• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.151-164
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• 2013

A key input for the assessment of Human Error Probabilities (HEPs) with Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) methods is the evaluation of the factors influencing the human performance (often referred to as Performance Shaping Factors, PSFs). In general, the definition of these factors and the supporting guidance are such that their evaluation involves significant subjectivity. This affects the repeatability of HRA results as well as the collection of HRA data for model construction and verification. In this context, the present paper considers the TAsk COMplexity (TACOM) measure, developed by one of the authors to quantify the complexity of procedure-guided tasks (by the operating crew of nuclear power plants in emergency situations), and evaluates its use to represent (objectively and quantitatively) task complexity issues relevant to HRA methods. In particular, TACOM scores are calculated for five Human Failure Events (HFEs) for which empirical evidence on the HEPs (albeit with large uncertainty) and influencing factors are available - from the International HRA Empirical Study. The empirical evaluation has shown promising results. The TACOM score increases as the empirical HEP of the selected HFEs increases. Except for one case, TACOM scores are well distinguished if related to different difficulty categories (e.g., "easy" vs. "somewhat difficult"), while values corresponding to tasks within the same category are very close. Despite some important limitations related to the small number of HFEs investigated and the large uncertainty in their HEPs, this paper presents one of few attempts to empirically study the effect of a performance shaping factor on the human error probability. This type of study is important to enhance the empirical basis of HRA methods, to make sure that 1) the definitions of the PSFs cover the influences important for HRA (i.e., influencing the error probability), and 2) the quantitative relationships among PSFs and error probability are adequately represented.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.407-413
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• 2022

In this study, the empirical formula for evaluating cable tension based on long-term measurement for about 3 years according to temperature change was proposed by proving the correlation between the expansion joint displacement of the upper road bridge and the cable tension of the lower railway bridge. The tension prediction results using the empirical formula for tension evaluation each cables proposed in this study were found to be in good agreement with the cable tension using the vibration method within 3%. Therefore, it was analyzed that it could be applied together with the vibration method that was an experimental technique, to predict and evaluate the cable tension in serviced railway steel composite bridge. As a result of applying the estimated temperature calculated by the empirical formula for expansion proposed in this study to the empirical formula, it was analyzed that a high level of reliability could be secured when compared with the vibration method. Therefore, it is judged that the empirical formula for cable tension evaluation reflecting the estimated temperature proposed in this study can be used to predict the tension of cables according to climate change in the future and establish a maintenance plan.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.246-255
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• 2021

Most fishing vessels are less than 100 m in length (LBP), which is not mandatory for the IMO standards for ship maneuverability. Therefore, research on estimating the maneuverability of fishing vessel hull shapes are somewhat lacking compared to that of merchant ship hull shapes, and at the design stage, the numerical simulation method developed for merchant ships are applied without modification to estimate the maneuverability. Since this can cause estimation errors, the authors have derived a modified empirical formula that can improve the accuracy of estimating the maneuverability of fishing vessels in a previous study. In this study, using the modified empirical formula, the IMO maneuverability evaluation items, the turning motion test and Z-test simulations were performed on the fisheries training vessel BAEK-KYUNG and compared with the sea trial test result to verify the validity of the modified empirical formula. In conclusion, the modified empirical formula was able to estimate quantitatively and qualitatively similar to the result of the sea trial test. Such a study on estimating the maneuverability of fishing vessels will be a good indicator for fishing vessel operators and will help them analyze marine accidents.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.8
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• pp.487-496
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• 2021

This study examines the environmental performance of firms in Vietnam and its determinants. The contribution of the paper is on both theoretical and empirical aspects. On the theoretical matter, the research proposes a new index measuring environmental management at the firm level, namely the Environmental Management Index with a clear illustration for the case of Vietnam. On the empirical matter, the study points out and estimates determinants of the corporate environmental performance of Vietnamese firms measured by the newly proposed index. Due to data availability and the impossibility of getting more updated data, the empirical analysis covers only the period from 2004-2009. However, findings are still meaningful because, on the one hand, it provides some evidence for Vietnamese policymakers; on the other hand, with the robust methodology proposed, when more recent data are available, researchers can easily replicate the estimation for more insights. Empirical results show that factors having positive impacts on the environmental performance of Vietnamese firms are profit, capital stock, and interestingly public pressure proxied by the population of the province where the firm is located. Firm ownership does also matter in explaining the corporate environmental performance of Vietnam.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.17-35
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• 2019

This paper analyzes the reality of Myanmar workers' consciousness and reports the results of exploratory empirical studies that examined the influence of workers' consciousness on organizational commitment. To accomplish the purpose of the study, we performed conceptual and empirical research and mainly focused on empirical research through questionnaires on 262 workers in the manufacturing industry in Myanmar. Results of this empirical study are summarized as follow. First, the consciousness of the labor union of Myanmar labors such as 'Necessity of Union', 'Necessity of Strong Union', 'Militant Ideology' and 'Democracy' was high. The wage fair consciousness, which is a core consciousness related to the working conditions, is high, and class consciousness and collectivism, which are corporate and social consciousness, are also high but the 'growth ideology' and 'competitiveness ideology' are low. Second, the younger generation, less than high school graduates, and Yangon's workers have highly consciousness increasing the instability of industrial relations. Third, consciousness factors which have significant influence on organizational commitment were labor-management cooperation consciousness (+), democracy (-), competitiveness ideology (+), class consciousness (-) and authoritarianism (+). Lastly, implications and limitations of this empirical study, and suggestions for future research are suggested.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.76.2-76.2
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• 2010

