• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.1307-1313
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• 2019

Recent analysis results with realistic assumptions provide the variability of operator allowable time for the initiation of aggressive cooldown under small break loss of coolant accident or steam generator tube rupture with total failure of high pressure safety injection. We investigated how plant risk may vary depending on the variability of operators' failure probability of timely initiation of aggressive cooldown. Using a probabilistic safety assessment model of a nuclear power plant, we showed that plant risks had a linear relation with the failure probability of aggressive cooldown and could be reduced by up to 10% as aggressive cooldown is more reliably performed. For individual accident management, we found that core damage potential could be gradually reduced by up to 40.49% and 63.84% after a small break loss of coolant accident or a steam generator tube rupture, respectively. Based on the importance of timely initiation of aggressive cooldown by main control room operators within the success criteria, implications for improvement of emergency operating procedures are discussed. We recommend conducting further detailed analyses of aggressive cooldown, commensurate with its importance in reducing risks in nuclear power plants.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2019

Objective : To describe our experiences with a fully equipped high-end digital subtraction angiography (DSA) system within a hybrid operating room (OR). Methods : A single-plane DSA system with 3-dimensional rotational angiography, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and real-time navigation software was used in our hybrid OR. Between April 2014 and January 2018, 191 sessions of cerebrovascular procedures were performed in our hybrid OR. After the retrospective review of all cases, the procedures were categorized into three subcategorical procedures : combined endovascular and surgical procedure, complementary rescue procedure during intervention and surgery, and frameless stereotaxic operation. Results : Forty-nine of 191 procedures were performed using hybrid techniques. Four cases of blood blister aneurysms and a ruptured posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm were treated using bypass surgery and endovascular trapping. Eight cases of ruptured aneurysm with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) were treated by partial embolization and surgical clipping. Six cases of ruptured arteriovenous malformation with ICH were treated by Onyx embolization of nidus and subsequent surgical removal of nidus and ICH. Two (5.4%) of the 37 cases of pre-mature rupture during clipping were secured by endovascular coil embolization. In one (0.8%) complicated case of 103 intra-arterial thrombectomy procedures, emergency surgical embolectomy with bypass surgery was performed. In 27 cases of ICH, frameless stereotaxic hematoma aspiration was performed using $XperGuide^{(R)}$ system (Philips Medical Systems, Best, the Netherlands). All procedures were performed in single sessions without any procedural complications. Conclusion : Hybrid OR with a fully equipped DSA system could provide precise and safe treatment strategies for cerebrovascular diseases. Especially, we could suggest a strategy to cope flexibly in complex lesions or unexpected situations in hybrid OR. CBCT with real-time navigation software could augment the usefulness of hybrid OR.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.301-309
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• 2016

Background: A contamination screening process for the local population in radiation emergencies is discussed. Materials and Methods: We present an overview of the relevant Korean governmental regulations that underpin the development of an effective response system. Moreover, case studies of foreign countries responding to mass casualties are presented, and indicate that responses should be able to handle a large demand for contamination screening of the local public as well as screening of the immediate victims of the incident. Results and Discussion: We propose operating procedures for an off-site contamination screening post operated by the local government for members of the public who have not been directly harmed in the accident. In order to devise screening categories, sorting strategies assessing contamination and exposure are discussed, as well as a psychological response system. Conclusion: This study will lead to the effective operation of contamination screening clinics if an accident occurs. Furthermore, the role of contamination screening clinics in the overall context of the radiation emergency treatment system should be clearly established.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.80-90
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• 2003

According to related studies, it was revealed that the procedural deviation plays a significant role in initiating accidents or incidents. This means that, to maximize safety, it is indispensable to be able to answer the question of “why the operators deviate from procedures\ulcorner” In this study, the SC (step complexity) measure is introduced to investigate its applicability for studying the procedural deviation, since it was shown that the change of the operators' performance is strongly correlated with the change of SC scores. This means that the SC measure could play an important role for researches related to the procedural deviation, since it is strongly believed that complicated procedures would affect both the operator' performance and the possibility of the procedural deviation. Thus, to ensure this expectation, the meaning of the SC measure is investigated through brief explanations including the necessity, theoretical basis and verification activities of the SC measure. As a result, it is confirmed that the SC measure can be used to explain the change of the operators' performance due to the task complexity implied by procedures. In addition, it seems that the SC measure nay be useful for various purposes, particularly for scrutinizing the relationship between the procedural deviation and complicated procedures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.117-124
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• 2013

Emergency operating procedures(EOPs) of nuclear power plants should be described considering the cognitive capability and limitation of operators and provide appropriate information in the aspect of human factors. Procedures which doesn't consider cognitive characteristics of operators can become causes of human errors. In previous researches, in order to reduce these problems related to the description of EOP, an improvement suggestion for EOP writer's guide has been proposed, which is reflected human factors aspects that should be considered when describing EOPs. The proposed items, however, have a necessity to be validated because it was listed from various documents such as standards and guidelines without any special validation process. For that reason, in this study, a validation process were performed to show that procedures, which are described in compliance with the requirement items proposed in the improved EOP writer's guide, have positive effects in the aspects of human errors and performance comparing with previous procedures. Experiments were performed to compare the performances of two tasks which are described in compliance with each writer's guide of before and after the improvement During each task was performed in experiments, changes of physiological responses such as EEG and ECG were measured to evaluate the cognitive workload and the stress of operators in each task. And also, as the performance, frequencies of errors and cognition speeds of each task were evaluated. In the results of the experiment, the portions of the ${\beta}$ wave decreased in the tasks overall after the improvement. In the case of ECG, change rates of the mean of R-R interval were decreased in the tasks after improvement. In the results of the performance, the cognition and the response time of the tasks after the improvement were predominant with statistical significancies. Error times in the tasks after improvement were decreased or same to the tasks before improvement. Conclusively, it was validated that the procedures were described in compliance with the improved EOP writer's guide had effects on the reduction of human errors and improvement of performance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2016

