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Use of Nitrate and Ferric Ion as Electron Acceptors in Cathodes to Improve Current Generation in Single-cathode and Dual-cathode Microbial Fuel Cells (Single-cathode와 Dual-cathode로 구성된 미생물연료전지에서 전류발생 향상을 위한 전자수용체로서의 Nitrate와 Ferric ion의 이용)

  • Jang, Jae Kyung;Ryou, Young Sun;Kim, Jong Goo;Kang, Youn Koo;Lee, Eun Young
    • Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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    • v.40 no.4
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    • pp.414-418
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    • 2012
  • The quantity of research on microbial fuel cells has been rapidly increasing. Microbial fuel cells are unique in their ability to utilize microorganisms and to generate electricity from sewage, pig excrement, and other wastewaters which include organic matter. This system can directly produce electrical energy without an inefficient energy conversion step. However, with MFCs maximum power production is limited by several factors such as activation losses, ohmic losses, and mass transfer losses in cathodes. Therefore, electron acceptors such as nitrate and ferric ion in the cathodes were utilized to improve the cathode reaction rate because the cathode reaction is very important for electricity production. When 100 mM nitrate as an electron acceptor was fed into cathodes, the current in single-cathode and dual-cathode MFCs was noted as $3.24{\pm}0.06$ mA and $4.41{\pm}0.08$ mA, respectively. These values were similar to when air-saturated water was fed into the cathodes. One hundred mM nitrate as an electron acceptor in the cathode compartments did not affect an increase in current generation. However, when ferric ion was used as an electron acceptor the current increased by $6.90{\pm}0.36$ mA and $6.67{\pm}0.33$ mA, in the single-cathode and dual-cathode microbial fuel cells, respectively. These values, in single-cathode and dual-cathode microbial fuel cells, represent an increase of 67.1% and 17.6%, respectively. Furthermore, when supplied with ferric ion without air, the current was higher than that of only air-saturated water. In this study, we attempted to reveal an inexpensive and readily available electron acceptor which can replace platinum in cathodes to improve current generation by increasing the cathode reaction rate.

Comparision of PCR-RFLP, PCR-SSCP, Amplication Refractory Mutation System(ARMS) in Leu72Met Polymorphism of Ghrelin Gene (Ghrelin 유전자의 Leu72Met 다형성 분석에서 PCR-RFLP, PCR-SSCP, Amplication Refractory Mutation System(ARMS)의 비교분석)

  • Kang, Ju Sung;Kim, Se Rim;Kim, Sun Young;Joo, Chan Uhng;Cho, Soo Chul;Hwang, Pyoung Han
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.48 no.10
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    • pp.1068-1075
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    • 2005
  • Purpose : The role of ghrelin, which promotes the secretion of growth hormone, was not well known until now. Recently it was found that the mutation of ghrelin gene is related to obesity and diabetes. This study is to find the screening method that can easily and effectively detect the polymorphism of Leu72Met in ghrelin gene of obesity patients and apply it to clinical usage. Methods : We compared PCR-RFLP, PCR-SSCP and ARMS methodologies for analyzing of the polymorphism of Leu72Met in ghrelin gene of obesity children, and also studied the merits and demerits of these methodologies. Results : In this study, we were able to find out the band of peculiar allele of Leu72Met in ghrelin gene using PCR-RFLP, PCR-SSCP and ARMS analyses. The polymorphism of Leu72Met in ghrelin gene determined by all above methodologies was in complete agreement. Compared to the PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP, ARMS analysis is simple, inexpensive and also consume less time. It is very sensitive to analyze the polymorphism and easy to understand the results of test. Conclusion : Though PCR-RFLP, PCR-SSCP and ARMS analyses were sensitive to analyze the polymorphism of Leu72Met in ghrelin gene, ARMS analysis appears to be more efficient than PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP. Therefore, we conclude that ARMS analysis is suitable to analyze the polymorphism of Leu72Met in ghrelin gene for large quantity of specimens.

Follow-up Study of Children with Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity (소아 Anthracycline 심독성의 추적 관찰)

