Kori Unit 1, the first commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) in Korea, was permanently shut down in 2017 and was scheduled for decommissioning. Various programs must be planned early in the decommissioning process to safely decommission NPPs. Radiological characterization is a key program in decommissioning and should be a high priority. Radiological characterization involves determining the decommissioning technology to be applied to a nuclear facility by identifying the radiation sources and radioactive contaminants present within the facility and assessing the extent and nature of the radioactive contaminants to be removed from the facility. This study introduces the regulatory requirements, procedures, and implementation methods for radiological characterization and proposes a methodology to link the results of radiological characterizations for each stage. To link radiological characteristics, this study proposes to conduct radiological characterization in the decommissioning phase to verify the results of radiological characterization in the transitional phase of decommissioning NPPs. This enables significantly reducing the scope and content of radiological characterization that must be performed in the decommissioning phase and maintaining the connection with the previous phase.

Hydride analysis is required to assess the mechanical integrity of spent nuclear fuel cladding. Image segmentation, which is a hydride analysis method, is a technique that can analyze the orientation and distribution of hydrides in cladding images of spent nuclear fuels. However, the segmentation results varied according to the image preprocessing. Inaccurate segmentation results can make hydride difficult to analyze. This study aims to analyze the segmentation performance of the Otsu algorithm according to the morphological operations of cladding images. Morphological operations were applied to four different cladding images, and segmentation performance was quantitatively compared using a histogram, betweenclass variance, and radial hydride fraction. As a result, this study found that morphological operations can induce errors in cladding images and that appropriate combinations of morphological operations can maximize segmentation performance. This study emphasizes the importance of image preprocessing methods, suggesting that they can enhance the accuracy of hydride analysis. These findings are expected to contribute to the advancements in integrity assessment of spent nuclear fuel cladding.

The Yeongsan River is a prominent inland waterway, alongside the Han River, Nakdong River, and Geum River in South Korea. Numerous bacterial strains were isolated from the Yeongsan River basin for a comprehensive investigation into indigenous prokaryotic species conducted between 2020 and 2023. These bacterial strains were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, wherein 45 bacterial strains shared >98.7% sequence similarities with bacterial species not recorded in Korea thus far. Therefore, this study aimed to catalogue aforementioned unrecorded species and characterize them contingent upon their Gram nature, colony and cell morphologies, biochemical properties, and phylogenetic positions. These bacterial species were determined to be phylogenetically diverse. They were categorized into nine classes, 18 orders, and 25 families. These previously unrecorded species were classified into the following genera and classes: Chitinophaga (class Chitinophagia); Flavobacterium (class Flavobacteriia); Rhodopseudomonas, Gemmobacter, Paracoccus, Azospirillum, Sphingomonas, Novosphingobium, Sphingorhabdus, and Erythrobacter (class Alphaproteobacteria); Bordetella, Pararobbsia, Polynucleobacter, Rhodoferax, Aquabacterium, Malikia, Comamonas, Ideonella, Paucibacter, Undibacterium, Cupriavidus, and Thauera (class Betaproteobacteria); Pectobacterium, Arenimonas, Lysobacter, and Luteimonas (class Gammaproteobacteria); Luteolibacter (class Verrucomicrobiia); Mycolicibacterium, Angustibacter, Ornithinibacter, Janibacter, Schumannella, Aurantimicrobium, Luedemannella, Nocardioides, and Propionicimonas (class Actinomycetes); Geothrix (class Holophagae); and Lactococcus (class Bacilli).

국립원예특작과학원에서는 밝은 화색과 안정적인 화형의 생 육이 우수한 빨간색 스탠다드 장미 품종을 육성하기 위해 진한 적색 스탠다드 장미 품종 ‘엔드리스러브(Endless Love)’를 모 본으로, 꽃잎수가 많고 안정적으로 가시가 적은 밝은 노란색 ‘페니레인(Penny Lane)’ 품종을 부본으로 인공교배하였다. 37 개의 교배실생을 양성해 1, 2, 3차에 걸친 특성검정 및 현장실증 을 통해 꽃이 크고 화형이 안정적이며, 재배안정성 및 생산성, 절화특성이 우수한 ‘원교 D1-390’을 최종 선발하였다. 2023년 ‘루비레드(Ruby Red)’로 명명하여 국립종자원에 품종보호출원·등록되었다. ‘루비레드’ 품종은 밝은 적색(R53C)을 가졌으 며, 꽃잎수가 32.8매, 화폭과 화고는 각각 10.9, 5.9cm로 대조 품종보다 크다. 절화장은 평균 71.7cm, 절화수명은 약 16.7일, 수량은 연간 168대/m2로 대조품종인 ‘레드스퀘어(Red Square)’ 대비 절화장이 길고 절화수명도 2배 이상 길며, 수확량도 1.4배 우수하다. 2023년 국내 육성 장미 품종 서울식물원 관람객 대상 공동평가회에서 스탠다드 장미 중 우수한 평가를 받았으며, 현 장 실증 결과 농가별로 균일하고 우수한 수량과 절화품질을 보 였다. 절화용 장미 ‘루비레드’ 품종은 밝은 적색과 우수한 화형 을 가지는 품종으로 해외 대체 품종으로 국내에서 많이 재배될 것으로 기대된다.

