• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.18-32
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• 2021

Social media has become a popular source of information around the world. Previous studies explored different trends of social media news consumption. However, no studies have focused on Bangladesh to date, where social media penetration is very high in recent years. To fill this gap, this research aimed to understand its popularity trends during the period. For that reason, this work analyzes 97.67 million page likes and 3.48 billion interaction data collected from nine Bangladeshi news media's Facebook pages between December 2016 to November 2020. The analysis shows that the growth rates of page likes and interaction rates declined during this period. It suggests that the media's Facebook pages are gradually losing their popularity among Facebook users, which may have two more interpretations: Facebook's aggregate appeal as a news source is decreasing to users, or Bangladeshi media's appeal is eroding to Facebook users. These findings challenge the previous results, i.e., Facebook's demand as a news source is increasing with time. We offer four explanations of the decreased popularity of Facebook's news: information overload, exposure to incidental news, users' selective exposure and different aims of using Facebook, and conflict between media agendas and users' interests. Some theoretical and practical significance of the results has been discussed as well.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2022

Background: Since people move through microenvironments rather than staying in one place, they may be exposed to both indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the exposure level of each sub-population group and evaluate the contribution rate of the major microenvironments. Methods: Exposure scenarios for sub-population groups were constructed on the basis of a 2019 Time-Use survey and the previous literature. A total of five population groups were classified and researchers wearing MicroPEM simulated monitoring PM_2.5 exposure concentrations in real-time over three days. The exposure contribution for each microenvironment were evaluated by multiplying the inhalation rate and the PM_2.5 exposure concentration levels. Results: Mean PM_2.5 concentrations were 33.0 ㎍/m³ and 22.5 ㎍/m³ in Guro-gu and Wonju, respectively. When the exposure was calculated considering each inhalation rate and concentration, the home showed the highest exposure contribution rate for PM_2.5. As for preschool children, it was 90.8% in Guro-gu, 94.1% in Wonju. For students it was 65.3% and 67.3%. For housewives it was 98.2% and 95.8%, and 59.5% and 91.7% for office workers. Both regions had higher exposure to PM_2.5 among the elderly compared to other populations, and their PM_2.5 exposure contribution rates were 98.3% and 94.1% at home for Guro-gu and Wonju, respectively. Conclusions: The exposure contribution rate could be dependent on time spent in microenvironments. Notably, the contribution rate of exposure to PM_2.5 at home was the highest because most people spend the longest time at home. Therefore, microenvironments such as home with a higher contribution rate of exposure to PM_2.5 could be managed to upgrade public health.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.11 no.1_2
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• pp.19-29
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• 1996

Human exposure to volatile compounds in tap water can occur from inhalation and dermal absorption as well as direct ingestion. The relative contribution to total human exposure from these pathways has been considered to be important especially for VOC's (volatile organic compounds). In an attempt to reduce the uncertainty of the risk assessment, it has been suggested that the exposure assessment process could be significantly improved by adopting Monte-Carlo simulation. However, there is no actual data in Korea for each exposure parameter to determine the level of exposure, and the distributional pattern. Therefore, we surveyed water use patterns and behavior related to multi-route exposure to VOC's in household tap water in Korea, and compared these values to the those in western countries. In the first survey, we calculated daily water intake using data from a sample of 1322 persons of several cities in Korea. In the second survey, we obtained questionnaire data on exposure time for showering, bathing and household activities, and tap water intake from 851households in Korea. In the last survey, we measured the exposure parameters (exposure time, water use rate etc.) related to showers, baths, toilets, dish washing, washing and cooking, and tap water intake was surveyed. Also, the subjects were measured their body weight, height and tidal volume, etc. A diary, a flow meter and a measuring cup were used to measure these values as precisely as possible. Average daily water intake was ranged 0.79-1.71 L/day for adults in three surveys. Tap water intake measured by log-sheet during one week in third survey was 1.26 (average), 1.98 L/day (90 percentlie), respectively. These results were comparable with results from EPA (1.4, 2L/day). The average amount of water used by housewives in the third survey was 515.0 $\pm$ 564.6L/day. In usual activity, the amount of water used in the bathroom, the laundry and the kitchen was 140.0 $\pm$ 538.9, 148.0 $\pm$ 174.5, 229.3 $\pm$ 205.4 L/day, respectively. Exposure parameters such as water intake rate, exposure duration, body weight, inhalation rates in surveyed data of Korean people differed from those published from western countries. This could be attributed to variations in lifestyle, dietary habits and physiological characteristics.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.513-537
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• 2017

