• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2013

Little research has been conducted to explore the heavy metal removal potential of biochar. The adsorption characteristics of heavy metals by sesame waste biochar (pyrolysis at $600^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour) as heavy metal absorbent were investigated. The sesame waste biochar was characterized by SEM-EDS and FT-IR, and heavy metal removal was studied using Freundlich and Langmuir equations. The removal rates of heavy metals were higher in the order of Pb>Cu>Cd>Zn, showing that the adsorption efficiency of Pb was higher than those of any other heavy metals. Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms were used to model the equilibrium adsorption data obtained for adsorption of heavy metals on biochar produced from sesame waste. Pb, Cu, Cd and Zn equilibrium adsorption data were fitted well to the two models, but Pb gave a better fit to Langmuir model. Heavy metals were observed on the biochar surface after adsorption by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Main functional groups were aromatic C=O ring (at $1160cm^{-1}$, $1384cm^{-1}$ and $1621cm^{-1}$) by FT-IR analysis. Thus, biochar produced from sesame waste could be useful adsorbent for treating heavy metal wastewaters.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.116-128
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• 2021

Purpose: The extraction conditions for bioactive components from peanut shells, which is a byproduct of peanut processing, were optimized to enhance the total phenolic content (TPC, Y1), total flavonoid content (TFC, Y2), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (RSA, Y3). In addition, this study evaluated the anti-obesity effect of peanut shell extract. Methods: Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) was performed using a response surface methodology. The independent variables applied for extraction were time (X1: 5.0-55.0), temperature (X2: 26.0-94.0), and ethanol concentration (X3: 0.0%-99.5%). Quadratic regression models were derived based on the results of 17 experimental sets, and an analysis of the variance was performed to verify its accuracy and precision of the regression equations. Results: When evaluating the effects of independent variables on responses using statistically-based optimization, the independent variable with the most significant effect on the TPC, TFC, and RSA was the ethanol concentration (p = 0.0008). The optimal extraction conditions to satisfy all three responses were 35.8 minutes, 82.7℃, and 96.0% ethanol. Under these conditions, the inhibitory activities of α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase by the extract were 86.4% and 78.5%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, UAE showed superior extraction efficiency compared to conventional hot-water extraction in the extraction of polyphenols and bioactive materials. In addition, α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase inhibitory effects were identified, suggesting that peanut shells can be used as effective antioxidants and anti-obesity agents in functional foods and medicines.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.425-430
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• 2014

Foods contain various nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, oil, vitamins, and minerals. Among them, carbohydrates, protein, and oil are the main constituents of foods. Usually, these constituents are analyzed by the Kjeldahl and Soxhlet method and so on. However, these analytical methods are complex, costly, and time-consuming. Thus, this study aimed to rapidly and effectively analyze carbohydrate, protein, and oil contents with near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). A total of 517 food samples were measured within the wavelength range of 400 to 2,500 nm. Exactly 412 food calibration samples and 162 validation samples were used for NIRS equation development and validation, respectively. In the NIRS equation of carbohydrates, the most accurate equation was obtained under 1, 4, 5, 1 (1st derivative, 4 nm gap, 5 points smoothing, and 1 point second smoothing) math treatment conditions using the weighted MSC (multiplicative scatter correction) scatter correction method with MPLS (modified partial least square) regression. In the case of protein and oil, the best equation were obtained under 2, 5, 5, 3 and 1, 1, 1, 1 conditions, respectively, using standard MSC and standard normal variate only scatter correction methods with MPLS regression. Calibrations of these NIRS equations showed a very high coefficient of determination in calibration ($R^2$: carbohydrates, 0.971; protein, 0.974; oil, 0.937) and low standard error of calibration (carbohydrates, 4.066; protein, 1.080; oil, 1.890). Optimal equation conditions were applied to a validation set of 162 samples. Validation results of these NIRS equations showed a very high coefficient of determination in prediction ($r^2$: carbohydrates, 0.987; protein, 0.970; oil, 0.947) and low standard error of prediction (carbohydrates, 2.515; protein, 1.144; oil, 1.370). Therefore, these NIRS equations can be applicable for determination of carbohydrates, proteins, and oil contents in various foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.1386-1396
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to determine the optimum Platycodon grandiflorum root concentrate (PGRC, $65^{\circ}Brix$), fermented P. grandiflorum root extract by Lactobacillus plantarum (FPGRE, $2^{\circ}Brix$), and cactus Chounnyouncho extract (Cactus-E, $2^{\circ}Brix$) for preparation of PGRC stick product with FPGRE using response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental conditions were designed according to a central composite design with 20 experimental points, including three replicates for three independent variables such as amount of PGRC (8~12 g), FPGRE (0~20 g), and Cactus-E (0~20 g). The experimental data for the sensory evaluation and functional properties based on antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity were fitted with the quadratic model, and accuracy of equations was analyzed by ANOVA. For the responses, sensory and functional properties showed significant correlation with contents of three independent variables. The results indicate that addition of PGRC contributed to increased bitterness and acridity based on the sensory test and antimicrobial activity, addition of FPGRE contributed to increased antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity, and addition of Cactus-E contributed to increased fluidity based on the sensory test, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity. Based on the results of RSM, the optimum formulation of PGRC stick product was calculated as PGRC 8.456 g, FPGRE 20.00 g, and Cactus-Ex 20.00 g with minimal bitterness and acridity, as well as optimized fluidity, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.233-240
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• 2005

