• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1016-1023
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• 2006

The water content of dewatered cake produced from belt press dewatering equipment was about 75 wt% which was some high to handle it, so the equipment contained a limit at the economical and environmental aspect. The thermal dewatering equipment built as an alternative to overcome several problems was set up at the sludge treatment field and estimated some feasibility as comparison with the dewatering performance of belt press. First, dewatering properties of waterworks sludge was analyzed by monthly. The sludge of a water shortage season contained a high organic content which led to be difficult to dewater the cake, the other side the sludge of rainwater season was ease to dewater because of low organic content. According to the results to analysis the water content of dewatered cake produced from two equipments on the base of the seasonal dewatering properties, the water content of dewatered cake produced from thermal dewatering for sludge of water shortage season was $41.6{\sim}48.3$ wt% and $71{\sim}84$ wt% from belt press. In the case of rainwater season, the water content of dewatered cake produced from thermal dewatering was $34{\sim}37.7$ wt% and $57{\sim}70$ wt% from belt press. It was understood that thereduction of water content of cake by thermal dewatering was larger than belt press. The economical aspect for two equipments was evaluated on considering the reduction of cake treatment amount as the decrease of water content of cake. When putting the cost index of thermal dewatering into 100, belt press was 121. This meant that thermal dewater was more economical than belt press by about 20% in the side of construction and operation. In conclusion, thermal dewatering equipment was estimated by producing the low water content dewatered cake as well as being operated with low coat.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.383-392
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• 2009

Xanthii fructus which is well known as "Chang-ihjah" in Korea is the dried fruit of Xanthium strumarium L. (or Xanthium sibiricum PATR. Ex WIDD., Asteraceae. XS). Water extract of this fruit has been used for treatment of various inflammatory diseases such as tympanitis, allergic rhinitis, or ozena as alternative therapy material usually by oral administration in far Eastern countries including Korea. In this study, the effect of XS extract (XS-E) or XS-30% acetone fraction layer (XS-30% AFL) on the differentiation of $CD4^+$ T cells isolated from NC/Nga mouse and the production of IL-17 was investigated. The experimental results showed that $100\;{\mu}g$/mL of XS-E could decrease the production of IL-17 by $CD4^+$ Th17 cells by 2 fold and only $20\;{\mu}g$/mL of XS-30% AFL could inhibit 3.5 fold. The amount of IL-17A and IL-22 mRNA determined by real-time PCR was decreased remarkably when XS-E or XS-30% AFL was treated on $CD4^+$ Th17 cells(p<0.01, p<0.001). The amount of IL-17A protein determined by ELISA was also decreased remarkably(p<0.05, p<0.001). To study the effect of XS-E or XS-30% AFL on the proliferation of Th17 cells, $CD4^+$ T cells of a NC/Nga mouse was firstly differentiated by rIL-6/TGF-$\beta$ and then stimulated by rIL-23. The control group of Th17 cells were doubled every each day, while those of XS-E or XS-30% AFL treated group were shown to be delayed remarkably by these extracts. In conclusion, XS can inhibit the differentiation of Th17 cells of NC/Nga mouse and the production of IL-17 successfully, which may be a beneficial result for the treatment of atopic skin dermatitis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.296-301
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• 2014

Rotavirus is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children in developed and developing countries. The use of probiotics for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases is both safe and easily accessible. In this study, we evaluated the anti-rotaviral activities of probiotic mixtures in a Sprague-Dawley rat. 24 litters with their dams were randomly assigned to four groups; placebo, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and two probiotic mixture (PRO-1 and PRO-2) groups. All rats were inoculated with rotavirus at dose of 8 log plaque forming units per rat at 5 days old. Animals in the PRO-1 and PRO-2 groups were orally administered probiotic mixtures 1 or 2, respectively, at a dose of 8 log colony forming units daily during 4 days. For control purposes, placebo and PBS groups were orally administered the same amount of placebo (containing maltose and polydextrose) or PBS once daily for 4 days, respectively. Antiviral analysis was performed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and observing intestinal villi. As a result, weights of small intestines were greater in the PRO-1, PRO-2 groups than in control groups. Villi were short and villous epithelial necrosis was exhibited in control groups, but these morphological changes were not observed in PRO-1, PRO-2 treated rats. RT-qPCR analysis showed that VP7 gene level of rotavirus in fecal samples and small intestinal epithelial cells were lower in the PRO-1 and PRO-2 groups. These findings suggest that probiotic mixtures may be useful probiotics for the treatment of or as alternative therapies for rotaviral gastroenteritis.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.55-84
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• 2015

