• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.33-41
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• 2021

This study identified the scale that traditional landscape design has taken up by analyzing a total of 1037 services for design of cultural heritage that had been ordered by the government agencies from 2018 to 2020, and has drawn characteristics of traditional landscape design focusing on major cases. The results are as follows. First, the number of order cases for traditional landscape design has shown differences annually in the services of design of cultural heritage, but the design amount has been found to have the similar average annually, which confirmed that the same level has been maintained each year. It was found that the number of cases of traditional landscape design requiring responsibilities or participations of landscape engineers for 3 years in the entire design had a high proportion of approximately 26%. Second, the traditional landscape design has required professional knowledge and experiences of landscape engineers that could not be replaced by the business operator for design of cultural heritage consisting of architects. The expertise has been shown differently depending on types of construction. First, the topographical design for the work to build a foundation has required understanding of ground shapes and its elevations and professional knowledge on calculation of the amount of the earth work and the remains maintenance technique etc. The plantation design has required basic knowledge on growth characteristics of trees and the environment for growth and understanding of the vegetation landscape of the past. Meanwhile, the design for traditional pavement and traditional landscape structures and facilities has required the expertise on traditional materials that are different from the modern ones and their processing and construction methods. The understanding of changes to water paths and ecosystem, the principles of fluids, and characteristics of each type of fluid was essential for the design for the ecological landscape work including the maintenance of a water system such as rivers etc. As such, the traditional landscape design has a scale accounting for approximately one fourth of the entire cultural heritage design and requires the expertise differentiated from other fields. This improves the provisions of the current law on limiting the actual design, suggesting the need for the establishment of a traditional landscape design company so that all traditional landscape designs can be carried out by landscape engineers.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

An estuary is an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean. Even before the importance of the value of estuaries was recognized, the estuary was lost because of large-scale conversion by draining, filling, damming, and dredging. In South Korea, 643 estuaries are located, and the total area is 3,248,300 ha, accounting for 32.5% of the total area of South Korea. Over 35% of Korean estuaries are closed estuaries which are only temporally connected with the sea, either permanently or periodically. Since 2008, in order to preserve the estuary ecosystem and solve major issues in the estuary by accumulating knowledge about the estuarine ecosystem, the Ministry of Environment of Republic of Korea has been conducting the "Estuarine Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment Project". At 668 sites of 325 estuaries, epilithic diatom, benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, and vegetation are investigated, and the habitat condition of each site is evaluated using the newly developed biotic index. More than 100 researchers annually record 2,097 species of estuaries according to the standardized survey guidelines over the past 14 years and provide strictly managed data necessary for establishing estuaries conservation policies. As a result of bibliometric analysis of 1,195 research articles related to the monitoring and assessment of the estuarine ecosystem, research on pollutants such as heavy metals and sediment control have recently been conducted. "Estuarine Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment Project" is an ecological monitoring type of long-term mandated monitoring that is usually focused on identifying trends. Although it is difficult to identify the mechanism influencing a change in an ecosystem through long-term mandated monitoring, providing empirical data for supporting evidence-based policy, decision-making, and the management of ecosystems. In order to increase the efficiency of the project, research to investigate the relationship between sediments and pollutants and organisms can be conducted at specific estuaries or sites to compensate for the shortcomings of mandatory monitoring.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2024

