• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.75-88
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• 2022

Engineering structures in operation essentially belong to time-varying or nonlinear structures and the resultant response signals are usually non-stationary. For such time-varying structures, it is of great importance to extract time-dependent dynamic parameters from non-stationary response signals, which benefits structural health monitoring, safety assessment and vibration control. However, various traditional signal processing methods are unable to extract the embedded meaningful information. As a newly developed technique, variational mode decomposition (VMD) shows its superiority on signal decomposition, however, it still suffers two main problems. The foremost problem is that the number of modal components is required to be defined in advance. Another problem needs to be addressed is that VMD cannot effectively separate non-stationary signals composed of closely spaced or overlapped modes. As such, a new method named generalized adaptive variational modal decomposition (GAVMD) is proposed. In this new method, the number of component signals is adaptively estimated by an index of mean frequency, while the generalized demodulation algorithm is introduced to yield a generalized VMD that can decompose mode overlapped signals successfully. After that, synchrosqueezing wavelet transform (SWT) is applied to extract instantaneous frequencies (IFs) of the decomposed mono-component signals. To verify the validity and accuracy of the proposed method, three numerical examples and a steel cable with time-varying tension force are investigated. The results demonstrate that the proposed GAVMD method can decompose the multi-component signal with overlapped modes well and its combination with SWT enables a successful IF extraction of each individual component.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.603-620
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• 2022

Human activities have caused an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in climate change that affects many factors of human life including its effect on water and food quality in certain areas with implications for human health. CH₄ and N₂O are known as potent non-CO₂ GHGs. The livestock industry contributes to direct emissions of CH₄ (38.24%) and N₂O (6.70%) through enteric fermentation and manure treatment, as well as indirect N₂O emissions via NH₃ volatilization. NH₃ is also a secondary precursor of particulate matter. Several approaches have been proposed to address this issue, including dietary management, manure treatment, and the possibility of inhibitor usage. Inhibitors, including urease and nitrification inhibitors, are widely used in agricultural fields. The use of urease and nitrification inhibitors is known to be effective in reducing nitrogen loss from agricultural soil in the form of NH₃ and N₂O and can further reduce CH₄ as a side effect. However, the effectiveness of inhibitors in livestock manure systems has not yet been explored. This review discusses the potential of inhibitor usage, specifically of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide, dicyandiamide, and 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, to reduce emissions from livestock manure. This review focuses on the application of inhibitors to manure, as well as the association of these inhibitors with health, toxicity, and economic benefits.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.177-189
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• 2022

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are defined as practical and technical approaches to restoring functioning ecosystems and biodiversity as a means to address socio-environmental challenges and provide human-nature co-benefits. This study reviews NbS-related literature to identify its key characteristics, techniques, and challenges for its application in climate-adaptive water management. The review finds that NbS has been commonly used as an umbrella term incorporating a wide range of existing ecosystem-based approaches such as low-impact development (LID), best management practices (BMP), forest landscape restoration (FLR), and blue-green infrastructure (BGI), rather than being a uniquely-situated practice. Its technical form and operation can vary significantly depending on the spatial scale (small versus large), objective (mitigation, adaptation, naturalization), and problem (water supply, quality, flooding). Commonly cited techniques include green spaces, permeable surfaces, wetlands, infiltration ponds, and riparian buffers in urban sites, while afforestation, floodplain restoration, and reed beds appear common in non- and less-urban settings. There is a greater lack of operational clarity for large-scale NbS than for small-scale NbS in urban areas. NbS can be a powerful tool that enables an integrated and coordinated action embracing not only water management, but also microclimate moderation, ecosystem conservation, and emissions reduction. This study points out the importance of developing decision-making guidelines that can inform practitioners of the selection, operation, and evaluation of NbS for specific sites. The absence of this framework is one of the obstacles to mainstreaming NbS for water management. More case studies are needed for empirical assessment of NbS.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.106-119
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• 2023

