The Dropout Rates and Associated Factors in Patients with Mood Disorders in Long-term Naturalistic Treatment.

Objective: Although maintenance treatment for mood disorders is important, the treatment discontinuation rate is reported to be high. This study aimed to investigate the dropout rates and associated factors in mood disorders. Methods: The patients in a mood disorder clinic (n = 535) were examined. Demographic and clinical factors, scores of psychometric scales, time to dropout from initial treatment in patients with bipolar disorder (BP) (n = 288) and depressive disorder (DD) (n = 143) were evaluated based on database of the mood disorder clinic. Results: Among the studied patients with BP and DD, 50% showed dropout in 4.05 and 2.17 years, respectively. The mean survival times were 8.90 years in bipolar disorder I (BP-I), 5.19 years in bipolar II disorder, 3.22 years in bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, 4.24 years in major depressive disorder, and 4.03 years in other depressive disorders. In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model in the BP group, diagnosis BP-I was found to be significantly related to the decrease in dropout rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.22, p = 0.001); however, increased past suicide attempt number was significantly related to the increase in dropout rate (HR = 1.13, p = 0.017). In the DD group, none of anxiety disorders as comorbidity, increased scores of openness, and extraversion personality were related to the increase in dropout rate. Conclusion: Patients with BP, especially BP-I, showed a lower dropout rate as compared to patients with other mood disorders.

Experimental investigation of the flexural fatigue performance of plain woven basalt fiber/epoxy.

Fatigue of composite materials is a very complex phenomenon, to date a numerous research effort is being spent on it. Because of deficiencies in study of flexural fatigue performance basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP), the main objective of this work is to investigate the flexural fatigue performance of BFRP. The laminates of 4.0 mm average thickness were fabricated using the vacuum infusion technique. Three different stress levels of (162.90, 122.24, and 81.44) MPa were considered. A failure criterion was considered to be a 20% stiffness reduction of flexural fatigue test. Also, the stiffness reduction zones in the history of fatigue specimen were investigated. The failure mode of specimen at 20% reduction stiffness was inspected. The Weibull distribution function was used to obtain the failure probabilities and scatter. The S-N curve of composite laminates was constructed using five specimens at each number of cycles. This study indicated that under fatigue loading, the stiffness degradation process of composite materials was divided into three stages: the first is the high rate of stiffness degradation at the first few thousand cycles. The second stage then takes place with slow gradual stiffness degradation, which covers a sizeable portion of the component life. Finally, more grave types of damage occur, like fiber fracture, and induce complete material failure.

Difference in Cognitive Function by First Onset Age of Alcohol Induced Blackout and Its Duration.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol-induced blackout (blackout) is a typical early symptom of cognitive impairment caused by drinking. However, the first onset age of blackout or the duration after onset of blackout has not been directly compared in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in cognitive function to the first start age of blackouts and their duration. METHODS: Thirty-one male subjects were included in this study. Their age at the first blackout and the duration after the onset of blackout were investigated. Neuropsychological tests were conducted to determine their attention, memory, and executive function. Subjects were divided into three groups according to their age of the first onset blackout (group O1, < 20 years; group O2, 21-39 years; and group O3, > 40 years). Subjects were also divided into three groups by duration after the onset of blackout (P1, < 10 years; P2, 10-29 years; and P3, > 30 years). We then examined differences in neurocognitive function among these groups. RESULTS: O1 tended to have a lower memory score than O2 (F = 3.28, p = 0.053). Significant differences were observed in attention and executive function between groups P1 and P3 (Digit Span_backward: F = 6.07, p < 0.05; visual span_forward: F = 4.19, p < 0.05; executive intelligence quotient: F = 3.55, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Greater memory impairment was detected in subjects having an earlier age of the first blackout. The longer the duration after the onset of blackout, the more impaired their attention and executive function skills.

Heat Flux Sensing for Machine-Learning-Based Personal Thermal Comfort Modeling.

