• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.149-164
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• 2023

As part of the safety case development for generic disposal sites in Korea, it is necessary to develop generic assessment models using various geosphere-biosphere interfaces (GBIs) and potentially exposed groups (PEGs) that reflect the natural environmental characteristics and the lifestyles of people in Korea. In this study, a unique modeling strategy was developed to systematically construct and select Korean generic biosphere assessment models. The strategy includes three process steps (combination, screening, and experts' scoring) for the biosphere system conditions. First, various conditions, such as climate, topography, GBIs, and PEGs, were combined in the biosphere system. Second, the combined calculation cases were configured into interrelation matrices to screen out some calculation cases that were highly unlikely or less significant in terms of the exposure dose. Finally, the selected calculation cases were prioritized based on expert judgment by scoring the knowledge, probability, and importance. The results of this study can be implemented in the development of biosphere assessment models for Korean generic sites. It is believed that this systematic methodology for selecting the candidate calculation cases can contribute to increasing the confidence of future site-specific biosphere assessment models.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.471-478
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• 2021

Background: Employment standards (ES) include having a regular payday, regular breaks, the right to paid sick or vacation time, and paid wages. Inadequate ES contribute to the labour market vulnerability of workers; however, they are not typically considered to be risk factors for workplace injury. In a sample of Canadian workers, we examine the risk of injury associated with inadequate ES, independent of, and combined with inadequate workplace protections from workplace hazards. Methods: Data from 2,803 adults working 15 hours or more/week in workplaces with at least five employees were analysed. We explored associations between exposure to workplace hazards with inadequate protections [termed occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability] and inadequate ES on workplace injury (physical or mental injury; injury requiring time off). Additive interaction models were used to examine the independent and combined effects of these exposures. Results: Occupational health and safety vulnerability and inadequate ES were independently associated with increased injury outcomes. Adjusted models showed an additive relationship for all injury outcomes between OHS vulnerability and inadequate ES. Statistically significant superadditive relationships were observed for physical injury risk with policy and procedure vulnerability plus inadequate ES [synergy index (S) 1.50, 95% CI: 1.13-2.00] and for overall OHS vulnerability plus inadequate ES (S 1.53, 95% CI: 1.16-2.02), suggesting a combined effect greater than independent effects. Conclusion: Occupational health and safety vulnerability and inadequate ES are independently associated with workplace injury. For certain injury outcomes, the combined effect of OHS vulnerability and inadequate ES is greater than the independent effects of each individual exposure.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.279-287
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• 2018

Sealants are an important element of modern architecture and serve as a building protection against weathering by providing barriers against ingress of moisture, air, and other materials. Exposure to a variety of environments often reduces lifespan due to changes in physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics, and UV, humidity, and temperature expansion are important issues that are directly related to durability. In this study, a combined deterioration test chamber was developed to simulate the environment of the open air as an instrument for verifying the durability of structural sealing materials indoors. In order to replicate special weather conditions, such as yellow dust, acid rain, and contamination by microorganisms, it was deemed impossible to replicate the outdoor environment by 100 %, and the results of the results of the results of the external exposure test of the structural sealant and the combined deterioration testing device. As a result of the displacement test of the outdoor exposure test, it was determined that the sealant was breaking apart and that it would be smooth, and the displacement would be up to three times greater than the initial material value of 1 year. The displacement test results of the combined deterioration test device show the tendency to deteriorate, decreasing the elasticity and tensile characteristics. In the case of denatured silicon, the current 400 cycles have been completed to confirm 12 months of degradation of the external exposure. The deformation of the test specimen cannot be verified with the naked eye, so it is considered that the conditions of the specimen are more stable than the silicon sealant. As a result of the outdoor exposure test, if the combined deterioration test device is structured and proposed in the relevant guidance or specification, the anticipated lifespan of 12 months in the actual use environment can be verified indoors and below 3 months later, economically.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.135-142
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• 2016