The system performance of Engineered Safety Features is of utmost importance in a nuclear power plant. The human performance is identified as most critical to assurance of the optimal operability of safety systems during an emergency. The aim of this study is to determine how the performance of safety system could be evaluated using Augmented Reality technology. The paper presents a description of how a systems engineered approach could be used to develop the necessary operating conditions needed to conduct this measurement. Augmented Virtual Reality (AVR) interface technology is achieving ease of availability and widespread use in many applications today as illustrated by the launch of several AR and VR devices aimed at media consumption. As such, environments that incorporate such AVR hardware have become invaluable tools in designing human interface systems because of the high fidelity and intuitive response to natural human interaction that can be achieved [2]. The outcome of the measurement undertaken is to determine whether 1.) Operator(s) performance can be enhanced by introducing an improved cognitive method of monitoring plant information during an Emergency Operating Procedures (EOP) and 2.) In correlation, inform the performance of the diverse safety systems on the basis of human factors.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2022

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had major effects worldwide, including sudden and forceful setbacks to the healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has also led to changes in the plastic and reconstructive management of emergency cases, including those due to road traffic accidents. This study analyzed changes in patterns of plastic surgery emergencies and modifications in consultation policies to minimize the exposure of healthcare workers. Methods: Data on plastic surgery emergency calls received from the trauma and emergency department were collected for a period of 2 months before and during lockdown. The data were then analyzed with respect to the cause, mechanism, and site of the injury, as well as other variables. Results: During lockdown, there was a 40.4% overall decrease in the plastic surgery emergency case volume (168 vs. 100). The average daily number of consultations before lockdown was 2.8 as compared to 1.6 during lockdown. Road traffic accidents remained the most common mechanism of injury in both groups (45.8% vs. 39.0%) but decreased in number during the lockdown (77 vs. 39). Household accidents, including burns, were the second most common cause of injury in both phases (7.7% vs. 20.0%), but their proportion increased significantly from 7.7.% to 20.0% in the lockdown phase (P=0.003). The percentage of minor procedures done in the emergency department increased from 53.5% to 72.0% during lockdown (P=0.002). Procedures in the operating room decreased by 73.1% during lockdown (67 vs. 18, P=0.001). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown orders in India greatly influenced trends in traumatic emergencies as observed by the plastic surgery team at our tertiary care center. Amidst all the chaos and limitations of the pandemic period, providing safe and prompt care to the patients presenting to the emergency room was our foremost priority.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.47-61
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• 2017

The preconditions of the usefulness of an operator safety training model in large plants are the versatility and accuracy of operational procedures, obtained by detailed analysis of the various types of risks associated with the operation, and the systematic representation of knowledge. In this study, we consider the artificial intelligence planning method for the generation of operation procedures; classify them into general actions, actions and technical terms of the operator; and take into account the sharing and reuse of knowledge, defining a knowledge expression ontology. In order to expand and extend the general operations of the operation, we apply a Hierarchical Task Network (HTN). Actual boiler plant case studies are classified according to operating conditions, states and operating objectives between the units, and general emergency shutdown procedures are created to confirm the applicability of the proposed method. These results based on systematic knowledge representation can be easily applied to general plant operation procedures and operator safety training scenarios and will be used for automatic generation of safety training scenarios.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.238-247
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• 2023

The present work represents a technical guideline for decommissioning a disused teletherapy machine model Theratron-780 and contains category one ⁶⁰Co radioactive source. The first section predicts the dose rate from the source in case of normal and radiological emergency situations via FLUKA-MC simulation code. Moreover, the dose assessment for the occupational during the whole process is calculated and compared to the measured values. A suggested cordoned area for safety and security in a radiological emergency is simulated. The second section lists the whole process's technical procedures, including (preview, dismantle, securing, transport and storage) of the disused teletherapy machine. Results show that the maximum obtained accumulated dose for occupational were found to be 24.5 ± 4.9 μSv in the dismantle and securing process in addition to 3.5 ± 1.8 μSv during loading on the transport vehicle and unloading at the storage facility. It was found that the measured accumulated dose for workers is in good agreement with the estimated one by uncertainty not exceeding 5% in normal operating conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.2009-2016
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• 2020

A nuclear power plant is a large complex system with tens of thousands of components. To ensure plant safety, the early and accurate diagnosis of abnormal situations is an important factor. To prevent misdiagnosis, operating procedures provide the anticipated symptoms of abnormal situations. While the more severe emergency situations total less than ten cases and can be diagnosed by dozens of key plant parameters, abnormal situations on the other hand include hundreds of cases and a multitude of parameters that should be considered for diagnosis. The tasks required of operators to select the appropriate operating procedure by monitoring large amounts of information within a limited amount of time can burden operators. This paper aims to develop a system that can, in a short time and with high accuracy, select the appropriate operating procedure and sub-procedure in an abnormal situation. Correspondingly, the proposed model has two levels of prediction to determine the procedure level and the detailed cause of an event. Simulations were conducted to evaluate the developed model, with results demonstrating high levels of performance. The model is expected to reduce the workload of operators in abnormal situations by providing the appropriate procedure to ultimately improve plant safety.