• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.4D
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• pp.323-330
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• 2010

The time in port for vessels is one of the important factors for analyzing the operation status and the capacity of ports. In addition, the time in port for vessels can be directly used for estimating the greenhouse gas emissions resulted from vessels in port. However, it is unclear which variables can affect the time in port for vessels and what the marginal effect of each variable is. With these challenges in mind, the study analyzes the time in port for vessels arriving and departing port of Busan by using a parametric survival model. The results show that the log-logistic accelerated failure time model is appropriate to explain the time in port for 19,167 vessels arriving and departing port of Busan in 2008, in which the time in port is significantly affected by gross tonnage of vessels, service capacity of terminal, and vessel type. This study also shows that the greenhouse gas emission resulted from full-container vessels, which accounted for about 61% of all vessels with loading/unloading purpose arriving and departing port of Busan in 2008, is about "17 ton/vessel" in the boundary of port of Busan. However, the hotelling greenhouse gas emissions resulted from non-container vessels (3,774 vessels; 20%) are greater than those from the full-container vessels. Hence, it is necessary to take into account more efficient port management polices and technologies to reduce the service time of non-container vessels in port of Busan.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.496-504
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• 2023

Countries worldwide are striving to find new sources of sustainable energy without carbon emission due to the increasing impact of global warming. With the advancement of the fourth industrial revolution on a global scale, there has been a substantial rise in energy demand. Simultaneously, there is a growing emphasis on utilizing energy sources with minimal or zero carbon content to ensure a stable power supply while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this comprehensive overview, a comparative analysis of carbon reduction policies of government was conducted. Based on international carbon neutrality scenarios and the presence of remaining thermal power generation, it can be categorized into two types: "Rapid" and "Safety". For the domestic scenario, the projected power demand and current greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with "The 10th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand" was examined. Considering all these factors, an overview of the current status of carbon neutrality technologies by focusing on the energy sector, encompassing transitions, hydrogen, transportation and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) was offered followed by summarization of key technological trends and government-driven policies. Furthermore, the central aspects of the domestic carbon reduction strategy were proposed by taking account of current mega trends in the energy sector which are highlighted in international scenario analyses.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.334-343
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• 2023

Background: South Korea's Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemicals (known as K-REACH) was established to protect public health and the environment from hazardous chemicals. 4,4'-Methylenedianiline (MDA), which is used as a major intermediate in industrial polymer production and as a vulcanizing agent in South Korea, is classified as a toxic substance under the K-REACH act. Although MDA poses potential ecological risks due to industrial emissions and hazards to aquatic ecosystems, no ecological risk assessment has been conducted. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the ecological risk of MDA by identifying the actual exposure status based on the K-REACH act. Methods: Various toxicity data were collected to establish predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs) for water, sediment, and soil. Using the SimpleBox Korea v2.0 model with domestic release statistical data and EU emission factors, predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) were derived for ten sites, each referring to an MDA-using company. Hazard quotient (HQ) was calculated by ratio of the PECs and PNECs to characterize the ecological risk posed by MDA. To validate the results of modeling-based assessment, concentration of MDA was measured using in-site freshwater samples (two to three samples per site). Results: PNECs for water, sediment, and soil were 0.000525 mg/L, 4.36 mg/kg dw, and 0.1 mg/kg dw, respectively. HQ for surface water and sediment at several company sites exceeded 1 due to modeling data showing markedly high PEC in each environmental compartment. However, in the results of validation using in-site surface water samples, MDA was not detected. Conclusions: Through an ecological risk assessment conducted in accordance with the K-REACH act, the risk level of MDA emitted into the environmental compartments in South Korea was found to be low.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.450-464
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• 2023

Pulse oximetry, a non-invasive technique for evaluating blood oxygen saturation, conventionally depends on isolated measurements, rendering it vulnerable to factors like illumination profile, spatial blood flow fluctuations, and skin pigmentation. Previous efforts to address these issues through imaging systems often employed red and near-infrared illuminations with distinct profiles, leading to inconsistent ratios of transmitted light and the potential for errors in calculating spatial oxygen saturation distributions. While an integrating sphere was recently utilized as an illumination source to achieve uniform red and near-infrared illumination profiles on the sample surface, its bulkiness presented practical challenges. In this work, we have enhanced the pulse oximetry imaging system by transitioning illumination from an integrating sphere to a multi-wavelength LED configuration. This adjustment ensures simultaneous emission of red and near-infrared light from the same position, creating a homogeneous illumination profile on the sample surface. This approach guarantees consistent patterns of red and near-infrared illuminations that are spatially uniform. The sustained ratio between transmitted red and near-infrared light across space enables precise calculation of the spatial distribution of oxygen saturation, making our pulse oximetry imaging system more compact and portable without compromising accuracy. Our work significantly contributes to obtaining spatial information on blood oxygen saturation, providing valuable insights into tissue oxygenation in peripheral regions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.185-200
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• 2022

