• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.59-67
• /
• 2023

Background: This study aims to reevaluate natural radiation exposure, following up on our previous study conducted in 2019, and to assess the associated risk of lung cancer to the public residing in the gold mining areas of Betare-Oya, east Cameroon, and its vicinity. Materials and Methods: Gamma-ray spectra collected using a 7.62 cm×7.62 cm in NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer during a car-borne survey, in situ measurements and laboratory measurements performed in previous studies were used to determine the outdoor absorbed dose rate in air to evaluate the annual external dose inhaled by the public. For determining internal exposure, radon gas concentrations were measured and used to estimate the inhalation dose while considering the inhalation of radon and its decay products. Results and Discussion: The mean value of the laboratory-measured outdoor gamma dose rate was 47 nGy/hr, which agrees with our previous results (44 nGy/hr) recorded through direct measurements (in situ and car-borne survey). The resulting annual external dose (0.29±0.09 mSv/yr) obtained is similar to that of the previous study (0.33±0.03 mSv/yr). The total inhalation dose resulting from radon isotopes and their decay products ranged between 1.96 and 9.63 mSv/yr with an arithmetic mean of 3.95±1.65 mSv/yr. The resulting excess lung cancer risk was estimated; it ranged from 62 to 216 excess deaths per million persons per year (MPY), 81 to 243 excess deaths per MPY, or 135 excess deaths per MPY, based on whether risk factors reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of Atomic Radiation, or International Commission on Radiological Protection were used, respectively. These values are more than double the world average values reported by the same agencies. Conclusion: There is an elevated level of risk of lung cancer from indoor radon in locations close to the Betare-Oya gold mining region in east Cameroon. Therefore, educating the public on the harmful effects of radon exposure and considering some remedial actions for protection against radon and its progenies is necessary.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.1951-1975
• /
• 2023

Recent advances in Cognitive Radio Networks (CRN) have elevated them to the status of a critical instrument for overcoming spectrum limits and achieving severe future wireless communication requirements. Collaborative spectrum sensing is presented for efficient channel selection because spectrum sensing is an essential part of CRNs. This study presents an innovative cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) model that is built on the Firefly Algorithm (FA), as well as machine learning artificial neural networks (ANN). This system makes use of user grouping strategies to improve detection performance dramatically while lowering collaboration costs. Cooperative sensing wasn't used until after cognitive radio users had been correctly identified using energy data samples and an ANN model. Cooperative sensing strategies produce a user base that is either secure, requires less effort, or is faultless. The suggested method's purpose is to choose the best transmission channel. Clustering is utilized by the suggested ANN-FA model to reduce spectrum sensing inaccuracy. The transmission channel that has the highest weight is chosen by employing the method that has been provided for computing channel weight. The proposed ANN-FA model computes channel weight based on three sets of input parameters: PU utilization, CR count, and channel capacity. Using an improved evolutionary algorithm, the key principles of the ANN-FA scheme are optimized to boost the overall efficiency of the CRN channel selection technique. This study proposes the Artificial Neural Network with Firefly Algorithm (ANN-FA) for cognitive radio networks to overcome the obstacles. This proposed work focuses primarily on sensing the optimal secondary user channel and reducing the spectrum handoff delay in wireless networks. Several benchmark functions are utilized We analyze the efficacy of this innovative strategy by evaluating its performance. The performance of ANN-FA is 22.72 percent more robust and effective than that of the other metaheuristic algorithm, according to experimental findings. The proposed ANN-FA model is simulated using the NS2 simulator, The results are evaluated in terms of average interference ratio, spectrum opportunity utilization, three metrics are measured: packet delivery ratio (PDR), end-to-end delay, and end-to-average throughput for a variety of different CRs found in the network.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.28 no.1B
• /
• pp.153-160
• /
• 2008

