• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.265-273
• /
• 2023

To effectively and safely manage the radiation exposure to nuclear power plant (NPP) workers in accidents, major overseas NPP operators such as the United States, Germany, and France have developed and applied realistic 3D model radiation dose assessment software for workers. Continuous research and development have recently been conducted, such as performing NPP accident management using 3D-VR based on As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) planning tool. In line with this global trend, it is also required to secure technology to manage radiation exposure of workers in Korea efficiently. Therefore, in this paper, it is described the application method and assessment results of radiation exposure scenarios for workers in response to accidents assessment technology, which is one of the fundamental technologies for constructing a realistic platform to be utilized for radiation exposure prediction, diagnosis, management, and training simulations following accidents. First, the post-accident sampling after the Loss of Coolant Accident(LOCA) was selected as the accident and response scenario, and the assessment area related to this work was established. Subsequently, the structures within the assessment area were modeled using MCNP, and the radiation source of the equipment was inputted. Based on this, the radiation dose distribution in the assessment area was assessed. Afterward, considering the three principles of external radiation protection (time, distance, and shielding) detailed work scenarios were developed by varying the number of workers, the presence or absence of a shield, and the location of the shield. The radiation exposure doses received by workers were compared and analyzed for each scenario, and based on the results, the optimal accident response scenario was derived. The results of this study plan to be utilized as a fundamental technology to ensure the safety of workers through simulations targeting various reactor types and accident response scenarios in the future. Furthermore, it is expected to secure the possibility of developing a data-based ALARA decision support system for predicting radiation exposure dose at NPP sites.

• Archives of Metallurgy and Materials
• /
• v.64 no.3
• /
• pp.907-911
• /
• 2019

Effects of various friction stir processing (FSP) variables on the microstructural evolution and microhardness of the AZ31 magnesium alloy were investigated. The processing variables include rotational and travelling speed of the tool, kind of second phase (i.e., diamond, Al₂O₃, and ZrO₂) and groove depth (i.e., volume fraction of second phase). Grain size, distribution of second phase particle, grain texture, and microhardness were analyzed as a function of the FSP process variables. The FSPed AZ31 composites fabricated with a high heat input condition showed the better dispersion of particle without macro defect. For all composite specimens, the grain size decreased and the microhardness increased regardless of the grooved depth compared with that of the FSPed AZ31 without strengthening particle, respectively. For the AZ31/diamond composite having a grain size of about 1 ㎛, microhardness (i.e., about 108 Hv) was about two times higher than that of the matrix alloy (i.e., about 52 Hv). The effect of second phase particle on retardation of grain growth and resulting hardness increase was discussed.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2024.07a
• /
• pp.127-136
• /
• 2024

Flooding presents a significant threat to infrastructure, and climate change is exacerbating these risks. High-speed rail (HSR) infrastructure, designed based on historical data, may struggle to cope with future extreme flood events. Infrastructure stakeholders require forecasting capabilities to predict the intensity and frequency of future floods so they can develop adaptive strategies to mitigate flood risks and impacts. Floods can cause significant damage to HSR infrastructure networks, disrupting their operations. Traditional network theory-based frameworks are insufficient for analyzing the three-dimensional effects of floods on HSR networks. To address this issue, this study proposes a comprehensive approach to assess flood risk and vulnerability under future climate scenarios for HSR networks. The method consists of three components. (i) Generate flood inundation data by utilizing global climate models, Shared Socioeconomic Pathways(SSPs), and the CaMa-Flood model. (ii) Fit extreme flood depths to the Gumbel distribution to generate flood inundation scenarios. (iii) Overlay flood scenarios on the HSR network and quantitatively assess network vulnerability based on topology network. When applied to the HSR system in mainland China, the results indicate that flood severity does not necessarily increase under higher SSPs, but may worsen over time. The minimum flood return period that causes HSR disruptions is decreasing, with Hubei Province showing a significant increase in HSR segment failure probability. Discontinuous phase transitions in HSR network topology metrics suggest potential nationwide collapses under future infrequent floods. These findings can inform preventive measures for the HSR sector and flood-resistant standards for HSR infrastructure. The method used in this study can be extended to analyze the vulnerability of other transportation systems to natural disasters, serving as a quantitative tool for improving resilience in a changing climate.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2024

