• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.168-176
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• 2007

When the rubber vulcanizates reinforced with carbon black or silica are subjected to cyclic loading from its virgin state, the stress required on reloading is less than that on the initial loading. This stress softening phenomenon is referred to as the Mullins effect. The strain energy function of rubber vulcanizates was investigated using theory of pseudo-elasticity incorporated damage parameter that Ogden and Roxburgh have proposed to describe the damage-induced stress softening effect in rubber-like solids. The quasi-static cyclic loading test was performed using the NR-SBR vulcanizates reinforced with carbon black, and then the effect of a damage parameter to stress-strain curve in reloading and subsequent reloading paths was studied. The strain energy function of the rubber vulcanizates with a different filler content was also evaluated.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.555-560
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• 2008

Polymer-modified mortars have been largely used as paving materials, flooring, waterproofing material, adhesives, anticorrosive linings, deck coverings, and other various materials. The various types and properties of the mixed polymer largely affect the characteristics of polymer-modified mortar that has been mixed with polymer latexes. Consequently, its application purposes are varied according to these properties. This paper investigates the typical properties of polymer-modified mortars that contain styrene and butyl acrylate latexes and styrene butadiene rubber. They are then tested to obtain air contents, water-cement ratios, flexural and compressive strengths, water absorption, and chloride-ion penetration. From the test results, the superior flexural strength of polymer-modified mortars is obtained at a S/BA-2 and a polymer-cement ratio of 20%. And, the water absorption and chloride ion penetration depth are greatly affected by the polymer-cement ratio rather than the types of polymer. In the polymer-modified mortar and concrete structures, aggregates are bound by such a co-matrix phase, resulting in the superior properties of polymer-modified mortar and concrete compared to conventional mortar and concrete.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.200-207
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• 2017

A new approach to the solubilization of waste activated sludge (WAS) using alginate-quaternary ammonium complex beads was investigated under controlled mild alkaline conditions. The complex beads were prepared by the reaction of sodium alginate (SA) with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl-octadecyldimethylammonium chloride (TSA) in acid solution, followed by crosslinking with $CaCl_2$. Treatment of WAS with SA-TSA complex beads was effective for enhancing the efficacy of WAS solubilization. The highest value of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) concentration (3,900 mg/L) was achieved after 10 days of treatment with 30% (v/v) SA-TSA complex beads. The WAS solubilization efficacy of the complex beads was also evaluated by estimating the concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The maximum value of VFAs was 2,961 mg/L, and the overall proportions of VFAs were more than 75% of SCOD. The main components of VFAs were acetic, propionic, iso-butyric, and butyric acids. These results suggest that SA-TSA complex beads might be useful for enhancing the solubilization of WAS. The potential use of VFAs as the external carbon substrate for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) by a mixed microbial culture (MMC) was also examined. The enrichment of PHA-accumulating MMC could be achieved by periodic feeding of VFAs generated from WAS in a sequencing batch reactor. The composition of PHA synthesized from VFAs mainly consisted of 3-hydroxybutyrate. The maximum PHA content accounted for 25.9% of dry cell weight. PHA production by this process is considered to be promising since it has a doubly beneficial effect on the environment by reducing the amount of WAS and concomitantly producing an eco-friendly biopolymer.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.111-127
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• 2023

Purpose: Gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga) is increasingly used in nuclear medicine imaging for various conditions such as lymphoma and neuroendocrine tumors by labeling tracers like Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) and DOTA-TOC. However, compared to Fluorine-18 (¹⁸F) used in conventional nuclear medicine imaging, ⁶⁸Ga has lower spatial resolution and relatively higher Signal to Background Ratio (SBR). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the optimized parameters and reconstruction methods for PET/CT imaging using the ⁶⁸Ga radiotracer through model-based image evaluation. Materials and Methods: Based on clinical images of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT, a NEMA/IEC 2008 PET phantom model was prepared with a Hot vs Background (H/B) ratio of 10:1. Images were acquired for 9 minutes in list mode using DMIDR (GE, Milwaukee WI, USA). Subsequently, reconstructions were performed for 1 to 8 minutes using OS-EM (Ordered Subset Expectation Maximization) + TOF (Time of Flight) + Sharp IR (VPFX-S), and BSREM (Block Sequential Regularized Expectation Maximization) + TOF + Sharp IR (QCFX-S-400), followed by comparative evaluation. Based on the previous experimental results, images were reconstructed for BSREM + TOF + Sharp IR / 2 minutes (QCFX-S-2min) with varying β-strength values from 100 to 700. The image quality was evaluated using AMIDE (freeware, Ver.1.0.1) and Advanced Workstation (GE, USA). Results: Images reconstructed with QCFX-S-400 showed relatively higher values for SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio), CNR (Contrast to Noise Ratio), count, RC (Recovery Coefficient), and SUV (Standardized Uptake Value) compared to VPFX-S. SNR, CNR, and SUV exhibited the highest values at 2 minutes/bed acquisition time. RC showed the highest values for a 10 mm sphere at 2 minutes/bed acquisition time. For small spheres of 10 mm and 13 mm, an inverse relationship between β-strength increase and count was observed. SNR and CNR peaked at β-strength 400 and then decreased, while SUV and RC exhibited a normal distribution based on sphere size for β-strength values of 400 and above. Conclusion: Based on the experiments, PET/CT imaging using the ⁶⁸Ga radiotracer yielded the most favorable quantitative and qualitative results with a 2 minutes/bed acquisition time and BSREM reconstruction, particularly when applying β-strength 400. The application of BSREM can enhance accurate quantification and image quality in ⁶⁸Ga PET/CT imaging, and an optimization process tailored to each institution's imaging objectives appears necessary.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.65-66
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• 2005

