• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.51-57
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• 2014

PURPOSES : An conventional method for electric power generation is converting thermal energy into mechanical energy then to electrical energy. Due to environmental issues such as global warming related with $CO_2$ emission etc., were the limiting factor for the energy resources which resulting in extensive research and novel technologies are required to generate electric power. Thermal energy harvesting using thermoelectric generator is one of energy harvesting technologies due to diverse advantages for new green technology. This paper presents a possibility of application of the thermoelectric generator's application in the direct exchange of waste solar energy into electrical power in road space. METHODS : To measure generated electric power of the thermoelectric generator, data logger was adopted as function of experimental factors such as using cooling sink, connection methods etc. Also, the thermoelectric generator、s behavior at low ambient temperature was investigated as measurement of output voltage vs. elapsed times. RESULTS : A few temperature difference between top an bottom of the thermoelectric generator is generated electric voltage. Components of an electrical circuit can be connected in various ways. The two simplest of these are called series and parallel and occur so open. Series shows slightly better performance in this study. An installation of cooling sink in the thermoelectric generator system was enhanced the output of power voltage. CONCLUSIONS : In this paper, a basic concepts of thermoelectric power generation is presented and applications of the thermoelectric generator to waste solar energy in road is estimated for green energy harvesting technology. The possibility of usage of thermoelectric technology for road facilities was found under the ambient thermal gradient between two surfaces of the thermoelectric module. An experiment results provide a testimony of the feasibility of the proposed environmental energy harvesting technology on the road facilities.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.423-429
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• 2000

To understand the effects of elevated $CO_2$ concentration and temperature on seedling emergence of seven herbaceous species, the seedling emergence was monitored between November 1997 and May 1998 using a temperature gradient chamber and a $CO_2$-temperature gradient chamber. Experiment was conducted under current ambient condition (Control plot), 2$^{\circ}C$-warmed condition with ambient $CO_2$ (T2 Plot), 4$^{\circ}C$-warmed condition with ambient $CO_2$ (T4 plot). and 4$^{\circ}C$-warmed condition with 1.8 fold of ambient $CO_2$ (CT4 plot). Species tested in this study were Digitaria adscendens, Echinochloa crus-galli, Panicum bisulcatum, Setaria viridis. Oenothera biennis, Andropogon virginicus, and Imperata cylindrica. Each species often dominates in the herbaceous stage of secondary succession in Japan. The mean seedling emergence times for all species were significantly increased to 23.6 and 32.2 d in the T2 and T4 plot compared to the Control plot, respectively. The most sensitive and insensitive species in seedling emergence time in T2 plot were O. biennis and D. adscendens, respectivel.y, and those in the T4 and CT4 plot were I. cylindrica and D. adscendens, E. crus-galli and A. virginicus, respectively. All experimental species showed no significant difference in the seedling emergence rate between treatments except for O. biennis and I. cylindrica. O. biennis showed a great decrease in the seedling emergence rate from 83.3% in the Control plot to 38.0%, 14.7%, and 29.3% in the T2, T4, and CT4 plot, respectively. Elevated $CO_2$ had very little effect on the seedling emergence. From these observations, it is expected that increased temperature would greatly advance the vegetative recovery time after disturbance through the advancement of seedling emergence time.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.118-125
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• 2014

As the earth's current global warming has caused elevation of sea water temperature, size of storms is foreseen to increase and consequently large damages on port facilities are to be expected. In addition, due to the improved processing efficiency of port cargo volume and increasing necessity for construction of eco-friendly port, demands for various forms of port facilities are anticipated. In this study, two kinds of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques (rebound hardness and ultrasonic pulse velocity methods) are investigated for the effective maintenance of smart green harbor system. A new methodology to estimate the underwater concrete strengths is proposed and its feasibility is verified throughout a series of experimental works.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.175-186
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• 2018

Due to global warming, various natural disasters such as floods and localized heavy rains are increasing. If a natural disaster can be detected and analyzed in advance and effectively, it can prevent enormous damage due to natural disasters. Recent development in visual sensor technologies has encouraged various studies on monitoring environments including rivers. In this paper, we propose a method to detect river regions from river images which can be exploited for river surveillance systems using video sensor networks. In the proposed method, we first analyze the color properties of the river region and the background region of a image and then propose a way to select the proper color channel and binarize the image to detect the river region. It is shown by experimental results that the proposed method is simple but detects river regions accurately.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2015

Objective: It has previously been suggested that embryos developing from intracytoplasmic sperm-injected (ICSI) zygotes with three pronuclei (3PN) are endowed with a mechanism for self-correction of triploidy to diploidy. 3PN are also observed in zygotes after conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF). The parental origin, however, differs between the two fertilization methods. Whereas the vast majority of 3PN IVF zygotes are of dispermic origin and thus more likely to have two centrioles, the 3PN ICSI zygotes are digynic in origin and therefore, more likely to have one centriole. In the present study, we examine whether the parental origin of 3PN embryos correlates with the karyotype. Methods: The karyotype of each nucleus was estimated using four sequential fluorescence in situ hybridizations-each with two probes-resulting in quantitative information of 8 different chromosomes. The karyotypes were then compared and correlated to the parental origin. Results: 3PN ICSI embryos displayed a significantly larger and more coordinated reduction from the assumed initial 3 sets of chromosomes than 3PN IVF embryos. Conclusion: The differences in the parental origin-and hence the number of centrioles-between the 3PN IVF and the 3PN ICSI zygotes are likely to be the cause of the differences in karyotypes.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.473-480
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• 2008