Research in dam inflow prediction has actively explored the utilization of data-driven machine learning and deep learning (ML&DL) tools across diverse domains. Enhancing not just the inherent model performance but also accounting for model characteristics and preprocessing data are crucial elements for precise dam inflow prediction. Particularly, existing rainfall data, derived from snowfall amounts through heating facilities, introduces distortions in the correlation between snow accumulation and rainfall, especially in dam basins influenced by snow accumulation, such as Soyang Dam. This study focuses on the preprocessing of rainfall data essential for the application of ML&DL models in predicting dam inflow in basins affected by snow accumulation. This is vital to address phenomena like reduced outflow during winter due to low snowfall and increased outflow during spring despite minimal or no rain, both of which are physical occurrences. Three machine learning models (SVM, RF, LGBM) and two deep learning models (LSTM, TCN) were built by combining rainfall and inflow series. With optimal hyperparameter tuning, the appropriate model was selected, resulting in a high level of predictive performance with NSE ranging from 0.842 to 0.894. Moreover, to generate rainfall correction data considering snow accumulation, a simulated snow accumulation algorithm was developed. Applying this correction to machine learning and deep learning models yielded NSE values ranging from 0.841 to 0.896, indicating a similarly high level of predictive performance compared to the pre-snow accumulation application. Notably, during the snow accumulation period, adjusting rainfall during the training phase was observed to lead to a more accurate simulation of observed inflow when predicted. This underscores the importance of thoughtful data preprocessing, taking into account physical factors such as snowfall and snowmelt, in constructing data models.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.253-260
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• 2010

Most brachytherapy treatment planning systems employ a dosimetry formalism based on the AAPM TG-43 report which does not appropriately consider tissue heterogeneity. In this study we aimed to set up a simple Monte Carlo-based intracavitary high-dose-rate brachytherapy (IC-HDRB) plan verification platform, focusing particularly on the robustness of the direct Monte Carlo dose calculation using material and density information derived from CT images. CT images of slab phantoms and a uterine cervical cancer patient were used for brachytherapy plans based on the Plato (Nucletron, Netherlands) brachytherapy planning system. Monte Carlo simulations were implemented using the parameters from the Plato system and compared with the EBT film dosimetry and conventional dose computations. EGSnrc based DOSXYZnrc code was used for Monte Carlo simulations. Each $^{192}Ir$ source of the afterloader was approximately modeled as a parallel-piped shape inside the converted CT data set whose voxel size was $2{\times}2{\times}2\;mm^3$. Bracytherapy dose calculations based on the TG-43 showed good agreement with the Monte Carlo results in a homogeneous media whose density was close to water, but there were significant errors in high-density materials. For a patient case, A and B point dose differences were less than 3%, while the mean dose discrepancy was as much as 5%. Conventional dose computation methods might underdose the targets by not accounting for the effects of high-density materials. The proposed platform was shown to be feasible and to have good dose calculation accuracy. One should be careful when confirming the plan using a conventional brachytherapy dose computation method, and moreover, an independent dose verification system as developed in this study might be helpful.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.71-102
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• 2007

There were many comprehensive analyses conducted within the existing research activities wherein factors affecting technology progress including investment in R&D vis-${\Box}$-vis their influences act as the determinants of TFP. Note, however, that there were few comprehensive analysis in the industrial research performed regarding the impact of the economy of scale as it affects TFP; most of these research studies dealt with the analysis of the non -parametric Malmquist productivity index or used the stochastic frontier production function models. No comprehensive analysis on the impacts of individual independent variables affecting TFP was performed. Therefore, this study obtained the TFP increase rate of each industry by analyzing the factors of the existing growth accounting equation and comprehensively analyzed the TFP determinants by constructing a comprehensive analysis model considering the investment in R&D and economy of scale (smallness by industry) as the influencers of TFP by industry. First, for the TFP increase rate of the 15 industries as a whole, the annual average increase rate for 1993${\sim}$ 1997 was approximately 3.8% only; during 1999${\sim}$ 2000 following the foreign exchange crisis, however, the annual increase rate rose to approximately 7.8%. By industry, the annual average increase rate of TFP between 1993 and 2000 stood at 11.6%, the highest in the electrical and electronic equipment manufacturing business and IT manufacturing sector. In contrast, a -0.4% increase rate was recorded in the furniture and other product manufacturing sectors. In the case of the service industry, the TFP increase rate was 7.3% in the transportation, warehousing, and communication sectors. This is much higher than the 2.9% posted in the electricity, water, and gas sectors and -3.7% recorded in the wholesale, food, and hotel businesses. The results of the comprehensive analysis conducted on the determinants of TFP showed that the correlations between R&D and TFP in general were positive (+) correlations whose significance has yet to be validated; in the model where the self-employed and unpaid family workers were used as proxy variables indicating the smallness of industry out of the total number of workers, however, significant negative (-) correlations were noted. On the other hand, the estimation factors of variables surrogating the smallness of scale in each industry showed that a consistently high "smallness of scale" in an industry means a decrease in the increase rate of TFP in the same industry.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.31
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• pp.27-56
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• 2006

