• Title/Summary/Keyword: community energy

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Multi-unit risk assessment of nuclear power plants: Current status and issues

  • Yang, Joon-Eon
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.50 no.8
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    • pp.1199-1209
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    • 2018
  • After the Fukushima-Daiichi accident in 2011, the multi-unit risk, i.e., the risk due to several nuclear power plants (NPPs) in a site has become an important issue in several countries such as Korea, Canada, and China. However, the multi-unit risk has been discussed for a long time in the nuclear community before the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear accident occurred. The regulatory authorities around the world and the international organizations had proposed requirements or guidelines to reduce the multi-unit risk. The concerns regarding the multi-unit risk can be summarized in the following three questions: How much the accident of an NPP in a site affects the safety of other NPPs in the same site? What is the total risk of a site with many NPPs? Will the risk of the simultaneous accidents at several NPPs in a site such as the Fukushima Daiichi accident be low enough? The multi-unit risk assessment (MURA) in an integrated framework is a practical approach to obtain the answers for the above questions. Even though there were few studies to assess the multi-unit risk before the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear accident, there are still several issues to be resolved to perform the complete MURA. This article aims to provide an overview of the multi-unit risk issues and its assessment. We discuss the several critical issues in the current MURA to get useful insights regarding the multi-unit risk with the current state art of probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) technologies. Also, the qualitative answers for the above questions are addressed.

Extent of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Evidence from Bangladesh

  • RAHMAN, Md. Mahfujur;MASUM, Mofijul Hoq
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.8 no.4
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    • pp.563-570
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    • 2021
  • This study aims at exploring the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in the listed companies of Bangladesh. One hundred eighty-two different companies from fifteen different sectors have been selected as a sample. A weighted disclosure index having fifty-two items has been applied to ensure the degree of CSR practices of the sample companies. Each of the content has been assigned a three-scale value starting from zero to two. After that, eight dimensions of CSR are identified from CSR literature and have been evaluated by the predetermined disclosure index. Finally, a composite CSR disclosure (CSRD) score has been computed to measure the extent of CSR practices of the sample companies. The findings of the study reveal a poor CSRD score by the sample companies. Besides, it has been found that the listed companies provide more CSR activities on employee-related issues and community service-related issues while the listed companies provide less information on energy-related CSRD and customer-related CSRD in the context of Bangladesh. The findings of the study imply that the government and the regulatory authority should give more attention to develop a harmonized standards or policies to measure the degree of CSR practices for comparative purposes.

Influence of Different Operational pH Conditions and Granulation on Enhanced Biological Sequencing Batch Phosphorus Removal (생물학적 회분식 인 제거 공정에서 pH의 영향과 그래뉼 생성)

  • Ahn, Johwan;Seviour, Robert
    • Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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    • v.27 no.6
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    • pp.754-759
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    • 2011
  • A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated under different pH conditions to better understand the influence of pH to granulation in enhanced biological phosphorus removal systems. Granules from the SBR were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Considerable decreases in the amount of phosphorus released per substrate provided under anaerobic conditions and the content of biomass polyphosphate under aerobic conditions were observed when pH was changed from 7.5 to 7.0, followed by 6.5. Aerobic granulation was also observed at pH 7.0. A number of bacteria with the typical morphological traits of tetrad-forming organisms (TFOs) were observed at pH 7.0, including large members of cluster. Filamentous bacteria were also there in large numbers. The occurrence and growth of granules were further enhanced at pH 6.5. A SEM analysis showed that the aerobic granules had a compact microbial structure with shaperical shape and morphologically consisted of aggregates of small coccoid bacteria and filamentous bacteria encapsulated by extracellular polymeric substance. The main material ions identified by EDX moreover revealed that the structural materials for polyphosphate in the granules include phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Therefore, these results strongly suggested that PAOs are a dominant population in the microbial community of the aerobic granules.

