Laser Ablation Saturated Absorption Spectroscopy (LA-SAS) for In Situ Detection of Neodymium Isotopes.

This study introduces a novel optical system integrating laser ablation with saturated absorption spectroscopy (LA-SAS) for the detection of neodymium isotopes, crucial for the characterization process in nuclear forensics. Conventional methods for isotope analysis have encountered challenges, such as the inability to perform on-site detection or difficulty in distinguishing minor isotope differences. The LA-SAS system overcomes these limitations by combining pulsed laser for ablation and counter-propagated diode laser for saturated absorption, enabling preparation-free detection with enhanced spectral resolution. The analytical capability was demonstrated through the successful detection of seven neodymium isotopes (142Nd, 143Nd, 144Nd, 145Nd, 146Nd, 148Nd, and 150Nd) with a line width narrowed to 0.1 pm, significantly improving upon the resolution limit of conventional LA-based methods. In addition, quantitative analysis of isotope abundance was facilitated by evaluating the signals from saturated absorption spectra. Special attention was given to the hyperfine structure of odd isotopes, which was resolved by multiple fitting in spectra, thereby refining the accuracy of isotope quantification up to an average bias of 0.45%. The established LA-SAS system offers on-site detection capability based on LA, and also the high resolution from SAS, making it a promising method for in situ nuclear forensics. Consequently, the study enhances the academic understanding of neodymium isotopes and underscores the potential of LA-SAS in fields requiring detailed isotopic information.

Exploring the Utility of remimazolam in cesarean sections under general anesthesia: A preliminary retrospective analysis and Implications for future study.

Background: Remimazolam has recently been introduced as a maintenance agent for general anesthesia. However, the effect of remimazolam on peripartum prognosis has not been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of remimazolam and propofol for uterotonic drugs following cesarean section. Methods: The electronic medical records of 51 adult women who underwent elective cesarean sections by single obstetrician under general anesthesia were collected. Participants were categorized into two groups: the propofol group and the remimazolam group. General anesthesia was maintained by continuous infusion of propofol or remimazolam after delivery. The number of uterotonic drugs administered during the cesarean section, the estimated blood loss (EBL), and length of hospital stay (LOS) after delivery were assessed. Results: Of the 51 patients included in the study, 35 were in the propofol group and 16 in the remimazolam group. In the remimazolam group, five patients (31.3%, 5/16) received more uterotonics than the standard regimen. Conversely, in the propofol group, 19 patients (54.3%, 19/35) were injected with more uterotonics than the standard regimen. Logistic regression analysis showed that abnormal positioning of the placenta (P = 0.079) and not using remimazolam (P = 0.100) were the most relevant factors associated with the increased use of uterotonics. There was no significant difference in EBL between the two groups. The use of remimazolam was clinically relevant with a shorter LOS (P = 0.059). Conclusions: The use of remimazolam as a maintenance agent did not result in significantly higher use of intrapartum uterotonics compared to the use of propofol. These results cannot exclude all adverse effects of remimazolam during cesarean delivery. Further randomized controlled trials must be conducted to obtain high-quality evidence.

Compensating isotope effect on molecular emission of hydroxyl and imidogen isotopologues in laser-induced plasma.

BACKGROUND: The molecular isotopologues in laser-induced plasma exhibit riddling emission behaviors in terms of wavelength, intensity, and temporal evolution of spectra due to the isotope effect. Although this phenomenon introduces uncertainty to isotope analyses based on molecular spectra, its underlying mechanism remains undisclosed. RESULTS: In this study, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is employed to identify the emission behavior of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen isotopologues in a plasma plume. The goal is to discern the details of the isotope effect and mitigate resulting uncertainty. The molecular emissions of hydroxyl (OH) and imidogen (NH) were measured from plasma ablated on isotopically enriched water samples. Time-resolved detection clearly reveals distinct isotopic disparities in intensity variation and optimum gate delay, which were attributed to plasma thermo-hydrodynamics. Lighter isotopologues exhibit earlier and faster associations than their heavier counterparts due to their fast reaction rates and expansion velocities. The extent of the isotope effect hinged on plasma characteristics governed by measurement conditions. Consequently, comparing spectral intensity between molecular isotopologues cannot directly indicate the nominal isotope abundance of the sample. To address it, a compensation strategy has been devised, quantifying isotope effects through parameters like the slope and optimum delay of time-resolved detection. The approach successfully predicts nominal isotope abundance using compensated intensity ratios, with an absolute bias of less than 3 %. SIGNIFICANCE: This study not only offered fundamental insights into the isotope effect in laser-induced plasma but also proposed an alternative method for isotope quantification that circumvents complicated calibration processes.

