• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.3913-3923
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• 2023

Todays, medium energy resolution detectors are preferably used in radioisotope identification devices(RID) in nuclear and radioactive material categorization. However, there is still a need to develop or enhance « automated identifiers » for the useful RID algorithms. To decide whether any material is SNM or NORM, a key parameter is the better energy resolution of the detector. Although masking, shielding and gain shift/stabilization and other affecting parameters on site are also important for successful operations, the suitability of the RID algorithm is also a critical point to enhance the identification reliability while extracting the features from the spectral analysis. In this study, a RID algorithm based on Bayesian statistical method has been modified for medium energy resolution detectors and applied to the uranium gamma-ray spectra taken by a LaBr3:Ce detector. The present Bayesian RID algorithm covers up to 2000 keV energy range. It uses the peak centroids, the peak areas from the measured gamma-ray spectra. The extraction features are derived from the peak-based Bayesian classifiers to estimate a posterior probability for each isotope in the ANSI library. The program operations were tested under a MATLAB platform. The present peak based Bayesian RID algorithm was validated by using single isotopes(²⁴¹Am, ⁵⁷Co, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁶⁰Co), and then applied to five standard nuclear materials(0.32-4.51% at.²³⁵U), as well as natural U- and Th-ores. The ID performance of the RID algorithm was quantified in terms of F-score for each isotope. The posterior probability is calculated to be 54.5-74.4% for ²³⁸U and 4.7-10.5% for ²³⁵U in EC-NRM171 uranium materials. For the case of the more complex gamma-ray spectra from CRMs, the total scoring (ST) method was preferred for its ID performance evaluation. It was shown that the present peak based Bayesian RID algorithm can be applied to identify ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U isotopes in LEU or natural U-Th samples if a medium energy resolution detector is was in the measurements.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.19-32
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• 2023

The fragmentation of habitats resulting from human activities leads to the isolation of wildlife and it also causes wildlife-vehicle collisions (i.e. Road-kill). In that sense, it is important to predict potential habitats of specific wildlife that causes wildlife-vehicle collisions by considering geographic, environmental and transportation variables. Road-kill, especially by large mammals, threatens human safety as well as financial losses. Therefore, we conducted this study on roe deer (Capreolus pygargus tianschanicus), a large mammal that causes frequently Road-kill in Jeju Island. So, to predict potential wildlife habitats by considering geographic, environmental, and transportation variables for a specific species this study was conducted to identify high-priority restoration sites with both characteristics of potential habitats and road-kill hotspot. we identified high-priority restoration sites that is likely to be potential habitats, and also identified the known location of a Road-kill records. For this purpose, first, we defined the environmental variables and collect the occurrence records of roe deer. After that, the potential habitat map was generated by using Random Forest model. Second, to analyze roadkill hotspots, a kernel density estimation was used to generate a hotspot map. Third, to define high-priority restoration sites, each map was normalized and overlaid. As a result, three northern regions roads and two southern regions roads of Jeju Island were defined as high-priority restoration sites. Regarding Random Forest modeling, in the case of environmental variables, The importace was found to be a lot in the order of distance from the Oreum, elevation, distance from forest edge(outside) and distance from waterbody. The AUC(Area under the curve) value, which means discrimination capacity, was found to be 0.973 and support the statistical accuracy of prediction result. As a result of predicting the habitat of C. pygargus, it was found to be mainly distributed in forests, agricultural lands, and grasslands, indicating that it supported the results of previous studies.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.55-61
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• 2023

In this study, a basic research was conducted to establish a maintenance plan considering the environmental factors and deterioration characteristics of port facilities. The precise safety diagnosis reports for Incheon and Busan port facilities were referenced to examine the extent of deterioration and damage. The relationship with the degradation environmental assessment presented in the current guidelines was also analyzed. The analysis of the damage level of Incheon and Busan port facilities revealed that Incheon Port exhibited approximately three times higher damage rate compared to Busan Port. In the case of Incheon Port, reinforcement corrosion and external damage showed similar proportions, while in Busan Port, reinforcement corrosion had a higher proportion compared to external damage. On the other hand, when comparing with the degradation environmental assessment presented in the guidelines, it was found that there were some limitations in performing quantitative evaluation based on the guidelines for assessing port facilities. Therefore, an analysis based on tidal range was conducted by referring to existing literature. The analysis of tidal range in Incheon and Busan regions showed that Incheon had approximately five times higher difference compared to Busan. It is considered that this can be utilized as a differentiated item from existing degradation environmental assessment criteria.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.102-110
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• 2023

