• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.1355-1363
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• 2018

Many radionuclides exist in normal environment and artificial radionuclides also can be detected. The radionuclides ($^{131}I$) are widely used for labeling compounds and radiation therapy. In Korea, the radionuclide ($^{131}I$) is produced at the Radioisotope Production Facility (RIPF) at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon. The residents around the RIPF assume that $^{131}I$ detected in environmental samples is produced from RIPF. To ensure the safety of the residents, the radioactive concentration of $^{131}I$ near the RIPF was investigated by monitoring environmental samples along the Gap River. The selected geographical places are near the nuclear installation, another possible location for $^{131}I$ detection, and downstream of the Gap River. The first selected places are the "front gate of KAERI", and the "Donghwa bridge". The second selected place is the sewage treatment plant. Therefore, the Wonchon bridge is selected for the upstream of the plant and the sewage treatment plant is selected for the downstream of the plant. The last selected places are the downstream where the two paths converged, which is Yongshin bridge (in front of the cogeneration plant). In these places, environmental samples, including sediment, fish, surface water, and aquatic plants, were collected. In this study, the radioactive iodine ($^{131}I$) detection along the Gap River will be investigated.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.389-406
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• 2011

As part of a feasibility study for introducing carbon labeling of fruit products in Korea, we explore the use of carbon footprints for Korean kiwifruit from Gyeongnam region as a case study. In Korea, the Korean Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) is responsible for the carbon footprint labeling certification, and has two types of certification programs: one program focuses on climate change response (carbon footprint labeling analysis) and the other on low-carbon products (reduction of carbon footprints analysis). Currently agricultural products have not yet been included in the program. Carbon labeling could soon be a prerequisite for the international trading of agricultural products. In general the carbon footprints of various agricultural products from New Zealand followed the methodology described in the ISO standards and conformed to the PAS 2050. The carbon footprint assessment focuses on a supply chain, and considers the foreground and the background systems. The basic scheme consists of four phases, which are the 'goal', 'scope', 'inventory analysis', and 'interpretation' phases. In the case of the carbon footprint of New Zealand kiwifruit the study tried to understand each phase's contribution to total GHG emissions. According to the results, shipping, orchard, and coolstore operation are the main life cycle stages that contribute to the carbon footprint of the kiwifruit supply chain stretching from the orchard in New Zealand to the consumer in the UK. The carbon emission of long-distance transportation such as shipping can be a hot-spot of GHG emissions, but can be balanced out by minimizing the carbon footprint of other life cycle phases. For this reason it is important that orchard and coolstore operations reduce the GHG-intensive inputs such as fuel or electricity to minimize GHG emissions and consequently facilitate the industry to compete in international markets. The carbon footprint labeling guided by international standards should be introduced for fruit products in Korea as soon as possible. The already established LCA methodology of NZ kiwifruit can be applied for fruit products as a case study.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1455-1462
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to examine green consumer behavior (green product purchasing behavior and green consumption life) affected by demographical characteristics, and cognition degree of green life (cognition of a green indicator, a green life catalyst system, and environmental problems). It's also to promote strategy and suggest effective activation plans for the vitalization of green consumer behavior. To carry out the task, verification of credibility, multiple regression analysis, two-step cluster analysis, and multinomial logistic analysis were used. The results are as follows: First, the factors that effect green product purchasing behavior were gender, age, cognitive of a green indicator, carbon points system, electricity peak hour system, and seriousness of environmental damage due to lifestyle. Second, the factors that effect green lifestyle were gender, age, carbon grade indicator system, cognition of a green system, and the seriousness of environmental damage due to lifestyle. Third, the comparative group characteristic analysis showed low rates for careless green consumer behavior groups compared to the passive green consumer behavior groups in cognition of a green indicator, green system, and environmental problems. For active green consumer behavior groups, the analysis showed high rates in cognition of carbon grades, eco-labeling, electricity peak hour system, and environmental damage due to lifestyle. In order to encourage green consumer behavior, it's evident that cognition of a green indicator, a green life catalyst system, and environmental problems need to be improved through strategic education and continuous encouragement.