To discover new functional materials using edible plants, antioxidant activities of methanol extracts from various parts of seven wild vegetables were investigated in vitro. Total polyphenol contents, determined by Folin-Denis method, varied from 16.74 to $130.22{\mu}g/mg$. Radical-scavenging activities of methanol extracts were examined using ${\alpha},\;{\alpha}-diphenyl-{\beta}-pirrylhydrazyl$ (DPPH) radicals and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay. Inhibition effects on peroxidation of linoleic acid determined by ferric thiocyanate (FTC) method and on oxidative degradation of 2-deoxy-D-ribose in Fenton-type reaction system were dose-dependent. Athyrium acutipinulum Kodama (leaf and rood), Achyranthes japonica (Miq.) Nakai (seed), and Solidago virga-aurea var. gigantea Nakai (root) showed relatively high antioxidant activities in various systems.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.51-79
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• 1990

Research on technical efficiency, an important dimension of market performance, had received little attention until recently by most industrial organization empiricists, the reason being that traditional microeconomic theory simply assumed away any form of inefficiency in production. Recently, however, an increasing number of research efforts have been conducted to answer questions such as: To what extent do technical ineffciencies exist in the production activities of firms and plants? What are the factors accounting for the level of inefficiency found and those explaining the interindustry difference in technical inefficiency? Are there any significant international differences in the levels of technical efficiency and, if so, how can we reconcile these results with the observed pattern of international trade, etc? As the first in a series of studies on the technical efficiency of Korea's manufacturing industries, this paper attempts to answer some of these questions. Since the estimation of technical efficiency requires the use of plant-level data for each of the five-digit KSIC industries available from the Census of Manufactures, one may consture the findings of this paper as empirical evidence of technical efficiency in Korea's manufacturing industries at the most disaggregated level. We start by clarifying the relationship among the various concepts of efficiency-allocative effciency, factor-price efficiency, technical efficiency, Leibenstein's X-efficiency, and scale efficiency. It then becomes clear that unless certain ceteris paribus assumptions are satisfied, our estimates of technical inefficiency are in fact related to factor price inefficiency as well. The empirical model employed is, what is called, a stochastic frontier production function which divides the stochastic term into two different components-one with a symmetric distribution for pure white noise and the other for technical inefficiency with an asymmetric distribution. A translog production function is assumed for the functional relationship between inputs and output, and was estimated by the corrected ordinary least squares method. The second and third sample moments of the regression residuals are then used to yield estimates of four different types of measures for technical (in) efficiency. The entire range of manufacturing industries can be divided into two groups, depending on whether or not the distribution of estimated regression residuals allows a successful estimation of technical efficiency. The regression equation employing value added as the dependent variable gives a greater number of "successful" industries than the one using gross output. The correlation among estimates of the different measures of efficiency appears to be high, while the estimates of efficiency based on different regression equations seem almost uncorrelated. Thus, in the subsequent analysis of the determinants of interindustry variations in technical efficiency, the choice of the regression equation in the previous stage will affect the outcome significantly.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1112-1117
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• 2011

This study was conducted to recommend nitrogen (N) top dressing based on soil nitrate content for leaf perilla under forcing culture in Gumsan-gun and Milyang-si. Experimental design was the randomized complete block design for five N fertilization levels and conventional fertilization. Dry weight, nitrogen uptake, and the node number of leaf perilla were measured and soil nitrate contents were analyzed monthly. The amount of nitrogen uptake for growth of a node with two leaves was $2.2kg\;10a^{-1}$ for Gumsan site and $3.5kg\;10a^{-1}$ for Milyang site. Lower level of soil nitrate N concentration for standard N fertilization was determined as $10mg\;kg^{-1}$ for both sites. Soil depth, bulk density, utilization rate of soil nitrate N, and the amount of N uptake for growth of a node with two leaves were considered for calculation of upper level of soil nitrate N concentration. The upper levels of soil nitrate N concentration for no N fertilization were determined as $30mg\;kg^{-1}$ for Gumsan site and as $40mg\;kg^{-1}$ for Milyang site. Consequently the recommendation equations for the N top dressing were Y=-0.157X+4.71 for Gumsan site and Y=-0.1667X+6.6667 for Milyang site.