• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.31-48
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• 2019

The artificial ground freezing (AGF) method is a groundwater cutoff and/or ground reinforcement method suitable for constructing underground structures in soft ground and urban areas. The AGF method conducts a freezing process by employing a refrigerant circulating through a set of embedded freezing pipes to form frozen walls serving as excavation supports and/or cutoff walls. However, thermal expansion of the pore water during freezing may cause excessive deformation of the ground. On the other hand, as the frozen soil is thawed after completion of the construction, mechanical characteristics of the thawed soil are changed due to the plastic deformation of the ground and the rearrangement of soil fabric. This paper performed a field experiment to evaluate the freezing rate of marine clay in the application of the AGF method. The field experiment was carried out by circulating liquid nitrogen, which is a cryogenic refrigerant, through one freezing pipe installed at a depth of 3.2 m in the ground. Also, a piezo-cone penetration test (CPTu) and a lateral load test (LLT) were performed on the marine clay before and after application of the AGF method to evaluate a change in strength and stiffness of it, which was induced by freezing-thawing. The experimental results indicate that about 11.9 tons of liquid nitrogen were consumed for 3.5 days to form a cylindrical frozen body with a volume of about $2.12m^3$. In addition, the strength and stiffness of the ground were reduced by 48.5% and 22.7%, respectively, after a freezing-thawing cycle.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.612-623
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• 2020

This study was initiated to quantitatively evaluate the inhibitory effects of five heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni) on bacterial growth and phosphorus removal in the binary culture of Alcaligenes sp. plus Pseudomonas sp. IC50 values of Alcaligenes sp. plus Pseudomonas sp. for Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni were 0.75, 10.93, 7.08, 13.30, and 15.78 mg/L, respectively. For the binary treatments of heavy metals, IC50 was the lowest in the treatment of Cd + Cu, whereas, it was the highest in the Ni + Pb treatment. The EC50 values for Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni were 0.54, 11.08, 6.14, 9.33, and 13.81 mg/L, respectively. For the binary treatments of heavy metals, EC50 was the lowest in the Cd + Zn, whereas, the highest in the Zn + Ni. Based on both IC50 and EC50 values for the binary culture of bacteria with the binary mixtures of heavy metals, the most interactive effect was found to be antagonistic, though the only synergistic effect was found in Cu + Ni treatment. Therefore, our results can provide basic data on the toxic effects of heavy metals on the bacterial growth and phosphorus removal in the wastewater treatment process.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2021

The in vitro antioxidant activity of oregano seed fractions, fractionizing with 80% ethanol, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water, was evaluated, and their effects on edible oils were determined in corn oil at 180℃. The ethyl acetate fraction had the highest radical-scavenging activity. The ferric reducing antioxidant power activity and total phenol content of the ethyl acetate fraction were determined as 6,130 µmol ascorbic acid equivalents/g extract and 770 µmol tannic acid equivalents/g extract, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the other fractions (p<0.05). Primary and secondary oxidation products in corn oil added with the ethyl acetate fraction of oregano seed significantly decreased by 1.5 and 1.26 times, respectively, compared with those in the control groups. The major volatile ingredients in the ethyl acetate fraction of oregano seeds were determined to be carvacrol, thymoquinone, and 3-cyclopentylcyl-cyclopentan-1-one. Ethyl acetate is a suitable solvent for extracting antioxidant compounds from oregano seeds and can be used as a natural antioxidant.

• Maritime Security
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.141-185
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• 2021

