• Title/Summary/Keyword: Half Life

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Activation Analysis of Dual-purpose Metal Cask After the End of Design Lifetime for Decommission (설계수명 이후 해체를 위한 금속 겸용용기의 방사화 특성 평가)

  • Kim, Tae-Man;Ku, Ji-Young;Dho, Ho-Seog;Cho, Chun-Hyung;Ko, Jae-Hun
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.14 no.4
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    • pp.343-356
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    • 2016
  • The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) has developed a dual-purpose metal cask for the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel that has been generated by domestic light-water reactors. The metal cask was designed in compliance with international and domestic technology standards, and safety was the most important consideration in developing the design. It was designed to maintain its integrity for 50 years in terms of major safety factors. The metal cask ensures the minimization of waste generated by maintenance activities during the storage period as well as the safe management of the waste. An activation evaluation of the main body, which includes internal and external components of metal casks whose design lifetime has expired, provides quantitative data on their radioactive inventory. The radioactive inventory of the main body and the components of the metal cask were calculated by applying the MCNP5 ORIGEN-2 evaluation system and by considering each component's chemical composition, neutron flux distribution, and reaction rate, as well as the duration of neutron irradiation during the storage period. The evaluation results revealed that 10 years after the end of the cask's design life, $^{60}Co$ had greater radioactivity than other nuclides among the metal materials. In the case of the neutron shield, nuclides that emit high-energy gamma rays such as $^{28}Al$ and $^{24}Na$ had greater radioactivity immediately after the design lifetime. However, their radioactivity level became negligible after six months due to their short half-life. The surface exposure dose rates of the canister and the main body of the metal cask from which the spent nuclear fuel had been removed with expiration of the design lifetime were determined to be at very low levels, and the radiation exposure doses to which radiation workers were subjected during the decommissioning process appeared to be at insignificant levels. The evaluations of this study strongly suggest that the nuclide inventory of a spent nuclear fuel metal cask can be utilized as basic data when decommissioning of a metal cask is planned, for example, for the development of a decommissioning plan, the determination of a decommissioning method, the estimation of radiation exposure to workers engaged in decommissioning operations, the management/reuse of radioactive wastes, etc.

Study on the Community Structure of Sublittoral Meiofauna in the Barents Sea in Summer 2002, Arctic Ocean (2002년 하계 북극 바렌츠해 연안지역의 중형저서생물 군집 구조에 관한 연구)

  • Lee Kang Hyun;Chung Kyung-Ho;Kang Sung-Ho;Lee Wonchoel
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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    • v.23 no.3 s.59
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    • pp.257-268
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    • 2005
  • Meiofauna community was surveyed in the Arctic Ocean. Sediment samples were collected from six stations in the east Barents Sea and from five stations in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard during summer 2002. Eight taxa of meiofauna were identified in the Barents Sea. Meiofauna abundance ranged from 245 to 906 indiv.10 $cm^{-2}$ (mean 580 indiv.10 $cm^{-2}$) and total biomass varied from 23 and 404 ${\mu}gC10cm^{-2}$ (mean 184 ${\mug}C10cm^{-2}$) in the Barent Sea. Nematode predominated in meiofauna comprising $95.2\%$ of total abundance and $66.4\%$ of biomass. Copepods, polycheats and sarcomastigophonans were also dominant in the study area. Nine taxa of meiofauna were identified in Kongsfiorden. Meiofauna abundance ranged from 103 to 513 indiv.10 $cm^{-2}$ (mean 292 indiv.10 $cm^{-2}$) and biomass varied from 13 and 196{\mu}gC10\;cm^{-2}$ (mean 94{\mu}gC10\;cm^{-2}$) in the Kongsfiorden. Nematodes predominated in meiofauna, comprising $64.1\%$ of abundance and $64.3\%$ biomass. Copepods, polychaets, and kinorhyncha were also dominant in the study area. The meiofauna abundances from both the study areas well match with the previous reports from the various regions including the temperate areas. However the occurred taxa in the present study are only a half comparing with the reports from temperate zone. Meiofauna abundance, biomass, diversity index and species richness were much higher than in the coastal which were strongly affected by fresh water run off in the Barents Sea. The stations affected by chlorophyll had high abundance and biomass, but low diversity index and spices richness in Kongsfiorden.

