• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.277-286
• /
• 2003

Nitrification performance of fixed film biofilters using coarse sand, loess bead, or styrofoam beads in biofilter columns 1 meter high and 30cm in diameter were studied at different hydraulic and organic matter loading rates. Synthetic wastewater was supplied to the culture tank in order to maintain desired TAN concentrations in inlet water to biofilters. All the biofilters were conditioned 5 months before start of sampling. TAN and $NO_2-N$ conversion rates increased with an increase in the hydraulic loading rate (HLR). However, the improvement in biofilter performance was not linearly correlated to HLR in styrofoam bead filters. This is mainly due to the characteristics of the styrofoam beads used. TAN conversion rates of sand filters increased with the increase of HLR up to $200m^3/m^2$. per day. No increase in the TAN conversion rate was observed at the highest HLR since flooding on the media surface took place. HLR had a significant impact on the TAN conversion rates in loess bead filter up to the highest HLR tested (P<0.05). TAN conversion rates were much less at organic matter loading rates of 9 and 18kg $O_2/m^3$ per day than those without the addition of organic matter in styrofoam bead filters. The addition of glucose resulted in a reduction of the TAN conversion rate from 540 to 284g $TAN/m^3$ per day. No significant difference of TAN conversion rates between the two organic matter loading rates was found (p<0.05). This indicates that the impact of organic matter on nitrification becomes less and less sensitive with an increase in the COD/TAN ratio. At an organic matter loading rate of 9kg $O_2/m^3$. per day, a great reduction of TAN conversion rates was observed in sand filters and loess bead filters. Clearly, organic matter can be one of the most Important Impacting factors on nitrification. $NO_2-N$ conversion rates showed a similar trend for TAN. Based on the TAN and nitrite conversion rates, styrofoam beads showed the best performance among the three filter media tested. Also, the low gravity and price of styrofoam beads make the handling easier and more cost-effective for commercial application. The results obtained at the highest organic matter loading rates can be used in the biofilter design in recirculating aquaculture system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.63 no.1
• /
• pp.51-60
• /
• 1984

Analysing the reports of disaster-related, average annual death of lives due to the meteorological disasters amounted to be 250, of which about 90 were due to landslide. According to the last 10-year reports, the average area of landslide occurred reaches 275 hectares per year in Korea. The total cost for rehabilitation could annually require more than about 2 billion Won (about US$ 2.5 million). The basic countermeasure policy against such heavy disasters should be definitely taken on prevention rather than rehabilitation after being damaged. However, prevention countermeasures against landslide-related disasters have not been strengthened in Korea although being important. Areas of high landslide hazard must be designated with increase in number from current 10 (35 cities and counties) to 17 (68 cities and counties included : Table 3). Number of regional Erosion Control Stations taking full charge of rehabilitating works on the damaged land resulted from landslide disaster has to increase from currently 15 stations to 25. The stone buttressed terrace structures on the hillside slopes, being typical erosion control measures in Korea have been recently recognized as one of the most effective rehabilitation measures for the land damaged by landslides.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.34 no.s02
• /
• pp.66-80
• /
• 1989

Salt injury in rice is caused mainly by the salinity in soil and in the irrigated water, and occasionaly by salinity delivered through typhoon from the sea. The salt concentration of rice plants increased with higher salinity in the soil of the rice growing. The climatic conditions, high temperature and solar radiation and dry conditions promote the salt absorption of rice plant in saline soil. The higher salt accumulation in the rice plant generally reduces the root activity and inhibits the absorption of minerals of rice plant, resulting the reduction of photosynthesis. The salt damages of rice plant, however, are different from different growth stage of rice plants as follows: 1. Germination of rice seed was slightly delayed up to 1.0％ of salt concentration and remarkably at 1. 5％, but none of rice seeds were germinated at 2.5％. This may be due to the delayed water uptake of rice seeds and the inhibition of enzyme activity, 2. It was enable to establish rice seedlings at seed bed by 0.2％ of salt concentration with some reduction of leaf elongation. The increasing of 0.3％ salt concentration caused to the seedling death with varietal differences, but most of seedlings were death at 0.4％ with no varietal differences. 3. Seedlings grown at the nursery over 0.1％ salt, gradually reduced in rooting activity after transplanting according to increasing the salt concentration from 0.1％ up to 0.3％ of paddy field. However, the seedlings grown in normal seed bed showed no difference in rooting between varieties up to 0.1％ but significantly different at 0.3％ between varieties, but greatly reduced at 0.5％ and died at last in paddy after transplanting. 4. At panicle initiation stage, rice plant delayed in heading by salt damage, at meiotic stage reduced in grains and its filling rate due to inhibition of glume and pollen developing, and salt damage at heading stage and till 3 weeks after heading caused to reduction of fertilization and ripening rate. In viewpoint of agricultural policy the overcoming strategy for salt injury is to secure sufficient water source. Irrigation and drainage systems as well as underground drainage is necessary to desalinize more effectively. This must be the most effective and positive way except cost. By cultural practice, growing the salt tolerant variety with high population could increase yield. The intermittent irrigation and fresh water flooding especially at transplanting and from panicle initiation to heading stage, the most sensitive to salt injury, is important to reduce the salt content in saline soil. During the off-cropping season, plough and rotavation with flooding followed by drainage, or submersion and drainage with groove could improve the desalinization. Increase of nitrogen fertilizer with more split application, and soil improvement by lime, organic matter and forign soil addition, could increase the rice yield. Shift of trans-planting is one of the way to escape from the salt injury.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.7
• /
• pp.1036-1040
• /
• 2005

Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopic (NIRS) calibrations were developed for accurate and fast prediction of whole broiler chicken carcass composition. The Feed and Forage Foss systems Model 5000 Reflectance Transport Model 5000 with near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS)-WinISI II windows software was used for this purpose. One equation was developed for the prediction of each carcass component. One hundred and fifty freeze dried broiler whole carcass samples were ground in a Cyclotech 1,093 sample mill and analyzed for dry matter, protein, fat, calcium and phosphate. Samples were divided into two sets: a calibration set from which equations were derived and a prediction set used to validate these equations. The chemical analysis values (mean${\pm}$SD) were calculated based on dry matter basis as follows: dry matter: 33.41${\pm}$2.78 (range: 26.41-43.47), protein: 54.04${\pm}$6.63 (range: 36.20-76.09), fat 35.44${\pm}$8.34 (range: 7.50-55.03), calcium 2.55${\pm}$0.65 (range: 0.99-4.41), phosphorus 1.38${\pm}$0.26 (range: 0.60-2.28). One hundred and three samples were used to calibrate the equations and prediction values. The software used was modified to obtain partial least square regression statistics, as it is the most suitable for natural products analysis. The coefficients of determination ($R^2$) and the standard errors of prediction were 0.82 and 1.83 for the dry matter, 0.96 and 1.98 for protein, 0.99 and 1.07 for fat, 0.90 and 0.30 for calcium and 0.91 and 0.11 for phosphorus, respectively. The present study indicated that NIRS can be calibrated to predict the whole broiler carcass chemical composition, including minerals in a rapid, accurate, and cost effective manner. It neither requires skilled operators nor generates hazardous waste. These findings may have practical importance to improve instrumental procedures for quick evaluation of broiler carcass composition.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.127-145
• /
• 1998

Unlike water or air quality standards that have been established by legislation using potential human health impact as the primary criterion, soil quality depends on the soils primary function and its relevant environmental factors, which is much more site- and soil specific. A properly characterized soil quality assessment system should serve as an indicator of the soil capacity to produce safe and nutritious food, to enhance human and animal health, and to overcome degrative processes. For our proposed example, a high quality soil with regard to maintaining an adequate soil productivity as a food production resources must accommodate soil and water properties, food chain, sustainability and utilization, environment, and profitability, that (i) facilitate water transfer and absorption, (ii) sustain plant growth, (iii) resist physical degradation of soil, (iv) produce a safe food resources, (v) cost-effective agricultural management. Possible soil quality indicators are identified at several levels within the framework for each of these functions. Each indicator is assigned a priority or weight that reflects its relative importance using a multi-objective approach based on principles of systems to be considered. To do this, individual scoring system is differentiated by the several levels from low to very high category or point scoring ranging from 0 to 10, And then weights are multiplied and products are summed to provide an overall soil quality rating based on several physical and chemical indicators. Tlne framework and procedure in developing the soil quality assessment are determined by using information collected from an alternative and conventional farm practices in the regions. The use of an expanded framework for assessing effects of other processes, management practices, or policy issues on soil quality is also considered. To develop one possible form for a soil quality index, we should permit coupling the soil characteristics with assessment system based on soil properties and incoming and resident chemicals. The purpose of this paper is to discuss approaches to defining and assessing soil quality and to suggest the factors to be considered.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.176-184
• /
• 2019