The growing U.S.-China rivalry has placed the countries of Southeast Asia in exceedingly precarious positions. The Republic of Korea (ROK) likewise has been tasked with the challenge of "navigating the waters" between deepening geopolitical divides. It is in this context that the "New Southern Policy" (hereafter NSP) has become a key word in Korea's foreign policy circles. Through NSP, ROK aims to diversify its economic and security interests by strengthening ties with its southern partners, focusing on three key areas (termed as the "3 Ps"): People, Prosperity, and Peace. At the same time, the NSP seeks cooperation with other key diplomatic agendas such as the U.S.'s "Free and Open Indo-Pacific," rendering it crucial for the overall stability of the region. Considering such strategic significance, deeper analysis of the policy is more timely than ever. A brief assessment of the policy's outcome so far, however, reveals that relatively, the "Peace" pillar has been insufficient in achieving satisfactory outcomes. Here, this paper asks the question of: 1) How can the "Peace" pillar of South Korea's New Southern Policy be strengthened? Based on an analysis on the causes of the "Peace" pillar's weakness, this paper identifies counter-piracy cooperation as a solution. This paper then proceeds to answer the next question of: 2) How can ROK and ASEAN cooperate on counter-piracy, and how can these efforts be integrated into ROK's NSP? To answer the above question, this paper conducts in-depth case studies on ASEAN's and ROK's approaches to counter-piracy and identifies specific mechanisms of cooperation. In Chapter I, the paper begins with an overview of the NSP's strategic significance and an evaluation of its "Peace" pillar. Chapter II conducts a literature review on the causes of, and prescriptions for, the weakness of the "Peace" pillar. The paper then justifies why counter-piracy may be a solution. Chapter III examines ASEAN's and ROK's approaches to counter-piracy. By analyzing the general framework and each region's cases, the paper displays the strengths and weaknesses of each region's piracy responses. Based on this analysis, Chapter IV suggests ways to incorporate counter-piracy cooperation into the "Peace" pillar of the NSP. This research bears significance in that it identifies a specific area of cooperation (counter-piracy) to strengthen the "Peace" pillar of ROK's NSP. Such identification is based on a comprehensive study into the two parties' past and current experience in counter-piracy, making it contextual in nature. Furthermore, the study suggests practical mechanisms of cooperation, and considers ways of incorporation into the existing framework of NSP. This approach differs from existing literature that failed to generate case-specific, policy-oriented solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated piracy issues and deepened geopolitical divides. Turbulent seas such as these call for careful navigation. When it comes to promoting "peace," the key lies in combating the pirates that sail those very waters.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.30-58
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• 2022

The deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste disposal is a multi barrier system comprised of engineered barriers and a natural barrier. The long-term integrity of the deep geological repository is affected by the coupled interactions between the individual barrier components. Erosion and piping phenomena in the compacted bentonite buffer due to buffer-rock interactions results in the removal of bentonite particles via groundwater flow and can negatively impact the integrity and performance of the buffer. Rapid groundwater inflow at the early stages of disposal can lead to piping in the bentonite buffer due to the buildup of pore water pressure. The physiochemical processes between the bentonite buffer and groundwater lead to bentonite swelling and gelation, resulting in bentonite erosion from the buffer surface. Hence, the evaluation of erosion and piping occurrence and its effects on the integrity of the bentonite buffer is crucial in determining the long-term integrity of the deep geological repository. Previous studies on bentonite erosion and piping failed to consider the complex coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical behavior of bentonite-groundwater interactions and lacked a comprehensive model that can consider the complex phenomena observed from the experimental tests. In this technical note, previous studies on the mechanisms, lab-scale experiments and numerical modeling of bentonite buffer erosion and piping are introduced, and the future expected challenges in the investigation of bentonite buffer erosion and piping are summarized.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2020

In this study, the anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic effects of hot-water extracts from 10 kinds of macroalgae in Korea were investigated. It was selected materials in consideration of biological activity and industrial potential as follows: Caulerpa okamurae; Codium fragile; Ulva australis; Ishige foliacea; Saccharina japonica; Sargassum horneri; Undaria pinnatifida; Gloiopeltis tenax; Gracilaria verrucosa; Porphyra tenera. Results showed that S. japonica and G. tenax significantly decreased NO productionn in LPS-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells at concentrations of 100, 1000 ㎍/mL and 1000 ㎍/mL, respectively. However, most of the other macroalgae used in the experiment did not affect NO production. It was observed that all macroalgae extracts except for the highest concentration (1000 ㎍/mL) treatment group of P. tenera did not affect the viability in Raw 264.7 cells. In addition, there was not significant decrease in cell viability by macroalgae extracts treatment in HINAE cells. These results suggest that S. japonica and G. tenax could be used as potential safe natural anti-inflammatory agents for food and feed additives. Also, the results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for the development of functional materials for 10 kinds of macroalgae resources in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2021

When producing recycled asphalt mix, it is important that the old binder of reclaimed asphalt pavement(RAP) should be well melted during blending in the mixer. The recycled asphalt mix is produced by instant mixing(IM) of all materials(RAP, virgin asphalt and new aggregates) all together in the mixer. However, in the same recycled mix, the binder around RAP aggregate was found to show higher oxidation level than the binder coated around the virgin aggregate because the old binder of RAP was not rejuvenated properly while instant mixing. The partially-rejuvenated RAP binder is assumed to be a high stiffness point in IM recycled mix. In this study, the stage mixing(SM) method was introduced; blending RAP and virgin asphalt for the first stage, and then mixing all together with hot new aggregates for the second stage. To compare the effect of the two mixing methods on moisture resistance of recycled mixes, a statistical t-test was performed between SM and IM using indirect tensile strength(ITS) and tensile strength ratio(TSR). Three conditioning methods were used; a 16-h freezing and then 24-h submerging, 48-h submerging, and 72-h submerging in 60℃ water. It was found that the TSR(=ITS_wet/ITS_dry) values of the mixes prepared by SM was clearly higher than the IM mixes, and coefficients of variation of SM mixes were lower than the IM mixes. It was also observed that the ITS_WET of SM was significantly different from the IM at α=0.05 level by statistical t-test. The ITS_WET of SM mix was reduced less than the IM mix in severer conditioned mixes. Therefore, it was concluded that the stage mixing method was an important blending technique for producing better-quality of recycled asphalt mixes, which would show higher moisture resistance than the recycled mixes produced by conventional instant mixing.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 2022

