• Title/Summary/Keyword: Mass Efficiency

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Possibility of Repeated Use of Elite Donor Cows for Mass Production of OPU-Derived Embryos (OPU 유래 수정란의 대량생산을 위한 고능력 공란우 반복사용 가능성에 관한 연구)

  • Jin, Jong-In;Choi, Byung-Hyun;Kim, Seong-Su;Park, Bun-Young;Lee, Jung-Gyu;Kong, Il-Keun
    • Journal of Embryo Transfer
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.149-159
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    • 2015
  • This study was designed to know the possibility in repeat uses of elite donor cows for getting mass production of OPU-derived embryo production (OPU-IVP). Ultrasound transvaginal ovum pick-up (OPU) performed in 6 Korean native cows was aged 4 to 10 years old. The aspiration of immature oocytes for OPU derived embryo was carried out 2 times per week, and OPU-IVP of $1^{st}$ period was carried out 22~48 sessions from each donors. And the break time for OPU-IVP of $2^{nd}$ period after $1^{st}$ OPU from each donors were 2~25 months. The OPU-IVP of $2^{nd}$ period each donors conducted total 15~65 times for 2~8 months by an ultrasonographic, was guided follicular aspiration system. The average numbers of collected oocytes, grade 1 + grade 2(G1+G2) oocytes and cleavage embryo from $1^{st}$ period OPU-IVP were significantly differences between donors (p<0.05). Total collected oocytes of donor D were significantly higher compared with donors of A, B, C, E and F (average 17.0 per session vs. 11.2, 10.1, 8.5, 10.2 and 9.6; p<0.05) and also oocytes of G1+G2 were significantly higher compared with r A and D and subsequently to donors of B, C, E and F (average 7.9 and 8.5 per session vs. 5.0, 2.7, 6.0 and 1.6; p<0.05). Cleavage rate of donor D was significantly higher compared with donors of A, B, C, E and F (average 13.1 per session vs. 10.1, 9.1, 6.9, 8.9 and 6.7; p<0.05). The average numbers of OPU-IVP for $1^{st}$ period was significantly higher from donors of B, D and E than those from donors of A, C and F (average 6.5, 7.1 and 6.5 per session vs. 3.5, 4.2 and 2.8; p<0.05). The possibility investigation of $2^{nd}$ OPU-IVP was carried out after 2~25 months rest periods from $1^{st}$ period OPU session. Total average numbers of collected oocytes, cleavages and blastocyst development rates were significantly higher from $1^{st}$ period OPU compared with $2^{nd}$ period one (p<0.05). The OPU-IVP efficiency by break for more embryo production from elite cow was analysis comparing without rest of donor A, under 6 months rest period as B and over 6 months rest period as C and then the average numbers of collected oocytes, cleavages and blastocysts were significantly higher from A group (11.8, 9.5 and 5.2 per session) than those from B and C groups (7.9, 6.2 and 2.6 vs. 9.2, 7.5 and 3.9, p<0.05), and also C group was significantly higher than B group. In conclusion, $1^{st}$ period OPU-IVP was more efficient compared with $2^{nd}$ period repeated uses of donor, and the break times for additional production of embryo on donor were needed more than over 6 months after $1^{st}$ period OPU-IVP. This repeating uses of elite donor cows given more emphasis for getting the opportunity on mass production of elite cow OPU-IVP embryo should be increased G1+G2 possibility of genetic improvement of livestock within short period.