The risk of various hazardous substances in aquatic environment comprises not only the concentration of substances in the environmental medium but also their accumulation in fish through complex food web and the health risks to humans through the fish. In Korea, the monitoring of residual toxicant in aquatic ecosystems began in 2016 following the enforcement of the Acts on registration and evaluation for the management of chemicals used in daily life (consumer chemical products), and attention has been paid to potentially hazardous substances attributed to them. Recently, studies have been carried out to investigate the distribution of these hazardous substances in the ecosystem and calculate their emission factors. These include the accumulation and transport of substances, such as detergents, dyes, fragrances, cosmetics, and disinfectants, within trophic levels. This study summarizes the results of recently published research on the inflow and distribution of hazardous substances from consumer chemical products to the aquatic environment and presents the scientific implication. Based on studies on aquatic environment monitoring techniques, this study suggests research directions for monitoring the residual concentration and distribution of harmful chemical substances in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, this study introduces the directions for research on trophic position analysis using compound specific isotope analysis and trophic magnification factors, which are needed to fulfill the contemporary requirements of selecting target fish based on the survey of major fish that inhabit domestic waters and assessment of associated health risk. In addition, this study provides suggestions for future biota monitoring and chemical research in Korea.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.287-316
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• 2023

As global energy crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have emerged as social issues, there is a growing demand for companies to move away from profit-centric business models and embrace sustainable management that balances environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. ESG activities of companies vary across industries, and industry-specific weights are applied in ESG evaluations. Therefore, it is important to develop strategic management approaches that reflect the characteristics of each industry and the importance of each ESG factor. Additionally, with the stance of strengthened focus on ESG disclosures, specific guidelines are needed to identify and report on sustainable management activities of domestic companies. To understand corporate sustainability strategies, analyzing ESG reports and news articles by industry can help identify strategic characteristics in specific industries. However, each company has its own unique strategies and report structures, making it difficult to grasp detailed trends or action items. In our study, we analyzed ESG reports (2019-2021) and news articles (2019-2022) of six companies in the 'Finance,' 'Manufacturing,' and 'IT' sectors to examine the sustainability strategies of leading domestic ESG companies. Text mining techniques such as keyword frequency analysis and topic modeling were applied to identify industry-specific, ESG element-specific management strategies and issues. The analysis revealed that in the 'Finance' sector, customer-centric management strategies and efforts to promote an inclusive culture within and outside the company were prominent. Strategies addressing climate change, such as carbon neutrality and expanding green finance, were also emphasized. In the 'Manufacturing' sector, the focus was on creating sustainable communities through occupational health and safety issues, sustainable supply chain management, low-carbon technology development, and eco-friendly investments to achieve carbon neutrality. In the 'IT' sector, there was a tendency to focus on technological innovation and digital responsibility to enhance social value through technology. Furthermore, the key issues identified in the ESG factors were as follows: under the 'Environmental' element, issues such as greenhouse gas and carbon emission management, industry-specific eco-friendly activities, and green partnerships were identified. Under the 'Social' element, key issues included social contribution activities through stakeholder engagement, supporting the growth and coexistence of members and partner companies, and enhancing customer value through stable service provision. Under the 'Governance' element, key issues were identified as strengthening board independence through the appointment of outside directors, risk management and communication for sustainable growth, and establishing transparent governance structures. The exploration of the relationship between ESG disclosures in reports and ESG issues in news articles revealed that the sustainability strategies disclosed in reports were aligned with the issues related to ESG disclosed in news articles. However, there was a tendency to strengthen ESG activities for prevention and improvement after negative media coverage that could have a negative impact on corporate image. Additionally, environmental issues were mentioned more frequently in news articles compared to ESG reports, with environmental-related keywords being emphasized in the 'Finance' sector in the reports. Thus, ESG reports and news articles shared some similarities in content due to the sharing of information sources. However, the impact of media coverage influenced the emphasis on specific sustainability strategies, and the extent of mentioning environmental issues varied across documents. Based on our study, the following contributions were derived. From a practical perspective, companies need to consider their characteristics and establish sustainability strategies that align with their capabilities and situations. From an academic perspective, unlike previous studies on ESG strategies, we present a subdivided methodology through analysis considering the industry-specific characteristics of companies.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.16-37
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• 2018

