• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.29-40
• /
• 2023

Xanthan gum and starch compound biopolymer (XS), an environmentally friendly soil-binding material produced from natural resources, has been suggested as a slope protection material to enhance soil strength and erosion resistance. Insufficient wet strength and the consequent durability concerns remain, despite XS biopolymer-soil treatment showing high strength and erosion resistance in the dried state, even with a small dosage of soil mass. These concerns need to be solved to improve the field applicability and post-stability of this treatment. This study explored the utilization of an alkaline-based cation crosslinking method using calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide to induce non-thermal gelation, resulting in the enhancement of the wet strength and durability of biopolymer-treated soil. Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the unconfined compressive strength and cyclic wetting-drying durability performance of the treated soil using a selected recipe based on a preliminary gel formation test. The results demonstrated that the uniformity of the gel structure and gelling time varied depending on the ratio of crosslinkers to biopolymer; consequently, the strength of the soil was affected. Subsequently, site soil treated with the recipe, which showed the best performance in indoor assessment, was implemented on the field slope at the bridge abutment via compaction and pressurized spraying methods to assess feasibility in field implementation. Moreover, the variation in surface soil hardness was monitored periodically for one year. Both slopes implemented by the two construction methods showed sufficient stability against detachment and scouring, with a higher soil hardness index than the natural slope for a year.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
• /
• v.26 no.4_2
• /
• pp.697-703
• /
• 2023

Intertidal zones, akin to tidal flats, are among the potential areas where underwater cultural heritage might be submerged. However, the shallow depths in these regions present challenges for conventional vessel-based survey methods. Moreover, during low tides, intertidal zones transform into tidal flats, limiting the efficiency of survey efforts due to restricted access and potential risks. As a result, proper underwater cultural heritage surveys encounter difficulties in these environments. In recent times, extensive research is underway to address these issues by investigating underwater cultural heritage surveys in intertidal zones, encompassing diverse fields, including equipment-based investigations. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to conduct intertidal cultural heritage surveys, employing aerial photography and 3D mapping to create detailed orthoimages and 3D models. The study focused on assessing the potential application of these techniques for cultural heritage surveying within intertidal zones. Notably, the survey conducted in Jindo's Naesan-ri demonstrated high-resolution capabilities, enabling the distinction of actual pottery fragments mixed within gravel fields. Similarly, in the survey of Jindo's Byeokpa-hang, it was found that a wooden pillar structure existed in a section about 200m long. The integration of various sensors, including LiDAR, with UAVs allows for diverse investigation possibilities, including bathymetric measurements, and is expected to facilitate the acquisition of varied datasets for further research and assessment.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.660-673
• /
• 2022

In achieving carbon neutrality and the hydrogen economy, the estimation of H₂ cost is critical in terms of CCU technologies. This study analyzes LCOH of hydrogen produced by the carbon utilization unit with methane reforming and CO₂ from thermal power plant. LCOH for H₂ made with CO is estimated in three ways of Joint Cost Allocations with financial performance risk assessment. Regarding cost analysis, the zero value of LCOH is $6,003/ton. We found that the CCU technology has economic feasibility in terms of profitability. The sensitivity analysis result shows that the input ratio is more influential to the LCOH than other variables. Risk analysis presents the baseline price of zero value of LCOH - $8,408/ton, which is higher than the cost analysis - $6,003/ton. Mainly, the price variability of natural gas primarily affects the LCOH. The study has significant value in analyzing the financial performance risks as well as the cost of H₂ produced by a Plasma-based CCU system.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2020.06a
• /
• pp.231-231
• /
• 2020

