• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.345-353
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• 2022

A wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is a major gateway for the engineered nano-particles (ENPs) entering the water bodies. However existing studies have reported that many WWTPs exceed the No Observed Effective Concentration (NOEC) for ENPs in the effluent and thus they need to be designed or operated to more effectively control ENPs. Understanding and predicting ENPs behaviors in the unit and \the whole process of a WWTP should be the key first step to develop strategies for controlling ENPs using a WWTP. This study aims to provide a modeling tool for predicting behaviors and removal efficiencies of ENPs in a WWTP associated with process characteristics and major operating conditions. In the developed model, four unit processes for water treatment (primary clarifier, bioreactor, secondary clarifier, and tertiary treatment unit) were considered. Additionally the model simulates the sludge treatment system as a single process that integrates multiple unit processes including thickeners, digesters, and dewatering units. The simulated ENP was nano-sized TiO₂, (nano-TiO₂) assuming that its behavior in a WWTP is dominated by the attachment with suspendid solids (SS), while dissolution and transformation are insignificant. The attachment mechanism of nano-TiO₂ to SS was incorporated into the model equations using the apparent solid-liquid partition coefficient (Kd) under the equilibrium assumption between solid and liquid phase, and a steady state condition of nano-TiO₂ was assumed. Furthermore, an MS Excel-based user interface was developed to provide user-friendly environment for the nano-TiO₂ removal efficiency calculations. Using the developed model, a preliminary simulation was conducted to examine how the solid retention time (SRT), a major operating variable affects the removal efficiency of nano-TiO₂ particles in a WWTP.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to determine the order of priority for the use of amendments, matching the optimal amendment to the specific site in Korea. This decision-making process must prioritize the stabilization and economic efficiency of amendment for heavy metals and metalloid based on domestic site contamination scenarios. For this study, total 5 domestic heavy metal contaminated sites were selected based on different pollution scenarios and 13 amendments, which were previously studied as the soil stabilizer. Batch extraction experiments were performed to quantify the stabilization efficiency for 8 heavy metals (including As and Hg) for 5 soil samples, representing 5 different pollution scenarios. For each amendment, the analyses using XRD and XRF to identify their properties, the toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) test, and the synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) test were also conducted to evaluate the leaching safety in applied site. From results of batch experiments, the amendments showing > 20% extraction lowering efficiency for each heavy metal (metalloid) was selected and the top 5 ranked amendments were determined at different amount of amendment and on different extraction time conditions. For each amendment, the total number of times ranked in the top 5 was counted, prioritizing the feasible amendment for specific domestic contaminated sites in Korea. Mine drainage treatment sludge, iron oxide, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, calcite, iron sulfide, biochar showed high extraction decreasing efficiency for heavy metals in descending order. When the economic efficiency for these amendments was analyzed, mine drainage treatment sludge, limestone, steel making slag, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide were determined as the priority amendment for the Korean field application in descending order.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.558-572
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to classify the types of degraded areas of Mt. Jirisan section in Baekdudaegan and survey the actual condition of each damage type to use it as basic data for the direction of the restoration of damaged areas according to damage type based on the vegetation information of reference ecosystem. The analysis of the Mt. Jirisan section's actual degraded conditions showed that the total number of patches of degraded areas was 57, and the number of patches and size of degraded areas was higher at the low average altitude and gentle slope. Grasslands (deserted lands) and cultivated areas accounted for a high portion of the damage types, indicating that agricultural land use was a major damage factor. The survey on the conditions of 14 degraded areas showed that the types of damage were classified into the grassland, cultivated area, restoration area, logged-off land, and bare ground. The analysis of the degree of disturbance (the ratio of annual and biennial herb, urbanized index, and disturbance index) by each type showed that the simple single-layer vegetation structure mostly composed of the herbaceous and the degree of disturbance were high in the grassland and cultivated land. The double-layer vegetation structure appeared in the restoration area where the pine seedlings were planted, and the inflow of naturalized plants was especially high compared to other degraded areas due to disturbances caused by the restoration project and the nearby hiking trails. Although the inflow of naturalized plants was low because of high altitude in bare ground, the proportion of annual and biennial herb was high, indicating that all surveyed degraded areas were in early succession stages. The stand ordination by type of damage showed the restoration area on the I-axis, cultivated area, grassland, logged-off land, and bare ground in that order, indicating the arrangement by the damage type. Moreover, the stand ordination of the degraded areas and reference ecosystem based on floristic variation showed a clear difference in species composition. This study diagnosed the status of each damage type based on the reference ecosystem information according to the ecological restoration procedure and confirmed the difference in species composition between the diagnosis result and the reference ecosystem. These findings can be useful basic data for establishing the restoration goal and direction in the future.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.1071-1079
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• 2020

