GIS-Based Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Bucheon, Korea, Using Mobile Laboratory and Proton-Transfer-Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Methods.

Recently, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been shown to act as precursors of secondary organic particles that react with ultraviolet rays in the atmosphere and contribute to photochemical smog, global warming, odor, and human health risks, highlighting the importance of VOC management. In this study, we measured VOC concentrations in various contexts including industrial and residential areas of Bucheon, Korea, through mobile laboratory and proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry methods to determine winter VOC concentrations and visualized the data based on spatial information. Regional characteristics, temperature/humidity, atmospheric conditions, wind speed, traffic volume, etc.

The composition of the bacterial communities collected from the PM samples inside the Seoul subway and railway station.

Health implications of indoor air quality (IAQ) have drawn more attention since the COVID epidemic. There are many different kinds of studies done on how IAQ affects people's well-being. There hasn't been much research that looks at the microbiological composition of the aerosol in subway transit systems.

BT100, a three-in-one, multipurpose disinfecting, deodorizing, and air-cleaning solution with an effective, gradual, and continuous gaseous chlorine dioxide-releasing substance.

Aerosols carrying viruses that are released from the oral cavity of infected individuals are the primary, if not the only, means of transmission during viral respiratory disease epidemics. This makes crowded rooms and tiny, enclosed public areas like bathrooms prime environments for the transmission of diseases. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde are two contaminants that pose serious threats to human health and well-being in indoor environments.

Characterization of bacterial species and antibiotic resistance observed in Seoul, South Korea's popular Gangnam-gu area.

Public transportation facilities, especially road crossings, which raise the pathogenic potential of urban environments, are the most conducive places for the transfer of germs between people and the environment. It is necessary to study the variety of the microbiome and describe its unique characteristics to comprehend these relationships. In this investigation, we used 16 S rRNA gene sample sequencing to examine the biological constituents and inhalable, thoracic, and alveolar particles in aerosol samples collected from busy areas in the Gangnam-gu district of the Seoul metropolitan area using a mobile vehicle.

Determination of the Spatial Distribution of Air Pollutants in Bucheon, Republic of Korea, in Winter Using a GIS-Based Mobile Laboratory.

Driven by industrialization and urbanization, urban air pollution can increase respiratory, heart, and cerebrovascular diseases, and thus mortality rates; as such, it is necessary to improve air quality through the consideration of individual pollutants and emission sources. In Republic of Korea, national and local governments have installed urban and roadside air quality monitoring systems. However, stations are lacking outside metropolitan regions, and roadside stations are sparsely distributed, limiting comparisons of pollutant concentrations with vehicle traffic and floating population levels.

Resilience and social change: Findings from research trends using association rule mining.

This study analyzed the historical development of with respect to multidisciplinary aspects using association rule mining (ARM). ARM is a rule-based machine-learning approach tailored to identify validated relations among multiple variables in a large dataset. This study collected author keywords from all -related literature in the Web of Science database and examined the changes in validated -related topics using ARM.

Evaluation of Health Economic Loss Due to Particulate Matter Pollution in the Seoul Subway, South Korea.

Evaluating an illness's economic impact is critical for developing and executing appropriate policies. South Korea has mandatory national health insurance in the form of NHIS that provides propitious conditions for assessing the national financial burden of illnesses. The purpose of our study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the economic impact of PM exposure in the subway and a comparative analysis of cause-specific mortality outcomes based on the prevalent health-risk assessment of the health effect endpoints (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and ischemic heart disease (IHD)).

Fine Particulate Matter (PM) Sources and Its Individual Contribution Estimation Using a Positive Matrix Factorization Model.

The effective management and regulation of fine particulate matter (PM) is essential in the Republic of Korea, where PM concentrations are very high. To do this, however, it is necessary to identify sources of PM pollution and determine the contribution of each source using an acceptance model that includes variability in the chemical composition and physicochemical properties of PM, which change according to its spatiotemporal characteristics. In this study, PM was measured using PMS-104 instruments at two monitoring stations in Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province, from 22 April to 3 July 2020; the PM chemical composition was also analyzed.

Human Health Impacts of Residential Radon Exposure: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies.

This study investigated the impact of residential radon exposure on human cancers (i.e., lung cancer and childhood leukemia) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of case−control studies.

Surface-Integrated Electric Field Sensor for the Detection of High-Voltage Power Lines.

When a drone is used for inspection of facilities, there are often cases in which high-voltage power lines interfere, resulting in the drone being caught or falling. To prevent this type of incident, drones must be capable of detecting high-voltage power lines. Typically, a strong electric field is formed around the high-voltage lines.

