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Relationship between Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, and Self-Efficacy on the Radiation Safety Management of Radiation Workers in Medical Institutions (의료기관 방사선종사자의 방사선안전관리에 대한 지식, 태도 및 행위와 자기효능감 간의 관련성)

  • Han, Eun-Ok
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.32 no.2
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    • pp.89-96
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    • 2007
  • Radiation safety managements in medical institutions are needed to protect certain radiation damages as a part of National Coalition. This study investigates the characteristics of self-efficacy that become the major factor on the knowledge, attitude, and behavior on the radiation safety management of radiation workers as an approach of educational aspects and analyzes the relationship between such factors to provide basic materials for improving the activity level of radiation safety managements. In order to implement the goal or this study, a survey was performed for 1,200 workers who were engaged in radiation treatments in medical centers, such as general hospital, university hospital, private hospital, and public health center for 42 days from July 23,2006. Then, the results of the analysis can be summarized as follows: 1. Average scores on knowledge, attitude, and behavior in the radiation safety management were presented as $75.76{\pm}11.20$, $90.55{\pm}8.59$, $80.58{\pm}11.70$, respectively. Also, the average score of self-efficacy was recorded as $73.55{\pm}9.82$. 2. Knowledge levels in the radiation safety management showed significant differences according to the sex, age, marriage, education, and experience. Also, males of married, older, highly educated, and largely experienced represented high knowledge levels. Attitude levels in the radiation safety management showed certain significant differences according to the type of medical centers in which private hospitals showed a relatively low level compared to that of high levels in university hospitals. Behavior levels in the radiation safety management also represented significant differences according to the age, marriage, education, experience, and types of medical centers. Factors in married, general hospital, older, highly educated, and largely experienced showed high behavior levels. In addition, the self-efficacy showed certain differences according to the marriage and types of medical centers. Factors in married and general hospital demonstrated high self-efficacy levels. 3. Relationship between knowledge, attitude, behavior, and self-efficacy on the radiation safety management showed statistical differences according to the relationship between the knowledge and the attitude, the knowledge and the behavior, the attitude and the behavior, the attitude and the self-efficacy, and the behavior and the self-efficacy. The relationship between the behavior and the self-efficacy was represented as r = 0.482, which was the strongest relationship in such factors. Also, the knowledge and self-efficacy didn't show certain relationships.

The State of Marine Pollution in the Waters adjacent to Shipyards in Korea - 3. Evaluation of the Pollution of Heavy Metals in Offshore Surface Sediments around Major Shipyards in Summer 2010

  • Kim, Kwang-Soo
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.223-233
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    • 2015
  • In order to evaluate the pollution of heavy metals in offshore surface sediments around shipyards in Korea, surface sediment samples were collected at eleven stations around four major shipyards located in the southeastern coast of Korea in summer 2010 and nine kinds of heavy metals such as copper(Cu), zinc(Zn), cadmium(Cd), lead(Pb), chrome(Cr), arsenic(As), mercury(Hg), iron(Fe) and aluminum(Al) in sediments were analyzed. The concentrations of Cu at all sampling stations were in the range of 47.10~414.96 mg/kg and exceeded TEL(Threshold Effects Level) 20.6 mg-Cu/kg of Korean marine environmental standards for offshore sediments and ERL(Effect Range-Low) 34.0 mg-Cu/kg. The concentrations of Cu at seven stations around four shipyards were 65.18~414.96 mg/kg and exceeded PEL(Probable Effects Level) 64.4 mg-Cu/kg of Korean marine environmental standards for offshore sediments. The concentration of Cu at one station around B-shipyard was 414.96 mg/kg and exceeded ERM(Effect Range-Median) 270.0 mg-Cu/kg. The concentrations of Zn at all stations were in the range of 135.09~388.79 mg/kg which exceeded ERL 150.0 mg-Zn/kg. The concentrations of Zn at seven stations around four shipyards were 157.57~388.79 mg/kg and exceeded PEL 157.0 mg-Zn/kg. The concentration of Zn at one station around B-shipyard was 388.79 mg/kg and was approaching ERM 410.0 mg-Zn/kg. The concentrations of Cd at all stations were in the range of 0.11~0.54 mg/kg and were below TEL 0.75 mg-Cd/kg and ERL 1.2 mg-Cd/kg. The concentrations of Pb at all stations were in the range of 18.04~105.62 mg/kg. The concentrations of Pb at two stations around B-shipyard were 73.87~105.62 mg/kg which exceeded TEL 44.0 mg-Pb/kg and ERL 46.7 mg-Pb/kg, and were below PEL 119.0 mg-Pb/kg and ERM 218.0 mg-Pb/kg. The concentrations of Cr at all stations were in the range of 51.26~85.39 mg/kg. The concentration of Cr at one station around B-shipyard was 85.39 mg/kg and exceeded ERL 81.0 mg-Cr/kg. The concentrations of As at all stations were in the range of 8.70~22.15 mg/kg which exceeded ERL 8.2 mg-As/kg and were below ERM 70.0 mg-As/kg. The concentrations of As at eight stations around A-shipyard, B-shipyard and D-shipyard were 14.93~22.15 mg/kg which exceeded TEL 14.5 mg-As/kg and were below PEL 75.5 mg-As/kg. The concentrations of Hg at all stations were in the range of 0.02~0.35 mg/kg. The concentrations of Hg at three stations around A-shipyard were 0.11~0.13 mg/kg which were almost equal to TEL 0.11 mg-Hg/kg. Those at two stations around B-shipyard were 0.27~0.35 mg/kg which exceeded TEL 0.11 mg-Hg/kg and ERL 0.15 mg-Hg/kg, and were below PEL 0.62 mg-Hg/kg and ERM 0.71 mg-Hg/kg. The concentrations of Fe and Al at all stations were in the range of 2.90 3.66 % and 3.12 6.80 %, respectively. These results imply that heavy metals such as copper, zinc, lead, arsenic and mercury were likely to be transferred to marine environment from shipyards, especially from B-shipyard.