To estimate microbial contaminant loading discharged from diffuse sources, rainfall runoff of six rainfall events were monitored at three study watersheds of forestry and agricultural land use. Monitored indicator microorganism constituents were total coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC), Escherichia coli (EC), and fecal streptococcus (FS). Soil loss during elevated flow rate caused higher suspended solid concentrations. Indicator microorganism concentrations were closely related with flow rate. TC event mean concentration (EMC) from unpolluted forestry was $5.3{\times}10^3CFU/100ml$, FC EMC was $1.4{\times}10^3CFU/100ml$, EC EMC was $1.1{\times}10^3CFU/100ml$, and FS EMC was $2.9{\times}10^2CFU/100ml$. From a watershed with agricultural-forestry land use, TC EMC was $1.7{\times}10^5CFU/100ml$, FC EMC was $8.5{\times}10^4CFU/100ml$, EC EMC was $8.9{\times}10^4CFU/100ml$, and FS EMC was $3.4{\times}10^4CFU/100ml$. Mixed land use of agricultural-forestry with bigger area, TC EMC was $1.9{\times}10^5CFU/100ml$, FC EMC was $9.6{\times}10^4CFU/100ml$, EC EMC was $7.0{\times}10^4CFU/100ml$, and FS EMC was $5.1{\times}10^4CFU/100ml$.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.28 no.3B
• /
• pp.297-306
• /
• 2008

In order to determine the effects of lock gate expansion at the Lake Youngsan and Yeongam as well as increase in the width of the connecting channel of the two lakes on flood control downstream of the Youngsan River, an unsteady hydraulic flood routing was conducted by combining the Lake Youngsan and Yeongam as a single connected system. The coupled operation of the two lakes was found to have little effect when the widths of the lock gates and the connecting channel are set at the current level. It was also found that increasing the width of the connecting channel as well as the lock gate of the Lake Yeongam is an effective means of reducing the stage of the Lake Youngsan, whereas an increase in the width of the Lake Youngsan's lock gate had a relatively smaller effect. The extended width of the connecting channel leads to a rise in the stage of the Lake Yeongam. In order to reduce the elevated stage, The Lake Yeongam's lock gate must be expanded along with the Lake Yeongsan's lock gate. The analysis found that the stage of the Lake Yeongsan can be effectively controlled through adjustment of opening and shutting criteria of the connecting channel's lock gate, when diversion discharge between the lakes is increased as a result of expanding the width of the connecting channel.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.26 no.5D
• /
• pp.839-848
• /
• 2006

Korea has become the 5th country to own and operate the high speed railroad in 2004. However, there were many difficulties until Koreans enjoy the first bullet train service with the average hourly speed of 300km. The high speed railroad requires elevated quality standards differently from the traditional railways. In addition to the technical difficulties, the construction project itself was an unpleasant case with huge delays and cost overruns mainly due to the lack of experiences, deficiency of owner$^{\circ}{\O}$s role, and increase of public resistances triggered by environmental concerns. This paper analyzes the reasons for delays on this mega-project. With respect to the characteristics of the whole project level, it is very complicated/linear project, whose total length is around 412 km with the composition of various sections in the route of the railway which have basically different conditions. For that reason, the analysis is performed in both macro and micro level. First, macroscopic analysis is performed to find critical subdivisions in the railway route that induces the significant delay in the opening due date. Then, microscopic analysis is followed to quantify the causes and effects of delays focused on these critical subdivisions in more detailed way. Finally, this paper provides lessons learned from this project to avoid the decisive delays in performing the similar large-scaled projects.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.73-80
• /
• 2023

Vitamin D3 is an essential nutrient which plays an important role in calcium metabolism for eggshell formation, in calcium and phosphorus metabolism for bone mineralization, and in maintaining host immunity. Although there have been a great deal of studies investigating the role of vitamin D3 in eggshell quality and vitamin D3 contents in eggs, no attempts have been made to monitor the eggshell quality and vitamin D3 contents in eggs at farm level. Thus, this survey was conducted to measure eggshell quality and vitamin D3 contents in eggs laid from laying hens fed diets containing different levels of vitamin D3. Eggs from four commercial laying hen farms were sampled before and 1, 2, 3 and 5 weeks after provision of the vitamin D3-enriched diets added with the level of 16,500 IU and 29,000 IU. Dietary vitamin D3 did not affect the eggshell color and breaking strength, but increase the eggshell thickness. In addition, vitamin D3 contents in eggs were elevated as vitamin D3 in diets was increased. It is concluded that addition of dietary vitamin D3 into the diets of laying hens at the commercial laying hen farms could improve eggshell quality and vitamin D3 contents in eggs. It is expected that the prediction equation for egg vitamin D3 contents might be produced if more data on vitamin D3 contents in diets and eggs at the farms are to be analyzed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.26 no.6B
• /
• pp.689-694
• /
• 2006

