• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.20 no.7
• /
• pp.1092-1100
• /
• 2010

Bacteria, fungi, and protozoa inhabiting the rumen, the largest chamber of the ruminants' stomach, release large quantities of hydrogen during the fermentation of carbohydrates. The hydrogen is used by coexisting methanogens to produce methane in energy-yielding processes. This work shows, for the first time, a fundamental possibility of using a hydrogen-rich fermentation gas produced by selected rumen ciliates to feed a low-temperature hydrogen fuel cell. A biohydrogen fuel cell (BHFC) was constructed consisting of (i) a bioreactor, in which a hydrogen-rich gas was produced from glucose by rumen ciliates, mainly of the Isotrichidae family, deprived of intra- and extracellular bacteria, methanogens, and fungi; and (ii) a chemical fuel cell of the polymer-electrolyte type (PEFC). The fuel cell was used as a tester of the technical applicability of the fermentation gas produced by the rumen ciliates for power generation. The average estimated hydrogen yield was ca. 1.15 mol $H_2$ per mole of fermented glucose. The BHFC performance was equal to the performance of the PEFC running on pure hydrogen. No fuel cell poisoning effects were detected. A maximum power density of $1.66\;kW/m^2$ (PEFC geometric area) was obtained at room temperature. The maximum volumetric power density was $128\;W/m^3$ but the coulombic efficiency was only ca. 3.8%. The configuration of the bioreactor limited the continuous operation time of this BHFC to ca. 14 h.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 1978

Muscle fillets of flounder, Limanda herzensteini, were sliced into small pieces and dehydrated by the methods of sun drying, hot air drying and vacuum freeze drying, and evaluated for the protein quality by the method of shortened pepsin pancreatin digest residue (SPPDR) index which is the modified method of shortened pepsin digest residue index. In the analysis of the muscle protein hydrolysates, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and lysine comprised about 39% of the total amino acids of the protein. The content of pure protein in flounder muscle was 18.8%. The result of nutritional evaluation of the dried muscle protein by the computation of the SPPDR index showed that the freeze dried flounder muscle protein was superior in the nutritional efficiency to the others, sun dried. The freeze dried flounder muscle protein marked 89 of the SPPDR index number which is quite similar to the muscle protein of terrestrial animal in nutritional quality.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.375-391
• /
• 2022

This paper examined the impact of the cross-sectional structure on the structural results under different loading conditions of reinforced concrete (RC) members' management limited in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP). The mechanical properties of CFRC was investigated, then, totally 32 samples were examined. Test parameters included the cross-sectional shape as square, rectangular and circular with two various aspect rates and loading statues. The loading involved concentrated loading, eccentric loading with a ratio of 0.46 to 0.6 and pure bending. The results of the test revealed that the CFRP increased ductility and load during concentrated processing. A cross sectional shape from 23 to 44 percent was increased in load capacity and from 250 to 350 percent increase in axial deformation in rectangular and circular sections respectively, affecting greatly the accomplishment of load capacity and ductility of the concentrated members. Two Artificial Intelligence Models as Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) were used to estimating the tensile and flexural strength of specimen. On the basis of the performance from RMSE and RSQR, C-Shape CFRC was greater tensile and flexural strength than any other FRP composite design. Because of the mechanical anchorage into the matrix, C-shaped CFRCC was noted to have greater fiber-matrix interfacial adhesive strength. However, with the increase of the aspect ratio and fiber volume fraction, the compressive strength of CFRCC was reduced. This possibly was due to the fact that during the blending of each fiber, the volume of air input was increased. In addition, by adding silica fumed to composites, the tensile and flexural strength of CFRCC is greatly improved.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.3-49
• /
• 2014

Growing interest of stakeholders on corporate responsibilities for environment and tightening environmental regulations are highlighting the importance of environmental management more than ever. However, companies' awareness of the importance of environment is still falling behind, and related academic works have not shown consistent conclusions on the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance. One of the reasons is different ways of measuring these two performances. The evaluation scope of economic performance is relatively narrow and the performance can be measured by a unified unit such as price, while the scope of environmental performance is diverse and a wide range of units are used for measuring environmental performances instead of using a single unified unit. Therefore, the results of works can be different depending on the performance indicators selected. In order to resolve this problem, generalized and standardized performance indicators should be developed. In particular, the performance indicators should be able to cover the concepts of both environmental and economic performances because the recent idea of environmental management has expanded to encompass the concept of sustainability. Another reason is that most of the current researches tend to focus on the motive of environmental investments and environmental performance, and do not offer a guideline for an effective implementation strategy for environmental management. For example, a process improvement strategy or a market discrimination strategy can be deployed through comparing the environment competitiveness among the companies in the same or similar industries, so that a virtuous cyclical relationship between environmental and economic performances can be secured. A novel method for measuring eco-efficiency by utilizing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which is able to combine multiple environmental and economic performances, is proposed in this report. Based on the eco-efficiencies, the environmental competitiveness is analyzed and the optimal combination of inputs and outputs are recommended for improving the eco-efficiencies of inefficient firms. Furthermore, the panel analysis is applied to the causal relationship between eco-efficiency and economic performance, and the pooled regression model is used to investigate the relationship between eco-efficiency and economic performance. The four-year eco-efficiencies between 2010 and 2013 of 23 companies are obtained from the DEA analysis; a comparison of efficiencies among 23 companies is carried out in terms of technical efficiency(TE), pure technical efficiency(PTE) and scale efficiency(SE), and then a set of recommendations for optimal combination of inputs and outputs are suggested for the inefficient companies. Furthermore, the experimental results with the panel analysis have demonstrated the causality from eco-efficiency to economic performance. The results of the pooled regression have shown that eco-efficiency positively affect financial perform ances(ROA and ROS) of the companies, as well as firm values(Tobin Q, stock price, and stock returns). This report proposes a novel approach for generating standardized performance indicators obtained from multiple environmental and economic performances, so that it is able to enhance the generality of relevant researches and provide a deep insight into the sustainability of environmental management. Furthermore, using efficiency indicators obtained from the DEA model, the cause of change in eco-efficiency can be investigated and an effective strategy for environmental management can be suggested. Finally, this report can be a motive for environmental management by providing empirical evidence that environmental investments can improve economic performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
• /
• 2009.02a
• /
• pp.49-57
• /
• 2009