End-of-Life Care Practice in Dying Patients with Do-Not-Resuscitate Order: A Single Center Experience (심폐소생술 금지 동의 후 사망한 환자의 현황과 연명의료 실태 조사: 단일 의료기관 경험)

  • Yoon, Sang Eun;Nam, Eun Mi;Lee, Soon Nam
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.51-57
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    • 2018
  • Purpose: End-of-life (EoL) decisions are challenging and multifaceted for patients and physicians. This study was aimed to explore how EoL care is practiced for patients with a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients who died after agreeing to a DNR order in 2016 at a university hospital. Characteristics including cause of death, intensity of EoL care, and other factors were reviewed and statistically analyzed. Results: Of total 375 patients, 170 patients (45.3%) died with malignancies, and 205 patients (54.6%) with other causes involving the central nervous system (19.2%), pulmonary (14.7%), cardiologic (6.7%) and infectious (6.4%) conditions. Both the cancer and non-cancer patient groups showed a short duration from DNR to death (median 3 days vs 2 days, P=0.629). An intensive care group comprising patients who received one or more intensive treatments such as ventilator (n=205) showed a higher number of non-cancer patients and a shorter duration from DNR to death than a group that withheld treatment before DNR (P<0.05). Conclusion: EoL decisions were made very late by both cancer and non-cancer patients. About half of the patients did not have cancer, and two-thirds of them decided DNR during intensive treatment. To make a good EoL decision, a shared decision making with patients should be done at an earlier stage.

Application of Transposable Elements as Molecular-marker for Cancer Diagnosis (암 진단 분자 마커로서 이동성 유전인자의 응용)

  • Kim, Hyemin;Gim, Jeong-An;Woo, Hyojeong;Hong, Jeonghyeon;Kim, Jinyeop;Kim, Heui-Soo
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.27 no.10
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    • pp.1215-1224
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    • 2017
  • Until now, various oncogenic pathways were idenfied. The accumulation of DNA mutation induces genomic instability in the cell, and it makes cancer. The development of bioinformatics and genomics, to find the precise and reliable biomarker is available. This biomarker could be applied the early-dignosis, prediction and convalescence of cancer. Recently, Transposable elements (TEs) have been attracted as the regulator of genes, because they occupy a half of human genome, and the cause of various diseases. TEs induce DNA mutation, as well as the regulation of gene expression, that makes to cancer development. So, we confirmed the relationship between TEs and colon cancer, and provided the clue for colon cancer biomarker. First, we confirmed long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1), Alu, and long terminal repeats (LTRs) and their relationship to colon cancer. Because these elements have large composition and enormous effect to the human genome. Interestingly, colon cancer specific patterns were detected, such as the hypomethylation of LINE-1, LINE-1 insertion in the APC gene, hypo- or hypermethylation of Alu, and isoform derived from LTR insertion. Moreover, hypomethylation of LINE-1 in proto-oncogene is used as the biomarker of colon cancer metastasis, and MLH1 mutation induced by Alu is detected in familial or hereditary colon cancer. The genes, effected by TEs, were analyzed their expression patterns by in silico analysis. Then, we provided tissue- and gender-specific expression patterns. This information can provide reliable cancer biomarker, and apply to prediction and diagnosis of colon cancer.

Economic analysis of Frequency Regulation Battery Energy Storage System for Czech combined heat & power plant (체코 열병합발전소 주파수조정용 배터리에너지저장장치 경제성 분석)

  • KIM, YuTack;Cha, DongMin;Jung, SooAn;Son, SangHak
    • Journal of Energy Engineering
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.68-78
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    • 2020
  • According to the new climate change agreement, technology development to reduce greenhouse gases is actively conducted worldwide, and research on energy efficiency improvement in the field of power generation and transmission and distribution is underway [1,2]. Economic analysis of the operation method of storing and supplying surplus electricity using energy storage devices, and using energy storage devices as a frequency adjustment reserve power in regional cogeneration plants has been reported as the most profitable operation method [3-7]. Therefore, this study conducted an economic analysis for the installation of energy storage devices in the combined heat and power plant in the Czech Republic. The most important factor in evaluating the economics of battery energy storage devices is the lifespan, and the warranty life is generally 10 to 15 years, based on charging and discharging once a day. For the simulation, the ratio of battery and PCS was designed as 1: 1 and 1: 2. In general, the primary frequency control is designed as 1: 4, but considering the characteristics of the cogeneration plant, it is set at a ratio of up to 1: 2, and the capacity is simulated at 1MW to 10MW and 2MWh to 20MWh according to each ratio. Therefore, life was evaluated based on the number of cycles per year. In the case of installing a battery energy storage system in a combined heat and power plant in the Czech Republic, the payback period of 3MW / 3MWh is more favorable than 5MW / 5MWh, considering the local infrastructure and power market. It is estimated to be about 3 years or 5 years from the simple payback period considering the estimated purchase price without subsidies. If you lower the purchase price by 50%, the purchase cost is an important part of the cost for the entire lifetime, so the payback period is about half as short. It can be, but it is impossible to secure profitability through the economy at the scale of 3MWh and 5MWh. If the price of the electricity market falls by 50%, the payback period will be three years longer in P1 mode and two years longer in P2 and P3 modes.

