• Title/Summary/Keyword: Impact assessments

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The Problems and its Improvement of Sea Area Utilization Consultation and Impact Assessment for Projects Related to Marine Environment Restoration (해양환경복원관련 사업에 따른 해역이용협의·영향평가의 문제점 및 개선방안)

  • Yi, Yong Min;Jun, Eun Ju;Lee, Dae In;Kim, Gui Young
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.34-44
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    • 2019
  • Marine activities are becoming more diverse and extensive due to recent social developments, exceeding the environmental capacity of the marine ecosystem. The resilience, resistance, and constancy of marine ecosystems are being damaged or degraded. This prevents the ecosystem from functioning properly, leading to a decline in ecosystem services and value. As a means of returning the damaged ecosystem to health, more and more people are interested in restoration. At a time when restoration projects are gradually expanding, various problems that may arise when implementing the Sea Area Utilization Consultation and Impact Assessment for restoration projects need to be checked, in addition to confirming the direction to be pursued. Therefore, in this study terms related to restoration from research papers and reports were summarized, and the status of the Sea Area Utilization Consultation related to restoration projects and the status of the restoration project were reviewed. In addition, problems with Sea Area Utilization Consultations were considered through a case study to ensure the successful execution of restoration projects. Based on this, we intend to present improvement measures for Sea Area Utilization Consultations and Impact Assessments for restoration projects. This will provide effective information for future policies and plans.

Using High Resolution Ecological Niche Models to Assess the Conservation Status of Dipterocarpus lamellatus and Dipterocarpus ochraceus in Sabah, Malaysia

  • Maycock, Colin R.;Khoo, Eyen;Kettle, Chris J.;Pereira, Joan T.;Sugau, John B.;Nilus, Reuben;Jumian, Jeisin;Burslem, David F.R.P.
    • Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.158-169
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    • 2012
  • Sabah has experienced a rapid decline in the extent of forest cover. The precise impact of habitat loss on the conservation status of the plants of Sabah is uncertain. In this study we use the niche modelling algorithm MAXENT to construct preliminary, revised and final ecological niche models for Dipterocarpus lamellatus and Dipterocarpus ochraceus and combined these models with data on current land-use to derive conservation assessments for each species. Preliminary models were based on herbarium data alone. Ground surveys were conducted to evaluate the performance of these preliminary models, and a revised niche model was generated from the combined herbarium and ground survey data. The final model was obtained by constraining the predictions of the revised models by filters. The range overlap between the preliminary and revised models was 0.47 for D. lamellatus and 0.39 for D. ochraceus, suggesting poor agreement between them. There was substantial variation in estimates of habitat loss for D. ochraceus, among the preliminary, revised and constrained models, and this has the potential to lead to incorrect threat assessments. From these estimates of habitat loss, the historic distribution and estimates of population size we determine that both species should be classified as Critically Endangered under IUCN Red List guidelines. Our results suggest that ground-truthing of ecological niche models is essential, especially if the models are being used for conservation decision making.

Randomized controlled clinical trial of oral health-related quality of life in patients wearing conventional and self-ligating brackets

  • Othman, Siti Adibah;Mansor, Noorhanizar;Saub, Roslan
    • The korean journal of orthodontics
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    • v.44 no.4
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    • pp.168-176
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    • 2014
  • Objective: The aim of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to compare oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients treated with conventional, active self-ligating (ASL), and passive self-ligating (PSL) brackets in different therapeutic phases. Methods: Sixty patients (mean age 18.3 years; 29 males and 31 females) requiring orthodontic treatment were randomly and equally assigned to receive conventional (Victory Series), ASL (In-Ovation R), or PSL (Damon 3MX) brackets. OHRQoL was measured with a self-administered modified 16-item Malaysian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for immediate (soon after the visit) and late (just before the subsequent visit) assessments of the bonding and activation phases. Data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests. Results: The PSL and ASL groups showed more immediate and late impacts in the bonding phase, respectively; the conventional group was affected in both the assessments. The first activation phase had similar impacts in the groups. After the second activation, the conventional group showed more immediate impacts, whereas the PSL and ASL groups had more late impacts. The commonly affected domains were "physical disability," "functional limitation," "physical pain," and "psychological discomfort." No significant differences in the prevalence and severity of immediate and late impacts on OHRQoL of the patients were noted in any therapeutic phase. Conclusions: No bracket system seems to ensure superior OHRQoL. This information could be useful for explaining the therapeutic phases, especially the initial one, and selecting the optimal bracket system based on the patient's preference.

