• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2010

Biodiesel is a type of biofuel obtained from bioresources and able to use in diesel vehicles as an alternative/additive to petro diesel. In recent biodiesel research, there are three main issues which include high quality biodiesel, low cost feed stock and a highly efficient biodiesel production process. The sustainable production and use of biodiesel are attracting much attention in the renewable energy field. In this paper, we review some of the literatures related to environmental and economic evaluation for biodiesel production and analysis the issues including life cycle assessment (LCA), global warming potential (GWP), energy consumption, biodiesel production cost, production technologies and feedstock.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.227-234
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• 2019

A user-friendly modeling interface is developed for a process-based total system performance assessment framework (APro) specialized for a generic geological disposal system for high-level radioactive waste. The APro modeling interface is constructed using MATLAB, and the operator splitting scheme is used to combine COMSOL for simulation of multiphysics and PHREEQC for the calculation of geochemical reactions. As APro limits the modeling domain to the generic disposal system, the degree of freedom of the model is low. In contrast, the user-friendliness of the model is improved. Thermal, hydraulic, mechanical and chemical processes considered in the disposal system are modularized, and users can select one of multiple modules: "Default process" and multi "Alternative process". APro mainly consists of an input data part and calculation execution part. The input data are prepared in a single EXCEL file with a given format, and the calculation part is coded using MATLAB. The final results of the calculation are created as an independent COMSOL file for further analysis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.205-213
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• 1990

The regulation of neurotoxicants has usually been based upon setting reference doses by dividing a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) by uncertainty factors that theoretically account for interspecies and intraspecies extraploation of experimental results in animals to humans. Recently, we have proposed a four-step alternative procedure which provides quantitative estimates of risk as a function of dose. The first step is to establish a mathematical relationship between a biological effect or biomarker and the dose of chemical administered. The second step is to determine the distribution (variability) of individual measurements of biological effects or their biomarkers about the dose response curve. The third step is to define an adverse or abnormal level of a biological effect or biomarker in an untreated population. The fourth and final step is to combine the information from the first three steps to estimate the risk (proportion of individuals exceeding on adverse or abnormal level of a biological effect or biomarker) as a function of dose. The primary purpose of this report is to enhance the certainty of the first step of this procedure by improving our understanding of the relationship between a biomarker and dose of administered chemical. Several factors which need to be considered include: 1) the pharmacokinetics of the parent chemical, 2) the target tissue concentrations of the parent chemical or its bioactivated proximate toxicant, 3) the uptake kinetics of the parent chemical or metabolite into the target cell(s) and/or membrane interactions, and 4) the interaction of the chemical or metabolite with presumed receptor site(s). Because these theoretical factors each contain a saturable step due to definitive amounts of required enzyme, reuptake or receptor site(s), a nonlinear, saturable dose-response curve would be predicted. In order to exemplify this process, effects of the neurotoxicant, methlenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), were reviewed and analyzed. Our results and those of others indicate that: 1) peak concentrations of MDMA and metabolites are ochieved in rat brain by 30 min and are negligible by 24 hr, 2) a metabolite of MDMA is probably responsible for its neurotoxic effects, and 3) pretreatment with monoamine uptake blockers prevents MDMA neurotoxicity. When data generated from rats administerde MDMA were plotted as bilolgical effect (decreases in hippocampal serotonin concentrations) versus dose, a saturation curve best described the observed relationship. These results support the hypothesis that at least one saturable step is involved in MDMA neurotoxicity. We conclude that the mathematical relationship between biological effect and dose of MDMA, the first step of our quantitative neurotoxicity risk assessment procedure, should reflect this biological model information generated from the whole of the dose-response curve.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.809-817
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• 2010

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate high school students' conceptual understanding of density for solids and liquids in pure and mixed substances who had preceded formal school science instruction on density and related topics. A concept assessment on density was developed and administered by demonstrative experiments accompanied by a written assessment test method to 120 general high school students in a metropolitan city. The scientific conceptions and alternative conceptions from students' responses were identified and the percentages of them were calculated. Then, their alternative conceptions and implicit theories on density were analyzed. About half of the students couldn't differentiate weight-volume-density and regarded density as an innate property of matter. Furthermore, the greater the number of variables involved in an experimental condition of the question, the more complicated and undifferentiated students' density concepts were. Students employed more improper variables such as particle size, intermolecular distance, surface tension, polarity of the solvent, etc. in explaining counter-intuitive observations. The implications for school science instruction were discussed.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.165-177
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• 2018

