Copper, silver, and gold-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (Cu-rGO, Ag-rGO, and Au-rGO) were fabricated via the hydrothermal method, which shows unique physiochemical properties. Environment friendly electromagnetic radiation was employed to synthesize rGO from GO. The nonlinear optical phenomenon of noble metal decorated rGO is predominantly due to excited state absorption, which arises from surface plasmon resonance and increases in defects at the surface due to Cu, Ag, and Au incorporation. It is found that the third-order nonlinear absorption coefficient was in the order of 10− 10 m/W, with notable enhancements in the third-order properties of Au-rGO compared to other nanocomposites and their respective counterparts. Functionalizing rGO induces defect states ( sp3), increasing NLO response. Cu, Ag, and Au exhibit higher Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) activity due to rGO-induced structural modifications. SERS signals are influenced by dominant signals from Au nanorods. The electronic structures for pure and doped rGO were investigated through Density Functional Theory (DFT). The computed partial density of states (PDOS) confirms the enhancement of the state in Au-doped rGO is due to the charge transference from Au to C 2p orbital. The optical absorption spectra and PDOS reveal the possibility of free carrier absorption enhancement in Au which validates experimentally observed higher two-photon absorption (β) value of Au-doped rGO. The tuning of nonlinear optical and SERS behaviour with variation in the noble metal upon rGO provides an easy way to attain tuneable properties which are exceedingly required in both optoelectronics and photonics applications.

The biggest jewel beetle in Korea, Chrysochroa coreana, has been nominated as the Natural Monument No. 496 and also classified as Category I of Endangered Species by the Red Data Book. Due to the invisible feature of a saproxylic larval hood inside the host tree for years, the whole life history was hitherto been unknown to the academic world. In order to clarify the period of larval-hood and record images of the process of the final stage of emergence, we obtained sample eggs from two mated couples of adults that emerged from a dead tree of Celtis sinensis on Wando Island, which is well-known as the habitat of C. coreana. Larvae were hatched on four pieces of timber (Celtis aurantiaca) in July 2018 and kept in a growth chamber under the conditions of 25°C, 65% humidity, and in a 12-hour light/dark cycle. The development of larvae was monitored via the non-destructive C/T method every month. Six adults were emerged between February and March 2024. As a result, we obtained the fact that the larval period of C. coreana is minimum 66 months (5.5 years) under lab conditions.

The significance of this study lies in addressing critical issues prevalent in the worldwide construction sector, particularly concerning the durability and sustainability of cement-based materials. Plain cement composites commonly suffer from deficiencies in tensile strength and strain capacity, resulting in the formation of nano-cracks under relatively low tensile loads. These nano- cracks pose a significant challenge to the longevity and resilience of cement matrices, contributing to structural degradation and reduced service life of infrastructure. To mitigate these challenges, the integration of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) as reinforcements in cement composites presents a promising solution. CNF, renowned for their exceptional material properties including high stiffness, tensile strength, and corrosion resistance, offer the potential to significantly enhance the mechanical performance and durability of cement-based materials. Through systematic experimentation, this study investigates the effects of CNF reinforcement on the mechanical properties of cement composites. By leveraging ultrasonically dispersion techniques, CNF extracted from bamboo, broad leaf, and kenaf are uniformly dispersed within the cement matrix at varying concentrations. Compressive and flexural tests are subsequently conducted to evaluate the impact of CNF on the strength characteristics of the cement composites. By elucidating the efficacy of CNF reinforcement through rigorous experimentation, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the development of construction materials with improved durability and sustainability. Ultimately, this research contributes to addressing critical challenges in the construction industry, offering potential solutions to enhance the performance and longevity of cement-based infrastructure.

