• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2024

Currently, there are no interim storage facilities and permanent disposal facilities in Korea, so all spent nuclear fuels are temporarily stored. However, the temporary storage facility is approaching saturation, and as a measure to this, the 2nd Basic Plan for the Management of High-Level Radioactive Waste presented an operation plan for dry interim storage facilities and dry temporary storage facilities on the NPP on-site. The dry storage can be operated in various ways, and to select the optimal dry storage method, the reduction of exposure for workers must be considered. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop a worker exposure scenario according to the dry storage method and evaluate and compare the radiological impact for each method. The purpose of this study is to develop an exposure scenario for workers transporting spent nuclear fuel by dry storage method. To this end, first, the operation procedure of the foreign commercial spent nuclear fuel dry storage system was analyzed based on the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR). 1) the concrete overpack-based system, 2) the metal overpack-based system, and 3) the vertical storage module-based system were selected for analysis. Factors were assumed that could affect the type of work (working distance, working hours, number of workers, etc.) during transportation work. Finally, the work type of the processes involved in transporting spent nuclear fuel by dry storage method was set, and an exposure scenario was developed accordingly. The concrete overpack method, the metal overpack method, and the vertical storage module method were classified into a total of 31, 9, and 23 processes, respectively. The work distance, work time, and number of workers for each process were set. The product of working hours and number of workers (Man-hour) was set high in the order of concrete overpack method, vertical storage module method, and metal overpack method, and short-range work (10 cm) was most often applied to the concrete overpack method. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for performing radiological comparisons of transport workers by dry storage method of spent nuclear fuel.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.363-374
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• 2022

Backgrounds/Aims: To analyze the results of the neoadjuvant treatment of patients in our center with early pancreatic cancer. Methods: Eighty-four patients with early pancreatic cancer (I-II) were included, of which 59 were considered "bioborderline" (carbohydrate antigen [CA] 19-9 > 37 U/L), and 25 were considered "non-bioborderline" (CA19-9 < 37 U/L). The R0 resection rate, presence of negative nodes, survival, and recurrence rates were analyzed in two groups, the NEO group (neoadjuvant + surgery) and the nonNEO group (upfront surgery). Results: A 28.6% pathologic complete response was observed in the NEO group of the whole sample. The residual R0 was 85.7%, and nodes were negative in 78.6% of the patients in the NEO group of bioborderline patients. All non-bioborderline patients treated with neoadjuvant were R0, and no affected nodes were observed in any of them. The median overall survival (OS) in patients with elevated CA19-9 levels in the NEO group was 31.4 months vs. 13.1 months in the non-NEO (log-rank test p = 0.006), with a 62% relative reduction in the mortality rate (hazard ratio = 0.38, 95% confidence interval: 0.20-0.79; p= 0.008). The median OS in patients with normal CA19-9 levels in the NEO group was 65.9 months vs. 16.2 months in the non-NEO group, without statistically significant differences between the two but with a trend toward significance (log-rank test p = 0.08). Conclusions: A neoadjuvant strategy seemed to improve local control and the survival of patients with early pancreatic cancer, both those with elevated CA19-9 and normal marker levels.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.88-96
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• 2024

Lithium metal has garnered attention as a promising anode active material thanks to its high specific capacity, energy density, and the lowest reduction potential. However, the formation of dendrites, dendritic crystals that arise during the charge and discharge process, has posed safety and lifetime stability challenges. To resolve this, our study has introduced a novel separator design. This separator features a composite coating of vapor-grown carbon fiber, a conductive material in nanofibers, and silver. We have meticulously studied the impact of this innovative separator on the electrochemical properties of the lithium metal anode, unveiling promising results. To confirm the synergistic effect of VGCF and Ag, a separator with no surface treatment and a separator with only VGCF coated on one side were prepared and compared with the Ag-VGCF-separator. In the case of the bare separator, the Li metal surface is covered with dendrites during the initial charge and discharge process. In contrast, both the VGCF-separator and the Ag-VGCF-separator show Li precipitation inside the conductive coating layer coated on the separator surface. Additionally, the Ag-VGCF-separator showed a more uniform precipitate shape than the VGCF-separator. As a result, the Ag-VGCF-separators show improved electrochemical properties compared to the bare separators and the VGCF-separators.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.531-539
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• 2024

Biogenic amines in food, produced through amino acid decarboxylation, can cause allergies, digestive issues, and neurological symptoms. Recently, various studies have been conducted to reduce the levels of biogenic amines in food. This study analyzes the impact of salt concentration in Ganjang on microbial diversity and biogenic amine production. Results show a statistically significant correlation between salt concentration in Ganjang and species richness and species abundance indices. Although the alpha-diversity index did not significantly correlate with biogenic amine levels, higher salt concentration resulted in a statistically significant decrease in histamine and tyramine levels. An analysis of the correlation between microbial distribution and biogenic amines based on the salt concentration in Ganjang revealed that the distribution of Lactobacillus sp. and Bacteroides sp. increased as the salt concentration increased while the levels of biogenic amines decreased. On the other hand, the distribution of Tetragenococcus sp., Chromohalobacter sp., and Halomonas sp. decreased with increasing salt concentration, accompanied by an increase in biogenic amine levels. The results of this study suggest that within the salt concentration ranges in Ganjang, an increase in salt concentration is associated with an increase in the distribution of Lactobacillus sp., Bacteroides sp., Streptococcus gallolyticus, and Pseudomonas sp. This increase in microbial distribution is presumed to be related to a reduction in biogenic amine production or an enhancement in biogenic amine degradation.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.289-298
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• 2024