In this study we investigated bacterial and cell adhesion to poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) films, that had been synthesized by the copolymerization of carbon dioxide (a global warming chemical) with propylene oxide. We also assessed the biocompatibility and biodegradability of the films in vivo, and their oxidative degradation in vitro. The bacteria adhered to the smooth, hydrophobic PPC surface after 4 h incubation. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis had the highest levels of adhesion, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus had the lowest levels, and Staphylococcus epidermidis was intermediate. In contrast, there was no adhesion of human cells (cell line HEp-2) to the PPC films, due to the hydrophobicity and dimensional instability of the surface. On the other hand, the PPC films exhibited good biocompatibility in the mouse subcutaneous environment. Moreover, contrary to expectation the PPC films degraded in the mouse subcutaneous environment. This is the first experimental confirmation that PPC can undergo surface erosion biodegradation in vivo. The observed biodegradability of PPC may have resulted from enzymatic hydrolysis and oxidative degradation processes. In contrast, the PPC films showed resistance to oxidative degradation in vitro. Overall, PPC revealed high affinity to bioorganisms and also good bio-degradability.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.216-222
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• 2013

Fertilizer management has the potential to promote the storage of carbon and nitrogen in agricultural soils and thus may contribute to crop sustainability and mitigation of global warming. In this study, the effects of fertilizer practices [no fertilizer (Control), chemical fertilizer (NPK), Compost, and chemical fertilizer plus compost] on soil total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in inner soil profiles of paddy soil at 0-60 cm depth were examined by using long-term field experimental site at $42^{nd}$ years after installation. TC and TN concentrations of the treatments which included N input (NPK, Compost, NPK+Compost) in plow layer (0-15 cm) ranged from 19.0 to 26.4 g $kg^{-1}$ and 2.15 to 2.53 g $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Compared with control treatment, SOC (soil organic C) and TN concentrations were increased by 24.1 and 31.0%, 57.6 and 49.7%, and 72.2 and 54.5% for NPK, Compost, and NPK+Compost, respectively. However, long term fertilization significantly influenced TC concentration and pools to 30 cm depth. TC and TN pools for NPK, Compost, NPK+Compost in 0-30 cm depth ranged from 44.8 to 56.8 Mg $ha^{-1}$ and 5.78 to 6.49 Mg $ha^{-1}$, respectively. TC and TN pools were greater by 10.5 and 21.4%, 30.3 and 29.6%, and 39.9 and 36.3% in N input treatments (NPK, Compost, NPK+Compost) than in control treatment. These resulted from the formation and stability of aggregate in paddy soil with continuous mono rice cultivation. Therefore, fertilization practice could contribute to the storage of C and N in paddy soil, especially, organic amendments with chemical fertilizers may be alternative practices to sequester carbon and nitrogen in agricultural soil.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.148-154
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• 2013

Objective: To compare the mouse oocyte vitrification outcomes of the CryoLogic vitrification method (CVM) and the conventional open method using a Cryotop. Two CVM methods (original CVM and modified CVM) were tested. Methods: Mature oocytes obtained from female BDF-1 mice were vitrified by two-step exposure to equilibrium and vitrification solutions. Three vitrification protocols were tested on three groups: the CVM-kit, modified CVM, and Cryotop groups. After exposure to the two solutions, the oocytes were vitrified. After warming, the oocytes were fertilized in vitro, and the embryo development was assessed. Blastomeres positive for caspase were counted using an in situ assay kit. The spindle morphology and chromosome configurations of warmed vitrified oocytes were also assessed. Results: The modified CVM and Cryotop groups showed similar developmental capacities, and similar proportions of cells with intact spindles and chromosome configurations. The modified CVM protocol was superior to the original CVM protocol for developmental competence and intact spindle preservation. However, the CVM group showed a relatively higher number of apoptotic cells in blastocysts. Conclusion: Closed vitrification using the modified CVM protocol may be used as an alternative to the conventional open method, but strategies to decrease apoptosis in the blastomere need to be investigated.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.67-74
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• 2013

IGCC(Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) system is candidates which can solve the environmental problems including global warming, since it can be easily combined with CCS(Carbon Capture System). In this research, combustion instability characteristics were studied at various fuel which are composed of $H_2/CH_4/CO$ mixture. Mode analysis for instabilities observed experimentally was conducted and the linearly increasing tendency of frequency was observed as the hydrogen content in fuel increases.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.787-794
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• 2018

The various natural disasters such as floods and localized heavy rains are increasing due to the global warming. If a natural disaster can be detected and analyzed in advance and more effectively, it can prevent enormous damage of natural disasters. Recent development in visual sensor technologies has encouraged various studies on monitoring environments including rivers. In this paper, we propose a method to detect water regions from river images which can be exploited for river surveillance systems using video sensor networks. In the proposed method, we first segment a river image finely using the minimum spanning tree algorithm. Then, the seed regions for the river region and the background region are set by using the preliminary information, and each seed region is expanded by merging similar regions to segment the water region from the image. Experimental results show that the proposed method separates the water region from a river image easier and accurately.