The final disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) will take place in a deep geological repository. The metal canister surrounding the SNF is made of cast iron and copper, designed to provide longterm containment of radionuclides. Canister is intended to be safeguarded by a multiple-barrier disposal system comprising engineered and natural barriers. Colloids and gases are mediators that can accelerate radionuclide migration and influence radionuclide behavior when radionuclides leak from the canister at the end of its service life. It is very important to consider these factors in the assessment of the long-term stability of deep dispoal repository. An experimental setup was designed to observe the acceleration of nuclide behavior due to gas-mediated transport in a simulated environment with specific temperature and pressure conditions, similar to those of a deep disposal repository. In this study, experiments were conducted to simulate gas flow within an engineered barrier under conditions reflecting 1000 years post repository closure. The experiment utilized bentonite WRK with a dry density of 1.61 g/cm³ after compaction. The compacted bentonite was subsequently saturated under a water pressure of 5 MPa, equivalent to the hydrostatic pressure found 500 meters underground. Gas was introduced into the saturated bentonite at different pressures to assess the permeation behavior of the bentonite relative to gas pressure variations. Consequently, it was observed that under specific pressures, gas permeated the saturated bentonite, ascending in the form of bubbles. Furthermore, it was noted that when a continuous flow was initiated within the bentonite, erosion took place, leading to the buoyant transportation of eroded particles upward by the bubbles. The particles transported by the bubbles had a relatively small particle size distribution, and cesium also tended to be transported by the bubbles and moved upward. When high-pressure gas is generated at the interface of the canister and the buffer, flow through the buffer can occur, and cationic nuclides such as cesium and strontium can be attached to the gas bubble and migrate. However, the pressure of the gas to break through the saturated buffer is very high, and the amount of cesium transported by the gas bubbles is very limited.

Considering the domestic situation where all nuclear power plants are located on seaside, the interim storage site is also likely to be located on coastal site. Maritime transportation is inevitable and the its risk assessment is very important for safety. Currently, there is no independently developed maritime transportation risk assessment code in Korea, and no research has been conducted to evaluate the release of radioactive waste due to the immersion of transport cask. Previous studies show that the release rate of radionuclides contained in a submerged transport cask is significantly affected by the area of flow path generated at the breached containment boundary. Due to the robustness of a cask, the breach is the most likely generated between the lid and body of cask. CRIEPI investigated the effect of cask containment on the release rate of radioactive contents into the ocean and proposed a procedure to calculate the release rate considering the socalled barrier effect. However, the contribution of O-ring on the release rate was not considered in the work. In this study, test and analysis is performed to determine the equivalent flow path gap considering the influence of O-rings. These results will be implemented in the computational model to assess sea water flow through a breached containment boundary using CFD techniques to assess radionuclide release rates. To evaluate the release rate as a function of lid displacement, a small containment vessel is engineered and a metal O-ring of the Helicoflex HN type is installed, which is the most commonly used one in transport and storage casks. The lid of containment vessel is displaced in vertical and horizontal direction and the release rate of the vessel was quantified using the helium leak test and the pressure drop test. Through this work, the relationship between the vertical opening displacement and horizontal sliding displacement of the cask lid and the actual flow path area created is established. This will be implemented in the CFD model for flow rate calculation from a submerged transport cask in the deep sea. In addition, the compression of the O-ring causes very small gaps, such as capillaries. In these cases, Poiseuille’s law is used to calculate the capillary flow rate.

The study investigates how the presence of blockchain technology affects social fairness and selfish monetary decisions. Based on the assumption that blockchain technology enhances transparency and traceability in social exchanges, the study predicts that individuals will make less selfish decisions when blockchain is present. To test these predictions, the study conducted three experiments using a modified version of the dictator game scenario where participants decide how to divide a sum of money among themselves. In Study 1, the results show that individuals took less money for themselves and allocated more to the third player when blockchain technology was present, and the importance of social fairness was higher under the blockchain-presence condition. The mediation analysis indicates that the increase in social fairness mediates the effect of blockchain technology on monetary decisions. Study 2 replicated Study 1 with real monetary incentives. The results showed that individuals took less money for themselves only under the blockchain-image condition, and the importance of social fairness was higher only under the blockchain-image condition. Study 3 examined the moderating effect of the first player's allocation on participants' behavior under the presence or absence of blockchain technology. The study provides empirical evidence that blockchain technology can positively influence social fairness and reduce selfish monetary decisions. The findings have implications for policymakers and blockchain developers to design and implement blockchain systems that promote transparency and traceability in social exchanges, thereby enhancing social fairness.

