• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.381-393
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• 2024

Purpose Metabolic abnormalities in hepatic encephalopathy (HE) cause brain edema or demyelinating disease, resulting in symmetric regional cerebral edema (SRCE) on MRI. This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of the clustering analysis of SRCE in predicting the development of brain failure. Materials and Methods MR findings and clinical data of 98 consecutive patients with HE were retrospectively analyzed. The correlation between the 12 regions of SRCE was calculated using the phi (φ) coefficient, and the pattern was classified using hierarchical clustering using the φ² distance measure and Ward's method. The classified patterns of SRCE were correlated with clinical parameters such as the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and HE grade. Results Significant associations were found between 22 pairs of regions of interest, including the red nucleus and corpus callosum (φ = 0.81, p < 0.001), crus cerebri and red nucleus (φ = 0.72, p < 0.001), and red nucleus and dentate nucleus (φ = 0.66, p < 0.001). After hierarchical clustering, 24 cases were classified into Group I, 35 into Group II, and 39 into Group III. Group III had a higher MELD score (p = 0.04) and HE grade (p = 0.002) than Group I. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that the SRCE patterns can be useful in predicting hepatic preservation and the occurrence of cerebral failure in HE.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.155-164
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• 2023

Sedirea japonica is one of the critically endangered species in South Korea mostly due to artificial harms such as illegal collection and habitat destruction. Therefore, artificial propagation through improving germination rate, increasing growth, and controlling flowering is meaningful for the conservation and reintroduction of S. japonica. It is suggested that cytokinins are one of the multi-factors that contribute to plant growth and floral responses. Especially, exogenous cytokinins have been known to induce or promote shoot growth or earlier flowering in orchids. Therefore, it was investigated how the application of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) influenced the growth and inflorescence of S. japonica. A foliar spray containing BA at 100, 200, 300, and 400 ppm was applied from 1st July to 30th December 2021. Leaf length, leaf length growth rate, leaf width, and width and length ratio were measured as growth-related factors. Visible inflorescence rate, inflorescence length, the number of flowers per inflorescence, and the distance between the stalks were measured as flowering-related factors. Growth-related factors except for leaf growth rate were not affected by BA treatments, while leaf growth rate was significantly increased by 200 ppm of BA treatment. The visible inflorescence rate increased by 200 ppm of BA treatment, and there seems an optimal concentration and threshold of BA treatment. An iterative experiment with more seedlings and measurement factors would be helpful to figure out the effects of exogenous BA treatment on S. japonica, and it can be applied for mass propagation.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.361-367
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• 2024

Ultrasound in the air is widely used in industry as a measurement technique to prevent abnormalities in the machinery. Recently, the use of airborne ultrasound imaging techniques, which can find the location of abnormalities using an array transducers, is increasing. A beamforming method that uses the phase difference for each sensor is used to visualize the location of the ultrasonic sound source. We exploit a random sparse ultrasonic array and obtain beamforming power distribution on the source in a certain distance away from the array. Conventional beamforming methods inevitably have limited spatial resolution depending on the number of sensors used and the aperture size. A high-resolution ultrasound imaging technique was implemented by applying functional beamforming as a method to overcome the geometric constraints of the array. The functional beamforming method can be expressed as a generalized beam forming method mathematically, and has the advantage of being able to obtain high-resolution imaging by reducing main-lobe width and side lobes. As a result of observation through computer simulation, it was verified that the resolution of the ultrasonic source in the air was successfully increased by functional beamforming using the ultrasonic sparse array.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.93-120
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• 2024

On-line education in mathematics education changed in various aspects before and after COVID-19. This study conducted a systematic literature review of 98 academic papers on on-line education published from 2017 to 2023 in the field of mathematics education before and after COVID19. In particular, this study conducted content analysis to organize on the definitions of various similar terms related to online education. In addition, this study explored research trends on year, research subject, research method, on-line education type, and research topic by the pre-COVID-19, COVID-19, and post-COVID-19 era. Also, a comparative analysis was conducted on literatures on the effects of online education. As a result, first, it was confirmed that there is a need to organize the definitions of terms similar to online education. Also, the implications of identifying the differences and hierarchies between each term can be found. Second, it was confirmed that teachers' expertise for on-line mathematics education was emphasized based on the result of the rapid increase in the number of on-line education studies on teachers since COVID-19. Third, it was confirmed that the number of studies on blended and flipped learning was high in pre-COVID-19, but decreased in the COVID-19 era. Instead, in the COVID-19 era, studies on real-time interactive classes were rapidly active, and even in the post-COVID-19 era, studies on real-time interactive classes still occupied a large proportion. Finally, it was confirmed that the effectiveness of on-line education varies depending on the research background and model. Accordingly, the need to be cautious in interpreting the results of each study on the effectiveness of on-line education was confirmed. Based on these findings, this study presented implications for future research on on-line education in mathematics education.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.457-466
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• 2024

