• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.136-148
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• 2016

This study was carried out to analyze the consumption expenditure condition of elderly persons with and without physical disabilities by social economic status and sociodemographic characteristics and to compare the results of those two groups for making an offer the basic materials to provide political support for elderly persons with physical disabilities. The statistical analysis of collected data was enforced through T-test, ANOVA and Crosstabs with SPSS 19.0 program. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, the group with disabilities has presumed to be in relative poverty given that disposable income, academic career and total living expenses showed lower than the other group. Second, the component ratios of domestic foods and housing expenses of disabled group showed higher but those of specific spending items of expenditure such as social activities, reserving fund of social security for economic safety net, clothing and eating out expenses showed lower than the other group.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.464-474
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• 2007

An enhancement in the performance and safety of a high-level waste repository requires a validation of its engineered barrier. An engineering-scale test (named "KENTEX") has been conducted to investigate the thermal-hydro-mechanical behaviors in the engineered barrier of the Korean reference disposal system The validation test started on May 31, 2005 and is still under operation. The experimental data obtained allowed a preliminary and qualitative interpretation of the thermal-hydro-mechanical behaviors in the bentonite blocks. The temperature was higher as it became closer to the heater, while it became lower as it was farther away from the heater. The water content had a higher value in the part close to the hydration surface than that in the heater part. The relative humidity data suggested that a hydration of the bentonite blocks might occur by different drying-wetting processes, depending on their position. The total pressure was continuously increased by the evolution of the saturation front in the bentonite blocks and thereby the swelling pressure. Near the heater region, there was also a significant contribution of the thermal expansion of bentonite and the vapor pressure in the pores of the bentonite blocks.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.16-22
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• 2003

BBP (Butyl benzyl phthalate), a widely used plasticizer. can enter the food and environment as consequence of its manufacture, use, and disposal. BBP was found to be developmental and teratogenic or endocrine disrupting chemical in rats. The effects of BBP were investigated in female rats (P) and second generation (F1) via lactations. Sprague-Dawley were given BBP by oral administration at 0, 5, 10, 100, 1000 mg/kg on day 0 to 21 of lactation period. The results were as follows : At maternal findings, there were some significant changes (p<0.05) in relative organ weight, especially liver and uterus weight by BBP administration. In estrous cycle, high treated group was inclined to be proestrus or estrus compared to control group. BBP indues estrous cycle earlier than the control group. At fetal findings, there were some significant changes in relative liver and spleen weight, especially 100, 1000 mg/kg administered groups. The relative weight of ventral prostate was decreased, so it was represent to dose-response tendency. Parent rats (P) were detected monobenzyl phthalate (MBeP) 3.21~5.81 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in 100, 1000 mg/kg dose groups. MBeP of male and female fetuses (F1) were detected at the level of 1.21~2.63 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of serum. Male serum concentration oi MBeP was higher than the females'. Estrogen receptor $\alpha$ expression by BBP and bisphenol A in uterus and testis of F1 were studied. The ER$\alpha$ expression were increased in F1 male testis and female uterus. F1 male showed distint ER$\alpha$ expression, especially in the combined exposrue. Synergistic ER$\alpha$ expression was found by combined treatment group of BBP and bisphenol A. From the above results, it could be concluded that the effects of dams and F1 by BBP administration during lactation period were estrogenic, and BBP can transfer to F1 via lactation, and make estrogenic at F1 reproductive organs.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.330-341
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• 2015

Objectives: Emergency medical personnel (EMPs) are pre-hospital emergency responders who are at risk of exposure to infections and may also serve as a source for the transmission of infections. However, few studies of infection control have specifically addressed EMPs in the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea). The goal of this study was to assess the current status of infection prevention and control programs (IPCPs) for EMPs in Korea. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to quantitatively assess the resources and activities of IPCPs. A total of 907 EMPs in five metropolitan cities completed a structured questionnaire from September 2014 to January 2015. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multi-response analysis, and the chi-square test. Results: The mean age of the participants was $34.8{\pm}15.1years$. IPCPs were found to have weaknesses with regard to the following resources: the assignment of infection control personnel (ICP) (79.5%), hand hygiene resources such as waterless antiseptics (79.3%), the use of paper towels (38.9%), personal protective equipment such as face shields (46.9%), and safety containers for sharps and a separated space for the disposal of infectious waste (10.1%). Likewise, the following activities were found to be inadequately incorporated into the workflow of EMPs: education about infection control (77.5%), post-exposure management (35.9%), and the decontamination of items and spaces after use (88.4%). ICP were found to have a significant effect on the resources and activities of IPCPs (p<0.001). The resources and activities of IPCPs were found to be significantly different among the five cities (p<0.001). Conclusions: IPCPs for EMPs showed some limitations in their resources and activities. IPCPs should be actively supported, and specific IPCP activities for EMPs should be developed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.517-531
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• 2002