Anaerobic digestion is one of the well-known methods for biological treatment handling of concentrated organic matter such as swine $wastewater.^{1)} The anaerobic digestion can reduce organic loading but also hydrolyze non-biodegradable organic $matter.^{2)}$ The feces from the scrapper-type barn are usually collected to make compost and the urine is discarded with swine-slurry wastewater by ocean-dumping or treated by biological methods. The lagoon, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, SBR, $A^{2}/O$, and UCT have been applied for treating swine $wastewater.^{3)} In this study, as a result of the analysis of swine wastewater, the total and soluble chemical oxygen demand was 130g/L and 60g/L, respectively. And the volatile fatty acid as chemical oxygen demand equivalent was 45g/L, which was 75% of soluble chemical oxygen demand. Before everything else, ammonia nitrogen concentration was 6.5 g/L. From biochemical acidogenic potential test, it was concluded that the enhanced acidification process to manage swine waste should be operated in the ammonia nitrogen concentration of less than 1.2 g/L. In the result of seeding ratio experiments with artificial $wastewater^{4)}, the lag period of acidogens was taken the long time because of the inhibition by the $ammonia^{5)}$, however no difference of period by the seeding ratio was not shown. The Haldane-based biokinetics were also evaluated using a method of fourth order Runge-Kutta $approximation.^{6,7)}$ The nonlinear least squares (NLLS) method with a 95% confidence interval was also used. The ranges of maximum microbial growth rate, ${/mu_{max}}$, and half saturation coefficient, $K_{s}$, for acidogenesis of various seeding ratio with artificial wastewater were 6.1 ~ 12.6 $d^{-1}$ and 45,000 ~ 53,500 mg glucose/L, respectively. Also, the methanogenic microbial yield coefficient, Y, and microbial decay rate coefficient, $k_{d}$, and inhibition substrate concentration, $K_{si}$, for the reactors were determined to be 0.32 ~ 0.465 ${/mu}g$/mg glucose; 0.42 ~ 1.01 $d^{-1}$ and 51,500 ~ 55,600 mg glucose/L, respectively.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.548-558
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• 2013

In this work, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is used to investigate soil samples collected from different desert areas of Riyadh city in Saudi Arabia. Both qualitative analysis and plasma parameters are studied via the observed LIBS spectra. These experiments have been done using a Spectrolaser-7000 system with 50 mJ fundamental wavelength of Nd:YAG laser and detection delay time of 1 microsecond. Many spectral lines are highly resolved for many elements like Al, Fe, Mg, Si, Mn, Na, Ca and K. The electron temperatures Te and electron densities Ne, for the constituent of generated LIBS plasma, are determined for all the collected samples. It is found that both Te and Ne vary from one desert area to other. This variation is due to the change of the elemental concentration in different desert areas that affects the sample's matrices. Time dependent measurements have also been performed on the soil samples. While the signal-to-base ratio (SBR) reached its optimal value at 1 microsecond, the plasma parameters Ne and Te reach values of $4{\times}10^{17}cm^{-3}$ and 9235 K, respectively, at 2.5 microsecond. The later indicate that the plasma cooling processes are slow in comparison to the previously observed results for metallic samples. The observed results show also that in the future it is possible to enhance the exploitation of LIBS in the remote on-line environmental monitoring application, by following up only the values of Ne and Te for one element of the soil desert sample using an optical fiber probe.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.535-545
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• 2020

This study aims to conserve and monitor energy use in public sewage treatment plants by utilizing data from the SCADA system and by controlling the aeration rate required for maintaining effluent water quality. Power consumption in the sewage treatment process was predicted using the equipment's uptime, efficiency, and inherent power consumption. The predicted energy consumption was calibrated by measured data. Additionally, energy efficiency indicators were proposed based on statistical data for energy use, capacity, and effluent quality. In one case study, a sewage treatment plant operated via the SBR process used ~30% of energy consumed in maintaining the bioreactors and treated water tanks (included decanting pump and cleaning systems). Energy consumption analysis with the K-ECO Tool-kit was conducted for unit processing. The results showed that about 58.7% of total energy consumed was used in the preliminary and biological treatment rotating equipment such as the blower and pump. In addition, the energy consumption rate was higher to the order of 19.2% in the phosphorus removal process, 16.0% during sludge treatment, and 6.1% during disinfection and discharge. In terms of equipment energy usage, feeding and decanting pumps accounted for 40% of total energy consumed following 27% for blowers. By controlling the aeration rate based on the proposed feedback control system, the DO concentration was reduced by 56% compared pre-controls and the aeration amount decreased by 28%. The overall power consumption of the plant was reduced by 6% via aeration control.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.572-581
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• 2022

