• Clean Technology
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.341-349
• /
• 2021

In combustion facilities, the nitrogen and sulfur in fossil fuels react with oxygen to generate air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NO_X) and sulfur oxides (SO_X), which are harmful to the human body and cause environmental pollution. There are regulations worldwide to reduce NO_X and SO_X, and various technologies are being applied to meet these regulations. There are commercialized methods to reduce NO_X and SO_X emissions such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR), selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) and wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD), but due to the disadvantages of these methods, many studies have been conducted to simultaneously remove NO_X and SO_X. However, even in the NO_X and SO_X simultaneous removal methods, there are problems with wastewater generation due to oxidants and absorbents, costs incurred due to the use of catalysts and electrolysis to activate specific oxidants, and the harmfulness of gas oxidants themselves. Therefore, in this research, microbubbles generated in a high-pressure disperser and reducing agents were used to reduce costs and facilitate wastewater treatment in order to compensate for the shortcomings of the NO_X, SO_X simultaneous treatment method. It was confirmed through image processing and ESR (electron spin resonance) analysis that the disperser generates real microbubbles. NO_X and SO_X removal tests according to temperature were also conducted using only microbubbles. In addition, the removal efficiencies of NO_X and SO_X are about 75% and 99% using a reducing agent and microbubbles to reduce wastewater. When a small amount of oxidizing agent was added to this microbubble system, both NO_X and SO_X removal rates achieved 99% or more. Based on these findings, it is expected that this suggested method will contribute to solving the cost and environmental problems associated with the wet oxidation removal method.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.75-103
• /
• 2020

There is a growing voice that medical information should be shared because it can prepare for genetic diseases or cancer by analyzing and utilizing medical information in big data or artificial intelligence to develop medical technology and improve patient care. The utilization and protection of patients' personal information are the same as two sides of the same coin. Medical institutions or medical personnel should take extra caution in handling personal information with high environmental distinct characteristics and sensitivity, which is different from general information processors. In general, the patient's personal information is processed by medical personnel or medical institutions through the processes of collection, creation, and destruction. Still, the use of terms related to personal information in the Medical Service Act is jumbled, or the scope of application is unclear, so it relies on the interpretation of precedents. For the medical personnel or the founder of the medical institution, in the case of infringement of Article 24(4), it cannot be regarded that it means only medical treatment information among personal information, whether or not it should be treated the same as the personal information under Article 23, because the sensitive information of patients is recorded, saved, and stored in electronic medical records. Although the prohibition of information leakage under Article 19 of the Medical Service Act has a revision; 'secret' that was learned in business was revised to 'information', but only the name was changed, and the benefit and protection of the law is the same as the 'secret' of the criminal law, such that the patient's right to self-determination of personal information is not protected. The Privacy Law and the Local Health Act consider the benefit and protection of the law in 'information learned in business' as the right to self-determination of personal information and stipulate the same penalties for personal information infringement such as leakage, forgery, alteration, and damage. The privacy regulations of the Medical Service Act require that the terms be adjusted uniformly because the jumbled use of terms can confuse information subjects, information processors, and shows certain limitations on the protection of personal information because the contents or scope of the regulations of the Medical Service Law for special corporations and the Privacy Law may cause confusion in interpretation. The patient's personal information is sensitive and must be safely protected in its use and processing. Personal information must be processed in accordance with the protection principle of Privacy Law, and the rights such as privacy, freedom, personal rights, and the right to self-determination of personal information of patients or guardians, the information subject, must be guaranteed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Spine Surgery
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.147-153
• /
• 2018