Mass Proliferation of Hibiscus hamabo Adventitious Root in an Air-lift Bioreactor, and the Antioxidant and Whitening Activity of the Extract (생물반응기를 이용한 황근 부정근의 대량증식과 추출물의 항산화 및 미백 활성 평가)

  • Lee, Jong-Du;Hyun, Ho Bong;Hyeon, Hyejin;Jang, Eunbi;Ko, Min-Hee;Yoon, Weon-Jong;Ham, Young Min;Jung, Yong-Hwan;Choi, Hwon;O, Eu Gene;Oh, Daeju
    • Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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    • v.35 no.4
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    • pp.435-444
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    • 2022
  • Hibiscus hamabo Sieb. et Zucc. (yellow hibiscus) is a deciduous semi-shrub plant and mainly growing in Jeju Island. This is known the unique wild hibiscus genus and classified as an 2nd grade of endangered plant for Korean Red List. In previous studies, properties of germination, ecological, genetical and salt resistance have been reported. In this study, we investigated mass-proliferated adventitious root using bioreactor, antioxidant and whitening effects to conduct functional ingredients. Yellow hibiscus were collected from Gujwa, Jeju by prior permission and they were introduced by explant type and various medium composition after surface sterilization. As a result, seed response rates were evaluated at range of 51.17~51.83%, in terms of comprehensive efficiency of shoot and root formation. In the case of adventitious root propagation condition was confirmed in half strength Murashige and Skoog medium salts, 30 mg/L sucrose, and 2 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid for 8 weeks in 5,000 mL bioreactor. We also compared between relationship with biomass and secondary metabolites accumulation by total phenolics content, the flavonoid content, DPPH free radical scavenging activity and melanin content. The results indicated that adventitious root mass proliferation, antioxidant and whitening effect could develop value of the high-quality cosmeceutical ingredient and further metabolite studies.

Characteristics of Coal Slurry Gasification under Partial Slagging Operating Condition (부분 용융 운전 조건에서 석탄슬러리 가스화 운전 특성)

  • Lee, Jin Wook;Chung, Seok Woo;Lee, Seung Jong;Jung, Woohyun;Byun, Yong Soo;Hwang, Sang Yeon;Jeon, Dong Hwan;Ryu, Sang Oh;Lee, Ji Eun;Jeong, Ki Jin;Kim, Jin Ho;Yun, Yongseung
    • Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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    • v.52 no.5
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    • pp.657-666
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    • 2014
  • Coal gasification technology is considered as next generation clean coal technology even though it uses coal as fuel which releases huge amount of greenhouse gas because it has many advantages for carbon capture. Coal or pet-coke slurry gasification is very attractive technology at present and in the future because of its low construction cost and flexibility of slurry feeding system in spite of lower efficiency compared to dry feeding technology. In this study, we carried out gasification experiment using bituminous coal slurry sample by integrating coal slurry feeding facility and slurry burner into existing dry feeding compact gasifier. Especially, our experiment was conducted under fairly lower operation temperature than that of existing entrained-bed gasifier, resulting in partial slagging operation mode in which only part of ash was converted to slag and the rest of ash was released as fly ash. Carbon conversion rate was calculated from data analysis of collected slag and ash, and then cold gas efficiency, which is the most important indicator of gasifier performance, was estimated by carbon mass balance method. Fairly high performance considering pilot-scale experiment, 98.5% of carbon conversion and 60.4% of cold gas efficiency, was achieved. In addition, soundness of experimental result was verified from the comparison with chemical equilibrium composition and energy balance calculations.

Effect of Food Particle Size, Stocking Density and Feeding Frequency on the Growth Performance of Juvenile Korean Rockfish Sebastes schlegelii (배합사료의 크기, 공급횟수 그리고 사육밀도가 조피볼락(Sebastes schlegelii) 치어의 성장에 미치는 영향)

