• Computers and Concrete
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.577-594
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• 2023

Engineered cementitious composites with calcined clay limestone cement (LC³-ECC) as a kind of green, low-carbon and high toughness concrete, has recently received significant investigation. However, the complicated relationship between potential influential factors and LC³-ECC compressive strength makes the prediction of LC³-ECC compressive strength difficult. Regarding this, the machine learning-based prediction models for the compressive strength of LC³-ECC concrete is firstly proposed and developed. Models combine three novel meta-heuristic algorithms (golden jackal optimization algorithm, butterfly optimization algorithm and whale optimization algorithm) with support vector regression (SVR) to improve the accuracy of prediction. A new dataset about LC³-ECC compressive strength was integrated based on 156 data from previous studies and used to develop the SVR-based models. Thirteen potential factors affecting the compressive strength of LC³-ECC were comprehensively considered in the model. The results show all hybrid SVR prediction models can reach the Coefficient of determination (R²) above 0.95 for the testing set and 0.97 for the training set. Radar and Taylor plots also show better overall prediction performance of the hybrid SVR models than several traditional machine learning techniques, which confirms the superiority of the three proposed methods. The successful development of this predictive model can provide scientific guidance for LC³-ECC materials and further apply to such low-carbon, sustainable cement-based materials.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.69-78
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• 2023

This investigation delves into the adverse repercussions stemming from the impact of arsenic on steel pipes concealed within soil designated for rice cultivation. Simultaneously, the study aims to ascertain effective techniques for detecting arsenic in the soil and to provide strategies for mitigating the corrosion of steel pipes. The realm of nanotechnology presents promising avenues for addressing the intricate intersection of renewable energy, oil, and environmental pollution from a novel perspective. Nanostructured materials, characterized by distinct chemical and physical attributes, unveil novel pathways for pioneering materials that exert a substantial impact across diverse realms of food production, storage, packaging, and quality control. Within the scope of the food industry, the scope of nanotechnology encompasses processes, storage methodologies, packaging paradigms, and safeguards to ensure the safety of consumables. Of particular note, silver nanoparticles, in addition to their commendable antibacterial efficacy, boast anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory prowess, environmental compatibility, minimal irritability and allergenicity, resilience to microbial antagonism, thermal stability, and robustness. Confronting the pressing issue of arsenic contamination within both environmental settings and the food supply is of paramount importance to preserve public health and ecological equilibrium. In response, this study introduces detection kits predicated upon silver nanoparticles, providing an expeditious and economically feasible avenue for identifying arsenic concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 3 ppm within rice. Subsequent quantification employs Hydride Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (HG-AAS), which features a detection threshold of 0.05 ㎍/l. A salient advantage inherent in the HG-AAS methodology lies in its capacity to segregate analytes from the sample matrix, thereby significantly reducing instances of spectral interference. Importantly, the presence of arsenic in the soil beneath rice cultivation establishes a causative link to steel pipe corrosion, with potential consequences extending to food contamination-an intricate facet embedded within the broader tapestry of renewable energy, oil, and environmental pollution.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.389-401
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• 2024

In recent decades, numerous instances of blockages have been reported in coastal nuclear power plants globally, leading to serious safety accidents such as power reduction, manual or automatic power loss, or shutdown of nuclear power units. Loss or shortage of cooling water may compromise the reliability of the cooling water system, thus threatening the operational safety of power plants and resulting in revenue reduction. This study provides a comprehensive review of the current state of cooling water system safety in coastal nuclear power plants worldwide and the common challenges they face, as well as the relevant research on cooling water system safety issues. The research overview and progress in investigation methods, outbreak mechanisms, prevention and control measures, and practical cases of blockages were summarized. Despite existing research, there are still many shortcomings regarding the pertinence, comprehensiveness and prospects of related research, and many problems urgently need to be solved. The most fundamental concern involves understanding the list of potential risks of blockages and their spatially distributed effects in surrounding waters. Furthermore, knowledge of the biological cycles and ecological habits of key organisms is essential for implementing risk prevention and control and for building a scientific and effective monitoring system.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2024