In this study, the fracture toughness $K_{IC}$ of high performance concrete (HPC) was investigated by conducting three-point bending tests on a total of 240 notched beams of $500mm{\times}100mm{\times}100mm$ subjected to heating temperatures up to $450^{\circ}C$ with exposure times up to 16 hours and various heating and cooling rates. For a heating rate of $3^{\circ}C/min$, $K_{IC}$ for the hot concrete sustained a monotonic decrease trend with the increasing heating temperature and exposure time, from $1.389MN/m^{1.5}$ at room temperature to $0.942MN/m^{1.5}$ at $450^{\circ}C$ for 4-hour exposure time, $0.906MN/m^{1.5}$ for 8-hour exposure time and $0.866MN/m^{1.5}$ for 16-hour exposure time. For the cold concrete, $K_{IC}$ sustained a two-stage decrease trend, dropping slowly with the heating temperature up to $150^{\circ}C$ and then rapidly down to $0.869MN/m^{1.5}$ at $450^{\circ}C$ for 4-hour exposure time, $0.812MN/m^{1.5}$ for 8-hour exposure time and $0.771MN/m^{1.5}$ for 16-hour exposure time. In general, the $K_{IC}$ values for the hot concrete up to $200^{\circ}C$ were larger than those for the cold concrete, and an inverse trend was observed thereafter. The increase in heating rate slightly decreased $K_{IC}$, and at $450^{\circ}C$ $K_{IC}$ decreased from $0.893MN/m^{1.5}$ for $1^{\circ}C/min$ to $0.839MN/m^{1.5}$ for $10^{\circ}C/min$ for the hot concrete and from $0.792MN/m^{1.5}$ for $1^{\circ}C/min$ to $0.743MN/m^{1.5}$ for $10^{\circ}C/min$ for the cold concrete after an exposure time of 16 hours. The increase in cooling rate also slightly decreased $K_{IC}$, and at $450^{\circ}C$ $K_{IC}$ decreased from $0.771MN/m^{1.5}$ for slow cooling to $0.739MN/m^{1.5}$ for fast cooling after an exposure time of 16 hours. The fracture energy-based fracture toughness $K_{IC}$' was also assessed, and similar decrease trends with the heating temperature and exposure time existed for both hot and cold concretes. The relationships of two fracture toughness parameters with the weight loss and the modulus of rapture were also evaluated.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.255-260
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess follicular viability and competence through in vitro culture of preantral follicles isolated from vitrified mouse whole ovaries. Mouse preantral follicles were enzymatically isolated from vitrified- warmed and fresh ovaries and cultured for 10 days followed by in vitro oocyte maturation. In vitro matured oocytes were fertilized and cultured to the blastocyst stage. Five minutes pre-exposure to vitrification solution of whole ovaries had significantly higher (p<0.05) oocyte survival and maturation rates than between 10 min exposure groups. Oocyte diameter was significantly smaller (p<0.05) in the 5 and 10 min exposure groups ($69.4{\pm}2.8$ and $67.8{\pm}3.1$) when compared to that of control group ($71.7{\pm}2.1$). There was no statistical significant difference in blastocyst development rates between vitrification group (8.6%) and the fresh control group (12.0%). The mean number of cells per blastocyst was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the vitrification group ($41.9{\pm}20.2$) than in the fresh control group ($55.1{\pm}22.5$). The results show that mouse oocytes within preantral follicles isolated from the vitrified whole ovaries can achieve full maturation, normal fertilization and embryo development.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.257-260
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• 2006

In order to evaluate the exposure to the radiologic technologists from patients who had been administrated with radiopharmaceuticals, we measured the spatial dose rates at $5{\sim}300\;cm$ from skin surface of patients using an proportional digital surveymeter, 1.5(PET scan) and 4hr(bone scan) after injection. In results, the exposure to the technologists in each procedure was small, compared with the dose limits of the medical workers. However, the dose-response relationships in cancer and hereditary effects, referred to as the stochastic effects, have been assumed linear and no threshold models ; therefore, the exposure should be minimized. For this purpose, the measurements of spatial dose rate distributions were thought to be useful.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.263-272
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• 2012

A GoldSim template program for a safety assessment of a hybrid-typed repository system, called A-KRS, in which two kinds of pyro-processed radioactive wastes, low-level metal wastes and ceramic high-level wastes that arise from the pyro-processing of PWR nuclear spent fuels are disposed of, has been developed. This program is ready both for a deterministic and probabilistic total system performance assessment which is able to evaluate nuclide release from the repository and farther transport into the geosphere and biosphere under various normal, disruptive natural and manmade events, and scenarios. The A-KRS has been probabilistically assessed with 9 selected input parameters, each of which has its own statistical distribution for a normal release and transport scenario associated with nuclide release and transport in and around the repository. Probabilistic dose exposure rates to the farming exposure group have been evaluated. A sensitivity of 9 selected parameters to the result has also been investigated to see which parameter is more sensitive and important to the exposure rates.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.165-172
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• 2003

