• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.213-221
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• 2021

The study investigates the impact of the environmental protection tax, along with other factors such as attitude, subjective norm, environmental concern, and the availability of substitutes on the use of plastic bags in Vietnam. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was prepared for data collection. The questionnaire employed a 5-point Likert scale with "completely disagree" at 1 and "completely agree" at 5. A total of 327 questionnaires were returned. However, only 291 valid responders were used in the analysis. The Cronbach's Alpha and the exploratory factor analysis were applied to test the scale reliability and discover the structure of the scales. Afterwards, we conducted the confirmatory factor analysis and the structural equation modeling to analyze collected data. The study shows that attitude is an important factor influencing the plastic bag use of consumers. Other factors that also lead to a decline in plastic bags are subjective norm and environmental concern. Meanwhile, the availability of substitutes does not affect consumers' green behavior. Moreover, the major findings of the research suggest the relationship between the environmental protection tax and the use of plastic bags is not statistically significant. In other words, tax policy may fail to change the habit of using plastic bags in Vietnam.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.10
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• pp.197-205
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• 2021

This study aims to investigate factors influencing customer behavior towards nylon bags and single-use plastics. These factors are environmental protection awareness, health protection awareness, sense of responsibility, expectations, and green marketing. A quantitative method with the use of surveys is deployed to collect data of young people under 30, generating 1650 valid responses. The collected data is then analyzed with SPSS 22, using Cronbach's Alpha and Exploratory Factor Analysis to test the reliability of the model before validating the hypotheses by regression analysis. The study found that the majority of respondents are inclined to use plastic bags, despite their environmental awareness. The results also demonstrate that health consciousness, environmental concerns, self-driven responsibility for the sustainability of young people have a significant impact on their behaviors in using nylon bags and plastic products, whereas expectation and green marketing are confirmed not to be the factors. The study suggests that if green marketing is to gain higher influence, an increase in research and development to support other environmentally friendly packaging would be the right path. Finally, this research proposes some feasible recommendations for the government, which include imposing bolder and more targeted environmental policies on consumers and introducing educational campaigns to raise awareness about minimizing plastic consumption.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2020

Background: Curcuma longa L., a perennial crop originating from tropical and subtropical region, including India, is noted for its important medicinal properties. However, C. longa plants are unable to endure the winter season in Korea, and its rhizomes were invariably succumb to fungal infection when stored in polyvinyl bags. In this study, we accordingly sought to develop a C. longa variety capable of producing high rhizome yields and to identify stable conditions under which rhizomes can be stored in Korea. Methods and Results: We evaluated the agronomic characteristics of nine C. longa germplasms and examined the effects of storing rhizomes at different temperatures (4℃ to 24℃) in paper bags or plastic baskets. We found that the finger rhizomes was higher in CUR02, CUR03, and CUR06 germplasms than those of other groups. Furthermore, in terms of yield per 1 ㎡, the weights of the finger rhizomes and tuberous roots were significantly higher in CUR09 (3.4 ㎏/㎡) and CUR04 (678.7 g/㎡) than those of other groups. Therefore, we consider that these C. longa germplasms might be useful as breeding material. Although the fresh weights of the rhizomes were slightly reduced when stored in paper bags and a plastic baskets at 10℃ to 15℃, there was no evidence of fungal decomposition or sprouting, which is observed when using a conventional storage method. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the selected C. longa germplasms can provide a useful source of breeding material for the development of high yielding varieties and that a temperature ranging from 10℃ to 15℃ and the use of paper bags or plastic baskets provide stable post-harvest storage conditions for C. longa rhizomes.

• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.164-167
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• 2012

The effects of aeration through lid filters on the hyphal growth of Lentinula edodes (oak mushroom) in sawdust cultivation bags were investigated. The aeration treatment levels were traditional 27 mm hole cotton plugs, cotton balls and combinations of seven hole sizes ${\times}$ two hole positions (up and under) in the lids covering plastic bags containing 1.4 kg sawdust medium at 63% moisture that had been autoclaved for one hour and inoculated with sawdust spawn of L. edodes strain 921. Aeration treatment effects were measured based on the $CO_2$ concentration at the 15th wk, as well as the hyphal growth rate and degree of weight loss of bags every 14 days for 15 wk. In bags with traditional cotton plugs, the $CO_2$ concentration was $3.8{\pm}1.3%$, daily mean hyphal growth was $2.3{\pm}0.6mm$ and daily mean weight loss was $0.84{\pm}0.26g$. In the bags with 15 mm diameter holes, the $CO_2$ concentration was $6.0{\pm}1.6%$, daily hyphal growth was $2.8{\pm}0.2mm$ and daily weight loss was $0.86{\pm}0.4g$. The bags with 15 mm holes had a higher $CO_2$ concentration and lower water loss than bags with other hole sizes, but the hyphal growth was not significantly different from that of other bags. The weight loss of bags increased proportionally relative to the lid hole sizes. Taken together, these results indicate that traditional cotton plugs are economically efficient, but 15 mm hole lids are the most efficient at maintaining hyphal growth and controlling water loss while allowing $CO_2$ emissions.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 1990

For efficient use of solar energy in plastic greenhouse, thermal storage system was developed. The system was constructed with the counter-flow type air-water heat exchanger using a thin polyethylene film as a medium of heat exchange parts. Experiments were carried out to investigate the heat exchange rate, optimum water flow rate, overall heat transfer coefficient, and the effectiveness of the counter-flow type air-water heat exchanger with polyethylene film bags. Mathematical model to predict air temperature leaving heat exchanger was developed. The results obtained in the present study are summarized as follows. 1. Heat exchange rate in the counter-flow type air-water heat exchanger with polyethylene film bags was compared to that of polyethylene film. Heat exchange rate was almost identical at air velocity of 0.5m/s on polyethylene film surface. But, heat exchange rate of heat exchanger with polyethylene film bag was $32{\sim}55KJ/m^2$ hr higher than that of polyethylene film at air velocity of 1.0m/s. 2. Considering the formation of uniform water film and the sufficient heat exchange rate of polyethylene film bags, optimum water flow rate in polyethylene film bags was $3.0{\sim}6.0{\ell}/m^2$ min. 3. The overall heat transfer coefficient of polyethylene film bags was found to be $35.0{\sim}130.0KJ/m^2\;hr\;^{\circ}C$ corresponding to the air velocity ranging 0.5 to 4.0 m/s on polyethylene film surface. And the overall heat transfer coefficient showed almost linearly increasing tendency to the variation of air velocity. 4. Mathematical model to predict air temperature leaving the heat exchanger was developed, resulting in a good agreement between the experimental and predicted values. But, the experimental results were a little lower than predicted. 5. Effectiveness of heat exchanger for the experiment was found to be 0.40~0.81 corresponding to the number of transfer units due to the variation of air velocity ranging 0.6 to 1.7 m/s.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.37-40
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• 2015

Poria cocos is an edible and pharmaceutical mushroom with a long history of medicinal use in Korea. For the last 30 years, the domestic cultivated supply of Poria cocos has been unable to meet consumer demand, so Poria cocos is collected in mountainous areas and also imported from China. Thus, to increase the supply of Poria cocos, many artificial cultivation methods have been studied. In this study, Poria cocos is cultivated under different environmental conditions using plastic bags and the results compared. When cultivating Poria cocos at different temperatures (20, 25, 30 and $35^{\circ}C$) and using different numbers of plastic bag layers (1, 2), the most efficient cultivation conditions were a temperature of $25-30^{\circ}C$ and 2 plastic bag layers. The fastest growth was at $25-30^{\circ}C$, and the Poria cocos exhibited no weight change when cultivated using layers of plastic bags (1, 2).