Unlike companion cats raised at home, feral cats are more likely to be infected with parasites. Feral cats can transmit parasites not only to other cats but also to pets and people. This study was conducted to investigate prevalence intestinal parasites prevalence through the fecal examination of feral cats in Gunsan City. After making a suspension in Sheather's Sucrose solution, the feces were mixed and centrifuged, and then examined under a microscope. The results were revealed mostly unsporulated oocysts and sporulated oocysts of coccidia, followed by pinworm's eggs, which showed a relatively high infection rate. Scabies and mites were also found in the feces. Due to the behavioral characteristics of cats, they tend to remove the foreign objects from their fur through grooming, which is why a lot of hairs were observed in the feces, and it is thought that this is why scabies and mites were also found in the fecal examination results. The results of this study confirm that feral cats are exposed to those parasites. It is also thought that consideration should be given to expanding the TNVR (trap-neuter-vaccinate-release) program, which can reduce the number of feral cats.

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that influence consumers’ acceptance intentions towards Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Genetic Testing service. DTC genetic testing service can be considered in two aspects: the application of new technology in genetic testing customers can directly purchase and the services for receiving the test results customer can’t directly analyze. Existing technology-based acceptance models have difficulty fully explaining consumers’ acceptance intentions towards DTC genetic testing services. Therefore, this study aims to propose a new acceptance model considering these two characteristics. A survey was conducted with 377 potential consumers for this research. The analysis revealed that health interest, prior knowledge, subjective norms, innovativeness, perceived usefulness, and perceived value affect consumers’ acceptance intentions. The results obtained through this study can help establish strategies and marketing plans necessary for the diffusion of services, such as DTC genetic testing services, that combine a new technology and a service. In the long term, the accumulated DTC genetic testing results data can contribute to the development of national genetic information infrastructure and preventive medical applications, as well as improve individuals’ quality of life.

This study examines the challenges faced by native English-speaking professors who teach general English courses in Korean universities, specifically focusing on the issue of social marginalization. Data were collected through online surveys and interviews. The findings indicate that these professors view themselves as a non-mainstream group within university faculties, often experiencing exclusion from decision-making processes and professional development opportunities, primarily due to language barriers. Moreover, cultural differences and structural discrimination exacerbate these challenges. Although the respondents did not report significant difficulties related to student education and exhibited a strong sense of efficacy in teaching English, some lacked sufficient understanding of the institutional curriculum. To address these issues, this study suggests that, for foreign professors to fully demonstrate their expertise in English education and foster a sense of belonging within the university community, they should be granted the authority and responsibility to participate in curriculum improvement research, along with administrative assistance.

본 논문은 모바일 폰 사진을 활용하여 도시 공간에서 전력선과 건물 사이의 거리를 편리하게 모델링하고 측정하는 방법에 중점을 두고 있으며, 이에 대한 정확성을 평가하였다. 모바일 장 치용 2뷰 지오메트리를 사용한 전력선과 건물의 3D 재구성 방법을 설계하여 어디에서나 즉시 측정할 수 있도록 하였다. 특징점을 사용하여 전력선과 건물 사이의 거리를 계산하고 건물 정 보를 활용하여 게임 가상 공간에 전력선과 전주를 배치할 수 있다. 본 논문에서는 대전시 내 10개의 위치에서 실험을 실시하고, 상업용 시스템과 LiDAR가 있는 경우와 없는 경우를 포함 한 이전 방법과의 성능을 평가하였다. 우리의 방법을 스마트폰에 구현했기 때문에 장점은 휴 대성과 저렴함이다.

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ensemble optimal interpolation (EnOI) in improving the analysis of significant wave height (SWH) within wave models using satellite-derived SWH data. Satellite observations revealed higher SWH in mid-latitude regions (30o to 60o in both hemispheres) due to stronger winds, whereas equatorial and coastal areas exhibited lower wave heights, attributed to calmer winds and land interactions. Root mean square error (RMSE) analysis of the control experiment without data assimilation revealed significant discrepancies in high-latitude areas, underscoring the need for enhanced analysis techniques. Data assimilation experiments demonstrated substantial RMSE reductions, particularly in high-latitude regions, underscoring the effectiveness of the technique in enhancing the quality of analysis fields. Sensitivity experiments with varying ensemble sizes showed modest global improvements in analysis fields with larger ensembles. Sensitivity experiments based on different decorrelation length scales demonstrated significant RMSE improvements at larger scales, particularly in the Southern Ocean and Northwest Pacific. However, some areas exhibited slight RMSE increases, suggesting the need for region-specific tuning of assimilation parameters. Reducing the observation error covariance improved analysis quality in certain regions, including the equator, but generally degraded it in others. Rescaling background error covariance (BEC) resulted in overall improvements in analysis fields, though sensitivity to regional variability persisted. These findings underscore the importance of data assimilation, parameter tuning, and BEC rescaling in enhancing the quality and reliability of wave analysis fields, emphasizing the necessity of region-specific adjustments to optimize assimilation performance. These insights are valuable for understanding ocean dynamics, improving navigation, and supporting coastal management practices.