For integrated water management, it is essential to secure basic data such as the amount of agricultural water intake. The river water intake through the intake weir is carried out through the agricultural irrigation canal, and a method for measuring the quantity of water intake is required to suit the characteristics of the measuring points. In this study, the accuracy of the calculated flow data was determined by applying a microwave water surface current meter. The microwave water surface current meter is a method of calculating surface velocity using doppler effect, which is mainly used in high-velocities situations such as flood. Surface velocity is difficult to represent the average velocity of the entire section at low dicharges or high wind speeds, it is considered to be low in continuous utilization throughout the year, and it is necessary to verify whether the measurement using an microwave water surface curren meter is appropriate in agricultural irrigation canal. The data measured with an microwave water surface curren meter were compared with the actual flow data to calculate the intake data in agricultural irrigation canal. In agricultural irrigation canal, the low-level discharge calculated using an microwave water surface current meter at a minimum velocity of about 0.3 m/s and a minimum discharge of about 1.0 m3/s or higher was found to have a high tendency and accuracy compared to the standard discharge, especially when the high discharge was high. Although effective results can be obtained in terms of quantity at low discharge, it is deemed that subsequent studies are needed to calculate the average discharge of the cross section at low discharge, given that the trend of data is unstable. Through this study, it is suggested that it is appropriate to calculate the amount of water intake through the microwave water surface current meter in artificial waterways with a certain discharge or higher, so it is expected to be widely distributed as a method for measuring river water intake.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.1-28
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• 2020

This study examines whether the firm with high innovation efficiency realizes high operating performance. We measured innovation efficiency by the ratio of patent applications for R&D expenditure or R&D stock and measured operating performance by the ratio of operating income or operating cash flow to total assets for the following year. The sample consists of 1,880 manufacturing firm-years, which listed on the Korean Exchange between 2014 and 2017. We analyze the effect of innovation efficiency on operating performance using a model of Hirshleifer et al. (2013) results show that both innovation efficiency variables have a significantly positive relationship with the total asset operating margin. Besides, the following year's performance, measured by the total asset operating cash flow ratio, also shows a positive relationship with the two innovation efficiency variables at the 5% and 1% significance levels, respectively. The results indicate that high innovation efficiency firms that link the outcomes of R&D to more patent applications realize higher operating performance. Also, we divided the R&D-intensive and non-R&D-intensive industries and performed the same analysis. As a result, the innovation efficiency has a significant positive effect on operating margin in both industries. However, the effect of innovation efficiency on the operating cash flow is only significant in R&D-intensive industries. This study suggests that the effects of innovation efficiency are more consistent in the R&D-intensive industry. Additionally, we divided the high patent application and low patent applications industries and performed the same analysis. As a result, the innovation efficiency has a significant positive effect on operating margin in both industries. This study suggests that the effects of innovation efficiency are more consistent in the high patent application industry. We show that a firm's innovation efficiency is a critical factor for a firm's performance, while prior studies on the R&D performance have not considered the innovation efficiency of each firm. The evidence suggests that firms not only consider R&D expenditures but also improve the performance of companies by increasing innovation efficiency. Investors need to consider their innovation efficiency when evaluating the value of firms.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.3-27
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• 2018

This paper analyzes Cuba's market-oriented reforms to alleviate essential problems with socialist countries such as soft budget constraints and incentive problems. It also discuss about effectiveness of industrial policy as a development strategy. The soft budget constraints and incentive problems resulted in the collapse of Soviet bloc and COMECON in early 1990s. After the collapse, Cuban economy suffered a steep dive, and national income tumbling down rapidly. Cuban faced serious shortages of food, gasoline, and other basic necessities of life. To halt and partially reverse economic downturn and dire austerity in the 1990's, the Cuban government made some partial reforms to the inherited Soviet system of cental planningand faced severe shortage in food, energy, and daily necessities. In response to the economic crisis. Cuba introduced economic reforms and implemented industrial policy as a development strategy as long as Cuba maintained a strong socialist country. Cuban government established the economic free zone law and attempted to induce foreign direct investment by implementing export-led industrial policy. Fiedel Castro approved the Law No. 165 "Free Zones and Industrial Parks", in 1996. However, Cuba's ESZ strategy seems to have failed because of the U.S. sanctions, but also because of Cuba's own policies, which do not allow foreign investors to hire workers directly and impose a high implicit tax on wages. By limiting advanced techniques of personnel and organization management, indirect employment can result in lowering work efforts and productivity of workers, and aggravating production efficiency in the ESZs. Another reason to fail comes from the double wage structure due to the double monetary-exchange rate system. Most of the high non-wage costs result from the double exchange rate system. Due to Cuba's imbalanced industry and production structures, concentrated labor force, and urbanization and centralization of agriculture production, the industrial transformation development model suggested by Lewis has not been successful unlike other Asian agriculture-led development model. Cuba has to overcome many difficulties in implementing industrial policy as a development strategy.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.117-126
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• 2017