In recent years, physiological features have gained more attention in developing models of personal thermal comfort for improved and accurate adaptive operation of Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Pursuing the identification of effective physiological sensing systems for enhancing flexibility of human-centered and distributed control, using machine learning algorithms, we have investigated how heat flux sensing could improve personal thermal comfort inference under transient ambient conditions. We have explored the variations of heat exchange rates of facial and wrist skin. These areas are often exposed in indoor environments and contribute to the thermoregulation mechanism through skin heat exchange, which we have coupled with variations of skin and ambient temperatures for inference of personal thermal preferences. Adopting an experimental and data analysis methodology, we have evaluated the modeling of personal thermal preference of 18 human subjects for well-known classifiers using different scenarios of learning. The experimental measurements have revealed the differences in personal thermal preferences and how they are reflected in physiological variables. Further, we have shown that heat exchange rates have high potential in improving the performance of personal inference models even compared to the use of skin temperature.

The Effect of Oral Administration of Black Sticky Rice with Giant Embryo on Brain GABA Concentrations.

OBJECTIVE: Black sticky rice with giant embryo (BSRGE) contains high GABA content and affects alcohol-related indices among social drinkers, and alcohol intake and anxiety-related behavior of mice. However, it is unknown whether the intake of BSRGE affects GABAergic activity of brain directly. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the effect of oral administration of BSRGE on brain GABA concentrations compared with commercially available GABA compound and regular feeds. METHODS: Twenty-one male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to BSRGE, a regular feed (AIN-76) lacking GABA, and a regular feed containing GABA compound. After feeding freely for 48 h, the cortex and striatum were separated from the brain. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to measure GABA and glutamate concentrations in mouse brain. RESULTS: The GABA concentration of the BSRGE group was higher than that of regular feed and GABA compound group (p<0.001). However, the GABA compound group showed no significant difference from the regular feed group (p=0.50). CONCLUSION: Intake of BSRGE containing high GABA content increased GABA concentrations in mouse brain compared with regular feed unlike GABA compound. The results of this study constitute an important basis for further investigations into the clinical applications of BSRGE.

A study on the school violence experience of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in the context of bullying.

INTRODUCTION: School violence causes harmful effects to victims. Harmful effects are likely to persist into adulthood. There are many studies about the relationship between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and school violence. But, there are few comparative studies dividing groups by the context of bullying and by the school grade. Therefore, this study will identify the differences between general students and patients with ADHD under treatment, creating two groups (one with experience of the perpetration of violence and one with victimization). METHODS: This study was conducted by questionnaires that dealt with experiences of being a bully and being bulled at school in the past year as six items each. A 5-point Likert scale was used. The ADHD group was 49, and the general students group was 245. The data were compared using the chi-squared test. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 24, with statistical significance at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The ADHD group was significantly high who reported severely beating other people than the general group. Likewise, ADHD group who reported threatening other people was significantly higher than in the general group. However, for the remaining items, there was no significant difference between the ADHD group and the general student group. DISCUSSION: Previous studies suggested that ADHD symptoms are major causes of both bullying and being the victim of bullying. However, in this study, ADHD patients have more being the victim of bullying experiences than general students. Further, a well-designed study will be needed to accurately evaluate the relationship between school violence and ADHD.

Accuracy of Imputation of Microsatellite Markers from BovineSNP50 and BovineHD BeadChip in Hanwoo Population of Korea.

Until now microsatellite (MS) have been a popular choice of markers for parentage verification. Recently many countries have moved or are in process of moving from MS markers to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for parentage testing. FAO-ISAG has also come up with a panel of 200 SNPs to replace the use of MS markers in parentage verification. However, in many countries most of the animals were genotyped by MS markers till now and the sudden shift to SNP markers will render the data of those animals useless. As National Institute of Animal Science in South Korea plans to move from standard ISAG recommended MS markers to SNPs, it faces the dilemma of exclusion of old animals that were genotyped by MS markers. Thus to facilitate this shift from MS to SNPs, such that the existing animals with MS data could still be used for parentage verification, this study was performed. In the current study we performed imputation of MS markers from the SNPs in the 500-kb region of the MS marker on either side. This method will provide an easy option for the labs to combine the data from the old and the current set of animals. It will be a cost efficient replacement of genotyping with the additional markers. We used 1,480 Hanwoo animals with both the MS data and SNP data to impute in the validation animals. We also compared the imputation accuracy between BovineSNP50 and BovineHD BeadChip. In our study the genotype concordance of 40% and 43% was observed in the BovineSNP50 and BovineHD BeadChip respectively.