The study investigated species diversity, relative abundance, and decline of flying insects and plants within a fragmented forest in the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Nigeria. It is known that habitat fragmentation can reduce biodiversity. Thus, it is important to perform comprehensive assessments to understand implications of the habitat fragmentation for flora and fauna. Species richness and abundance of flying insects and plants across fragmented forest patches were quantified using field surveys and taxonomic identification. This study revealed shifts in species diversity, with fragmented areas exhibiting reduced biodiversity compared to contiguous forest ecosystems. Flying insects crucial for ecosystem functioning and pollination services demonstrated decreased species richness and relative abundance within fragmented habitats. This decline was attributed to habitat loss, altered microclimates, and limited movement pathways known to hinder insect dispersal. Similarly, plant species richness and abundance showed decline in fragmented forest due to disrupted mutualistic interactions with pollinators, altered nutrient cycling, and increased competition among plant species. This study underscores the importance of maintaining intact forest habitats to sustain healthy ecosystems and preserve biodiversity. Effective conservation strategies should focus on habitat connectivity, reforestation efforts, and protection of essential ecological corridors to mitigate effects of fragmentation. In conclusion, this investigation provides empirical evidence for effects of habitat fragmentation on flying insects and plants in a forest ecosystem in FUTA Akure, Nigeria. Findings emphasize an urgency of adopting conservation measures to safeguard these invaluable components of biodiversity and ecosystem stability in the face of ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.636-644
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the callings of nocturnal birds using bioacoustic recording technology to identify species and to analyze the ecological characteristics of each species. Three sites - Seoraksan National Park, National Institute of Ecology, and Mudeungsan National Park - were investigated. The investigation period was from the middle of April 2018 to early March 2019 for Seoraksan national park, from late February of 2018 to the middle of February 2019 for the National Institute of Ecology, and from the middle of February 2018 to the end of August 2018 for Mudeungsan National Park. The main research results are as follows. Firstly, nocturnal bird species identified by the survey included Caprimulgus indicus, Otus sunia, Zoothera aurea, Bubo bubo, and Strix uralensis, 5 species in total. Secondly, the breeding call period of each species was from early May to early August for C. indicus, from early April to the end of September for O. sunia, from early March to early October for Z. aurea, from late September to early February for B. bubo, and from mid-January to early March for S. uralensis. Thirdly, the mating call rhythm was between 16:00 and 10:00 on the following day for all the observed species in the three regions, and the peak time zone was from 20:00 to 06:00 on the following day. Fourthly, there was no correlation between the cumulative call frequency and the precipitation for each species. Fifthly, the mean temperature during the period when the specific calls of nocturnal birds were detected was -4.00 ℃ for S. uralensis, 2.58 ℃ for B. bubo, 13.66 ℃ for Z. aurea, 19.50 ℃ for O. sunia, and 20.77 ℃ for C. indicus. The ANOVA results showed that there was a significant difference in mean temperature for the calling by species and that the mean temperature was S. uralensis, B. bubo, Z. aurea, and O. sunia-C. indicus, in the ascending order, for 4 groups in total. The period of the specific mating calls confirmed by the study is a period in which the frequency of calls was the highest among the periods when the specific calls were detected. Since it is associated with the known mating period of each species, the period of the high frequency of calls confirmed by the bioacoustic monitoring can be regarded as the mating season. This study is meaningful in that it is the early research that has used the bioacoustic recording technology to identify species and ecological characteristics of species of nocturnal birds in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.3-16
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• 2012

Objectives of the Korean Environmental Conservation Value Assessment Map (ECVAM) is to evaluate environmental value used in comprehensive environmental information in order to encourage eco-friendly land use and management. The first research was conducted in 2001 to establish the evaluation items and the criteria of the ECVAM, and the first nationwide map was established in the period of 2003 to 2005. The maps are updated annually to reflect environmental changes of land. The evaluation items and the criteria have been modified based on feasibility studies to improve the accuracy of the maps. This study re-evaluated the ECVAMs from 2005 to 2010 with criteria used in current environment and analyzed the changes in the area of the maps in 6 years. This is also an investigation on the maps whether they are appropriate as an index for sustainable environmental monitoring. The result shows that the 1st grade level of the ECVAM area with the highest conservation value had been expanding since 2005. These changes were analyzed in terms of updating the 4th Forest Map (2008) produced once every 10 years, reflecting the new legal protected areas such as Baekdudaegan Protected Area(2010), and the environmental/ecological assessment items such as the National Ecological Network (2009). This mean the ECVAM are a monitoring index that integrates individual environmental indexes including the increase of forest age and diameter due to sustainable management of forest areas, and the change of conservation areas. Therefore, ECVAM can be used as a new index integrating national environmental indicators for monitoring changes of national environment and policy. In order to utilize the ECVAM, improving accuracy and reducing renewal cycle time of thematic maps are required.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 2015

