• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2022

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) are increasing. We analyzed the patterns of drug resistance and tracking period days of acquiring anti-mycobacterial resistance. From January 2010 to December 2019, drug susceptibility tests (DST) were performed by the absolute concentration method using the Löwenstein-Jensen solid medium and pyrazinamidase activity test (to assess pyrazinamide resistance) in samples from patients who were referred to the Green Cross Laboratories in Yongin. Among the cases that showed resistance to one or more anti-tuberculosis drugs, 55 patients (33.1%) were resistant to isoniazid (INH) at the time of initial referral, and the rates for the development of resistant anti-tuberculosis drugs were ethambutol (EMB) (26.6%), rifampicin (RFP) (21.9%), quinolones (QUI) (21.9%) and pyrazinamide (PZA) (10.9%), in that order. In the cases sensitive to all 10 anti-tuberculosis drugs initially, the development of resistance to INH was the most frequent, seen in 43 patients (7.2%). The average follow-up period was 435.6 days, and the resistance development was observed in the order of INH (7.2%), RFP (3.9%), SM (1.9%), QUI (0.7%), amikacin (AMK) (0.5%), and EMB (0.5%). The conversion of susceptible strains to resistant strains is an important warning sign for the patient, especially in cases of conversion to MDR or XDR. This information would be helpful for improving patient care during TB treatment.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.38 no.5_3
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• pp.851-861
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• 2022

In this study, we analyzed the effects of trees planted in urban areas on PM_2.5 reduction using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. For realistic numerical simulations, the meteorological components(e.g., wind velocity components and air temperatures) predicted by the local data assimilation and prediction system (LDAPS), an operational model of the Korea Meteorological Administration, were used as the initial and boundary conditions of the CFD model. The CFD model was validated against, the PM_2.5 concentrations measured by the sensor networks. To investigate the effects of trees on the PM_2.5 reduction, we conducted the numerical simulations for three configurations of the buildings and trees: i) no tree (NT), ii) trees with only drag effect (TD), and iii) trees with the drag and dry-deposition effects (DD). The results showed that the trees in the target area significantly reduced the PM_2.5 concentrations via the dry-deposition process. The PM_2.5 concentration averaged over the domain in DD was reduced by 5.7 ㎍ m^-3 compared to that in TD.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.192-199
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• 2021

Background: In this retrospective study, we aimed to determine which diagnostic tests were associated with an improvement in Bell's palsy symptoms. Methods: There were 30 patients who visited Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital from April 1, 2017 to February 29, 2020, and who received East-West collaboration treatment for Bell's palsy. The tests included electroneurography (ENoG), electromyography (EMG), hematology, and heart rate variability (HRV) results which were used to determine if any test correlated with improvement of Bell's palsy symptoms. Results: The initial severity of symptoms did not correlate with the tests performed, with the exception of mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p = 0.013). For both ENoG for oculi degeneration and mean EMG tests, the rate of nerve degeneration showed a significant negative correlation with the improvement of Bell's palsy symptoms. Amongst the HRV test indicators, the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between the adjacent normal R-R wave interval, the standard deviation of intervals, total power, very low frequency, and high frequency of the wave was negatively correlated with improvement of Bell's palsy symptoms. Similarly, glycosylated hemoglobin Type A1c (HbA1c) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) showed a negative correlation with improvement of symptoms of Bell's palsy. With the exception of HbA1c and ESR, the remaining hematology test results showed no significant difference when comparing before and after treatment. Conclusion: ENoG, EMG, HRV test, HbA1c, and ESR negatively correlated with improvements in Bell's palsy symptoms and may determine the prognosis of Bell's palsy.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.98-105
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• 2022

