• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.2802-2811
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• 2023

In a first-of-its-kind study, terrestrial radionuclide concentrations were measured in 35 topsoil samples from the outskirts of Dhaka using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry to assess the radiological consequences of such a vast number of brick kilns on the plant workers, general as well as dwelling environment. The range of activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K is found at 19 ± 3.04 to 38 ± 4.94, 39 ± 5.85 to 57 ± 7.41, and (430 ± 51.60 to 570 ± 68.40) Bq/kg, respectively. ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K concentrations were higher than the global averages. Bottom ash deposition in lowlands, fly ash buildup in soils, and the fallout of micro-particles are all probable causes of the elevated radioactivity levels. ¹³⁷Cs was found in the sample, which indicates the migration of ¹³⁷Cs from nuclear accidents or nuclear fallout, or the contamination of feed coal. Although the effective dose received by the general public was below the recommended dose limit but, most estimates of hazard parameters surpass their respective population weighted global averages, indicating that brick kiln workers and nearby residents are not safe due to prolonged exposures to terrestrial radiation. In addition, the soil around sampling sites is found to be unsuitable for agricultural purposes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.4253-4264
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• 2022

Since the implementation of the phosphate project in Bled El-Hadba (BEH) deposit, western region of Tébessa, no detailed study has been conducted to assess the natural radioactivity distribution and the associated radiological risk parameter for this open-pit mine. For the sake of determining a credible premining reference database for the region of interest, 21 samples were collected from different geological layers of the above-mentioned deposit. Gamma Spectrometry was applied for measuring radioactivity using a high resolution HPGe semiconductor detector. The obtained activity results have shown a significant broad variation in the radioactive contents for the different phosphate samples. The total average concentrations (in Bq·kg^-1) for ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁸U, ²³⁵U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K computed for the different type of phosphate layers were found to be 570 ± 169, 788 ± 280, 52 ± 18, 66 ± 6 and 81 ± 18 respectively. The mean activity concentrations of the measured radionuclides were compared to other regional and worldwide deposits. The ratios between the detected radioisotopes have been calculated for spatial distribution of natural radionuclides in the study area. Based on the aforementioned activity concentrations, the corresponding radiation hazard parameters were assessed. Correlations between the obtained parameters were drawn and a multivariate statistical analysis (Pearson Correlation, Cluster and Factor analysis) was carried out in order to identify the existing relationships.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.3
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• pp.226-233
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• 2023

Background: Inactive or old, healed tuberculosis (TB) on chest radiograph (CR) is often found in high TB incidence countries, and to avoid unnecessary evaluation and medication, differentiation from active TB is important. This study develops a deep learning (DL) model to estimate activity in a single chest radiographic analysis. Methods: A total of 3,824 active TB CRs from 511 individuals and 2,277 inactive TB CRs from 558 individuals were retrospectively collected. A pretrained convolutional neural network was fine-tuned to classify active and inactive TB. The model was pretrained with 8,964 pneumonia and 8,525 normal cases from the National Institute of Health (NIH) dataset. During the pretraining phase, the DL model learns the following tasks: pneumonia vs. normal, pneumonia vs. active TB, and active TB vs. normal. The performance of the DL model was validated using three external datasets. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance to determine active TB by DL model and radiologists. Sensitivities and specificities for determining active TB were evaluated for both the DL model and radiologists. Results: The performance of the DL model showed area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.980 in internal validation, and 0.815 and 0.887 in external validation. The AUC values for the DL model, thoracic radiologist, and general radiologist, evaluated using one of the external validation datasets, were 0.815, 0.871, and 0.811, respectively. Conclusion: This DL-based algorithm showed potential as an effective diagnostic tool to identify TB activity, and could be useful for the follow-up of patients with inactive TB in high TB burden countries.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.3907-3912
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• 2023

Radiation portal monitors (RPMs) installed at airports and harbors to prevent illicit trafficking of radioactive materials generally use large plastic scintillators. However, their energy resolution is poor and radionuclide identification is nearly unfeasible. In this study, to improve isotope identification, a RPM system based on a multi-array plastic scintillator and convolutional neural network (CNN) was evaluated by measuring the spectra of radioactive sources. A multi-array plastic scintillator comprising an assembly of 14 hexagonal scintillators was fabricated within an area of 50 × 100 cm². The energy spectra of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co, ²²⁶Ra, and ⁴K (KCl) were measured at speeds of 10-30 km/h, respectively, and an energy-weighted algorithm was applied. For the CNN, 700 and 300 spectral images were used as training and testing images, respectively. Compared to the conventional plastic scintillator, the multi-arrayed detector showed a high collection probability of the optical photons generated inside. A Compton maximum peak was observed for four moving radiation sources, and the CNN-based classification results showed that at least 70% was discriminated. Under the speed condition, the spectral fluctuations were higher than those under dwelling condition. However, the machine learning results demonstrated that a considerably high level of nuclide discrimination was possible under source movement conditions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.565-583
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• 2020