Today's financial institutions usually take environmental issues seriously into consideration as they could not evade lender liability in an increasing number of cases. On the international scene, a brand-new concept of the "Equator Principles" in the New Millenium has driven more and more international banks to adopt these Principles in project financing. Sustainable development has been a key word in understanding new trends of the governments, financial institutions, corporations and civic groups in the 21st century. The Equator Principles are a set of voluntary environmental and social guidelines for sustainable finance. These Principles commit bank officers to avoid financial support to projects that fail to meet these guidelines. The Principles were conceived in 2002 on an initiative of the International Finance Corporation(IFC), and launched in June 2003. Since then, dozens of major banks, accounting for up to 80 percent of project loan market, have adopted the Principles. Accordingly, the Principles have become the de facto standard for all banks and investors on how to deal with potential social and environmental issues of projects to be financed. Compliance with the Equator Principles facilitates for endorsing banks to participate in the syndicated loan and help them to manage the risks associated with large-scale projects. The Equator Principles call for financial institutions to provide loans to projects under the following circumstances: - The risk of the project is categorized in accordance with internal guidelines based upon the environmental and social screening criteria of the IFC. - For Category A and B projects, borrowers or sponsors are required to conduct a Social and Environmental Assessment, the preparation of which must meet certain requirements and satisfactorily address key social and environmental issues. - The Social and Environmental Assessment report should address baseline social and environmental conditions, requirements under host country laws and regulations, sustainable development, and, as appropriate, IFC's Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines, etc. - Based on the Social and Environmental Assessment, Equator banks then make agreements with borrowers on how they mitigate, monitor and manage the risks through a Social and Environmental Management System. Compliance with the plan is included in the covenant clause of loan agreements. If the borrower doesn't comply with the agreed terms, the bank will take corrective actions. The Equator Principles are not a mere declaration of cautious banks but a full commitment of lenders. A violation of the Principles in the process of project financing, which led to an unexpected damage to the affected community, would not give rise to any specific legal remedies other than ordinary lawsuits. So it is more effective for banks to ensure consistent implementation of the Principles and to have them take responsible measures to solve social and environmental issues. Public interests have recently mounted up with respect to environmental issues on the occasion of the Supreme Court's decision (2006Du330) on the fiercely debated reclamation project at Saemangeum. The majority Justices said that the expected environmental damages like probable pollution of water and soil were not believed so serious and that the Administration should continue to implement the project seeking ways to make it more environment friendly. In this case, though the Category A Saemangeum Project was carried out by a government agency, the Supreme Court behaved itself as a signal giver to approve or stop the environment-related project like an Equator bank in project financing. At present, there is no Equator bank in Korea in contrast to three big banks in Japan. Also Korean contractors, which are aggressively bidding for Category A-type projects in South East Asia and Mideast, might find themselves in a disadvantageous position because they are generally ignorant of the environmental assessment associated with project financing. In this regard, Korean banks and overseas project contractors should care for the revised Equator Principles and the latest developments in project financing more seriously. It's because its scope has expanded to the capital cost of US$10 million or more across all industry sectors regardless of developing countries or not. It should be noted that, for a Korean bank, being an Equator bank is more or less burdensome in a short-term period, but it must be conducive to minimizing risks and building up good reputation in the long run.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.651-660
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• 2007