  • Oh, Dae-Han;Song, Jin-Woo;Kim, Min-Gi;Lee, Bong-Joo;Kim, Kang-Woong;Han, Hyon-Sob;Lee, Kyeong-Jun
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.407-412
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    • 2013
  • We performed four sets of feeding trials to establish optimum feed size (Exp-I), stocking density (Exp-II) and feeding frequency (Exp-III and IV) for Korean rockfish. In Exp-I, three different particle sizes of a commercial diet (small, 2.0-2.1 mm; medium, 2.4-3.2 mm; and large, 4.0-5.3 mm) were fed to four replicate groups of fish ($22.8{\pm}0.1g$), each of which was fed to apparent satiation for six weeks. In Exp-II, fish ($44.3{\pm}0.4g$) were reared at four stocking densities (1.5, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 $kg/m^3$) and fed a commercial diet to apparent satiation for four weeks. In Exp-III, fish ($14.8{\pm}0.1g$) were fed a commercial diet once, twice, thrice, $4{\times}$ or $5{\times}$ a day at a feeding ratio of 3.25% of body mass. Another group of fish was fed the same commercial diet $5{\times}$ a day to apparent satiation; this treatment was designated FS (five times satiation/day). In Exp-IV, fish ($31.3{\pm}0.1g$) were fed a commercial diet once, twice, thrice or $4{\times}$ a day to apparent satiation. Another group of fish was fed to apparent satiation once every 48 hours. In Exp-I, fish fed the large particle (4.0-5.3 mm) diet had a significantly higher feed conversion ratio and lower protein efficiency ratio than fish fed the small particle diet. In Exp-II, groups of fish reared at densities of 4.5 and 6.0 $kg/m^3$ had significantly higher feed intake and growth performance than fish reared at 1.5 and 3.0 $kg/m^3$. In Exp-III, fish fed to apparent satiation had significantly higher growth performances than fish fed once or $4{\times}$ a day. A significantly higher feed conversion ratio and a lower protein efficiency ratio were obtained in the FS group. In Exp-IV, growth performance and feed utilization efficiency were not significantly affected by experimental variation in feeding frequency. Fish fed to apparent satiation once every 48 hours had better feed utilization than those in other treatments and growth performances of those were comparable. Therefore, the optimum feed particle size, stocking density and feeding frequency for Korean rockfish under conditions we used were 2.0-3.2 mm, 4.5-6.0 $kg/m^3$, and once a day or once every 48 hour, respectively.

Rhizofiltration Process with Helianthus annuss L., Phaseolus vulgaris var., and Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. to Remediate Uranium Contaminated Groundwater (해바라기, 갓, 강낭콩을 이용한 수생법(Rhizofiltration)의 우라늄으로 오염된 지하수 정화 효율 규명)

  • Yang, Min-June;Lee, Min-Hee
    • Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.30-39
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    • 2008
  • The uranium removal efficiency of rhizofiltration was investigated in lab scale experiment. Three plants such as sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris var.), and Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.) were cultivated in artificially contaminated solution by uranium at 30 ${\mu}g$/L and 80 ${\mu}g$/L for 72 hours. The removal efficiencies of three cultivars were calculated from the ICP/MS analysis of uranium mass in solution and the plant. For Helianthus annuus L., more than 80% of initial uranium were removed from the solution and the uranium concentration of residual solution maintained lower than 10 ${\mu}g$/L. For Phaseolus vulgaris var. and Brassica juncea (L.) Czern., their uranium removal efficiencies ranged from 60 to 80%. Even the uranium concentration of solution was higher than 500 ${\mu}g$/L, these cultivars removed more than 70% of initial uranium by rhizofiltration, suggesting that the rhizofiltration has a great capability to remove uranium in the contaminated groundwater. The removal efficiency of rhizofiltration by using Brassica juncea (L.) Czern decreased from 83% to 42% with the increase of pH in solution. From the results of the analysis for the uranium accumulation in plants, 99% of uranium transferred into the plant from solution were accumulated in the root and only 1% of uranium existed in the shoot part (including leaves), suggesting that the cost and the time to treat massive grown plants after the rhizofiltration could be dramatically cut down because only their root parts needs to be treated. Finally, the genuine groundwater having high uranium concentration (81.4 ${\mu}g$/L), sampled from Daejoun area, was used in the experiment. The uranium removal efficiency of Helianthus annuus L. for the real groundwater was higher than 95%, investigating that the rhizofiltration is the very useful method to remediate uranium contaminated groundwater.

