• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.123-134
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• 2014

Identification of methods to optimize the growth of a plant community, including the capacity of the soil to further sequester carbon, is important in urban design and planning. In this study, to construct and manage an urban park to mitigate carbon emissions, soil organic carbon of varying biomass, different park construction times, and a range of vegetation types were analyzed by measuring aboveground and belowground carbon in Seoseoul Lake Park and Yangjae Citizen's Forest. The urban parks were constructed during different periods; Seoseoul Lake Park was constructed in 2009, whereas Yangjae Citizen's Forest was constructed in 1986. To identify the differences in soil organic carbon in various plant communities and soil types, above and belowground carbon were measured based on biomass, as well as the physical and chemical features of the soil. Allometric equations were used to measure biomass. Soil total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical properties such as pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total nitrogen (TN), and soil microbes were analyzed. The analysis results show that the biomass of the Yangjae Citizen's Forest was higher than that of the Seoseoul Lake Park, indicating that older park has higher biomass. On the other hand, TOC was lower in the Yangjae Citizen's Forest than in the Seoseoul Lake Park; air pollution and acid rain probably changed the acidity of the soil in the Yangjae Citizen's Forest. Furthermore, TOC was higher in mono-layered plantation area compared to that in multi-layered plantation area. Improving the soil texture would, in the long term, result in better vegetation growth. To improve the soil texture of an urban park, park management, including pH control by using lime fertilization, soil compaction control, and leaving litter for soil nutrition is necessary.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2006

Purpose: Acute gastroenteritis in children is one of the frequently encountered diseases with relatively high admission rate. The aim of this study is to determine the isolation trends of common and emerging pathogens in acute gastroenteritis in children over a 12-month period in a community hospital. Methods: The study group included the children who were hospitalized to Seoul National University Boramae Hospital from April, 2003 to March, 2004 or visited outpatient clinic from April, 2003 to July, 2003 with presenting features of acute gastroenteritis. Stool specimens were obtained within 2 days after the visit and examined for the following pathogens: rotavirus, adenovirus, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, pathogenic Escherichia coli (E.coli), Campylobacter and Yersinia species. Viral study was done with commercial kits for antigen detection. Identification of the bacterial pathogens was done by culture using selective media. For pathogenic E.coli, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done with the target genes related to the pathogenecity of enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic E.coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC). Results: The 130 hospitalized children and 28 outpatients were included in this study. The majority of children (>93%) were less than 6 years. Pathogens were isolated in 47% of inpatients and 43% of outpatients, respectively. Rotavirus was the most frequently identified pathogen, accounting for 42.3% of inpatients and 29.6% of outpatients. Nontyphoidal salmonella is the most commonly isolated bacterial pathogen (3.9%) in hospitalized children. Pathogenic E.coli (EPEC, ETEC) was detected in 2.1% (2/97) of inpatients and 25% (3/12) of outpatients. EHEC, adenovirus, Campylobacter, Yersinia and Shigella species were not detected in this study. Conclusion: Rotavirus is the most common enteropathogen in children with acute gastroenteritis. Nontyphoidal salmonella and pathogenic E.coli are important bacterial pathogens. Campylobacter species may not be commonly detected organism in hospitalized children with acute diarrhea.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Therapy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.57-72
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• 2018

Objective : This study aims to identify the self-reported driving abilities of elderly drivers and their correlations to the demographic factors that influence them, and to verify the adequacy of the hypothetical model, constructed based on vision, auditory, cognition, motor, and psychological factors, in order to present a path model on the self-reported driving abilities of elderly drivers. Methods : The participants in this study were 122 elderly drivers aged 65 years or older residing in the community. This study evaluated the following factors of the participants: Vision and hearing, motor ability, cognitive ability, depression, self-reported driving abilities. Results : The results of this study are as follows. In the case of men, the self-reported driving ability score was higher than for women, and those driving 6-7 days per week had higher scores than those driving 3 days or less. The period of holding a driver's license and driving experience positively correlated with self-reported driving abilities. The final model of factors influencing the self-reported driving abilities of elderly drivers had a p value (.911) exceeding .05; TLI (1.202), NFI (.949), and CFI (1.000) of over .90; and RMSEA (.000) of lower than 0.1, indicating that the hypothesis model fit the data well. First, the directly influential factors on the self-reported driving abilities of elderly drivers were depression, decreased hearing, and grip strength. Second, age was found to have a direct influence on depression and grip strength; moreover, depression and grip strength as a mediator indirectly influenced their self-reported driving abilities. Third, depression was found to have a direct influence on their delayed cognitive processing and grip strength. Conclusion : The significance of this study is in the identification of direct and indirect factors influencing the self-reported driving abilities of elderly drivers in regional communities, and in the verification of multi-dimensional effects of diverse factors influencing such abilities.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.377-386
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• 2021

