• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Purpose: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common congenital endocrine disorder. The purpose of the present study was to determine the incidence of CH in South Korea during the period from January 1991 to March 2004. Methods: Central data from each city branch of SCL (Seoul Clinical Reference Laboratories) in Yongin, South Korea, was gathered and collectively analyzed. Newborn screening (NBS) for CH was based on measuring the levels of neonatal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4 (a cut-off of 20 mIU/L and less than 0.8 ng/dL, respectively). Results: During the study period, 671,805 live births were screened for CH based on TSH and free T4 ELISA assays. A total of 159 newborns were deemed positive for CH out of 671,805, with a corresponding incidence of 1 in 4,225. When a cut-off of 20 mIU/L was used in TSH assays, the associated sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values (PPV) were 100.0%, 99.7%, and 10.8%, respectively. When a cut-off of 0.8 ng/dL in free T4 assays was used, the associated sensitivity, specificity, and PPV were 100.0%, 98.5%, and 3.9%, respectively. Conclusion: CH incidence in South Korea as evidenced by the results of NBS was compared with its incidence and comparable to the other countries prior to 2004.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.6_4
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• pp.1503-1517
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• 2018

Mt. Baekdu is a stratovolcano located at the border between China and North Korea and is known to have formed through its differentiation stage after the Oligocene epoch in the Cenozoic era. There has been a growing interest in the magma re-activity of Mt. Baekdu volcano since 2010. Several research projects have been conducted by government such as Korea Meteorological Administration and Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources. Because, however, the Mt. Baekdu volcano is located far from South Korea, it is quite difficult to collect in-situ observations by terrestrial equipment. Remote sensing is a science to analyze and interpret information without direct physical contact with a target object. Various types of platform such as automobile, unmanned aerial vehicle, aircraft and satellite can be used for carrying a payload. In the past several decades, numerous volcanic studies have been conducted by remotely sensed observations using wide spectrum of wavelength channels in electromagnetic waves. In particular, radar remote sensing has been widely used for volcano monitoring in that microwave channel can gather surface's information without less limitation like day and night or weather condition. Radar interferometric technique which utilized phase information of radar signal enables to estimate surface displacement such as volcano, earthquake, ground subsidence or glacial movement, etc. In 2018, long-term research project for collaborative observation for Mt. Baekdu volcano between Korea and China were selected by Korea government. A volcanic specialized research center has been established by the selected project. The purpose of this paper is to introduce about remote sensing techniques for volcano monitoring and to review selected studies with remote sensing techniques to monitor Mt. Baekdu volcano. The acquisition status of the archived observations of six synthetic aperture radar satellites which are in orbit now was investigated for application of radar interferometry to monitor Mt. Baekdu volcano. We will conduct a time-series analysis using collected synthetic aperture radar images.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.548-561
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• 2018