Clinical Characteristic and Respiratory Disturbance Index as Correlates of Sleep Architecture in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndromes Diagnosed with Polysomnography (수면다원기록법으로 확진된 폐쇄성 수면무호흡증 환자의 임상특성, 그리고 호흡장애지수와 수면 구조간의 상관관계)

  • Kim, Seog-Joo;Park, Doo-Heum;Kim, Yong-Sik;Woo, Jong-Inn;Ha, Kyoo-Seob;Jeong, Do-Un
    • Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.113-120
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    • 2001
  • Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is common and may produce various symptoms and serious complications. A substantial number of research articles on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome have been published in Korea. However, we found such limitations as lack of sufficient sample size and lack of polysomnography-proven cases. Therefore, we aimed at studying clinical features and sleep structure in a sufficient number of Korean patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome diagnostically confirmed with polysomnography. Methods: We studied 801 subjects referred to the Division of Sleep Studies, Seoul National University Hospital, who were diagnosed as having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with polysomnography. Subjects were excluded if they had central sleep apnea syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy or REM sleep behavior disorder. Foreign patients were also excluded. First of all, we studied the clinical features of the subjects. Secondly, we compared sleep-related parameters of the study subjects with those of age/sex-matched normal values. Thirdly, correlations of respiratory disturbance index (RDI) with each of the sleep-related parameters were calculated. Results: Among the 801 subjects, 668 were male subjects (83.4%) and 133 female subjects (16.4%). Their mean age was 46.6 years (${\pm}13.5$). The mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.8 (${\pm}3.8$) and subjects with BMI was over 28.0 accounted for 22.8% of the total. Fifty subjects (6.2%) were found to take benzodiazepines. Mean RDI and mean nocturnal oxygen saturation of all subjects was 31.2 (${\pm}24.4$) and 94.5% (${\pm}3.6$), respectively. In comparison with normal values, the subjects showed longer sleep latency, lower sleep efficiency, decreased total slow wave sleep % (TSWS %), and decreased total REM sleep % (TREM %)(p<0.01 in all). RDI had a negative correlation with each TSWS % and TREM % (p<0.01, p<0.01). However, RDI did not have significant correlation with either sleep latency or sleep efficiency. Conclusion: In this study, 6.2% of patients diagnosed as having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were found to take benzodiazepines, although they are generally considered to be of litte benefit or even dangerous because of the respiratory suppressing effect. The proportion of obese subjects was only 22.8% and Korean patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome seem to be less obese than those described in foreign journals. This study also suggests that the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome may have a more significant effect on sleep architecture defined as TSWS % and TREM % than on sleep efficiency.

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Recent Progress in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Research - A Review of papers Published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering in 1998 and 1999 - (공기조화, 냉동 분야의 최근 연구 동향 - 1998년 1999년 학회지 논문에 대한 종합적 고찰 -)

