• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.531-539
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• 2023

Self-absorption is the most important factor affecting the accuracy of gamma spectroscopy measurements in environmental samples. In particular, it is affected by other factors such as the chemical composition of the sample, geometric shape, thickness, density, atomic number, distance between the sample and detector, energy of the emitted gamma photon, and humidity coefficient or percentage in the sample. To test the calibration method, a 450 ml CRM standard source (9 nuclide) Marinelli beaker was used. Five soil samples among environmental samples were measured by density by applying the corrected values. Therefore, it can be seen that the self-absorption value is more effective for somewhat large and low photon energy. In the case of environmental samples, it was confirmed that the overall energy peak efficiency through self-absorption of the source greatly depends on the density of the sample.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2002

The authors selected the modified soil method, and then performed the geotechnical and environmental laboratory test, and evaluated whether the modified soil liner could be accepted as a barrier layer in landfill. Unlike the results of the natural soil(CL), those of the hydraulic conductivity test of stabilized soil met the standard value. According to these results, the optimal mixing ratio of a mixture(cement : bentonite : stabilizing agent) was 90 : 60 : 1 with mass ratio(kg) for 1㎥ with soil, and it was possible to use poor quality bentonite. B\circled2 because of a little difference from results with high quality bentonite. B\circled1. The Cation Exchange Capacity(CEC) of the modified soil was increased about 1.5 times compared with the natural soil; however. the change of CEC with a sort of additives was not detected. In order to observe the change of the chemical components and crystal structures, the natural and the modified soils with the sorts of additives were measured by the XRF(X-Ray Flourescence Spectrometer) and SEM, but there was no significant change. The artificial leachate with the heavy meals ($Pb^{2+}$ , $Cu^{2+}$, $Cd^{2+}$ Zn$^{2+}$ 100mg/L) was passed through the natural soil and modified soils in columns. In the natural soil, Cd$^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ were identified, simultaneously the pH of outflow was lower, and then came to the breakthrough point. The removal efficiency of the natural soil was showed in order of following : $Pb^{2+}$ ≒$Cu^{2+}$ > $Zn^{2+}$ > $Cd^{2+}$ On the other hand, modified soils were not showed the breakthrough condition like the result of the natural soil. The modified soil with the lower quality bentonite, B\circled2(column3) was more stable with respect to chemical attack than that with the higher bentonite, B\circled1(column2) because the change range of outflow pH in columns was less than that of outflow pH in column2. In addition, the case of adding the stabilizing agent(column4) was markedly showed the phenomena.ena.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.52-58
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• 2005

In Korea, little attention has been paid to microbial perchloroethylene (PCE) and/or trichloroethylene (TCE) dechlorination activity and identification of microorganisms involved in PCE reductive dechlorination at a PCE-contaminated aquifer. We performed microcosm tests using the groundwater samples from 4 different contaminated sites (i.e. Changwon A, Changwon B, Bucheon and Yangsan) to assess PCE reductive dechlorination activity. We also adapted molecular techniques to screen what types of known reductive dechlorinators are present at the PCE-contaminated aquifers. In the Changwon A and Changwon B active microcosms where potential electron donors such as sodium propionate, sodium lactate, sodium butyrate, and sodium fumarate, were added, ethylene, an end-product of complete reductive dechlorination of PCE, was detected after a period of 90 days of incubation. In the Bucheon and Yangsan active microcosms, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (c-DCE) was accumulated without the production of vinyl chloride (VC) and ethylene. Molecular techniques were used to evaluate the microbial community structures in the Changwon B and Yangsan aquifer. We found two sequence types that were closely related to a known PCE to ethylene dechlorinator, named uncultured bacterium clone DCE47, in the Changwon B site clone library. However, in the Yangsan site clone library, no sequence type was closely related to known PCE dechlorinators reported. It is plausible that microorganisms being capable of completely dechlorinating PCE to ethylene may be present in the Changwon B site aquifer. In this study we find that complete PCE reductive dechlorinators are present at some PCE-contaminated sites in Korea. In an engineering point of view this information makes it feasible to apply a biological reductive dechlorination process for remediating PCE- and/or TCE-contaminated aquifers in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1285-1291
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• 2005