The objectives of this study were to construct a three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic and water quality model (EFDC) for the river reach between the Daecheong dam and the Sejong weir, which are directly affected by Gap and Miho streams located in the middle of the Geum River, and to evaluate the trophic status and water quality improvement effect according to the flow control and pollutant load reduction scenarios. The EFDC model was calibrated with the field data including waterlevel, temperature and water quality collected from September, 2012 to April, 2013. The model showed a good agreement with the field data and adequately replicated the spatial and temporal variations of water surface elevation, temperature and water quality. Especially, it was confirmed that spatial distributions of nutrients and algae biomass have wide variation of transverse direction. Also, from the analysis of algal growth limiting factor, it was found that phosphorous loadings from Gap and Miho streams to Sejong weir induce eutrophication and algal bloom. The scenario of pollutant load reduction from Gap and Miho streams showed a significant effect on the improvement of water quality; 4.7~18.2% for Chl-a, 5.4~21.9% for TP at Cheongwon-1 site, and 4.2~ 17.3% for Chl-a and 4.7~19.4% for TP at Yeongi site. In addition, the eutrophication index value, identifying the tropic status of the river, was improved. Meanwhile, flow control of Daecheong Dam and Sejong weir showed little effect on the improvement of water quality; 1.5~2.4% for Chl-a, 2.5~ 3.8% for TP at Cheongwon-1 site, and 1.2~2.1% for Chl-a and 0.9~1.5% for TP at Yeongi site. Therefore, improvement of the water quality in Gap and Miho streams is essential and a prerequirement to meet the target water quality level of the study area.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to suggest a suitable amount of fertilizer using the changes in growth performances and soil properties for improving survival and quality of Zelkova serrata trees in a harvested Pinus rigida plantation. One-year-old containerized seedlings of Z. serrata were planted with the density of 3000 seedlings $ha^{-1}$ in end of March 2011 at Gwangneung experimental forest, Pocheon. Solid compound fertilizer (N:P:K=3:4:1) were applied yearly in three amounts (control: no fertilization, F1: $180kg\;ha^{-1}$, and F2: $360kg\;ha^{-1}$) every May from 2011 to 2013. We analyzed soil properties before (2011) and after (2012 and 2017) fertilization. And we measured the root collar diameter and height of Z. serrata trees from 2011 to 2016, and then calculated H/D ratio and stem volume. Soil properties at Z. serrata plantation did not show difference according to fertilization level in every investigation year. As time passed after planting, however, concentrations of total nitrogen and available phosphorus were increased from decreased. The growth of root collar diameter, height and stem volume of Z. serrata trees at F2 plot were significantly higher those at the other plots after only 2 years of fertilization. Because Z. serrata tree demand to more nutrient during the early growing period. The survival rate of Z. serrata trees at control plot was significantly lower than that at the other plots. This might be due to Z. serrata trees at control plot had not the upper hand from competition with vegetation at the early in planting. However, the growth of height and stem volume of Z. serrata trees between F1 and F2 plots did not show difference over 6 years after planting. Consequently, we could suggest that Z. serrata trees need to F1 fertilization level for considering improving survival and quality of Z. serrata trees and economical efficiency of plantation managements after harvesting P. rigida plantation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.558-568
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• 2021

Poor supervision and tourism activities have resulted in forest degradation in islands in Korea. Since the southern coastal region of the Korean peninsula was originally dominated by warm-temperate evergreen broad-leaved forests, it is desirable to restore forests in this region to their original vegetation. In this study, we identified suitable areas to be restored as evergreen broad-leaved forests by analyzing the environmental factors of existing evergreen broad-leaved forests in the islands of Jeollanam-do. We classified forest lands in the study area into six vegetation types from Sentinel-2 satellite images using a deep learning algorithm and analyzed the tolerance ranges of existing evergreen broad-leaved forests by measuring the locational, topographic, and climatic attributes of the classified vegetation types. Results showed that evergreen broad-leaved forests were distributed more in areas with a high altitudes and steep slope, where human intervention was relatively low. The human intervention has led to a higher distribution of evergreen broad-leaved forests in areas with lower annual average temperature, which was an unexpected but understandable result because an area with higher altitude has a lower temperature. Of the environmental factors, latitude and average temperature in the coldest month (January) were relatively less contaminated by the effects of human intervention, thus enabling the identification of suitable restoration areas of the evergreen broad-leaved forests. The tolerance range analysis of evergreen broad-leaved forests showed that they mainly grew in areas south of the latitude of 34.7° and a monthly average temperature of 1.7℃ or higher in the coldest month. Therefore, we predicted the areas meeting these criteria to be suitable for restoring evergreen broad-leaved forests. The suitable areas cover 614.5 km², which occupies 59.0% of the total forest lands on the islands of Jeollanamdo, and 73% of actual forests that exclude agricultural and other non-restorable forest lands. The findings of this study can help forest managers prepare a restoration plan and budget for island forests.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.525-538
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to analyze the habitat status and species diversity of benthic diatoms and estimate the applicability of TDI (Trophic Diatom Index) to obtain the basic data for the identification and management of created wetlands in the Nakdong River. We observed a total of 38 families and 173 species of benthic diatom during the survey period, and spring and autumn showed a similar number of species of 156 and 154, respectively. The result of the SOM (Self-Organizing Map) analysis showed that the distribution of benthic diatom was sensitive to environmental factors such as nutrient concentration and rainfall in each wetland. The cluster 1 was characterized by the survey sites of autumn mostly and consisted of points of high TDI, although the nutrients such as total phosphorus and total nitrogen were low, and the species number and abundance of diatoms were low. Conversely, cluster 4 was characterized by the survey sites of spring mostly and consisted of points of low TDI, even though total nitrogen was high. Considering that most of the created wetlands had the reduced inflow and outflow, the increased flow rate in the summer lowers nutrient values in autumn, and the species number and abundance of benthic diatom decreases due to the increase of turbidity, which reduces the light penetrations to the substrates. On the contrary, the TDI value is low in spring because the low water level causes insufficient substrate surface to the benthic diatoms, and it is too early for the establishment and development of saprophilous species. Although various studies have used TDI as an indicator for evaluating the habitat environment and water quality, it is not a good evaluation indicator in this study since the nutrient concentration in the wetlands mostly high as they have a low flow rate and are close to the stagnant area. Nevertheless, additional periodic surveys that comprehensively reflect the fact that the summer rainfall and inflow/outflow regulating function might affect the species diversity and distribution of benthic diatoms are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.258-267
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• 2020