Developing a common socio-hydrological model based on the value-belief-norm theory

  • Akshita krithi Sobbhun;Hanseok Jeong
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2023.05a
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    • pp.431-431
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    • 2023
  • In recent decades, the socio-hydrology community has developed several socio-hydrological frameworks to understand the complexity of the coupled human-water system. Although there have been efforts to relate sociology and hydrology, there still have been some insights that remain debatable. As for this study, the Value-belief-norm theory was used to represent the human behavior in order to connect the human-water system. The theoretical framework of values, beliefs and norms was developed to understand the human culture towards the environment. In addition to the theory, norms are legislation of human behavior in the society while the values are the guiding principle to motivate beliefs and norms. The overview of this study implied on developing a socio-hydrological model consisting of the four systems defined as hydrology, socio-economy, technology and institutional. The interconnectors between the four systems are the key variables and parameters representing a module namely the causal loop diagram. Moreover, water quality, size of population, infrastructure capacity and norms are the key variables to connect the four systems. The developed model will be applied to Han River to represent the coevolutionary of the dynamics of human-water systems.

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A Study on Farmers' Acceptance Intention of Agrophotovoltaics - Focusing on the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 - (농업인의 영농형 태양광 수용의도에 관한 연구 - 확장된 통합기술수용이론(UTAUT2)을 중심으로 -)

  • Won-Bin Kim;Ju-Young An;Geun-Ho Shim;Ji-Bum Um
    • Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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    • v.30 no.1
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    • pp.15-29
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    • 2023
  • Recently, there has been increasing interest in renewable energy in the agricultural sector. Agrophotovoltaics, producing electricity while farming, has attracted much attention. This study aims to identify the factors influencing the acceptance intention of Agrophotovoltaics. Using the UTAUT2 model, we designed a research model to examine the impact of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, social influence, and investment utility on the intention to adopt Agrophotovoltaics through the mediation effect of the user's innovativeness. We conducted a survey on farmers and obtained 212 responses for the final analysis. The results showed that effort expectancy and innovativeness significantly positively affected the intention to adopt Agrophotovoltaics. Furthermore, innovativeness was found to fully mediate the relationship among performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, investment utility, and acceptance intention. This suggests that focusing supportive measures on innovative groups could promote the adoption of Agrophotovoltaics.

Effect of Fall Prevention Exercise Program on Fall Efficacy, Depression, and Quality of Life of Elderly in the Community

  • Sungbae Jo;Yang Rae Kim
    • Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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    • v.11 no.4
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    • pp.391-399
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    • 2022
  • Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of fall-prevention exercise programs on fall efficacy, depression and health-related quality of life in elderly. Design: a randomized controlled trial Methods: A total of 57 participants over 65-years-old have been allocated to control and experimental groups. The experimental group received 8 weeks of fall-prevention exercises that included strengthening of lower extremities, balance and gait training. They received the exercises twice a week for 50 minutes as a group.Both groups were assessed using Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) prior and post to the intervention. The control group also received the same exercise program after the post evaluation. Results: The experimental group showed overall improvement in MFES, GDS, and physical components of SF-36 (p<0.05). The MFES was significantly increased in the experimental group after the intervention (p<0.05). The GDS was significantly decreased in the experimental group after the intervention (p<0.05). The SF-36, only physical Function, Role limitations due to physical health, general health, and energy and fatigue categories were improved in the experimental group after the intervention (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results showed 8 weeks of fall-prevention exercise programs can increase fall efficacy and physical related quality of life while reducing depression of elderly over 65.

The ICRP and Its System of Radiological Protection (국제방사선방호위원회와 방사선방호체계)

  • Kun-Woo Cho
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.50 no.1
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    • pp.1-5
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    • 2024
  • International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is an independent international organization that advances the science of radiological protection for the public benefit, particularly by providing recommendations and guidance on all aspects of protection against ionizing radiation. The ICRP is a community of more than 380 globally-recognized experts in radiological protection science, policy, and practice from more than 50 countries. As of January 2024, the ICRP is comprised of a Main Commission, the Scientific Secretariat, four Standing Committees, and 30 Task Groups under the four committees. The ICRP has released well over one hundred publications on all aspects of radiological protection. Most address a particular area within radiological protection, but a handful of the publications, the so-called fundamental recommendations, describe the overall system of radiological protection. The system for radiological protection is based on the current understanding of the science of radiation exposure and its effects along with value judgements. The ICRP offers recommendations to regulatory and advisory agencies and provides advice to management and professional staff with responsibilities for radiological protection. Legislation in most countries adheres closely to ICRP recommendations. The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) International Basic Safety Standards are based heavily on ICRP recommendations. ICRP recommendations form the core of radiological protection standards, legislation, programs, and practice worldwide.