A Study on Re-entry Predictions of Uncontrolled Space Objects for Space Situational Awareness

  • Choi, Eun-Jung;Cho, Sungki;Lee, Deok-Jin;Kim, Siwoo;Jo, Jung Hyun
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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    • v.34 no.4
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    • pp.289-302
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    • 2017
  • The key risk analysis technologies for the re-entry of space objects into Earth's atmosphere are divided into four categories: cataloguing and databases of the re-entry of space objects, lifetime and re-entry trajectory predictions, break-up models after re-entry and multiple debris distribution predictions, and ground impact probability models. In this study, we focused on reentry prediction, including orbital lifetime assessments, for space situational awareness systems. Re-entry predictions are very difficult and are affected by various sources of uncertainty. In particular, during uncontrolled re-entry, large spacecraft may break into several pieces of debris, and the surviving fragments can be a significant hazard for persons and properties on the ground. In recent years, specific methods and procedures have been developed to provide clear information for predicting and analyzing the re-entry of space objects and for ground-risk assessments. Representative tools include object reentry survival analysis tool (ORSAT) and debris assessment software (DAS) developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), spacecraft atmospheric re-entry and aerothermal break-up (SCARAB) and debris risk assessment and mitigation analysis (DRAMA) developed by European Space Agency (ESA), and semi-analytic tool for end of life analysis (STELA) developed by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). In this study, various surveys of existing re-entry space objects are reviewed, and an efficient re-entry prediction technique is suggested based on STELA, the life-cycle analysis tool for satellites, and DRAMA, a re-entry analysis tool. To verify the proposed method, the re-entry of the Tiangong-1 Space Lab, which is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere shortly, was simulated. Eventually, these results will provide a basis for space situational awareness risk analyses of the re-entry of space objects.

Effect of Heavy Metals on Embryonic Development in the Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis

  • Sung, Chan-Gyoung;Kim, Gi-Beum;Lee, Chang-Hoon
    • The Korean Journal of Malacology
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.167-173
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    • 2006
  • The embryos of marine bivalves have been commonly used in bioassays for quality assessments of marine environments. Although several standard protocols for the developmental bioassay of bivalves have been proposed, only a few trials for application of these protocols in environmental assessments or for the development of a new protocol with Korean species have been conducted. As such, there is a strong need to establish standard bioassay protocols with bivalves commonly found in Korean waters. To determine the sensitivity of Mytilus galloprovincialis to establish a standard bioassay, their fertilized eggs were exposed to six metals (Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn). The order of biological impact was Ag > Cu > Ni > Zn > Cr > Cd and their lowest observed effective concentration were 5, 16.4, 25.4, 142, 187 and 1,500${\mu}g/l$, respectively. The proportion of normal larvae appeared to decrease linearly with the logarithm of each toxicant concentration within the tested range. The average values of median effective concentrations $(EC_{50})$ from the triplicate experiments for Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn were 6.8, 1,797, 786, 16.6, 68.1, and 139.2${\mu}g/l$, respectively. There was a more than 100-fold difference in $EC_{50}$ values of Cu and Cd. The value of $EC_{50}$ or median lethal concentration of Cu was within the range observed for other bivalve developmental bioassays. The overall sensitivity of M. galloprovincialis in the present developmental bioassay was also similar to that of other marine organisms commonly used in aquatic bioassays (e.g. sea urchins, oysters). Hence, the bioassay using the embryo of M. galloprovincialis is considered to be a useful tool to monitor and evaluate the quality of marine aquatic environments.

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The Effects of Seismic Failure Correlations on the Probabilistic Seismic Safety Assessments of Nuclear Power Plants (지진 손상 상관성이 플랜트의 확률론적 지진 안전성 평가에 미치는 영향)

  • Eem, Seunghyun;Kwag, Shinyoung;Choi, In-Kil;Jeon, Bub-Gyu;Park, Dong-Uk
    • Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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    • v.25 no.2
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    • pp.53-58
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    • 2021
  • Nuclear power plant's safety against seismic events is evaluated as risk values by probabilistic seismic safety assessment. The risk values vary by the seismic failure correlation between the structures, systems, and components (SSCs). However, most probabilistic seismic safety assessments idealized the seismic failure correlation between the SSCs as entirely dependent or independent. Such a consideration results in an inaccurate assessment result not reflecting real physical phenomenon. A nuclear power plant's seismic risk should be calculated with the appropriate seismic failure correlation coefficient between the SSCs for a reasonable outcome. An accident scenario that has an enormous impact on a nuclear power plant's seismic risk was selected. Moreover, the probabilistic seismic response analyses of a nuclear power plant were performed to derive appropriate seismic failure correlations between SSCs. Based on the analysis results, the seismic failure correlation coefficient between SSCs was derived, and the seismic fragility curve and core damage frequency of the loss of essential power event were calculated. Results were compared with the seismic fragility and core damage frequency of assuming the seismic failure correlations between SSCs were independent and entirely dependent.