The objectives of this study were to examine the physiological responses to ozone and to measure ozone uptake rates of Betula species exposed to relatively high concentration of pollutants. At the end of the growing season, photosynthesis, pigments contents, antioxidants (SOD and GR) and ozone uptake rates were measured or estimated at the leaves of five Betula species (Betula costata, B. davurica, B. platyphylla var. japonica, B. schmidtii and B. ermanii) exposed to 100ppb ozone concentration. On the termination of the experiment, growth effects were determined by measuring leaf area and dry weights of leaf, stem and root. Ozone treatment showed the significant reduction the leaf area and dry weight of four Betula species, except for B. ermanii. Shoot / root (SR) ratio of five species represented two different types. SR ratio of B. costata and B. davurica were lower than control, in contrast, SR ratio of B. platyphylla var. japonica, B. schimidtii and B. emani, were higher than that of control. The photosynthetic responses of five species were different in responses to ozone exposure. Four species, except for B. emanii, maintained or increased the stomatal conductance, but B. emanii decreased both stomatal conductance and photosynthesis. SOD activities of five species decreased by the ozone exposure, especially B. ermanii showed the largest reduction, GR activities of B. platyphylla var. japonica and B. schmidtii increased, B. costata and B. emanii decreased. Instantaneous ozone uptake rate was the highest at the leaves of B. ermanii and B. costata, ozone uptake per seedling was the highest at the leaf of B. schmidtii and B. emanii. It was concluded that B. costata, B. davurica and B. platyphylla var. japonica, appeared the growth reduction and visible ozone injury, were sensitive species to ozone, and B. schmidtii with the increased antioxidant activity and B. ermanii without the growth reduction were relatively resistant species to high ozone concentration at the early growing stage.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.376-384
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• 2019

Background: Nutrient release during litter decomposition was investigated in Vitex doniana, Terminalia avecinioides, Sarcocephallus latifolius, and Parinari curatellifolius in Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria (January 10 to March 10 and from June 10 to August 10, 2016). Leaf decomposition was measured as loss in mass of litter over time using the decay model W_t/W₀ = e-^{kd t}, while $Kd=-{\frac{1}{t}}In({\frac{Wt}{W0}})$ was used to evaluate decomposition rate. Time taken for half of litter to decompose was measured using T₅₀ = ln ²/k; while nutrient accumulation index was evaluated as $NAI=(\frac{{\omega}t\;Xt}{{\omega}oXo})$. Results: Average mass of litter remaining after exposure ranged from 96.15 g, (V. doniana) to 78.11 g, (S. lafolius) in dry (November to March) and wet (April to October) seasons. Decomposition rate was averagely faster in the wet season (0.0030) than in the dry season (0.0022) with P. curatellifolius (0.0028) and T. avecinioides (0.0039) having the fastest decomposition rates in dry and wet seasons. Mean residence time (days) ranged from 929 to 356, while the time (days) for half the original mass to decompose ranged from 622 to 201 (dry and wet seasons). ANOVA revealed highly significant differences (p < 0.01) in decomposition rates and exposure time (days) and a significant interaction (p < 0.05) between species and exposure time in both seasons. Conclusion: Slow decomposition in the plant leaves implied carbon retention in the ecosystem and slow release of CO₂ back to the atmosphere, while nitrogen was mineralized in both seasons. The plants therefore showed effectiveness in nutrient cycling and support productivity in the ecosystem.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.26
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• pp.8.1-8.9
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• 2011

Objectives: This study assessed the health risks for children exposed to phthalate through several pathways including house dust, surface wipes and hand wipes in child facilities and indoor playgrounds. Methods: The indoor samples were collected from various children's facilities (40 playrooms, 42 daycare centers, 44 kindergartens, and 42 indoor-playgrounds) in both summer (Jul-Sep, 2007) and winter (Jan-Feb, 2008). Hazard index (HI) was estimated for the non-carcinogens and the examined phthalates were diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP). The present study examined these four kinds of samples, i.e., indoor dust, surface wipes of product and hand wipes. Results: Among the phthalates, the detection rates of DEHP were 98% in dust samples, 100% in surface wipe samples, and 95% in hand wipe samples. In this study, phthalate levels obtained from floor dust, product surface and children's hand wipe samples were similar to or slightly less compared to previous studies. The $50^{th}$ and $95^{th}$ percentile value of child-sensitive materials did not exceed 1 (HI) for all subjects in all facilities. Conclusions: For DEHP, DnBP and BBzP their detection rates through multi-routes were high and their risk based on health risk assessment was also observed to be acceptable. This study suggested that ingestion and dermal exposure could be the most important pathway of phthalates besides digestion through food.