The agrivoltaic can produce electricity and grow crops on fields at the same time. It is necessary to analyze the cultivation environment and evaluate the crop productivity under agrivoltaic because the shading point changes according to structure of agrivoltaic and sun's position. Two types of "fixing" and "tracing" agrivoltaic were installed, and a rice cultivation experiment was conducted in the fields under each agrivoltaic and without shading (control). "Hyunpoombyeo" was transplanted on June 7, 2019, and grown with fertilization of 9.0-4.5-5.7 kg/10a (N-P-K). Fifteen weather stations were installed under each agrivoltaic to measure solar radiation and temperature, and yield and yield-related elements were investigated by points. The accumulated solar radiation during the rice growing season in fixing was no much difference between points, and that in tracing was much difference between points. However, the average solar radiations of two agrivoltaics were similar. The mean temperature, yield, and yield-related elements showed a significant difference for the shading rate, and decreased with increasing the shading rate except ripening grain rate and 1000 grain weight of fixing agrivoltaic. In the relationship between shading rate and yield, fixing and tracing were fitted to a logistic equation and a simple linear equation, respectively, and showed a high correlation (tracing: R2 = 0.62, fixing: R2 = 0.73). The shading rate variation by point for two types was large despite similar yield variation. Thus, it needs to be more closely examined the relationship of the shading rate for a specific period rather than the shading rate during the whole growing season.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2021

This study reports the Ar-Ar dating results for the volcanic rocks from small volcanoes(oreum) of the Hallasan Nature Reserve. According to the age of 40Ar/39Ar, the volcanic activity of the Hallasan Natural Reserve was started from about 192 ka ago. The basaltic trachyandesite and trachyte located in the Y valley near the Eorimok in the western part of the Hallasan Natural Reserve represent an age of about 191~192 ka, showing the oldest record of volcanic activity in the Hallasan Natural Reserve. In the Hallasan Natural Reserve, the small volcanoes older than 100 ka are Y Valley in Eorimok area (192±5 and 191±5 ka), Dongsu-Ak (184±19 ka), Mansedongsan (153±5 ka), Janggumok-Orum (135±6 ka), Eoseungsaengak (123±9 ka), Samgagbong (105±2 ka). And the small volcanoes younger than 100 ka are Witbangae-Oreum, Seongneol-Oreum, Muljangol, Yeongsil, Bori-Ak, Witsenueun-Oreum, Witsejokeun-Oreum, Heugbuleun-Oreum, Bangae-Oreum, Albangae-Oreum, Witsebuleun-Oreum, Baengnokdam, Nongo-Ak. According to the eruption of trachytes, the Hallasan Natural Reserve can be interpreted as having about 8 volcanic activities. Among them, 4 volcanic activities are related with the formation of trachyte dome, such as Wanggwanneung, Samgakbong, Yeongsil, and Baengnokdam, and 4 volcanic activities are related with flow or dyke of trachyte. The volcanic activity at the Hallasan Natural Reserve was started from northwest area, to in the southern area, and in the eastern area, and finally volcanic activity related to the formation of Baengnokdam.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.32
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• pp.61-71
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• 2020