Background: This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of Flexi-bar exercise on plantar pressure and Center of Pressure in a standing position. Design: Single group pre-post test design Methods: Thirty healthy adult participants aged 20 to 35 years old and no recent musculoskeletal injuries were included in this single-group pre-post design study. Plantar pressure and COP data were collected using the WinTrack system before and after Flexi-bar exercise. Participants performed Flexi-bar exercises in both anterior-posterior and lateral directions for 30 seconds each. Results: The results revealed significant changes in plantar pressure and COP after Flexi-bar exercise. The support area of the left foot significantly increased (p<0.05), and a significant decrease in mean pressure was observed in the right foot (p<0.05). The total COP path length and area significantly decreased (p<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in COP velocity along the X and Y axes (p<0.05). These findings suggest that Flexi-bar exercise can enhance plantar pressure distribution and COP movement patterns, contributing to improved balance ability. Conclusion: Flexi-bar exercise, performed in a standing position, has the potential to improve plantar pressure and COP characteristics. This exercise may serve as a valuable tool for enhancing balance ability. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects and sustainability of these improvements.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.541-552
• /
• 2024

This study introduces a new analytical model known as the Cellular Automaton Method(CAM) designed to predict the degree of deterioration in concrete, taking into account its complex pore structure. The CAM model assesses the impacts of moisture migration, driven by capillary action and pressure differentials at the gas-liquid interface, which are influenced by the distribution of pores. It also evaluates how porosity and diffusion coefficients affect the penetration of chloride ions. The model's application revealed distinct moisture movement patterns in concrete structures, distinguishing between those with porosity levels below and above 40 percent. Additionally, it facilitated a comparison and analysis of chloride ion diffusion phenomena, based on diffusion coefficients in areas penetrated by moisture, against results obtained from the Finite Element Method(FEM). The comparison showed a maximum deviation of only 0.989 percent between the predicted outcomes of the FEM and CAM, demonstrating substantial agreement and validating CAM's efficacy in simulating the diffusion processes of chloride ions within concrete under actual salt damage conditions. Thus, CAM proves to be a reliable tool for modeling and anticipating deterioration in concrete structures exposed to saline environments.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.65-73
• /
• 2019

The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) have been processed using the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL). Because of a relatively large data size, it would be preferable to build and install the data analysis tool with greater computing performance, which would differ by operating system and the form of distribution, e.g., source code or binary package. The objective of this study was to examine the performance of the GDAL for processing the HDF files, which would guide construction of a computer system for remote sensing data analysis. The differences in execution time were compared between environments under which the GDAL was installed. The wall clock time was measured after extracting data for each variable in the MODIS data file using a tool built lining against GDAL under a combination of operating systems (Ubuntu and openSUSE), compilers (GNU and Intel), and distribution forms. The MOD07 product, which contains atmosphere data, were processed for eight 2-D variables and two 3-D variables. The GDAL compiled with Intel compiler under Ubuntu had the shortest computation time. For openSUSE, the GDAL compiled using GNU and intel compilers had greater performance for 2-D and 3-D variables, respectively. It was found that the wall clock time was considerably long for the GDAL complied with "--with-hdf4=no" configuration option or RPM package manager under openSUSE. These results indicated that the choice of the environments under which the GDAL is installed, e.g., operation system or compiler, would have a considerable impact on the performance of a system for processing remote sensing data. Application of parallel computing approaches would improve the performance of the data processing for the HDF files, which merits further evaluation of these computational methods.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.17
• /
• pp.7633-7640
• /
• 2015

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and it is responsible for most cases of cervical uterine cancer. Although HPV infections of the cervix do not always progress to cancer, 90% of cervical cancer cases have been found to be associated with high risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection. HPV DNA testing is widely used, along with Papanicolaou (Pap) testing, to screen for cervical abnormalities. However, there are no data on the prevalence of genotype-specific HPV infections assessed by measuring HPV E6/E7 mRNA in women representative of the Chinese population across a broad age range. Materials and Methods: In the present study, we compared the results with the CervicGen HPV RT-qDx assay, which detects 16 HR-HPV genotypes (Alpha-9: HPV 16, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58; Alpha-7: HPV 18, 39, 45, 51, 59, and 68; and Alpha-5, 6: HPV 53, 56, 66, and 69), and the REBA HPV-ID assay, which detects 32 HPV genotypes based on the reverse blot hybridization assay (REBA) for the detection of oncogenic HPV infection according to cytological diagnosis. We also investigated the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV infection with a total of 324 liquid-based cytology samples collected in western Shandong province, East China. Results: The overall HPV prevalences determined by HPV DNA and HPV E6/E7 mRNA assays in this study were 79.9% (259/324) and 55.6% (180/324), respectively. Although the positivity of HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression was significantly lower than HPV DNA positivity, the HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay showed greater specificity than the HPV DNA assay (88.6% vs. 48.1%) in normal cytology samples. The prevalence of Alpha-9 (HPV 16, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58) HPV infection among these women accounted for up to 80.3% and 76.1% of the high-grade lesions detected in the HPV mRNA and DNA tests, respectively. The HR-HPV genotype distribution, based on HPV DNA and E6/E7 mRNA expression by age group in patients with cytologically confirmed lesions, was highest in women aged 40 to 49 years (35.9% for cytologically confirmed cases, Pearson correlation r value=0.993, p<0.001) for high-grade lesions. Among the oncogenic HR-HPV genotypes for all age groups, there was little difference in the distribution of HPV genotypes between the HPV DNA (HPV -16, 53, 18, 58, and 33) and HPV E6/E7 mRNA (HPV -16, 53, 33, 58, and 18) assays. HPV 16 was the most common HPV genotype among women with high-grade lesions. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay can be a sensitive and specific tool for the screening and investigation of cervical cancer. Furthermore, it may provide useful information regarding the necessity for early cervical cancer screenings and the development of additional effective HPV vaccines, such as one for HPV 53 and 58. Additionally, gaining knowledge of HPV distribution may also inform us about ecological changes in HPV after the vaccination.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.21-27
• /
• 2006