Spicy Food Preference and Risk for Alcohol Dependence in Korean.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have reported that both preference for spicy food and drinking behavior are associated with the activity of the opioid system in the central nervous system. The relationship between the preference for spicy food and the risk of alcohol dependence by comparing spicy food preference in alcohol-dependent patients vs. healthy controls was investigated. Also the association between the preference for spicy food and OPRM1 A118G was studied. METHODS: A total of 150 Korean male patients with alcohol dependence and 100 normal male control subjects were included in this study. Preference for spicy food was measured using the Food Preference Scale (FPS). DNA analysis was conducted to detect the A118G polymorphism. RESULTS: The mean FPS score was significantly higher in the alcohol-dependent patients (61.2±24.2) than in the normal control subjects (53.0±22.0). FPS scores differed significantly between alcohol-dependent patients and normal control subjects who had the G allele in OPRM1 A118G, but not between the two groups with the AA genotype. CONCLUSION: A strong preference for spicy food can be assumed to be a risk factor for alcohol dependence, particularly in those carrying the G allele in OPRM1 A118G.

Surface Design of Separators for Oil/Water Separation with High Separation Capacity and Mechanical Stability.

A convection heat treatment that can replace existing chemical oxidation methods was developed for the preparation of hierarchically oxidized Cu meshes with various surface morphologies, representing a very simple and green route that does not involve toxic chemicals. Three types of Cu meshes [bumpy-like (BL) and short and long needle-like (NL) structures] exhibited similar separation efficiencies of 95-99% over 20 separation cycles, as indicated by their similar water contact angles (WCAs; 147-150°). However, these Cu meshes exhibited different flux behaviors. Excessively rough and excessively smooth surfaces of the Cu mesh resulted in increased resistance to flow and to a decrease of the penetration of oil. A surface with intermediate smoothness, such as the BL-Cu mesh, was necessary for high flux over a broad range of oil viscosities. Furthermore, a less rough surface was more suitable for the separation of highly viscous oil. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out to support our experimental results. The BL-Cu meshes also showed outstanding mechanical stability because of their low resistance to the flow of fluids.

Effect of Feeding High Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid-Containing Giant Embryo Black Sticky Rice (Oryza sativa L.) on Anxiety-Related Behavior of C57BL/6 Mice.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of feeding high gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-containing black sticky rice giant embryo (BSRGE, Oryza sativa L.) on anxiety-related behavior of C57BL/6 mice. Experimental feedstuff (BSRGE with high GABA+AIN-76A) and control (AIN-76A) were provided to C57BL/6 mouse for 10 days. Antianxiety effects of BSRGE with high GABA were measured using an elevated plus maze. On day 8, the number of open arm entries by GABA and control groups were 1.10 ± 1.60 (mean ± SD) and 0.00 ± 0.00 (P = .030). On day 10, the number of open arm entries by the GABA group was 2.00 ± 1.89, which was significantly (P = .025) higher than that in the control group (0.40 ± 0.84). On day 8, the time the mice spent in open arm in the GABA group and control group was 3.60 ± 7.06 and 0.00 ± 0.00 sec (P = .068), respectively. On day 10, the time the mice in the GABA and control groups spent in open arm was 6.20 ± 5.35 sec and 1.80 ± 3.82 sec (P = .042), respectively. In repeated analysis of variance for the number of entries into open arm and time spent in open arm, significant differences were found between the two groups. Therefore, BSRGE with high GABA content might have an antianxiety effect. This study can serve as a preliminary study so that further antianxiety effects of BSRGE can be determined in more extended animal or clinical research studies in the future.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV gene polymorphisms in Korean alcohol-dependent patients.