This study was conducted to provide basic data for habitat management and preservation of Jeongmaek. A total of 18 priority research areas were selected with consideration to terrain and habitat environment, and 54 fixed plots were selected for three types of habits: development, valley, and forest road and ridge. The survey was conducted in each season (May, August, and October), excluding the winter season, from 2016 to 2018. The distribution analysis of birds observed in each habitat type using a self-organizing map (SOM) classified them into a total of four groups (MRPP, A=0.12, and p <0.005). The comparative analysis of the number of species, the number of individuals, and the species diversity index for each SOM group showed that they were all the highest in group III (Kruskal-Wallis, the number species: x² = 13.436, P <0.005; the number of individuals: x² = 8.229, P <0.05; the species diversity index: x² = 17.115, P <0.005). Moreover, the analysis by applying the land cover map to the random forest model to examine the index species of each group and identify the characteristics of the habitat environment showed a difference in the ratio of the habitat environment and the indicator species among the four groups. The index species analysis identified a total of 18 bird species as the indicator species in three groups except for group II. When applying the random forest model and indicator species analysis to the results of classification into four groups using the SOM, the composition of the indicator species by the group showed a correlation with the habitat characteristics of each group. Moreover, the distribution patterns and densities of observed species were clearly distinguished according to the dominant habitat for each group. The results of the analysis that applied the SOM, indicator species, and random forest model together can derive useful results for the characterization of bird habitats according to the habitat environment.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.220-237
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• 2021

Since the functional importance of marine phytoplankton was firstly advocated from early 1880s massive data on the species composition and abundance were produced by classical microscopic observation and the advanced auto-imaging technologies. Recently, pigment composition resulted from direct chemical analysis of phytoplankton samples or indirect remote sensing could be used for the group-specific quantification, which leads us to more diversified data production methods and for more improved spatiotemporal accessibilities to the target data-gathering points. In quite a few cases of many long-term marine ecosystem monitoring programs the phytoplankton species composition and abundance was included as a basic monitoring item. The phytoplankton data could be utilized as a crucial evidence for the long-term change in phytoplankton community structure and ecological functioning at the monitoring stations. Usability of the phytoplankton data sometimes is restricted by the differences in data producers throughout the whole monitoring period. Methods for sample treatments, analyses, and species identification of the phytoplankton species could be inconsistent among the different data producers and the monitoring years. In-depth study to determine the precise quantitative values of the phytoplankton species composition and abundance might be begun by Victor Hensen in late 1880s. International discussion on the quality assurance of the marine phytoplankton data began in 1969 by the SCOR Working Group 33 of ICSU. Final report of the Working group in 1974 (UNESCO Technical Papers in Marine Science 18) was later revised and published as the UNESCO Monographs on oceanographic methodology 6. The BEQUALM project, the former body of IPI (International Phytoplankton Intercomparison) for marine phytoplankton data QA/QC under ISO standard, was initiated in late 1990. The IPI is promoting international collaboration for all the participating countries to apply the QA/QC standard established from the 20 years long experience and practices. In Korea, however, such a QA/QC standard for marine phytoplankton species composition and abundance data is not well established by law, whereas that for marine chemical data from measurements and analysis has been already set up and managed. The first priority might be to establish a QA/QC standard system for species composition and abundance data of marine phytoplankton, then to be extended to other functional groups at the higher consumer level of marine food webs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.808-819
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• 2023

This study was conducted to develop a selection marker for the identification of the Bacillus licheniformis K12 strain in microbial communities. The strain not only demonstrates good growth at moderate temperatures but also contains enzymes that catalyze the decomposition of various polymer materials, such as proteases, amylases, cellulases, lipases, and xylanases. To identify molecular markers appropriate for use in a microbial community, a search was conducted to identify variable gene regions that show considerable genetic mutations, such as recombinase, integration, and transposase sites, as well as phase-related genes. As a result, five areas were identified that have potential as selection markers. The candidate markers were two recombinase sites (BLK1 and BLK2), two integration sites (BLK3 and BLK4), and one phase-related site (BLK5). A PCR analysis performed with different Bacillus species (e.g., B. licheniformis, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus cereus) confirmed that PCR products appeared at specific locations in B. licheniformis: BLK1 in recombinase, BLK2 in recombinase family protein, and BLK3 and BLK4 as site-specific integrations. In addition, BLK1 and BLK3 were identified as good candidate markers via a PCR analysis performed on subspecies of standard B. licheniformis strains. Therefore, the findings suggest that BLK1 can be used as a selection marker for B. licheniformis species and subspecies in the microbiome.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems Conference
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• 1993.06a
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• pp.1051-1054
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• 1993