In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/graphene oxide (GO)/iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) magnetic microgels were prepared using a microfluidic approach and the dye adsorption capacity of the microgels was confirmed. The adsorption capacity (q_e) of the gels was evaluated by varying the dye concentration, pH, and contact time with the microgels. The dyes used in this work were methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), and malachite green (MG), and microgels showed the highest adsorption capacity (191.1 mg/g) in methylene blue. The microgels exhibited the highest adsorption capacity in the dye aqueous solution at pH 10 due to the presence of atomic nitrogen ions (N⁺) on the dye molecules. The adsorption isotherm studies revealed that the Langmuir isotherm is the best fit isotherm model for the dye adsorption on the microgels, indicative of monolayer adsorption. The kinetic analysis exhibited that the pseudo-second order model fits better than the pseudo-first order model, confirming that the adsorption process is chemisorption. In addition, the magnetic microgels showed good reusability and recovery efficiency. It was confirmed that the adsorption capacity of the gels maintains more than 70% of the initial capacity after 5 times of cycle experiments.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 2022

Many studies on pervaporation (PV) for the separation of dilute alcohols as an alternative to conventional energy-intensive technique of distillation have been conducted earlier. The pervaporation transition behavior of ethanol-water mixtures through the PDMS/PSF membrane is important, in order to understand the mechanism of diffusion process. Therefore, in the present work, transient PV behavior for 50 wt% EtOH/H₂O mixture at 50℃ was investigated by using 1194 cm² PDMS/PSF hollow fiber membrane modules. The overall total flux and the separation factor of all the membrane modules increased initially and then gradually decreased with respect to PV time. The initial increase can be attributed to fact that membrane fibers were dry and it took time to dissolve into the membrane surface, but the subsequent decrease is due to the depletion of ethanol concentration in the feed. Therefore, it was confirmed that the ethanol permeation through a PDMS membrane is governed by the solution-diffusion mechanism.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.916-926
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) with organic acids (OA) on growth performance, fecal score, blood profiles, intestinal morphology, and nutrient digestibility in weaning pigs. Methods: A total of 120 weaning pigs ([Yorkshire×Landrace]×Duroc) with an average body weight (BW) of 8.00±0.87 kg were assigned in five treatments considering sex and initial BW in 3 replications with 8 pigs per pen in a randomized complete block design. The experimental diets included a corn-soybean meal based basal diet with or without 0.1% or 0.2% MCT and 0.1% OA. The pigs were fed the diets for 5 weeks (phase 1, 0 to 2 weeks; phase 2, 3 to 5 weeks). A total of 15 barrows with an average BW of 12.48±0.37 kg were used to evaluate the nutrient digestibility by total collection method. The BW and feed intake were measured at the end of each phase. Blood samples and small intestine samples were collected at the end of each phase, too. Results: Supplementing 0.1% MCT with 0.1% OA showed greater BW for week 5 and average daily gain (ADG) for overall period than control diet. Supplementing 0.1% MCT increased (p<0.05) ADG and improved (p<0.05) gain:feed ratio for phase 1. Dietary MCT and OA did not affect the fecal score and blood concentration of cortisol, immunoglobulin G, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-10 in weaning pigs. Pigs fed the diets with 0.1% MCT had greater (p<0.05) villus height of duodenum and ileum for phase 1. Also, pigs fed the diet with 0.1% OA showed greater (p<0.05) villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio of duodenum for phase 2. There was no significant difference in nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention of pigs. Conclusion: Addition of 0.1% MCT with 0.1% OA in weaning pig's diet improved growth performance partly by enhancing intestinal morphology in weaning pigs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.619-628
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to determine and compare the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) in soybean meal (SBM), cottonseed meal (CSM), and low-gossypol cottonseed meal (LCSM) fed to broiler chickens and laying hens. Methods: Three semi-purified diets containing the identical crude protein concentration at 20% were formulated to contain SBM, CSM, or LCSM as the sole source of N. A N-free diet was also formulated to estimate the basal ileal endogenous losses of AA for broilers and hens. A total of 300 male Ross 308 chicks at one-day-old and 144 Hy-Line Brown laying hens at 30-week-old with initial egg production rate of 88.3%±1.0% were randomly allocated into 1 of 4 dietary treatments, respectively. Results: CSM and LCSM showed more Arg and Cys+Met while less Lys, Ile, Leu, and Thr relative to SBM. Significant interactions existed between species and experimental diets for AID (except for Arg, Asp, Glu, Gly, and Pro) and SID (except for Arg, His, and Phe) of most AA. Most AA in diets showed higher AID (except for Lys) and SID (except for Lys, Met, and Ser) in broilers relative to laying hens. The AID and SID of all AA were significantly different between the three diets. In broilers, the AID and SID of most indispensable AA except for Arg in SBM and LCSM was higher than CSM. In laying hens, the AID and SID of most indispensable AA except for Arg, Met+Cys, and Phe in SBM was higher than CSM and LCSM. Conclusion: The accurate determination of AID and SID of AA in CSM and LCSM for broilers and layers benefits the application of CSM and LCSM in chicken diets. The cottonseed by-products CSM or LCSM showed the species-specific AA digestibility values for broilers and layers.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.642-653
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• 2023