In order to get as ecological basic data for river restoration, vegetation investigation was conducted in natural river and analysed it synecological methods, such as ordination cluster. 29 plant communities units were identified and the major dominant plant communites were Quercus mongolica community, Pinus densiflora community, Populus davidiana community, Q. variabilis community and Prunus sargentii community. River vegetations were classified into ravine and gorge forest type and riverine softwood forest type. Ravine and gorge forest was dominanted by hardwood which located in steep slope and in high elevation, and riverine softwood forest by softwood, salix spp. Naturality was an important criterion for the selection of rivers, so many of the selected rivers are located in the upper stream and mid stream rather than the lower stream, where more human intervention is involved. Plant communities were consisted of hardwood forest(44 plots, 92%) and softwood forest(4 plot, 8%), respectively. PCA with total layer data showed 5 groups of communities: Q. mongolica community group, Prunus sargentii community group, Pinus densiflora community group, Prunus sargentii community - Pinus densiflora community group and the rest communities group. PCA with tree layer showed 3 groups: Q. mongolica community group, Prunus sargentii community group, and the rest community group. Cluster analysis also a showed a similar communities group to PCA ordination, but Magnolia sieboldii community and Prunus sargentii community were distinguished from the PCA result. From the result, it can be concluded that the plant communities of riparian be divided into hardwood and softwood forest by statistical techniques. It was appropriate to plant species such as Quercus mongolica, Pinus densiflora, Populus davidiana, Quercus variabilis and Prunus sargentii, at levee zone and high water level. And Sliax spp. were appropriate for planted plants at waterfront and low water level. The herb species to be planted on the floodplain were recommanded in the species composition co-occurred with the woody species.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.18
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• pp.124-155
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• 1975

To obtain the fundamental informations on the varietal improvement of peanut and to study the ecological variations of the important agronomic traits and to the relationship between the traits studied, an investigation was made on varietal classification of 489 introduced on the basis of their morphological and ecological differences at Crop Experiment Station, Suweon in 1968, and the other study conducted at some location as above in 1969 was to investigate the ecological variations of the materials in accordance with changes of seeding date using classified varietal group under 5 different seeding times from April 16 to July 7 with twenty days interval. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. Peanut varieties tested were classified into Spanish, Virginia Erect, Virginia Runner, Southeast Runner. Valencia and Semirunner, on the basis of plant type, flowering time, number of grains per pod and grain size. 2. Characteristics of varietal group classified are as followings. (1) Spanish; erect, small grained and early maturing type. (2) Virginia Erect; erect, large grained and late flowering type. (3) Virginia Runner; runner, large grained and late maturing type. (4) Southeast Runner; runner, small grained and early maturing type. (5) Valencia; erect, small grained and early flowering type with 3-4 grains per pod. (6) Semi runner; semirunner, large grained and late flowering type. 3. Flowering period in respective varietal group was consistently shorted by delayed seeding date and the degree of shortening was more serious in late flowering varietal group. 4. Number of branches per plant was generally decreased in late seeding date in respective group. However, Spanish and Virginia Runner exhibited lower number of branches in the first seeding rather than the second seeding and the lowest number of branches was found in Spanish while the highest were Virginia Erect in all seeding date. 5. Shelling ratio was high in Spanish and Southeast Runner in any seeding date and decreased remarkedly by seeding after May. 6. Number of pod per plant in all varietal groups was remarkedly decreased by delayed seeding date and the degree of decreasing was more serious in large grain varietal group. 7. The higher pod weight per plant was found in second seeding date rather than first seeding and pod weight per plant was decreased obviously in all late seeding after the second. Therefore, among the cultivars tested, Southeast Runner noted the highest pod weight per plant while Virginia Runner showed the lowest. 8. Grain number per plant expressed the similar tendency as the pod weight per plant but was low in large grain group and high in small grain group in all seeding date employed. 9. 100 grain weight was heaviest in second seeding and was decreased remarkedly after the second and even the first seeding date. 10. Yield per 10a noted considerable variations in accordance with seeding date in all groups classified. However, the yield was increased in second seeding date (May 7) and decreased in the others. 11. Length of main stem and branches were exceptionally decreased in the first seeding date compare to the second in Spanish while other varieties were tend to be same between the indicated seeding date, but. these two traits were strikingly decreased in all seeding after the second. This tendency, however, strongly suggested the importance of environmental effects on peanut growth in terms of their changes due to the different seeding date. 12. Highly significant positive correlations were showed between yield and yield componets such as pod weight per plant, 100 grain weight and the number of grains per plant in all varietal groups except, Virginia Runner. However, the other characters were almost not correlated with yield and differences in correlation coefficients among the seeding dates were found. 13. Path coefficients estimated for yield components to yield was higher in number of grains per plant pod weight per plant and 100 grain weight in terms of direct effect and the other components were negligible in all varietal groups. 14. Heritabilities estimated were generally high in pod number per plant, shelling ratio, 100 grain weights and number of grains per pod and the other traits were relatively low.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2013