Study Design: Retrospective case series. Objectives: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical efficacy of postganglionic nerve block in symptomatic Schmorl nodules (SNs). Summary of Literature Review: SNs are common lesions that are often asymptomatic. In certain cases, SNs have been reported to cause severe axial back pain, thereby considerably impacting patients' quality of life. No consensus currently exists on the treatment of symptomatic SNs. Materials and Methods: From October 2015 to October 2017, a total of 21 patients with symptomatic SNs diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that did not respond to conservative treatment after 4 weeks were included in the study. All patients received postganglionic nerve block. We evaluated effective pain relief (improvement of back pain of more than 50% compared with before the intervention) and functional improvements, assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index scores obtained at 4 hours, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after the procedure. Results: Symptomatic SNs were more common at the L2-3 level, and the lower end plate was more commonly involved than the upper end plate. Eighteen of the 21 patients (85.7%) showed effective pain relief, and no deterioration was observed within the followup period. Throughout the follow-up period, the VAS remained significantly improved compared to before the procedure (p<0.05). Complications were not reported in any cases. Conclusions: Postganglionic nerve block for symptomatic SNs that do not respond to conservative treatment is a non-invasive modality for pain relief.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
• /
• v.137
• /
• pp.57-79
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this paper is to explain MacIntyre's critique of moral pluralism of modern society and reveal the limits of his critique of liberalism. It is a distinctive feature of the social and cultural order that we inhabit that disagreements over central moral issues are peculiarly unsettleable. Debates concerned with the value of human life such as those over abortion and euthanasia, or about distributive justice and property rights, or about war and peace degenerate into confrontations of assertion and counter-assertion because the protagonists of rival positions invoke incommensurable forms of moral assertion against each other. We usually call this situation 'modern moral pluralism' and concede as the natural outcome of the activities of human reason under free institution. But in After Virtue, MacIntyre vigorously criticizes modern moral pluralism. The main cause he took which brought about this state of affairs was the failure of 'the Enlightenment project'. According to MacIntyre, the Enlightenment project which has dominated philosophy for the past three hundred years promised a conception of rationality independent of historical and social context, and independent of any specific understanding of man's nature or purpose. But not only has that promise in fact been unfulfilled, the project is itself fundamentally flawed and the promise could never be fulfilled. In consequence, modern moral and political thought are in a state of disarray from which they can be rescued only if we revert to an Aristotelian paradigm, with its essential commitment, and construct an account of practical reason premised on that commitment. But one of the deepest difficulties with the argument of After Virtue is that the very extent of its critique of the modern world seems to cast doubt on the possibility of any realistic revival under the conditions of modernity of the Aristotelianism which MacIntyre advocates. Especially when we consider we are not only the characters found in our narratives but also we ourselves are the author of our own narratives. Moral pluralism is not seen as disaster but rather as the natural outcome of the activities of human reason under enduring free institutions.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.519-532
• /
• 2018

We investigated the effect of galactic plane toward molecular motion and kinematics in the northern filament (NF) of Orion Molecular Clouds Complex (OMC) using $^{12}CO$ (J=1-0) line. Observed data were from three areas including NF1, NF2, and NF3 in far-out order from galactic plane, for a total 270 hours by Seoul National University Radio Astronomy Observatory (SRAO) 6m telescope, with 2arcmin spatial resolution. galactic plane and OMC NF were connected to each other along the magnetic field at a density of 3% for $^{12}CO$ (J=2-1) and 9% for the case of dust. $^{12}CO$ (J=1-0), $^{12}CO$ (J=2-1), and interstellar dusts were distributed uniformly in NF3, but only in certain regions with relatively high density in NF1 and NF2. NF showed a single structure, partial shrinking motion in NF1, and rotational motion at the bottom of NF2, and spiral rotation associated with magnetic field only in NF3. The position-velocity analysis showed that the materials including $^{12}CO$ (J=1-0) could flow toward galactic plane along NF2 and NF3. However, there was no clear cause for the material to flow toward galactic plane in this result. Further detailed observation for rotational motion at the top of NF1 and NF2 might help to confirm it.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.484-491
• /
• 2019

Proanthocyanidins are naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds abundant in many vegetables, plant skins (rind/bark), seeds, flowers, fruits, and nuts. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated myriad effects potentially beneficial to human health, such as antioxidation, immunomodulation, DNA repair, and antitumor activity. Among immune cells, macrophages are crucial players in a variety of inflammatory responses to environmental conditions. However, it has been widely reported that macrophages cause chronic inflammation and are involved in a variety of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. In this study, we report the suppressive effect of proanthocyanidins via the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)-related system, on the immune response of the LPS-stimulated mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7. Increased HO-1 expression at mRNA and protein levels were found in proanthocyanidins-treated RAW264.7 cells. Further, proanthocyanidins enhanced nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 translocation into the nucleus. RAW264.7 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without proanthocyanidins, and inflammatory mediator expression levels were assessed. Proanthocyanidins treatment resulted in the attenuation of nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, mRNA and protein expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-6, was inhibited by proanthocyanidins treatment in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. These findings support proanthocyanidins as a promising anti-inflammatory agent.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.74-95
• /
• 2009