Purpose: The purposes of this paper are to investigate effects of indoor thermal environment on acoustical perception and effects of acoustics on indoor thermal perception, and to understand basic human perception on indoor environment. Method: Subjective assessment was performed in an indoor environmental chamber with 24 university students. Thermal conditions with PMV -1.53, 0.03, 1.53, 1.83 were simulated with a VRF system, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, and a ventilation system. Six noise sources - Cafe, Fan, Traffic, Birds, Music, Water- with sound levels of 45, 50, 55, 60 dBA were played for 2 minutes in random order. Temperature sensation, temperature preference, humidity sensation, humidity preference, noisiness, loudness, annoyance, and acoustic preference were assessed using bipolar visual analogue scales. The ANOVA and Turkey's post hoc test were used for data analysis. Result: Thermal environmental perceptions were not altered through 2 minutes noise exposure. Acoustical perceptions were altered by thermal conditions. The results were consistent with previous papers, however, the noise exposure time should be carefully considered for further development.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2016

In this work, we evaluated the characteristics of flow field and uniformity of the nose-only exposure chambers for the inhalation toxicity test. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling was carried out to demonstrate uniformity of the nose-only exposure chambers. Because it is very important in the inhalation toxicity experiments that test materials are distributed uniformly to each holder of the chamber. The test was done with these 3 types of chamber with different form to develop inhalation toxicity evaluation system, easy-to-operate system among exposure chamber used for evaluating inhalation toxicity of environmental chemical mixtures. Through CFD interpretation, nose-only exposure chamber was made with the selection of the optimal conditions. For its evaluation, one type of fragrance was selected and measured particle size distribution of each port. The gene becoming luminous to green fluorescence was combined with GPT-SPE, a type of tGFP vector, to be inhaled to the mouse. Based on this, luminous intensity was checked. As a result, total particle number concentration of each port had average value of $3.17{\times}10^6{\sharp}/cm^3$ and range of the highest and lowest concentration value was approximately ${\pm}4.8%$. Autopsy of lung tissues of mouse showed that it had clearly better delivery of gene compared to the control group.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.303-314
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• 2016

We tested the combined effects of increased partial pressure of $CO_2$ ($pCO_2$) and temperature on the reproduction and survival of the copepod Calanus sinicus from Asan Bay, the Yellow Sea under laboratory conditions to understand the impact of acidification on copepods. Egg production rate, survival rate, and fecal pellet production of C. sinicus were not affected by 1305 ppm $pCO_2$ or with combined treatments of temperature and $pCO_2$, including $8^{\circ}C$ and 289 ppm $pCO_2$ (ambient), $8^{\circ}C$ and 753 ppm $pCO_2$ (high $pCO_2$), $12^{\circ}C$ and 289 ppm $pCO_2$ (high temperature), and $12^{\circ}C$ and 753 ppm $pCO_2$ (greenhouse), for 5 or 10 d of exposure. However, egg hatching success of C. sinicus decreased significantly in the greenhouse treatment compared with the ambient or the high $pCO_2$ treatments. These results suggest that a combined treatment ($pCO_2$ and temperature) affected egg viability more than a single treatment($pCO_2$).

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.213-221
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to set up the optimal exposure condition according to detector type considering image quality (IQ) with radiation dose in chest digital radiography. We used three detector type such as flat-panel detector (FP) and computed radiography (CR), and charge-coupled device (CCD). Entrance surface dose (ESD) was measured at each exposure condition combined tube voltage with tube current using dosimeter, after attaching on human phantom, it was repeated 3 times. Phantom images were evaluated independently by three chest radiologists after blinding image informations. Standard exposure condition using each institution was 117 kVp-AEC at FP and 117 kVp-8 mAs at CR, and 117 kVp-8 mAs at CCD. Statistical analysis was performed by One way ANOVA (Dunnett T3 test) using SPSS ver. 19.0. In FP, IQ scores were not significant difference between 102 kVp-4 mAs and 117 kVp-AEC (28.4 vs. 31.1, p=1.000), even though ESD was decreased up to 50% ($62.3{\mu}Gy$ vs. $125.1{\mu}Gy$). In CR, ESD was greatly decreased from 117 kVp-8 mAs to 90 kVp-8 mAs without significant difference of IQ score (p=1.000, 24.6 vs. 19.5). In CCD, IQ score of 117 kVp-8 mAs was similar with 109 kVp-8 mAs (29.6 vs. 29.0), with decreasing from $320.8{\mu}Gy$ to $284.7{\mu}Gy$ (about 11%). We conclude that optimal x-ray exposure condition for chest digital radiography is 102 kVp-4 mAs in FP and 90 kVp-8 mAs in CR, and 109 kVp-8 mAs in CCD.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.497-507
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• 2020