  • Kwon, Hyok Joo;Song, Young Hwan;Kang, Soo Jung;Kang, Hyoung Jin;Choi, Hyoung Soo;Bae, Eun Jung;Shin, Hee Young;Noh, Chung Il;Yun, Yong Soo;Ahn, Hyo Seop
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.46 no.3
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    • pp.242-249
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    • 2003
  • Purpose : We studied the relationship between anthracycline cumulative dose and anthracycline cardiotoxicity in childhood cancer and followed up 40 children with anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Methods : A retrospective study was performed in 154 children who received anthracycline chemotherapy between January 1995 to December 2000. Cardiotoxicity was defined when the left ventricular fractional shortening(FS) was below 26%; it was divided into two groups, mild and severe cardiotoxicity, according to the FS. We followed up survivors with cardiotoxicity, and checked their present cardiac function by physical activity, echocardiography, electrocardiography(EKG) and chest X-ray. Results : Of the 154 children treated with anthracyclines, forty(26.0%) were diagnosed as cardiotoxicity. The incidence of cardiotoxicity increased in exponential fashion with increases in the cumulative dose of anthracyclines. There was minimal increase of incidence until a dose of $300mg/m^2$ after which the incidence increased rapidly. After mean $3.8{\pm}1.8year$ follow-up of 23 survivors with cardiotoxicity, FS increased significantly. EKG and chest X-rays were not helpful for the diagnosis of cardiotoxicity because of their low sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion : Although convenient, non-invasive and inexpensive, EKG and chest X-rays were not helpful for the follow-up of anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Almost all survivors with anthracycline cardiotoxicity have improved in both physical activity and echocardiographic findings after discontinuation of anthracyclines.

CARIES PREDICTION MODEL USING LASER FLUORESCENCE (레이저 형광법을 이용한 우식유발 예측모형)

  • Lee, Sang-Ho;Lee, Chang-Seop;Jeong, Yeon-Hwa
    • Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.16-24
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    • 2001
  • The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specificity, sensitivity, and diagnostic power of caries activity test using laser fluorescence. The subjects of this study were 50 children of $7\sim9$ years old. Fluorescence from initial carious lesion of teeth illuminated by an argon laser(480nm) was observed and photographed with barrier filter. Visual examination for the dDfFtT rate and Streptococcus mutans colony counting was done to evaluate correlation with caries activity test using laser fluorescence. Data analysis was accomplished by Axelsson's method. The results from the present study can be summarized as follows: 1. There was positive correlation $(\gamma=0.48)$ between laser fluorescence test and Streptococcus mutans count. And also positive correlation $(\gamma=0.39)$ exists between laser fluorescence test and dDfFtT rate (P<0.01). 2. Positive correlation $(\gamma=0.27)$ between Streptococcus mutans colony count and dDfFtT rate was found(P<0.05). 3. When dDfFtT rate was defined to standard testing method, the specificity, senstivity, and diagnostic power of laser fluorescence test were 44.4%, 85.7%, and 87.8%. 4. When dDfFtT rate was defined to standard testing method, the specificity, senstivity, and diagnostic power of S. mutans colony counting were 77.8%, 92.9%, 84.8%. 5. When S. mutans colony counting was defined to standard testing method, sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic power of laser fluorescence test were 40.0%, 84.8%, 95.1%. In regard to above results, laser fluorescence test considered to be accurate and reliable method for determining caries activity because of it's close relationship with caries susceptibility test and caries experience measurements. And it was also considered to be practical because it would be simple, inexpensive, and time saving method.

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Clinical Value of a Desktop Spirometer (HI-801) for Spirometry Screening (선별 검사를 위한 탁상용 폐활량기 (HI-801)의 임상적 유용성에 관한 고찰)

  • Choi, Hye Sook;Choi, Cheon Woong;Park, Myung Jae;Kang, Hong Mo;Yoo, Hong Ji
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.62 no.4
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    • pp.276-283
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    • 2007
  • Background: A national health care initiative recommends routine spirometry screening of all smokers over age 45 or patients with respiratory symptoms. In response to the recommendation, new, simple, and inexpensive desktop spirometers for the purpose of promoting widespread spirometric screening were marketed. The performance of these spirometers was evaluated in vivo testing with healthy subjects. However, the clinical setting allows spirometric assessment of various pathologic combinations of flow and volume. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of a desktop spirometer to a standard laboratory spirometer, in a clinical setting with pathologic pulmonary function. Method: In a health check-up center, where screening pulmonary funct test was performed using the HI-801 spirometer. Subjects who revealed the ventilation defect in screening spirometry, performed the spirometry again using the standard Vmax spectra 22d spirometer in a tertiary care hospital pulmonary function laboratory. Pulmonary function test with both spirometer was performed according to the guidelines of the American Thoracic Society. Results: 109 patients were enrolled. Pulmonary function measurements (FVC, $FEV_1$, PEFR, FEF25%-75%) from the HI-801 correlated closely (r=0.94, 0.93, 0.81, 0.84, respectively) with those performed with the Vmax spectra 22d and showed the good limits of agreement and differences between the 2 devices; FVC +0.35 L, $FEV_1$ +0.16 L, PEFR +1.85 L/s, FEF25%-75%-0.13 L/s. With the exception of $FEV_1$, FEF25%-75%, these differences were significant(p<0.05) but small. Conclusion: The HI-801 spirometer is comparable to the standard laboratory spirometer, Vmax spectra 22d, with high accurary for $FEV_1$ and FVC and acceptable differences for clinical use.