In concrete structures exposed to chloride environments such as seashore structures, chloride ions penetrate into the concrete. Chlorine ions in concrete react with cement hydrates to form Friedel’s salt and change the microstructure. Changes in the microstructure of concrete affect the mechanical performance, and the effect varies depending on the concentration of chloride ions that have penetrated. However, research on the mechanical performance of concrete by chloride ion penetration is lacking. In this study, the effect of chloride ion penetration on the mechanical performance of dry cask concrete exposed to the marine environment was investigated. The mixture proportion of self-compacting concrete is used to produce concrete specimens. CaCl2 was used to add chlorine ions, and 0, 1, 2, and 4% of the binder in weight were added. To evaluate the mechanical performance of concrete, a compressive strength test, and a splitting tensile strength test were performed. The compressive strength test was conducted through displacement control to obtain a stress-strain curve, and the loading speed was set to 10 με/sec, which is the speed of the quasi-static level. The splitting tensile strength test was performed according to KS F 2423. As a result of the experiment, the compressive strength increased when the chloride ion concentration was 1%, and the compressive strength decreased when the chlorine ion concentration was 4%. The effect of the chloride ion concentration on the peak strain was not shown. In order to present a stress-strain curve model according to the chloride ion concentration, the existing concrete compressive stress-strain models were reviewed, and it was confirmed that the experimental results could be simulated through the Popovics model.

Considering the domestic situation where all nuclear power plants are located on seaside, the interim storage site is also likely to be located on coastal site. Maritime transportation is inevitable and the its risk assessment is very important for safety. Currently, there is no independently developed maritime transportation risk assessment code in Korea, and no research has been conducted to evaluate the release of radioactive waste due to the immersion of transport cask. Previous studies show that the release rate of radionuclides contained in a submerged transport cask is significantly affected by the area of flow path generated at the breached containment boundary. Due to the robustness of a cask, the breach is the most likely generated between the lid and body of cask. CRIEPI investigated the effect of cask containment on the release rate of radioactive contents into the ocean and proposed a procedure to calculate the release rate considering the so-called barrier effect. However, the contribution of O-ring on the release rate was not considered in the work. In this study, test and analysis is performed to determine the equivalent flow path gap considering the influence of O-rings. These results will be implemented in the computational model to assess sea water flow through a breached containment boundary using CFD techniques to assess radionuclide release rates. The evaluation of release rate due to container lid gaps has been performed by CRIEPI and BAM. In CRIEPI, the gap of the flow path was calculated from the roughness of the container surface without a quantitative assessment of the severity of the accident. In this work, to evaluate the release rate as a function of lid displacement, a small containment vessel is engineered and a metal Oring of the Helicoflex HN type is installed, which is the most commonly used one in transport and storage casks. The lid of containment vessel is displaced in vertical and horizontal direction and the release rate of the vessel was quantified using the helium leak test and the pressure drop test. Through this work, the relationship between the vertical opening displacement and horizontal sliding displacement of the cask lid and the actual flow path area created is established. This will be implemented in the CFD model for flow rate calculation from a submerged transport cask in the deep sea.

본 연구에서는 가설 강교에 사용되는 조립식 거더-교각 접합부에 대한 새로운 설계를 제안하였다. 새로운 접합부는 모듈의 각 부분을 공장에서 용접하여 제작한 후 현장에서 용접 대신 볼트 접합부를 사용하도록 구성하여 현장에서 모듈을 신속 하게 조립하도록 구성하였다. 이 새롭게 제안된 거더-교각 접합부의 구조적 성능을 평가하기 위해 정적 거동, 연성 성능 및 회 전 성능을 분석하는 실험을 수행하였다, 실험결과 제안된 볼트 접합부는 기존의 용접 체결부에 비해 정적 지지력, 연성 거동 및 회전 성능에서 우수한 성능을 보여주었다. 비록 볼트 체결부의 강성이 용접 체결부보다 다소 작지만, 체결부의 연성 성능이나 정적 지지력에 큰 영향을 미치지 않았으며, 안전성 향상, 빠른 조립 및 분해, 건설 공기 단축 등의 유리한 특성으로 인해 가설 교량 건설에 적합한 것으로 평가되었다.

The mechanical, hydraulic, thermal, and chemical properties of the subsurface can have a significant effect on the long-term performance of an underground facility. Therefore, it is important to accurately estimate the aquifer properties in order to predict the groundwater flow and solute transport and thus ensure the stability and safety of a high-level radioactive waste disposal. Using heat as a tracer has become a popular tool for the subsurface characterization. Recent studies have demonstrated that heat tracing is an effective approach to quantify both hydrogeological and thermal subsurface properties. However, most studies in natural conditions assume the local thermal equilibrium (LTE) between the solid and fluid phases, ignoring heat exchange between them. The LTE assumption has not yet been verified by experiments. This work investigates the validity of the LTE assumption by performing the laboratory tracer tests using both solute and heat in a porous medium under natural groundwater flow velocities (Reynolds number, Re < 0.37). The experimental results showed that the LTE assumption can be violated even under natural groundwater flow conditions. The violation of LTE (LTNE) had a significant impact on mechanical dispersion, whereas its effect on velocity was negligible. These results provide the first experimental evidence for LTNE effects in natural conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to consider LTNE effects especially when the mechanical dispersion is evaluated using heat tracing.