Effects of Combined Micronutrient(Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo and B) Application on Forage Traits in Pure and Mixed Swards of Orchardgrass and White Clover IV. Changes in the contents of micronutrients in forage plants (Orchardgrass 및 White Clover의 단파 및 혼파 재배에서 미량요소(Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B)의 조합시비가 목초의 여러 특성에 미치는 영향 IV. 목초 중 미량요소(Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B)의 함량 변화)

  • Jung, Yeun-Kyu
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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    • v.24 no.1
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    • pp.11-20
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    • 2004
  • This pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of combined micronutrient application($T_1$;control, $T_2$; Fe, $T_3$; Fe+Mn, $T_4$: Fe+Mn+Cu, $T_5$ ; Fe+Mn+Cu+Zn, $T_6$ ; Fe+Mn+Cu+Zn+Mo, $T_7$ ;Fe+Mn+Cu+Zn+Mo+B) on forage performance of pure and mixed cultures of orchardgrass and white clover. This 4th part was related to the changes in the contents of micronutrients(Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, and B) in forages. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. General differences have been showed in the contents of micronutrients based on the treatments, forage species, pure/mixed culture, cutting order, and additional fertilization, especially N. Compared to pure culture, orchardgrass showed relatively high contents of Mn and Zn, and low contents of B and Fe in mixed culture. White clover, however, tended to be exactly opposed to the above trends. The contents of Cu and Mo did not show any differences between pure and mixed cultures. 2. In relative comparison, the $T_7$ influenced negatively on the contents of Cu, Zn, and Mo in orchardgrass. The $T_7$ also influenced negatively on the contents of Mo in white clover. However, the $T_7$ influenced positively on the contents of Mn in orchardgrass, and also influenced positively on the contents of Fe, Mn, and Cu in white clover. Because of the antagonism between Fe and Mn, the Fe contents in both forages were significantly decreased by the $T_3$. Under the various conditions, the differences among Fe contents tended to be more significant in white clover than in orchardgrass. 3. At the $T_6$ and $T_7$, the Mo contents in both forages tended to be relatively high. The Mo contents, however, were somewhat decreased by the $T_7$ 7/. The Mo-toxicity, which was caused by the high Mo-contents, tended to be diminished, and was likely to be prevented by the optimum B/Mo ratio and B application($T_7$ ).

