• Title/Summary/Keyword: Population increase

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Development of transient Monte Carlo in a fissile system with β-delayed emission from individual precursors using modified open source code OpenMC(TD)

  • J. Romero-Barrientos;F. Molina;J.I. Marquez Damian;M. Zambra;P. Aguilera;F. Lopez-Usquiano;S. Parra
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.55 no.5
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    • pp.1593-1603
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    • 2023
  • In deterministic and Monte Carlo transport codes, b-delayed emission is included using a group structure where all of the precursors are grouped together in 6 groups or families, but given the increase in computational power, nowadays there is no reason to keep this structure. Furthermore, there have been recent efforts to compile and evaluate all the available b-delayed neutron emission data and to measure new and improved data on individual precursors. In order to be able to perform a transient Monte Carlo simulation, data from individual precursors needs to be implemented in a transport code. This work is the first step towards the development of a tool to explore the effect of individual precursors in a fissile system. In concrete, individual precursor data is included by expanding the capabilities of the open source Monte Carlo code OpenMC. In the modified code - named Time Dependent OpenMC or OpenMC(TD)- time dependency related to β-delayed neutron emission was handled by using forced decay of precursors and combing of the particle population. The data for continuous energy neutron cross-sections was taken from JEFF-3.1.1 library. Regarding the data needed to include the individual precursors, cumulative yields were taken from JEFF-3.1.1 and delayed neutron emission probabilities and delayed neutron spectra were taken from ENDF-B/VIII.0. OpenMC(TD) was tested in a monoenergetic system, an energy dependent unmoderated system where the precursors were taken individually or in a group structure, and in a light-water moderated energy dependent system, using 6-groups, 50 and 40 individual precursors. Neutron flux as a function of time was obtained for each of the systems studied. These results show the potential of OpenMC(TD) as a tool to study the impact of individual precursor data on fissile systems, thus motivating further research to simulate more complex fissile systems.

A Genetically Encoded Biosensor for the Detection of Levulinic Acid

  • Tae Hyun Kim;Seung-Gyun Woo;Seong Keun Kim;Byeong Hyeon Yoo;Jonghyeok Shin;Eugene Rha;Soo Jung Kim;Kil Koang Kwon;Hyewon Lee;Haseong Kim;Hee-Taek Kim;Bong-Hyun Sung;Seung-Goo Lee;Dae-Hee Lee
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.33 no.4
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    • pp.552-558
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    • 2023
  • Levulinic acid (LA) is a valuable chemical used in fuel additives, fragrances, and polymers. In this study, we proposed possible biosynthetic pathways for LA production from lignin and poly(ethylene terephthalate). We also created a genetically encoded biosensor responsive to LA, which can be used for screening and evolving the LA biosynthesis pathway genes, by employing an LvaR transcriptional regulator of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to express a fluorescent reporter gene. The LvaR regulator senses LA as a cognate ligand. The LA biosensor was first examined in an Escherichia coli strain and was found to be non-functional. When the host of the LA biosensor was switched from E. coli to P. putida KT2440, the LA biosensor showed a linear correlation between fluorescence intensity and LA concentration in the range of 0.156-10 mM LA. In addition, we determined that 0.156 mM LA was the limit of LA detection in P. putida KT2440 harboring an LA-responsive biosensor. The maximal fluorescence increase was 12.3-fold in the presence of 10 mM LA compared to that in the absence of LA. The individual cell responses to LA concentrations reflected the population-averaged responses, which enabled high-throughput screening of enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in LA biosynthesis and sustainable production of LA in engineered microbes.

Efficacy of Sodium Hypochlorite against E. coli on Various Leafy Green and Stem Vegetables (차아염소산나트륨이 비가열 엽경채류 중 병원성 대장균 사멸에 미치는 영향)

  • Su-jin Kim;Woo-Suk Bang
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.38 no.1
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    • pp.31-36
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    • 2023
  • This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite in eliminating Escherichia coli strains from leafy green and stem vegetables, which are frequently sold at community service centers. A cocktail of non-pathogenic E. coli and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (E. coli O157:H7) was used to artificially contaminate the vegetables (initial numbers of bacteria 7-8 log CFU/g). The contaminated vegetables were soaked in sodium hypochlorite for 5 min and then washed three times with running water. After the treatment, number of viable bacterial cells on the vegetables was estimated. Sodium hypochlorite treatment reduced the E. coli population by 1-2 log CFU/g on leafy green and stem vegetables, a significant reduction from the initial number. Further, sodium hypochlorite showed better antimicrobial efficacy for leaves with a larger surface area, less roughness, and softness. There was no significant difference in the antimicrobial effect between 100 and 200 mg/kg of sodium hypochlorite. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase sodium hypochlorite concentration than the level suggested in the school meal hygiene management guidelines. However, sodium hypochlorite treatment is not sufficient to achieve a safe level of microorganisms on leafy green and stem vegetables since they generally have a high abundance of microorganisms on their surface. Thus, an alternative cooking method for fresh leafy green and stem vegetables in summer should be developed to ensure they are safe for consumption.

