• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1239-1248
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• 2024

Peatlands are marginal agricultural lands due to highly acidic soil conditions and poor drainage systems. Drought stress is a big problem in peatlands as it can affect plants through poor root development, so technological innovations are needed to increase the productivity and sustainability of upland rice on peatlands. Rhizobacteria can overcome the effects of drought stress by altering root morphology, regulating stress-responsive genes, and producing exopolysaccharides and indole acetic acid (IAA). This study aimed to determine the ability of rhizobacteria in upland rice to produce exopolysaccharides and IAA, identify potential isolates using molecular markers, and prove the effect of rhizobacteria on viability and vigor index in upland rice. Rhizobacterial isolates were grown on yeast extract mannitol broth (YEMB) medium for exopolysaccharides production testing and Nutrient Broth (NB)+L-tryptophan medium for IAA production testing. The selected isolates identify using sequence 16S rRNA. The variables observed in testing the effect of rhizobacteria were germination ability, vigour index, and growth uniformity. EPS-1 isolate is the best production of exopolysaccharides (41.6 mg/ml) and IAA (60.83 ppm). The isolate EPS-1 was identified as Klebsiella variicola using 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The isolate EPS-1 can increase the viability and vigor of upland rice seeds. K. variicola is more adaptive and has several functional properties that can be developed as a potential bioagent or biofertilizer to improve soil nutrition, moisture and enhance plant growth. The use of rhizobacteria can reduce dependence on the use of synthetic materials with sustainable agriculture.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.47-55
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• 2024

More than 100 liquefied hydrogen tanks are expected to be introduced in Korea by 2030. Since liquefied hydrogen is stored in a vacuum insulation structure tank at -253℃, there is a possibility of a major disaster in which the tank bursts if there is a problem with insulation. Therefore, the law stipulates that PRV should be installed as the last bastion. It is important to note that in the case of liquefied hydrogen, it becomes useless if the pressure drop of the pipe is ignored and the capacity is calculated incorrectly. In CGA S-1.3, the pressure drop rate of the PRV inlet and outlet pipes is set to less than 3% and less than 10%, respectively. However, there is an interdependence between the amount of pressure drop and the flow rate of the pipe, making it impossible to calculate these values at once. Therefore, we developed a simulator that calculates the pressure loss rate of PRV system using MATLAB/Simulink and evaluated the sensitivity of the pressure drop rate to design elements.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.164-172
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• 2008

The heat of hydration for early aged mass concrete induces high temperature with the hydration. Control of the temperature difference across a section is an effective strategy to minimize the hydration heat induced cracks for the structures where internal restraint is dominant. The current prevention methods for hydration cracking show some limitations for the control of thermal gradients, and these limitations could make micro and macro cracks in surface and core of concrete. Especially cooling methods can decrease the increasing hydration temperature, but it can not prevent the problem while decreasing temperature. Consequently heating pipes are added simultaneously with the cooling pipes in order to control the temperature gradients between core and surface of the concrete, followed by the finite element analysis (FEA). Based on the FEA, the proposed method using cooling pipe and heating pipes together has been found to be an effective alternative in thermal gradient control, in terms of controlling temperature induced cracks significantly.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.277-289
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• 2024

Climate change has led to a significant increase in jellyfish populations globally, causing various problems. For power plants that use nearby seawater for cooling, the intrusion of jellyfish into intake systems can block the flow, leading to reduced output or even shutdowns. This issue is compounded by other small marine organisms like shrimp and salps, making it urgent to develop solutions to prevent their intrusion. This study addressed the problem using the BioSonics DT-X 120 kHz scientific fish finder to conduct preliminary tank experiments. We also deployed underwater acoustic and camera buoys around the intake of nuclear power plant, utilizing a bidirectional communication system between sea and land to collect data. Data collection took place from July 31, 2023 to August 1, 2023. While harmful organisms such as jellyfish and salps were not detected, we successfully gathered acoustic data on small fish measuring backscattering strength (SV). Analysis showed that fish schools were more prominent in the evening than during the day. The highest fish distribution was observed at 3:30 AM on July 31 with an SV of -44.8 dB while the lowest was at 12:30 PM on the same day with an SV of -63.4 dB. Additionally, a solar-powered system was used to enable real-time data acquisition from sea buoys with smooth communication between the land server and the offshore buoy located 1.8 km away. This research developed an acoustic-based monitoring system for detecting harmful organisms around the intake and provided foundational data for preventing marine organism intrusion and planning effective measures.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2718-2731
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• 2024

To ensure the operational safety of nuclear power plants, we present a Quadruped Inspection Robot that can be used for many types of steam generators. Since the Inspection Robot relies on the Holding Modules to grip the tube-sheet, it can be regarded as a hybrid robot with variable configurations, switching between 4-RRR-RR, 3-RRR-RR, and two types of 2-RRR-RR, and the variable configurations bring a great challenge to dimensional synthesis. In this paper, the kinematic model of the Inspection Robot in multiple configurations is established, and the analytical solution is given. The workspace mapping is analyzed by the solution-space, and the workspace of multiple configurations is decomposed into the workspace of 2-RRR to reduce the analysis complexity, and the workspace calculation is simplified by using the envelope rings. The optimization problem of the manipulator is transformed into the calculation of the shortest contraction length of the swing leg. The switching performance of the Inspection Robot is evaluated by stride-length, turning-angle, and workspace overlap-ratio. The performance indexes are classified and transformed based on the proportions and variation trends of dimensional parameters to reduce the number of optimization objective functions, and Pareto optimal solutions are obtained using an intelligent optimization algorithm.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.8.1-8.11
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• 2022