Objective : Compared to microscopes, exoscopes have advantages in field-depth, ergonomics, and educational value. Exoscopes are especially well-poised for adaptation into fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) due to their excitation source, light path, and image processing capabilities. We evaluated the feasibility of near-infrared FGS using a 3-dimensional (3D), 4 K exoscope with near-infrared fluorescence imaging capability. We then compared it to the most sensitive, commercially-available near-infrared exoscope system (3D and 960 p). In-vitro and intraoperative comparisons were performed. Methods : Serial dilutions of indocyanine-green (1-2000 ㎍/mL) were imaged with the 3D, 4 K Olympus Orbeye (system 1) and the 3D, 960 p VisionSense Iridium (system 2). Near-infrared sensitivity was calculated using signal-to-background ratios (SBRs). In addition, three patients with brain tumors were administered indocyanine-green and imaged with system 1, with two also imaged with system 2 for comparison. Results : Systems 1 and 2 detected near-infrared fluorescence from indocyanine green concentrations of >250 ㎍/L and >31.3 ㎍/L, respectively. Intraoperatively, system 1 visualized strong near-infrared fluorescence from two, strongly gadolinium-enhancing meningiomas (SBR=2.4, 1.7). The high-resolution, bright images were sufficient for the surgeon to appreciate the underlying anatomy in the near-infrared mode. However, system 1 was not able to visualize fluorescence from a weakly-enhancing intraparenchymal metastasis. In contrast, system 2 successfully visualized both the meningioma and the metastasis but lacked high resolution stereopsis. Conclusion : Three-dimensional exoscope systems provide an alternative visualization platform for both standard microsurgery and near-infrared fluorescent guided surgery. However, when tumor fluorescence is weak (i.e., low fluorophore uptake, deep tumors), highly sensitive near-infrared visualization systems may be required.

• 전자공학회논문지 IE
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2011

In this paper, we propose a method to improve the performance of initial channel estimation (CE) for the multiband-OFDM (MB-OFDM) UWB. The performance of the initial CE can be generally improved as increasing the number of the used preamble symbols. The MB-OFDM specification presents two CE symbols per band in preamble format. The performance of CE estimation with two CE symbols may be satisfied in relatively high sensitivity -77.5 and -72.5 dBm for 200 Mbps and 480 Mbps data rate, respectively, but can not be enough in the degraded 55 Mbps and 110 Mbps sensitivities such as -83.5 and -80.5 dBm, respectively. A method proposed in this paper achieves the performance improvement by extending CE estimation region to packet synchronization (PS) symbols and frame synchronization (FS) symbols including two CE symbols. This can improve the CE performance in the degraded SNR and increase the link-margin by reducing the error rate in physical-layer header. The link-margin improvement obtained by the proposed CE preamble can induce the decrease of error-rate in physical-layer header and increase of communication throughput. Simulation results for the proposed initial method show that the performance is improved by about 0.7 dB at 10-4 bit-error-rate using '4' symbols than initial method using only two CE symbols.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.994-1001
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• 2001

An easier way of understanding the BNR system was proposed from the study on substrate, nutrient removal tendency, microbial community and its metabolic function by applying the municipal settled sewage. During the anaerobic period, the phosphorus release rate per VFACOD we varied depending on the phosphorus content in the sludge. When the phosphorus content in the sludge was $6\%$ VSS, according to influent VFACOD, the phosphorus release rate and PHA production were $0.35 gPO_4P/gVFACOD$ and 1.0 gPHA/gVFACOD, respectively. The $NO_3N$ requirement for the phosphorus uptake as an electron acceptor was about $0.5 gNO_3N/gPO_4P_{uptake}$ based on the proposed equation with PHA, biomass, production, and the concentration of phosphorus release/uptake. Bacterial-community analysis of the sludge, as determined by FISH and 16SrDNA characterization FISH, revealed that the beta-subclass proteobacteria were the most abundant group ($27.9\%$ of the proteobacteria-specific probe EUB338), and it was likely that representative of the beta-subclass played key roles in activated sludge. The next dominant group found was the gamma-protebacteria ($15.4\%$ of probe EUB338). 16S rDNA clone library analysis showed that the members of${\beta}$- and ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria were also the most abundant groups, and $21.5\%$ (PN2 and PN4) and $15.4\%$ (PN1 and PN5) of total clones were the genera of denitrifying bacteria and PAO, respectively. Prediction of the microbial community composition was made with phosphorus content (Pv, $\%$ P/VSS) in wasted sludge and profiles of COD, PHA, $PO_4P,\;and\;NO_3N$ in an anaerobic-anoxic SBR unit. Generally, the predicted microbial composition based upon metabolic function, i.e., as measured by stoichiometry, is fairly similar to that measure by the unculturable dependent method. In this study, a proposal was made on he microbial community composition that was more easily approached to analyze the reactor behavior.