In this study, we isolated bacteria from petroleum contaminated soil which were near to underground storage tanks(UST). Through the screen test, we selected high efficiency bacterium, KDi19, for biodegradation of diesel. KDi19 was identified as Pseudomonas sp. by 16S rDNA, fatty acid, and morphological physiological characteristics. KDi19 degraded 956.3 mg/L(95.6%) of 1,000 mg/L diesel for 48 hours(incubation condition : temperature; $30^{\circ}C$, cell concentration; 1.0 g/L, pH 7). At low temperature, $20^{\circ}C$, $15^{\circ}C$, $10^{\circ}C$, KDi19 respectively removed 63.9%, 18.5% and 17.0% of 1,000 mg/L diesel for 48 hours(cell concentration 1.0 g/L, pH 7). At low concentration of diesel, 50 mg/L and 100 mg/L, KDi19 degraded 97.9% and 96.2% of diesel for 24 hours(temperature; $30^{\circ}C$, cell concentration: 1.0 g/L, pH 7), respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2011

Actinomycetes, Gram positive soil bacteria, are valuable microorganisms which produce useful secondary metabolites including antibiotics, antiparasitic substances, anti-cancer drugs, and immunosuppressants. Although a major family of actinomycetes, known as streptomycetes, has been intensively investigated at the molecular level for several decades, a potentially valuable and only recently isolated non-streptomycetes rare actinomycetes (NSRA) family has been poorly characterized due to lack of proper genetic manipulation systems. Here we report that a PCR-based genome screening strategy was performed with approximately 180 independently isolated actinomycetes strains to isolate potentially valuable NSRA strains. Thanks to this simple PCR-based genome screening strategy we were able to identify only seven NSRA strains, followed by 16S rRNA sequencing for confirmation. Through further bioassays, one potentially valuable NSRA strain (tentatively named Nocardiopsis species MMBL010) was identified which possessed both antifungal and antibacterial activities, along with the presence of polyketide synthase and non-ribosomal peptide synthase genes. Moreover, Nocardiopsis species MMBL010, which was intrinsically recalcitrant to genetic manipulation, was successfully transformed via E. coli-driven conjugation. These results suggest that PCR-based genome screening, followed by the establishment of an E. coli-driven conjugation system, is an efficient strategy to maximize potentially valuable compounds and their biosynthetic genes from NSRA strains isolated from various environments.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.672-680
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• 2019

This paper proposes "A Smart Farm Environment Optimization and Yield Prediction Platform based on IoT and Deep Learning" which gathers bio-sensor data from farms, diagnoses the diseases of growing crops, and predicts the year's harvest. The platform collects all the information currently available such as weather and soil microbes, optimizes the farm environment so that the crops can grow well, diagnoses the crop's diseases by using the leaves of the crops being grown on the farm, and predicts this year's harvest by using all the information on the farm. The result shows that the average accuracy of the AEOM is about 15% higher than that of the RF and about 8% higher than the GBD. Although data increases, the accuracy is reduced less than that of the RF or GBD. The linear regression shows that the slope of accuracy is -3.641E-4 for the ReLU, -4.0710E-4 for the Sigmoid, and -7.4534E-4 for the step function. Therefore, as the amount of test data increases, the ReLU is more accurate than the other two activation functions. This paper is a platform for managing the entire farm and, if introduced to actual farms, will greatly contribute to the development of smart farms in Korea.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.741-749
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• 2022

Major space agencies are planning for the rover-based lunar exploration since water-ice was detected in permanently shadowed regions (PSR). Although sunlight does not directly reach the PSRs, it is expected that reflected sunlight sustains a certain level of low-light environment. In this research, the indoor testbed was made to simulate the PSR's lighting and topological conditions, to which low light enhancement methods (CLAHE, Dehaze, RetinexNet, GLADNet) were applied to restore image brightness and color as well as to investigate their influences on the performance of feature extraction and matching methods (SIFT, SURF, ORB, AKAZE). The experiment results show that GLADNet and Dehaze images in order significantly improve image brightness and color. However, the performance of the feature extraction and matching methods were improved by Dehaze and GLADNet images in order, especially for ORB and AKAZE. Thus, in the lunar exploration, Dehaze is appropriate for building 3D topographic map whereas GLADNet is adequate for geological investigation.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.507-522
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• 2021

