• Title/Summary/Keyword: Effective protection methods

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Educational Program for Radiation Emergency Medicine at the Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences: A Training Course for Medical Personnel

  • Saito, Yoko;Nakamura, Toshiya;Urushizaka, Mayumi;Kitajima, Yu;Itaki, Chieko;Terashima, Shingo;Hosokawa, Yoichiro
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.41 no.4
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    • pp.436-441
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    • 2016
  • Background: Although nuclear disaster is considered rare, its effects are serious, and we must prepare a system to enable an effective response. Materials and Methods: Since 2010, we have been offering a two-day seminar to provide current nurses and radiological technologists with basic knowledge and train them in radiation emergency medicine (REM) techniques. This training offers lectures to deepen each specialty from the perspective of REM, as well as exercises on ways to handle irradiated and/or contaminated patients. Participants were expected to treat patients according to the concept of REM. Results and Discussion: All participants learn to assess and decontaminate contaminated wounds through drills. The questionnaire survey for participants indicated that participants were satisfied with this training and wanted to attend again. Conclusion: We believe that this training course will provide a valuable opportunity for medical professionals to gain knowledge and expertise in REM.

Optimization of In-vivo Monitoring Program for Radiation Emergency Response

  • Ha, Wi-Ho;Kim, Jong Kyung
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.41 no.4
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    • pp.333-338
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    • 2016
  • Background: In case of radiation emergencies, internal exposure monitoring for the members of public will be required to confirm internal contamination of each individual. In-vivo monitoring technique using portable gamma spectrometer can be easily applied for internal exposure monitoring in the vicinity of the on-site area. Materials and Methods: In this study, minimum detectable doses (MDDs) for $^{134}Cs$, $^{137}Cs$, and $^{131}I$ were calculated adjusting minimum detectable activities (MDAs) from 50 to 1,000 Bq to find out the optimal in-vivo counting condition. DCAL software was used to derive retention fraction of Cs and I isotopes in the whole body and thyroid, respectively. A minimum detect-able level was determined to set committed effective dose of 0.1 mSv for emergency response. Results and Discussion: We found that MDDs at each MDA increased along with the elapsed time. 1,000 Bq for $^{134}Cs$ and $^{137}Cs$, and 100 Bq for $^{131}I$ were suggested as optimal MDAs to provide in-vivo monitoring service in case of radiation emergencies. Conclusion: In-vivo monitoring program for emergency response should be designed to achieve the optimal MDA suggested from the present work. We expect that a reduction of counting time compared with routine monitoring program can achieve the high throughput system in case of radiation emergencies.

A Study of Shielding Properties of X-ray and Gamma in Barium Compounds

  • Seenappa, L.;Manjunatha, H.C.;Chandrika, B.M.;Chikka, Hanumantharayappa
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.42 no.1
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    • pp.26-32
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    • 2017
  • Background: Ionizing radiation is known to be harmful to human health. The shielding of ionizing radiation depends on the attenuation which can be achieved by three main rules, i.e. time, distance and absorbing material. Materials and Methods: The mass attenuation coefficient, linear attenuation coefficient, Half Value Layer (HVL) and Tenth Value Layer (TVL) of X-rays (32 keV, 74 keV) and gamma rays (662 keV) are measured in Barium compounds. Results and Discussion: The measured values agree well with the theory. The effective atomic numbers ($Z_{eff}$) and electron density (Ne) of Barium compounds have been computed in the wide energy region 1 keV to 100 GeV using an accurate database of photon-interaction cross sections and the WinXCom program. Conclusion: The mass attenuation coefficient and linear attenuation coefficient for $BaCO_3$ is higher than the $BaCl_2$, $Ba(No_3)_2$ and BaSO4. HVL, TVL and mean free path are lower for $BaCO_3$ than the $BaCl_2$, $Ba(No_3)_2$ and $BaSO_4$. Among the studied barium compounds, $BaCO_3$ is best material for x-ray and gamma shielding.

Comparison between a 13-session and One-time Program on Korean Elementary, Middle and High School Students' Understanding of Nuclear Power

  • Han, Eun Ok;Choi, YoonSeok;Lim, YoungKhi
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.42 no.1
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    • pp.56-62
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    • 2017
  • Background: To help future generations make accurate value judgments about nuclear power generation and radiation, this study will provide an effective education plan suitable for South Korea by applying and analyzing programs for the understanding of nuclear power within the diversely operated programs in the current Korean education system. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed the difference in educational effects by operating a 13-session regular curriculum for one semester and a one-session short-term curriculum from March to July 2016. Results and Discussion: As a result of operating a 13-session model school and a one-time educational program to analyze behavior changes against the traditional learning model, it was found that all elementary, middle and high school students showed higher acceptability of nuclear power in South Korea. The variation was greater for the model school than the short-term program. Conclusion: To prevent future generations from making biased policy decisions stemming from fear regarding nuclear power, it is necessary to bolster their value judgments in policy decisions by acquiring sufficient information about nuclear power generation and radiation through educational programs.