Cellobiose dehydrogenases (CDHs) are a group of enzymes belonging to the hemoflavoenzyme group, which are mostly found in fungi. They play an important role in the production of acid sugar. In this research, CDH annotated from the actinobacterium Cellulomonas palmilytica EW123 (CpCDH) was cloned and characterized. The CpCDH exhibited a domain architecture resembling class-I CDH found in Basidiomycota. The cytochrome c and flavin-containing dehydrogenase domains in CpCDH showed an extra-long evolutionary distance compared to fungal CDH. The amino acid sequence of CpCDH revealed conservative catalytic amino acids and a distinct flavin adenine dinucleotide region specific to CDH, setting it apart from closely related sequences. The physicochemical properties of CpCDH displayed optimal pH conditions similar to those of CDHs but differed in terms of optimal temperature. The CpCDH displayed excellent enzymatic activity at low temperatures (below 30℃), unlike other CDHs. Moreover, CpCDH showed the highest substrate specificity for disaccharides such as cellobiose and lactose, which contain a glucose molecule at the non-reducing end. The catalytic efficiency of CpCDH for cellobiose and lactose were 2.05 × 10⁵ and 9.06 × 10⁴ (M^-1 s^-1), respectively. The result from the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra confirmed the presence of cellobionic and lactobionic acids as the oxidative products of CpCDH. This study establishes CpCDH as a novel and attractive bacterial CDH, representing the first report of its kind in the Cellulomonas genus.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.275-282
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• 2023

Workers in nuclear power plants are likely to be exposed to radiation from various geometrical sources. In order to evaluate the exposure level, the point-kernel method can be utilized. In order to perform a dose assessment based on this method, the radiation source should be divided into point sources, and the number of divisions should be set by the evaluator. However, for the general public, there may be difficulties in selecting the appropriate number of divisions and performing an evaluation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop an algorithm for dose assessment for arbitrary shaped sources based on the point-kernel method. For this purpose, the point-kernel method was analyzed and the main factors for the dose assessment were selected. Subsequently, based on the analyzed methodology, a dose assessment algorithm for arbitrary shaped sources was developed. Lastly, the developed algorithm was verified using Microshield. The dose assessment procedure of the developed algorithm consisted of 1) boundary space setting step, 2) source grid division step, 3) the set of point sources generation step, and 4) dose assessment step. In the boundary space setting step, the boundaries of the space occupied by the sources are set. In the grid division step, the boundary space is divided into several grids. In the set of point sources generation step, the coordinates of the point sources are set by considering the proportion of sources occupying each grid. Finally, in the dose assessment step, the results of the dose assessments for each point source are summed up to derive the dose rate. In order to verify the developed algorithm, the exposure scenario was established based on the standard exposure scenario presented by the American National Standards Institute. The results of the evaluation with the developed algorithm and Microshield were compare. The results of the evaluation with the developed algorithm showed a range of 1.99×10^-1~9.74×10^-1 μSv hr^-1, depending on the distance and the error between the results of the developed algorithm and Microshield was about 0.48~6.93%. The error was attributed to the difference in the number of point sources and point source distribution between the developed algorithm and the Microshield. The results of this study can be utilized for external exposure radiation dose assessments based on the point-kernel method.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2023

When assessing the risk of radioactive wastes transportation on land, computer codes such as RADTRAN and RISKIND are used as deterministic methods. Transportation risk assessment using the deterministic method requires a relatively short assessment time. On the other hand, transportation risk assessment using the probabilistic method requires a relatively long assessment time, but produces more reliable results. Therefore, a study is needed to evaluate the exposure dose using a deterministic method that can be evaluated relatively quickly, and to compare and analyze the exposure dose result using a probabilistic method. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the exposure dose during transportation of radioactive wastes using deterministic and probabilistic methods, and to compare and analyze them. For this purpose, the main exposure factors were selected and various exposure situations were set. The distance between the radioactive waste and the receptor, the size of the package, and the speed of vehicle were selected as the main exposure factors. The exposure situation was largely divided into when the radioactive wastes were stationary and when they were passing. And the dose (rate) model of the deterministic overland transportation risk assessment computer code was analyzed. Finally, the deterministic method of the RADTRAN computer code and the RISKIND computer code and the probabilistic method of the MCNP 6 computer code were used to evaluate the exposure dose in various exposure situations during transportation of radioactive wastes. Then we compared and analyzed them. As a result of the evaluation, the tendency of the exposure dose (rate) was similar when the radioactive wastes were stationary and passing. For the same situation, the evaluation results of the RADTRAN computer code were generally more conservative than the results of the RISKIND computer code and the MCNP 6 computer code. The evaluation results of the RISKIND computer code and the MCNP 6 computer code were relatively similar. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for establishing the radioactive wastes transportation risk assessment system in Korea in the future.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.62-79
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• 2024