UX Design of Mobile Banking Usage Improvement for Seniors (시니어들을 위한 모바일 뱅킹 이용률 개선을 위한 UX 디자인)

  • Jongbin Lee;Homin Boun
    • KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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    • v.12 no.7
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    • pp.325-332
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    • 2023
  • Currently, the world's population has already entered a super-aging era, and the rate is expected to increase rapidly to about 40% by 2050. However, the rapid development of automation technology and the online service sector, the main technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, are still further isolating them in a world where many inconveniences and development technologies are applied. As such, alienation in daily life is widely expanded in various fields, but the financial service sector is one of the must-use areas regardless of age because of its strong nature in the public service sector, and is a very important factor in the period when branches are rapidly decreasing. However, the current utilization rate of mobile banking services is not around 5%, so users over 60 are rarely able to use them. The UX design of the most frequently used remittance service screen in mobile banking services was proposed, and the difficulty of trying to find the preferred bank among 56 or more banks was solved by analyzing the usage rate of each bank and dividing it into three stages by age group from 50 or older. In addition, it was designed to strengthen customized services by showing their recently used banks as the top priority. The design proposed in this study obtained an average of 4.8 points or more out of 5 points as a result of usability satisfaction through interviews with less than 50 senior groups. This study is believed to help each bank upgrade its different mobile banking designs in a unified manner.

Effect Analysis of Precipitation Events According to an Urbanization (도시화가 강수사상에 미치는 영향 분석)

  • Oh, Tae Suk;Moon, Young-Il
    • KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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    • v.30 no.4B
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    • pp.413-427
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    • 2010
  • Urbanization means the sudden increment of a population and the industrialization. The hydrologic water cycle causes many changes due to urbanization. Therefore, the affects that urbanization influences on the precipitation events were analyzed. But the precipitation events are very much influenced many meteorological and climatologically indices besides the effect of an urbanization. So, an analysis was performed by using precipitation data observed in many spots of the Korean peninsula. The analysis data are annual precipitation, the duration 1 daily maximum amount of precipitation, the rainy days, and 10 mm over the rainy days, and 80 mm. seasonal precipitation and seasonal rainy days. The analytical method classified 4 clusters in which the precipitation characteristic is similar through the cluster analysis. It compared and analyzed precipitation events of the urban and rural stations. Moreover, the representative rainfall stations were selected and the urban stations and rural stations were compared. In the analyzed result, the increment of the rainy days was conspicuous over 80mm in which it can cause the heavy rainfall. By using time precipitation data, the design precipitation was calculated. Rainfall events over probability precipitation on duration and return period were analyzed. The times in which it exceeds the probability precipitation in which the urban area is used for the hydrologic structure design in comparison with the rural area more was very much exposed to increase.

Effect of Strength Exercise Program on Health-Related Factors of the Aged for Healthy Life (건강한 삶을 위한 여성 고령자들의 근력운동이 건강관련 요인에 미치는 영향)

  • Kwon, Su-Jeong;Park, Jeong-Bae
    • Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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    • v.13 no.8
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    • pp.435-446
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    • 2019
  • The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of strength exercise program(60 minutes/day, 3 times/week) on health-related fitness and the factor of metabolic syndrome in the older at senior care facilities during 12 weeks. Twenty-seven volunteers were recruited for the study and divided into two groups: 15 persons(82.6yrs) undertook a continuous 12 weeks strength exercise program(EG), and 12 persons(78.9yrs) served as a control group(CG). The data process of this study calculated as mean(M) and standard Deviation(SD) of all measured value, used repeated measure ANOVA, and paired t-test. The significant level of hypothesis verification is set-up as α=.05. After 12 weeks in EG, health-related fitness increased by an average of 15.2% for right grip strength(p<.05), 26.9% for left grip strength(p<.05), 32.7% for chair stand(p<.05), 92.5% for one leg stand(p<.05), 29.6% for sit and reach(p<.05), and 34.5% for TUG(p<.05); CG showed no difference between pre and post. In the factor of metabolic syndrome, Systolic BP(3.1mmHg) and fasting blood glucose(7.4mg/dl) decreased in the EG group(p<.05). In summary, the strength exercise program leads to a genuine increase in health-related fitness and decrease in the factor of metabolic syndrome in the older adults. The well planned strength exercise seems to be an important intervention to improve function fitness in this population.

