The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) will provide all-sky spectral survey data covering optical to mid-infrared wavelengths with a spatial resolution of 6.′′2, which can be widely used to study galaxy formation and evolution. We investigate the galaxy-galaxy blending in SPHEREx datasets using the mock galaxy catalogs generated from cosmological simulations and observational data. Only ∼0.7% of the galaxies will be blended with other galaxies in all-sky survey data with a limiting magnitude of 19 AB mag. However, the fraction of blended galaxies dramatically increases to ∼7–9% in the deep survey area around the ecliptic poles, where the depth reaches ∼22 AB mag. We examine the impact of the blending in the number count and luminosity function analyses using the SPHEREx data. We find that the number count can be overestimated by up to 10–20% in the deep regions due to the flux boosting, suggesting that the impact of galaxy-galaxy blending on the number count is moderate. However, galaxy-galaxy blending can marginally change the luminosity function by up to 50% over a wide range of redshifts. As we only employ the magnitude limit at Ks-band for the source detection, the blending fractions determined in this study should be regarded as lower limits.

해사영어는 선박 운항, 해양 안전, 선내 의사소통 및 선외 교신을 위해 설계된 특수한 영어 언어체계이다. 국제해사기구 STCW(선원의 훈련, 자격증명 및 당직근무의 기준에 관한 국제협약)에 따르면 국제항해에 종사하는 항해사가 되기 위해서는 SMCP를 포함한 해사영어 대한 충분한 이해가 수반되어야 한다. 본 연구는 음성인식, 번역, 단어 기입 등 유형의 해사영어시험을 통하여 학생들 의 해사영어 활용 능력을 측정하고 플랫폼 사용에 따른 시험 점수 향상 정도, 나아가 초임항해사로 나가기 위하여 요구되는 해사영어 시험 플랫폼 활용 시간 등을 조사하고자 하였다. 실험은 먼저 초기 시험을 통해 학생들의 일반영어능력과 SMCP 활용 능력에 대한 연 관성을 조사한 후, 중간 시험 및 최종 시험을 통해 플랫폼 활용에 대한 점수 향상 정도, 응시시간 변화 등 요인을 측정하였다. 초기 시 험을 통해 개인 요인(예: 토익 점수, 본인 스스로에 대한 영어능력 평가)에 따른 그룹 간 해사영어시험 점수에 유의한 차이가 있음을 확인하였으며, 중간시험 및 최종시험을 통해 플랫폼 활용이 유의한 시험점수 향상으로 이어졌음을 확인하였다. 해당 연구는 해사 교육 분야에 다양하게 적용할 수 있는 학습 플랫폼 활용 효능을 조사하였으며 향후 해사영어 교육 외 그 범위를 넓혀 활용될 수 있을 것으 로 사료된다.

Hypertension is characterized by excessive renin-angiotensin system activity, leading to blood vessel constriction. Several synthetic compounds have been developed to inhibit renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). These drugs often have adverse side effects, driving the exploration of plant protein-derived peptides as alternative or supplementary treatments. This study assessed the phenolic compound and amino acid content and the antioxidant and antihypertensive activity of 5 South Korean staple crops. Sorghum had the highest phenolic compound content and exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Millet grains, particularly finger millet (38.86%), showed higher antihypertensive activity than red beans (14.42%) and sorghum (17.16%). Finger millet was found to contain a large proportion of branched-chain, aromatic, and sulfur-containing amino acids, which are associated with ACE inhibition. In particular, cysteine content was positively correlated with ACE inhibition in the crops tested (r=0.696, p<0.01). This study confirmed that the amino acid composition was more correlated with the antihypertensive activity of grains than the phenolic compound content. Finger millet mainly contained amino acids, which have higher ACE inhibitory activity, resulting in the strongest antihypertensive activity. These findings underscore the antihypertensive potential of select crops as plant-based food ingredients, offering insight into their biological functions.