The amount of the plastic waste has been increasing according to global demand for plastic. Microplastics are the most hazardous among all plastic pollutants due to their toxicity and unknown physicochemical properties. This study investigates the optimal methodology that can be applied to sewage samples for detecting microplastics before discussing reducing microplastics in MWTPs. In this study, the effect of different pretreatment methods while detecting microplastic analysis of MWTP influent samples was investigated; the samples were collected from the J sewage treatment plant. There are many pretreatment methods but two of them are widely used: Fenton digestion and hydrogen peroxide oxidation. Although there are many pretreatment methods that can be applied to investigate microplastics, the most widely used methods for sewage treatment plant samples are Fenton digestion and H₂O₂ oxidation. For each pretreatment method, there were factors that could cause an error in the measurement. To overcome this, in the case of the Fenton digestion pretreatment, it is recommended to proceed with the analysis by filtration instead of the density separation method. In the case of the H₂O₂ oxidation method, the process of washing with distilled water after the reaction is recommended. As a result of the analysis, the concentration of microplastics was measured to be 2.75ea/L for the sample using the H₂O₂ oxidation method and 3.2ea/L for the sample using the Fenton oxidation method, and most of them were present in the form of fibers. In addition, it is difficult to guarantee the reliability of measurement results from quantitative analysis performed via microscope with eyes. A calibration curve was created for prove the reliability. A total of three calibration curves were drawn, and as a result of analysis of the calibration curves, all R² values were more than 0.9. This ensures high reliability for quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis could determine the series of microplastics flowing into the MWTP, but could not confirm the chemical composition of each microplastic. This study can be used to confirm the chemical composition of microplastics introduced into MWTP in the future research.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2023

This study was conducted to identify items that should be considered in order to increase user satisfaction in the Jayeonmadang project by analyzing the importance and satisfaction targeting Gochang Jayeonmadang users. As a result of analysis on the importance and satisfaction of Gochang Jayeonmadang users focusing on 20 items in 6 fields, Overall, it was analyzed that they were not satisfied as they were important. In order to increase user satisfaction of Gochang Jayeonmadang, maintenance such as 'cleanliness and hygiene', 'water quality', 'vegetation growth', and 'facility management' should be carefully reflected from the planning and design stage, and careful attention should be paid even after the project. In addition, emphasis should be placed on enhancing the user convenience, such as 'accessibility', 'space layout and utilization efficiency', and 'convenience of route'. And, when promoting the Jayeonmadang project, the purpose of the project should be actively promoted to local residents to raise the residents' awareness of the importance of biodiversity in the city.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2023

In this study, the sludge formation in the wastewater drain from the advanced packaging process mechanisms are revealed as well as the key factors, materials, and sludge prevention methods using surfactant. Compared with that of conventional packaging process, advanced packaging process employ similar process to the semiconductor fabrication process, and thus many processes may generate wastewater. In specific, a large amount of wastewater may generate during the carrier wafer bonding, photo, development, and carrier wafer debonding processes. In order to identify the key factors for the formation of sludge during the advanced packaging process, six types of chemicals including bonding glue, HMDS, photoresist (PR), PR developer, debonding cleaner, and water are utilized and mixing evaluation is assessed. As a result, it is confirmed that the black solid sludge is formed, which is originated by the sludge seed formation by hydrolysis/dehydration reaction of HMDS and sludge growth via hydrophobic-hydrophobic binding with sludge seed and PR. For the sludge prevention investigation, three surfactants of CTAB, PEG, and shampoo are mixed with the key materials of sludge, and it is confirmed that the sludge formations are successfully suppressed. The underlying mechanism behind the sludge formation is that the carbon tails of the surfactant bind to PR with hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction and inhibit the reaction with HMDS-based slurry seeds to prevent the sludge formation. In this regard, it is expected that various problems like clogging in drains and pipes during the advanced packaging process may effectively solve by the injection of surfactants into the drains.