PSC-I girder bridges constitute the largest proportion among highway bridges in Korea. According to the precision safety diagnosis data for the past 10 years, approximately 41.3% of the PSC-I bridges have been graded as C. Furthermore, with the increase in the aging of bridges, preemptive management is becoming more important. Damage and deterioration to the deck and girder with a long replacement cylce can have considerable impacts on the service and deterioration of a bridge. In addition, the high rate of device damages, including expansion joints and bearings, necessitates an investigation into the influence of the device damage in the structural members of the bridge. Therefore, this study defined representative PSC-I girder bridges with single and multiple spans to evaluate heterogeneous damages that incorporate the damage of the bridge member and device with the deterioration of the deck. The heterogeneous damages increased a crack area ratio compared to the individual single damage. For the single-span bridge, the occurrence of bearing damage leads to the spread of crack distribution in the girder, and in the case of multi-span bridges, expansion joint damage leads to the spread of crack distribution in the deck. The research underscores that bridge devices, when damaged, can cause subsequent secondary damage due to improper repair and replacement, which emphasizes the need for continuous observation and responsive action to the damages of the main devices.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.5_2
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• pp.743-754
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• 2023

The global occurrence of myriad natural disasters and incidents, catalyzed by climate change and extreme meteorological conditions, has engendered substantial human and material losses. International organizations such as the International Charter have established an enduring collaborative framework for real-time coordination to provide high-resolution satellite imagery and geospatial information. These resources are instrumental in the management of large-scale disaster scenarios and the expeditious execution of recovery operations. At the national level, the operational deployment of advanced National Earth Observation Satellites, controlled by National Geographic Information Institute, has not only catalyzed the advancement of geospatial data but has also contributed to the provisioning of damage analysis data for significant domestic and international disaster events. This special edition of the National Disaster Management Research Institute delineates the contemporary landscape of major disaster incidents in the year 2023 and elucidates the strategic blueprint of the government's national disaster safety system reform. Additionally, it encapsulates the most recent research accomplishments in the domains of artificial satellite systems, information and communication technology, and spatial information utilization, which are paramount in the institution's disaster situation management and analysis efforts. Furthermore, the publication encompasses the most recent research findings relevant to data collection, processing, and analysis pertaining to disaster cause and damage extent. These findings are especially pertinent to the institute's on-site investigation initiatives and are informed by cutting-edge technologies, including drone-based mapping and LiDAR observation, as evidenced by a case study involving the 2023 landslide damage resulting from concentrated heavy rainfall.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.721-728
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• 2023

Agricultural drought is triggered by a depletion of moisture content in the soil, which hinders photosynthesis and thus increases carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations in the atmosphere. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between soil moisture (SM) and vegetation activity toward quantifying CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere. To this end, the MODerate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), an optical multispectral sensor, was used to evaluate two regions in South Korea for validation. Vegetation activity was analyzed through MOD13A1 vegetation indices products, and MODIS gross primary productivity (GPP) product was used to calculate the CO₂ flux based on its relationship with respiration. In the case of SM, it was calculated through the method of applying apparent thermal inertia (ATI) in combination with land surface temperature and albedo. To validate the SM and CO₂ flux, flux tower data was used which are the observed measurement values for the extreme drought period of 2014 and 2015 in South Korea. These two variables were analyzed for temporal variation on flux tower data as daily time scale, and the relationship with vegetation index (VI) was synthesized and analyzed on a monthly scale. The highest correlation between SM and VI (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.82) was observed at a time lag of one month, and that between VI and CO₂ (r = 0.81) at half month. This regional study suggests a potential capability of MODIS-based SM, VI, and CO₂ flux, which can be applied to an assessment of the global view of the agricultural drought by using available satellite remote sensing products.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.53-60
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• 2023