Clinical Manifestation and Associated Cardiac Anomalies of Dextrocardia (우심증에 동반된 심기형과 임상양상)

  • Kim, Sung Hoon;Hong, Seung A;Cho, Yoon Jung;Lee, Sang Lak;Kwon, Tae Chan
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.45 no.5
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    • pp.622-628
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    • 2002
  • Purpose : The purpose of this study is to ascertain the clinical manifestations and associated cardiac anomalies of dextrocardia. Methods : Twenty-four pediatric patients, who were admitted to, or visited, Dongsan Medical Center Keimyung University and were diagnosed with dextrocardia between January 1996 and July 2001, were enrolled in this study. All patients received echocardiogram and abdominal ultrasonogram to identify structural cardiac anomalies and visceral position. Results : Among 24 patients, 7 cases were situs solitus(29.2%), 10 cases(41.6%) were situs inversus and 7 cases(29.2%) were situs ambiguous. Most were diagnosed within a week of life(87.5%). They were most commonly cyanotic(45.8%), but eleven cases(45.8%) had no specific symptoms or signs. Nineteen cases(79.2%) had accompanied cardiac anomalies, and pulmonary stenosis or atresia were the most common among them. All the cases of situs solitus and ambiguous had associated cardiac anomalies, but half of the situs inversus had that. Eleven cases were dead by cardiac or extracardiac anomalies during follow up and the mortality rate was higher in situs solitus or ambiguous group than situs inversus group. Conclusion : Dextrocardia accompanies different cardiac and extracardiac anomalies. It's very important to diagnose dextrocardia and associated cardiac or extracardiac anomalies in the early stages of life to improve prognosis.

Purification of Human HtrA1 Expressed in E. coli and Characterization of Its Serine Protease Activity (E. coli에서 발현된 human HtrA1 단백질의 정제와 HtrA1의 serine protease 활성 조건에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Kyung-Hee;Kim, Sang-Soo;Kim, Goo-Young;Rhim, Hyang-Shuk
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.16 no.7 s.80
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    • pp.1133-1140
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    • 2006
  • Human HtrA1 (High temperature requirement protein A1) is a homologue of the E. coli periplasmic serine protease HtrA. A recent study has demonstrated that HtrA1 is a serine protease involved in processing of insulin like growth factor binding protein (ICFBP), indicating that it serves as an important regulator of IGF activity. Additionally, several lines of evidence suggest a striking correlation between proteolytic activity of HtrA1 serine protease and the pathogenesis of several diseases; however, physiological roles of HtrA1 remain to be elucidated. We used the pGEX bacterial expression system to develop a simple and rapid method for purifying HtrA1, and the recombinant HtrA1 protein was utilized to investigate the optimal conditions in executing its proteolytic activity. The proteolytically active HtrA1 was purified to approximately 85% purity, although the yield of the recombinant HtrA1 protein was slightly low $460{\mu}g$ for 1 liter E. coli culture). Using in vitro endoproteolytic cleavage assay, we identified that the HtrA1 serine protease activity was dependent on the enzyme concentration and the incubation time and that the best reaction temperature was $42^{\circ}C$ instead of $37^{\circ}C$. We arbitrary defined one unit of proteolytic activity of the HtrA1 serine protease as 200nM of HtrA1 that cleaves half of $5{\mu}M\;of\;{\beta}-casein$ during 3 hr incubation at $37^{\circ}C$. Our study provides a method for generating useful reagents to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which HtrA1 serine protease activity contributes in regulating its physiological function and to identify natural substrates of HtrA1.

Characteristics of Ju-Back and Effect of Ju-Back Fertilizer on Growth of Crop Plants (주류생산 부산물인 주박의 특성 규명 및 주박이 작물생육에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Jung-Hoon;Park, Sung-Min;Park, Chi-Duck;Jung, Hyuck-Jun;Kim, Hyun-Soo;Yu, Tae-Shick
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.17 no.11
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    • pp.1562-1570
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    • 2007
  • This experiment was conducted to develop fertilizer which promotes plant growth as well as suppressing pathogenic fungi. The fertilizer was made from the mixture of Ju-Back (Korean rice wine cake) and indigenous rhizosphere-bacterium. The main ingredients of Ju-Back were investigated as 6.04% total nitrogen, 42.59% total carbohydrate, 1.01% available phosphate, 73.42% organic matter, 7.72% potassium oxide, 1.35% calcium oxide, 0.53% magnesium oxide. The enzyme activities of Ju-Back were estimated to be 980 units/g for ${\alpha}-amylase$, 300 units/g for glucoamylase, and 1800 units/g for acid pretense. Indigenous rhizosphere bacteria which produced antifungal agent were isolated from soil, and was selected KMU-13 strain which can antagonize against various plant pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea KACC 40573, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum KACC 41065, Fusairum oxysporum KACC 40052, Pythium aphanidermatum KACC 40156, Phytophthora capsici KACC 40476 and Glomerella cingulata KACC 40299). KMU-13 strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis KMU-13 by biochemical and 16s rDNA analysis. The organic fertilizer was made as prototype which was composed 20% Ju-Back, 70% carrier, 9.7% microorganism cultivated solution, 0.3% trace-element. We also investigated an application of fertilizer using Ju-Back for cultivating lettuce (Lactuca sativar) which were grown in three soil conditions that had chemical fertilizer, barnyard manure, lime power, urea, potassium chloride and superphosphate as a control, the whole quantity (80 kg/10a) of posted fertilizer with the control and the half quantity (40 kg/10a) with the control. The growth characteristics were examined and analysed with several weeks interval from 3 weeks to 8 weeks on head length (cm), head width (cm/head), number of leaf and fresh weight (g/plant). The results are summarized as follows. The head width and fresh weight of lettuce were the highest at posted fertilizer 1 (whole quantity) was applied chemical, organic matter (Ju-Back) and carrier. The head length was the highest at posted fertilizer 2 (whole quantity) was applied Ju-Back only.

