• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.286-295
• /
• 2022

In this study, the concentration distribution of indoor radon in Daejeon Metropolitan City was investigated and the reduction efficiency was evaluated by applying the radon reduction methods. Based on the results of the National Institute of Environmental Research, indoor radon measurements were conducted on 24 selected houses, and the average value of District A was 261 Bq/m3, far exceeding the standard, and even in the same house, indoor radon concentration was affected by measurement point and time. In the case of eight houses that applied the soil venting method to reduce radon, the indoorradon level was significantly lowerthan the standard value, and the average reduction efficiency was also around 55%, indicating a good reduction effect. In addition, the average reduction efficiency was around 90% in the two houses that carried out the shielding method, showing the very excellent effect of the indoorradon reduction. Even if the same reduction method is applied when reducing radon, the reduction efficiency may vary depending on various factors such as the structure of the building, the frequency of ventilation, and the season, so it is necessary to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the reduction method in the future. Based on this, it is necessary to establish indoor radon management measures in Daejeon Metropolitan City to reduce human harm caused by radon exposure.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.9
• /
• pp.712-720
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of rat corneal-derived epithelial cells as an in vitro model to evaluate the harmfulness of the cornea caused by particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5). To establish an experimental model for the effect of PM_2.5 on corneal epithelial cells, it was confirmed that primary cultured cells isolated from rat eyes were corneal epithelial cells through pan-cytokeratin staining. Our results showed that PM_2.5 treatment reduced cell viability of primary rat corneal epithelial (RCE) cells, which was associated with the induction of apoptosis. PM_2.5 treatment also increased the generation of reactive oxygen species due to mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, the production of nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokines was increased in PM_2.5-treated RCE cells. Furthermore, through heatmap analysis showing various expression profiling between PM_2.5-exposed and unexposed RCE cells, we proposed five genes, including BLNK, IL-1RA, Itga2b, ABCb1a and Ptgs2, as potential targets for clinical treatment of PM-related ocular diseases. These findings indicate that the primary RCE cell line is a useful in vitro model system for the study of PM_2.5-mediated pathological mechanisms and that PM2.5-induced oxidative and inflammatory responses are key factors in PM2.5-induced ocular surface disorders.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.102-113
• /
• 2023

This review discusses the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the endometrial estrogen and progesterone receptors regulate local estrogen production, expression of the specific estrogen receptors, progesterone resistance, inflammatory responses and the differentiation and survival of endometriotic cells in endometrial inflammation. The epigenetic aberrations of endometrial stromal cells play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of endometriosis. In particular, differential methylation of the estrogen receptor genes changes in the stromal cells the dominancy of estrogen receptor from ERα into ERβ, and results in the abnormal estrogen responses including inflammation, progesterone resistance and the disturbance of retinoid synthesis. These stromal cells also stimulate local estrogen production in response to PGE2 and the SF-1 mediated induction of steroidogenic enzyme expression, and the increased estradiol then feeds back into the ERβ to repeat the vicious inflammatory cycle through the activation of COX-2. In addition, high levels of ERβ expression may also change the chromatin structure of endometrial mesenchymal stem cells, and together with the repeated menstrual cycles can induce formation of the endometriotic tissue. The cascade of these serial events then leads to cell adhesion, angiogenesis and survival of the differentiation-disregulated stromal cells through the action of inflammatory factors such as ERβ-mediated estrogen, TNF-α and TGF-β1. Therefore, understanding of the dynamic hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and the corresponding signal transduction mechanisms of the related nuclear receptors in endometrium would provide new insights for treating inflammatory diseases such as the endometriosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.488-496
• /
• 2023