AR (alkali resistant)-glass fibers were developed to provide better alkali resistance, but there is currently no research on AR-glass fiber manufacturing. In this study, we fabricated glass fiber from AR-glass using a continuous spinning process with 40 wt% refused coal ore. To confirm the melting properties of the marble glass, raw material was put into a (platinum) Pt crucible and melted at temperatures up to 1,650 °C for 2 h and then annealed. To confirm the transparent clear marble glass, visible transmittance was measured and the fiber spinning condition was investigated by high temperature viscosity measurement. A change in diameter was observed according to winding speed in the range of 100 to 700 rpm. We also checked the change in diameter as a function of fiberizing temperature in the range of 1,240 to 1,340 °C. As winding speed increased at constant temperature, fiber diameter tended to decrease. However, at fiberizing temperature at constant winding speed, fiber diameter tended to increase. The properties of the prepared spinning fibers were confirmed by optical microscope, tensile strength, modulus and alkali-resistance tests.

Carbon fusion is important to understand the late stages in the evolution of a massive star. Astronomically interesting energy ranges for the 12C+12C reactions have been, however, poorly constrained by experiments. Theoretical studies on stellar evolution have relied on reaction rates that are extrapolated from those measured in higher energies. In this work, we update the carbon fusion reaction rates by fitting the astrophysical S-factor data obtained from direct measurements based on the Fowler, Caughlan, & Zimmerman (1975) formula. We examine the evolution of a 20M⊙ star with the updated 12C+12C reaction rates performing simulations with the MESA (Modules for Experiments for Stellar Astrophysics) code. Between 0.5 and 1 GK, the updated reaction rates are 0.35 to 0.5 times less than the rates suggested by Caughlan & Fowler (1988). The updated rates result in the increase of core temperature by about 7% and of the neutrino cooling by about a factor of three. Moreover, the carbon-burning lifetime is reduced by a factor of 2.7. The updated carbon fusion reaction rates lead to some changes in the details of the stellar evolution model, their impact seems relatively minor compared to other uncertain physical factors like convection, overshooting, rotation, and mass-loss history. The astrophysical S-factor measurements in lower energies have large errors below the Coulomb barrier. More precise measurements in lower energies for the carbon burning would be useful to improve our study and to understand the evolution of a massive star.

Because plastics are cheap and light, their use is indispensable in our daily lives. However, the extensive use of plastics causes the disposal issue. Among various disposal processes, plastic recycling is of great attention because of minimizing waste and harmful byproducts. Herein, we recycle the most popular thermoplastic materials, high-density and low-density polyethylene, producing the anode materials for the Li-ion batteries. The electrochemical properties of the as-recycled soft carbon are investigated to study the energy storage capability as the anode of Li-ion batteries. Our work demonstrates the soft carbon recycled from plastic wastes is a promising anode material.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have been reported to have better properties than conventional materials; however, they are more expensive due to the high cost of their main components. Therefore, research is needed to reduce manufacturing costs. In this study, CoCrFeMnNi HEAs were prepared using metal injection molding (MIM), which is a powder metallurgy process that involves less material waste than machining process. Although the MIM-processed samples were in the face-centered cubic (FCC) phase, porosity remained after sintering at 1200°C, 1250°C, and 1275°C. In this study, the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process, which considers both temperature (1150°C) and pressure (150 MPa), was adopted to improve the quality of the MIM samples. Although the hardness of the HIP-treated samples decreased slightly and the Mn composition was significantly reduced, the process effectively eliminated many pores that remained after the 1275°C MIM process. The HIP process can improve the quality of the alloy.

The development of thermoelectric (TE) materials to replace Bi2Te3 alloys is emerging as a hot issue with the potential for wider practical applications. In particular, layered Zintl-phase materials, which can appropriately control carrier and phonon transport behaviors, are being considered as promising candidates. However, limited data have been reported on the thermoelectric properties of metal-Sb materials that can be transformed into layered materials through the insertion of cations. In this study, we synthesized FeSb and MnSb, which are used as base materials for advanced thermoelectric materials. They were confirmed as single-phase materials by analyzing X-ray diffraction patterns. Based on electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity of both materials characterized as a function of temperature, the zT values of MnSb and FeSb were calculated to be 0.00119 and 0.00026, respectively. These properties provide a fundamental data for developing layered Zintl-phase materials with alkali/alkaline earth metal insertions.