The objective of this study was to the effect of four medicinal plants (Rheum palmatum, Pharbitidis semen, Reynoutria japonica, Tribulus semen) supplementation on methane reduction and ruminal fermentation in in vitro batch culture method. Each medicinal plant was supplemented 5% on a substrate basis in the bottle, then filled with buffered rumen fluid. Incubation was conducted for 24 hours in a shaking incubator (39℃, 120 rpm). The ruminal pH values were not significantly different between the control and treatment groups. However, the digestibility of the feed was significantly higher in the group supplemented with medicinal plants than control group. Methane production (mL/g of digested dry matter) and total gas production (mL) was significantly lower in the treatment group compared to the control group in Tribulus semen group. Total volatile fatty acids concentration were significantly higher in all treatment groups than control group, and acetate concentration was significantly higher in all treatment groups than control group except for Rheum palmatum group. Propionate concentration was significantly higher in all treatment groups than control group, while butyrate concentration was significantly higher in Rheum palmatum group than control group. Ammonia nitrogen concentration was significantly higher in all treatment groups than control group. In conclusion, the addition of medicinal plants did not negatively impact rumen fermentation, and the results indicate that Tribulus semen has potential as a feed additive for reducing methane emissions.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.270-282
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of sand addition to an intertidal for the development of the Manila clam habitat on benthic community structure. For this, we focused on the spatio-temporal changes in the surface sediment condition and benthic community structure before and after the event. Study site was an sandbank in Gonam-myeon, Taean-gun where sand added to on July 2010. We set three stations at each of sand adding area (experimental plot) and non sand-adding area (control plot) and did sampling works ten times from June 2010 to October 2011. Directly after the event, surface sediments changed to very coarse sand, but the state was not maintained over four months because of seasonal sedimentation and finally got back to very fine sand in eight months. The number of species and density were temporarily reduced right after the event and crustacean species such as Apocorophium acutum, Photis sp. were most negatively affected by the event. However, the number of species recovered from the reduction in three months and density did in four months due to the recolonization by the existing species and species in the vicinity of the plot. During the study period, dominant species continuously changed from the species such as A. acutum, Photis sp. at the time before the event, through the species such as Heteromastus filiformis, Macrophthalmus japonicus at the time right after the event, to the species such as Musculista senhousia, Ruditapes philippinarum, Mediomastus californiensis in the latter part of the study period. Although surface sediment properties and ecological indices recovered within a certain period after the event, the recovery of community structure has never been observed up to the end of the study.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.127-139
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• 2017

Measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of $CO_2$ based on the eddy covariance technique provide reasonable carbon balance estimates in response to local environmental conditions. In South Korea, the forest ecosystems cover approximately 64% of the total area, thereby strongly affecting regional carbon balances. Cultivated croplands that cover about 17% of the total area should also be considered when calculating the carbon balance of the country. In this study, our objectives were (a) to quantify the range and seasonal variation of NEE at forest ecosystems, including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, and agricultural ecosystems, including rice paddies and a potato field, in South Korea and (b) to compare NEE at ten Fluxnet sites that have the same or similar ecosystems as found in South Korea. The results showed that the forest and agricultural ecosystems were carbon sinks. In Korea, NEE at the forest ecosystems varied between -31 and $-362gC/m^2/yr$, and NEE at the croplands ranged from -210 to $-248gC/m^2/growing$ season. At the deciduous forest, NEE reached low values in late spring, early summer, and early autumn, while at the coniferous forest, it reached low values in spring, early summer, and mid autumn. The young mixed forest was a much stronger carbon sink than the old-growth deciduous and coniferous forests. During each crop growing season, beet had the lowest NEE value within six crops, followed by wither wheat, maize, rice, potato, and soybean. These results will be useful for designing and applying management strategies for the reduction of $CO_2$ emissions.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.156-164
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• 2015