This study was conducted for investigation of habitat and development of indoor-rearing conditions of peacock butterfly, Inachis io (Linnaeus). Three different region, Mt. Kwangduk-san, Mt. Hae-san and Mt. Taebaek-san in Kangwon-do, was selected for investigation of domestic distribution and ecological environment of peacock butterfly. In result, there are many butterflies in the only two region, Mt. Kwangduk-san and Mt. Hae-san. On 16th April, 4 overwintered butterflies were observed in Mt. Hae-san. At the end of June and early in July, 51 individual next generation's butterflies were observed in Mt. Kwangduk-san and Mt. Hae-san. For development of indoor-rearing conditions, collected each 15 male and female peacock butterflies was reared in a room condition. Female butterflies laid eggs in the egg cluster on the underside of host-plant's leaves, Urtica angustifolia Fisch., in the ovipositioning room. We took 11 egg cluster with average $404.6{\pm}23.6$ eggs. Hatchablity of eggs was 92.3%, and the eggs hatched within $5.1{\pm}0.9$ days from the day of oviposition under high temperature, long day condition($25^{\circ}C$, 14L:10D). The larval period was $18.3{\pm}1.0$ days under high temperature, long day condition($25^{\circ}C$, 14L:10D), showing 81.0% pupal ratio. The head width of each developmental larval stage were $0.37{\pm}0.01mm$(1st instar), $0.66{\pm}0.02mm$(2nd instar), $1.07{\pm}0.05mm$(3rd instar), $1.81{\pm}0.07$(4th instar), $2.76{\pm}0.08$(5th instar). The pupal period was $8.4{\pm}0.6$ days, and the emergence rate was 87.5%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.2
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• pp.201-223
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• 2022

Currently, species extinctions are increasing due to climate change and continued anthropogenic impact. We selected 300 species for conservation with emphasis on plants co-occurring in the Baekdudaegan area, which is a large ecological axis of Korea. We aimed to investigate the vegetation community and environmental characteristics of Zabelia tyaihyonii in the limestone habitat among the target plant species in the Baekdudaegan region to derive effective conservation strategies. In Danyang-gun, Yeongwol-gun, and Jecheon-si, we selected 36 investigation sites where Z. tyaihyonii was present. We investigated the vegetation, flora, soil and physical environment. We also found notable plants such as Thalictrum petaloideum, Sillaphyton podagraria, and Neillia uekii at the investigation sites. We classified forest vegetation community types into 4 vegetation units and 7 species group types. With canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of the vegetation community and habitat factors, we determined the overall explanatory power to be 75.2%, and we classified the environmental characteristics of the habitat of Z. tyaihyonii into a grouping of three. Among these, we detected a relationship between the environmental factors elevation, slope, organic matter, rock ratio, pH, potassium, and sodium. We identified numerous rare and endemic plants, including Thalictrum petaloideum, in the investigation site, and determined that these groups needed to be preserved at the habitat level. In the classification of the vegetation units analyzed based on the emerging plants and the CCA, we reaffirmed the uniqueness and specificity of the vegetation community in the habitat of Z. tyaihyonii. We anticipate that our results will be used as scientific evidence for the empirical conservation of the native habitats of Z. tyaihyonii.