• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.887-897
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• 2023

Leading waste disposal countries, such as Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, conduct safety assessments across all stages of High-Level Radioactive Waste Deep Geological Disposal Facilities-from planning and site selection to construction, operation, closure, and post-closure management. As safety assessments are repeatedly performed at each stage, generating vast amounts of diverse data over extended periods, it is essential to construct a database for safety assessment and establish a data management system. In this study, the safety assessment data management systems of leading countries, were analyzed, categorizing them into 1) input and reference data for safety assessments, 2) guidelines for data management, 3) organizational structures for data management, and 4) computer systems for data management. While each country exhibited differences in specific aspects, commonalities included the classification of safety assessment input data based on disposal system components, the establishment of organizations to supply, use, and manage this data, and the implementation of quality management systems guided by instructions and manuals. These cases highlight the importance of data management systems and document management systems for securing the safety and enhancing the reliability of High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities. To achieve this, the classification of input data that can be flexibly and effectively utilized, ensuring the consistency and traceability of input data, and establishing a quality management system for input data and document management are necessary.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.876-886
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• 2023

In some cases of head and neck cancers (HNC), surgical interventions may result in the loss of organs and/or changes to their functions, thereby significantly affecting the patient's quality of life. As a result, the surgical treatment of HNC patients is often limited to specific cases, and alternative treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy, are considered. However, serious adverse effects caused by chemotherapy, such as severe nausea and vomiting, necessitate the need for the development of adjunctive methods to minimize patient suffering. Chuanxiong, Ligusticum chuanxiong (L. chuanxiong), is a natural herb used in Eastern medicine to treat cerebrovascular disorders and headaches. This study aimed to predict the effect and potential of L. chuanxiong as an auxiliary anticancer drug through network-based pharmacology and molecular docking analysis. The study results showed that 40 out of 41 genes of L. chuanxiong shared common targets of HNC and their proteins could be used to target HNC cells to prevent cancer progression. The results of the functional enrichment analysis confirmed that L. chuanxiong is associated with the neuroactive-ligand metabolism and neurotransmitter pathways, indicating its potential medicinal value as an adjuvant in HNC treatment. Lastly, our findings demonstrated that the active ingredient of L. chuanxiong, (Z)-Ligustilide, has the ATP binding site of heat shock protein 90, a protein known to promote the activation of cancer cells. These results suggest that L. chuanxiong is a promising candidate for developing auxiliary anticancer drugs, and further research could potentially lead to the discovery of newer and safer anti-cancer agents.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.565-571
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• 2023

With the introduction of the post-verification system, the measurement of floor impact noise performance on-site has become mandatory, and the evaluation method has changed. To track the performance changes since the policy implementation, research is needed on how the characteristics of heavyweight impact sound change according to the varied evaluation method. In this study, we analyzed the contribution rate of the frequency band-specific sound pressure level on the single-number quantity for a multi-family housing unit with the same floor plan and floor structure, comprising 59 households, based on the changed impact sources and evaluation indicators. It is difficult to compare simply because the method of calculating contributions by frequency band according to the single-day evaluation is different, but the average contribution rate of 63 Hz was 80.8 % in the evaluation method before the introduction of the post-confirmation system (Tire measurement and evaluated as L'_i,Fmax,AW), and the average contribution rate of 125 Hz was 19.2 %. The current evaluation method (rubber ball measurement and evaluation as L'_iA,Fmax) shows that the contribution rate has decreased to 33.1 % on average at 50 Hz ~ 80 Hz, 58.7 % on average at 100 Hz ~ 160 Hz, 6.9 % on average at 200 Hz ~ 315 Hz, and 1.3 % on average at 400 Hz ~ 630 Hz. This result is a case analysis for the target apartment house, and it is necessary to analyze measurement data for more diverse apartment houses.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.725-736
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• 2023

The compliance of deep geological disposal facilities for high-level radioactive waste with safety objectives requires consideration of uncertainties owing to temporal changes in the disposal system. A comprehensive review and analysis of the characteristics of this evolution should be undertaken to identify the effects on multiple barriers and the biosphere. We analyzed the evolution of the buffer, backfill, plug, and closure regions during the early phase of the post-closure period as part of a long-term performance assessment for an operating license application for a deep geological repository in Finland. Degradation mechanisms generally expected in engineered barriers were considered, and long-term evolution features were examined for use in performance assessments. The importance of evolution features was classified into six categories based on the design of the Finnish case. Results are expected to be useful as a technical basis for performance and safety assessment in developing the Korean deep geological disposal system for high-level radioactive waste. However, for a more detailed review and evaluation of each feature, it is necessary to obtain data for the final disposal site and facility-specific design, and to assess its impact in advance.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.13-25
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• 2023

The conventional bench blasting method uses the bottom initiation in all blast holes in a round, whereas the MDS (mixture detonation system) method applies the bottom and top initiations alternately according to the spatial position or temporal sequence of each blast hole. The former and latter are respectively called the SMDS (spatial MDS) and TMDS (temporal MDS) methods. Another variant called MMDS (modified MDS) is designed for the specific use in the site having a fly-rock problem. This study compares the MDS method to the conventional method in the aspect of rock fracturing effect. The comparison is made by numerical simulations for a two-row bench blasting model in the LS-DYNA. The SPH-FEM coupling method is utilized for constructing the blasting model. The SPH elements are used for the rock in the near-field region of the blast holes, and the FEM elements for that in the far-field region. The RHT material model is used for the rock. As a result of the simulations, it was found that up to 0.4 m deeper damaged zone was appeared in the SMDS method than in the conventional method for the case of the burden 1.6 m and bench height 3.0 m. In addition, the fly-rock velocity to the normal direction of the bench slope was appeared about 2.0 m/s lower in the MMDS method compared to the other methods.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.97-115
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• 2024