Ship and bridge structures are a type of long box-shaped structure, and resistance to vertical bending moment is a key factor in their structural design. In particular, because box girders are repeatedly exposed to irregular wave loads for a long time, the continuous collapse behavior of structural members must be accurately predicted. In this study, plastic collapse behavior, including buckling according to load changes of the box girder receiving pure bending moments, was analyzed using a numerical analysis method. The analysis targets were selected as three box girders used in the Gordo experiment. The cause of the difference was considered by comparing the results of the structural strength experiment with those of non-linear finite element analysis. This study proposed a combination of the entire and local sagging shape to reflect the effect of the initial sagging caused by welding heat that is inevitably used to manufacture carbon steel materials. The procedures reviewed in the study and the contents of the initial sagging configuration can be used as a good guide for analyzing the final strength of similar structures in the future.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.859-869
• /
• 1995

The present study is to understand the physical phenomena anticipated during the accident with RHR loss under mid-loop operation in a PWR and, at the same time, to examine the prediction capability of RELAP5/MOD3.1 on such an accident, by simulating an integral test relevant to this accident for reliable analysis in an actual PWR. The selected experiment, i.g. BETHSY Test 6.9a, represents the configuration with the pressurizer manway open and steam generators unavailable during the accident. Accordingly, the results of this ok are sure to contribute to understanding both the key events as well as the sensitive parameters, anticipated in the accident, for validity of the actual analysis. In the simulation result overall behavior as well as major phenomena observed in the experiment have been predicted reasonably by RELAP5/MOD3.1, however, the problem associated with enormous computing time .due to small time step size has been encountered. Besides, the code prediction of higher swollen level in the pressure vessel has given rise to overestimation of both pressurizer level and RCS pressure. Subsequently, overprediction of the break flow through the manway has led to earlier core uncovery than that in the experiment by about 400 seconds. As a whole, it is demonstrated from both the experiment and the analysis that gravity feed has not been sufficient to recover the core level and thus additional forced feed has been necessary in this configuration.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.55 no.4
• /
• pp.291-300
• /
• 2022

Artificial disturbance in mountainous areas increases the sensitivity to erosion by exposure of the subsoil with a low loam ratio to the surface. In this study, rainfall simulations were conducted to evaluate the erodibility of sand and loamy sand in the interrill erosion by the rainfall-induced sheet flow. The mean diameters of sand and loamy sand used in the experiment were 0.936 mm and 0.611 mm, respectively, and the organic matter content was 2.0% and 4.2%, respectively. In the experimental plot, the runoff coefficient of overland flow increased 1.16 times in loamy sand rather than sand. Mean sediment yields of loamy sand and sand by sheet erosion were 3.71kg/m²/hr and 1.13kg/m²/hr respectively. The erodibility, the rate of soil erosion for rainfall erosivity factor, was 3.65 times greater in loamy sand than in sand. As the gradient of the steep slope increased from 24° to 28°, the sediment concentration and the erodibility for two soils increased by about 20%. The erodibility factor K of sandy soils for small plots was overestimated compared to the measured erodibility. This means that RUSLE can overestimate the sediment yields by sheet erosion on sandy soils.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.21-32
• /
• 2023

Interrill erosion dominates in forest areas, and the erosion rate in surface-disturbed areas is significantly increased by the development and expansion of rill. In this study, soil erosion experiments using simulated rainfall and inflow were performed to understand the development and the micromorphological changes of rill on steep slopes. The characteristic factors of the micromorphology, such as the rill cross section, rill volume, rill density, rill order, and rill sharpness, were analyzed according to steepness and location (upper or lower) of slope. The head-cut of the simultaneous incised rills by rainfall simulation moved rapidly upslope, and the randomly developed rills expanded deeply and widely with their connection. The rill cross section evolved to downslope gradually increased. The rill volume occupied about 78 % of the sediment volume, confirming that the contribution of the sediment from the rill erosion is greater than that of the interrill erosion. Although the rate of increase in rill order slowed as the slope increased, the total length and density of the rill generally increased. As the slope increased from 15° to 20°, the bed incision of rills became larger than the sidewall expansion, and the rill sharpness increased by 1.6 times. The runoff coefficient on the lower slope decreased by 12.3 % than that on the upper slope. It was evaluated that the subsoil exposures and formation changes by the rill expansion increased the infiltration rate. Although the sediment accompanying the rills generally increased with slope increase, it was directly influenced by the hydraulic velocity of enhanced rill with the local convergence and expansion in the process of the rill evolution.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.93-101
• /
• 2008

