• ALGAE
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.181-192
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• 2011

Ballasting and deballasting of shipping vessels in foreign ports have been reported worldwide as a vector of introduction of non-native aquatic plants and animals. Recently, attention has turned to ballast water as a factor in the global increase of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Many species of microalgae, including harmful dinoflagellate species, can remain viable for months in dormant benthic stages (cysts) in ballast sediments. Over a period of four years, we surveyed ballast water and sediment of ships docked in two ports of Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. Sampling conditions encountered while sampling ballast water and sediments were vastly different between vessels. Since no single sample collection protocol could be applied, existing methods for sampling ballast were modified and new methods created to reduce time and labor necessary for the collection of high-quality, qualitative samples. Five methods were refined or developed, including one that allowed for a directed intake of water and sediments. From 63 samples, 1,633 dinoflagellate cysts and cyst-like cells were recovered. A native, cyst-forming, harmful dinoflagellate, Alexandrium balechii (Steidinger) F. J. R. Taylor, was collected, isolated, and cultured from the same vessel six months apart, indicating that ships exchanging ballast water in Tampa Bay have the potential to transport HAB species to other ports with similar ecologies, exposing them to non-native, potentially toxic blooms.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.120-130
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to analyze and to improve therapeutic drug monitoring(TDM) service of vancomycin in a local hospital. Patients with TDM service between September 2005 and December 2008 were included and the data were collected for vancomycin use and components of TDM. During that period, 421 cases of TDM service of vancomycin in 236 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The first dosages of vancomycin were appropriate in 135(57.2%) patients and administration of vancomycin was discontinued in 126(53.4%) patients due to therapeutic failure or adverse drug reaction. MRSA was identified in 191(80.9%) patients and 135(70.7%) samples for the identification were sputum. According to the TDM reports, 232(55.1%) serum samples were obtained at the steady-state conditions and 55.5% of the samples that were drawn before the steady-state was due to the physician's inappropriate knowledge about the steady-state. Based on the time of vancomycin administration, 35.8% of the samples were not obtained at the recommended sampling time. For the patients in general wards, the most common reason for the incorrect samples was routine serum sampling by the laboratory medicine phlebotomists between 6 and 8 a.m. except sunday. In contrast, samples drawn by nurses or physicians at inappropriate time were the most common reason for the incorrect samples with patients in the intensive care units. Physicians accepted 68.5% of the recommendations for vancomycin dosage and administration. In conclusion, TDM service of vancomycin needs to be improved in inappropriate sampling time and vancomycin dosage. For solving these problems, current team made of TDM pharmacists and physicians of laboratory medicine can be expanded to include a physician of infectious diseases, nurses and laboratory medicine phlebotomists as new members. Through the TDM service of vancomycin by the new team, we can settle the problems and make the guideline for the scientific controversies associated with therapeutic monitoring of vancomycin.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a method for the measurement of N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) and to apply the method to the ambient air samples. For the determination of DMF together with other general VOCs (e.g., benzene, toluene, and xylenes), adsorption sampling and thermal desorption with GC/MS was used in this study. The sampling and analytical approaches tested in this study showed a good repeatability and linearity with lower detection limits of less than 0.35 ppb. Field measurements were carried out at three industrial sites (Daegu-Seongseo, Siwha and Banwall industrial complexes) and one residential site in Daegu city during a period from October 2006 to November 2008. DMF was detected in 71.8% of the total samples from the Seongseo industrial complex, well known for textile industry. In contrast, DMF was detected in only 20.4% and 12.9% of all the samples from the other two sites in Banwall and Siwha industrial complexes, respectively. This implies that sources of DMF should be strongly associated with textile industry. The mean concentration of DMF also appeared to be the highest in Seongseo site (5.95 ppb), followed by a residential site in Daegu (3.28 ppb), Banwall (0.88 ppb) and Siwha (0.55 ppb). In this study, we demonstrated the environmental significance of DMF in urban ambient air. To our knowledge, the DMF measurement introduced in this paper is the first case of an official report in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2014