Abstract Purpose : The distribution of axial length and ocular dimensions was investigated, and each correlation according to gender and age was investigated. Methods : Among 847 eyes of 438 patients, 207 eyes in 20s, 210 eyes in 30s, 216 eyes in 40s, and 214 eyes in 50s were measured for axial length with IOL-Master 700. Refractive error was measured with KR-800. Corneal curvature radius and corneal eccentricity were measured with Keratograph 4. Results : Axial length (male: 24.57±1.22mm, female: 24.03±1.12mm) and horizontal corneal eccentricity (male: 0.58±0.11, female: 0.54±0.12) tended to increase in decreased age, male and myopia. Mean corneal curvature radius (male: 7.82±0.25mm, female: 7.71±0.25 mm), and horizontal corneal curvature radius (male: 7.91±0.26 mm, female: 7.79±0.26mm), nasal corneal eccentricity (male: 0.68±0.14, female: 0.66±0.15), and temporal corneal eccentricity (male: 0.45±0.14, female: 0.44±0.13) tended to increase in decreased age and male. Mean corneal eccentricity (male: 0.57±0.12, female: 0.54±0.12), vertical corneal curvature radius (male: 7.71±0.27 mm, female: 7.65±0.24 mm), vertical corneal eccentricity (male: 0.56±0.15, female: 0.54±0.15), and inferior corneal eccentricity (male: 0.52±0.19, female: 0.46±0.22) tended to increase in male. The correlation with axial length and corneal curvature radius showed a high correlation in emmetropia and the horizontal. Horizontal and temporal corneal eccentricity showed a low correlation. Conclusion : Axial length, corneal curvature radius, and corneal eccentricity (excluding vertical) were higher in males. As age increased, axial length, and corneal curvature radius decreased. Among the 4 quadrants of corneal eccentricity, only the temporal s ide showed a significant correlation with axial length. Key words : Age, Axial length, Corneal curvature radius, Corneal eccentricity, Gender Authors ORCID:†

Abstract Purpose : The aim of this study was to identify knowledge and lifestyle habits for glaucoma prevention and to present basic data for future glaucoma prevention education. Methods : From April to September 2023, 447 people in their 20s to 60s were selected and an online survey was conducted. The questionnaire consisted of a total of 30 questions, including 6 questions about the subject's general characteristics, 14 questions about knowledge and awareness of glaucoma, and 10 questions about lifestyle habits related to intraocular pressure. Results : 89.7% responded that they had heard of glaucoma, and 31.1% of respondents knew the difference between glaucoma and cataracts. 34.5% responded that early detection is difficult, 33.3% that complete treatment is difficult, 23.5% that even normal intraocular pressure can cause glaucoma, and 36.0% that the incidence of glaucoma is increasing day by day. The level of awareness and knowledge was higher with age, in women than men, in those with a family history, in professional occupations, with metabolic diseases, and with high myopia. Lifestyle habits related to intraocular pressure were higher with age, among women, when smartphone use was less than 3 hours, and among housewives and professionals. The relationship between glaucoma knowledge and awareness and intraocular pressure-related lifestyle habits was statistically significant (r=0.248, p<0.001). Conclusion : Although the level of basic knowledge about glaucoma was high, the level of specific knowledge was low compared to the increase in the incidence of glaucoma over the past 10 years. Key words : Glaucoma, Healthy Life Practices, Intraocular pressure

This study investigated the effects of exposure frequency, depth of processing, and activity repetition types on vocabulary learning. In total, 78 South Korean fifth-grade students were divided into four conditions. Students in each condition were asked to read a passage with four of the eight target words (exposure: four times) and the other four words (exposure: once) for three days, and to perform the vocabulary activities assigned to each condition. According to the results, exposure frequency and activity repetition type had significant effects on vocabulary learning. Activity repetition type also had a significant interaction effect with exposure frequency and depth of processing. Notably, presenting a word 12 times (4x3) in reading intervals had a more positive impact on vocabulary learning than presenting it three times (1x3), particularly when different vocabulary activities were repeated. Meanwhile, when the same activity was repeated, an activity with a higher depth of processing was more effective for vocabulary learning.

Background: Estrus in cows can be detected through vaginal electrical resistance or conductivity. However, there are no studies measuring vaginal electrical resistance in Hanwoo cows. This study aims to measure the vaginal electrical resistance value in Hanwoo cows and compare it with estrus and ovulation. Methods: Vaginal electrical resistance values of 73 Hanwoo cows were measured before and after estrus at the Gyeongsangbuk-do Livestock Research Institute. Measurements were taken on days -6, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, and 6 of artificial insemination. Large follicles and ovulation were confirmed using transvaginal ultrasonography. Results: The vaginal electrical resistance averaged 225.6 ± 6.3 Ω days before the artificial insemination date, decreasing until the day of artificial insemination. The average vaginal electrical resistance was 163.7 ± 4.6 Ω on the date of artificial insemination, and 188.8 ± 4.3 Ω one day after artificial insemination, when large follicles were observed. In addition, on the 6th day after artificial insemination, the vaginal electrical resistance averaged 231.4 ± 5.5, which was similar to the 6th day before artificial insemination (222.5 ± 6.3). Transvaginal ultrasonography showed that most of the cows ovulated one day after artificial insemination. Conclusions: The accuracy of estrus is high if the vaginal electrical resistance is measured for cows with confirmed estrus, making is a potentially useful for determining the timing of artificial insemination.