The system performance of a bioactive foam reactor (BFR), that consists of a foam column using a surfactant and a biodegradation basin containing suspended bacteria, was investigated for the treatment of gaseous toluene or a mixture of four volatile organic compounds (VOCs, benzene, toluene, p-xylene, and styrene). Overall, the BFR achieved stable VOC removal efficiencies, indicating that it can be used as a potential alternative over conventional packed-bed biofilters. Furthermore, a dynamic loading test showed that relatively constant removal was maintained at the elevated loading due to a high mass transfer rate in the foam column. However, as the inlet concentration of VOCs increased, a portion of the VOCs mass-transferred to the liquid phase was stripped out from the biodegradation basin, resulting in a decrease in the overall removal efficiency. In the BFR, the removal efficiency of the individual VOC was mainly determined depending on the biodegradation rate (styrene > toluene > benzene > p-xylene), rather than the mass transfer rate. Consequently, increases in the microbial activity and the volume of the basin could improve the overall performance of the BFR system. Further investigation on microbial activity and community dynamics is required for the BFR when subjected to high loadings of VOC mixtures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.208-215
• /
• 1999

The creep behavior of a rapidly solidified and consolidated Al-9.45wt%Fe-4.45wt%Cr alloy were investigated in the stress range 40 to 115 MPa and temperature range 300(0.53Tm) to 441$^{\circ}C$(0.66Tm). It is of use to available aerospace and automobile industries for the improved performance of materials used at high temperature. Because Al alloys with improved creep resistance offer the potential for lower weight and reduced costs in aerospace and automobile components (e.g., structural members and engine parts) through the replacement of heavier and more costly materials, the safety in use at high temperature is good. The alloy is characterized by high stress exponents and activation energies for creep, which are greatly dependent on the stress and temperature. Because the creep stress is seen to cause a strongly significant enhancement of coarsening, the coarsening rate of the dispersed particles in all crept specimens is faster than that in isothermally annealed specimens. Dislocations connecting dispersoids are observed more cofrequently in crept specimens with higher stress and lower temperature. The creep strain rates in the power law creep regime were found to be predicted much better by the Shorty and Rosler/Arzt equation with the inclusion of a threshold stress and dislocation detachment mechanism. The dispersoids in this alloy were acting a source of void nucleation that finally leaded to ductile fracture within the grain so called intergranular. Each void was initiated, grown and failed at the dispersoids in the aluminium matrix. Grain boundary accommodation of the slip produced, which result in initiation of the void and then final transgranular fracture. Therefore, it was confirmed that these dispersoids played an important role in the fracture mechanism by the formation of $Al_{13}Fe_4$, $Al_{13}Cr_2$ and $Al_2O_3$.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.108-116
• /
• 2023

Recently, the concentration of fine dust causative substances (NOx, VOC, etc.) in the atmosphere has increased, resulting in high concentrations of tropospheric ozone (O3) and increased damage to crops. This study aimed to analyze the impact of high concentrations of ozone gas on the initial growth of rice plants and investigate the relationship between ozone damage resistance and anthocyanin biosynthesis. To achieve this, rice plants were exposed to elevated levels of ozone g as using an ozone chamber, and subsequent measurements were taken to assess changes in growth, the percentage of damaged leaves, and the anthocyanin content. The results revealed that varieties with a higher proportion of damaged leaves exhibited a relative increase in anthocyanin biosynthesis following ozone exposure. Notably, detrimental effects on growth, such as decreased biomass, were mitigated. Additionally, Anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in rice were listed by selecting homologous genes from Arabidopsis and Maize. The expression of OsF3H2, OsFLS1 and OsLDOX3 was induced during ozone treatment. This result is expected to contribute to the study of the protection mechanism of plants from ozone damage.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.577-592
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine which factors determine fall experience among Korean elderly. To achieve this purpose, it uses the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging(KLoSA), wave 1 and 2. Participants aged 65 from wave 1 were selected. From wave 2, a dependent variable was selected and it was fall experiences since the first interview in 2006. Other than this variable, all independent variables were selected from wave 1. In analyses, x2 or t-test were conducted to examine whether independent variables significantly differ between falls and no falls. Then, since a dependent variable consisted of two categories-falls or no falls, multiple logistic regressions were run. Female, using hearing aid, having two diseases, having three or more diseases, depression, and exercise 5 times/a week or more elevated the odds ratios of fall experience. compared to their reference categories. Particularly, if Korean elderly had three or more diseases or depression, their likelihood of fall experience would have about 2 times higher than their reference categories. In conclusion, health practitioners should make the elderly be recognized how much these risk factors are important to falls. Also, Korean government should support Korean elderly having these risk factors to prevent them from falling.