Distribution Pattern of Inhibitory and Excitatory Nerve Terminals in the Rat Genioglossus Motoneurons (흰쥐의 턱끝혀근 지배 운동신경원에 대한 억제성 및 흥분성 신경종말의 분포 양식)

  • Moon, Yong-Suk
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.102-109
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    • 2011
  • The genioglossus muscle plays an important role in maintaining upper airway patency during inspiration; if this muscle does not contract normally, breathing disorders occur due to closing of the upper airway. These occur because of disorders of synaptic input to the genioglossus motoneurons, however, little is known about it. In this study, the distribution of GABA-, glycine-, and glutamate-like immunoreactivity in axon terminals on dendrites of the rat genioglossus motoneurons, stained intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was examined by using postembedding immunogold histochemistry in serial ultrathin sections. The motoneurons were divided into four compartments: the soma, and primary (Pd), intermediate (Id), and distal dendrites (Dd). Quantitative analysis of 157, 188, 181, and 96 boutons synapsing on 3 soma, 14 Pd, 35 Id, and 28 Dd, respectively, was performed. 71.9% of the total number of studied boutons had immunoreactivity for at least one of the three amino acids. 32.8% of the total number of studied boutons were immunopositive for GABA and/or glycine and 39.1% for glutamate. Among the former, 14.2% showed glycine immunoreactivity only and 13.3% were immunoreactive to both glycine and GABA. The remainder (5.3%) showed immunoreactivity for GABA only. Most boutons immunoreactive to inhibitory amino acids contained a mixture of flattened, oval, and round synaptic vesicles. Most boutons immunoreactive to excitatory amino acids contained clear and spherical synaptic vesicles with a few dense-cored vesicles. When comparisons of the inhibitory and excitatory boutons were made between the soma and three dendritic segments, the proportion of the inhibitory to the excitatory boutons was high in the Dd (23.9% vs. 43.8%) but somewhat low in the soma (35.7% vs. 38.2%), Pd (34.6% vs. 37.8%) and Id (33.1% vs. 38.7%). The percentage of synaptic covering of the inhibitory synaptic boutons decreased in the order of soma, Pd, Id, and Dd, but this trend was not applicable to the excitatory boutons. The present study provides possible evidence that the spatial distribution patterns of inhibitory and excitatory synapses are different in the soma and dendritic tree of the rat genioglussus motoneurons.

Flexible Specialization: A New Paradigm for Modern Industrial Society ? (柔軟的 專門化(Flexible Specialization) : 현대 産業社會의 새로운 패러다임 ?)

  • Lee, Deog-An
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.148-162
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    • 1993
  • There is much speculation that modern capi-talist society is undergoing fundamental and qualitative chnge towards flexible specialization. The purpose of this study is to examine this hypothesis. This paper focusses on: the idea of flexible specialization; the significance of this transition; industrial district; and the implicati-ons of this new production system for Korean industrial space. Main arguments of this study are as follows: First, as all different groups of researchers apply the idea of flexible specialization according to their own specifications, the current debate on this topic is not much fruitful. Not surpri-singly, the concept of flexible specialization has overlapped with subocontracting. This intergration of subcontracting into flexible specialization systems, however, is inappropriate because the two concepts have different historical contexts. The other cause of this controversy is its inherent weekness, conceptual ambiguity. Thus, today's flexibility becomes tomorrow's rigidity. Secondly, transition towards flexible speciali-zation has only been partially achieved even in advanced capitalist countries. The application of dualistic explanatory framework, such as rigidity versus flexibiity, mass production versus small-lot multi-product production, and de-skilling versus re-skilling, has resulted in great exaggeration of the transformation, from Fordism to post-Fordism. There is no intermediary part between two places. Considering that the workers allocated to the Fordist mass production assembly line are not as large as one might imagine, the shift from mass to flexible production has only limited implications for the transformation of capitalist economy. Thirdly, 'industrial district' contorversy has contributed to highlighting the importance of small firms and areas as production space. The agglomeration of small firms in specific areas is common in Korea, but it is quite different from the industrial district based on flexible specialization. The Korean phenomenon stems from close interactions with its major parent firm rather than interactions between flexible, specialized, autonomous and technology-intensive smll firms. Most Korean subcontractors are still low-skilled, labour-intensive, and heavily dependent on their mojor parent firms. Thus, the assertion that the Seoul Metropolitan Area adopts flexible specialization has no base. Fourthly, the main concern of flexible speciali zation is small firms. However, the corporate organization that needs product diversification and technological specialization is oligopolistic large corporations typified by multinational corporations. It is because of this that most of these organizations are adoptiong Fordist mass production methods. The problem of product diversification will be resolved naturally if economic internationalization progresses further. What is more important for business success is the quality and price competitiveness of firms rather than product diversification. Lastly, in order to dispel further misunderst-anding on this issue, it is imparative that the conceptual ambiguity is resolved most urgently. This study recommends adoption of more speci-fied and direct terminology (such as, factory automation, computer design, out-sourcing, the exploitation of part-time labor, job redesign) rather than that of ideological ones (such as, Taylorism, Fordism, neo-Taylorism, neo-Fordism, post-fordism, flexible specialization, peripheral post-Fordism). As the debates on this topic just started, we still have long way to go until consensus is reached.