INTRODUCTION: A relationship between alcohol dependence (AD) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CAMKIV) has been reported in a whole genome study of Korean AD patients. The purpose of the present study is to compare the frequency of CAMKIV genotypes and alleles between AD and control subjects in Korea. METHODS: The present study includes 281 AD patients and 139 control subjects. Seven single nucleotide polymorphism of CAMKIV gene known to show significant separation ratio in Asians were searched in SNP database and previous studies related to CAMKIV gene. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques were used to analyze genotype of CAMKIV gene SNPs. RESULTS: Major TT genotype and T allele frequencies of rs 25917 in AD patients were significantly higher than those of control subjects (genotype frequency, p=0.002; allele frequency, p=0.001). Major CC genotype and C allele frequencies of rs 117590959 in AD patients were also significantly higher than those of control subjects (genotype frequency, p<0.001; allele frequency, p=0.001). Major genotypes of rs25917 (p=0.002, odd ratio: 3.13, 95% CI: 1.54-6.38) and rs11790959 (p=0.002, odd ratio: 3.22, 95% CI: 1.52-6.81) showed significantly higher odds ratios associated with AD than minor genotypes in logistic regression. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that CAMKIV might be a candidate AD gene. Further research is needed to determine the precise relationship between CAMKIV and AD and the function of each SNP.

Times to Discontinue Antidepressants Over 6 Months in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in discontinuation time among antidepressants and total antidepressant discontinuation rate of patients with depression over a 6 month period in a naturalistic treatment setting. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 900 patients with major depressive disorder who were initially prescribed only one kind of antidepressant. The prescribed antidepressants and the reasons for discontinuation were surveyed at baseline and every 4 weeks during the 24 week study. We investigated the discontinuation rate and the mean time to discontinuation among six antidepressants groups. RESULTS: Mean and median overall discontinuation times were 13.8 and 12 weeks, respectively. Sertraline and escitalopram had longer discontinuation times than that of fluoxetine, and patients who used sertraline discontinued use significantly later than those taking mirtazapine. No differences in discontinuation rate were observed after 24 weeks among these antidepressants. About 73% of patients discontinued antidepressant treatment after 24 weeks. CONCLUSION: Sertraline and escitalopram tended to have longer mean times to discontinuation, although no difference in discontinuation rate was detected between antidepressants after 24 weeks. About three-quarters of patients discontinued antidepressant maintenance therapy after 24 weeks.

Analysis of Swine Leukocyte Antigen Haplotypes in Yucatan Miniature Pigs Used as Biomedical Model Animal.

The porcine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is called swine leukocyte antigen (SLA), which controls immune responses and transplantation reactions. The SLA is mapped on pig chromosome 7 (SSC7) near the centromere. In this study, 3 class I (SLA-1, SLA-3, and SLA-2) and 3 class II (DRB1, DQB1, and DQA) genes were used for investigation of SLA haplotypes in Yucatan miniature pigs in Korea. This pig breed is a well-known model organism for biomedical research worldwide. The current study indicated that Korean Yucatan pig population had 3 Class I haplotypes (Lr-4.0, Lr-6.0, and Lr-25.0) and 3 class II haplotypes (Lr-0.5, Lr-0.7, and Lr-0.25). The combinations of SLA class I and II haplotype together, 2 homozygous (Lr-4.5/4.5 and Lr-6.7/6.7) and 3 heterozygous (Lr-4.5/6.7, Lr-4.5/25.25, and Lr-6.7/25.25) haplotypes were identified, including previously unidentified new heterozygous haplotypes (Lr-4.5/4.7). In addition, a new SLA allele typing method using Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer was developed that permitted more rapid identification of SLA haplotypes. These results will facilitate the breeding of SLA homozygous Yucatan pigs and will expedite the possible use of these pigs for the biomedical research, especially xenotransplantation research.

Accuracy and precision of integumental linear dimensions in a three-dimensional facial imaging system.