Folk villages have higher historic and cultural values than other villages and contain considerably many traditional elements today. In Korea, there are seven folk villages that are under the protection of the Cultural Properties Protection Act. Unlike other kinds of tangible cultural assets individually appointed according to the act, those folk villages are protected by the act in entirety including the houses and auxiliary structures inhabited and used by the villagers. Since the act covers the entire villages, the residents are not allowed to repair or renovate their structures and accordingly suffer from huge limitations in everyday life with housing life under the biggest restrictions. Being appointed as a folk village is positive from the perspective of preserving the village. However, it is negative to the villagers because of the limitations to their housing lives. While common people lead a convenient life by the introduction of high technologies in modern society, they do not get to benefit from such technologies for the cause of preserving the traditional culture. Upon the appointment, they are subject to all sorts of building regulations and under huge direct and indirect influences of those regulations across many different aspects of life including housing life. Thus the residents of folk villages do have many complaints about the act. It is only natural that there occur conflicts between the state, which tries to preserve the traditional culture according to the act, and the residents, who pursue convenience in life. At the same time, it is natural too that the residents have the desire to pursue convenience in daily life. Thus they renovate their houses illegally. The government agencies are aware of that, however, it is not right for them to enforce the act and restrict their daily lives. Their tacit approval of such illegal renovations is the product of compromises between the residents' right to their private property and the state's policies of cultural asset protection. The residents try to renovate their houses within the limit that will not call for legal restrictions from the government agencies. The government allows for renovations as long as they are within the minimum limit. It is the result of efforts for the state and the residents to stitch up and compromise their own complaints.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.92-105
• /
• 2019

Spatial and temporal characteristics of phytoplankton communities around the coastal waters of Jeju Island were investigated with environmental factors such as water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. Monthly samples were collected at 0 and 30 m depths of 10 stations from March 2015 to February 2016. During the survey period, water temperature ranged in 13.7~25.9 and $13.6{\sim}20.8^{\circ}C$ at 0 and 30 m, salinity in 31.51~34.47 and 33.03~34.47 psu at 0 and 30 m, and dissolved oxygen in 6.12~8.10 and $5.73{\sim}7.88mg\;L^{-1}$ at 0 and 30 m, respectively. Chlorophyll-a ranged in 0.28~2.48 and $0.44{\sim}1.01{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ at 0 and 30 m, respectively. Phytoplankton abundance fluctuated in the range of $5,300{\sim}639,900cells\;L^{-1}$ during the year, showing the lowest in February at all stations, and the highest in July at the northern and western sea as well as in August at the southern and eastern sea of Jeju Island. A total of 362 species were occurred including 181 spp. of Bacillariophyta, 147 spp. of Dinophyta and 34 spp. of other phytoflagellates. Dominant species with occupancy rate over 20 percent of phytoplankton abundance showed apparent seasonal succession such as Paralia sulcata and Skeletonema costatum in spring and autumn, 6 spp. of genus Chaetoceros in summer, and 2 spp. of genus Chaetoceros and Thalassionema frauenfeldii in winter. Monthly abundance in the northern and western sea fluctuated with similar tendency, and the southern and eastern sea also showed similar pattern of monthly abundance variation. Species composition and dominant species succession mentioned above were quite different from previous studies, so some physical changes such as water temperature, salinity and current pattern might cause the changes of phytoplankton assemblages around Jeju Island.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 2021

Material Life Cycle Assessment (MLCA) was performed to analyze the environmental impact characteristics of the Mg₂NiH_x-5 wt% CaO hydrogen storage composites' manufacturing process. The MLCA was carried out by Gabi software. It was based on Eco-Indicator 99' (EI99) and CML 2001 methodology. The Mg₂NiH_x-5 wt% CaO composites were synthesized by Hydrogen Induced Mechanical Alloying (HIMA). The metallurgical, thermochemical characteristics of the composites were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), specific surface area analysis (Bruner-Emmett-Teller, BET), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). As a result of the CML 2001 methodology, the environmental impact was 78% for Global Warming Potential (GWP) and 22% for Eutrophication Potential (ETP). In addition, as a result of applying the EI 99' methodology, the acidification was the highest at 43%, and the ecotoxicity was 31%. Accordingly, the amount of electricity used in the manufacturing process may have an absolute effect on environmental pollution. Also, it is judged that the leading cause of Mg₂NiH_x-5 wt% CaO is the addition of CaO. Ultimately, it is necessary to research environmental factors by optimizing the process, shortening the manufacturing process time, and exploring eco-friendly alternative materials.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.12
• /
• pp.1078-1084
• /
• 2020

Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis is an insect belonging to the order Coleoptera. This insect is reported to contain large amounts of physiologically active substances useful for liver protective effect and improvements in blood circulation as well as a broad source of edible protein. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found in a variety of species, from microorganisms to mammals, and play an important role in the innate immune systems of living things. Microglia are the main source of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in the central nervous system. Activated microglia secrete large amounts of neuroinflammatory mediators (e.g., TNF-α, NO, and ROS), which are the main cause of neuronal cell death. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Protaetiamycine 6 (PKARKLQKLSAYKTTLRN-NH2), an AMP derived from Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis, on LPS-induced neuroinflammation in BV-2 microglia. Protaetiamycine 6 significantly inhibited NO production without cytotoxicity and decreased the expression levels of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, Protaetiamycine 6 also reduced the production of neuroinflammatory cytokines on activated BV-2 microglia. These results suggest that Protaetiamycine 6 could be a good source of functional substance to prevent neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.