Unlike conventional treatment technologies, the performance of nature-based facilities were susceptible to seasonal changes and climatological variabilities. This study evaluated the effects of seasonal variables on the treatment performance of constructed wetlands (CWs). Two CWs treating runoff and discharge from agricultural and livestock areas were monitored to determine the efficiency of the systems in reducing particulates, organics, and nutrients in the influent. For all four seasons, the mean effluent suspended solids concentration in the agricultural CW (ACW) increased by -2% to -39%. The occurrence of algal blooms in the system during summer and fall seasons resulted to the greatest increase in the amount of suspended materials in the overlying water. unlike ACW, the livestock CW (LCW) performed efficiently throughout the year, with mean suspended solids removal amounting to 61% to 68%. Algal blooms were still present in LCW seasonally; however, the constant inflow in the system limited the proliferation of phytoplankton through continuous flushing. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies in ACW were higher during the summer (21% to 25%) and fall (8% to 21%) seasons since phytoplankton utilize nitrogen and phosphorus during the early stages of phytoplankton blooms. In the case of LCW, the most efficient reduction in TN (24%) and TP (54%) concentrations were also noted in summer, which can be attributed to the favorable environmental conditions for microbial activities. The mean removal of organics in ACW was lowest during summer season (-52% to 35%), wherein the onset of algal decay triggered a relative increase in organic matter and stimulate bacterial growth. The removal of organics in LCW was highest (54 % to 55%) during the fall and winter seasons since low water temperatures may limit the persistence of various algal species. Variations in environmental conditions due to seasonal changes can greatly affect the performance of CW systems. This study effectively established the contributory factors affecting the feasibility of utilizing CW systems for treating agricultural and livestock discharges and runoff.

• Korean Medical Education Review
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.198-211
• /
• 2023

Health systems science (HSS) is recognized as the third pillar of medical education. alongside basic and clinical sciences. Today's physicians must also be systems thinkers who are able to discern how social, economic, environmental, and technological forces influence clinical decision-making. This study aimed to propose strategies for structuring an HSS curriculum that is tailored to the Korean healthcare and medical education context. First, the authors of this study conducted a survey to identify the present curricular contents of HSS related education at Korean medical schools. Second, a needs assessment was performed to determine the necessity of HSS competencies, as well as the prerequisites for the seamless integration of HSS into the existing curriculum. Third, literature reviews on HSS education at 14 US medical schools and expert consultations was conducted. We would like to propose a set of strategic approaches, classified into two levels: comprehensive and partial restructuring of the current medical curriculum to incorporate HSS. The partial restructuring approach entails a gradual, incremental incorporation of HSS content, while maintaining the current curricular structure. In contrast, a complete overhaul of the curriculum may be ideal to build HSS as the third pillar of medical education, but its feasibility remains relatively limited. The partial reorganization approach, however, has the advantage of being highly feasible. Collaborative efforts between professors and students are imperative to collectively devise effective methods for the seamless integration of HSS into the existing curriculum.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.431-437
• /
• 2024

Drones in the contemporary landscape have transcended their initial public utility, expanding into various industries and making significant inroads into the private sector. The majority of commercially available drones are presently equipped with GPS receivers to relay location signals from artificial satellites, aiming to inform users about the drone's whereabouts. However, a notable drawback arises from the considerable distance over which these location signals travel, resulting in a weakened signal intensity. This limitation introduces vulnerabilities, allowing for the possibility of location manipulation and jamming attacks if the drone receives a stronger signal than the intended location signal from satellites. Thus, this paper focuses on the safety assessment of drones relying on GPS-based location acquisition and addresses potential vulnerabilities in wireless communication scenarios. Targeting commercial drones, the paper analyzes and empirically demonstrates the feasibility of GPS spoofing attacks. The outcomes of this study are anticipated to serve as foundational experiments for conducting more realistic vulnerability analysis and safety evaluations.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.10-17
• /
• 2024

In Korea, the common remedial process for reclamation of agricultural soils nearby abandoned mines involves chemical soil stabilization followed by covering with clean soil. This study investigated the chemical properties of cover soils and the validity of HCl extraction method in assessing the degree of As and heavy metal stabilization in stabilized soils collected from 14 plots where mine reclamation had been completed. The results revealed there were no major differences in contaminants extraction rate between the stabilized soils and contaminated soils, suggesting HCl extraction procedure is a less feasible method to determine the efficiency of the stabilization. Soil quality indicators including OM, SiO₂, P₂O₅, etc. of the land-covering soils were generally lower than those of stabilized soils that used to be the cultivation layer before the stabilization. Nonetheless, the value of those indicators didn't meet the regulatry limits of agricultural soil. Therefore, future strategy for mine reclamation should concentrate not only on contaminant concentration but also on soil quality parameters for agricultural use of the reclaimed soil.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.444-453
• /
• 2023

