• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.27-46
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• 2023

This paper investigates how interfuel substitution affects carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions with a focus on the use of biodiesel blended fuels. The results show that the Divisia elasticity of diesel demand is the greatest because the transportation sector relies heavily on diesel. Also, while the own-price elasticity of each fuel demand is negative, the results reveal that diesel demand is more inelastic than the demand for gasoline and LPG. Moreover, gasoline is a substitute for diesel and electricity, and diesel is a substitute for LPG and a complement for electricity. Regarding the effects on carbon dioxide emissions, this paper computes the potential CO₂ emissions associated with interfuel substitution using the coefficients of CO₂ emissions. The results show that using biodiesel blended fuels contributes to reducing CO₂ emissions, but it appears that the price-induced interfuel substitution is a main factor affecting CO₂ emissions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.2628-2641
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• 2023

Nuclear safety is the lifeline for the development and application of nuclear energy. In severe accidents of pressurized water reactor (PWR), aerosols, as the main carrier of fission products, are suspended in the containment vessel, posing a potential threat of radioactive contamination caused by leakage into the environment. The gas-phase aerosols suspended in the containment will settle onto the wall or sump water through the natural deposition mechanism, thereby reducing atmospheric radioactivity. Aiming at the low accuracy of the aerosol model in the ISAA code, this paper improves the natural deposition model of aerosol in the containment. The aerosol dynamic shape factor was introduced to correct the natural deposition rate of non-spherical aerosols. Moreover, the gravity, Brownian diffusion, thermophoresis and diffusiophoresis deposition models were improved. In addition, ABCOVE, AHMED and LACE experiments were selected to validate and evaluate the improved ISAA code. According to the calculation results, the improved model can more accurately simulate the peak aerosol mass and respond to the influence of the containment pressure and temperature on the natural deposition rate of aerosols. At the same time, it can significantly improve the calculation accuracy of the residual mass of aerosols in the containment. The performance of improved ISAA can meet the requirements for analyzing the natural deposition behavior of aerosol in containment of advanced PWRs in severe accident. In the future, further optimization will be made to address the problems found in the current aerosol model.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.6-13
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• 2019

[Purpose] In this study, we examined the in vitro antioxidant activities and laxative effects of taurine-xylose (T-X), a synthetic taurine-carbohydrate derivative, in a rat model of constipation induced by loperamide. [Methods] The animals were divided into four treatment groups: normal untreated rats (NOR group), loperamide-treated control rats (CON group), loperamide and taurine-xylose (15 mg/kg)-treated rats (T-X group), and loperamide and commercial Dulcolax S (5.5 mg/kg)-treated rats (DS group). [Results] In the present study, T-X exhibited potent reducing power and free radical scavenging activities for DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS+ (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline 6-sulfonic acid ammonium salt) radicals. The laxative effects of T-X were dependent on food, body weight, fecal properties, gastrointestinal transit (GIT) ratio, and serum metabolic parameters. In the T-X group, the number, wet weight, and water content of fecal pellets were noticeably increased compared to those in the loperamide-induced group. T-X treatment significantly increased the activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, including those of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), relative to those in loperamide-induced constipated rats. Furthermore, the GIT ratio and loperamide-induced metabolic parameters in serum, including gastrin (GAS), motilin (MTL), and somatostatin (SS) levels, were significantly improved by T-X treatment. [Conclusion] These results suggest that taurine-xylose exerts antioxidant activities and laxative effects on loperamide-induced constipation by promoting gastrointestinal motility.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.608-612
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• 2023

Nano-diamond (ND) was added during the carbon block preparation process to increase the thermal conductivity of the carbon block. Added ND controlled the generated pore of carbon block due to the volatilization of the binder pitch during the carbonization process. The ND was added to the kneading process of coke and binder pitch, and carbon blocks were prepared by pressing and carbonization. As the amount of added ND increased, the ND ratio of the carbon block increased. The added ND made a pass-way for generated gas by volatilizing the binder pitch during the carbonization process, increasing the density of the carbon block and reducing the porosity. The thermal conductivity of the carbon block was improved by increased density, lowered porosity, and the high thermal conductivity of added ND.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.367-374
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• 2023

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution accelerating, countries worldwide are developing technologies to digitize and automate various industrial sectors. Building smart factories not only reduces costs through improved process productivity but also allows for preemptive identification and removal of risk factors through the practice of Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) management, thereby reducing industrial accident risks. In this study, we visualized pressure, temperature, power, and wind speed data measured in real-time via a monitoring GUI, enabling field managers and workers to easily access related information. Through the work environment monitoring system developed in this study, it is possible to conduct economic analysis on per-unit basis, based on the digitization of production management elements and the tracking of required resources. By implementing HSE in shipyards, potential risk factors can be improved, and gas and electrical leaks can be identified, which are expected to reduce production costs.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.422-428
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• 2023