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.161-187
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• 2021

To address threats to the natural environment, the government in Pakistan has banned the use of plastic bags for shopping. The concept of governmentality presented by Michel Foucault explores the techniques of governance and defines law not just as the manifestation of sovereign power but also as a technique of governance involving a range of organized practices designed to shape mentalities to achieve certain desired ends in subjects which claim to be for the welfare of the population. The present study explores the perceptions of the consumers regarding the rationality of the government behind the ban and also highlights the effectiveness of the use of law as a technique of governance. A qualitative approach was used by conducting fifteen interviews with young consumers selected through convenience sampling. The findings suggest that the rationality of the government behind the ban was received well by the consumers and the ban was viewed as a positive and pro-environmental step. The use of law as a technique of governance also proved to be effective in the said case because the people did not perceive the law as coercive despite the radical change it brought to their shopping practices. The present study contributes to the development of the theoretical understanding of governmentality and its sub-concept of the use of law as a technique of governance.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.676-679
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• 2006

Purpose: Breast volume is one of the crucial measurements in preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation of the results in mammoplasty. There are several methods suggested by different authors, but there is still no commonly accepted standard methods for measuring breast volume. To help the surgeons to base their estimation on an objective evaluation, we developed a simple method using Polyethylene bag and plaster molding. Methods: After Polyethylene bags were put in suitable size on both breasts of the patient in upright position, silk plaster was molded on the surface evenly. Then molds can be obtained after marking boundaries of breasts with a pen. Breast volume measurement can be done by filling water in the molds and measuring it. Moreover, postoperative design for natural skin brassier was possible using the molds. Results: This method was applied to 2 patients for reduction mammoplasty and the breast volume measurement was simple, hygienic and accurate, done within 10 minutes. Conclusion: This method using Polyethylene bag and plaster molding has several advantages. 1. It is comparatively accurate regardless of the size and shape of patient's breasts in upright position. 2. Measurement time is short and inconvenience and shame of patients can be reduced by making molds after putting on Polyethylene bags. 3. It is relatively economical and uses easily available hygienic materials. 4. The postoperative shape and volume of breasts can be predicted by using molds preoperatively.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.335-340
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• 2006

Lower palpebral bags and tear trough grooves are the common signs of aging. Weakness of the orbital septum, atrophy of the orbicularis oculi muscle, slackness and laxity of the lower lid skin are the main causes of these aging changes. Tear trough groove with skeletonization of the lower orbital rim can not be corrected easily by the conventional lower blepharoplasty, but the augmentation of the volume, can be an effective method. Lower lids provide a well vascularized recipient site, which is vital for proper grafting of fat to occur. We treated tear trough groove with free fat graft of surgically removed orbital fat. Surgical excision of the fat pad and septal reinforcement with free fat graft below the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle were performed to correct tear trough groove. This technique was performed in 29 consecutive individuals from October, 2001 to January, 2005. Palpebral bags and tear trough groove were corrected concomitantly and obtained a youthful attractive midface with no secondary hollowness of lower lid and irregularity. The overall results obtained were satisfactory without any complications. Recurrence of tear trough deformity due to grafted fat absorption was not noted during the 7 months of the follow-up period. The authors conclude that the procedure is safe and effective in selected patients.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2000.11c
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• pp.729-735
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• 2000

Moisture loss of fresh fruits and vegetables is a main cause of deterioration. It resulted not only in the direct quantitative loss, but also in change in appearance, texture and nutrition. To reduce the loss of moisture content during the distribution in the market, fresh products are packaged using plastic films. But, most of the fresh products are packaged manually in Korea. In order to minimize the labor requirement, the packaging machine for fruits and vegetables was developed and tested. Prototype was composed of film feeding unit, bag former, products feeding conveyor, film feeding roller, center sealer, end sealer and discharge conveyor. Green peppers, carrots and perilla leaves were tested with prototype. Prototype could pack 1780, 1390, 1780 bags per hour at the feeding speed of 0.08m/s respectively and 2250, 1810, 2640bags per hour at the feeding speed of 0.10m/s respectively. And packaging speed of green peppers and carrots was improved by 3.7 and 3.4 times compared with manual packaging. The packaging condition with the prototype was good and the products had almost no damages.