Hanwoo young bulls are selected based on performance test using the weight at 12 months and pedigree index comprising marbling score. Pedigree index was not based on the progeny tested data but the breeding value of the proven bulls; resulting a lower accuracy. The progeny testing of the young bulls was categorized into testing at farm and at the test station. The farm tested data was difficult to compare with those from test station data. Farm tested bulls had different slaughter ages than those for test station bulls. Therefore, this study had considered a different age at slaughter for respective records on ultrasound traits. Records on body weight at 12 months, ultrasound measures at 12 and 24 months(uIMF, uEMA, uBFT, and uRFT), and carcass traits(CWT, EMA, BFT, and MS) were collected from steers and bulls of Hanwoo national improvement scheme between 2008 and 2013. Fixed effects of batch, test date, test station, personnel for measurement, personnel for judging, and a linear covariate of weight at measurement were fitted in the animal models for ultrasound traits. The ranges of heritability estimates of the ultrasound traits at 12 and 24 months were 0.21-0.43 and 0.32-0.47, respectively. Ultrasound traits at 12 and 24 months between similar carcass traits was genetically correlated at 0.52-0.75 and 0.86-0.89, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.510-523
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• 2020

This study analyzed groundwater quality in hydroponic cultivation facilities. Through this study, the possibility of groundwater use was evaluated according to the quality of the groundwater for hydroponic cultivation facilities. Good groundwater quality, on average, is pH 6.61, EC 0.27 dS/m, NO3-N 7.64 mg/L, NH4+-N 0.80 mg/L, PO4-P 0.09 mg/L, K+ 6.26 mg/L, Ca2+ 18.57 mg/L, Mg2+ 4.38 mg/L, Na+ 20.85 mg/L, etc. All of these satisfy the water quality standard for raw water in nutrient cultivation. But in the case of farmers experiencing problems with groundwater quality, most of the items exceeded the water quality standard. As a result of the analysis, it was judged that purifying groundwater of unsuitable quality for crop cultivation, and using it as raw water, was effective in terms of water quality and soil purification. If an agricultural water purification system is constructed based on the results of this study, it is judged that the design will be easy because the items to be treated can be estimated. If a purification system is established, it can use groundwater directly in the facility and for horticulture. These study results will be available for use in sustainable agriculture and environments.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.64-78
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• 2021

This study was conducted to find out the effect of the construction and operation of river-crossing structures on the habitat landscape characteristics in the Geum-gang River, South Korea. A total of three study reaches were selected in the downstream of the Daecheong Dam: the Buyong-ri reach, which is a control that is not affected by the construction and operation of the weir of the Four Rivers Project and Sejong-bo Weir reach and Gongju-bo Weir reach of the upper and lower sections of each weir that are affected by the weir construction and operation. The habitat type was classified, and then the structural characteristics of the landscape were analyzed using aerial photographs taken before and after the construction of the Daecheong Dam, before and after the construction of the weir, and before and after the weir gate operation. After the construction of Daecheong Dam in Geum River, the area of the bare land greatly decreased, and the area of grassland and woodland increased in the downstream of the dam. In addition, the patch number in the river landscape increased, the patch size decreased, and the landscape shape index and the habitat diversity increased. Therefore, after the construction of the dam, the bare land habitat was changed to a vegetated habitat, and the habitat was fragmented and diversified in the downstream of the dam. After the construction of the weirs, the area of open water increased by 18% in the Sejong-bo reach and by 90% in the Gongju-bo reach, and the landscape shape index of the open water decreased by 32% in the Sejong-bo reach and by 35% in the Gongju-bo reach, and the habitat diversity index decreased to 25% in the Sejong-bo reach and to 24% in the Gongju-bo reach. Therefore, the open water habitat was expanded, the shape of the habitat was simplified, and the habitat diversity decreased according to the construction of the weirs. After water-gate opening of the weir, the bare land that disappeared after the construction of the weir reappeared, and the landscape shape index and habitat diversity index increased in both terrestrial and open water habitats. Therefore, it was found that the landscape characteristics of the river habitats were restored to the pre-construction of the weir by the operation of the weir gate. The effect of weir gate opening was delayed in the downstream than in the upstream of the weir. Although the characteristics of the landscape structure in the river habitat changed due to the construction of the river-crossing structures, it is thought that proper technology development for the ecological operation of the structures is necessary as the habitat environments can be restored by the operation of these structures.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.618-629
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to optimize the fermentation condition of black bean by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and to evaluate the quality characteristics of fermented black bean. Lactobacillus plantarum SU22 isolated from kimchi was selected as a starter for the fermentation of black bean because the strain exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and did not produce biogenic amines or a carcinogenic enzyme, β-glucuronidase. Fermentation was performed with broth containing puffed black bean (PBB) inoculated with 1% (v/v) of L. plantarum SU22 at 37℃ for 48h. The viable cell count of LAB was over 9 Log CFU/mL in PBB (20%) broth fermented with L. plantarum SU22. Fermentation of alcalase-treated PBB (20%) broth with L. plantarum SU22 was found to be the optimal condition, increasing viable cell count of LAB up to 10.30 Log CFU/mL. Under the optimal condition, the total polyphenol content (94.02 mg GAE/g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (92.50%) were significantly increased, compared to non-fermented control (87.74 mg GAE/g, 83.14%).