• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2017

The objective of this study is the evaluation of the performance of a large-scale respirometer (LSR) of 17.7 L in the determination of the methane generation rate constant (k) values. To achieve this objective, a comparison between anaerobic (GB21) and LSR tests was conducted. The data were modeled using a linear function, and the resulting correlation coefficient ($R^2$) of the linear regression is 0.91. This result shows that despite the aerobic conditions, the biodegradability values that were obtained from the LSR test produced results that are similar to those from the GB21 test. In this respect, the LSR test can be an indicator of the anaerobic biodegradability for landfill waste. In addition, the results show the high repeatability of the tests with an average coefficient of variance (CV) that is lower than 10%; furthermore, the CV for the LSR is lower than that of the GB21, which indicates that the LSR-test method could provide a better representation of waste samples. Therefore, the LSR method allows for both the prediction of the long-term biodegradation potential in a shorter length of time and the reduction of the sampling errors that are caused by the heterogeneity of waste samples. The k values are $0.156y^{-1}$ and $0.127y^{-1}$ for the cumulative biogas production (GB21) and the cumulative oxygen uptake for the LSR, respectively.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.779-807
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• 2016

Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) are essential tools in seismic hazard analysis. With the introduction of probabilistic approaches for the estimation of seismic response of structures, also known as, performance based earthquake engineering framework; new tasks are defined for response spectrum such as the reference criterion for effective structure-specific selection of ground motions for nonlinear time history analysis. One of the recent efforts to introduce a high quality databank of ground motions besides the corresponding selection scheme based on the broadband spectral consistency is the development of SIMBAD (Selected Input Motions for displacement-Based Assessment and Design), which is designed to improve the reliability of spectral values at all natural periods by removing noise with modern proposed approaches. In this paper, a new global GMPE is proposed by using selected ground motions from SIMBAD to improve the reliability of computed spectral shape indicators. To determine regression coefficients, 204 pairs of horizontal components from 35 earthquakes with magnitude ranging from Mw 5 to Mw 7.1 and epicentral distances lower than 40 km selected from SIMBAD are used. The proposed equation is compared with similar models both qualitatively and quantitatively. After the verification of model by several goodness-of-fit measures, the epsilon values as the spectral shape indicator are computed and the validity of available prediction equations for correlation of the pairs of epsilon values is examined. General consistency between predictions by new model and others, especially, in short periods is confirmed, while, at longer periods, there are meaningful differences between normalized residuals and correlation coefficients between pairs of them estimated by new model and those are computed by other empirical equations. A simple collapse assessment example indicate possible improvement in the correlation between collapse capacity and spectral shape indicators (${\varepsilon}$) up to 20% by selection of a more applicable GMPE for calculation of ${\varepsilon}$.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.39C no.9
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• pp.820-827
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• 2014

One of the basic problems in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is the localization of the sensor nodes based on the known location of numerous anchor nodes. WSNs generally consist of a large number of sensor nodes and recording the location of each sensor nodes becomes a difficult task. On the other hand, based on the application environment, the nodes may be subject to mobility and their location changes with time. Therefore, a scheme that will autonomously estimate or calculate the position of the sensor nodes is desirable. This paper presents an intelligent localization scheme, which is an artificial neural network (ANN) based localization scheme used to estimate the position of the unknown nodes. In the proposed method, three anchors nodes are used. The mobile or deployed sensor nodes request a beacon from the anchor nodes and utilizes the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the beacons received. The RSSI values vary depending on the distance between the mobile and the anchor nodes. The three RSSI values are used as the input to the ANN in order to estimate the location of the sensor nodes. A feed-forward artificial neural network with back propagation method for training has been employed. An average Euclidian distance error of 0.70 m has been achieved using a ANN having 3 inputs, two hidden layers, and two outputs (x and y coordinates of the position).