  • 이재헌;김광우;김병주;이재효;김우승;조형희;김민수
    • Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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    • v.12 no.12
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    • pp.1098-1125
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    • 2000
  • A review on the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineering in 1998 and 1999 has been done. Focus has been put on current status of research in the aspect of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation and building environment. The conclusions are as follows. 1) A review of the recent studies on fluid flow, turbomachinery and pipe-network shows that many experimental investigations are conducted in applications of impingement jets. Researches on turbulent flows, pipe flows, pipe-networks are focused on analyses of practical systems and prediction of system performance. The results of noise reduction in the turbomachinery are also reported. 2) A review of the recent studies on heat transfer analysis and heat exchanger shows that there were many papers on the channel flow with the application to the design of heat exchanger in the heat transfer analysis. Various experimental and numerical papers on heat exchanger were also published, however, there were few papers available for the analysis of whole system including heat exchanger. 3) A review of the recent studies on heat pump system have focused on the multi-type system and the heat pump cycle to utilize treated sewage as the heat source. The defrosting and the frosting behaviors in the fin-tube heat exchanger is experimentally examined by several authors. Several papers on the ice storage cooling system are presented to show the dynamic simulation program and optimal operation conditions. The study on the micro heat pipes for the cooling of high power electronic components is carried out to examine the characteristics of heat and mass transfer processed. In addition to these, new type of separate thermosyphon is studied experimentally. 4) The recent studies on refrigeration/air conditioning system have focused on the system performance and efficiency for new alternative refrigerants. New systems operating with natural refrigerants are drawing lots of attention. In addition to these, evaporation and condensation heat transfer characteristics of traditional and new refrigerants are investigated for plain tubes and also for microfin tubes. Capillary tubes and orifice are main topics of research as expansion devices and studies on thermophysical properties of new refrigerants and refrigerant/oil mixtures are widely carried out. 5) A review of the recent studies on absorption cooling system shows that numerous experimental and analytical studies on the improvement of absorber performance have been presented. Dynamic analysis of compressor have been performed to understand its vibration characteristics. However research works on tow-phase flow and heat transfer, which could be encountered in the refrigeration system and various phase-change heat exchanger, were seemed to be insufficient. 6) A review of recent studies on duct system shows that the methods for circuit analysis, and flow balancing have been presented. Researches on ventilation are focused on the measurement of ventilation efficiency, and variation of ventilation efficiency with ventilation methods by numerous experimental and numerical studies. Furthermore, many studies have been conducted in real building in order to estimate indoor thermal environments. Many research works to get some information for cooling tower design have been performed but are insufficient. 7) A review on the recent studies on architectural thermal environment and building mechanical systems design shows that thermal comfort analysis is sitting environment, thermal performance analysis of Korean traditional building structures., and evaluation of building environmental load have been performed. However research works to improve the performance of mechanical system design and construction technology were seemed to be insufficient.

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Recent Progress in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Research - A Review of Papers Published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering in 2002 and 2003 - (공기조화, 냉동 분야의 최근 연구 동향 -2002년 및 2003년 학회지 논문에 대한 종합적 고찰 -)

  • Chung Kwang-Seop;Kim Min Soo;Kim Yongchan;Park Kyoung Kuhn;Park Byung-Yoon;Cho Keumnam
    • Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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    • v.16 no.12
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    • pp.1234-1268
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    • 2004
  • A review on the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineering in 2002 and 2003 has been carried out. Focus has been put on current status of research in the aspect of heating, cooling, air-conditioning, ventilation, sanitation and building environment/design. The conclusions are as follows. (1) Most of fundamental studies on fluid flow were related with heat transportation in diverse facilities. Drop formation and rivulet flow on solid surfaces were interesting topics related with condensation augmentation. Research on micro environment considering flow, heat transfer, humidity was also interesting to promote comfortable living environment. It can be extended considering biological aspects. Development of fans and blowers of high performance and low noise were continuing research topics. Well developed CFD technologies were widely applied for analysis and design of various facilities and their systems. (2) Heat transfer characteristics of enhanced finned tube heat exchangers and heat sinks were extensively investigated. Experimental studies on the boiling heat transfer, vortex generators, fluidized bed heat exchangers, and frosting and defrosting characteristics were also conducted. In addition, the numerical simulations on various heat exchangers were performed and reported to show heat transfer characteristics and performance of the heat exchanger. (3) A review of the recent studies shows that the performance analysis of heat pump have been made by various simulations and experiments. Progresses have been made specifically on the multi-type heat pump systems and other heat pump systems in which exhaust energy is utilized. The performance characteristics of heat pipe have been studied numerically and experimentally, which proves the validity of the developed simulation programs. The effect of various factors on the heat pipe performance has also been examined. Studies of the ice storage system have been focused on the operational characteristics of the system and on the basics of thermal storage materials. Researches into the phase change have been carried out steadily. Several papers deal with the cycle analysis of a few thermodynamic systems which are very useful in the field of air-conditioning and refrigeration. (4) Recent studies on refrigeration and air-conditioning systems have focused on the system performance and efficiency enhancement when new alternative refrigerants are applied. Heat transfer characteristics during evaporation and condensation are investigated for several tube shapes and new alternative refrigerants including natural refrigerants. Efficiency of various compressors and performance of new expansion devices are also dealt with for better design of refrigeration/air conditioning system. In addition to the studies related with thermophysical properties of refrigerant mixtures, studies on new refrigerants are also carried out. It should be noted that the researches on two-phase flow are constantly carried out. (5) A review of the recent studies on absorption refrigeration system indicates that heat and mass transfer enhancement is the key factor in improving the system performance. Various experiments have been carried out and diverse simulation models have been presented. Study on the small scale absorption refrigeration system draws a new attention. Cooling tower was also the research object in the respect of enhancement its efficiency, and performance analysis and optimization was carried out. (6) Based on a review of recent studies on indoor thermal environment and building service systems, it is noticed that research issues have mainly focused on several innovative systems such as personal environmental modules, air-barrier type perimeterless system with UFAC, radiant floor cooling system, etc. New approaches are highlighted for improving indoor environmental conditions and minimizing energy consumption, various activities of building energy management and cost-benefit analysis for economic evaluation.