In this study, difference in chemical composition of $PM_{2.5}$ observed between the year 2013 and 2015 at six air quality intensive monitoring stations (Bangryenogdo (BR), Seoul (SL), Daejeon (DJ), Gwangju (GJ), Ulsan (US), and Jeju (JJ)) was investigated and the possible factors causing their difference were also discussed. $PM_{2.5}$, organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC), and water-soluble ionic species concentrations were observed on a hourly basis in the six stations. The difference in chemical composition by regions was examined based on emissions of gaseous criteria pollutants (CO, $SO_2$, and $NO_2$), meteorological parameters (wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity), and origins and transport pathways of air masses. For the years 2013 and 2014, annual average $PM_{2.5}$ was in the order of SL ($${\sim_=}DJ$$)>GJ>BR>US>JJ, but the highest concentration in 2015 was found at DJ, following by GJ ($${\sim_=}SJ$$)>BR>US>JJ. Similar patterns were found in $SO{_4}^{2-}$, $NO_3{^-}$, and $NH_4{^+}$. Lower $PM_{2.5}$ at SL than at DJ and GJ was resulted from low concentrations of secondary ionic species. Annual average concentrations of OC and EC by regions had no big difference among the years, but their patterns were distinct from the $PM_{2.5}$, $SO{_4}^{2-}$, $NO_3{^-}$, and $NH_4{^+}$ concentrations by regions. 4-day air mass backward trajectory calculations indicated that in the event of daily average $PM_{2.5}$ exceeding the monthly average values, >70% of the air masses reaching the all stations were coming from northeastern Chinese polluted regions, indicating the long-range transportation (LTP) was an important contributor to $PM_{2.5}$ and its chemical composition at the stations. Lower concentrations of secondary ionic species and $PM_{2.5}$ at SL in 2015 than those at DJ and GJ sites were due to the decrease in impact by LTP from polluted Chinese regions, rather than the difference in local emissions of criteria gas pollutants ($SO_2$, $NO_2$, and $NH_3$) among the SL, DJ, and GJ sites. The difference in annual average $SO{_4}^{2-}$ by regions was resulted from combination of the difference in local $SO_2$ emissions and chemical conversion of $SO_2$ to $SO{_4}^{2-}$, and LTP from China. However, the $SO{_4}^{2-}$ at the sites were more influenced by LTP than the formation by chemical transformation of locally emitted $SO_2$. The $NO_3{^-}$ increase was closely associated with the increase in local emissions of nitrogen oxides at four urban sites except for the BR and JJ, as well as the LTP with a small contribution. Among the meterological parameters (wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity), the ambient temperature was most important factor to control the variation of $PM_{2.5}$ and its major chemical components concentrations. In other words, as the average temperature increases, the $PM_{2.5}$, OC, EC, and $NO_3{^-}$ concentrations showed a decreasing tendency, especially with a prominent feature in $NO_3{^-}$. Results from a case study that examined the $PM_{2.5}$ and its major chemical data observed between February 19 and March 2, 2014 at the all stations suggest that ambient $SO{_4}^{2-}$ and $NO_3{^-}$ concentrations are not necessarily proportional to the concentrations of their precursor emissions because the rates at which they form and their gas/particle partitioning may be controlled by factors (e.g., long range transportation) other than the concentration of the precursor gases.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.21-25
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• 2010