This paper presents a numerical method for evaluating fire performance of prestressed concrete (PC) T shaped bridge girders under combined effect of structural loading and hydrocarbon fire exposure conditions. A numerical model, developed using the computer program ANSYS, is employed to investigate fire response of PC T shaped bridge girders by taking into consideration structural inherent parameters, namely; arrangement of prestressing strands with in the girder section, thickness of concrete cover over prestressing strands, effective degree of prestress and content of prestressing strands. Then, a sequential thermo-mechanical analysis is performed to predict cross sectional temperature followed by mechanical response of T shaped bridge girders. The validity of the numerical model is established by comparing temperatures, deflections and failure time generated from fire tests. Through numerical studies, it is shown that thickness of concrete cover and arrangement of prestressing strands in girder section have significant influence on the fire resistance of PC T shaped bridge girders. Increase in effective degree of prestress in strands with triangular shaped layout and content in prestressing strands can slow down the progression of deflections in PC T shaped bridge girder towards the final stages of fire exposure, to thereby preventing sudden collapse of the girder. Rate of deflection based failure criterion governs failure in PC T shaped bridge girders under most hydrocarbon fire exposure conditions. Structural inherent parameters incorporated into sectional configuration can significantly enhance fire resistance of PC bridge girders; thus mitigating fire induced collapse of these bridge girders.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2405-2425
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• 2014

Radiation exposure leads to several pathophysiological conditions, including oxidative damage, inflammation and fibrosis, thereby affecting the survival of organisms. This review explores the radiation countermeasure properties of fourteen (14) plant extracts or plant-derived compounds against these cellular manifestations. It was aimed at evaluating the possible role of plants or its constituents in radiation countermeasure strategy. All the 14 plant extracts or compounds derived from it and considered in this review have shown some radioprotection in different in vivo, ex-vivo and or in vitro models of radiological injury. However, few have demonstrated advantages over the others. C. majus possessing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects appears to be promising in radioprotection. Its crude extracts as well as various alkaloids and flavonoids derived from it, have shown to enhance survival rate in irradiated mice. Similarly, curcumin with its antioxidant and the ability to ameliorate late effect of radiation exposure, combined with improvement in survival in experimental animal following irradiation, makes it another probable candidate against radiological injury. Furthermore, the extracts of P. hexandrum and P. kurroa in combine treatment regime, M. piperita, E. officinalis, A. sinensis, nutmeg, genistein and ginsan warrants further studies on their radioprotective potentials. However, one that has received a lot of attention is the dietary flaxseed. The scavenging ability against radiation-induced free radicals, prevention of radiation-induced lipid peroxidation, reduction in radiation cachexia, level of inflammatory cytokines and fibrosis, are some of the remarkable characteristics of flaxseed in animal models of radiation injury. While countering the harmful effects of radiation exposure, it has shown its ability to enhance survival rate in experimental animals. Further, flaxseed has been tested and found to be equally effective when administered before or after irradiation, and against low doses (${\leq}5Gy$) to the whole body or high doses (12-13.5 Gy) to the whole thorax. This is particularly relevant since apart from the possibility of using it in pre-conditioning regime in radiotherapy, it could also be used during nuclear plant leakage/accidents and radiological terrorism, which are not pre-determined scenarios. However, considering the infancy of the field of plant-based radioprotectors, all the above-mentioned plant extracts/plant-derived compounds deserves further stringent study in different models of radiation injury.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.188-203
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• 2021

The specific benefits of the modified films formed on preliminary anodized aluminum, including the versatility of their potential applications impose the need for evaluation of the exploitation reliability of these films. In this aspect, the durability of Cu and Ni modified anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) films on the low-doped AA1050 alloy was assessed through extended exposure to a 3.5% NaCl model corrosive medium. The electrochemical measurements by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic scanning (PDS) after 24 and 720 hours of exposure have revealed that the obtained films do not change their obvious barrier properties. In addition, supplemental analyses of the coatings were performed, in order to elucidate the impact of the AC-deposition of Cu and Ni inside the pores. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images have shown that the surface topology is not affected and resembles the typical surface of an etched metal. The subsequent energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) tests have revealed a predominance of Cu in the combined AAO-Cu/Ni layers, whereas additional X-ray photoelectron (XPS) analyses showed that both metals form oxides with different oxidation states due to alterations in the deposition conditions, promoted by the application of AC-polarization of the samples.