Layered Double Hydroxide Quantum Dots for Use in a Bifunctional Separator of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Functional separators, which are chemically modified and coated with nanostructured materials, are considered an effective and economical approach to suppressing the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfide (LiPS) and promoting the conversion kinetics of sulfur cathodes. Herein, we report cobalt-aluminum-layered double hydroxide quantum dots (LDH-QDs) deposited with nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) as a bifunctional separator for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). The mesoporous LDH-QDs/NG hybrids possess abundant active sites of Co and hydroxide groups, which result in capturing LiPSs through strong chemical interactions and accelerating the redox kinetics of the conversion reaction, as confirmed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, adsorption tests, LiS nucleation tests, and electrokinetic analyses of the LiPS conversion.

Magnesium Aminoclay (MgAC) as an Additive in Anti-Icing Mixture of Propylene Glycol Applied to Railway Electrical Wires: A Preliminary Study.

Ice accumulation on the surface of railway electrical wires can cause significant problems in the winter season. Different anti-icing liquids have been used to prevent the formation of ice on different surface substrates. The most common anti-icing liquids are ethylene glycol mixtures.

Novel Multi-AP Coordinated Transmission Scheme for 7th Generation WLAN 802.11be.

The demand for high-data-rate and time-sensitive applications, such as 4k/8k video streaming and real-time augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and gaming, has increased significantly. Addressing the inefficiency of distributed channel access and the fairness problem between uplink and downlink flows is crucial for the development of wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies. In this study, we propose a novel transmission scheme for IEEE 802.

Index Coded Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ).

In this paper, an index-coded Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) is studied in the perspectives of transmission efficiency and memory overhead. Motivated by reducing significant computational complexity from huge matrix inverse computation of random linear network coding, a near-to-optimal broadcasting scheme, called index-coded Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) is proposed. The main idea is to consider the principal packet error pattern across all receivers.

Development of a Seismic Detection Technology for High-Speed Trains Using Signal Analysis Techniques.

As the occurrence of earthquakes is increasing in South Korea, the earthquake early warning (EEW) system becomes indispensable for the protection of high-speed railways. Although the importance of EEW system has been increasing, the number of installed seismic accelerometers in South Korea is not sufficient to provide rapid information. This study uses a stochastic signal analysis technique to utilize the smartphone sensors for the rapid EEW system.

Titanium Dioxide Microscale and Macroscale Structures: A Mini-Review.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO NPs) have some limitations, such as their low surface area, high bandgap energy, and low recycling ability. To overcome these limitations, TiO can be prepared in microscale/macroscale structures. TiO microscale structures, in comparison with TiO nanopowder, have higher surface areas, more tunable pore structures, and better top photocatalytic activity.

Indoor Air Pollution, Related Human Diseases, and Recent Trends in the Control and Improvement of Indoor Air Quality.

Indoor air pollution (IAP) is a serious threat to human health, causing millions of deaths each year. A plethora of pollutants can result in IAP; therefore, it is very important to identify their main sources and concentrations and to devise strategies for the control and enhancement of indoor air quality (IAQ). Herein, we provide a critical review and evaluation of the major sources of major pollutant emissions, their health effects, and issues related to IAP-based illnesses, including sick building syndrome (SBS) and building-related illness (BRI).

Author Correction: Synthesis of MgAC-FeO/TiO hybrid nanocomposites via sol-gel chemistry for water treatment by photo-Fenton and photocatalytic reactions.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Correlation of α/γ-FeO nanoparticles with the toxicity of particulate matter originating from subway tunnels in Seoul stations, Korea.

According to the increasing concern about particulate matter (PM) pollution at subway systems, particularly its potentially severe effects on human health, this study investigated the constituents, characteristics, and toxicity of PM collected at underground subway stations in Seoul, Korea. It was found that α/γ-FeO NPs, which are considered as thermal products derived from the brake-wheel-rail interface, were the main components of PM (57.6% and 48% of PM and PM, respectively).

Synthesis of MgAC-FeO/TiO hybrid nanocomposites via sol-gel chemistry for water treatment by photo-Fenton and photocatalytic reactions.

MgAC-FeO/TiO hybrid nanocomposites were synthesized in different ratios of MgAC-FeO and TiO precursor. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), electron spin resonance spectrometry (ESR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), photoluminescence (PL), and UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) were used to characterize the nanocomposites. The increase of MgAC-FeO, in the hybrid nanocomposites' core-shell structure, led to the decrease of anatase TiO peaks, thus reducing the photo-Fenton and photocatalytic activities.

FeSnO Composites as Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Storage.

A novel composite, FeSnO, consisting of tin oxide and iron oxide was developed via a galvanic replacement reaction. The morphology, crystalline structure, and composition of the FeSnO composite were investigated by employing X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. When evaluated as an anode material using different binders, namely, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), the composite blended with the PAA binder displayed a high coulombic efficiency and excellent cycling stability compared to the composite mixed with the PVDF binder.