OBJECTIVE: A recently developed facial scanning method uses three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging with a light-emitting diode. Such scanning enables surface data to be captured in high-resolution color and at relatively fast speeds. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and precision of 3D images obtained using the Morpheus 3D® scanner (Morpheus Co., Seoul, Korea). METHODS: The sample comprised 30 subjects aged 24-34 years (mean 29.0 ± 2.5 years). To test the correlation between direct and 3D image measurements, 21 landmarks were labeled on the face of each subject. Sixteen direct measurements were obtained twice using digital calipers; the same measurements were then made on two sets of 3D facial images. The mean values of measurements obtained from both methods were compared. To investigate the precision, a comparison was made between two sets of measurements taken with each method. RESULTS: When comparing the variables from both methods, five of the 16 possible anthropometric variables were found to be significantly different. However, in 12 of the 16 cases, the mean difference was under 1 mm. The average value of the differences for all variables was 0.75 mm. Precision was high in both methods, with error magnitudes under 0.5 mm. CONCLUSIONS: 3D scanning images have high levels of precision and fairly good congruence with traditional anthropometry methods, with mean differences of less than 1 mm. 3D surface imaging using the Morpheus 3D® scanner is therefore a clinically acceptable method of recording facial integumental data.

Effect of GABA Extract of Black Sticky Rice with Giant Embryo on Alcohol-Related Indices After Acute Alcohol Intake in Social Drinkers.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the effect and safety of a high-gamma-aminobutyric acid-containing extract (GABA extract) of black sticky rice with giant embryo (BSRGE) on alcohol-related indices after acute alcohol intake in social drinkers. METHODS: Subjects were randomized to the GABA extract (G) group, GABA extract and alcohol drinking (GA) group, or placebo intake and alcohol drinking (PA) group in a double-blind design. All subjects were administered GABA extract (200 mg GABA) or placebo at 9 am on study days 2 and 3, respectively. Subjects in the GA and PA groups were administered an equivalent dose of alcohol that was diluted in a drinking beverage for a total amount of 240 ml at 11 am on day 3. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale were measured just before alcohol drinking, and 6 times after alcohol drinking. RESULTS: The peak and area under the curve (AUC) of the total stimulation scale score after alcohol intake in females were significantly higher in the GA than in the PA group, whereas no significant difference was found between the 2 groups in males. The peak and AUC of the total score on the sedation scale after alcohol intake in males were significantly lower in the GA than in the PA group, whereas both were significantly higher in the GA than in the PA group of females. The AUC for BAC in males was significantly lower in the GA than in the PA group, whereas no significant difference was found in females. No adverse events were reported in any of the groups including the G group. CONCLUSIONS: Coadministration of a GABA extract to social drinkers while drinking alcohol is supposed to affect alcohol-related indices in terms of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics and did not induce any adverse events.

Distinct chronology of neuronal cell cycle re-entry and tau pathology in the 3xTg-AD mouse model and Alzheimer's disease patients.

Cell cycle re-entry in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has emerged as an important pathological mechanism in the progression of the disease. This appearance of cell cycle related proteins has been linked to tau pathology in AD, but the causal and temporal relationship between the two is not completely clear. In this study, we found that hyperphosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (ppRb), a key regulator for G1/S transition, is correlated with a late marker for hyperphosphorylation of tau but not with other early markers for tau alteration in the 3xTg-AD mouse model. However, in AD brains, ppRb can colocalize with both early and later markers for tau alterations, and can often be found singly in many degenerating neurons, indicating the distinct development of pathology between the 3xTg-AD mouse model and human AD patients. The conclusions of this study are two-fold. First, our findings clearly demonstrate the pathological link between the aberrant cell cycle re-entry and tau pathology. Second, the chronological pattern of cell cycle re-entry with tau pathology in the 3xTg-AD mouse is different compared to AD patients suggesting the distinct pathogenic mechanism between the animal AD model and human AD patients.

Open prospective study of ziprasidone in patients with schizophrenia with depressive symptoms: a multicenter study.