For a signal such as speech showing piece-wise linear shape in a very short time period, a nonuniform sampling method based on the inflection point detection (IPD) is proposed to reduce data rate. The method exploits the geometrical characteristics of signal further than the existing local maxima/minima detection (MMD) based sampling method. As results, the reconstructed signal by the interpolation of the IPD based sampled data resembles the original speech more. Computer simulation shows that the proposed IPD based method produces about 9~23 dB improvement over the existing MMD method. To show the usefulness of the IPD technique, it is applied to speech coding, and compared to the continuously variable slope delta modulation (CVSD). The nonuniformly sampled data is binary coded with one bit flag set "1". Noninflection samples are not sent, but only flag bits set 0 are sent. The method shows 0.3 ~ 9 dB SNR and 0.5 ~ 1.3 mean opinion score (MOS) improvements over the CVSD.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.572-584
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• 2007

The quantification of ammonia concentrations has received a lot of scientific attention. Numerous devices for the quantification of $NH_3$ in the ambient air have been developed to provide more technical possibilities for research in abating $NH_3$ emission from various source processes. For the proper quantification of $NH_3$, a number of sampling methods have been discussed by grouping them into different categories based on the principle of functioning. In general, active samplers employ pumps to draw air in, while passive samplers are exposed to air over a certain period of time to obtain integrated signature of $NH_3$. In case of the former, impingers and absorption flasks can be employed simultaneously with suitable absorbents to capture $NH_3$ passing through them. The methods of analysis include both in-situ and laboratory determination. In the laboratory, colorimetric or ion chromatographic methods are generally used for its quantification. In the field, a number of real time analyzers have been proven to be useful. These real time analyzers can be grouped according to their principle of operation. These analyzers may use the principle of spectroscopy (e.g. DOAS), photoacousticics (e.g. photoacoustic monitor) or Chemiluminescence ($NO_x$ analyzer). The automated annular denuder sampling system with on-line analyzer is also suitable for continuous monitoring of ammonia in air.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.477-484
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• 2016

In general, $CH_4$ concentrations generated in combustion facilities are known to be ppm units. In most cases, $CH_4$ samples are collected in Tedlar bags and transported to laboratories for analysis. Considering this fact, in the present study, an attempt was made to find out how long samples can be stored in cases where they are kept in bags and transported as a preliminary study for sampling. According to the results of the experiment using simulated gases (1 ppm, 5 ppm, 10 ppm) in Tedlar bag, $CH_4$ was safe up to 240 hr which is the full time. In the case of simulated gases are containing 4 kind gases ($N_2$, $CO_2$, $CH_4$, and $N_2O$). Field samples (samples of obtained by collecting combustion facilities' exhaust gases) are known to contain highly reactive substances (for example NOx, SOx, and VOCs) and may affect each other. In the present study, one site sample was secured from each of a bituminous coal combustion facility and an LNG combustion facility and whether the concentrations of $CH_4$ gas would change over time (24 hr, 96 hr, 144 hr, 192 hr) was checked. Since site samples could not be analyzed on the day of collection, an experiment was started 24 hr after the time point of sampling to analyze the samples. As with the results of analysis of the simulated gas (240 hr), the results of analysis using the site sample indicated that it could be stored for the full study period 192 hr. Therefore, it was judged that if 192 hr would be taken after sampling before the sample would be analyzed, the concentration value should be reliable.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.90-95
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• 2007

Artificially-produced juvenile black sea bream, Acanthopagrus schlegeli (total length $10.4{\pm}1.1\;cm$, body weight $18.7{\pm}3.4\;g$) were released into the Gamak Bay in Korea. And their initial feeding habits and body compositions were compared with those of cultured fish (CUL) for a period of one month after release. The released black sea bream commenced feeding on the 1st day after release, and predation rate was more than 80% during the sampling period. The stomach content of fish was composed of mainly fishing bait and krill in fish sampled on 15th days after release; however, its content changed to the natural organisms such as algae and small crustaceans when the fish was sampled on 20th days after release. Crude lipid content of carcass of fish in the sampling station A (SA) were lower than that of fish in the initial, sampling station B (SB) and CUL for the 5th and 10th days after release. Carcass n-3 HUFA composition, total amino acid and essential amino acid contents of released fish showed high trend compared to that of cultured fish in 30th days after release. The released fish have the ability to adjust their feeding habits and biochemical metabolism to the natural environment within a short period even though they showed preference to artificial feed in the early days after release.