Purpose: To investigate the effect of collimator angle on plan quality of PAN-Pelvis Multi-isocenter VMAT plan, dose reproducibility at the junction and impact on set-up error at the junction. Material and method: 10 adult patients with whole pelvis cancer including PAN were selected for the study. Using Trubeam STx equipped with HD MLC, we changed the collimator angle to 20°, 30°, and 45° except 10° which was the default collimator angle in the Eclipse(version 13.7) and all other treatment conditions were set to be the same for each patient and four plans were established also. To evaluate these plans, PTV coverage, coverage index(CVI) and homogeneity index (HI) were compared and clinical indicators for each treatment sites in normal tissues were analyzed. To evaluate dose reproducibility at the junction, the absolute dose was measured using a Falmer type ionization chamber and dose changes at the junction were evaluated by moving the position of the isocenter in and out 1~3mm and setting up the virtual volume at the junction. Result: CVI mean value was PTV-45 0.985±0.004, PTV-55 0.998±0.003 at 45° and HI mean value was PTV-45 1.140±0.074, and PTV-55 1.031±0.074 at 45° which were closest to 1. V20Gy of the kidneys decreased by 9.66% and average dose of bladder and V30 decreased by 1.88% and 2.16% at 45° compared to 10° for the critical organs. The dose value at the junction of the plan and the actual measured were within 0.3% and within tolerance. At the junction, due to set-up error the maximum dose increased to 14.56%, 9.88%, 8.03%, and 7.05%, at 10°, 20°, 30°, 45°, and the minimum dose decreased to 13.18%, 10.91%, 8.42%, and 4.53%, at 10°, 20°, 30°, 45° Conclusion: In terms of CVI, HI of PTV and critical organ protection, overall improved values were shown as the collimator angle increased. The impact on set-up error at the junction by collimator angle decreased as the angle increased and it will help improve the anxiety about the set up error. In conclusion, the collimator angle should be recognized as a factor that can affect the quality of the multi-isocenter VMAT plan and the dose at the junction, and be careful in setting the collimator angle in the treatment plan.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.515-530
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• 2021

This study is to estimate soil moisture (SM) using Sentinel-1A/B C-band SAR (synthetic aperture radar) images and Multiple Linear Regression Model(MLRM) in the Yongdam-Dam watershed of South Korea. Both the Sentinel-1A and -1B images (6 days interval and 10 m resolution) were collected for 5 years from 2015 to 2019. The geometric, radiometric, and noise corrections were performed using the SNAP (SentiNel Application Platform) software and converted to backscattering coefficient of VV and VH polarization. The in-situ SM data measured at 6 locations using TDR were used to validate the estimated SM results. The 5 days antecedent precipitation data were also collected to overcome the estimation difficulty for the vegetated area not reaching the ground. The MLRM modeling was performed using yearly data and seasonal data set, and correlation analysis was performed according to the number of the independent variable. The estimated SM was verified with observed SM using the coefficient of determination (R²) and the root mean square error (RMSE). As a result of SM modeling using only BSC in the grass area, R² was 0.13 and RMSE was 4.83%. When 5 days of antecedent precipitation data was used, R² was 0.37 and RMSE was 4.11%. With the use of dry days and seasonal regression equation to reflect the decrease pattern and seasonal variability of SM, the correlation increased significantly with R² of 0.69 and RMSE of 2.88%.