The primary therapeutic approach for Brucella species infections has mainly been based on antibiotic treatment. However, the development of vaccines for brucellosis control remains controversial. Furthermore, there is currently no licensed vaccine available for human brucellosis. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a combination of recombinant protein vaccines against Brucella (B.) abortus infection using a mouse model. Two B. abortus genes, namely dapB and gpm, were cloned and expressed in competent Escherichia (E.) coli DH5α using the pCold-TF vector. Successfully cloned vectors were subjected to PCR amplification using specific primer pairs. The apparent sizes of dapB and gpm were detected at 807 bp and 621 bp, respectively. Besides, the purified recombinant proteins dapB and gpm were detected using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis with correct sizes of 82.86 kDa and 87.61 kDa, respectively. These recombinant proteins were used to immunize mice as a combined subunit vaccine (CSV) to elicit host immunity against B. abortus infection. Mice immunized with CSV exhibited increased proliferation of CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells at week 7th and 9th before sacrifice, in comparison to the control group. Notably, CSV immunization showed a significant decrease in bacterial burden in the spleen compared to the control group. Altogether, CSV using dapB and gpm induced host adaptive immune response against Brucella infection, suggesting its potential as an effective new subunit vaccine candidate.

In this review, the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy were described, and its interaction with apoptosis was identified. The role of autophagy in embryogenesis, tooth development, and cell differentiation were also investigated. Autophagy is regulated by various autophagy-related genes and those related to stress response. Highly active autophagy occurrences have been reported during cell differentiation before implantation after fertilization. Autophagy is involved in energy generation and supplies nutrients during early birth, essential to compensate for their deficient supply from the placenta. The contribution of autophagy during tooth development, such as the shape of the crown and root formation, ivory, and homeostasis in cells, was also observed. Genes control autophagy, and studying the role of autophagy in cell differentiation and development was useful for understanding human aging, illness, and health. In the future, the role of specific mechanisms in the development and differentiation of autophagy may increase the understanding of the pathological mechanisms of disease and development processes and is expected to reduce the treatment of various diseases by modulating the autophagic phenomenon.

In this study, we examined the antagonistic effects of sprout-borne lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. This antagonism is promoted as a means of controlling contamination during sprout production and provides additional LAB for consumers. We isolated a total of 24 LAB isolates in nine species and five genera from seven popular vegetable sprouts: alfalfa (Medicago sativa), clover (Trifolium pratense), broccoli (Brassica oleracea ssp. italica), vitamin (B. rapa ssp. narinosa), red radish (Raphanus sativus), red kohlrabi (B. oleracea var. gongylodes), and Kimchi cabbage (B. campestris var. pekinensis). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, the LAB species were identified as Enterococcus casseliflavus, E. faecium, E. gallinarum, E. mundtii, Lactococcus taiwanensis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Weissella cibaria, and W. confusa. A total of 16 LAB isolates in seven species including E. faecium, E. gallinarum, E. mundtii, L. taiwanensis, L. mesenteroides, P. pentosaceus, and W. cibaria showed antagonistic activity toward S. enterica. The growth inhibition of sprout LAB on S. enterica was confirmed by co-culture. Unexpectedly, sprout LAB failed to suppress the growth of S. enterica in alfalfa sprouts, whereas all LAB strains stimulate S. enterica growth even if it is not significant in some strains. The findings of this study indicate that S. enterica-antagonistic LAB are detrimental to food hygiene and will contribute to further LAB research and improved vegetable sprout production.

Chelating agents, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) are widely used in industry and agriculture as water softeners, detergents, and metal chelating agents. In wastewater treatment plants, a significant amount of chelating agents can be discharged into natural waters because they are difficult to degrade. Since those compounds affect the mobility of radionuclides or heavy metals in decontamination operations at nuclear facilities and radioactive waste disposal, quantification of the amount of ligand is very important for safe nuclear waste management. To predict the behavior of the main complexation in sample matrices of radioactive wastes, it is essential to evaluate the distribution of the metal-chelating species and their stabilities in order to develop analytical techniques for quantifying chelating agents. We have investigated to collect information on the pH speciation of metal chelation and the stability constants of metal complexes depending on three chelating agents (EDTA, DTPA, and NTA). For example, Zhang’s group recently reported that the initial coordination pH of Cu(II) and EDTA4− is delayed with the addition of Fe(III), and the pH range for the stable existence of [Cu(EDTA)]2− is narrowed compared to when it is alone in the sample matrix. The addition of Fe(III) clearly impacts the chemical states of the Cu(II)-EDTA solution. Additionally, Eivazihollagh’s group demonstrated differences in the speciation and stability of Cu(II) species between Cu(II) and three chelating ligands (EDTA, DTPA, and NTA). This study will be greatly helpful in identifying the sample matrix for binding major chelating agents and metals as well as developing chemically sample pretreatment and separation methods based on the sample matrix. Finally, these advancements will enable reliable quantitative analysis of chelating agents in decommissioning radioactive wastes.