Recently, along with the improvement of high-speed rail and road design speed, the proportion of tunnel construction work is increasing proportionally. In particular, the construction of long tunnels is rapidly increasing due to the mountainous terrain of our country. In this way, due to the trend of tunnels becoming longer, it is difficult to design and construct tunnels by avoiding fault zones. In the case of tunnel construction in mountainous areas, ground investigation is often difficult even during design due to the topographical conditions, making precise ground investigation difficult, and as a result, the upper part of the tunnel is damaged during tunnel construction. When fault zones, which are vulnerable to weathering, exist, the stability of the tunnel during excavation is directly affected by the fault zone distribution, strength characteristics, and groundwater distribution range. In particular, when a fault zone is distributed in the upper part of a tunnel, damage such as tunnel collapse and excessive displacement may occur, and in order to prevent this in advance, countermeasures must be established through analysis of similar cases. Therefore, in this study, when a large-scale fault zone exists in the upper part of a tunnel, the relationship and characteristics of damage to the tunnel structure were analyzed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.312-338
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• 2023

The underground disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel demands a specialized design, distinct from conventional practices, to ensure long-term thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic integrity, preventing the release of radioactive isotopes from high-temperature spent nuclear fuel. SKB has established design criteria for such facilities and executed practical design implementations for Forsmark. Moreover, in response to subsurface uncertainty, SKB has proposed an empirical approach involving monitoring and adaptive design modifications, alongside stepwise development. SKB has further introduced a unique support system, categorizing ground types and behaviors and aligning them with corresponding support types to confirm safety through comparative analyses against existing systems. POSIVA has pursued a comparable approach, developing a support system for Onkalo while accounting for distinct geological characteristics compared to Forsmark. This demonstrates the potential for domestic implementation of spent nuclear fuel disposal facility designs and the establishment of a support system adapted to national attributes.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.266-269
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• 2023

This study aimed to address the increasing demand for technologies preventing mushroom fly damage. By monitoring the annual occurrence patterns of pests over several years and accumulating data, we conducted an analysis to evaluate the efficacy of preventive measures applied before the surge in mushroom fly infestation, typically observed in May. For preemptive control, physical measures involved installing air curtains at cultivation facility entrances and placing sticky traps and insect traps around entry points to block external entry and reduce internal insect density. Additionally, we applied an organic agricultural material, Dalmatian chrysanthemum extract, weekly alongside chemical control measures. To assess the reduction in mushroom fly populations, yellow sticky traps (15×25 cm) were placed at three locations within the mushroom cultivation facility, and the occurrence patterns before and after implementing preventive measures were compared. Compared to conventional practices, the application of preventive techniques resulted in a significant reduction, with a 60% decrease from 15 levels of mushroom flies/m² to 6 levels of mushroom flies/m² in May and a 40% decrease from 10 levels of mushroom flies/m² to 6 levels of mushroom flies/m² in June. While achieving over 50% efficacy during the peak mushroom fly season with preventive measures, we identified complementary actions such as blocking external sources (gaps in cultivation facility doors) and maintaining cleanliness around cultivation facilities (proper disposal of spent substrate) for further improvement. Comprehensive analysis and safety studies, including correlation analysis with contaminants and pathogens, are recommended to ensure the widespread adoption of mushroom fly preventive techniques for safe and stable mushroom production in the agricultural sector.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.12-18
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• 2023

The effective evacuation strategy according to the accident scenario is crucial to minimize human casualties in the event of toxic gas leak accidents. In this study, the effect of the direction of a building and the location of an industrial complex on the increase in indoor concentration and outdoor diffusion was examined under the same leakage conditions, and effective evacuation criteria were established. In addition, the guidelines for building directions were suggested when constructing buildings that would mitigate human damage caused by chemical accidents. Three scenarios where buildings faced the front, side, and rear of the leakage direction were investigated through CFD simulations. The results revealed that when the building faced the industrial complex, both indoor and outdoor average gas concentrations increased significantly, reaching up to 120 times higher than the other two orientations. Moreover, the indoor space was filled with toxic gas substances more than twice in the same time due to the rapid increase of indoor concentration rate. In cases where the building's windows were positioned at the front, toxic gas stagnation occurred around the building due to pressure differences and reduced flow velocities. Based on our findings, the implementation of these guidelines will contribute to safeguarding residents by minimizing exposure to toxic gas during chemical accidents.