In recent years, various social issues related to the natural radioactive elements detected in household goods and building materials are addressed, and should be solved promptly. In Korea, for more than 20 years, the Ministry of Environment has investigated the natural radioactive materials such as heavy metals, uranium, and radon in soil or groundwater. The origins of natural radioactive materials in them may have a close correlation with the geological factors including classification of rocks, petrogenetic origins, and deformation characteristics, but the exact geological correlations are not clarified because of the absence of the government policy preserved in the basement rocks, soils as well as groundwater in fault-related reservoirs. This study aims to perform a research on the correlation between the petrogeneses of the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks and natural radioactive concentrations in rocks (radon, uranium, thorium, potassium etc.) in Korea. Among the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks, alkaline plutonic rocks (syenite, monzonite and monzodiorite and alkali granite) show high U and Th concentrations by high solubilities of U, Th, Zr, REE, and Nb until the most extreme stages of magmatic fractionation (viz. crystal fractionation) due to high magma temperature and high alkalinity tendency. The highly fractionated high-K calalkaline and peraluminous granitic rocks (leucogranite, two-mica granite and leucocratic pegmatite are also U and Th concentrations compared with other less or medium fractionated granitic rocks (diorite, granodiorite and granite). The alkaline plutonic rocks are associated with intracontinental rifting and extensional environment after crustal thickening by collisional and subductional processes. In contrast, the dominant calc-alkaline granitic rocks in Korea are related to the arc environment of the subduction zone. In summary, the trends of the U, Th and K concentration from the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks in Korea are closely linked to the petrogenesis of the rocks in tectonic environment. The preliminary data for gamma-spectrometric mesurments of natural radionuclide contents (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in the Phanerozoic plutonic rocks show high values in the alkaline and highly fractionated granitic rocks.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.332-344
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• 1996

The vertical profiles of the natural $^{210}Po,\;^{210}Pb\;and\;^{234}Th$, activities were measured at the upper 150 m or 200 m of water column from west-east intersection in the east-southern coastal area of the Korea Peninsula during the period from 26 to 29 April 1994 to compare the removal rates (residence time) and removal processes for $^{210}Po\;and\;^{234}Th$. At the inshore stations, the $^{210}Po$ activity was generally higher in the thermocline and its under layer than in the surface mixed layer, while represented the reversed pattern at the offshore stations. However, the $^{210}Pb$ activity decreased generally with depth. Also, the activity of $^{210}Po$ relative to its parent $^{210}Pb$ was deficient in the water column above the main thermocline, but was slightly excess or close to equilibrium in the thermocline and its under layer. The vertical profiles for the activity of $^{210}Pb$ relative to its parent $^{226}Ra$ showed the reversed pattern with the vertical variation of $^{210}Po$ excess (or deficiency). The $^{234}Th$ activity was significantly lower in the surface mixed layer and thermocline than in the deeper layer. The residence time of $^{210}Po$ ranged from 1 to 4 years at the five stations except station E8 that showed yet long residence time (approximately 10 years). The long residence time at the station E8 may resulted from the thicker surface mixed layer and subsequent the vertical mixing of $^{210}Po$ which was recycled in the lower surface mixed layer compared to at the other stations. Also, the residence time of $^{210}Po$ was shorter at the inshore stations than at the offshore stations. However, the residence time of $^{234}Th$ ranged from 52 to 74 days at all station without the significant variation, was very much shorter relative to the residence time of $^{210}Po$. The correlation between the removal rate of dissolved $^{234}Th$ and the concentration of total suspended matter (TSM) was generally positive. Therefore, it seems that the major route of the removal mechanism of $^{234}Th$ from seawater in the surface mixed layer is via adsorption onto suspended particle surfaces (most likely inorganic particles) and subsequent settling to the bottom layer. Between the removal rate of dissolved $^{210}Po$ and the concentration of chlorophyll-a was positively good correlation. Consequently, most likely the removal of $^{210}Po$ may be occurred by uptake to organisms (mainly such as planktonic debris or fecal pellets) and subsequent settling.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.243-253
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• 1996

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the foodservice management practices in child-care centers in order to provide basic information for the development of a model of a centralized food service information center. This approach was achieved using a variety of qualitative and quantitative information including general foodservice management practices and plate waste. A self-completed questionnaire survey of 651 child-care centers in Korea was undertaken and detailed information was carefully collected at 6 representative child-care centers. The results of the empirical survey were as follows: 1. Child-care centers categorized by location were in large cities (59.9%), medium cities (27.6%) and in provincial areas (12.5). 2. Private sector of child-care centers was 46.4% of the total followed by National/public (44.2%) and licensed home day-care programs (9.4%). 3. Total average number of children in child-care centers was $63.3{\pm}43.1$ with a very significant difference (p<0.001) in types of child-care centers. 4. The average space of kitchen and dining room was $5.0{\pm}3.8\;and\;10.8{\pm}11.0$ pyung ($1pyung=3.3058\;cm^2$). 5. The average cost of interim snack in morning and afternoon in child-care centers were $345.9{\pm}459.3$ won and $359.3{\pm}226.6$ won respectively. The average cost of lunch was $644.0{\pm}481.1$ won. There was a significant difference (p<0.001) by types of child-care centers with a highest cost of 863.9 won in licensed home day-care programs. 6. Only a limited number of dietitian were employed, therefore most of food service management practice was not conducted by professional personnel. 7. The result of nutritional analysis of the food revealed that the level of energy and nutrients contained in the food was below the recommeded level (RDA/3).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.375-380
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• 2014