The Yellow Sea Ecoregion Conservation Project : the Present Situation and its Implications (황해생태지역 보전사업 추진현황 및 시사점)

  • Kim, Gwang Tae;Choi, Young Rae;Jang, Ji Young;Kim, Woong-Seo
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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    • v.15 no.4
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    • pp.337-348
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    • 2012
  • The Yellow Sea Ecoregion Conservation Project is a joint international project which is carried out under the purposes of conserving the habitats in the Yellow Sea Ecoregion and biodiversity from various threats that damage ecosystems, informing the importance and value of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion, and promoting the understanding and interests of Korea, China and Japan. Subsequent to the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Planning Programme which had been performed during the period from 2002 to 2006, the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support Project has been performed over 7 years in total from 2007 to 2014. Panasonic is sponsoring the financing of the project, and the organizations in charge of the project by country are Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology for Korea and World Wide Fund for Nature branches for China and Japan. While the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Planning Programme was focused on the biological assessment and the selection of potential priority area by scientific review, the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support Project is oriented toward practical activities targeting more diversified stakeholder. Especially, this project plans to support direct conservation activities in the region and participation and cooperation from local residents. The project plan is comprised of 3 phases. During the first period from 2008 to 2009, small grant projects were operated targeting 16 institutions of Korea and China, and for the second period from 2010 to 2012, one place each was selected as demonstration site for habitat conservation in Korea and China respectively and supported for three years to introduce the conservation method based on international standards such as the management of marine protected areas, ecosystem-based management and community-based management and simultaneously to develop habitat conservation activities suitable for national and regional characteristics. During the period from 2013 to 2014 which is the last phase, the project plans to distribute the performance of small grant projects and demonstration site activities through a series of forums among stakeholder. Through the activities described above, the recognition of general public on the conservation of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion was changed positively, and community-based management began to be reflected in the policies for the marine protected areas of central and local government.

Current Status and Prospects of Community Nutrition in Korea (한국 지역사회영양의 현황과 전망)

  • 채범석;한정호
    • Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.9-27
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    • 1996
  • The nutritional status is strictly related with flood production, flood processing, and distribution along with habits, education and technological achievement, adapted and adjusted to socio-economic conditions. All these factors are independently affecting the nutritional status of populations. In addition to the above mentioned factors launch of it is useful to consider two points ; unification of the South and the North Korea and WTO. The present study gives and overview of basic knowledge about nutritional status of Korean by using availab1e data in relation to nutrition. The basic characteristics of Korean diet with proportions high in carbohydrate and low in fat, have been relatively constant for the past two decades. The average daily flood intake in terms of weight of flood per person is relatively constant throughout the years. Although the proportion of animal food intake tends to increase recently, the Korean diet is still insufficient in meat, eggs, milk, and fish. Moreover because milk has not been accustomed flood with the general population and not much used in traditional flood preparation in Korea, milk consumption was especially low in comparison with western countries. The total energy intake was relatively constant throughout the years from 1969 to 1993. However, changes in the composition have occurred in the past two decades. The amount and proportions of fat have been s1ightly increasing while the total amount of carbohydrate has been decreasing. The nutrition preblems of Korea have changed over the past severa1 decades. The general adequacy of protein and energy existing after Korean War(1950) was resolved now. Since then the average diet appears to be nearly desirable in terms of rapid rates of growth during childhood and attainment of progressively stature and body weight at maturity. The dietary habits of some young people in these days seem to be taking a more western style diets. This trends if established by habit may lead to a marked change in the traditional diet and health. I think Korean nutritional experiences have potential values for tole other countries in Asia and in western countries. Korean diet illustrates a high level of nutritional status and health attainable will a largely vegetable diet : high in complex carbohydrates, and dietary fibre, and low in tat, and reasonable amount of total protein. This is significant for developing and developed countries that must select specific goals fir adequate nutrition for the people. Compared to the western countries, Koreas different incidence of coronary heart disease and malignancy demonstrates the significance of environment and probably the prominent role of diet in the development of these diseases. The changes occurring in the Korean diet of fir the unusual opportunity to assess the effect of diet upon chronic degenerative disease. In the future, the Korean diet might be continue to change significantly These changes are being influenced by socioeconomic factors that have been emerging and growing stronger since mid-l980 and that probably continue to be potent. The expanded purchasing power of the consumer results in increased discretionary purchases. In the case of foodstuffs, the consumer demands appear to be directed toward items of higher protein content, which, being primarily animal products, are inevitably accompanied by an increased consumption of fat. The continued availability of these more expensive flood items depends upon the balance of foreign trade favouring their importation and domestic production. A regression of foreign trade could result in a decreased supply for the consumer, whereas continued growth of trade iou]d provide freedom for increasing availability to the consumer. In this latter situation the exact choice of foodstuffs is depending upon comsumer tastes and the pressures that may influence it.