The International Atomic Energy Agency's Statute in Article III.A.5 allows it“to establish and administer safeguards designed to ensure that special fissionable and other materials, services, equipment, facilities and information made available by the Agency or at its request or under its supervision or control are not used in such a way as to further any military purpose; and to apply safeguards, at the request of the parties, to any bilateral or multilateral arrangement, or at the request of a State, to any of that State's activities in the field of atomic energy”. Safeguards are essentially a technical means of verifying the fulfilment of political obligations undertaken by States and given a legal force in international agreements relating to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The main political objectives are: to assure the international community that States are complying with their non-proliferation and other peaceful undertakings; and to deter (a) the diversion of afeguarded nuclear materials to the production of nuclear explosives or for military purposes and (b) the misuse of safeguarded facilities with the aim of producing unsafeguarded nuclear material. It is clear that no international safeguards system can physically prevent diversion. The IAEA safeguards system is basically a verification measure designed to provide assurance in those cases in which diversion has not occurred. Verification is accomplished by two basic means: material accountancy and containment and surveillance measures. Nuclear material accountancy is the fundamental IAEA safeguards mechanism, while containment and surveillance serve as important complementary measures. Material accountancy refers to a collection of measurements and other determinations which enable the State and the Agency to maintain a current picture of the location and movement of nuclear material into and out of material balance areas, i. e. areas where all material entering or leaving is measurab e. A containment measure is one that is designed by taking advantage of structural characteristics, such as containers, tanks or pipes, etc. To establish the physical integrity of an area or item by preventing the undetected movement of nuclear material or equipment. Such measures involve the application of tamper-indicating or surveillance devices. Surveillance refers to both human and instrumental observation aimed at indicating the movement of nuclear material. The verification process consists of three over-lapping elements: (a) Provision by the State of information such as - design information describing nuclear installations; - accounting reports listing nuclear material inventories, receipts and shipments; - documents amplifying and clarifying reports, as applicable; - notification of international transfers of nuclear material. (b) Collection by the IAEA of information through inspection activities such as - verification of design information - examination of records and repo ts - measurement of nuclear material - examination of containment and surveillance measures - follow-up activities in case of unusual findings. (c) Evaluation of the information provided by the State and of that collected by inspectors to determine the completeness, accuracy and validity of the information provided by the State and to resolve any anomalies and discrepancies. To design an effective verification system, one must identify possible ways and means by which nuclear material could be diverted from peaceful uses, including means to conceal such diversions. These theoretical ways and means, which have become known as diversion strategies, are used as one of the basic inputs for the development of safeguards procedures, equipment and instrumentation. For analysis of implementation strategy purposes, it is assumed that non-compliance cannot be excluded a priori and that consequently there is a low but non-zero probability that a diversion could be attempted in all safeguards ituations. An important element of diversion strategies is the identification of various possible diversion paths; the amount, type and location of nuclear material involved, the physical route and conversion of the material that may take place, rate of removal and concealment methods, as appropriate. With regard to the physical route and conversion of nuclear material the following main categories may be considered: - unreported removal of nuclear material from an installation or during transit - unreported introduction of nuclear material into an installation - unreported transfer of nuclear material from one material balance area to another - unreported production of nuclear material, e. g. enrichment of uranium or production of plutonium - undeclared uses of the material within the installation. With respect to the amount of nuclear material that might be diverted in a given time (the diversion rate), the continuum between the following two limiting cases is cons dered: - one significant quantity or more in a short time, often known as abrupt diversion; and - one significant quantity or more per year, for example, by accumulation of smaller amounts each time to add up to a significant quantity over a period of one year, often called protracted diversion. Concealment methods may include: - restriction of access of inspectors - falsification of records, reports and other material balance areas - replacement of nuclear material, e. g. use of dummy objects - falsification of measurements or of their evaluation - interference with IAEA installed equipment.As a result of diversion and its concealment or other actions, anomalies will occur. All reasonable diversion routes, scenarios/strategies and concealment methods have to be taken into account in designing safeguards implementation strategies so as to provide sufficient opportunities for the IAEA to observe such anomalies. The safeguards approach for each facility will make a different use of these procedures, equipment and instrumentation according to the various diversion strategies which could be applicable to that facility and according to the detection and inspection goals which are applied. Postulated pathways sets of scenarios comprise those elements of diversion strategies which might be carried out at a facility or across a State's fuel cycle with declared or undeclared activities. All such factors, however, contain a degree of fuzziness that need a human judgment to make the ultimate conclusion that all material is being used for peaceful purposes. Safeguards has been traditionally based on verification of declared material and facilities using material accountancy as a fundamental measure. The strength of material accountancy is based on the fact that it allows to detect any diversion independent of the diversion route taken. Material accountancy detects a diversion after it actually happened and thus is powerless to physically prevent it and can only deter by the risk of early detection any contemplation by State authorities to carry out a diversion. Recently the IAEA has been faced with new challenges. To deal with these, various measures are being reconsidered to strengthen the safeguards system such as enhanced assessment of the completeness of the State's initial declaration of nuclear material and installations under its jurisdiction enhanced monitoring and analysis of open information and analysis of open information that may indicate inconsistencies with the State's safeguards obligations. Precise information vital for such enhanced assessments and analyses is normally not available or, if available, difficult and expensive collection of information would be necessary. Above all, realistic appraisal of truth needs sound human judgment.