Specific survey objectives often cannot be met using only one geophysical method, as each method's results are influenced by the specific physical properties of subsurface materials. In particular, areas susceptible to geological hazards require investigation using more than one method in order to reduce risks to life and property. Instead of analyzing the results from each method separately, this work develops a four-quadrant criterion for classifying areas of levees as safe or weak. The assessment is based on statistically determined thresholds of seismic velocity (P-wave velocity from seismic refraction and S-wave velocity from multichannel analysis of surface waves) and electrical resistivity. Thresholds are determined by subtracting the standard deviation from the mean during performance testing of this correlation technique applied to model data of four horizontal and inclined fracture zones. Compared with results from the crossplot of resistivity and P-wave velocity, crossplot analysis using resistivity and S-wave velocity data provides more reliable information on the soil type, ground stiffness, and lithological characteristics of the levee system. A loose and sandy zone (represented by low S-wave velocity and high resistivity) falling within the second quadrant is interpreted to be a weak zone. This interpretation is well supported by the N values from standard penetrating test for the central core.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.368-376
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• 2022

Spontaneous ignition occurs in industrial sites or anywhere in our lives, and is a phenomenon in which a substance ignites itself without an ignition source in the atmosphere. As the rate of chemical reaction increases, the heat generated increases, and the risk of spontaneous ignition increases. In this study, safe raw materials used for food and cosmetics were mixed to prepare coal spontaneous ignition prevention agents specifically among various spontaneous ignition phenomena. The effect of suppressing spontaneous combustion of coal was confirmed through lab and field tests with low-calorie, low-grade coal from Indonesia. As a result of the outdoor field test, the ignition prevention agent manufactured in this study compared with the control group(Fire after 90 days) showed excellent ignition inhibitors for more than 120 days. In addition, CO concentration control was confirmed by comparing the concentration of carbon monoxide for 50 days at the indoor coal yard. It was confirmed that the results were better than the comparative group coal and the existing anti-firing method. In addition, the possibility of coal fire prevention agents for indoor coal farms will be applied from 2024 was confirmed by studying the environment and safety of workers' working environments through official test such as soil and water quality test, MSDS of coal fire prevention agents in consideration of working workers, water quality, and eye irritation tests.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 2006

Two hundred bacterial strains were isolated from the soil around healthy tomato plants in a polyvinyl house, where most of the other plants showed bacterial wilt symptoms. The strains were screened in vitro for their antibacterial activity. Among them, a strain, KPB3 showed strong bactericidal activity against bacterial wilt pathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum. The strain KPB3 was identified using physiological and biochemical tests, and 16S rRNA analyses. Based on these tests, the strain was found to be closer to genus Paenibacillus. To control the bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum, greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of the Paenibacillus strain KPB3. Drench application of this strain ($4{\times}10^8$ CFU $mL^{-1}$) into the pots containing tomato plants, post-inoculated with the pathogen, R. solanacearum could drastically reduce the disease severity, compared to the non-treated plants. To evaluate effectiveness of this strain under field conditions, experiments were carried out in polyvinyl houses infested with R. solanacearum, during spring and autumn of the year 2006. It was observed that, during spring, bacterial wilt was more prevalent compared to the autumn. During spring, 50.9% disease incidences occurred in non-treated controls, while, Paenibacillus strain KPB3 treated plants showed 24.6% disease incidences. Similarly, during autumn, around 17.2% plants were infected with bacterial wilt in non- treated polyvinyl houses, compared to the Paenibacillus strain KPB3 treated plants, which showed 7.0% disease incidences. These results demonstrated that, Paenibacillus strain KPB3 is a potential biological control agent against bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum, effective under greenhouse as well as field conditions. This is the first report showing biocontrol of R. solanacearum using a Paenibacillus spp. under field conditions.