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A Reinvestigation on Key Issues Associated with the Yimjin(1712) Boundary Making and Demarcation: Location of 'Yipjiamlyu' and the Confluence of 'Tomungangweon' into the Sungari River (임진정계시 '입지암류(入地暗流)'의 위치와 '토문강원(土門江源)'의 송화강 유입 여부)

  • Lee, Kang-Won
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.50 no.6
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    • pp.571-605
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    • 2015
  • This research revealed that 'Yipjiamlyu' in the Mukedeng's map is geographically 'a beginning point of underf low,' whose location is on the Heishigou's riverbed(E.L. 1,840m) in the NNE side of Daegakbong peak, and that 'Tomungangweon'(Heishigou) is one of the upstream reach of the Sungari River, which, according to historical documents and my fieldwork, Mukedeng also knew at the time of Yimjin(1712) Boundary Making and Demarcation(YBMD). These findings suggest the need to reinterpret the processes of YBMD. Mukedeng set up the Baekdusanjeonggyeobi on the mistaken assumptions on the linkage of 'Yipjiamlyu' and Tumen River. It should have been set up on the Daeyeonjibong peak. Mukedeng found the 'Yipjiamlyu' on the riverbed of 'Tomungangweon'(Heishigou), went downstream, and realized that this river did not flow into the Tumen River. During the search for the source of Tumen River, he found a water stream, and regarded it as the source of Tumen River. He speculated that the water at the 'Yipjiamlyu' flows through the underground to reappear at the his 'identified' source of Tumen River. Consequently, he adjured the construction of demarcation from Baekdusanjeonggyeobi through 'Yipjiamlyu' to the his 'identified' source of Tumen River. The water stream pointed as the source of Tumen River, however, was not part of the upstream reach of Tumen River. Actually, Korean officials, who were in charge of establishing boundary features, set up the demarcation from Baekdusanjeonggyeobi through Huanghuasongdianzi to the true source of Tumen River identified by themselves, which Mukedeng had not intended. The ambiguity of the location of 'Yipjiamlyu' caused a difference between Mukedeng's original request and Korean officials' implementation in the boundary demarcation. Throughout the whole processes of YBMD, Korea(Joseon) and China(Qing) both mistook the real geography of the river system. Their understanding on Yalu River system was correct. But the identification of the spring source of the Tumen River by Korean participants was the only geographically correct result related on this river system in YBMD.

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Usefulness and Limitations of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Adult Cervical Lymph Node Enlargement Patients: An analysis of 342 cases (성인 경부 림프절 비대 환자들에서 미세침 흡인 세포검사법의 유용성과 문제점: 342 증례의 분석)

  • Lee, Jaeho
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.56 no.1
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    • pp.18-28
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    • 2004
  • Background : Many diseases like lung cancer and tuberculosis can involve cervical lymph node. Fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) was known as a useful screening test for the evaluation of enlarged lymph node. But the usefulness and limitations of FNAC according to disease category or physical characteristics of lymph node were not yet fully established. Methods : Retrospective analysis of three hundred forty two adult patients who performed FNAC due to enlarged cervical lymph nodes at the Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital during the period from January 1999 to December 2002 and final diagnosis could be made by surgical biopsy, microbiology or clinical observation. Results : Among the 342 cases, 176(51.5 %) were finally diagnosed as benign nature ncluding reactive hyperplasia, Kikuchi's disease and acute suppuration. Eighty eight(25.7 %) were diagnosed as tuberculous lymphadenitis, 66(19.3 %) as metastasis, and 12(3.5 %) as lymphoma. Tuberculosis, metastasis, and lymphoma all showed significantly larger diameter, longer duration of lymph node enlargement. There were higher frequency of supraclavicular involvement in the cases of tuberculosis and metastasis. The overall diagnostic sensitivity of FNAC was 88.0 %, and 88.6 % in benign nature lesion, 77.3 % in tuberculosis, 90.1% in metastasis and 58.3 % in lymphoma. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was made by FNAC in 68 cases (77.3 %) among 88 cases. Lung cancer(43.9 percent) was most frequent cause of cervical lymph node metastasis. Diagnostic sensitivity of FNAC was significantly lower in the supraclavicular than other cervical lymph node(80 % vs. 91.3 %) and not correlated with disease nature, node size or number. Conclusion : Though FNAC was a reliable screening test for enlarged cervical lymph node enlargement, the diagnostic sensitivity was low in the case of lymphoma or when the enlarged lymph node was located at the supraclavicular area.