AIMS: The goal of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of ziprasidone to treat depressive symptoms in Korean patients with schizophrenia who showed stable symptoms. METHODS: In this 8-week, open-label, prospective, non-randomized, multicenter study, 34 patients with schizophrenia who showed a stable response to previous medications, maintained a stable dose, and who had depressive symptoms, were recruited. Ziprasidone was the only antipsychotic agent allowed for 8 weeks after a 2-7-week washout period. RESULTS: Steady decreases were observed on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale scores. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score was 20.26 ± 4.77 at baseline and 12.21 ± 7.94 at the end-point (P < 0.01). The Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia score was 9.76 ± 4.11 at baseline and 5.00 ± 3.94 at the end-point (P < 0.01). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score was 75.24 ± 22.63 at baseline and 66.53 ± 24.28 at the end-point (P < 0.01). The Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale score was 3.44 ± 0.66 at baseline and 3.15 ± 0.86 at the end-point (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed for total scores on the Simpson and Angus Rating Scale, the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale, or the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale between the baseline and end-point. CONCLUSIONS: Ziprasidone was effective for improving depressive symptom scores and was well tolerated. Switching to ziprasidone is a good strategy in patients with schizophrenia who are experiencing depressive symptoms.

Difference of the naltrexone's effects in social drinkers by spicy food preference.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in subjective acute effects of alcohol and naltrexone among those who prefer spicy food to varying degrees. Acute biphasic alcohol effects scale (BAES), visual analogue scale for craving (VAS-C), blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and food preference scale were measured in 26 men. Repeated measures ANOVA (2 preference groups×4 time blocks) on the stimulative subscale of BAES revealed a significant group by block interaction in naltrexone condition (N+) (P<0.001), but not in non-naltrexone condition (N-). Furthermore, repeated measures ANOVA (2 drug groups×4 time blocks) on the stimulative subscale of BAES revealed a significant group by block interaction in strong preference for spicy food (SP) (P<0.001), but not in lesser preference for spicy food (LP). The paired t-test revealed that significant suppression of the stimulative subscale of BAES was observed at 15 min (P<0.001) and 30 min (P<0.001) after drinking when N+ compared with N- in SP. For those who prefer spicy food, the stimulative effect of acute alcohol administration was suppressed by naltrexone. This result suggests that the effect of naltrexone may vary according to spicy food preference.

Characterization of porcine endogenous retrovirus clones from the NIH miniature pig BAC library.

Pigs have been considered as donors for xenotransplantation in the replacement of human organs and tissues. However, porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) might transmit new infectious disease to humans during xenotransplantation. To investigate PERV integration sites, 45 PERV-positive BAC clones, including 12 PERV-A, 16 PERV-B, and 17 PERV-C clones, were identified from the NIH miniature pig BAC library. The analysis of 12 selected full-length sequences of PERVs, including the long terminal repeat (LTR) region, identified the expected of open reading frame length, an indicative of active PERV, in all five PERV-C clones and one of the four PERV-B clones. Premature stop codons were observed in only three PERV-A clones. Also, eleven PERV integration sites were mapped using a 5000-rad IMpRH panel. The map locations of PERV-C clones have not been reported before, thus they are novel PERV clones identified in this study. The results could provide basic information for the elimination of site-specific PERVs in selection of pigs for xenotransplantation.

KOH activation and characterization of glass fibers-supported phenolic resin.

In this work, glass-fiber-supported activated carbons (GFACs) were prepared by KOH activation using phenolic resin. Two different preparation methods were chosen: (a) filling and (b) impregnation methods. The structural properties of the GFACs studied were characterized by using N2 adsorption isotherms at 77 K and transformed models, such as the DR equation and the alphas-plot. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was also used to investigate the external pore structure of the resulting carbons. The specific surface areas and pore volumes for both methods increased with increasing content of KOH. However, the pore evolution for the filling method was superior to that for the impregnation method. DR plots for all samples showed a good linearity at low relative pressure. Also, all samples displayed a slight upward deviation at the linear portion of the alphas-plots, indicating the presence of mesopores and external surface area. SEM studies showed that GFACs possessed a well-developed pore structure and exhibited a change in the pore evolution according to the preparation conditions.