The cloning of canids was succeeded in 2005, several years after the birth of Dolly the sheep and also after the cloning of numerous other laboratory and farm animal species. The delay of successful somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)was due to the unique reproductive characteristics of the female dogin comparison to other domestic mammals, such as ovulation of immature canine oocyte and a requirement of 25 days for the completion of meiosis within the oviduct (Holst & Phemister, 1971). When the technology for the recovery of in vivo matured oocyte was established, the application of cloning also became possible and cloned dog offspring were obtained. This report summarizes the progress of technical procedures that are required for cloning canids and the application of this technique. The first cloned dog, Snuppy, was achieved using an in vivo-matured oocyte which was enucleated and transferred with an adult skin cell of male Afghan hound. After establishment of a criterion of well-matured oocyte for the improvement of SCNT efficiency, we obtained three cloned female Afghan hound and a toy poodle cloned from 14 year-old aged Poodle using SCNT through this factor. To date, cloned dogs appeared to be normal and those that have reached puberty have been confirmed to be fertile. Through application of canine SCNT technique, first, we demonstrated that SNCT is useful for conserving the breed of endangered animal from extinction through cloning of endangered gray wolves using inter-species SCNT and keeping the pure pedigree through the cloning of Sapsaree, a Korean natural monument. Secondly, we showed possibility of human disease model cloned dog and transgenic cloned dog production through cloning of red fluorescent protein expressing dog. Finally, SCNT can be used for the propagation of valuable genotypes for making elite seed stock and pet dog. In summary, dog cloning is a reproducible technique that offers the opportunity to preserve valuable genetics and a potential step towards the production of gene targeted transgenic cloned dogs for the study of human diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.306-313
• /
• 1973

With the intention of obtaining technical data for the industrial production of ${\gamma}-MnO_2$ for dry cell depolarizer by electrolytic oxidation of acidic manganese sulfate solution made from domestic rhodochrosite, optimum conditions of ore leaching, purification of leached solution and electrolytic oxidation of divalent manganes to tetravalent were investigated using simulated micro pilot plant having a production capacity of 4 kg of $MnSO_4$ per day. The nature and quality of the products were investigated by means of chemical analysis, DTA, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The cell activity of $MnO_2$were examined by cell discharging character measurements. The optimum electrolysis conditions were as follow: Temperature of the electrolyte, above $90^{\circ}C$; current density, 0.7${\sim}A/dm^2$; anode materials, graphite or lead ; concentration of electrolyte, $MnSO_4 50{\sim}150g/l $ g/l and $H_2SO_4/MnSO_4 = 0.15{\sim}0.25$. Under the best condition the current efficiency was 99% and the products were almost pure ${\gamma}-MnO_2$. The cell discharging character were good and almost the same as that of regular grade commercial electrolytic manganese dioxide.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.77-85
• /
• 2011

The silicon-germanium (SiGe) alloy, which is compatible with silicon semiconductor technology and has a smaller band gap and a lower thermal conductivity than silicon, has been used to fabricate electronic devices such as transistors, photodetectors, solar cells, and thermoelectric devices. This paper reviews the application of SiGe alloys to electronic devices and related technical issues. Since the SiGe alloy comprises germanium whose band gap is smaller than silicon, its band gap is also smaller than that of silicon irrespective of the ratio of silicon to germanium. This narrow band gap of SiGe enables the base thickness of bipolar transistors to decrease without a loss in current gain so that it is possible to improve the speed of bipolar transistors by adopting the SiGe-base. In addition, the conversion efficiency of solar cells is enhanced by the absorption of long-wavelength light in the SiGe absorption layer. Phonon scattering caused by the irregular distribution of alloying elements induces the lower thermal conductivity of SiGe than those of pure silicon and germanium. Because a thin film layer with a low thermal conductivity suppresses thermal conduction through a thermal sink, the SiGe alloy is considered to be a promising material for silicon-based thermoelectric systems.