Development of Solar Warehouse for Drying and Storing the Agricultural Products (농산물(農産物) 건조(乾燥) 및 저장(貯藏)을 위(爲)한 태양열(太陽熱) 저장고(貯藏庫)의 개발(開發)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究))

  • Kim, Man Soo;Chang, Kyu Seob;Kim, Soung Rai;Jeon, Byeong Seon
    • Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.357-370
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    • 1982
  • Recent concern regarding price and availability of fossil fuels has spurred the interest in alternative sources for farm crop drying. Among the available options such as biomass energy, wind power, nuclear energy and solar energy etc., the increasing attention is being directed to the utilization of heat from solar energy especially for farm crop drying. Even though solar energy is dispersed over a large land area and only a relatively small amount of energy can be simply collected, the advantages of solar energy is that the energy is free, non-polluting. The study reported here was designed to help supply the informations for the development of simple and relatively inexpensive solar warehouse for farm crop drying and storage. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to determine the performance of the solar collector fabricated, to compare solar supplemented heat drying with natural air drying and to develop a simulation model of temperature in stored grain, which can be used to study the effects due to changes in ambient air temperature. For those above objectives, solar collector was fabricated from available materials. Corrugated steel galvanized sheet, painted flat black, was used as absorbers and clear 0.2mm polyethylene sheet was the cover material. The warehouse for rough rice drying and storage was constructed with concrete block, and the solar collector was used as the roof of warehouse instead of original roofing system of it. The results obtained in this study were as follows: 1. The thermal efficiency of the solar collector was average 26 percent and the overall heat transfer coefficient of the collector was approximately $25kJ/hr.m^2\;^{\circ}K$. 2. Solar heated air was sufficient to dry one cubic meter of rough rice from 23.5 to 15.0 percent in 7 days and natural air was able to dry the same amount of rough rice from 20.0 to 5 percent in l2 days. 3. Drying with solar heat reduced the required drying time to dry the same amount of rough rice into a half compared to natural air drying, but overdrying problems of the bottom layer were so severe that these problems should be thoroughly analyzed. 4. Simulation model of temperature in stored grain was developed and the results of predicted temperature agreed well with test results. 5. Based on those simulated temperature, changes in the grain-temperature were a large at the points of the wallside and the damage of the grain would be severe at the contact area of wall.

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Significance of Random Urine ${\beta}_2$-Microglobulin as a Marker for Vesico-ureteral Reflux in Children with Urinary Tract Infection (요로감염 환자에서 방광요관역류의 지표로서 무작위 추출뇨중 ${\beta}_2$-microglobulin의 의의)

  • Kim Ji-Hong;Kim Pyung-Kil
    • Childhood Kidney Diseases
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.72-79
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    • 1999
  • Renal scarring associated with vesico-ureteral reflux(VUR) is one of the major causes of end stage renal failure and renal hypertension in children. Urinary ${\beta}_2$-microglobulin(MG) has been suggested as a potential marker for presence of renal tubular damage. This study was designed to evaluate the significance of random urine ${\beta}_2$-MG as a predictor of presence of vesico-ureteral reflux in children with urinary tract infection(UTI). 57 children with urinary tract infection were studied. Patients were devided into two groups; 35($78.9\%$) children have UTI without VUR and 12($21.1\%$) children have UTI and VUR. Beta2-MG and creatinine in random urine sample was measured to decide the excretion ratio(${\beta}_2$-MG/creatinine). Among the 57 children with UTI, 44 children were confirmed by urine culture study and 13 children suspected by compatible clinical feature. Random urine ${\beta}_2$-MG of VUR group ($2.2{\pm}5.91$ mg/L) were significantly higher than that of simple UTI group($0.19{\pm}0.16mg/L$)(P=0.03). The ${\beta}_2$-MG/creatinine ratio of VUR group($32.41{\pm}25.7$) were significantly higher than that of simple UTI group($3.93{\pm}3.44$)(P=0.007). In conclusion, random urine ${\beta}_2$-MG and excretion ratio deserved early predictor of presence of VUR in children with UTI. And this method was more simple and inexpensive than the method of measuring ${\beta}_2$-MG with 24 hour urine collection, so might be a useful screening test for VUR in children with UTI.

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Study on new casing materials of Agaricus bisporus (양송이의 새로운 복토재료에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Yong-Gyun;Lee, Byung-Joo;Lee, Sun-Gye;Lee, Byung-Eui
    • Journal of Mushroom
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.147-154
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    • 2018
  • This study was aimed to improve the productivity and income of mushroom farming by developing a new casing material as a substitute for clay loam casing soil, which is becoming more difficult to acquire. When the new casing materials were used for the stable production of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), a 1:1 mixture of clay loam and button mushroom media obtained after harvest supported 13% greater mycelial growth ($32.0kg/3.3m^2$). This material was better than clay loam soil in preventing contamination with environmental compounds and pests. The use of an inexpensive 1:1 mixture of peat moss and coco peat resulted superior mycelial growth with 4% better yield ($32.9kg/3.3m^2$) compared with conventional clay loam soil. Advantages of these casing materials included ready availability and improved productivity. Mixtures of peat moss + coco peat + zeolite (50%:30%:20%) and coco peat + coal ash (75%:25%) could substitute for conventional casing soil. Additionally, the novel mixtures containing material obtained after cultivation might be used to produce organic fertilizer.