The electrical contact resistance between the bipolar plate (BP) and the carbon felt electrode (CFE), which are in contact by the stack clamping pressure, has a great impact on the stack efficiency because of the relatively low clamping pressure of the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) stack. In this study, a polyethylene (PE) composite-CFE hybrid bipolar plate structure is developed through a local heat welding process to reduce such contact resistance and improve cell performance. The PE matrix of the carbon fiber composite BP is locally melted to create a direct contact structure between the carbon fibers of CFE and the carbon fibers of BP, thereby reducing the electrical contact resistance. Area specific resistance (ASR) and gas permeability are measured to evaluate the performance of the PE composite-CFE hybrid bipolar plate. In addition, an acid aging test is performed to measure stack reliability. Finally, a VFRB unit cell charge/discharge test is performed to compare and analyze the performance of the developed PE composite-CFE hybrid BP and the conventional BP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.75-86
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• 2024

Hydrogen has been selected as one of the key technologies for reducing CO₂ emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, hydrogen safety issues should be fully guaranteed before the commercial and widespread utilization of hydrogen. Here, a bow-tie risk assessment is conducted for the hydrogen fuel supply system in a gas turbine power plant, which can be a mass consumption application of hydrogen. The bow-tie program is utilized for a qualitative risk assessment, allowing the analysis of the causes and consequences according to the stages of accidents. This study proposed an advanced bow-tie method, which includes the barrier criticality matrix and visualized maps of quantitative risk reduction. It is based on evaluating the importance of numerous barriers for the extent of their impact. In addition, it emphasizes the prioritization and concentrated management of high-importance barriers. The radar chart of a bow tie allows the visual comparison of risk levels before/after the application of barriers (safety measures). The risk reduction methods are semi-quantitatively analyzed utilizing the criticality matrix and radar chart, and risk factors from multiple aspects are derived. For establishing a secure hydrogen fuel storage system, the improvements suggested by the bow-tie risk assessment results, such as 'Ergonomic equipment design to prevent human error' and 'Emergency shutdown system,' will enhance the safety level. It attempts to contribute to the development and enhancement of an efficient safety management system by suggesting a method of calculating the importance of barriers based on the bow-tie risk assessment.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.35.1-35.16
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• 2021

Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (GWI) encompasses a broad range of unexplained symptomology specific to Veterans of the Persian Gulf War. Gastrointestinal (GI) distress is prominent in veterans with GWI and often presents as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Neurotoxins, including organophosphorus pesticides and sarin gas, are believed to have contributed to the development of GWI, at least in a subset of Veterans. However, the effects of such agents have not been extensively studied for their potential impact to GI disorders and immunological stability. Here we utilized an established murine model of GWI to investigate deleterious effects of diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) exposure on the mucosal epithelium in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, acute DFP exposure negatively impacts the mucosal epithelium by reducing tight junction proteins and antimicrobial peptides as well as altering intestinal microbiome composition. Furthermore, DFP treatment reduced the expression of IL-17 in the colonic epithelium. Conversely, both IL-17 and IL-17C treatment could combat the negative effects of DFP and other cholinesterase inhibitors in murine intestinal organoid cells. Our findings demonstrate that acute exposure to DFP can result in rapid deterioration of mechanisms protecting the GI tract from disease. These results are relevant to suspected GWI exposures and could help explain the propensity for GI disorders in GWI Veterans.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.5-11
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• 2023

This study was conducted to improve energy efficiency and problems such as clumping and fouling in the glue zone that occur in the moisture content range of 40 to 60% when sewage dehydration residue is directly fed into the dryer. The temperature of the hot air is low at 270~300℃, and the paddle-type flotation method and dehydrated residue are applied to the circulated heat storage media to increase the contact area with the hot air, thereby reducing energy recovery and gas emissions. The water content of the dried residue is 2.7. ~7 .5%, the heat of evaporation of moisture was 608.0~690.6 kcal/kg·H₂O, which confirmed an energy saving effect of about 8.8% compared to the heat of evaporation of moisture of 714.5 kcal/kg·H₂O when no heat storage media was used.

• Journal of ILASS-Korea
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.68-74
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• 2024

As awareness of environmental pollution problems increases worldwide, interest in air pollutants is increasing. In particular, NOx and PM, which are major pollutants in diesel vehicles, are contributing significantly to emissions. As a result, its importance is increasing. In this study, based on research results applied to large diesel vehicles, the problem of natural regeneration caused by low exhaust gas temperature during low speed and low load operation is solved by applying a complex regeneration DPF that is not affected by temperature conditions to small diesel vehicles. The feasibility of application to small diesel vehicles was reviewed by measuring the emission reduction efficiency. As a result of the engine test, the power reduction rate and fuel consumption rate before and after device installation under full load conditions were 2.9% decrease and 3.5% increase, respectively, satisfying the standard for a 5% reduction, and as a result of the regeneration equilibrium temperature (BPT) test, the regeneration temperature was 310℃. appeared at the level. The reduction efficiency test results for the actual vehicle durability test equipment showed 97.3% PM, 51.0% CO, and 31.1% HC, while the city commuter vehicle had PM 97.5%, CO 61.7%, HC 40.0%, and the school bus vehicle had PM 96.8%, CO 44.4%, HC 34.3%, and low-speed logistics vehicles showed a reduction efficiency of 98.2% for PM, 36.0% for CO, and 45.7% for HC. Based on the results of this study, in the future, it is necessary to secure DPF technology suitable for all vehicle types through actual vehicle application research on temperature condition-insensitive composite regenerative DPF for medium-sized vehicles.