Purpose: For better PET imaging with accuracy the transmission scanning is inevitably required for attenuation correction. The attenuation is affected by condition of acquisition and patient position, consequently quantitative accuracy may be decreased in emission scan imaging. In this paper, the present study aims at providing the measurement for attenuation varying with the positions of the patient's arm in whole body PET/CT, further performing the comparative analysis over its SUV changes. Materials and Methods: NEMA 1994 PET phantom was filled with $^{18}F$-FDG and the concentration ratio of insert cylinder and background water fit to 4:1. Phantom images were acquired through emission scanning for 4min after conducting transmission scanning by using CT. In an attempt to acquire image at the state that the arm of the patient was positioned at the lower of ahead, image was acquired in away that two pieces of Teflon inserts were used additionally by fixing phantoms at both sides of phantom. The acquired imaged at a were reconstructed by applying the iterative reconstruction method (iteration: 2, subset: 28) as well as attenuation correction using the CT, and then VOI was drawn on each image plane so as to measure CT number and SUV and comparatively analyze axial uniformity (A.U=Standard deviation/Average SUV) of PET images. Results: It was found from the above phantom test that, when comparing two cases of whether Teflon insert was fixed or removed, the CT number of cylinder increased from -5.76 HU to 0 HU, while SUV decreased from 24.64 to 24.29 and A.U from 0.064 to 0.052. And the CT number of background water was identified to increase from -6.14 HU to -0.43 HU, whereas SUV decreased from 6.3 to 5.6 and A.U also decreased from 0.12 to 0.10. In addition, as for the patient image, CT number was verified to increase from 53.09 HU to 58.31 HU and SUV decreased from 24.96 to 21.81 when the patient's arm was positioned over the head rather than when it was lowered. Conclusion: When arms up protocol was applied, the SUV of phantom and patient image was decreased by 1.4% and 9.2% respectively. With the present study it was concluded that in case of PET/CT scanning against the whole body of a patient the position of patient's arm was not so much significant. Especially, the scanning under the condition that the arm is raised over to the head gives rise to more probability that the patient is likely to move due to long scanning time that causes the increase of uptake of $^{18}F$-FDG of brown fat at the shoulder part together with increased pain imposing to the shoulder and discomfort to a patient. As regarding consideration all of such factors, it could be rationally drawn that PET/CT scanning could be made with the arm of the subject lowered.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.459-465
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• 2012

This study was conducted to obtain investigated characteristic factors which has an influence on nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) emissions related to the environment change of nitrogen application level, rainfall and temperature. It was done by the carrot cultivation at black volcanic ashes soil in the experimental field of Jeju Special Self-governing Province Agricultural Research and Extension Services from 2010 to 2011. During the carrot cultivation period, the more amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied, the more amount of $N_2O$ emissions were released. Generally $N_2O$ emissions were so deeply released to climate as that in the first and middle of cultivation with heavy rainfall released amount is high, otherwise it was released very low at the end of cultivation and drought season. $N_2O$ emissions type was considered to relate with the rainfall pattern and soil water content. We obtained the result correlated with $N_2O$ emissions, in 2010, as the soil water and soil temperature were significant to $0.5718^{**}$ ($r$) and $0.4908^{**}$ ($r$) respectively, but soil EC was not significant to 0.2704 ($r$). In 2011, soil water was significant to $0.3394^*$ ($r$), but soil temperature and soil EC were not significant to 0.2138 ($r$) and 0.2462 ($r$) respectively. Also, $NO_3$-N and soil nitrogen ($NO_3-N+NH_4-N$) were not significant to 0.0575 ($r$) and 0.0787 ($r$) respectively. During the carrot cultivation period, the average emissions factor released by the nitrogen fertilizer application for 2 years was presumed to be 0.0025 $N_2O$-N kg / N kg. This factor was 4 times than the IPCC (0.0100 $N_2O$-N kg / N kg) factor.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.451-458
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the characteristic factors which have been influenced on nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) emissions related to the environment change of nitrogen application level, rainfall and temperature during the soybean cultivation at black volcanic ash soil from 2010 to 2011. During the soybean cultivation, the more amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied, $N_2O$ emissions amounts were released much. $N_2O$ emissions with the cultivation time were released much at the first and middle of cultivation with heavy rainfall, but it was released very low until the end of cultivation and drought season. $N_2O$ emissions mainly were influenced by the rainfall and soil water content. The correlation ($r$) with $N_2O$ emissions, soil water, soil temperature and soil EC in 2010 were very significant at $0.4591^{**}$, $0.6312^{**}$ and $0.3691^{**}$ respectively. In 2011, soil water was very significant at $0.4821^{**}$, but soil temperature and soil EC were not significant at 0.1646 and 0.1543 respectively. Also, $NO_3$-N and soil nitrogen ($NO_3-N+NO_4-N$) were very significant at $0.6902^{**}$ and $0.6277^*$ respectively, but $NO_4$-N was not significant at 0.1775. During the soybean cultivation, the average emissions factor of 2 years released by the nitrogen fertilizer application was presumed to be 0.0202 ($N_2O$-N kg $N^{-1}\;kg^{-1}$). This factor was higher about 2.8 and 2 times than the Japan's (0.0073 $N_2O$-N kg $N^{-1}\;kg^{-1}$) value and 2006 IPCC guideline default value (0.0100 $N_2O$-N kg $N^{-1}\;kg^{-1}$) respectively.