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.248-260
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• 2024

Background/Aims: The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) serves as an indicator for short-term mortality among patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis (LC) and is used to prioritize patients for liver transplantation. In 2021, the updated version of MELD, MELD-3.0, was introduced to improve the accuracy of the mortality prediction of MELD. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the efficacy of MELD 3.0 and MELD-Na in predicting mortality among Korean patients with LC. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted using the medical records of patients diagnosed with LC who were admitted to Konkuk University Hospital From 2011 to 2021. The study calculated the predictive values of MELD-Na and MELD-3.0 for 3- and 6-months mortality using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) and compared the results using the DeLong test. Results: Of the 3,034 patients enrolled in the study, 339 (11.2%) died within 3 months and 421 (14.4%) died within 6 months. The AUROCs values for predicting 3 months mortality were 0.846 for MELD-Na and 0.851 for MELD-3.0. The corresponding AUROC values for predicting 6 months mortality were 0.843 for MELD-Na and 0.848 for MELD-3.0. MELD-3.0 exhibited better discrimination ability than MELD-Na for both 3 (p = 0.03) and 6 months mortality (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Our study found a significant difference between the performance of MELD-3.0 and MELD-Na in Korean patients with LC.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.424-428
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• 2013

To identify risk factors for Legionella contamination, water quality variables routinely measured in examination of natural and city waters were meta-analyzed for significance of correlation to Legionella incidences. For evaluation of abundance of Escherichia coli as a risk factor, which is currently used as an indicator of Legionella contamination in an official guideline in Korea, odds ratio (OR) of above-cutoff total coliform counts for Legionella presence/absence was used as the effect size in the meta-analysis. The OR was estimated as 1.05 (0.36-3.12, 95% CI), and the probability of having identical odds reached 0.92. Also, ORs from individual studies showed significant heterogeneity (P=0.008), which contributed to 63% of total variance of the ORs. In the case of heterotrophic plate count (HPC), the OR for Legionella presence/absence was 2.72 (2.04-3.63) with highly significant deviation from identical odds (P<0.0001). ORs from different studies were seemingly homogeneous ($Q_{df=8}$=12.7, P=0.12). Turbidity and concentrations of chlorine, iron ion and cupper ion were other routine variables that could be considered as risk factors. However, statistical measures from different studies were not uniform enough to develop an appropriate effect size while the number of studies reporting the variables was also small (3-5). In conclusion, HPC appeared to be appropriate as indicator of Legionella contamination, rather than fecal bacteria contamination. HPC may imply abundance of habitats (amoebas and biofilms) of Legionella in water. This result warrants further studies for standardizing protocols and cutoff values to infer Legionella risks from HPC.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.334-340
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• 2005

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutrient loss and to assess the eutrophication into small stream by intensive rains in the steeped cornfield during cultivation. The crop cultivated was a soiling com (DW5969), and the experimental plots were divided into two parts that were 10 and 18% of slope degrees. The amount of T-N and T-P loss was calculated by analysis of surface run-off water quality, and was investigated the effect of eutrophication to small stream as a part of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology application. For the surface run-off water quality, EC and T-N values were highest in first runoff event as compared to the other events and maintained the stage state with litter variations at every hour during the runoff period except for EC in the slope 18%. However, T-P concentration has been a transient stage after runoff event of July 27. Total surface run-off ratio was not significantly different with slope degrees, but amount of T-N and T-P losses at 18% of slope were high as $5.96kg\;ha^{-1}\;and\;0.65kg\;ha^{-1}$ as relative to 10% of slope degree, respectively. Furthermore, T-N losses from run-off water in the sloped cornfield 10 and 18% were approximately 9.8 and 12.5% of the N applied as fertilizer when the fertilizer applied at recommended rates after soil test, respectively. For the eutrophication impact to the small stream, it was shown that $PO_4$ equivalence and Eco-indicator value at 18% of slope degree were greater as much $6.11kg\;ha^{-1}$ and 0.81 as compared to the slope angle 10%, respectively. Therefore, it was appeared that each effect of nutrient losses, eutrophication and Eco-indicator value was enhanced according with higher slope degree.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.107 no.2
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• pp.113-125
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• 2018