We present the final results of our study on the mass-loss rate of donor stars in cataclysmic variables (CVs). Observed donors are oversized in comparison with those of isolated single stars of the same mass, which is thought to be a consequence of the mass loss. Using the empirical mass-radius relation of CVs and the homologous approximation for changes in effective temperature T2, orbital period P, and luminosity of the donor with the stellar radius, we find the semi-empirical mass-loss rate M2dot of CVs as a function of P. The derived M2dot is at ~10-9.5-10-10 $M\odot$/yr and depends weakly on P when P > 90 min, while it declines very rapidly towards the minimum period when P < 90 min. The semi-empirical M2dot is significantly different from, and has a less-pronounced turnaround behavior with P than suggested by previous numerical models. The semi-empirical P-M2dot relation is consistent with the angular momentum loss due to gravitational wave emission, and strongly suggests that CV secondaries with 0.075 $M\odot$ < M2 < 0.2 $M\odot$ are less than 2 Gyrs old. When applied to selected eclipsing CVs, our semi-empirical mass-loss rates are in good agreement with the accretion rates derived from the effective temperatures T1 of white dwarfs. Based on the semi-empirical M2dot, SDSS 1501 and 1433 systems that were previously identified as post-bounce CVs have yet to reach the minimal period.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.3
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• pp.283-300
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• 2024

Machine learning (ML) models based on artificial neural network (ANN) and decision tree (DT) were developed for estimation of axial capacity of concrete columns reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars. Between the design codes, the Canadian code provides better formulation compared to the Australian or American code. For empirical models based on elastic modulus of FRP, Hadhood et al. (2017) model performed best. Whereas for empirical models based on tensile strength of FRP, as well as all empirical models, Raza et al. (2021) was adjudged superior. However, compared to the empirical models, all ML models exhibited superior performance according to all five performance metrics considered. The performance of ANN and DT models were comparable in general. Under the present setup, inclusion of the transverse reinforcement information did not improve the accuracy of estimation with either ANN or DT. With selective use of inputs, and a much simpler ANN architecture (4-3-1) compared to that reported in literature (Raza et al. 2020: 6-11-11-1), marginal improvement in correlation could be achieved. The metrics for the best model from the study was a correlation of 0.94, absolute errors between 420 kN to 530 kN, and the range being 0.39 to 0.51 for relative errors. Though much superior performance could be obtained using ANN/DT models over empirical models, further work towards improving accuracy of the estimation is indicated before design of FRP reinforced concrete columns using ML may be considered for design codes.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• no.5
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• pp.59-65
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• 1995

This thesis focuses on a study of design science, which is of a disciplinary character. And the purpose of such a study is to suggest a new direction to develop aesthetics through an empirical research into environmental psychol-ogy, human behavior, design thought, and the visual qual-ity of environment. The author of this study, since recognizing the necessi-ty of understanding environmental aesthetics as well as the necessity of aesthetics, has done an elementary study of empirical aesthetes, and then obtained some facts as follows: First, it is possible to analyse the visual characteristics immanent in the interrelations between human and envi-ronment by means of applying both the information the-ory of formal perception and expressional value and the perceptual theory of ecology to environmental aesthetics. Second, formal aesthetics is a science about the form and structure and in the meantime, symbolic aesthetics is a science about the environmental patterns giving pleas-ure to mankind and its associative meanings. Accordingly it is same as providing some aesthetic value to the ob-ject of environment design to apply some empirical data of visual quality to environmental design. Through such a process, users are provided or delivered with diverse, visual effect. In conclusion, environmental aesthetics is worthwhile to study, and its purpose is that it, as a framework of use-ful knowledge to the creation of the environment superi-or in quality, be applied to design.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.439-445
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• 2017

Plunging breaker slamming pressures on vertical or sloping sea dikes are one of the most severe and dangerous loads that sea dike structures can suffer. Many studies have investigated the impact forces caused by breaking waves for maritime structures including sea dikes and most predictions of the breaker forces are based on empirical or semi-empirical formulae calibrated from laboratory experiments. However, the wave breaking mechanism is complex and more research efforts are still needed to improve the accuracy in predicting breaker forces. This study proposes a semi-empirical formula, which is based on impulse-momentum relation, to calculate the slamming pressure due to plunging wave breaking on a sloping sea dike. Compared with some measured slamming pressure data in two literature, the calculation results by the new formula show reasonable agreements. Also, by analysing probability distribution function of wave heights, the proposed formula can be converted into a probabilistic expression form for convenience only.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.74-80
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• 2011

In this study, a variety of welding experiments were carried out to optimize root-pass welding process using GMA process. Based on the experimental results, optimal welding conditions were selected after analyzing correlation between welding parameters and back-bead geometry. Then, effectiveness of empirical models developed was compared and analyzed, and optimized empirical models were finally developed for predicting back-bead by analyzing the main effect of each factor which affects back-bead geometry and their influence on interaction. Also, functions proper for expressing the surface of back-bead were selected using diverse quadratic functions, and back-bead geometry was visualized using empirical models developed and quadratic functions.