Composite materials offer distinct and unique properties that are not naturally inherited in the individual materials that make them. One of the most attractive composites to manufacture is the aluminum alloy matrix composite, because it usually combines easiness of availability, light weight, strength, and other favorable properties. In the current work, Powder Metallurgy Method (PMM) is used to prepare Al2024 matrix composites reinforced with different mixing ratios of yttrium oxide (Y2O3) particles. The tests performed on the composites include physical, mechanical, and tribological, as well as microstructure analysis via optical microscope. The results show that the experimental density slightly decreases while the porosity increases when the reinforcement ratio increases within the selected range of 0 ~ 20 wt%. Besides this, the yield strength, tensile strength, and Vickers hardness increase up to a 10 wt% Y2O3 ratio, after which they decline. Moreover, the wear results show that the composite follows the same paradigm for strength and hardness. It is concluded that this composite is ideal for application when higher strength is required from aluminum composites, as well as lighter weight up to certain values of Y2O3 ratio.

In this study, the out-of-plane seismic resistance of lightly-reinforced existing walls strengthened with thick RC jacket was investigated. The thick RC jacket with a thickness of 500 mm was placed at one side of the thin existing wall with a thickness of 150 mm. At the interface between the wall and RC jacket, a tee-shaped steel section with a number of anchor bolts and dowel bars was used as the shear connector. To investigate the connection performance and strengthening effects, the cyclic loading tests of four jacketed wall specimens were performed. The tests showed that the flexural strength of the jacketed walls under out-of-plane loading was significantly increased. During the initial behavior, the tee shear connector transferred forces successfully at the interface without slip. However, as the cracking, spalling, and crushing of the concrete increased in the exiting walls, the connection performance at the interface was significantly degraded and, consequently, the strength of the jacketed walls was significantly decreased. The flexural strength of the jacketed walls with tee shear connector was estimated considering the full and partial composite actions of the tee shear connector.

The research presented in this manuscript is centered on examining how social sponsorship can be made more commercially effective. To this end, the effects of two leveraging factors are explored by means of an experiment: the extent to which the social sponsorship is seen by consumers as legitimate, and that to which the sponsor is perceived as sincere. The results show that these two factors have a positive and statistically significant impact on consumers’ intentions to purchase the sponsor’s products. In addition, they show that the legitimacy of a sponsorship is enhanced when the cause and its sponsor are congruent, and that the sponsor’s sincerity increases when the sponsorship is combined with philanthropic investments, either in sequence (i.e., philanthropy followed by sponsorship) or simultaneously. These results are discussed in the context of the literature on social sponsorship, and managerial implications for firms that contemplate using social sponsorship as a marketing communication strategy are derived.

An experimental investigation is performed to study the effect of jet to plate spacing and low Reynolds number on the local heat transfer distribution to normally impinging submerged circular air jet on a smooth and flat surface. A single jet from a straight circular nozzle of length to diameter ratio(l/d) of 83 is tested. Reynolds number based on nozzle exit condition is varied between 500 and 8,000 and jet to plate spacing between 0.5 and 8 nozzle diameter. The local het transfer characteristics are obtained using thermal images from infrared thermal imaging technique. It was observed that at lower Reynolds numbers, the effect of jet to plate distances covered during the study on the stagnation point Nusselt numbers is minimal. At all jet to plate distances, the stagnation point Nusselt numbers decrease monotonically with the maximum occurring at a z/d of 0.5 as opposed to the stagnation point Nusselt numbers at high Reynolds numbers which occur around a z/d of 6.

In order to provide the basis data for broad use and safe design of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, this paper aims at investigating the fracture behavior on CFRP specimen composed of one directional fiber through three point bending test. On the basis of experimental result, the improvement of composite layer specimen can be secured with the other data to compare the existing specimen. The fracture behavior happened at the experimental procedure is investigated in this study. The maximum loads of 1200 N, 1700N and 1600N are shown respectively at the specimens with the layer angles of 30°, 45° and 60°. The highest load is shown at the layer angle of 60° among all specimens and the longest displacement is maintained until each of the layer structure is broken down. The fracture due to the force applied from the outside can be prevented by applying the result of this study to the real structure. As structural safety can be evaluated and anticipated through this study, it is thought that the safe design is devoted.