• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제27권
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• pp.3.1-3.4
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• 2012

Objectives: The current use of humidifier detergent and its harmful impact on humans has arisen as a societal environmental health issue. Therefore, in this study we aimed to explore the relationship between demo-socio characteristics and humidifier use, as well as the monthly usage changes in pregnant women; thus, we report the actual status of humidifier usage of Korea's pregnant population. Methods: From a birth cohort of a Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study, 1,144 pregnant women who responded through questionnaires including demo-socio characteristics, obstetric status and household environment including whether they use humidifier and frequency of use were included in this study. Statistical analyses were performed to explore the relationship between maternal characteristics and the relevance of the use of humidifiers was performed using a chi-square test, a t-test and univariate logistic regression analysis. The monthly usage rate was demonstrated in the graph. Results: The humidifier usage rate in pregnant women was 28.2%. The average frequency of humidifier usage was 4.6 days per week, 7.3 hours per day. The usage rate was higher in the multipara group and the above the age of 34 age group than in the primipara and below the age of 34 groups. Seoul showed a higher usage rate than Cheonan and Ulsan and as the education level and income increased, the usage rate of humidifiers among pregnant women also increased. In the monthly trend of usage rate, the winter season showed the highest usage rate of over 45% and the lowest in late summer and beginning of fall with a value of 12% or less. Conclusions: During pregnancy, the mother's body is especially vulnerable to hazardous environmental exposure that not only affects the pregnant woman but also the fetus. Further research is still needed to elucidate the route and effect of environmental risk factors. Therefore, based on precautionary and preventive principles, special interest and caution in harmful environments are strongly needed not only at an individual level but also at a national level.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.19-25
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• 2012

The efficiency and life time of the Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system is critically affected by incoming gas with humidity which should be maintained properly at normal operating conditions. Typically, incoming gas of automotive fuel cell is humidified by external humidifier but the characteristics of device is rarely reported. In this study, characteristics of water transfer in the membrane humidifiers have been experimentally investigated for flow rates of gas and for different flow arrangement under steady state condition. At first, capability of mass transfer through the membrane is examined at constant temperature. Then, the temperature distribution effect on the capability of mass transfer is tested over various inlet conditions. In summary, this research presents the mass transfer capability of hydrophilic membrane over various operating conditions.

• 설비공학논문집
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.42-47
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• 2014

Adequate relative humidity is needed in the common living space, for human health, and industrial space, for maintenance and efficiency. Evaporative humidifier systems generally have slow response tendencies of air loads, but relatively low initial investment and maintenance costs. Humidification efficiency in the evaporative humidifier is dependent mostly on the shapes and arrays of humidifying modules. So, we tried to apply the computational fluid dynamics to the evaporative humidifier systems, and studied the humidification efficiency of evaporative humidifiers, through the outlet air conditions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제80권4호
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• pp.351-357
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• 2017

In 2011, a cluster of peripartum patients were admitted to the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in Seoul with signs and symptoms of severe respiratory distress of unknown etiology. Subsequent epidemiological and animal studies suggested that humidifier disinfectant (HD) might represent the source of this pathology. Epidemiological studies, animal studies, and dose-response analysis demonstrated a strong association between HD use and lung injuries. The diagnostic criteria for HD-associated lung injury (HDALI) was defined on the basis of the clinical, pathological, and radiological attributes of the patients. The clinical spectrum of HDALI appears to range from asymptomatic to full-blown acute respiratory failure, and some patients have required actual lung transplantation for survival. The overall mortality of the exposed population was not significant, although peripartum patients and children who were admitted to the intensive care unit did show high mortality rates. Persistent clinical findings such as diffuse ill-defined centrilobular nodules and restrictive lung dysfunction were observed in some of the survivors. The findings of this review emphasize the importance of assessment of the level of toxicity of chemical inhalants utilized in a home setting, as well as the need to identify and monitor afflicted individuals after inhalational injury.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제22권6호
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• pp.835-841
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• 2011

The humidification is essential for performance enhancement of the electrolysis of PEMFC because proton conductivity depends on hydration of the proton exchange membrane. In this study, the humidification experiment did about On/Off control the humidification and dew condensation for PEMFC by using of the membrane humidifiers. As the results, it was possible to approximation control of the humidity by using of the solenoid valve On/Off control on the membrane humidifier. Also the problem on the dew condensation was resolved by approximation humidity control through solenoid valve On/Off control and the removal of the dew condensation in the flow channel was verified through visualization experiment.