Korean clinical practice guidelines for diagnostic and procedural sedation.

Safe and effective sedation depends on various factors, such as the choice of sedatives, sedation techniques used, experience of the sedation provider, degree of sedation-related education and training, equipment and healthcare worker availability, the patient's underlying diseases, and the procedure being performed. The purpose of these evidence-based multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines is to ensure the safety and efficacy of sedation, thereby contributing to patient safety and ultimately improving public health. These clinical practice guidelines comprise 15 key questions covering various topics related to the following: the sedation providers; medications and equipment available; appropriate patient selection; anesthesiologist referrals for high-risk patients; pre-sedation fasting; comparison of representative drugs used in adult and pediatric patients; respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and sedation depth monitoring during sedation; management of respiratory complications during pediatric sedation; and discharge criteria. The recommendations in these clinical practice guidelines were systematically developed to assist providers and patients in sedation-related decision making for diagnostic and therapeutic examinations or procedures. Depending on the characteristics of primary, secondary, and tertiary care institutions as well as the clinical needs and limitations, sedation providers at each medical institution may choose to apply the recommendations as they are, modify them appropriately, or reject them completely.

General anesthesia for cesarean section: are we doing it well?

Korea has a higher rate of cesarean sections under general anesthesia than in other countries. Neuraxial anesthesia is the gold standard for a cesarean section, but there are some cases in which general anesthesia is inevitable. Therefore, obstetric anesthesiologists should be familiar in performing general anesthesia for cesarean section. Rapid-sequence induction and intubation with cricoid pressure using thiopental-succinylcholine have been the standard for cesarean section under general anesthesia for a long time. Recently, with the introduction of new drugs (propofol, rocuronium, and sugammadex) and equipments (videolaryngoscopy and supraglottic airways), anesthesia methods have also gradually changed. Pursuing the safety of obstetric patients and anesthesiologists at the same time, this review will help update the knowledge or training in performing general anesthesia for cesarean section.

Postoperative hypoalbuminemia is an independent predictor of 1-year mortality after surgery for geriatric intertrochanteric femoral fracture: A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Preoperative hypoalbuminemia from malnutrition is associated with increased morbidity and mortality after geriatric hip fracture surgery. However, little is known regarding the correlation between postoperative hypoalbuminemia and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate whether postoperative hypoalbuminemia could predict 1-year mortality after intertrochanteric femoral fracture surgery in elderly patients.The medical records of 263 geriatric patients (age ≥65 years) who underwent intertrochanteric femoral fracture surgery between January 2013 and January 2016 in a single hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were allocated to 2 groups based on lowest serum albumin levels within 2 postoperative days (≥3.0 g/dL [group 1, n = 46] and <3.0 g/dL [group 2, n = 217]. Data between the non-survival and survival groups were compared. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent predictor for 1-year mortality.The 1-year mortality rate was 16.3% after intertrochanteric femoral fracture surgery. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that postoperative hypoalbuminemia was significantly associated with 1-year mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 8.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-47.09; P = .021). The non-survival group showed a significantly increased incidence of postoperative hypoalbuminemia (95.4% vs 80.0%, P = .015) and intensive care unit admission (11.6% vs 2.7%, P = .020), older age (82.5 ±â€Š5.8 years vs 80.0 ±â€Š7.2 years, P = .032), lower body mass index (20.1 ±â€Š3.2 kg/m2 vs 22.4 ±â€Š3.8 kg/m2, P < .001), and increased amount of transfusion of perioperative red blood cells (1.79 ±â€Š1.47 units vs 1.43 ±â€Š2.08 units, P = .032), compared to the survival group.This study demonstrated that postoperative hypoalbuminemia is a potent predictor of 1-year mortality in geriatric patients undergoing intertrochanteric femoral fracture surgery. Therefore, exogenous albumin administration can be considered to improve postoperative outcomes and reduce the risk of mortality after surgery for geriatric hip fracture.