Objective: Meningeal lymphatic vessels are predominantly located in the parasagittal dural space (PSD); these vessels drain interstitial fluids out of the brain and contribute to the glymphatic system. We aimed to investigate the ability of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in assessing the dynamic changes in the meningeal lymphatic vessels in PSD. Materials and Methods: Eighteen participants (26-71 years; male:female, 10:8), without neurological or psychiatric diseases, were prospectively enrolled and underwent DCE-MRI. Three regions of interests (ROIs) were placed on the PSD, superior sagittal sinus (SSS), and cortical vein. Early and delayed enhancement patterns and six kinetic curve-derived parameters were obtained and compared between the three ROIs. Moreover, the participants were grouped into the young (< 65 years; n = 9) or older (≥ 65 years; n = 9) groups. Enhancement patterns and kinetic curve-derived parameters in the PSD were compared between the two groups. Results: The PSD showed different enhancement patterns than the SSS and cortical veins (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) in the early and delayed phases. The PSD showed slow early enhancement and a delayed wash-out pattern. The six kinetic curve-derived parameters of PSD was significantly different than that of the SSS and cortical vein. The PSD washout rate of older participants was significantly lower (median, 0.09; interquartile range [IQR], 0.01-0.15) than that of younger participants (median, 0.32; IQR, 0.07-0.45) (P = 0.040). Conclusion: This study shows that the dynamic changes of meningeal lymphatic vessels in PSD can be assessed with DCE-MRI, and the results are different from those of the venous structures. Our finding that delayed wash-out was more pronounced in the PSD of older participants suggests that aging may disturb the meningeal lymphatic drainage.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.130-138
• /
• 2023

Background and Purpose: Growing evidence has shown that cognitive interventions can mitigate cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, most previous cognitive interventions have been group-based programs. Due to their intrinsic limitations, group-based programs are not widely used in clinical practice. Therefore, we have developed a tablet-based cognitive intervention program. This preliminary study investigated the feasibility and effects of a 12-week structured tablet-based program on cognitive function in patients with MCI. Methods: We performed a single-arm study on 24 patients with MCI. The participants underwent a tablet-based cognitive intervention program 5 times a week over a 12-week period. The primary outcome was changes in cognitive function, measured using the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K). Outcomes were evaluated at baseline, within two weeks of the last program (post-intervention), and at the six-month follow-up session. Results: The completion rate of the tablet-based program was 83.3% in patients with MCI. The program improved cognitive function based on the CERAD-K total score (p=0.026), which was maintained for at least three months (p=0.004). There was also an improvement in the depression scale score (p=0.002), which persisted for three months (p=0.027). Conclusions: Our 12-week structured tablet-based program is feasible for patients with MCI. Furthermore, although further studies with a double-arm design are required, the program appears to be an effective strategy to prevent cognitive decline in patients with MCI.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.98-106
• /
• 2011

This study was performed with the purpose of providing basic data for the improvement of zoning regulations of urban nature park by analyzing the present problem which occurred during last 6 years from the year of 2005 when the program was introduced for the first time. The study was processed first by the analysis of the cases of problems evoked by citizens, second the other problems was delineated by interviews of officials, at last the validity of all of the problems was verified by a group of professionals through delphi method. The results can be summarized as follows. 1. In relation to the designation and management of urban national park areas, designation criteria, designation process, maintenance, laws and regulations and 20 other items were found to be problematic. After Delphi method, 5 items were removed and 2 added. The results showed that there were 17 problematic items in total. 2. Regarding the problem of criteria for designation, which are, lack of priority(weights), lack of objectivity due to the difficulty to use quantitative evaluation method, incompatibility for contaminated land environmental impact assessment, incompatibility of land suitability assessment, lack of detailed field survey standards, lack of national park area standards, and 6 other items. 3. Regarding the problem of designation process, which are, the occurrence of civil appeals for designating a new national park, the needs of feasibility study on the urban national park areas constructed before urban national park guidelines came out, lack of a comprehensive review of the boundaries set when determining national park area management plan, poor temporal and financial conditions for an accurate field survey, and 4 other items. 4. Regarding the problem of maintenance management, which are, lack of management system in each space, lack of effectiveness of Urban Nature Park Area Management Plan among master plans for park and green areas, the occurrence of dual managers due to dual natures such as purpose area and city park, lack of professional manpower to manage park areas, and 4 other items. 5. Regarding the problems of regulation guidelines, which are, lack of separate urban park area management plan, incompatibility of the permitted facilities in the park to the park area standards, lack of feasibility study on urban park areas, and 3 other items.