Seismic protection of LNG tanks with reliability based optimally designed combined rubber isolator and friction damper

  • Khansefid, Ali;Maghsoudi-Barmi, Ali;Khaloo, Alireza
    • Earthquakes and Structures
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    • v.16 no.5
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    • pp.523-532
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    • 2019
  • Different types of gas reservoir such as Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) are among the strategic infrastructures, and have great importance for any government or their private owners. To keep the tank and its contents safe during earthquakes especially if the contents are of hazardous or flammable materials; using seismic protection systems such as base isolator can be considered as an effective solution. However, the major deficiency of this system can be the large deformation in the isolation level which may lead to the failure of bearing system. In this paper, as a solution, the efficacy of an optimally designed combined vibration control system, the combined laminated rubber isolator and rotational friction damper, is investigated to evaluate the enhancement of an existing metal tank response under both far- and near-field earthquakes. Responses like impulsive and convective accelerations, base shear, and sloshing height are studied herein. The probabilistic framework is used to consider the uncertainties in the structural modeling, as well as record-to-record variability. Due to the high calculation cost of probabilistic methods, a simplified structural model is used. By using the Mont-Carlo simulation approach, it is revealed that this combined isolation system is a highly reliable system which provides considerable enhancement in the performance of reservoir, not only leads to the reduction of probability of catastrophic failure of the tank but also decrease the reservoir damage during the earthquake. Moreover, the relative displacement of the isolation level is controlled very well by this combined system.

Field Attenuation of Foam Earplugs

  • Copelli, Fran;Behar, Alberto;Le, Tina Ngoc;Russo, Frank A.
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.184-191
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    • 2021
  • Background: Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are often used in the workplace to prevent hearing damage caused by noise. However, a factor that can lead to hearing loss in the workplace is improper HPD fitting, and the previous literature has shown that instructing workers on how to properly insert their HPDs can make a significant difference in the degree of attenuation. Methods: Two studies were completed on a total of 33 Hydro One workers. A FitCheck Solo field attenuation estimation system was used to measure the personal attenuation rating (PAR) before and after providing one-on-one fitting instructions. In addition, external ear canal diameters were measured, and a questionnaire with items related to frequency of use, confidence, and discomfort was administered. Results: Training led to an improvement in HPD attenuation, particularly for participants with poorer PARs before training. The questionnaire results indicated that much HPD discomfort is caused by heat, humidity, and communication difficulties. External ear canal asymmetry did not appear to significantly influence the measured PAR. Conclusion: In accordance with the previous literature, our studies suggest that one-on-one instruction is an effective training method for HPD use. Addressing discomfort issues from heat, humidity, and communication issues could help to improve the use of HPDs in the workplace. Further research into the effects of canal asymmetry on the PAR is needed.

A State-of-the-Art Review of Graphene-Based Corrosion Resistant Coatings for Metal Protection

  • Zade, Ganesh S.;Patil, Kiran D.
    • Corrosion Science and Technology
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    • v.21 no.5
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    • pp.390-411
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    • 2022
  • Any design engineer or coating formulator's primary objective is to protect metals. Large investments in terms of money, time, labour, and other resources are necessary for constructing large-scale machinery and structures. In terms of economy, the structure's lifespan should be as long as feasible to create revenue. It is becoming essential to protect metal substrates from corrosion to prolong the lifespan of such huge structures. One of the most exciting, durable, useful, and effective methods to protect metals from corrosion is the application of corrosion-resistant coating. Graphene is a novel material with a wide range of applications because of its extraordinary features. The use of graphene in coating creates an obstacle and complicates the path for corrosive medium to reach the metal. As the path to the metal elongates, the corrosion medium takes longer to reach the metal. Thus, metal corrosion can be avoided. In this paper, the importance of graphene in coating formulation is discussed, including chemical modifications of graphene, the effect of graphene concentration on corrosion inhibition, and the contact angle of coating. This review also highlights the significance of water-based corrosion-resistant coating for preventing environmental damage.

