The main goal of the Korean VLBI Network Calibrator Survey (KVNCS) is to expand the VLBI calibrators catalog for KVN, KaVA(KVN and VERA Array), EAVN(East-Asian VLBINetwork), and other extended regions. The secondKVNCS (KVNCS2) aimed to detect VLBI fringes of new candidates for calibrators in the K band. Out of the 1533 sources whose single-dish flux density in the K band was measured with KVN telescopes (Lee et al. 2017), 556 sources were observed with KVN in the K band. KVNCS2 confirmed the detection of VLBI fringes of 424 calibrator candidates over a single baseline. All detected sources had a high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of >25. Finally, KVNCS2 confirmed 347 new candidates as VLBI calibrators in the K band, resulting in a 5% increase in the sky coverage compared to previous studies. The spatial distribution was quasi-uniform across the observable region (Dec. > −32.5◦). In addition, the possibility as calibrator candidates for the detected sources was checked, using an analysis of the flux-flux relationship. Ultimately, the KVNCS catalog will not only become the VLBI calibrator list but is also useful as a database of compact radio sources for astronomical studies.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of visual input enhancement (VIE) on the comprehension of reading texts and the learning of two grammatical forms: English relative clauses and articles. Individual learners’ working memory (WM) capacity was also tested to explore its impact on the effectiveness of VIE. A total of 48 Korean college learners of English were assigned into three groups: (a) relative group receiving VIE on relative clauses (b) article group receiving VIE on articles, and (c) a control group receiving no VIE. Results showed that VIE did not have any negative effect on the learners’ reading comprehension. Rather, it had positive effects on the learning of the two grammatical forms. According to the findings, VIE on relative clauses enhanced the learners’ receptive knowledge of the grammatical form, whereas VIE on articles enhanced the learners’ productive knowledge of the form. There was a potential link between the effectiveness of VIE and the learners’ working memory processing ability. Pedagogical implications are also discussed based on these findings.

Radioactive materials depositied after nuclear accident or radiological emergency result in radiation exposure to individuals living in long-term contaminated territories. Therefore, the remedial actions should be taken on affected areas for the evacuated residents to return to their homes and normal lifestyle. Meanwhile, radiation exposure occurs through various pathways by work types during the site clean-up. Therefore, dose assessment is crucial to protect emergency workers and helpers from the potential radiological risk. This study estimated the exposure dose to individuals decontaminating the areas contaminated with 60Co, 63Ni, 90Sr, 134Cs, 137Cs, and then calculated the maximum workable soil concentration to comply with the reference level of 20 mSv/y for transition to existing exposure situations. For the realistic assessment, the detailed exposure scenarios depending on the types of work (excavation, collection, transportation, disposal, landfill), and the relevant exposure pathways were used. In addition, with the LHS (Latin Hypercube Sampling) - PRCC (Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient) method, sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the influence of the input parameters and their variation on the model outcomes. As a result, the most severe exposure-induced type was identified as the excavator operation with an annual individual dose of 4.75E-01 mSv at the unit soil concentration (1 Bq/g), from which the derived maximum workable soil concentration was 4.21E+01 Bq/g. Dose contribution by isotopes were found to be 60Co (55.63%), 134Cs (32.01%), and 137Cs (12.28%), and the impact of 63Ni and 90Sr were found to be negligible. Dose contribution by exposure pathways decreased in the following order: ground-shine, soil ingestion, dust inhalation, and skin contamination. Furthermore, the most high sensitive input parameters and their PRCC were found to be as the dilution factor (0.75) and as the exposure time (0.63). In conclusion, the results are expected to contribute to optimize radiation protection strategeis for recovery workers and to establish appropriate response procedures to be applicable in areas with high deposition density after a radiological or nuclear emergency.

The radiolytic decomposition of oxalic acid was investigated using gamma irradiation for decontamination of nuclear power systems. The study used high-purity analytical grade chemicals, with initial concentrations of oxalic acid prepared at 1, 2, 5, and 10 mM, and the initial pH was adjusted to 2-3 at each test condition. Gamma irradiation was performed using a high-level Co-60 source, and absorbed doses were 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 kGy. The results showed that the efficiency of gamma irradiation decreased with longer gamma exposure time, and the G-value increased with the initial concentration of oxalic acid. Interestingly, the G-value decreased with accumulated radiation dose, but the removal increased. The dose constant ranged from 0.1695 to 0.0536 kGy-1 at different initial concentrations, and the G-value was inversely proportional to the dose constant. The study concluded that oxalic acid was successfully degraded by gamma irradiation, and 92% removal was obtained at the initial concentration of 10 mM. The mineralization of oxalic acid at higher concentrations was more difficult due to the great number of generated intermediates.

When damaged nuclear fuel is stripped and re-fabricated into stabilized pellets, it is necessary to analyze the characteristics of the stabilized pellets, such as density, leaching behavior, and compressive strength, for final disposal. In this study, simulated nuclear fuel with UO2 and burn-up of 35 GWd/tU and 55 GWd/tU was used to measure the compressive strength of the stabilization pellet. In order to change the density of the sintered pellet, a sintered pellet was prepared by heat treatment at 1,550°C and 1,700°C for 6 hours in a reducing atmosphere of 4% H2/Ar. In the case of UO2, the density was 10.4 g/cm3 (94.5% of T.D.) and 10.6 g/cm3 (96.6% of T.D.) depending on the sintering temperature (1,550°C, 1,700°C). In the case of simulated fuel with a burn-up of 35 GWd/tU, the density was 8.8 g/cm3 (80.9% of T.D.) and 10.2 g/cm3 (93.6% of T.D.) depending on the sintering temperature (1,550°C, 1,700°C). In the case of simulated fuel with a burn-up of 55 GWd/tU, the density was 8.3 g/cm3 (77.0% of T.D.) and 10.0 g/cm3 (92.3% of T.D.) depending on the sintering temperature (1,550°C, 1,700°C). It was found that the compressive strength of simulated nuclear fuel decreased with increasing burn-up and increased with increasing density. In the case of UO2, the compressive strengths were 717.8 MPa and 897.4 MPa when the densities were 10.4 g/cm3 and 10.6 g.cm3, respectively. In the case of simulated nuclear fuel with a burn-up of 35 GWd/tU, the compressive strengths were 472.1 MPa and 732.3 MPa when the densities were 8.8 g/cm3 and 10.2 g/cm3. In the case of simulated nuclear fuel with a burn-up of 55 GWd/tU, the compressive strengths were 301.4 MPa and 515.5 MPa when the densities were 8.3 g/cm3 and 10.0 g/cm3, respectively.

Livestock production costs are heavily influenced by the cost of feed, The use of domestically grown forages is more desirable for livestock feed production. As part of this study, triticale, which is an extremely palatable and easily cultivable crop in Korea, was used to produce low moisture silage bales with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and then stored for different periods. We examined the nutrient content of silage, such as crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), as well as their organic acids, including lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, at different storage periods. The nutrient content of silages, such as crude protein, ADF, and NDF, did not change significantly throughout storage periods. Organic acid data indicated that lactic acid concentrations increased with increasing moisture contents and storage periods up to nine months. However, further extending storage to 12 months resulted in a reduction in the lactic acid content of all silages as well as an increase in their pH. Based on the present results, it suggested that the production of low moisture silage with the LAB may be able to preserve and maintain its quality without altering its nutritional composition. Also, the lactate content of the silage remained significant for at least nine months.