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a species that has devastated the United States and Canada. It is known to play a role in destroying the ecosystem. In this study, the domestic distribution of garlic mustard was confirmed and a detailed distribution map was created for the Samcheok region, where the largest population has been established in South Korea. This study investigated the growth environment, life cycle, and population dynamics of the species in the Samcheok region. Garlic mustard was found in a total of 301 locations in Samcheok, with a total distribution area of 2,957 square meters. Annual plants germinated in mid-April, overwintered in rosette form, underwent vegetative growth from April 10 to April 24 the following year, and flowered from April 24 to May 7. Individuals producing seeds began to die off from June. Both annual and biennial individuals showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing in number around April 27 (118 days). Garlic mustard grew well under favorable light conditions in early spring. They showed less growth on leaf litter, short distance from roads, lower altitude, deciduous broad-leaved forest of middle and lower parts of the slope and forest edge. Without proper control measures in the Samcheok region, it is likely to spread more rapidly in deciduous broad-leaved forests along hiking trails in the Galyasan Mountains. In particular, it is more likely to extend to oak community where light enters the site during flowering than to pine community where there is less light in the site.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.383-394
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• 2023

In Korea, the U.S. Tier-4 Final emission standards have been applied to agricultural machinery since 2015. This study was conducted to analyze the emission characteristics of agricultural tractors during plow tillage operations using PEMS (portable emissions measurement systems). The tractor working speed was set as M2 (5.95 km/h) and M3 (7.60 km/h), which was the most used gear stage during plow tillage operation. An engine idling test was conducted before the plow tillage operation was conducted because the level of emissions differed depending on the temperature of the engine (cold and hot states). The estimated level of emissions for the regular area (660 m²), which was the typical area of cultivation, was based on an implement width of 2.15 m and distance from the work area of 2.2 m. As a result, average emission of CO (carbon monoxide), THC (total hydrocarbons), NOx (nitric oxides), and PM (particulate matter) were approximately 6.17×10-2, 3.36×10^-4, 2.01×10^-4, and 6.85×10^-6 g/s, respectively. Based on the regular area, the total emission of CO, THC, NOx, and PM was 2.62, 3.76×10^-2, 1.63, and 2.59×10^-4 g, respectively. The results of total emission during plow tillage were compared to Tier 4 emission regulation limits. Tier 4 emission regulation limits means maximum value of the emission per consumption power (g/kWh), calculated as ratio of the emission and consumption power. Therefore, the total emission was converted to the emission per power using the rated power of the tractor. The emission per power was found to be satisfied below Tier 4 emission regulation limits for each emission gas. It is necessary to measure data by applying various test modes in the future and utilize them to calculate emission because the emission depends on various variables such as measurement environment and test mode.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.13 no.2 s.54
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• pp.215-222
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• 2009

In this study, steel and FRP jackets are used to confine concrete cylinders. The FRP jacket behaviors compositely with concrete since there is bonding between them. However, the used steel jacket in this study do not behavior compositely with concrete since there is not an adhesive between them. The steel jackets are attached by external forces and the welding. This study suggests the measuring method of the axial strain for the confined concrete cylinders showing noncomposite behavior with the jackets and the correcting method of the measured strain for the composite-behavior jackets. For the noncomposite-behavior steel jacket, the axial strain of the steel surface does not represent the axial strain of the concrete inside. Also, a compressormeter can not be used. Thus, the two rigid plates at the top and bottom of a cylinder are placed and the distance of the two plates are measured and used for estimating the axial strain of the concrete. For the composite-behavior FRP jacket, the vertical strain measured on the FRP surface can be used for estimating the axial strain of the concrete. However, the vertical strain on the FRP surface contains the tensile strain due to the bulge of the concrete and, thus, the tensile strain should be corrected from the vertical strain. The corrected verticals strains compared with the measured strain or a existing constitute model; the result is satisfactory. The uncorrected stress-strain curves have the potential to under estimate the ductile behavior and the energy-dissipation-capacity of the composite-behavior FRP jackets.