Cone Characteristics and Seed Quality among Harvest Times in the Clonal Seed Orchard of Larix kaempferi (낙엽송 클론 채종원에서 구과 채취시기에 따른 구과특성 및 종자품질)

  • Ye-Ji Kim;Da-Eun Gu;Gyehong Cho;Heeyoon Choi;Yeongkon Woo;Chae-Bin Lee;Sungryul Ryu;Hye-Joon Joo;Kyu-Suk Kang
    • Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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    • v.112 no.3
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    • pp.352-362
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    • 2023
  • Harvest time is one of the most important determining factors of seed quality, especially for species that produce seeds over irregular and long-term periods, such as Larix kaempferi. A cone collection plan must be established to increase seed production efficiency and stable mass production. We investigated seed qualities such as seed efficiency, germination rate, and T50 (germination speed), with 7 or 8 cone collection times at a clonal seed orchard of L. kaempferi in Chungju between 2021 and 2022. A multivariate analysis was then performed for the collected data. In early August, decreases in the moisture contents and browning of cones were observed. These were followed by a decrease in germination rate, with a peak at the end of September, but no clear trend was observed. The later the cones were harvested, the better the seed vigor (T50). However, the seed yield and efficiency decreased owing to increases in seed scattering and the number of insect-damaged seeds. As a result, the optimal time of seed harvest for the seed orchard was in early August. To produce uniform seedlings, insect damage must be reduced through timely control and harvest cones in early September. This shows that the degree of browning and moisture content of cones can be used as indicators of the timing of cone collection in L. kaempferi seed orchards.

The Concentration of Economic Power in Korea (경제력집중(經濟力集中) : 기본시각(基本視角)과 정책방향(政策方向))