Subalpine zone is geographically vulnerable to climate change. Forest vegetation in this zone is one of the important basic indicator to observe the influence of climate change. This study was conducting phytosociological community classification and endemic-rare plants investigation based on vulnerable species to climate change at the subalpine zone, Mt. Jiri. Vegetation data were collected by 37 quadrate plots from March to October, 2015. In order to understand the species composition of plant sociological vegetation types and the ecological impacts of species, we analyzed the layer structure of vegetation type using important values. Vegetation type was classified into eight species groups and five vegetation units. The vegetation types can be suggested as an indicator on the change of species composition according to the future climate change. There were 9 taxa endemic plants and 17 taxa rare plants designated by KFS(Korea Forest Service) where 41.2% of them were the northern plant. Endemic-rare plants increased as the altitude of vegetation unit increase. Importance value analysis showed that the mean importance value of Abies koreana was highest of all vegetation units. Based on analysis of each layer, all units except vegetation unit 1 were considered to be in competition with the species such as Quercus mongolica and Acer pseudosieboldianum. The results of this study can be a basic data to understand the new patterns caused by climate change. In addition, it can be a basic indicator of long-term monitoring through vegetation science approach.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.793-799
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• 2023

This study classifies the types of urban railway stations that reflect the location characteristics of urban railway stations, the structure and form of station taxes, and the number of users, and the level of inconvenience in the transfer movement line for users by station type, the number and connectivity of transfer information, and the level of transfer convenience facilities. The number of installations, conflicts between users, and transfer information signs were analyzed. As a result of data analysis, it was found that the factors that cause the most inconvenience to urban rail users when transferring are the length and curvature of the transfer line, pedestrian density and number of passengers in the transfer passage, presence or absence of transportation convenience facilities, and the size and height of transfer information letters. These transfer inconveniences were objectified, quantified, and presented as evaluation indicators that can measure the transfer convenience of urban railway stations. Additionally, an evaluation scale was developed to measure the service level for each evaluation indicator. The evaluation scale for each indicator presented six levels by applying linear interpolation based on the maximum and minimum values of data derived through field surveys. However, it is judged that a comprehensive evaluation of transfer convenience that combines the importance and weight of each convenience evaluation indicator should be established through future research.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.391-402
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• 2024

In this study, an indicator for setting dose constraints was presented using the frequency distribution of the annual exposure dose per radiation worker. To this end, from January 2017 to December 2019, we surveyed personal dosimeter reading values per month for 13 radiography inspection offices that had reported the establishment of a workplace to move and use radioisotopes, etc. for the purpose of radiographic testing (RT) in Korea, and performed a frequency analysis of the annual exposure dose per radiation worker. In this study, the indicator for setting dose constraints was based on the 95th percentile according to the recommendations of international organizations related to radiation protection. As a result, the dose constraints in the field of RT was set at an average of 5.15 mSv over the three-year investigation period. The nuclear energy-related business operator, if was set its own dose constraints proposed in this study and was operated successfully, were able to manage the exposure dose inequality of 52 people, equivalent to 5% of registered radiation workers, and could expect a reduction in collective dose of 760 man-mSv. Therefore, the nuclear energy-related business operator set its own dose constraints using the indicator for setting dose constraints proposed in this study, will be able to achieve optimization of protection by excluding exposure situations in which a dose level higher than the set dose constraint is expected from the process of establishing a protection plan.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.223-228
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• 2012

In this study, a fiber-optic pH sensor based on a pH sol-gel film is fabricated. The sol-gel film is made by co-polymerizing tetramethoxysilane, trimethoxymethylsilane, ethanol and distilled water. As a pH indicator, a neutral red is immobilized in a thin porous film formed by the sol-gel process. The pH change in a sensing probe gives rise to a change in the color of the pH sol-gel film, and the absorbance of reflected light through the pH sol-gel film is also changed. By using a spectrometer, therefore, the spectra of reflected lights in the sensing probe with different pH values are measured. Also, the relationships between the pH values and the absorbance are analyzed on the basis of the color variations of the pH sol-gel films. In repeated experiments, the fiber-optic pH sensor shows that it has reversibility, a high reproducibility and a wide absorbance change in a pH range from pH 5 to 9. Also, we confirmed that the fabricated pH sol-gel film exhibits a fast response time, little or no pH indicator leaching and a dynamic range of 2.04 dB from pH 5 to 9. Based on the results of this study, a fiber-optic pH sensor can be developed for the pH monitoring in the harsh environments.