• Journal of Korea Society of Waste Management
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.709-720
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• 2018

Since the import ban of plastic waste in China has been enforced, plastic wastes were not properly collected and recycled in Korea. Hence, the management strategies for plastic waste in Korea should be improved by examining the regulations and policy in developed countries such as United States, Japan, EU and United Kingdom. The management strategy for the recycling cycle should be implemented to expand the labeling system of separation and discharge, reduce the consumption of plastic products, automate the separation and sorting method in recycling facilities, and improve the economical efficiency of the recycling cycle. The concept of residual waste (secondary waste) in the material flow analysis should be implemented to identify the shortage point in the plastic waste stream. Finally, the cooperation with international communities is required for a transboundary movement of plastic waste, which includes participation at the working group of international standards to recycle plastic waste.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.209-220
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• 2022

Objectives: This study was performed to suggest how to re-establish criterion for toxic substances under the Chemical Control Act (CCA) in South Korea by comparing the GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) score and toxic properties. Methods: Toxic substances were classified into seven groups (Acute toxicity (1A), Chronic toxicity (2C), Environmental hazards (3E), Acute toxicity & chronic toxicity (4AC), Chronic toxicity & environmental hazards (5CE), Acute toxicity & environmental hazards (6AE), and Acute toxicity & chronic toxicity & environmental hazards (7ACE)) according to their toxic properties. The GHS score was calculated to sum up five toxicity indicators (health acute toxicity, health repeated toxicity, carcinogenicity, health other chronic toxicity and environmental hazards). Results: The GHS score of 7ACE was higher by 7 times that of 1A. 1A is the only group which has lower than the total GHS score. The highest score was 47, for sodium chromate (CAS no. 7775-11-3), which belongs to group 7ACE. This is classified as acute toxicity, carcinogenicity, germ cell mutagenicity, reproductive toxicity, and acute and chronic environmental hazard. On the other hand, the lowest score was 2.75, which was assigned to 177 chemicals belonging to group 1A. When the health acute toxicity indicator was omitted from the toxic criterion, toxic substances could be divided into the sub-groups 'human chronic hazards group' (HCG) and 'environmental hazards group' (EG) according to their GHS score and properties. Conclusions: The proposed criterion for toxic substances is to establish sub-groups defined as HCG and EG for separate control and that the 1A group be moved to substances requiring preparation for accidents under the CCA.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.384-392
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• 2013

Objective: This study inspected incident cases, legal control levels, and GHS(Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) classification results of strong acids such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid, which have been responsible for many recent chemical accidents. As a result, it is deemed necessary for legal control levels of these strong acids to be revised and GHS classification be managed nation-wide. Methods: This study inspected incident cases and legal control levels for strong acids such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid. The study analyzed and compared chemical information status and GHS classification results. Results: There were 76 domestic incidents involving strongly acidic hazardous materials over the five years between 2007 and 2011. They include 37 leakage incidents(46.7%) within a workplace, 30 leakage incidents(39.5%) during transportation, and nine leakage incidents(13.8%) following an explosion. The strongly acidic materials in question are defined and controlled as toxic chemicals according to the classes of Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents, Managed Hazardous Substance, Hazardous Chemical(corrosive) as set forth under the Enforcement Decree of the Toxic Chemicals Control Act and Rules on Occupational Safety and Health Standards of Occupational Safety and Health Act. Among them, nitric acid is solely controlled as a class 6 hazardous material, oxidizing liquid, under the Hazardous Chemicals Control Act. The classification results of the EU ECHA(European Chemicals Agency) CLP(Commission Regulation(EC) No. 790/2009 of 10 August 2009, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical and scientific progress, Regulation(EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures) and NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research) are almost identical for the three chemicals, with the exception of sulfuric acid. Much of the classification information of NITE (National Institute of Technology and Evaluation) and KOSHA(Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, KOSHA) is the same. NIER provides 12(41.4%) out of 29 classifications, as does KOSHA.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2017