Due to global decarbonization movement and tightening of maritime emissions restrictions, the shipping industry is going to switch to alternative fuels. Among candidates of alternative fuel, methanol is promising for decreasing SOx and CO2 emissions, resulting in minimum climate change and meeting the goal of green shipping. In this study, a novel combined system of direct methanol solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), gas turbine (GT), and organic Rankine cycle (ORC) targeted for marine vessels was proposed. The SOFC is the main power generator of the system, whereas the GT and PEMFC could recover waste heat from the SOFC to generate useful power and increase waste heat utilizing efficiency of the system. Thermodynamics model of the combined system and each component were established and analyzed. Energy and exergy efficiencies of subsystems and the entire system were estimated with participation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the overall multigeneration system were estimated to be 76.2% and 30.3%, respectively. The combination of GT and PEMFC increased the energy efficiency by 18.91% compared to the SOFC stand-alone system. By changing the methanol distribution ratio from 0.05 to 0.4, energy and exergy efficiencies decreased by 15.49% and 5.41%, respectively. During the starting up and maneuvering period of vessels, a quick response from the power supply system and propulsion plant is necessary. Utilization of PEMFC coupled with SOFC has remarkable meaning and benefits.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.63-93
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• 2016

As one of the most popular forms of electronic commerce, cross-border e-commerce provides numerous consumer benefits, such as broad and deep product assortments at low prices. However, consumers tend to exhibit high involvement in cross-border e-commerce purchases due to high risks associated with such purchases. The paper focuses on identifying causal relationships between e-commerce website traits (i.e., website trustworthiness, interactivity and convenience) and consumer satisfaction and along with loyalty. We proposed a reflective-reflective hierarchical model (first-order reflective and second-order reflective model) and used the Partial Least Square Analysis Statistical method to test the hypotheses. The results demonstrated that website trustworthiness, convenience and interactivity were all positively related to consumer satisfaction. Also, higher satisfaction led to stronger customer loyalty, which may well increase revisit intentions. We also compared the strength of each path from a website trait to satisfaction. Results illustrated that the path from website convenience to satisfaction is the strongest among the three website traits. In addition, we separately examined differences within Korean group and Chinese group. No statistically significant difference among website traits was found within Korean group. However, within Chinese group, we found that website convenience is the most important predictor of satisfaction. This indicates that Chinese consumers are more concerned about the website convenience than interactivity and trustworthiness when they make cross-border e-commerce purchases. Moreover, this study investigated possible differences between Korean and Chinese group. We used multi-group analysis of Smart PLS 3.0 to test the results. It was shown that the two groups do not display statistically significant difference in trustworthiness, interactivity, or convenience in influencing customer satisfaction. Finally, we presented further implications which are useful for understanding of the proposed model. Limitations and improvements of this research were presented, too.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.39-62
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• 2022

Purpose - Along with the growing awareness of environmental sustainability, international green entrepreneurship is expected to realize international sustainable development (ISD) by introducing ecological innovation results, using fewer resources consumption, and reducing negative environmental impacts. Building upon contingency theory and social network theory, this paper attempts to explore the role of home country-based networks (technology ties and business ties) as contingent factors that might impact the effectiveness of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in promoting ISD among green ventures. Design/methodology - Original data were collected from 127 green ventures in China based on the random sampling technique. These green ventures mainly focus on the lower use of energy or materials, lower CO2 emissions, and higher ecological benefits located in the Fujian province, which highlights green economic growth and economic cooperation with international markets. Moderated hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to test our hypotheses concerning the main relationship between EO (innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking) and ISD as well as the moderating effects of home country-based networks (technology ties and business ties) on the main relationship. Findings - Empirical results indicate that: first, both innovativeness and proactiveness positively affect ISD; second, both technology ties and business ties at home might significantly strengthen the positive relationship between innovativeness (or proactiveness) and ISD. However, this study did not find significant moderating effects of technology ties or business ties at home on the relationship between risk-taking and ISD. Originality/value - Since previous literature often gives more focus on the host country context of social networks, this study shifts to a home country-based network context. Therefore, our research might enrich the international green entrepreneurship literature by empirically investigating the contingent value of home country-based networks in the relationship between EO and ISD in the context of an emerging economy such as China.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.118-123
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• 2023