Association between a Genetic Variant of CACNA1C and the Risk of Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Disorder Across Diagnostic Boundaries (조현병과 제1형 양극성장애의 진단 경계를 넘어선 공통적 후보유전자로서의 CACNA1C에 대한 단일염기다형성 연합 연구)

  • Lee, Bora;Baek, Ji Hyun;Cho, Eun Young;Yang, So-Yung;Choi, Yoo Jin;Lee, Yu-Sang;Ha, Kyooseob;Hong, Kyung Sue
    • Korean Journal of Schizophrenia Research
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.43-50
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    • 2018
  • Objectives : Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and meta-analyses indicate that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the a-1C subunit of the L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel (CACNA1C) gene increase the risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorders (BDs). We investigated the association between the genetic variants on CACNA1C and schizophrenia and/or BDs in the Korean population. Methods : A total of 582 patients with schizophrenia, 336 patients with BDs consisting of 179 bipolar I disorder (BD-I) and 157 bipolar II disorder (BD-II), and 502 healthy controls were recruited. Based on previous results from other populations, three SNPs (rs10848635, rs1006737, and rs4765905) were selected and genotype-wise association was evaluated using logistic regression analysis under additive, dominant and recessive genetic models. Results : rs10848635 showed a significant association with schizophrenia (p=0.010), the combined schizophrenia and BD group (p=0.018), and the combined schizophrenia and BD-I group (p=0.011). The best fit model was dominant model for all of these phenotypes. The association remained significant after correction for multiple testing in schizophrenia and the combined schizophrenia and BD-I group. Conclusion : We identified a possible role of CACNA1C in the common susceptibility of schizophrenia and BD-I. However no association trend was observed for BD-II. Further efforts are needed to identify a specific phenotype associated with this gene crossing the current diagnostic categories.

A Study on Monitoring of Health Care and Chronic Diseases for the elderly: the Effect of Wearable Device (고령자 만성질환 및 건강관리 모니터링에 관한 연구: 웨어러블 기기의 효과)

  • Lee, Jong-Sik;Lee, Kang-Nyeon
    • Journal of the Korea Knowledge Information Technology Society
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    • v.13 no.3
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    • pp.351-357
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    • 2018
  • This study is on the elderly people's use and experience of a wearable device. By using wearable device, the elderly can monitor their health data at real time. As a result, their motivation for health care, exercise, and so on can improve and enhance. Across the globe, population aging becomes one of the most important problems in each nation. The social and economic burden from aging is one of most serious challenges to sustainability of the world and its economy, including South Korea. Information Communication Technology including wearable device can help the elderly health care improve. In 2016, the number of wearable devices is more than 19 million. Many of them are the devices related to health data monitoring. In the experiment, the authors measure real time health data from the subjects' wearable devices. In the first experiment day, subjects' average waist size was 36.29 inches. In the final experiment day, 31st day later from start of the experiment, the average waist size was 35.51 inches. At the beginning of the experiment, standard deviation was 1.93. At the final day of the experiment, it was 2.24. In regression analysis, when experiment day extends, average waist size seems to decrease. The trend is significant (t=2.719, p<0.05). That result may mean the subjects' motivation for health care improve. Wearable device can increase the elderly people's motivation for health care and exercise. As a result, their health can improve.

The Development and Validation of the Leisure Obsession Scale (여가강박 척도의 개발 및 타당화 연구)

  • Jiyeon Yoon;Seung-Hyuk Choi;Taekyun Hur
    • Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.235-257
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    • 2013
  • The purpose of this study is to develop the Leisure Obsession Scale and examine the validity of the scale. The Leisure Obsession Scale was developed and identified its validity by exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlation analysis. The Leisure Obsession Scale consists of two factors, which are 'Leisure Preoccupation' and 'Leisure Stereotype'. Those two factors indicated the reasonable fit index by confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, this scale displayed discriminant validity via measurement of obsession, workaholism, leisure anxiety, and leisure constraint. Also, the results of criterion validation analysis shows that the Leisure Obsession Scale and its subscale are correlated with measure of age, leisure information searching, intention of participation to new leisure activities, and intention of increase in leisure time. Conceptualizing leisure obsession and exploring components of leisure obsession would be valuable for understanding the nature of leisure obsession and its effects on leisure satisfaction, and suggesting more effective psychological intervention in a diverse population.

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Effective Design and Operation of Massive Online Courses: A Survey on Learners' Satisfaction and Needs (대형 온라인 강좌의 설계와 운영 방안 모색: 재학생, 고등학생, 일반인 대상의 설문조사를 바탕으로)

  • Jinyoung Jang;Younghee Kim;Nagyung Sohn;Hyojung Shin;Hyunsook Jeong
    • Journal of Practical Engineering Education
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    • v.15 no.1
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    • pp.73-80
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    • 2023
  • The advancement of online technology in the 21st century has increased online courses and web-based communication in higher education. This type of education is not limited by time or location and has made it possible to expand university campuses globally and broaden the reach of university education to the general public and students from other universities. Changes such as a decrease in the school-age population and a reorganization of the university structure have also created an opportunity to change the perception of online education. In this paper, we conducted surveys on K University students, high school seniors, and the general public to assess their satisfaction with online courses, identify areas that require massive online courses, and determine students' needs for the operation of massive online courses. The survey showed that K University students are generally satisfied with online courses. However, improvements are needed to ensure a smooth online course-taking environment, increase system uniformity, and enhance the overall online course environment. High school students have a strong preference for natural science and should be offered online courses in subjects such as mathematics and physics as prerequisites to prepare for their major classes. The general public prefers the humanities, which is evident in the purpose of the liberal arts lectures.