The application of solid phase microextraction (SPME) is generally conducted by directly immersing the fiber into the liquid sample or by exposing the fiber in the head space (HS). The extraction temperature, the time of incubation, and application of stirring are often designated to be the most important parameters for achieving the best extraction efficiencies of HS-SPME analysis. In this study, relative importance of these three analytical parameters involved in the HS-SPME method is evaluated using a polydimethylsiloxane/carboxen (PDMS/CAR) fiber. To optimize its operation conditions the competing relationships between different parameters were investigated by comparing the extraction efficiency based on the combination of three parameters and two contracting conditions: (1) heating the sample at 30 vs. 50 C, (2) exposing samples at two durations of 10 vs. 30 min, and (3) application of stirring vs. no stirring. According to our analysis among 8 combination types of HS-SPME method, an extraction condition termed as S50-30 condition ((1) 1200 rpm stirring, (2) $50^{\circ}C$ exposure temp, and (3) 30 min exposure duration) showed maximum recovery rate of 45.5~68.5% relative to an arbitrary reference of direct GC injection. According to this study, the employment of stirring is the most crucial factor to improve extraction efficiency in the application of HS-SPME.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.28 no.4A
• /
• pp.507-515
• /
• 2008

In this study, a method predicting the displacement response of structures from the measured dynamic strain signal is proposed by using mode decomposition technique. Evaluation of bridge stability is normally focused on the bridge completed. However, dynamic loadings including wind and seismic loadings could be exerted to the bridge under construction. In order to examine the bridge stability against these dynamic loadings, the prediction of displacement response is very important to evaluate bridge stability. Because it may be not easy for the displacement response to be acquired directly on site, an indirect method to predict the displacement response is needed. Thus, as an alternative for predicting the displacement response indirectly, the conversion of the measured strain signal into the displacement response is suggested, while the measured strain signal can be obtained using fiber optic Bragg-grating (FBG) sensors. As previous studies on the prediction of displacement response by using the FBG sensors, the static displacement has been mainly predicted. For predicting the dynamic displacement, it has been known that the measured strain signal includes higher modes and then the predicted dynamic displacement can be inherently contaminated by broad-band noises. To overcome such problem, a mode decomposition technique was used. Mode decomposition technique estimates the displacement response of each mode with mode shape estimated to use POD from strain signal and with the measured strain signal decomposed into mode by EMD. This is a method estimating the total displacement response combined with the each displacement response about the major mode of the structure. In order to examine the mode decomposition technique suggested in this study model experiment was performed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.26 no.1A
• /
• pp.11-19
• /
• 2006

In this study ship collision risk analysis is performed to determine the design vessel for collision impact analysis of suspension bridge. Method II in AASHTO LRFD bridge design specifications which is a more complicated probability based analysis procedure is used to select the design vessel for collision impact. From the assessment of ship collision risk for each bridge pier exposed to ship collision, the design impact lateral strength of bridge pier is determined. The analysis procedure is an iterative process in which a trial impact resistance is selected for a bridge component and a computed annual frequency of collapse(AF) is compared to the acceptance criterion, and revisions to the analysis variables are made as necessary to achieve compliance. The acceptance criterion is allocated to each pier using allocation weights based on the previous predictions. This AF allocation method is compared to the pylon concentration allocation method to obtain safety and economy in results. This method seems to be more reasonable than the pylon concentration allocation method because AF allocation by weights takes the design parameter characteristics quantitatively into consideration although the pylon concentration allocation method brings more economical results when the overestimated design collision strength of piers compared to the strength of pylon is moderately modified. The design vessel for each pier corresponding with the design impact lateral strength obtained from the ship collision risk assessment is then selected. The design impact lateral strength can vary greatly among the components of the same bridge, depending upon the waterway geometry, available water depth, bridge geometry, and vessel traffic characteristics. Therefore more researches on the allocation model of AF and the selection of design vessel are required.