Particulate matter (PM) measurements are important in air quality, public health, epidemiological studies and decision making for short and long-term policies implementation. However, only few cities in the word have advance air quality-monitoring networks able to provide reliable information of PM leaves in the ambient air, trends and extent of the pollution. In Colombia, only major cities measure PM concentrations. Available measurements from Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga show that PM concentration are well above World Health Organization guidelines, but up to now levels and trends of PM in other cities and regions of the country are not well known. Satellite measurements serve as an alternative approach to study air quality in regions were surface measurements are not available. The aim of this study is to perform a spatial and temporal assessment of PM in the ambient air of Colombia. We used Aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite of NASA and surface measurements from the air quality networks of Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga. In a first step, we estimated the correlation between MODIS-AOD and monthly average surface measurements (2000 to 2015) from these three cities, obtaining correlation coefficient R values over 0.4 for the cities under study. After, we used AOD and $PM_{10}$ measurements to study the temporal evolution of PM in different cities and regions. Finally, we used AOD measurements to identify cities and regions with the highest AOD levels in Colombia. All the methods presented in this paper may serve as an example for other countries or regions to identify and prioritize locations that require the implementation of more accurate air quality measurements.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.95-108
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• 2007

Test application of revegetation measure was made on the roadside slope damaged by Nongseo-Eomo national road improvement project in a bid to prevent the soil from being washed out as well as to restore the ecological environment, and the survey for assessment of the effect of slope revegetation measures was conducted, beginning May 11 through Nov 7, 2006. In the wake of comprehensive reviewing and evaluating the surrounding topographic environment, physical and chemical characteristics of soil, germination of revegetation plants, analysis of bio mass, covering ratio and the plants appeared, measure b was found to have been most appropriate to cut blasting rock slope, and alternatively measure c. For cut ripping rock slope, measure c-1 appeared to be effective in revegetation effect, and alternatively, b-1.When it comes to cut soil slope, measure c-2 was found to be effective, and b-2 to be a good alternative. And for embankment soil slope, measure b-3 appeared to be most efficient in revegetation effect and measure f as alternative.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.26-32
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• 2013

The best way to prevent major occupational accidents is prohibiting use of hazardous substances such as flammable gas, toxic gas whereas using alternative substances that ensured safety. but if there are no economic efficiency and substituting technologies of alternative substances, the best way is preparing to prevent accidents thoroughly. Therefore, this study has developed and selected release scenarios to use and apply for consequence analysis and emergency action plan for HF charging process of chemical plants that have HF release accidents and high probability of release accidents.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1187-1194
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• 2009

During the last decade, possibility of flaw occurrences has been rapidly increased world-widely as the increase of operating times of petro-chemical facilities. For instance, from a recent in-service inspection, three different sized surface cracks were detected in welding parts of a spherical oxygen holder in Korea. While API579 code provides corresponding engineering assessment procedures to determine crack driving forces, in the present work, numerical analyses are carried out for the cracked oxygen holder to investigate effects of complex geometry, analysis model and residual stress. With regard to the detailed finite element analysis, stress intensity factors are determined from both the full three-dimensional model and equivalent plate model. Also, as an alternative, stress intensity factors are calculated for equivalent plate model by employing the noted influence stress function technique. Finally, parametric structural integrity evaluation of the cracked oxygen holder is conducted in use of failure assessment diagram method, J/T method and DPFAD method. Effects of the geometry and so forth are examined and key findings from the simulations are fully discussed, which enables to determine practical safety margins of spherical components containing a defect.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4495-4499
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• 2013

Morinda citrifolia, also known as Great Morinda, Indian Mulberry, or Noni, is a plant belonging to the family Rubiaceae. A number of major chemical compounds have been identified in the leaves, roots, and fruits of the Noni plant. The fruit juice is in high demand in alternative medicine for different kinds for illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, muscle ached and pains, menstrual difficulties, headache, heart diseases, AIDS, gastric ulcer, sprains, mental depression, senility, poor digestion, arteriosclerosis, blood vessel problems, and drug addiction. Several studies have also demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and apoptosis-inducing effects of Noni in various cancers. Based on a toxicological assessment, Noni juice was considered as safe. Though a large number of in vitro, and, to a certain extent, in vivo studies demonstrated a range of potentially beneficial effects, clinical data are essentially lacking. To what extent the findings from experimental pharmacological studies are of potential clinical relevance is not clear at present and this question needs to be explored in detail before an recommendations can be made.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.111-120
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• 2021

Asbestos products had been widely used until 2007 in Korea since the 1930s. A total ban on their production and applications has been imposed because of the toxic effect of asbestos fibers on the human health. The inhaled asbestos fibers increase reactive oxygen species and inflammatory reactions in the respiratory airway including the alveolar sac, resulting in DNA damages and secretion of several inflammatory cytokines or chemokines. These paracrine communications promote the proliferation of fibroblasts and the synthesis of collagen fibers, thereby depositing them into the extracellular matrix at the interstitial space of alveoli. The fibrotic tissue hindered the gas exchange in the alveolus. This reviews describes not only the cytotoxic effects of asbestos fibers with different physical or chemical characteristics but also the interaction of cells that make up the respiratory airway to understand the molecular or cellular mechanisms of asbestos fiber-induced toxicity. In addition, we propose a pulmonary toxicity research technique based on the mini-lung that can mimic human respiratory system as an alternative to overcome the limitations of the conventional risk assessment of asbestos fibers.