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate effects of β-glucan with vitamin E supplementation on the growth performance, blood profiles, immune response, fecal microbiota, fecal score, and nutrient digestibility in weaning pigs. Methods: A total of 200 weaning pigs with an average body weight (BW) of 7.64±0.741 kg were allotted to five treatment groups and were divided based on sex and initial BW in four replicates with ten pigs per pen in a randomized complete block design. The experimental diets included a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet with or without 0.1% or 0.2% β-glucan and 0.02% vitamin E. The pigs were fed the diets for 6 weeks. A total of 15 barrows were used to evaluate the nutrient digestibility by the total collection method. The BW and feed intake were measured at the end of each phase. Blood samples were collected at the end of each phase, and fecal samples were collected at the end of the experiment. Results: The addition of β-glucan with vitamin E to weaning pig feed increased BW, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake. A significant decrease in yeast and mold and Proteobacteria and a tendency for Lactobacillus to increase compared to the control was shown when 0.1% β-glucan and 0.02% vitamin E were added. The fecal score in weaning pigs was lower in the treatments supplemented with 0.1% or 0.2% β-glucan and 0.02% vitamin E compared to the control. In addition, vitamin E was better supplied to weaning pigs by increasing the concentration of α-tocopherol in the blood of weaning pigs when 0.02% vitamin E was supplemented. However, there was no significant difference in either the immune response or nutrient digestibility. Conclusion: Inclusion of 0.1% β-Glucan with 0.02% vitamin E in a weaning pig's diet were beneficial to the growth performance of weaning pigs by improving intestinal microbiota and reducing the incidence of diarrhea.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.240-246
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• 2023

This study was performed to convert NO_x in atmosphere by photochemical reaction utilizing the eco-friendly solar energy. The mortar specimen coated with photocatalyst was fabricated and the photochemical conversion efficiency of NO_x was analyzed. The photocatalyst coated concrete was fabricated by first adding TiO₂ photocatalyst on the bottom of mold first and next adding cement mortar and, then, curing the concrete mortar. The grease was sprayed on the bottom of mold in advance so that the concrete can be demolded easily after curing. The conversion efficiencies of NO_x by photochemical reactions were investigated systematically by changing the process variable conditions of amount of TiO₂ coating, UV-A light intensity, total gas flow rate, relative humidity and initial NO_x concentration. It was confirmed that the photocatalyst coated concrete fabricated in this study could convert NO_x successfully for various process conditions in atmosphere. In future, we believe this research result can be utilized as basic data to design the infrastructure of building, tunnel and road for controlling efficiently the air pollutants such as NO_x, SO_x, and VOCs.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.19-32
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• 2023

This study was conducted to remove fluorine (F) (initial concentration of 9.5 mg/L) from leachate of reclaimed mine waste dump site via different methods: (1) co-precipitation using Ca-based materials; (2) adsorption using activated carbon and fly ash; and (3) coagulation and sedimentation using alum. The F removal efficiencies of each case were estimated as 65.6% (Ca co-precipitation), 27.9% (adsorption of activated carbon), 71.5% (adsorption of fly ash), and 96.6% (alum coagulation and sedimentation). In addition, the applicability of the continuous treatment process using alum coagulation was evaluated by lab-scale experiments using simulated mine drainage containing F of lower (6.4 mg/L) and higher (15.7 mg/L) concentrations, and it was confirmed that the treatment of both cases met the domestic standard (below 3 mg/L) for discharged water in clean areas. Furthermore, the results of bench-scale field tests indicated that the water quality standard of discharged water could be satisfied with the proper operation and management of the process.