One of the important components of a nuclear fuel cycle facility is a hot cell. Hot cells are engineered robust structures and barriers, which are used to handle radioactive materials and to keep workers, public, and the environment safe from radioactive materials. To provide a confinement function for these hot cells, it is necessary to maintain the soundness of the physical structure, but also to maintain the negative pressure inside the hot cell using the operation of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The negative pressure inside the hot cells allows air to enter from outside hot cells and limits the leakage of any contaminant or radioactive material within the hot cell to the outside. Thus, the HVAC system is one of the major components for maintaining this negative pressure in the hot cell. However, as the facility ages, all the components of the hot cell HVAC system are also subject to age-related deterioration, which can cause an unexpected failure of some parts. The abnormal operating condition from the failure results in the increase of facility downtime and the decrease in operating efficiency. Although some major parts are considered and constructed in redundancy and diversity aspects, an unexpected failure and abnormal operating condition could result in reduction of public acceptance and reliability to the facility. With the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution, prognostics and health management (PHM) technology is advancing at a rapid pace. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Siemens, and other companies have already developed technologies to constantly monitor the integrity of power plants and are applying the technology in the form of digital twins for efficiency and safety of their facility operation. The main point of PHM, based on this study, is to monitor changes and variations of soundness and safety of the operation and equipment to analyze current conditions and to ultimately predict the precursors of unexpected failures in advance. Through PHM, it would be possible to establish a maintenance plan before the failure occurs and to perform predictive maintenance rather than corrective maintenance after failures of any component. Therefore, it is of importance to select appropriate diagnostic techniques to monitor and to diagnose the condition of major components using the constant examination and investigation of the PHM technology. In this study, diagnostic techniques are investigated for monitoring of HVAC and discussed for application of PHM into nuclear fuel cycle facilities with hot cells.

South Korea’s first commercial nuclear reactor, Kori Unit 1, was permanently shut down in 2017, and preparations are currently underway for its decommissioning. After the permanent shutdown, the spent nuclear fuel from the reactor core is removed and stored in a spent fuel storage facility. Subsequently, steps are taken for its permanent disposal, and if a permanent disposal site is not determined, it is stored in an interim storage facility (or temporary storage facility). Therefore, the activation criteria for radiation emergency plans vary depending on the movement of spent nuclear fuel and the storage location. In this study, it reviewed emergency plans in the U.S. NRC Regulatory Guide (Draft) titled ‘Emergency Planning for Decommissioning Nuclear Power Reactors’ to determine the requirements for radiation emergency plans needed for decommissioned nuclear power plants. Additionally, by examining emergency plans applied to decommissioning nuclear power plants in the United States, this study identified emergency plan requirement that could be applicable to future decommissioned nuclear power plants in South Korea. This study will contribute to the establishment of appropriate radiation emergency plans for decommissioning nuclear power plants in Korea for providing accurate information on overseas cases and relevant guidelines.

Detectors utilized for nuclear material safeguards have been using scintillation detectors which are inexpensive and highly portable, and electrically cooled germanium detectors which are expensive but have excellent energy resolution. However, recently IAEA, the only international inspectorate of nuclear material safeguards for the globe, have replaced the existing scintillation detector and electrically cooled germanium detector with a CdZnTe detector owing to the improved performance of room-temperature semiconductors significantly. In this paper, we will examine the spectrum features of the CdZnTe detector such as spectrum shape, energy resolution, and efficiency in the energy region of interest, which are the important characteristics for measuring Uranium enrichment. For this purpose, it would be conducted to compare its spectrum features using CdZnTe, NaI, HPGe detectors. The main energies of interest include 185.7 keV and 1,001 keV, which are the decay energies of uranium 235 and uranium 238. The results of this study will provide a better understanding of the spectral features of various detectors used in uranium enrichment analysis, and are expected to be used as basic data for future related software development.