Background: As self-employed workers are vulnerable to health problems, this study aimed to analyze mental health problems and sleep disturbances among self-employed workers compared with paid workers in Korea. Methods: A total of 34,750 workers (23,938 paid workers and 10,812 self-employed workers) were analyzed from the fifth Korean Working Condition Survey, which included 50,205 households collected by stratified sampling in 2017. To compare mental health problems and sleep disturbance among self-employed workers and paid workers, multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: The odds ratio in self-employed workers compared with paid workers was 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.42) for anxiety, 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04-1.17) for overall fatigue, 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04-1.20) for difficulty falling asleep, 1.10 (95% CI: 1.02-1.18) for difficulty maintaining sleep and 1.24 (95% CI: 1.16-1.32) for extreme fatigue after waking up. Conclusions: Self-employed workers in Korea have a higher risk of self-reported mental health problems and sleep disturbances than paid workers. Further studies with a longitudinal design and structured evaluation are required to investigate the causal relationship between health problems and self-employment.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.291-301
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• 2024

Background: Based on rapid industrial development, environmental pollution has emerged as a social problem and exposure to environmental diseases is increasing. The number of patients suffering environmental diseases in Daejeon Metropolitan City is also steadily increasing, and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis there is the highest in the country. Objectives: In order to minimize exposure to harmful factors for the prevention and management of environmental diseases, an environmental disease management system suitable for the environmental characteristics of each region is needed. Basic preliminary research should be conducted to identify environmental hazards in Daejeon Metropolitan City and establish a management system. Methods: Among the households (about 50 people) participating in the 2022 Indoor Environment Remote Measurement (IoT) program, households (children aged 5 or older and adults) with insufficient results for indoor air quality measurement and symptoms related to environmental diseases were selected. The subjects were tested for living conditions, blood tests, biomarker analysis (immunoglobulin E, Eosinophil count, histamine) and multiple allergy antigen tests (MAST, 93 types). Results: Participants were 53.7% female and 46.3% male, and the average age showed an even age distribution. IgE and eosinophil count were positively correlated, and significant results were found for atopic dermatitis and IgE (p<0.05). Typical risk factors observed in the survey was the amount of indoor ventilation, chemical exposure, heredity, house dust mites, fungi, and food. Conclusions: The purpose of this study was to help establish a regional management system for environmental diseases, research and diagnosis of environmental diseases. This study is meaningful in that it is a study with customized consulting suitable for the environment of Daejeon Metropolitan City. If the limitations are addressed and continuous research is conducted, it will be helpful for the management, diagnosis, and research of environmental diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2024

Objectives: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior, including suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts, are important predictors of suicide in adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the associations between NSSI, SI, NSSI+SI, mental health problems, and family factors in Korean adolescents in Jeju Island, with an emphasis on key findings. Methods: A total of 561 adolescents completed self-report questionnaires regarding demographics, NSSI, SI, suicidal behavior, perceived family functioning, and mental health problems, which were assessed using Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, Screen for Children Anxiety-Related Disorders (SCARED), and Youth Self-Report (YSR). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, post-hoc analyses, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: In this study, 22.3% of adolescents reported either NSSI or SI, with 5.5% reporting NSSI and 20.7% reporting SI. Combined (NSSI+SI) group showed a significantly higher SCARED score, anxiety/depression, thought problems, attention problem, and rule breaking on YSR than did the SI only group. Higher level of depression and anxiety were significantly associated with NSSI and SI. Female sex and perceived family dissatisfaction were significantly associated factors for SI, but not for NSSI in multivariate logistic regression. Conclusion: This study provides insights into the clinical characteristics and associated factors among adolescents with NSSI, SI, and NSSI+SI in Jeju Island. Identifying these results can inform the development of targeted prevention and intervention strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of these behaviors and contribute to a better understanding of the role of family in this context.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2024

The calculation of the natural frequencies versus Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes with modified continuum shell is the subject of current research. When designing these tubes, it is important to understand their frequencies because excessive vibrations might cause fatigue. These tubes are designed and built to meet specific needs and have been suitably modified to investigate their vibratory response. There are numerous uses for carbon nanotube free vibration analysis in the mechanical sciences. The fundamental frequency with Young's modulus for clamped-free and simply supported end conditions, which is connected to the carbon nanotubes, is calculated theoretically for chiral single carbon nanotubes. When Young's modulus rises, so does the frequency curve pattern. Young's modulus influences the single-walled carbon nanotube's dynamic response by simulating it as a modified continuum shell. The Young's modulus of chiral tube and the value of frequency increased as the chiral tube's index increased. The results are checked against past studies to ensure the problem's validity and are determined to be accurate.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.39-48
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• 2024

Recently, various studies have emerged that utilize hyperspectral imaging for crop growth analysis and early disease diagnosis. However, the challenge of using numerous spectral bands or finding the optimal bands for crop area remains a difficult problem. In this paper, we propose a method of searching the optimized spectral band of crop area based on deep learning using the hyper-spectral image. The proposed method extracts RGB images within hyperspectral images to segment background and foreground area through a Vision Transformer-based Seformer. The segmented results project onto each band of gray-scale converted hyperspectral images. It determines the optimized spectral band of the crop area through the pixel comparison of the projected foreground and background area. The proposed method achieved foreground and background segmentation performance with an average accuracy of 98.47% and a mIoU of 96.48%. In addition, it was confirmed that the proposed method converges to the NIR regions closely related to the crop area compared to the mRMR method.