• ALGAE
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.207-216
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• 2005

Myrionecta rubra, a mixotrophic ciliate, is a cosmopolitan red tide species which is commonly found in neritic and estuarine waters. M. rubra had long been listed as an “nculturable protist”until 2 different laboratory strains were finally established in 2 research groups at the beginning of this century, enabling us to perform initiative investigation into various aspect of the live M. rubra strains (Gustafson et al. 2000; Yih et al. 2004b; Johnson and Stoecker 2005). Field sampling was carried out on high tide at 2 fixed stations around Kunsan Inner Harbor (St.1 near the Estuarine Weir and St.2 off Kunsan Ferry Station) every other day for 4 months from mid-February 2004 to understand detailed figure of the recurrent spring blooms of M. rubra following the onset of the water gates operation of the Keum River Estuarine Weir on August 1994. With its maximum abundance of 272 cells mL$^{-1}$ in St.1, fluctuation pattern of the M. rubra population at the 2 stations was strikingly similar. Notable growth of M. rubra population started on late April, to cause M. rubra red tides during one month from mid-May in which “xceptionally low salinity days”without its red tide were intermittently inserted. High abundance of M. rubra over 50 cells mL$^{-1}$ was recorded at samples with their water temperature and salinity higher than 15${^{\circ}C}$ and 4.0 psu, respectively. During pre-bloom period when salinity fluctuation is moderate and the water temperature is cooler than 15°C, Skeletonema costatum, a chain-forming centric diatom, was most dominant. Cyanobacterial species such as Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and Phormidium sp. replaced other dominant phytoplankters on the days with “xceptionally low salinity”even during the main blooming period of M. rubra. To summarize, M. rubra could form spring blooms in Keum River Estuary when the level of salinity fluctuation was more severe than that for the dominant diatom Skeletonema costatum and milder than that for the predominance by freshwater cyanobacteria. Therefore, optimal control of the scale and frequency of freshwater discharges might lead us to partially modify the fluctuation pattern of M. rubra populations as well as the period of spring blooms by M. rubra in Keum River Estuary. Sampling time interval of 2 days for the present study or daily sampling was concluded to be minimally required for the detailed exploration into the spring blooms by M. rubra populations in estuaries with weirs like Keum River Estuary.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2010

To provide baseline information essential for assessing environmental impacts of monsoon rainfalls in a mountainous watershed under mixed land use, we investigated spatiotemporal variations in water quality using a combined approach of seasonal water quality survey and intensive storm samplings. Biannual water sampling at nine locations encompassing major land use types showed generally lower electrical conductivity and Cl- concentrations during the typical wet period compared to the dry period, indicating rainfall-induced dilution of dissolved ions. Total metal concentrations, however, were significantly higher during the monsoon period, probably associated with rainfall-induced increases in suspended sediments. Intensive storm sampling during a small monsoon rainfall event (18 mm) and an extreme event (452 mm) showed rapid changes in both suspended sediments and dissolved solutes in an agricultural stream draining the Haean Basin where arable lands have expanded rapidly over the recent decades. By contrast, a nearby forest stream derived from North Korea showed little responses to the small event compared to larges changes during the extreme event. In the agricultural stream total Pb concentrations showed significant positive relationships with suspended sediments. Although limited sampling frequency and locations require a cautious interpretation, the overall results suggest that expansion of agricultural fields in steep mountainous watersheds can increase the susceptibility of soil erosion and its off-site environmental impacts under increasing rainfall variability and extremes.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.51 no.12
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• pp.556-561
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• 2002

In this paper, a discrete-time variable structure controller for linear time-varying sampled-data systems with disturbances is proposed. The proposed method guarantees that the system state if globally uniformly ultimately bounded (G.U.U.B), and the ultimate bound is shown to be the order of T, O(T), where T is a sampling period.