Effects of remote ischemic preconditioning on the deformability and aggregation of red blood cells in a rat endotoxemia model.

BACKGROUND: The prevention of rheologic alterations in erythrocytes may be important for reducing sepsis-associated morbidity and mortality. Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has been shown to prevent tissue damage caused by severe ischemia and mortality resulting from sepsis. However, the effect of RIPC on erythrocytes in sepsis is yet to be determined. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of RIPC on rheologic alterations in erythrocytes in sepsis. METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. An endotoxin-induced sepsis model was established by intraperitoneally injecting 20 mg/kg LPS (LPS group). RIPC was induced in the right hind limb using a tourniquet, with three 10-minute of ischemia and 10 min of reperfusion cycles immediately before the injection of LPS (RIPC/LPS group) or phosphate-buffered saline (RIPC group). The aggregation index (AI), time to half-maximal aggregation (T1/2), and maximal elongation index (EImax) of the erythrocytes were measured 8 h after injection. RESULTS: The AI, T1/2, and EImax values in the LPS and RIPC/LPS groups differed significantly from those in the RIPC group, but there were no differences between the values in the LPS and RIPC/LPS groups. CONCLUSIONS: RIPC did not prevent rheologic alterations in erythrocytes in the rat model of LPS-induced endotoxemia.

Efficacy of a single injection compared with triple injections using a costoclavicular approach for infraclavicular brachial plexus block during forearm and hand surgery: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: It was recently proposed that a costoclavicular (CC) approach can be used in ultrasound (US)-guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block (BPB). In this study, we hypothesized that triple injections in each of the 3 cords in the CC space would result in a greater spread in the 4 major terminal nerves of the brachial plexus than a single injection in the CC space without increasing the local anesthetic (LA) volume. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients who underwent upper extremity surgery randomly received either a single injection (SI group, n = 34) or a triple injection (TI group, n = 34) using the CC approach. Ten milliliters of 2% lidocaine, 10 mL of 0.75% ropivacaine, and 5 mL of normal saline were used for BPB in each group (total 25 mL). Sensory-motor blockade of the ipsilateral median, radial, ulnar, and musculocutaneous nerves was assessed by a blinded observer at 5 minutes intervals for 30 minutes immediately after LA administration. RESULTS: Thirty minutes after the block, the blockage rate of all 4 nerves was significantly higher in the TI group than in the SI group (52.9% in the SI group vs 85.3% in the TI group, P = .004). But there was no significant difference in the anesthesia grade between the 2 groups (P = .262). The performance time was similar in the 2 groups (3.0 ±â€Š0.9 minutes in the SI group vs 3.2 ±â€Š1.2 minutes in the TI group, respectively; P = .54). DISCUSSION: The TI of CC approach increased the consistency of US-guided infraclavicular BPB in terms of the rate of blocking all 4 nerves without increasing the procedure time despite administering the same volume of the LA.

Effects of blood flow on the antibacterial efficacy of chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine coated central venous catheter: A simulation-based pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine coated central venous catheters (CSS-CVC) may cause loss of antimicrobial efficacy due to friction between the CVC surface and sheer stress caused by the blood flow. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial efficacy of CSS-CVC at various flow rates using a bloodstream model. METHODS: Each CVC was subjected to various flow rates (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 L/min) and wear-out times (0, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours), and the optical density (OD) 600 after a Staphylococcus aureus incubation test was used to determine the antibacterial effect of CSS-CVC. RESULTS: In the 0.5 L/min group, there was no significant change in the OD600 value up to 120 hours compared with the baseline OD600 value for CSS-CVC (P > .467). However, the OD600 values of CSS-CVC in the 1 L/min (P < .001) and 2 L/min (P < .001) groups were significantly reduced up to 72 hours, while that in the 4 L/min (p < 0.001) group decreased rapidly up to 48 hours. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that there is a doubt whether sufficient antibacterial function can be maintained with prolonged duration of catheter placement.