Acid drainage has been recognized as an environmental concern in abandoned mine sites for long time. Recently, the environmental and structural damage by acid drainage is a current issue in construction sites in Korea. Here, the author introduces the type of damages by acid drainage in construction sites and emphasizes the importance of geoscience discipline in solving the problem. Metasedimentary rock of Okcheon group, coal bed of Pyeongan group, Mesozoic volcanic rock. and Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks are the major rock types with a high potential for acid drainage upon excavation in Korea. The acid drainage causes the acidification and heavy metal contamination of soil, surface water and groundwater, the reduction of slope stability, the corrosion of slope structure, the damage on plant growth, the damage on landscape and the deterioration of concrete and asphalt pavement. The countermeasure for acid drainage is the treatment of acid drainage and the prevention of acid drainage. The treatment of acid drainage can be classified into active and passive treatments depending on the degree of natural process in the treatment. Removal of oxidants, reduction of oxidant generation and encapsulation of sulfide are employed for the prevention of acid drainage generation.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.19-25
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• 2023

This study aimed to analyze the current status of planted trees in Seoul Forest and propose improvement plans to improve the naturalness in the park. A comprehensive survey of the trees in the park was conducted, and the data gathered was used to build a list of planting trees suitable for an urban park. The analysis of the characteristics of landscape trees in Seoul Forest by type was about the presence or absence of leaves, and they were classified into deciduous trees, evergreen trees, deciduous shrubs, and evergreen shrubs, and herbaceous plants such as groundcover plants separately classified. The study found that Seoul Forest had 57 species of native and naturalized trees, with 27 deciduous trees, 35 deciduous shrubs, 15 evergreen trees, and 98 evergreen shrubs. The park also had 472 species of herbaceous plants, totaling 320,000. The majority of planted trees in Seoul Forest were native species, comprising 59% of the total planted trees, while naturalized species made up 41%. Furthermore, the ratio of deciduous trees to evergreen trees was 81% to 19%, with deciduous trees being the dominant species. The evergreen trees showed a similar trend, with a total of 23 species, including 15 native and 8 foreign species, accounting for 65% of native species. In addition, the study identified six common deciduous shrubs, including Forsythia koreana, orbaria sorbifolia var. stellipila, Deutzia parviflora, Rhododendron lateritium, and Spiraea prunifolia var. simpliciflora, which are frequently planted in areas with abundant water. The study also revealed that among the 10 evergreen shrub species, 9 were native and 1 was foreign. The study aimed to classify the species planted in Seoul Forest into native and foreign species and to provide a data-driven plan to encourage the planting of native species. This study offers valuable insights into planting planning and design for urban parks, which is essential for enhancing naturalness, as most studies have primarily focused on usage patterns and satisfaction in urban parks. By promoting the planting of native species, the naturalness of Seoul Forest can be improved.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.191-199
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• 2007

Seasonal variation in species composition of fish in the Saemangeum Reservoir was determined using seasonal samples collected by an otter trawl from April 2006 to February 2007 after the dike construction, and compared with the data obtained during the dike construction in 2001-2002. A total of 35 species, 8,960 individuals and 53,084.4 g of fish were collected during the study. Of the fish collected, brackish and coastal fishes such as Konosirus punctatus, Synechogobius hasta and Repomucenus lunatus, and migrant fishes such as Engraulis japonicus and Scomberomorus niphonius predominated in abundance accounting for 95% in the total number of individuals. Fish species composition and abundance showed a similar seasonal trend to those in the other western coastal waters of Korea. The resident species were mainly collected in spring and in autumn. The number of species and biomass were high in summer by the large amount of catch of migrating species. Catch was low in winter and only 2 species were collected. A brackish and coastal fish, K. punctatus and two migrant fishes, E. japonicus and S. niphonius were abundantly collected after the dike construction. However, the dominant fishes during the dike construction such as Leiognathus nuchalis, Neosalanx jordani and Chaeturichthys stigmatias were rarely collected. Fish density was $1,149\;inds./10,000m^2\;and\;12,644g/10,000m^2$ during the dike construction, and increased 6 times in the number of individuals ($7,467\;inds./10,000m^2$) and 3 times in biomass ($44,237g/10,000m^2$) after the dike construction. Annual species richness (R) and species diversity (H') decreased from R=0.0160 and H'=2.47 during the dike construction in 2001-2002 to R=0.0038 and H'=1.11 after dike construction in 2006-2006, respectively. These changes seemed to be related to the reduction of the saline area and degradation of water quality in Semangeum Reservoir after the dike construction.