Purpose: It is unclear whether adding concurrent chemotherapy (CT) to definitive radiotherapy (RT) following induction CT is a tolerable and cost effective treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients aged 70 years or older with comorbidities. This study evaluated the actual clinical outcomes between concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and RT alone following induction CT or not in patients (≥70 years) in a single institution's clinical practice. Materials and Methods: A total of 82 patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC between 2004 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Their treatment tolerance and clinical outcomes such as overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence (LRR), treatment toxicities and distant metastasis (DM) were evaluated. Early mortality rates were also evaluated as 4-month mortality after RT. Results: Fifty-four patients received CCRT and 28 patients received RT alone. Induction CT before RT was performed for 68.5% and 50.0% in CCRT and RT alone groups. Treatment tolerance was significantly worse in CCRT (p = 0.046). The median survival was 21.1 and 18.1 months for CCRT and RT alone, which was not statistically significant. LRR and DM were also not different. Most early deaths after CCRT were attributed to non-cancer-related mortality. Acute esophagitis of grade ≥2 occurred more following CCRT (p = 0.017). In multivariate analysis, a Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) of ≥5 and a weight loss of ≥5% after RT were associated with poor OS. The factors adversely affecting 4-month survival were a CCI of ≥5 and CCRT. Conclusion: There were no significant differences in OS, LRR, and DM between CCRT and RT alone treatment in elderly patients. However, there was a poorer tolerance and higher incidence of acute esophagitis in the CCRT group. Specifically, when the patients had a CCI of ≥5, RT alone seems to be reasonable with a low probability of early death.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.419-422
• /
• 2009

We performed the PARR (PCR to detect antigen receptor rearrangements) test on DNA isolated from twelve archival canine cytological slides including nine lymphoma, two reactive lymphocytes and one sample from Ehrlichia canis infected dog. As a result, our PCR control gene, $C{\mu}$, was successfully amplified from all of the DNA samples. Six out of nine lymphoma samples showed a clonal rearrangement of immunoglobulin gene whereas three samples did a clonal rearrangement of T cell receptor gamma ($TCR{\gamma}$) gene. However, we observed no visible or clear bands from PCR conducted using our antigen receptor rearrangement primers on DNA from a reactive lymphoid cell proliferation used as a negative control. False-positive amplification in $TCR{\gamma}$ gene was observed only in one sample from E. canis infection. The use of archival cytological specimens demonstrated in this study offers potential advantages for cost-effective specimen acquisition and efficient high-fidelity DNA analysis.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.235-240
• /
• 2002

We report the new method for the screening of genetically modified potato by competitive duplex-PCR using the potato specific single oligomer primer for the internal control and CaMV 35S promoter or NOS terminator specific primers. The single oligomer primer (rAGU4A) amplify the potato specific internal control band from the homozygous potato genomic DNA in the RAPD profiles of all analyzed potato varieties. The 530 bp internal control DNA was amplified independently to CaMV 35S promoter or NOS terminator DNA and identified as repetitive or microsatellite DNA of potato (AF541972). With this new technique, the transgenic potatoes which were transformed with vectors contained the different foreign genes are analyzed. In case of the commercialized transgenic potato varieties, 'Hew Leafs', those two genetic factors are used for promoter and terminator respectively So, this new PCR technique should be a promising method of cost effective and accurate screening for the commercialized GM potatoes on market.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.798-806
• /
• 2013

Precise, fast, and cost-effective identification of crop cultivars is essential for plant breeder's rights. Traditional methods for identification of persimmon cultivars are based on the evaluation of sets of morphological characteristics. However, it is difficult to distinguish closely related cultivars using only morphological traits. This study was conducted to develop DNA markers for identification of the 32 persimmon cultivars in Korea and Japan. A total of 309 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were identified using 40 different random primers. Various number of polymorphic bands ranged from 4 (OPP-08) to 14 (UBC159) were detected with an average of 7.7. Resulting 57 RAPD fragments were selected, and their sequences were determined for developing sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. As a result, 15 of 57 RAPD fragments were successfully converted to SCAR markers. Single polymorphic bands of the same size as or smaller than the RAPD fragments were amplified depending on SCAR markers. Among these markers, a combination of eight SCAR markers (PS225_200, PSN05_420, PSF13_523, PSN11_540, PS372_567, PS485_569, PSP08_635, and PS631_735) provided sufficient polymorphisms to identify 32 persimmon cultivars. These newly developed markers will be a fast and reliable tool to identify persimmon cultivars.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.728-734
• /
• 2009

In this work, a simple, inexpensive and reproducible technique of flotation density gradient centrifugation was developed to isolate monocytes with high purity and yield from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using Histopaque solution, density and osmolarity of which were modified to 1.072 g/ml and 335 mOsm with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and sodium chloride (NaCl) solution, respectively. The average purity of monocytes was 74.75${\pm}$3.84%, with the individual purity ranging from 71.44% to 82.38%. The average yield of monocytes was 32.62${\pm}$11.16%, with the individual yields ranging from 21.02 to 53.63%. The monocytes isolated by floatation density gradient centrifugation could be successfully cultured into morphologically, phenotypically and functionally dendritic cells in vitro. In conclusion, the entire procedure seemed to be faster and more convenient, simple and cost-effective than other monocyte isolation methods, including plastic adherence and density gradient methods, and has the potential to be developed as a closed system for clinical scale generation of dendritic cells.