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High Performance Flexible Inorganic Electronic Systems

  • Park, Gwi-Il;Lee, Geon-Jae
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2012.08a
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    • pp.115-116
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    • 2012
  • The demand for flexible electronic systems such as wearable computers, E-paper, and flexible displays has increased due to their advantages of excellent portability, conformal contact with curved surfaces, light weight, and human friendly interfaces over present rigid electronic systems. This seminar introduces three recent progresses that can extend the application of high performance flexible inorganic electronics. The first part of this seminar will introduce a RRAM with a one transistor-one memristor (1T-1M) arrays on flexible substrates. Flexible memory is an essential part of electronics for data processing, storage, and radio frequency (RF) communication and thus a key element to realize such flexible electronic systems. Although several emerging memory technologies, including resistive switching memory, have been proposed, the cell-to-cell interference issue has to be overcome for flexible and high performance nonvolatile memory applications. The cell-to-cell interference between neighbouring memory cells occurs due to leakage current paths through adjacent low resistance state cells and induces not only unnecessary power consumption but also a misreading problem, a fatal obstacle in memory operation. To fabricate a fully functional flexible memory and prevent these unwanted effects, we integrated high performance flexible single crystal silicon transistors with an amorphous titanium oxide (a-TiO2) based memristor to control the logic state of memory. The $8{\times}8$ NOR type 1T-1M RRAM demonstrated the first random access memory operation on flexible substrates by controlling each memory unit cell independently. The second part of the seminar will discuss the flexible GaN LED on LCP substrates for implantable biosensor. Inorganic III-V light emitting diodes (LEDs) have superior characteristics, such as long-term stability, high efficiency, and strong brightness compared to conventional incandescent lamps and OLED. However, due to the brittle property of bulk inorganic semiconductor materials, III-V LED limits its applications in the field of high performance flexible electronics. This seminar introduces the first flexible and implantable GaN LED on plastic substrates that is transferred from bulk GaN on Si substrates. The superb properties of the flexible GaN thin film in terms of its wide band gap and high efficiency enable the dramatic extension of not only consumer electronic applications but also the biosensing scale. The flexible white LEDs are demonstrated for the feasibility of using a white light source for future flexible BLU devices. Finally a water-resist and a biocompatible PTFE-coated flexible LED biosensor can detect PSA at a detection limit of 1 ng/mL. These results show that the nitride-based flexible LED can be used as the future flexible display technology and a type of implantable LED biosensor for a therapy tool. The final part of this seminar will introduce a highly efficient and printable BaTiO3 thin film nanogenerator on plastic substrates. Energy harvesting technologies converting external biomechanical energy sources (such as heart beat, blood flow, muscle stretching and animal movements) into electrical energy is recently a highly demanding issue in the materials science community. Herein, we describe procedure suitable for generating and printing a lead-free microstructured BaTiO3 thin film nanogenerator on plastic substrates to overcome limitations appeared in conventional flexible ferroelectric devices. Flexible BaTiO3 thin film nanogenerator was fabricated and the piezoelectric properties and mechanically stability of ferroelectric devices were characterized. From the results, we demonstrate the highly efficient and stable performance of BaTiO3 thin film nanogenerator.

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