Ultrasound-guided sciatic nerve block at the midthigh level in a porcine model: A descriptive study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There are a growing number of porcine models being used for orthopaedic experiments for human beings. Therefore, pain management of those research pigs using ultrasound (US)-guided nerve block can be usefully performed. The aim of this study is to determine optimal US approaches for accessing and localizing the sciatic nerve at the midthigh level, a relevant block site for hindlimb surgery in female Yorkshire pigs. METHODS: As a first step, we dissected the intubated, blood-washed out pigs (n = 3) and confirmed the anatomical position of the sciatic nerve at midthigh level. After dissection, we found the sciatic nerve, connected with nerve stimulator, and checked the dorsiflexion or plantar flexion of the hindlimb. We matched the sciatic nerve location with the US image. After the pigs were euthanized, the neural structures of the sciatic nerve were confirmed by histological examination with H&E staining. In second step, a main US-guided sciatic nerve block study was done in the intubated, live pigs (n = 8) based on the above study. RESULTS: In lateral position, the effective US-guided nerve block site was about 6 cm from the patella crease level; immediately proximal to the bifurcation of the sciatic nerve into the tibial nerve and common peroneal nerve. The distal femur was selected as the landmark. There were no vessels or other nerves surrounding the sciatic nerve. The needle-tip was positioned less than 1 cm lateral from the distal femur and about 2 cm deep to skin. 'Donut sign' in US images was confirmed in all 16 nerves. CONCLUSIONS: Midthigh level sciatic nerve is located superficially, which enables nerve block to be easily performed using US. This is the first study to describe midthigh sciatic nerve block in the lateral position under US guidance in a porcine model from a clinical perspective.

Efficacy of perioperative intravenous iron therapy for transfusion in orthopedic surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Perioperative anemia frequently occurs in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of perioperative intravenous iron therapy (IVIT) on transfusion and recovery profiles during orthopedic surgery. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Google Scholar for eligible clinical trials (randomized controlled trials, RCTs; case-control studies, CCSs) in comparing IVIT and no iron therapy, up to September 2018. Primary outcomes were the effects of IVIT on the proportion of patients transfused and units of red blood cells (RBCs) transfused perioperatively. Secondary outcomes were the effects of IVIT on recovery profiles, such as length of hospital stay (LOS), post-operative infection, and mortality. Subgroup analysis was performed based on iron dose (low: ≤ 300 mg, high: > 400 mg), IVIT period (pre-operative, post-operative, perioperative), and study design. We identified 12 clinical trials (4 RCTs with 616 patients and 8 CCSs with 1,253 patients). IVIT significantly reduced the proportion of patients transfused by 31% (RR, 0.69; P = 0.0002), and units of RBCs transfused by 0.34 units/person (MD, -0.34; P = 0.0007). For subgroup analysis by iron dose, low- or high-dose IVIT significantly reduced the proportion of patients transfused (RR, 0.73, P = 0.005; RR, 0.68, P = 0.008), and RBC units transfused (MD, -0.47, P < 0.0001; MD, -0.28, P = 0.04). For subgroup analysis by period, IVIT administered post-operatively significantly reduced the proportion of patients transfused (post-operative: RR, 0.60, P = 0.002; pre-operative: RR, 0.74, P = 0.06) and RBC units transfused (post-operative: MD, -0.44, P <0.00001; pre-operative: MD, -0.29, P = 0.06). For subgroup analysis by study design, IVIT decreased the proportion of patients transfused and RBC units transfused in the group of CCSs, but IVIT in the group of RCTs did not. IVIT significantly shortened LOS by 1.6 days (P = 0.0006) and reduced post-operative infections by 33% (P = 0.01). IVIT did not change mortality. Perioperative IVIT during orthopedic surgery, especially post-operatively, appears to reduce the proportion of patients transfused and units of RBCs transfused, with shorter LOS and decreased infection rate, but no change in mortality rate. These were only found in CCSs and not in RCTs due to the relatively small number of RCTs with low to high risk of bias.

Korean clinical practice guideline for perioperative red blood cell transfusion from Korean Society of Anesthesiologists.