Contamination Analysis of Heavy Metals in Commercial Feed for the Production of Safe-Animal Products (안전 축산물 생산을 위한 가축사료 내 중금속 오염 분석에 관한 연구)

  • Kang, Jung-Mi;Cho, Sang-Buem;Kim, Soo-Ki;Lee, Sang-Suk;Lee, Si-Kyung
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.20 no.5
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    • pp.717-722
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    • 2010
  • The safety of animal feed was evaluated by analyzing the levels of heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Cd, As, Se and Ag) in cattle, swine, and poultry feeds and the levels of Cu, Zn and P in swine feed. Feeds used in the analysis were produced in Korea from 2004 through the first half of 2007. The results of the study revealed that, with the exception of Cd, the concentration of heavy metals were much lower than the Minimum Regulation Levels (MRLs). However, the Cd concentration exceeded the MRL in 1 of 987 swine feed samples in 2005, as well as in 4 of 1,239 swine feed samples and 1 of 778 poultry feed samples in 2006. The levels of Cu, Zn and P in swine feed were compared with the swine breeding standard. The results of this analysis revealed that the Cu concentrations in the samples exceeded the MRL for growing pigs by 0.97%, and that for finishing and breeding pigs by 9.9%. In addition, the Cu levels (80.98 ppm for piglet, 44.82 ppm for growing pigs, 19 ppm for finishing and breeding pigs) in swine feed showed higher levels compared to 3.5-6.0 ppm, which is the Cu requirement for swine. Furthermore, the results of the Zn analysis revealed that the samples exceeded the MRL for piglets, growing pigs, and finishing and breeding pigs by 5.7%, 7.7%, and 9.3%, respectively. Finally, the average concentration of P in swine feed was 0.74%, which is almost the same as the phosphate requirement for swine.

The Understanding of Elementary Pre-Service Teachers' on Legal Units (초등 예비교사들의 법정계량단위에 대한 이해)

  • Kim, Sung-Kyu;Kong, Young-Tae
    • Journal of Science Education
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.111-121
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    • 2009
  • The purpose of this research is to survey elementary pre-service teachers' in understand the legal Units, focusing on seven basic unit such a 'm', 'm2', 'L', 'kg', 'K', 'cd', 's'. This study specifically investigates whether the students understand the legal units. The subjects were 1096 students from the University of Education in Jinju, Gyeongnam. Data was collected through a questionnaire which was designed by this research and checked by authority, and the frequency and percentage of responses to each question were obtained and analysed. The survey was the legal units on interesting, using the experience of confusing and understanding of elementary pre-service teachers. The Korea Government is regulating using traditional measures such as 'pyeong' or 'don' in commercial transactions change to adopt the metric system for as a subsidiary the first of July, 2007. The interesting of the legal units dose not exceed a positive answer to the question 52.1%. Their were answered that the experience of the confused of 60.1% in the life. How to do efforts for the settle down of the legal units that answered broadcasting>in class>a campaign>study and training by an academic year in oder. Findings show regardless of academic year, gender and from the department of liberal arts or the science department all the students knew very well that 'm' '$m^2$', 'L', 'kg' are included in the legal units, compared to the others low percentage of 'K', 'cd' and 's' the legal units. In case of time(s), women has correct answered 2.7 times than man. In case of academic year, except for the third-year students was not to exceed 50%. In case of from the department of liberal arts or the science department contrary to one's expectations increase of 50% or more correct answer while half the students scored in science. The elementary pre-service teachers are seems to thinking separate the legal units with their in university life. Also elementary pre-service teachers are the lack of interest on society. Their should be for settle down of the legal units through learning to class in university, newspapers, strengthen publicity activities of broadcast media's further more by maintenance efforts of the government.

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