Background: Chronic exposure to silica is related with the provocation of an inflammatory response and oxidative stress mechanism. Vitamin D has multiple benefits in biological activities particularly respiratory system disease. Method: In this research, 20 male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups (5 rats /group) as follow: Group1 received saline as (negative control) group. The group 2 received a single IT instillation of silica (positive control) group; the group 3 was co-administrated with single IT silica and Vitamin D (20 mg/kg/day) daily for a period of 90 days. The rats of group 4 received Vitamin D daily for a period of 90 days. Results: Silica significantly increased serum and lung total Oxidant Status (TOS). Meanwhile, silica reduced serum and lung total antioxidant capacity (TAC), GSH and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-a). Vitamin D treatment meaningfully reversed oxidative stress, antioxidants status and inflammatory response. Also, Vitamin D improved histopathological changes caused by silica. Conclusion: These findings indicate that Vitamin D exerts protective effects against silica-induced lung injury. It seems that Vitamin D has potential use as a therapeutic object for silica induced lung injure.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.5-11
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• 2023

The engineering industry heavily relies on fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum to generate energy through combustion. However, this process emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, leading to global warming. To mitigate this issue, researchers have explored various methods to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, one of which is carbon dioxide underground storage technology. This innovative technology involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial plants and injecting it into the saturated ground layer beneath the earth's surface, storing it securely underground. Despite its potential benefits, carbon dioxide underground storage efficiency needs improvement to optimize storage in a limited space. To address this challenge, our research team has focused on improving storage efficiency by utilizing surfactants. Furthermore, we evaluated how different carbon dioxide states, including gaseous, liquid, and supercritical, impact storage efficiency based on their respective pressures and temperatures within the underground reservoir. Our findings indicate that using surfactants and optimizing the injection rate can effectively enhance storage efficiency across all carbon dioxide states. This research will pave the way for more efficient carbon dioxide underground storage, contributing to mitigating the environmental impact of fossil fuels on the planet.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2022.09a
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• pp.23-23
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• 2022

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is one of the most valuable oilseed crop in the world. It is widely used in various industries, such as food, animal feed, energy and chemical industries. In order to improve the industrial requirements for rapeseed, useful agronomic characteristics (higher yields and disease resistance etc.) and modified oil traits (fatty acid composition and fat content) are important in rapeseed. However, Korea has limiting genetic resources of novel traits in rapeseed. In this research, novel rapeseed mutant genotypes by mutation breeding was developed. The mutant lines were generated by the treatment of the seeds of the original cultivar 'Tamra' with 700 Gy of gamma-ray (⁶⁰Co). Mutants showing varied in flowering time, crude fat content, seed yield and fatty acid content that exhibited stable inheritance of the mutated characteristics from M₅ to M₇ generations were selected. We investigated genetic variation using SNPs identified from GBS analysis in rapeseed mutant lines derived from the gamma-ray, and interactions between the major agronomic and the oil traits. Significantly associated SNP loci were explored along with candidate genes using SNPs obtained by GBS analysis. As a results of association mapping, a total of 322 SNPs were significantly associated with agronomic traits (155 SNPs) and oil traits (167 SNPs). A total of 70 genes were annotated from agronomic characteristics SNPs; among them 7 genes significantly enriched in developmental process, and a total of 70 genes were annotated from crude fat content and fatty acid compositions SNPs; among them, 11genes were significantly enriched in biosynthetic process. These results could be used for the selection of rapeseed cultivar with enhanced qualities and potential economic benefits.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.223-234
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• 2024

This review explores the potential of pillared bentonite materials as solid acid catalysts for synthesizing diethyl ether, a promising renewable energy source. Diethyl ether offers numerous environmental benefits over fossil fuels, such as lower emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and carbon oxides (CO_x) gases and enhanced fuel properties, like high volatility and low flash point. Generally, the synthesis of diethyl ether employs homogeneous acid catalysts, which pose environmental impacts and operational challenges. This review discusses bentonite, a naturally occurring alumina silicate, as a heterogeneous acid catalyst due to its significant cation exchange capacity, porosity, and ability to undergo modifications such as pillarization. Pillarization involves intercalating polyhydroxy cations into the bentonite structure, enhancing surface area, acidity, and thermal stability. Despite the potential advantages, challenges remain in optimizing the yield and selectivity of diethyl ether production using pillared bentonite. The review highlights the need for further research using various metal oxides in the pillarization process to enhance surface properties and acidity characteristics, thereby improving the catalytic performance of bentonite for the synthesis of diethyl ether. This development could lead to more efficient, environmentally friendly synthesis processes, aligning with sustainable energy goals.