The Inflow of the Creative-Class and Forming of Cultural Landscape on the Kyunglidan-Gil (경리단길 창조계급의 유입과정과 문화경관 형성요인)

  • Yang, Hee eun;Son, Yong-Hoon
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.41 no.6
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    • pp.158-170
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    • 2013
  • With the recent 'Creative economy' and 'Cultural prosperity' coming to the fore as a new code to build up a city or a region, it is necessary to focus on strengthening the regional creative capacity as well as developing spontaneous regional culture. In such trend this research aims to explore the Kyunglidan-gil, Seoul, Korea in which creative-class are appearing autogenously in clusters and forming new cultural landscape, to identify the factors of their accumulation and changing aspect of cultural landscape. This study has the following purposes: First, Investigating the historical context of the Kyunglidan-gil's landscape. Second, considering the process of the creative-class being flowed into the Kyunglidan-gil as the subject leading to the modification of the region. Third, their activity was analyzed to consider the unique aspect of forming the cultural landscape at the Kyunglidan-gil. Regarding why the creative-class should flow in, results of the study drew five factors including region in issue compared to inexpensive rents, coexistence with nature, quiet atmosphere seeming isolated from the urban confusion, location possible to test and share individual materials one likes, and a site with synergy effect of activity through the network with acquaintances. Also, five characteristics of cultural landscape forming by the people's activity were drawn - space of communication for increasing creativity, temporary and flexible spatial use, expression of one's identity and taste, distinguishing, and positive use of the existing facilities. Like this, by exposing the 'creative-class', a subject of the leader in changing process of the Kyunglidan-gil, this research identified the aspect of forming cultural landscape.

A study on an application of 'Virtual Reality Therapy' concerning a technology of real-time interaction. (실시간 상호작용 기술의 '가상현실치료' 적용에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Jeong-Hwan
    • Cartoon and Animation Studies
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    • s.22
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    • pp.81-97
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    • 2011
  • The technology of 'Virtual Reality' has placed in advanced tools for human beings' joy and anger together with sorrow and pleasure in our generation. It has recently tried in a variety ways to use as an implication for treatment in the field of Cognitive Psychology. Especially, it widely approaches to human in terms of that a sense of reality in a virtual world through the five senses should reinterpret the meaning of cognition in the real world. Based on this paradigm shift, it allows for new treatment using the technology of virtual reality. A typical example is a field of Therapy in order to overcome panic disorder. It has advantages that in particular development of flexible interaction technologies in a virtual space can lead patients to experience psychological environments rather than physical one. the interaction technology provides environments in which users' five senses can be actively stimulated, it is very useful that information from the experiences in the virtual world allows people to learn through real experiences by renewing potential energies, advantages of Virtual Reality Therapy can be customized treatment by depending on symptoms in patients with panic disorder and are capable of differentiate application for the cure at each stage. It is to treat by leading patients to get accustomed to environments and situations in real world through care process with each symptom and stage. It is helpful that based on A Human-Sensibility Ergonomics, technologies like immersive virtual reality equipment, force-relative feedback and stereophonic sound, and like stimulating the sense of smell make people to induce experiences by stimulating human's five senses. There are many advantages of immersion in virtual world in that the phenomenon such as challenge, interaction, reality, illusion, and cooperation is expanded. As an application for therapy by growing such augmented reality, virtual space and sharing of data through the Internet and also inexpensive its availability have recently expanded the base. There are other benefits of Virtual Reality Therapy offering active interaction environments for cognitive experience which can provide appropriately adjusted environments for patients who are hard to overcome the real situation because of phobia. In addition to that it is safe and economical and patients' confidentiality is assured. Moreover, due to the principles of applying real-time navigation the Virtual Reality Therapy makes modification and supplementation easier and also it can reduce cybersickness because of the supply of Lenticular allowing people to see stereoscopy without eyeglasses, which makes sense of presence clearer. On top of that due to the development of interactive technologies, it is becoming close to sense of reality similar to real world by leading users to navigate by themselves and to operate objects in a virtual space. This paper will therefore examine, although it is of limited, characteristics of application of virtual reality technology based on A Human-Sensibility Ergonomics used for treatment for a disorder. this paper will analyse a range of its application and problems and it will suggest the future possibilities.

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