The speciation and solubility of Am, Np, Pu and U have been analyzed by means of the geochemical code MUGREM, under the chemical conditions of domestic deep groundwater, in order to support the preliminary safety assessment for a Korean HLW disposal concept. Under the conditions of groundwaters studied, the stable solid phase is AmOHC $O_3$(s) or Am(OH)$_3$(s), soddyite((U $O_2$)$_2$ $SiO_2$.2$H_2O$) or N $a_2$ $U_2$ $O_{7}$ (c), Np(OH)$_4$(am), and Pu(OH)$_4$(am) for Am, U, Np, and Pu, respectively. The dominating aqueous species are as follows: the complexes of Am(III), Am(OH)$_2$$^{+}$ and Am(C $O_3$)$_2$$^{[-10]}$ , the complexes of U(VI), U $O_2$(OH)$_3$$^{[-10]}$ and U $O_2$(C $O_3$)$_3$$^{4-}$, the complexes of Np(IV), Np(OH)$_4$(aq) and Np(OH)$_3$C $O_3$, and the complexes of Pu(IV), Pu(OH)$_4$(aq) and Pu(OH)$_3$C $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ . The calculated solubilities exist between 1.9E-10 and 1.3E-9 mol/L for Am, between 5.6E-6 and 1.2E-4 mol/L for U, between 3.1E-9 and 1.3E-8 mol/L for Np, and between 6.6E-10 and 2.4E-10 mol/L for Pu, depending on groundwater conditions. The present solubilities of each actinide agree well with the results of other studies obtained under similar conditions.s.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.156-166
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• 2001

A stochastic continuum(SC) modeling technique was developed to simulate the groundwater flow pathway in fractured rocks. This model was developed to overcome the disadvantageous points of discrete fracture network(DFN) modes which has the limitation of fracture numbers. Besides, SC model is able to perform probabilistic analysis and to simulate the conductive groundwater pathway as discrete fracture network model. The SC model was formulated based on the discrete fracture network(DFN) model. The spatial distribution of permeability in the stochastic continuum model was defined by the probability distribution and variogram functions defined from the permeabilities of subdivided smaller blocks of the DFN model. The analysis of groundwater travel time was performed to show the consistency between DFN and SC models by the numerical experiment. It was found that the stochastic continuum modes was an appropriate way to provide the probability density distribution of groundwater velocity which is required for the probabilistic safety assessment of a radioactive waste disposal facility.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.85-89
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• 2011

Waste water is disposed to sewage disposal plant by underground PE double wall pipes. Various processes have been introduced to join PE pipes, but most of these methods have many disadvantages such as costs, lack of reliability and difficulties in joining, etc. Recently butt welding has been paid much attention to joint PE pipes as this process has many advantages such as cost, safety and reliability. In this study, newly developed heat plate, a patent-pending heat plate with a groove, was used to butt-weld PE double wall pipes with different misalignment gaps to simulate real underground conditions, and the butt welding temperature of PE pipe was determined by thermal analysis (Thermal Gravimetric Analysis, Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis). The resulting joining characteristics of double wall pipes were compared with those from a conventional heat plate, in terms of stiffness, flattening and leakage tests. The results from the stiffness and flattening test showed that there were no big differences between the butt-welded joints made from these two plates. From the leakage test, although PE pipes welded with a conventional heat plate did leak below the required test conditions (10 min. at 0.75kgf/cm2), the pipes welded with a patent-pending grooved heat plate did not show any leakage even at a pressure 1.5 times higher than the required conditions. It was noted that by utilizing a grooved heat plate more complete fusion at the pipe joints could be obtained, which in turn induced a high quality joints.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.126-133
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• 2009

The surfactants applied in household detergents and industrial cleansers should satisfy the requirement of not just the basic function such as emulsification, solubilisation, dispersion, detergency, wetting and foaming, but also the economical efficiency and the safety to human and environment. In the viewpoint of the sustainable development, the surfactants, moreover, have to reduce raw materials and energy consumption and waste disposal when they are being manufactured and also consumed for their purposes. New high-performance surfactants have been extensively studied and developed in order to respond the change in social and economical environment. Noticeable progresses have been achieved so far, which are the significant increase in solubility and surface activity through the minor modification of existing surfactant molecular structure and the synergistic increase in a surface activity shown in the mixed surfactant system of anionic and cationic surfactants. In this review, the important and meaningful progresses achieved recently in technological advance and practical application will be summarized and discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.145-150
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• 2005

To dispose of radwaste in a repository, the safety of disposal must be ensured. This study developed a program for estimating radionuclide accumulation of radwaste, based on the material balance method, one of the indirect methods, and performed application evaluation during the 9th preventive maintenance period of Gori Plant 4, one of the commercial power plants in Korea. First of all, to ensure the technique developed in this study is assessed accurately, this study utilized the data regarding the radionuclide removal in the purification system during the shutdown water chemistry control, and a related estimation technique called SCALP. The target nuclide was Co-60, and it turned out that the relative error was less than $1\%$. The estimation result was compared with the result of direct measurement of the radwaste during the corresponding period as presented by commercial power plants. The result showed that the quantity of Co-60 measured by the direct method was about $50\%$ less than that calculated by the technique developed in this study.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2011

The first step in improving our understanding of uncertainties suclt as rock mass strength parameters and deformation modulus in rock masses around high-level radioactive waste disposal repositories, for improved safety, is to study the process of crack development in intact rock. Therefore, in this study, the fracture process and crack development were examined in samples of KURT granite taken from the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT), based on acoustic emission (AE) and moment tensor analysis. The results show that crack initiation, coalescence, and unstable crack occurred at rock uniaxial compressive strengths of 0.45, 0.73, and 0.84, respectively. In addition, moment tensor analysis indicated that during the early stage of loading, tensile cracks were predominant. With increasing applied stress, the number of shear cracks gradually increased. When the applied stress exceeded the stress level required for crack damage, unstable shear cracks which directly result in failure of the rock were generated along the failure plane.