BACKGROUND: Considering the functional role of red blood cells (RBC) in maintaining oxygen supply to tissues, RBC transfusion can be a life-saving intervention in situations of severe bleeding or anemia. RBC transfusion is often inevitable to address intraoperative massive bleeding; it is a key component in safe perioperative patient management. Unlike general medical resources, packed RBCs (pRBCs) have limited availability because their supply relies entirely on voluntary donations. Additionally, excessive utilization of pRBCs may aggravate prognosis or increase the risk of developing infectious diseases. Appropriate perioperative RBC transfusion is, therefore, crucial for the management of patient safety and medical resource conservation. These concerns motivated us to develop the present clinical practice guideline for evidence-based efficient and safe perioperative RBC transfusion management considering the current clinical landscape. METHODS: This guideline was obtained after the revision and refinement of exemplary clinical practice guidelines developed in advanced countries. This was followed by rigorous evidence-based reassessment considering the healthcare environment of the country. RESULTS: This guideline covers all important aspects of perioperative RBC transfusion, such as preoperative anemia management, appropriate RBC storage period, and leukoreduction (removal of white blood cells using filters), reversal of perioperative bleeding tendency, strategies for perioperative RBC transfusion, appropriate blood management protocols, efforts to reduce blood transfusion requirements, and patient monitoring during a perioperative transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: This guideline will aid decisions related to RBC transfusion in healthcare settings and minimize patient risk associated with unnecessary pRBC transfusion.

Effect of varying external pneumatic pressure on hemolysis and red blood cell elongation index in fresh and aged blood: Randomized laboratory research.

BACKGROUND: External applied pneumatic pressure is usually used for rapid transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs). However, increased shear stress can cause increased hemolysis and decreased RBC elongation indices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure the degree of hemolysis and the alteration of RBC elongation indices under varying external pressure in fresh and aged blood. METHODS: Venous blood samples were obtained from 20 healthy human volunteers. Each blood bag was divided into 2 subgroups (5 or 35 days of storage), and 5 levels of pressure were applied: 0, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mmHg. After infusion, a laboratory study was conducted. The percentages of irreversibly changed cells were evaluated using Bessis classification. RBC elongation indices were measured using a microfluidic ektacytometer. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the percentage of irreversibly changed RBCs between the pressures of 0 and 300 mmHg. Moreover, there were no significant differences in laboratory test results or elongation indices among all levels of pressure. Irreversibly changed RBCs and hemolysis were increased depending on the storage period. CONCLUSION: Irreversible changes in RBCs did not occur as a result of external pressure. The hemolysis and elongation indices of fresh RBCs were not influenced by external pneumatic pressure up to 300 mmHg. Only the storage period affected the irreversible changes in RBCs and hemolysis. Therefore, the application of external pressure to RBCs in variously aged blood is likely to be a safe procedure.

Operation room management in Korea: results of a survey.

BACKGROUND: The current state of general hospital operation room (OR) in Korea and how these ORs are being operated remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate and assess the current state of OR management and surgical scheduling in general hospitals of Korea. METHODS: A total of 92 anesthesiology training hospitals and 2 equivalent hospitals in Korea were targeted for the survey. Anesthesiologists in hospitals received questionnaires for OR, anesthetic managements and surgical scheduling directly or by phone from the beginning of October 2015 to the end of December 2015. RESULTS: Of the 94 hospitals that were targeted, 59 hospitals (62.7%) responded to the survey. Of the 59 hospitals, 40 (67.8%) had 500-1,000 beds, 36 (61.0%) had 11-20 ORs. Most OR arrangements were made by residents and specialists in Anesthesiology Department (90%). Most hospitals (47.4%) in the response set performed total surgeries in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 annually. The proportion of emergency surgeries in the total surgeries was 2.8-55.0%. Methods for predicting expected surgery time were arbitrarily decided by surgeons (61%), anesthesiologist's experience (20%), or by analyzing historical data using software (5%). CONCLUSIONS: This survey study could trigger active operational researches for OR efficiency. It might help hospital policy makers manage OR resources more efficiently.

The regulation by phenolic compounds of soil organic matter dynamics under a changing environment.

Phenolics are the most abundant plant metabolites and are believed to decompose slowly in soils compared to other soil organic matter (SOM). Thus, they have often been considered as a slow carbon (C) pool in soil dynamics models. Here, however, we review changes in our concept about the turnover rate of phenolics and quantification of different types of phenolics in soils. Also, we synthesize current research on the degradation of phenolics and their regulatory effects on decomposition. Environmental changes, such as elevated CO2, warming, nitrogen (N) deposition, and drought, could influence the production and form of phenolics, leading to a change in SOM dynamics, and thus we also review the fate of phenolics under environmental disturbances. Finally, we propose the use of phenolics as a tool to control rates of SOM decomposition to stabilize organic carbon in ecosystems. Further studies to clarify the role of phenolics in SOM dynamics should include improving quantification methods, elucidating the relationship between phenolics and soil microorganisms, and determining the interactive effects of combinations of environmental changes on the phenolics production and degradation and subsequent impact on SOM processing.

