3OH$ was varied from 0.1 to 0.4, with an increment of 0.05, to investigate the effects of $O_2/CH_3OH$ on the reactor performance, including temperature profile, conversion, and efficiency. $O_2/CH_3OH$ was increased from 0.15 to 0.20, and the catalyst bed temperature increased by $235^{\circ}C$ to approximately $550^{\circ}C$. The catalyst bed temperature increased with increasing $O_2/CH_3OH$ as the reaction shifted from endothermic to exothermic reaction and as a result, excess heat, which raised the reactor temperature, was generated. The reactor performance was shown to be highly dependent on $O_2/CH_3OH$. The optimum $O_2/CH_3OH$ = 0.30 found in the experimental tests is 30% higher than the theoretical optimum of 0.23. This is attributed to a combination of factors such as the concentrations of the $O_2$ and $CH_3OH$ gas, reaction rate, catalyst effects, heat loss from the reactor, and the difference between the actual amounts of reaction products formed and the theoretical amounts of the reaction products.

• Journal of Mushroom
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.163-169
• /
• 2015

The in vitro experiment was conducted to ensure the supplemental level of spent Flammulina velutipes mushroom substrates (SMS) as an energy source in manufacturing of whole crop sorghum silage. Sorghum harvested at heading stage was ensiled with spent mushroom substrates of 20% (S-20), 40% (S-40) and 60% (S-60) as fresh matter basis for 6 week. The experiment was conducted by 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 hrs of incubation time with 3 replications. The silages were evaluated fermentation characteristics and dry matter digestibility (DMD) in vitro. The pH of in vitro solution was inclined to decrease with elapsing the incubation time, and that of the S-20 was significantly (P<0.05) lower than the other treatment at 48 hr of incubation. Gas production was greater (P<0.05) in the S-20 than the other treatments at 6 and 12 hrs of incubation. The microbial growth in vitro was inclined to decrease following 24 hr of incubation, and thereafter sustained the similar levels. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) was lowered by increasing the supplemental level of spent mushroom substrate, and was a low level in the S-60 throughout whole incubation time. Although the IVDMD for S-40 was steadily increased from 9 hr of incubation and reached to similar level with the S-20 at 48 hour of incubation, however SMS for whole crop sorghum silage fermentation might as well add about 20 to 30% in fresh matter basis when considering DMD.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.71-102
• /
• 2007

There were many comprehensive analyses conducted within the existing research activities wherein factors affecting technology progress including investment in R&D vis-${\Box}$-vis their influences act as the determinants of TFP. Note, however, that there were few comprehensive analysis in the industrial research performed regarding the impact of the economy of scale as it affects TFP; most of these research studies dealt with the analysis of the non -parametric Malmquist productivity index or used the stochastic frontier production function models. No comprehensive analysis on the impacts of individual independent variables affecting TFP was performed. Therefore, this study obtained the TFP increase rate of each industry by analyzing the factors of the existing growth accounting equation and comprehensively analyzed the TFP determinants by constructing a comprehensive analysis model considering the investment in R&D and economy of scale (smallness by industry) as the influencers of TFP by industry. First, for the TFP increase rate of the 15 industries as a whole, the annual average increase rate for 1993${\sim}$ 1997 was approximately 3.8% only; during 1999${\sim}$ 2000 following the foreign exchange crisis, however, the annual increase rate rose to approximately 7.8%. By industry, the annual average increase rate of TFP between 1993 and 2000 stood at 11.6%, the highest in the electrical and electronic equipment manufacturing business and IT manufacturing sector. In contrast, a -0.4% increase rate was recorded in the furniture and other product manufacturing sectors. In the case of the service industry, the TFP increase rate was 7.3% in the transportation, warehousing, and communication sectors. This is much higher than the 2.9% posted in the electricity, water, and gas sectors and -3.7% recorded in the wholesale, food, and hotel businesses. The results of the comprehensive analysis conducted on the determinants of TFP showed that the correlations between R&D and TFP in general were positive (+) correlations whose significance has yet to be validated; in the model where the self-employed and unpaid family workers were used as proxy variables indicating the smallness of industry out of the total number of workers, however, significant negative (-) correlations were noted. On the other hand, the estimation factors of variables surrogating the smallness of scale in each industry showed that a consistently high "smallness of scale" in an industry means a decrease in the increase rate of TFP in the same industry.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.466-473
• /
• 2000

Background : Patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer are often treated with radiation alone or in combination with chemotherapy. Both modalities have a potentially damaging effect on pulmonary function. In order to examine changes in the cardiopulmonary exercise function of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer before and after conventional radiotherapy, we conducted a prospective study involving patients with such cancer, that had received radiation therapy. Method : Resting pulmonary function test, thoracic radiographic finding and cardiopulmonary exercise test(CPET) were assessed prior to and 4 weeks following radiation therapy in 11 male patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Patient with endobronchial mass were excluded. Results : The forces vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second ($FEV_1$ and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) did not decreased between before and 4 weeks after radiation but the diffusing capacity (DLCO) had decreased by 11% 4 weeks after radiation, which was not statistically significant. No changes in maximal oxygen consumption ($VO_2$max), carbon dioxide production ($VCO_2$), exercise time and work load were attributed to radiation therapy. Follow up cardiopulmonary exercise testing revealed unchanged cardiovascular function, ventilatory function and gas exchange. No difference in cardiopulmonary exercise test performance was observed between pre- and post-radiation. Conclusion : Cardiopulmonary exercise function did not decrease within the short-term after the radiation of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.