The tuberculosis is the infectious disease. Generally, the active tuberculosis patient can infect the 10 persons for one year within the daily activities like casual conversation and singing together. The infectivity of tuberculosis can continue for a life time, and infected persons can remain at risk for developing active tuberculosis. To control this contagious disease, along with the active tuberculosis patients, non-infectious but non-compliant patients who can be infectious if their immune systems become impaired have to be managed. To control the non-complaint patients, medical treatment order should be combined with the public order. Because tuberculosis is the risk of community health, the human rights like liberty and freedom of movement can be restricted for public welfare under the article 37(2) of constitution. Even when such restriction is imposed, no essential aspect of the freedom or right shall be violated. The degree of restriction on the rights of citizens is different what methods are chosen to non-complaint patients. For example, under the directly observed therapy program, the patients and medical staffs make an appointment and meet to confirm the drug intakes according to the schedule, which is the medical treatment combined with the mildest public order. If the patients break the appointments or have the history of disobedient, the involuntary detention can obtain the legitimate cause. The Tuberculosis Prevention Act has the two step programs on this involuntary detention, The admission order (Article 15) is issued when the patients are infectious. The quarantine order (Artle 15-2) is issued when the patients are infectious and non-complaint. The legal criteria for involuntary detention are discussed and published through the international conventions and covenants. For example, World Health Organization had made guidance on human rights and involuntary detention for tuberculosis control. The restrictions should be carried out in accordance with the our law and in the legitimate objective of public interest. And the restriction should be based on scientific evidence and not imposed in an unreasonable or discriminatory manner. We define and adopt these international criteria under our constitution and legal system. Least restrictive alternative principle, proportionality principle and the individual evaluation methods are explained through the reviews of United States court decisions. Habeas Corpus Act is reviewed and adopted as the procedural due process to protect the patient rights as a citizen. Along with that, what conditions and facilities which are needed to performed quarantine order are discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.285-293
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• 2000

Purpose: A prospective comparison was made between imaging with Tc-99m pertechnetate (Tc-99m) and Ioine-131 (I-131) for the detection of residual and metastatic tissue after total thyroidectomy in patients with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Initially our patients had imaging with Tc-99m, followed by I-131 within 3 days. The study included 21 patients who had ablation with high dose of I-131 ranging from 100 mCi to 150 mCi. Planar and pinhole images were acquired for both Tc-99m and I-131. Diagnostic images of Tc-99m and I-131 were compared with post-therapy images. Degree of uptake on Tc-99m and I-131 images was scored by four point scale and compared. Results: The results of the Tc-99m study were: 16 of 19 studies (84%) were positive on simple planar images, but 19 of 20 studies (95%) were positive on pinhole images. Conventional I-131 diagnostic imaging on the other hand showed that all studies (100%) were positive on both planar and pinhole images. There was a significant difference in degree of uptake between Tc-99m and I-131 planar images (p<0.05). Only one case of Tc-99m scintigraphy was negative on both planar and pinhole studies (false negative). There was no distant metastasis on the therapeutic I-131 images. Conclusion: Tc-99m scan using pinhole in certain clinical situations is an alternative to the I-131 scan in detecting thyroid or lymph node metastasis prior to the first ablative treatment after thyroidectomy for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.3 s.108
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• pp.344-354
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• 2004