Comparison of Physicochemical Properties of Local Commercial Rice Brands (지역 브랜드 쌀의 이화학적 특성 비교)

  • Choi, Ok Ja;Jang, Won Yong;Song, Chi Young;Lee, Mi Young;Shim, Ki Hoon
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.46 no.11
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    • pp.1336-1342
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    • 2017
  • The study examined and compared the physicochemical and characteristics of various rice brand varieties and private brand products on the market. The moisture content in the proximate composition of rice was 15.67~17.03%, crude protein content was 5.73~6.30%, crude lipid content was 0.38~0.95%, and crude ash content was 0.23~0.56 %. Ilmi and Ilpum had high moisture content, whereas Gosihikkari and Hopyeong had high crude protein content. In the Hunter's color value of rice flour, L value was 96.76~97.27, a value was -1.63~-0.63, and b value was 2.00~2.60. The WAI was 1.21~1.39, WSI was 0.63~0.93%, and amylose content was 14.63~20.86%, respectively; Gosihikkari and Ilmi showed the lowest values. The X-ray diffraction patterns of rice flours of all varieties showed an A shape. For the amylogram properties of rice flour, initial pasting temperature was $59.57{\sim}63.23^{\circ}C$, maximum viscosity was 569.00~718.67 B.U. (Brabender Units), breakdown was 303.00~423.67 B.U., and setback was 212.67~265.33 B.U.. For differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) of rice flour, onset temperature was $54.66{\sim}58.63^{\circ}C$, peak temperature was $65.87{\sim}68.14^{\circ}C$, end temperature was $73.37{\sim}75.54^{\circ}C$, and enthalpy was 1.98~2.95 cal/g. The rice varieties with high internal density and initial pasting temperature as well as low crude protein content, WAI, amylose content, and setback can be classified as good. Gosihikkari in Gyeonggi Province, Ilmi and Hopyeong in Jeollanam-do, and Samgwang in Chungcheongnam-do are among them.

A Study on the Relationship of Children's Development and Book Preference (아동의 심리발달과 도서선호의 변화)

  • Han Yoon Ok
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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    • v.17
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    • pp.105-159
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    • 1989
  • The purpose of this study is (a) to identify physical and content elements of children's books that seem to interest second and fifth graders to read, and (b) to observe how the influence of those elements on children's reading interest shifts as children develop. For the purpose of this study, children's books are classified into two groups: 'books of low preference' and 'books of high preference' as determined by second graders, and fifth graders' library circulation record in the library chosen as the sample for the present study. The physical and content elements of the books belonging to these two groups are analyzed and compared. Main findings and conclusions made in this study are summarised as follows: (1) The physical elements of children's books which have significant relationship with second graders' reading preference are illustration quantity, size of types, space between lines, and size of the book. (2) The content elements of children's books which have significant relationship with second graders' reading preference are the readability level of sentences, and the sex of heroes. (3) The physical elements of children's books which have significant relationship with fifth graders' reading preference are illustration quantity, illustration styles, and size of the book. (4) The content elements of children's books which have significant relationship with fifth graders' reading preference are the readability level, the sex of heroes, subject matters, themes and the environmental settings as the background of stories. (5) Reading preference of the pupils at the second and fifth grades are influenced by the quantity of illustration. Second grade pupils prefer reading books which contain a larger quantity of illustrations, whereas 5th grade pupils prefer books which contain less quantity of illustrations. (6) The relationship between second graders' reading preference and the illustration style are rejected at the $10\%$ significance level. A strong relationship, however, appears to exist between 5th graders' reading preference and the illustration style. The 5th grade pupils prefer more realistic illustrations, while cartoons and semi-abstract drawings do not appeal to them. (7) The type size, and space between lines which have had great influence on the book preference of 2nd grade pupils influence little on the 5th grade pupils book preference. (8) Second grade pupils prefer the book of a small Size, whereas 5th grade pupils whose reading taste has developed at a primary stage prefer the book of a large size beyond a certain standard. (9) Second grade pupils prefer reading books which can be easily read, whreeas 5th grade pupils prefer reading books containing difficult sentences. (10) Second grade pupils and the 5th grade pupils both prefer books in accordance with the sex of there heroes. (11) Relationship between second graders' reading preference and the subject matters are rejected at the 10% significance level. A strong relationship, however, appears to exist between 5th graders' reading preference and the subject matter. Fifth grade pupils prefer reading books of which the themes are mystery, exploration and adventure. (12) The theme of books is not proved to relate with the book preference of the 2nd grade pupils, but it is closely related with the book preference of 5th grade pupils. Fifth grade pupils prefer reading books which contain exploratory stories. (13) Second grade pupils are not influenced by the environmental setting of the story, but 5th grade pupils prefer reading stories with the environmental setting in the air. (14) The quantity of illustrations is the element influencing most on .the book preference of the 2nd grade pupils, followed by the space between the lines, which influences least on the book preference of the 5th grade pupils. (15) The physical element influencing most on the book preference of the 2nd grade pupils is the quantity of the illustrations. The physical element which has the most strong influence on the book preference of the 5th graders is illustration styles. (16) The content elements which has much influence on the book preference of the 5th grade pupils are certain kinds of characteristics of heroes. In case of the 2nd grade pupils book preference, striking evidence of such characteristics of heroes is not traced.