Protecting Privacy of User Data in Intelligent Transportation Systems

  • Yazed Alsaawy;Ahmad Alkhodre;Adnan Abi Sen
    • International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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    • v.23 no.5
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    • pp.163-171
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    • 2023
  • The intelligent transportation system has made a huge leap in the level of human services, which has had a positive impact on the quality of life of users. On the other hand, these services are becoming a new source of risk due to the use of data collected from vehicles, on which intelligent systems rely to create automatic contextual adaptation. Most of the popular privacy protection methods, such as Dummy and obfuscation, cannot be used with many services because of their impact on the accuracy of the service provided itself, they depend on changing the number of vehicles or their physical locations. This research presents a new approach based on the shuffling Nicknames of vehicles. It fully maintains the quality of the service and prevents tracking users permanently, penetrating their privacy, revealing their whereabouts, or discovering additional details about the nature of their behavior and movements. Our approach is based on creating a central Nicknames Pool in the cloud as well as distributed subpools in fog nodes to avoid intelligent delays and overloading of the central architecture. Finally, we will prove by simulation and discussion by examples the superiority of the proposed approach and its ability to adapt to new services and provide an effective level of protection. In the comparison, we will rely on the wellknown privacy criteria: Entropy, Ubiquity, and Performance.

Public Perception and Communication Patterns Pertaining to Nuclear Power in Korea: Focusing on the Transition Period from Pro-nuclear to De-nuclear Policy

  • Eunok Han;Yoonseok Choi
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.47 no.4
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    • pp.226-236
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    • 2022
  • Background: An effective communication strategy for reducing conflicts in South Korea has been designed through the analysis of public perception and communication variables on nuclear power under the conditions of rapidly changing nuclear power policies. Materials and Methods: This study conducted both qualitative research through group discussions based on social psychology and quantitative research through surveys. Results and Discussion: Nuclear power plant (NPP) area residents in favor of nuclear power indicated higher levels of communication, safety perception, and contribution than those against it. NPP area residents trusted the civilian expert groups (18.3%) and local government (17.3%) the most, while metropolitan city residents trusted the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (20.7%) the most. In determining nuclear power policy, both the NPP area residents (18.1%) and metropolitan city residents (17.1%) prioritized safety, health, and the environment. While metropolitan city residents thought that energy security and economic growth (16.4%) were important, NPP area residents thought the current issue of spent fuel rods (14.1%) to be important. Conclusion: It is necessary for the nuclear power industry to have and actively implement communication and conflict resolution strategies based on the patterns obtained in the study results.

A Comparative Study on Effective One-Group Cross-Sections of ORIGEN and FISPACT to Calculate Nuclide Inventory for Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plant

  • Cha, Gilyong;Kim, Soonyoung;Lee, Minhye;Kim, Minchul;Kim, Hyunmin
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.47 no.2
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    • pp.99-106
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    • 2022
  • Background: The radionuclide inventory calculation codes such as ORIGEN and FISPACT collapse neutron reaction libraries with energy spectra and generate an effective one-group cross-section. Since the nuclear cross-section data, energy group (g) structure, and other input details used by the two codes are different, there may be differences in each code's activation inventory calculation results. In this study, the calculation results of neutron-induced activation inventory using ORIGEN and FISPACT were compared and analyzed regarding radioactive waste classification and worker exposure during nuclear decommissioning. Materials and Methods: Two neutron spectra were used to obtain the comparison results: Watt fission spectrum and thermalized energy spectrum. The effective one-group cross-sections were generated for each type of energy group structure provided in ORIGEN and FISPACT. Then, the effective one-group cross-sections were analyzed by focusing on 59Ni, 63Ni, 94Nb, 60Co, 152Eu, and 154Eu, which are the main radionuclides of stainless steel, carbon steel, zircalloy, and concrete for decommissioning nuclear power plant (NPP). Results and Discussion: As a result of the analysis, 154Eu and 59Ni may be overestimated or underestimated depending on the code selection by up to 30%, because the cross-section library used for each code is different. When ORIGEN-44g, -49g, and -238g structures are selected, the differences of the calculation results of effective one-group cross-section according to group structure selection were less than 1% for the six nuclides applied in this study, and when FISPACT-69g, -172g, and -315g were applied, the difference was less than 1%, too. Conclusion: ORIGEN and FISPACT codes can be applied to activation calculations with their own built-in energy group structures for decommissioning NPP. Since the differences in calculation results may occur depending on the selection of codes and energy group structures, it is appropriate to properly select the energy group structure according to the accuracy required in the calculation and the characteristics of the problem.