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important crop and its yield must be improved to feed the increasing global population. Recently developed high-yielding varieties with extra-large sink capacity often have a problem in unstable grain-filling. Therefore, understanding limiting factors for improving grain-filling and controlling them are essential for further improvement of rice grain yield. However, since grain-filling rate was determined by complex sink-source balance, the ability of grain-filling was very difficult to evaluate. Source ability for 'grain' was not only determined by the ability of carbon assimilation in leaves, but also that of carbon translocation from leaves to panicles. Sink strength was determined by the complex carbon metabolism from sucrose degradation to starch synthesis. Hence, to evaluate the grain-filling ability and determine its regulatory steps, the whole picture of carbon flow from photosynthesis at leaves to starch synthesis at grains must be revealed in a metabolite level. In this study, the yield and grain growth rate of three high-yielding varieties, which show high sink capacity commonly, were compared. Momiroman showed lower grain filling rate and slower grain growth rate than the other varieties, Hokuriku 193 and Tequing. To clarify the limiting point in the carbon flow of Momiroman, $CO_2$ labeled by stable isotope ($^{13}C$) was fed to three varieties during ripening period. The ratio of $^{13}C$ left in the stem was higher in Momiroman 24 hours after feeding, suggesting inefficient carbon translocation of Momiroman. More interestingly, $^{13}C$ translocation from soluble fraction to insoluble one in the grain seemed to be slower in Momiroman. To get the further insight in a metabolite level, we are now trying the $^{13}C$ labeling metabolome analysis in the developing grains.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to detect cell death in the liver of mice treated with thioacetamide (TAA) using fluorescence bioimaging and compare this outcome with that using conventional histopathological examination. At 6 weeks of age, 24 mice were randomly divided into three groups: group 1 (G1), control group; group 2 (G2), fluorescence probe control group; group 3 (G3), TAA-treated group. G3 mice were treated with TAA. Twenty-two hours after TAA treatment, G2 and G3 mice were treated with Annexin-Vivo 750. Fluorescence in vivo bioimaging was performed by fluorescence molecular tomography at two hours after Annexin-Vivo 750 treatment, and fluorescence ex vivo bioimaging of the liver was performed. Liver damage was validated by histopathological examination. In vivo bioimaging showed that the fluorescence intensity was increased in the right upper part of G3 mice compared with that in G2 mice, whereas G1 mice showed no signal. Additionally ex vivo bioimaging showed that the fluorescence intensity was significantly increased in the livers of G3 mice compared with those in G1 or G2 mice (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination of the liver showed no cell death in G1 and G2 mice. However, in G3 mice, there was destruction of hepatocytes and increased cell death. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining confirmed many cell death features in the liver of G3 mice, whereas no pathological findings were observed in the liver of G1 and G2 mice. Taken together, fluorescence bioimaging in this study showed the detection of cell death and made it possible to quantify the level of cell death in male mice. The outcome was correlated with conventional biomedical examination. As it was difficult to differentiate histological location by fluorescent bioimaging, it is necessary to develop specific fluorescent dyes for monitoring hepatic disease progression and to exploit new bioimaging techniques without dye-labeling.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.235-240
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• 2012

$^{99m}Tc$ tricarbonyl glycine monomers, trimers, and pentamers were synthesized and evaluated for their radiolabeling and in vivo distribution characteristics. We synthesized a $^{99m}Tc$-tricarbonyl precursor with a low oxidation state (I). $^{99m}Tc(CO)_3(H_2O)_3^+$ was then made to react with monomeric and oligomeric glycine for the development of bifunctional chelating sequences for biomolecules. Labeling yields of $^{99m}Tc$-tricarbonyl glycine monomers and oligomers were checked by high-performance liquid chromatography. The labeling yields of $^{99m}Tc$-tricarbonyl glycine and glycine oligomers were more than 95%. We evaluated the characteristics of $^{99m}Tc$-tricarbonyl glycine oligomers by carrying out a lipophilicity test and an imaging study. The octanol-water partition coefficient of $^{99m}Tc$ tricarbonyl glycine oligomers indicated hydrophilic properties. Single-photon emission computed tomography imaging of $^{99m}Tc$-tricarbonyl glycine oligomers showed rapid renal excretion through the kidneys with a low uptake in the liver, especially of $^{99m}Tc$ tricarbonyl triglycine. Furthermore, we verified that the addition of triglycine to prototype biomolecules (AGRGDS and RRPYIL) results in the improvement of radiolabeling yield. From these results, we conclude that triglycine has good characteristics for use as a bifunctional chelating sequence for a $^{99m}Tc$-tricarbonyl-based biomolecular imaging probe.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.67-77
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• 2023

This study represents an innovative research conducted in the smart farm environment, developing a deep learning-based disease and pest detection model and applying it to the Intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) platform to explore new possibilities in the implementation of digital agricultural environments. The core of the research was the integration of the latest ImageNet models such as Pseudo-Labeling, RegNet, EfficientNet, and preprocessing methods to detect various diseases and pests in complex agricultural environments with high accuracy. To this end, ensemble learning techniques were applied to maximize the accuracy and stability of the model, and the model was evaluated using various performance indicators such as mean Average Precision (mAP), precision, recall, accuracy, and box loss. Additionally, the SHAP framework was utilized to gain a deeper understanding of the model's prediction criteria, making the decision-making process more transparent. This analysis provided significant insights into how the model considers various variables to detect diseases and pests.