• 감성과학
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.187-194
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• 2004

본 연구에서는 아로마 처치를 학교 교육현장에 적용하여, 아동들의 발표불안에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳐 불안이 감소하는가를 규명하고자 하였다. 실험 참여자는 통제집단(남 20명, 여 15명), 실험집단(남 21명, 여 14명) 총 70명이고, 제시자극은 lavender barreme, lemon, orange sweet, chamomile roman의 향을 가습기를 통하여 분사하고, 자연적으로 냄새를 맡게 하였다. 처치전, 처치 1주 후 및 2주 후에 자기보고식으로 이루어진 발표불안척도(SAS)와 교사의 평가로 이루어진 발표행동평가척도(SBES)를 통하여 발표불안을 측정하였다. 그 결과, 아로마 처치를 받은 아동들이 그렇지 않은 아동들에 비해 유의하게 발표불안이 감소하였고, 발표행동이 향상된 것으로 나타났다.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.295-309
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• 2019

Eight years have passed since the Korean government's medical agency officially reported that the fatal lung disease found in some hospitals in 2011 was caused by chemical disinfectants used in household humidifiers, marking the introduction of the humidifier disinfectant disaster. Over the past eight years, a medical-scientific approach has been taken by the Korean government in its efforts to solve the problems in terms of relief of and compensation for the potential victims. One of the unintended consequence of this approach has been the fact that the number of "official victims" recognized by the government is quite small compared to the total number of applicants who claim to be suffering from the humidifier disinfectant disaster. This is mainly due to the fact that the medical-scientific approach relies on excessively strict, rigid, and narrow medical-scientific criteria provided by medical experts for judging the degree of applicants' bodily damage from the use of humidifier disinfectants. As a result, this medical-scientific approach is becoming increasingly criticized by patients' organizations mainly composed of rejected applicants. Based on the analysis of the limits of this medical-scientific approach and after clarifying the social implications of the disaster from a sociological perspective, this paper proposes certain social approaches focused on participatory governance as a means of dealing with the current issue. Finally, the paper emphasizes that the act of taking social responses to the humidifier disinfectant disaster should also be considered a process of enlarging and deepening democracy in Korea.

• 한국정보통신학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정보통신학회 2019년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.5-8
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• 2019

최근 미세먼지, 황사 등의 환경 문제로 인하여 실내 환경의 쾌적함이 요구되고 있고, 인간에게 가장 쾌적한 실내 환경을 추구하고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 실내 온도와 습도 등의 정보를 확인할 수 있게 하기 위하여 모니터링 시스템과 모바일 애플리케이션을 설계하고 구현하였다. 본 연구에서 제안한 시스템을 설계하고 구현하기 위하여 오픈 소스 소프트웨어와 하드웨어 등이 필요하다. 본 연구에서 구현한 시스템에는 블루투스 모듈, 조도 센서, 온습도 센서를 사용하였다. 향후 연구 주제로는 모터를 이용하여 제습기, 온풍기, 선풍기, 가습기 등을 작동하고 실내 환경을 최적화할 수 있는 시스템의 기초 연구가 될 것을 기대한다.

• 한국정보통신학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정보통신학회 2021년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.423-424
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• 2021

이 논문에서는 수면 환경을 감지하는 센서들로부터 데이터를 수집하고 이를 바탕으로 수면 환경을 최적으로 조절하여 숙면을 취할 수 있도록 도와주는 시스템을 제안한다. 수면 환경 분석은 로드셀을 통한 뒤척임 감지에 의한 수면 단계 판단을 기본으로 하고 온도, 습도, 조도 등의 데이터를 바탕으로 온열 장치, 가습기, 블라인드 등을 제어하여 숙면을 취할 수 있는 환경을 조성한다. 수면 상태에 따른 수면 환경 제어는 기상하기 쉬운 수면 상태를 유도함으로써 기상 시에 피로감을 줄일 수 있다.

• 웰빙융합연구
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.57-67
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify what research ethics issues are related to chemical incidents at the level of national disasters in Korea, and then to secure clear research ethics to prevent similar incidents from recurring. Research design, data and methodology: The study design was a case study of the humidifier disinfectant disaster in Korea. The humidifier disinfectant incident is a worldwide issue that has never occurred in the world. The main cause of the humidifier disinfectant incident that occurred only in Korea was the toxicity of the humidifier disinfectant contained in the humidifier spray. In this regard, research ethics will be derived through related laws and systems, research ethics status, incident damage and compensation, prosecution's investigation status, and the final precedent of the Supreme Court. Results: Although the lack of laws and systems of government departments related to humidifiers is important in the research results, the violation of ethics regulations by researchers during research experiments has become a decisive problem. Conclusions: In conclusion, the most important thing is that the research bioethics of researchers at the forefront should take precedence over any other values, especially during experiments and research related to public health.