  • Lee, Kyu-uck
    • KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.31-68
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    • 1990
  • The concentration of economic power takes the form of one or a few firms controlling a substantial portion of the economic resources and means in a certain economic area. At the same time, to the extent that these firms are owned by a few individuals, resource allocation can be manipulated by them rather than by the impersonal market mechanism. This will impair allocative efficiency, run counter to a decentralized market system and hamper the equitable distribution of wealth. Viewed from the historical evolution of Western capitalism in general, the concentration of economic power is a paradox in that it is a product of the free market system itself. The economic principle of natural discrimination works so that a few big firms preempt scarce resources and market opportunities. Prominent historical examples include trusts in America, Konzern in Germany and Zaibatsu in Japan in the early twentieth century. In other words, the concentration of economic power is the outcome as well as the antithesis of free competition. As long as judgment of the economic system at large depends upon the value systems of individuals, therefore, the issue of how to evaluate the concentration of economic power will inevitably be tinged with ideology. We have witnessed several different approaches to this problem such as communism, fascism and revised capitalism, and the last one seems to be the only surviving alternative. The concentration of economic power in Korea can be summarily represented by the "jaebol," namely, the conglomerate business group, the majority of whose member firms are monopolistic or oligopolistic in their respective markets and are owned by particular individuals. The jaebol has many dimensions in its size, but to sketch its magnitude, the share of the jaebol in the manufacturing sector reached 37.3% in shipment and 17.6% in employment as of 1989. The concentration of economic power can be ascribed to a number of causes. In the early stages of economic development, when the market system is immature, entrepreneurship must fill the gap inherent in the market in addition to performing its customary managerial function. Entrepreneurship of this sort is a scarce resource and becomes even more valuable as the target rate of economic growth gets higher. Entrepreneurship can neither be readily obtained in the market nor exhausted despite repeated use. Because of these peculiarities, economic power is bound to be concentrated in the hands of a few entrepreneurs and their business groups. It goes without saying, however, that the issue of whether the full exercise of money-making entrepreneurship is compatible with social mores is a different matter entirely. The rapidity of the concentration of economic power can also be traced to the diversification of business groups. The transplantation of advanced technology oriented toward mass production tends to saturate the small domestic market quite early and allows a firm to expand into new markets by making use of excess capacity and of monopoly profits. One of the reasons why the jaebol issue has become so acute in Korea lies in the nature of the government-business relationship. The Korean government has set economic development as its foremost national goal and, since then, has intervened profoundly in the private sector. Since most strategic industries promoted by the government required a huge capacity in technology, capital and manpower, big firms were favored over smaller firms, and the benefits of industrial policy naturally accrued to large business groups. The concentration of economic power which occured along the way was, therefore, not necessarily a product of the market system. At the same time, the concentration of ownership in business groups has been left largely intact as they have customarily met capital requirements by means of debt. The real advantage enjoyed by large business groups lies in synergy due to multiplant and multiproduct production. Even these effects, however, cannot always be considered socially optimal, as they offer disadvantages to other independent firms-for example, by foreclosing their markets. Moreover their fictitious or artificial advantages only aggravate the popular perception that most business groups have accumulated their wealth at the expense of the general public and under the behest of the government. Since Korea stands now at the threshold of establishing a full-fledged market economy along with political democracy, the phenomenon called the concentration of economic power must be correctly understood and the roles of business groups must be accordingly redefined. In doing so, we would do better to take a closer look at Japan which has experienced a demise of family-controlled Zaibatsu and a success with business groups(Kigyoshudan) whose ownership is dispersed among many firms and ultimately among the general public. The Japanese case cannot be an ideal model, but at least it gives us a good point of departure in that the issue of ownership is at the heart of the matter. In setting the basic direction of public policy aimed at controlling the concentration of economic power, one must harmonize efficiency and equity. Firm size in itself is not a problem, if it is dictated by efficiency considerations and if the firm behaves competitively in the market. As long as entrepreneurship is required for continuous economic growth and there is a discrepancy in entrepreneurial capacity among individuals, a concentration of economic power is bound to take place to some degree. Hence, the most effective way of reducing the inefficiency of business groups may be to impose competitive pressure on their activities. Concurrently, unless the concentration of ownership in business groups is scaled down, the seed of social discontent will still remain. Nevertheless, the dispersion of ownership requires a number of preconditions and, consequently, we must make consistent, long-term efforts on many fronts. We can suggest a long list of policy measures specifically designed to control the concentration of economic power. Whatever the policy may be, however, its intended effects will not be fully realized unless business groups abide by the moral code expected of socially responsible entrepreneurs. This is especially true, since the root of the problem of the excessive concentration of economic power lies outside the issue of efficiency, in problems concerning distribution, equity, and social justice.

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