This study examined the incidence rates of cancer cases (averages for 2006-2010) and relationships with environmental radioactivity levels. Soil and water samples were collected from provincial and district centers of Van city and the outdoor gamma doses were determined using a portable gamma scintillation detector. Gross alpha and beta, (226)Ra, (232)Th, and (40)K activities were measured in both tap water and soil samples. Although high rates of stomach and esophagus cancers have been reported previously in Van the underlying reasons have not hitherto been defined. Incidences of cancers were highest in the Gurpmar (326.0) and Ozalp (377.1) counties (p<0.001). As to the results of the gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity measurements in the drinking water, these two counties also had high beta radionuclide levels: Gurpmar ($140mBq/dm^3$) and Ozalp ($206mBq/dm^3$). Even if within the normal range, a relation between the higher rate of the incidence of stomach and esophagus cancers with that of the higher rate of beta radionuclide activity was clear. On Spearman correlation analysis, the relation between higher beta radionuclide levels and cancer incidence was found to be statistically significant (p<0.01). According to the results of the analysis, Van residents receive an average 1.86 mSv/y annual dose from outdoor gamma radiation, ingestion of radionuclides in the drinking water, and indoor $^{222}Rn$ activity. Moreover, gross alpha and beta activities were found to be extremely high in all of the lakes around the city of Van, Turkey. Further investigations with long-term detailed environmental radiation measurements are needed regarding the relationship between cancer cases and environmental radioactivity in the city of Van.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.226-239
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• 2006

Background : Medical records are documents in files which consist of all diagnostic studies and medical treatments patients had received while they were hospitalized or treated as outpatients. A doctor or medical team can use medical records as a data for diagnosis, treatment, and education. In traditional eastern asian medicine, medical reports have different forms and contents. The most important thing in medical reports of traditional eastern asian medicine was how to express practitioner's medical ideas. So it has a weak point, for example, it has poor information about patient and clinical process, which make some trouble to understand it. Methods and Results : We studied medical records in Gyojubuin-yangbang, a commentary book of Chen-zi-ming's Obstetrics and Gynecology textbook done by Xue-ji in Ming dynasty, China. This book consists of 10 parts; treatment of menstruation disorders and leukorrhea, general gynecology, treatment of infertility, education for fetus, diagnosis of fetus and gravida, treatment of general and obstetrical disease in gravida, care for delivery, postpartum care and treatment, and treatment of mass and inflammation. It has 546 medical records about women's disease that commonly believed as Xue-ji's case reports. They are all review articles and made during about 23 years from A.D 1523 to 1546. Most patients of Xue-ji's case reports were common people, this fact is different from that of case reports in Chen-zi-ming's Obstetrics and Gynecology textbook. Conclusion : Xue-ji was a very famous Ob&Gy doctor who was from Suzhou Jingsu province in China. He was born in A.D 1468, died in A.D 1588. He emphasize emotional factors in pathology and to tonify spleen and kidney. We think Xue-ji's medical records are good references for us to treat psychosomatic Ob&Gy disease and chronic women's disease.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.395-401
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• 2016

Background: Liquid scintillation counters (LSCs) are commonly used as an analytical method for detecting $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater because they involve a simple sample pretreatment and allow high throughout with an autosampler. The Quantulus 1220 is the best-selling LSC in Korea, but its production was stopped. Recently, a new type of LSC, the 300SL, was introduced. In this study, the 300SL was compared with the Quantulus 1220 in order to evaluate the ability of each apparatus to detect $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater. Materials and Methods: The Quantulus 1220 and 300SL were used to detect the presence of $^{222}Rn$. Radon gas was extracted from a groundwater sample using a water-immiscible cocktail in a LSC vial. The optimal analytical conditions for each LSC were determined using a $^{222}Rn$ calibration source prepared with a $^{226}Ra$ source. Results and Discussion: The optimal pulse shape analysis level for alpha and beta separation was 80 for the Quantulus 1220, and the corresponding pulse length index was 12 in the 300SL. The counting efficiency of the Quantulus 1220 for alpha emissions was similar to that of the 300SL, but the background count rate of the Quantulus 1220 was 10 times lower than that of the 300SL. The minimum detectable activity of the Quantulus 1220 was $0.08Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$, while that of the 300SL was $0.20Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$. The analytical results regarding $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater were less than 10% different between these LSCs. Conclusion: The 300SL is an LSC that is comparable to the Quantulus 1220 for detecting $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater. Both LSCs can be applied to determine the levels of $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater under the management of the Ministry of Environment.