In this paper, a database consisting of the dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio test data of clay obtained from 406 groups of triaxial tests is constructed with the starting area of Xiong'an New Area as the research background. The aim is to study the nonlinear dynamic properties of clay in this area under cyclic loading. The study found that the effective confining pressure and plasticity index have certain influences on the dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio of clay in this area. Through data analysis, it was found that there was a certain correlation between effective confining pressure and plasticity index and dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio, with fitting degree values greater than 0.1263 for both. However, other physical indices such as the void ratio, natural density, water content and specific gravity have only a small effect on the dynamic shear modulus ratio and the damping ratio, with fitting degree values of less than 0.1 for all of them. This indicates that it is important to consider the influence of effective confining pressure and plasticity index when studying the nonlinear dynamic properties of clays in this area. Based on the above, prediction models for the dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio in this area were constructed separately. The results showed that the model that considered the combined effect of effective confining pressure and plasticity index performed best. The predicted dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio closely matched the actual curves, with approximately 88% of the data falling within ±1.3 times the measured dynamic shear modulus ratio and approximately 85.1% of the data falling within ±1.3 times the measured damping ratio. In contrast, the prediction models that considered only a single influence deviated from the actual values, particularly the model that considered only the plasticity index, which predicted the dynamic shear modulus ratio and the damping ratio within a small distribution range close to the average of the test values. When compared with existing prediction models, it was found that the predicted dynamic shear modulus ratio in this paper was slightly higher, which was due to the overall hardness of the clay in this area, leading to a slightly higher determination of the dynamic shear modulus ratio by the prediction model. Finally, for the dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio of the engineering site in the starting area of Xiong'an New Area, we confirm that the prediction formulas established in this paper have high reliability and provide the applicable range of the prediction model.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.41.1-41.13
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• 2021

Correlation between vaccine reactogenicity and immunogenicity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unclear. Thus, we investigated to determine whether the reactogenicity after coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination is associated with antibody (Ab) titers and T cell responses. This study was prospective cohort study done with 131 healthcare workers at tertiary center in Seoul, South Korea. The degrees of the local reactions after the 1st and 2nd doses of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 (ChAdOx1) vaccination were significantly associated with the S1-specific IgG Ab titers (p=0.003 and 0.01, respectively) and neutralizing Ab (p=0.04 and 0.10, respectively) in age- and sex-adjusted multivariate analysis, whereas those after the BNT162b2 vaccination did not show significant associations. T cell responses did not show significant associations with the degree of reactogenicity after the ChAdOx1 vaccination or the BNT162b2 vaccination. Thus, high degree of local reactogenicity after the ChAdOx1 vaccine may be used as an indicator of strong humoral immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.569-582
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• 2023

In recent years, the service life of major SOC facilities in south korea has exceeded 30 years, and rapid aging is expected within the next 10 years. This has led to a growing recognition of the need for proactive maintenance of these facilities. Consequently, there have been numerous research efforts to introduce smart inspection technologies into maintenance. However, the current system relies primarily on manpower for safety inspections and diagnostics, and on-site surveys rely on visual inspections. Manpower inspections can be time-consuming, and subjective errors may occur during result analysis. In the case of tunnels, there are disadvantages, such as the loss of social overhead capital due to partial closures during inspections. Therefore, institutionalizing smart safety inspections is essential, considering specific measures like using advanced equipment and updating qualifications for experts. Furthermore, it is necessary to verify and validate safety inspection results using advanced equipment before instituting changes. This could be achieved through national-level official research programs and the operation of verification and validation institutions. If smart inspection technology is introduced into maintenance, routine inspections of SOC facilities, such as tunnels, will become feasible. As a result, maintenance technology capable of early detection and proactive response to safety incidents caused by changes in facility conditions is anticipated.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.419-427
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• 2024

This study assessed the potential impact of gas leakage resulting from accidental damage to buried urban gas pipelines during perforating operation near subway construction sites. The risk of explosions due to ignition sources such as static electricity, arising from gas infiltrating the subway construction site through storm sewers and sewage pipes, was evaluated using the ALOHA program. The results of the threat zone calculation, which input various parameters of urban gas pipelines such as length, diameter, and pressure, indicated that the flammable area within the vapor cloud extended from 1.2 to 1.4 km (red zone), the blast area ranged from 0.8 to 1.0 km (yellow zone), and the jet fire extended from 45 to 61 m (red zone). This study demonstrates that within the flammable area of the vapor cloud, a specific combination of concentration and conditions can increase flammability. The blast area may experience explosions with a pressure of 1.0 psi, sufficient to break glass windows. In the event of a jet fire, high temperatures and intense radiant heat exposure lead to rapid fire propagation in densely populated areas, posing a high risk of casualties. The findings are presented in terms of the sphere of influence and threat zone ranges.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.36-53
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• 2024

As the number of spinal surgeries being performed expands, the number of medical imaging procedures such as radiography, CT, and MRI is also increasing, and the importance of their interpretation is becoming more significant. Herein, we present the radiological findings of a variety of complications that can occur after spinal surgery and discuss how effectively and accurately they can be diagnosed through imaging. In particular, this study details the characteristic imaging findings specific to the early and long-term postoperative periods. Early complications of spinal surgery include improper placement of surgical instruments (instrument malpositioning), seromas, hematomas, pseudomeningoceles, and infections in the region surrounding the surgical site. Conversely, long-term complications may include osteolysis around surgical instruments, failure of fusion, adjacent segment disease, and the formation of epidural fibrosis or scar tissue. A precise understanding of the imaging assessments related to complications arising after spinal surgery is crucial to ensure timely and accurate diagnosis, which is necessary to achieve effective treatment.