A pilot study was performed from September 2000 to April 2004 to examine the feasibility of the wetland-pond system for the agricultural reuse of reclaimed water. The wetland system was a subsurface flow type, with a hydraulic residence time of 3.5 days, and the subsequent pond was 8 $m^3$ in volume (2 m ${\times}$ 2 m ${\times}$ 2 m) and operated with intermittent-discharge and continuous flow types. The wetland system was effective in treating the sewage; median removal efficiencies of $BOD_5$ and TSS were above 70.0%, with mean effluent concentrations of 27.1 and 16.8 mg $L^{-1}$, respectively, for these constituents. However, they did often exceed the effluent water quality standards of 20 mg $L^{-1}$. Removal of T-N and T-P was relatively less effective and mean effluent concentrations were approximately 103.2 and 7.2 mg $L^{-1}$, respectively. The wetland system demonstrated high removal rate (92 ${\sim}$ 90%) of microorganisms, but effluent concentrations were in the range of 300 ${\sim}$ 16,000 MPN 100 $mL^{-1}$ which is still high for agricultural reuse. The subsequent pond system provided further treatment of the wetland effluent, and especially additional microorganisms removal in addition to wetland-pond system could reduce the mean concentration to 1,000 MPN 100 $mL^{-1}$ from about $10^5$ MPN 100 $mL^{-1}$ of wetland influent. Other parameters in the pond system showed seasonal variation, and the upper layer of the pond water column became remarkably clear immediately after ice melt. Overall, the wetland system was found to be adequate for treating sewage with stable removal efficiency, and the subsequent pond was effective for further polishing. This study concerned agricultural reuse of reclaimed water using natural systems. Considering stable performance and effective removal of bacterial indicators as well as other water quality parameters, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness, wetland- pond system was thought to be an effective and feasible alternative for agricultural reuse of reclaimed water in rural area.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
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• v.59 no.12
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• pp.1166-1172
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• 2018

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy, and identify predictors of success of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients after adjusting for intraocular pressure (IOP) changes in the untreated fellow eye. Methods: This retrospective chart review included 52 eyes of 52 OAG patients who underwent SLT in one eye and were followed-up for at least 1 year after the procedure. The IOP was measured before the treatment, at 1, 2, and 3 months posttreatment, and every 3 months thereafter. To account for the possible influence of IOP fluctuations on laser outcomes, post-laser IOP values of the treated eye of each patient were also analyzed, after adjusting for IOP changes in the untreated fellow eye. Success was defined as an IOP decrease ${\geq}20%$ of the pretreatment IOP. The success rate was determined based on Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and factors predictive of success were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: The mean pretreatment IOP was $23.17{\pm}6.96mmHg$. The mean IOP reduction was $5.59{\pm}4.78mmHg$ (29.7%) and the success rate was 65.4% at 1 year. The adjusted mean IOP reduction was $4.70{\pm}4.67mmHg$ (23.9%) and the adjusted success rate was 53.9%. Pretreatment IOP was associated with SLT success; the higher the pretreatment IOP, the greater the post-laser IOP reduction (p = 0.025). Age and mean deviation index did not show a significant association with SLT success (p = 0.066 and p = 0.464, respectively). Conclusions: SLT is a safe and effective alternative method of IOP reduction in OAG patients. Herein, pretreatment IOP was the only factor significantly associated with SLT success. IOP fluctuations of the untreated eye should be considered for a better understanding of the impact of treatment.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1245-1251
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• 2011