This study was conducted to determine the distribution of cat follicles among varying ages and produce oocytes from preantral follicles cultured in vitro. We used ovaries from 41 cats ranging in age from 0.3 to 5 years. Ovaries were obtained from cats undergoing routine ovariectomy at local veterinary clinics. As a prelude to in vitro culture of preantral follicles, the length and the width and the weight of ovaries among cats of varying ages were measured. Ovaries were fixed in 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin, cut into $3{\mu}m$-sections, mounted on slides and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Follicles were evaluated at 200X and 400X magnification. Distribution of follicles among cats of varying ages were evaluated according to follicle classification: primordial, primary, transitional, preantral and antral follicles. Preantral follicles were isolated by the simple mechanical procedure. Each follicle was cultured in a well containing $100{\mu}l$ of medium 199 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) or polyvinylalcohol (PVA) for 16 days. Follicle diameters were measured under inverted microscope every 4 days. The length, the width and the weight of ovaries were increased gradually according to ages but there was not significant difference among cats of varying ages. Majority of follicles were primordial follicles (84%) regardless of cat ages (p<0.05). Follicle diameter increased until 4 days of culture. However, period longer than 4 days of culture in vitro had a deleterious effect on follicle survival regardless of supplement (FBS or PVA). A few oocytes were collected from preantral follicles cultured in vitro. These basic reproductive techniques in domestic cats can be a useful tool to save endangered feline species.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.383-392
• /
• 2007

Karstic features and mining-related cavities not only lead to severe restrictions in land utilizations, but also constitute serious concern about geohazard and groundwater contamination. A microgravity survey was applied for detecting, mapping and monitoring karstic cavities in the test site at Muan prepared by KIGAM. The gravity data were collected using an AutoGrav CG-3 gravimeter at about 800 stations by 5 m interval along paddy paths. The density distribution beneath the profiles was drawn by two dimensional inversion based on the minimum support stabilizing functional, which generated better focused images of density discontinuities. We also imaged three dimensional density distribution by growing body inversion with solution from Euler deconvolution as a priori information. The density image showed that the cavities were dissolved, enlarged and connected into a cavity network system, which was supported by drill hole logs. A time-lapse microgravity was executed on the road in the test site for monitoring the change of the subsurface density distribution before and after grouting. The data were adjusted for reducing the effects due to the different condition of each survey, and inverted to density distributions. They show the change of density structure during the lapsed time, which implies the effects of grouting. This case history at the Muan test site showed that the microgravity with accuracy and precision of ${\mu}Gal$ is an effective and practical tool for detecting, mapping and monitoring the subsurface cavities.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.339-357
• /
• 2009

The Saemangeum Reclamation Project was launched as a national project in 1991 to reclaim a large coastal area of 401 km$^2$ by constructing a 33-km long dyke. The final dyke enclosure in April 2006 has transformed the tidal flat into lake and land. The dyke construction has abruptly changed not only the estuarine tidal system inside the dyke, but also the coastal marine environment outside the dyke. In this study, we investigated the spatial change of SST distribution using the Landsat-5/7 and NOAA data before and after the dyke completion in the Saemangeum area. Satellite-induced SST was verified by compared with the various in situ measurements such as tower, buoy, and water sample. The correlation coefficient resulted in above 0.96 and RMSE was about 1$^{\circ}C$ in all data. 38 Landsat satellite images from 1985 to 2007 were analyzed to estimate the temporal and spatial change of SST distribution from the beginning to the completion of the Samangeum dyke's construction. The seasonal change in detailed spatial distribution of SST was measured, however, the estimation of change during the Saemangeum dyke's construction was hard to figure out owing to the various environmental conditions. Monthly averaged SST induced from NOAA data from 1998 to 2007 has been analyzed for a complement of Landsat's temporal resolution. At the inside of the dyke, the change of SST from summer to winter was large due to the relatively high temperature in summer. In this study, multi-sensor thermal remote sensing is an efficient tool for monitoring the temporal and spatial distribution of SST in coastal area.