High temperature stress would affect rice production in the future as heat wave is expected to occur frequently under climate change conditions. The objective of this study was to obtain rudimentary information to assess the impact of heat stress on rice yield and its yield component in Korea. Two rice cultivars "Hwaseongbyeo" (Japonica) and "Dasanbyeo" (Tongil-type) were grown at different nitrogen fertilization levels in two seasons. These cultivars were grown in 1/5000a Wagner pot placed within four plastic houses where temperature was controlled at ambient, ambient$+1.5^{\circ}C$, ambient$+3^{\circ}C$ and ambient$+5^{\circ}C$ throughout the rice growing season in Suwon ($37^{\circ}16^{\prime}N$, $128^{\circ}59^{\prime}E$), Korea. The degree of temperature change affected grain yield whereas the level of nitrogen had little impact on grain yield. The number of panicle per pot and spikelet per panicle were not significantly different among temperature treatments in both cultivars tested. In contrast, 1000-grain weight and ripened grain ratio were decreased significantly under the treatments raising the air temperature to the level of $5.0^{\circ}C$ and $1.5^{\circ}C$ above the ambient air temperature in Dasanbyeo and Hwaseongbyeo, respectively. Reduction of 1000-grain weight and ripened grain ratio under the temperature treatments of $3.0^{\circ}C$ and $5.0^{\circ}C$ above the ambient air temperature resulted in significantly less grain yield for Dasanbyeo and Hwaseongbyeo, respectively. The greater sensitivity of grain yield to temperature increase in Dasanbyeo was attributable to the sharp decrease of 1000-grain weight and ripened grain ratio with the temperature rise above $23^{\circ}C$ during ripening period. On the other hand, Hwaseongbyeo had little variation of them in the temperature range of $23-27^{\circ}C$. These results suggested that grain yield would decrease under future climate conditions due to grain weight decreased by shorter grain filling period as well as the ripened grain ratio reduced by spikelet sterility and early abortion of rice kernel development. Thus, it would be essential to use cultivars tolerant to heat stress for climate change adaptation, which merits further studies for developing varieties that have traits to avoid spikelet sterility and early abortion of rice kernel, e.g., early morning flowering, under heat wave.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.503-515
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• 2014

A lot of existing wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are rebuilt or retrofitted for advanced wastewater treatment processes to cope with reinforced effluent criteria of nitrogen and phosphorous. Moreover, how to treat the wasted sludge from WWTPs has been also issued since the discharge of the wasted sludge into ocean is impossible from 2011 due to the London Convention 97 protocol. These trend changes of WWTPs get a motivation to assess environmental and economic impacts from the construction stage to the waste stage in WWTPs. Therefore, this study focuses on evaluation of environmental and economic impacts of the advanced wastewater treatment processes and waste sludge treatment process by using life cycle assessment. Four advanced wastewater treatment processes of Anaerobic/Anoxic/Oxic ($A_2O$), 5 stages-Bamard Denitrification Phosphate (Bardenpho), Virginia Initiative Plant (VIP), and Modified University of Cape Town (MUCT) are chosen to compare the conventional activated sludge (CAS) and three waste sludge treatment methods of land fill, incineration, and composting are used. To evaluate environmental and economic impacts of each advanced wastewater treatment processes, life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) are conducted based on International organization for standardization (ISO) guidelines. The results clearly represent that the $A_2O$ process with composting shows 52% reduction in the environmental impact than the CAS process with landfill. On the other hand, the MUCT process with composting is able to save 62% of the life cycle cost comparing with the CAS process with landfill. This result suggested the qualitative and quantitative criteria for evaluating eco-environmental and economic technologies of advanced treatment processes and also sludge treatment method, where their main influence factors on environmental and economic impacts are analyzed, respectively. The proposed method could be useful for selecting the most efficient and eco-friendly wastewater treatment process and sludge treatment method when retrofitting the existing WWTPs to advanced treatments.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.53-69
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• 2020

The increase of the impermeable area due to industrialization and urban development distorts the hydrological circulation system and cause serious stream drying phenomena. In order to manage this, it is necessary to develop a technology for impact assessment of stream drying phenomena, which enables quantitative evaluation and prediction. In this study, the cause of streamflow reduction was assessed for dam and weir watersheds in the five major river basins of South Korea by using distributed hydrological model DrySAT-WFT (Drying Stream Assessment Tool and Water Flow Tracking) and GIS time series data. For the modeling, the 5 influencing factors of stream drying phenomena (soil erosion, forest growth, road-river disconnection, groundwater use, urban development) were selected and prepared as GIS-based time series spatial data from 1976 to 2015. The DrySAT-WFT was calibrated and validated from 2005 to 2015 at 8 multipurpose dam watershed (Chungju, Soyang, Andong, Imha, Hapcheon, Seomjin river, Juam, and Yongdam) and 4 gauging stations (Osucheon, Mihocheon, Maruek, and Chogang) respectively. The calibration results showed that the coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.76 in average (0.66 to 0.84) and the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency was 0.62 in average (0.52 to 0.72). Based on the 2010s (2006~2015) weather condition for the whole period, the streamflow impact was estimated by applying GIS data for each decade (1980s: 1976~1985, 1990s: 1986~1995, 2000s: 1996~2005, 2010s: 2006~2015). The results showed that the 2010s averaged-wet streamflow (Q95) showed decrease of 4.1~6.3%, the 2010s averaged-normal streamflow (Q185) showed decreased of 6.7~9.1% and the 2010s averaged-drought streamflow (Q355) showed decrease of 8.4~10.4% compared to 1980s streamflows respectively on the whole. During 1975~2015, the increase of groundwater use covered 40.5% contribution and the next was forest growth with 29.0% contribution among the 5 influencing factors.