As a result of the growing livestock industry, varieties of organic solid and waste biomass are be generated in swine breeding and slaughtering stages. Anaerobic digestion is a promising alternative for the treatment of livestock waste biomass, as well as for the material recovery and energy production. Objectives of this study were to analyze the biochemical methane potential of swine waste biomasses that were generated from swine pen and slaughterhouse and to investigate the material recovery and methane yield per head. As pig waste biomass, swine slurry, blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content were collected for investigation from pig farmhouse and slaughterhouse. The $B_{th}$ (Theoretical methane potential) and $B_0$ (Biochemical methane potential) of swine slurry generating in swine breeding stage were 0.525 and $0.360Nm^3\;kg^{-1}-VS_{added}$, the ratio of degradation ($B_0/B_{th}$) was 68.6%. $B_{th}$ of blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content were 0.539, 0.664, and $0.517Nm^3\;kg^{-1}-VS_{added}$, and $B_0$ were 0.405, 0.213, and $0.240Nm^3\;kg^{-1}-VS_{added}$, respectively. And the ratio of degradation showed 75.1, 32.1, and 46.4% in blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content. Material yield of swine waste biomass was calculated as TS 73.79, VS 46.75, TN 5.58, $P_2O_5$ 1.94, and $K_2O$ $2.91kg\;head^{-1}$. And methane yield was $16.58Nm^3\;head^{-1}$. In the aspect that slaughterhouse is a large point source of waste biomass, while swine farmhouse is non-point source, the feasibility of an anaerobic digestion using the slaughtering waste biomass need to be assessed in the economical aspect between the waste treatment cost and the profitable effect by methane production.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.734-744
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• 2011

A soil stabilization method is an effective and practical remediation alternative for arsenic (As) and heavy metal contaminated farmland soils nearby abandoned metal mine in Korea. This method is a technique whereby amendments are incorporated and mixed with a contaminated soil. Toxic metal bind to the amendments, which reduce their mobility in soil, so the successful stabilization of multi-element contaminated soil depends on the combination of critical elements in the soil and the type of amendments. The objective of this study is to investigate the treatment effects and applicability of limestone (LS) and steel refining slag (SRS) as the amendment for farmland soil contaminated with As and heavy metals, and a lab-column test was conducted for achieving this purpose. The result showed that soil treated with LS and SRS maintained pH buffer capacity and, as a result, the heavy metal leaching concentration was quite low below the water quality standard compared to untreated soil which leachate exceeding the water quality standard was observed, however, the arsenic concentration rather increased with increasing mixture ratio of SRS. This was believed to be related to phosphorus (P) contained in SRS, and dominancy in the competitive adsorption relation between As and P binding strongly to iron might be different according to soil characteristic. We suggested that LS is a effective amendment for reducing heavy metals in soil, and SRS should be used after investigating its applicability based on the adsorption selectivity of arsenic and phosphorus in selected soil.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.381-389
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• 2019

Although the development of Drug-eluting stent (DES) improved the ISR significantly more than the Bare metal stent (BMS), the coronary stent restenosis (ISR) treatment still has a high recurrence rate. This study is compared the efficacy of DEB with that of DES implantation in patients with ISR. Among 4,316 patients who underwent coronary stent implantation at the Chonnam National University Hospital between November 2012 and December 2016, 187 patients developed ISR on follow-up coronary angiography ($66.3{\pm}11.0years$, 123 males) were enrolled and divided into two groups according to revascularization method as group I (DEB group; n=127) and group II (DES group; n=60). Primary end point was defined as major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), composite of cardiac death (CD), myocardial infaction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR) and stent thrombosis (ST) during two-year follow-up between the two groups. There were no differences in the baseline characteristics and angiographic findings except that prevalence of device length was shorter ($21.1{\pm}5.3$ vs. $25.3{\pm}9.6 mm$, p<0.002) in group I.Two-year MACE were not different in the two groups (8.7%vs.10.0%, p=0.789). The incidences of cardiac death (0%vs.0%, p=1.000), MI (1.6%vs.6.7%, p=0.085), TLR(8.7% vs. 10.0%, p=0.789) and ST (0% vs. 0%, p=1000). DEB demonstrated comparable risk reduction for MACEs compared with DES in patients with ISR during two-year follow-up. DEB might be good alternative for the treatment of ISR in patients with ISR.