Optimal Atmospheric Correction for Above-Ground Forest Biomass Estimation with the ETM+ Remote Sensor.

The reflectance of the Earth's surface is significantly influenced by atmospheric conditions such as water vapor content and aerosols. Particularly, the absorption and scattering effects become stronger when the target features are non-bright objects, such as in aqueous or vegetated areas. For any remote-sensing approach, atmospheric correction is thus required to minimize those effects and to convert digital number (DN) values to surface reflectance. The main aim of this study was to test the three most popular atmospheric correction models, namely (1) Dark Object Subtraction (DOS); (2) Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric Analysis of Spectral Hypercubes (FLAASH) and (3) the Second Simulation of Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6S) and compare them with Top of Atmospheric (TOA) reflectance. By using the k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN) algorithm, a series of experiments were conducted for above-ground forest biomass (AGB) estimations of the Gongju and Sejong region of South Korea, in order to check the effectiveness of atmospheric correction methods for Landsat ETM+. Overall, in the forest biomass estimation, the 6S model showed the bestRMSE's, followed by FLAASH, DOS and TOA. In addition, a significant improvement of RMSE by 6S was found with images when the study site had higher total water vapor and temperature levels. Moreover, we also tested the sensitivity of the atmospheric correction methods to each of the Landsat ETM+ bands. The results confirmed that 6S dominates the other methods, especially in the infrared wavelengths covering the pivotal bands for forest applications. Finally, we suggest that the 6S model, integrating water vapor and aerosol optical depth derived from MODIS products, is better suited for AGB estimation based on optical remote-sensing data, especially when using satellite images acquired in the summer during full canopy development.

Assessment of Coastal Ecosystem Services for Conservation Strategies in South Korea.

Despite the fact that scientific and political consideration for ecosystem services has dramatically increased over the past decade, few studies have focused on marine and coastal ecosystem services for conservation strategies. We used an ecosystem services approach to assess spatial distributions of habitat risks and four ecosystem services (coastal protection, carbon storage, recreation, and aesthetic quality), and explored the tradeoffs among them in coastal areas of South Korea. Additionally, we analyzed how the social and ecological characteristics in coastal areas interact with conservation and development policies by using this approach. We found strong negative associations between the habitat risks and ecosystem services (aquaculture, carbon storage, recreation, and aesthetic quality) across the coastal counties. Our results showed that the intensity of the habitat risks and the provision of ecosystem services were significantly different between reclamation-dominated and conservation-dominated counties, except for coastal vulnerability. A generalized linear model suggested that reclamation projects were dependent on economic efficiency, whereas demographic pressures and habitat conditions influenced the designation of protected areas at a county level. The ecosystem services approach provided guidelines to achieve both sustainable development and environment conservation. By using the approach, we can select the priority areas for developments while we can minimize the degradation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. As cultural ecosystem services are evenly distributed throughout coastal areas of South Korea, decision makers may employ them to improve the conditions of coastal wetlands outside of protected areas.

The Effect of Particle Size on Thermal Conduction in Granular Mixtures.

Shredded rubber tire is a geomaterial that is potentially useful in environmental and engineering projects. Here, we study the effect of particle size ratio on the thermal conductivity of granular mixtures containing rubber tire particles. Glass beads were mixed at various volume fractions with rubber particles of varying size. The 3D network model analysis using synthetic packed assemblies was used to determine the dominant factors influencing the thermal conduction of the mixtures. Results present that mixtures with varying size ratios exhibit different nonlinear evolutions of thermal conductivity values with mixture fractions. In particular, mixtures with large insulating materials (e.g., rubber particles) have higher thermal conduction that those with small ones. This is because the larger insulating particles allow better interconnectivity among the conductive particles, thereby avoiding the interruption of the thermal conduction of the conductive particles. Similar tests conducted with natural sand corroborate the significant effect of the relative size of the insulating particles. The 3D network model identifies the heterogeneity of local and effective thermal conductivity and the influence of connectivity among conductive particles. A supplementary examination of electrical conductivity highlights the significance of local and long-range connectivity on conduction paths in granular mixtures.