Development Web-based Arabic Assessments for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students

  • Atwan, Jaffar;Wedyan, Mohammad;Abbas, Abdallah;Gazzawe, Foziah;Alturki, Ryan
    • International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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    • v.22 no.5
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    • pp.359-367
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    • 2022
  • Arabic skills are the tools by which children are prepared for the educational procedures on which their life depends. Deaf and hard of hearing students (DHH), must be able to grasp the same Arabic terms as hearing students and their different meanings in a context of different sentences less than what they are supposed to be due to their inability. However, problems arise in the same Arabic word and their different meanings in a context for (DHH) students since the way of comprehending such words does not meet the needs and circumstances of (DHH) students. Therefore, researchers introduce web-based method for Arabic words and their meanings in a context prototype that can overcome those problems. Methodology: The study sample consists of 30 (DHH) students at Al Amal City of Palestine, Gaza Region (GR). Those participants that agreed to take part in this study were recruited using a purposeful sampling method. Additionally, to examine the survey information descriptively, the Statistical Packages for social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 was used. A sign language teaching movie is utilized in the prototype to standardize the process and verify that Arabic vocabulary and their implications are comprehended. The Evolutionary Process Model of Prototype technique was utilized to create this system. Finding: The findings of this study show that the prototype built is workable and has the ability to help DHHS differentiate between phrases that have the same letters but distinct meanings. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to a better understanding and application of Development of Web-based Arabic Assessments for (DHH) Students in developing countries, which will help to increase the use of Development of Web-based Arabic for (HDD) students in those countries. The empirical models of Web-based Arabic for (DHH) students are established as a proof of concept for the proposed model. The results of this study are predicted to have a significant impact to the information system practitioners and to the body of knowledge.

Activity concentrations and radiological hazard assessments of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs in soil samples obtained from the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Science, Korea

  • Jieun Lee;HyoJin Kim;Yong Uk Kye; Dong Yeon Lee;Wol Soon Jo;Chang Geun Lee;Jeung Kee Kim;Jeong-Hwa Baek;Yeong-Rok Kang
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.55 no.7
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    • pp.2388-2394
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    • 2023
  • The radioactivity concentration of environmental radionuclides was analyzed for soil and sand at eight locations within a radius of 255 m centered on the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Science (DIRAMS), Korea. The average activity concentrations of 40K, 137Cs, 226Ra, and 232Th were 661.1 Bq/kg-dry, 0.9 Bq/kg-dry, 21.9 Bq/kg-dry, and 11.1 Bq/kg-dry, respectively. The activity of 40K and 137Cs was lower than the 3-year (2017-2019) average reported by the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, respectively. Due to the nature of granite-rich soil, the radioactivity of 40K was 0.6-fold higher than in other countries, while 137Cs was in the normal fluctuation range (15-30 Bq/kg-dry) of the concentration of radioactive fallout from nuclear tests. The activity of 226Ra and 232Th was lower than in Korean soils reported by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The average activity concentrations of 232Th and 40K for the soil and sand samples from DIRAMS were within the range specified by UNSCEAR in 2000. The radium equivalent activity and internal and external hazard index values were below the recommended limits (1 mSv/y). These radionuclide concentration (226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs) data can be used for regional environmental monitoring and ecological impact assessments of nuclear power plant accidents.

An Impact of Medical Humanities Curriculum with Flipped-Learning on Students of Korean Medical School (Flipped learning을 활용한 의료인문학 수업의 한의학과 학생에 대한 영향)

  • Jeong Aram;Jeong Yehun;Lee Hye-Yoon
    • Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.43-57
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    • 2024
  • Objectives : The aim of this study was to identify the effect of Medical humanities curriculum on students of Korean medical school in terms of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor level of humanities skill. Methods : The course was taught to second- and third-year Korean medicine students. The classes were held eight times a semester for second-year students and 9 times for third-year students, and each class was held once a week for 2 hours. Formative and summative assessments, group and individual assignments, and peer assessments were conducted to evaluate educational effectiveness, as well as basic lecture evaluations and satisfaction surveys. Results : Most of the students who took Medical humanities showed a performance rate of more than 60-70% in the cognitive aspect, and the total score was 14.48 with a standard deviation of 2.70 in the knowledge application stage. In terms of class satisfaction, students in Medical humanities I were more satisfied with the evaluation criteria and class management expertise, while students in Medical humanities II were most satisfied with the class organization, with an average score of 4.86/5. Conclusions : It was confirmed that students' humanities improved in cognitive, affective, and psychological aspects after medical humanities courses, and future research should be conducted on the long-term educational effects of medical humanities, effective teaching methods, and evaluation methods.

Network analysis for assessing urban resilience from the perspective of urban flooding: case study of Seoul, Korea (도시침수 관점에서의 도시회복력 평가를 위한 네트워크 분석: 서울특별시 중심으로)

  • Park, HyungJun;Song, Sumin;Kim, DongHyun;Lee, Seung Oh
    • Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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    • v.57 no.6
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    • pp.371-383
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    • 2024
  • The quantification methods and definitions of resilience vary and are studied across many fields. However, this diversity can lead to gaps in interpretation regarding the meaning and indicators of resilience, potentially having a negative impact on resilience assessments. Therefore, uniform standards for defining and quantifying resilience are essential. This study presented a definition of resilience and socio-structural evaluation methods of resilience through network analysis. Furthermore, through analyzing various definitions of resilience, the definition of resilience in the context of urban flooding was presented. Distinguishing between static and dynamic resilience, an evaluation method based on common attributes was proposed. Lastly, the economic effects of introducing resilience were analyzed using an inundation trace map. Future research on the secondary effects through standardized resilience assessments is expected to be widely utilized in decision-making stages within urban flood policies.