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International Legal Regulation for Environmental Contamination on Outer Space Activities (우주에서의 환경오염 방지를 위한 국제법적 규제)

  • Lee, Young-Jin
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.24 no.1
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    • pp.153-194
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    • 2009
  • The resources of outer space are for the common exploitation of mankind, and it is a common responsibility of mankind to protect the outer space environment. With the rapid development of space science and technology, and especially with the busy space activities of some major space powers, environmental contamination or space debris is steadily increasing in quantity and has brought grave potential threats and actual damage to the outer space environment and human activities in space. Especially We must mitigate and seek out a solution to remove space debris which poses a threat directly to man's exploitation and use of outer space activities in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and in the Geostationary Orbit (GEO), through international cooperation and agreement in the fields of space science, economics, politics and law, in order to safeguard the life and property of mankind and protect the earth's environment. While the issue of space debris has been the subject of scientific study and discussion for some time now, it has yet to be fully addressed within the context of an international legal framework. During the earlier stages of the space age, which began in the late 1950s, the focus of international lawmakers and diplomats was the establishment of basic rules which sought to define the legal nature of outer space and set out the parameters for space activities and the nature and scope of activities carried out in outer space were quite limited. Consequently, environmental issues and the risks that might arise from the generation of space debris did not receive priority attention within the context of the development international space law. In recent years, however, the world has seen dramatic advances in technology and increases in the type and number of space-related activities which are being carried out. In addition, the number of actors in this field has exploded from two highly developed States to a vast array of different States, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, including private industry. Therefore, the number of artificial objects in the near-Earth space is continually increasing. As has been previously mentioned, COPUOS was the entity that created the existing five treaties, and five sets of legal Principles, which form the core of space law, and COPUOS is clearly the most appropriate entity to oversee the creation of this regulatory body for the outer space environmental problem. This idea has been proposed by various States and also at the ILA Conference in Buenos Aires. The ILA Conference in Buenos Aires produced an extensive proposal for such a regulatory regime, dealing with space debris issues in legal terms This article seeks to discuss the status of international law as it relates to outer space environmental problem and space debris and indicate a course of action which might be taken by the international community to develop a legal framework which can adequately cope with the complexity of issues that have recently been recognized. In Section Ⅱ,Ⅲ and IV of this article discuss the current status of international space law, and the extent to which some of the issues raised by earth and space environment are accounted for within the existing United Nations multilateral treaties. Section V and VI discuss the scope and nature of space debris issues as they emerged from the recent multi-year study carried out by the ILA, Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space ("COPUOS") as a prelude to the matters that will require the attention of international lawmakers in the future. Finally, analyzes the difficulties inherent in the future regulation and control of space debris and the activities to protect the earth's environment. and indicates a possible course of action which could well provide, at the least, a partial solution to this complex challenge.

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