• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.97-106
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• 2020

The objective of this paper is to suggest a new quantification method for multi-unit probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) that removes the overestimation error caused by the existing delete-term approximation (DTA) based quantification method. So far, for the actual plant PSA model quantification, a fault tree with negates have been solved by the DTA method. It is well known that the DTA method induces overestimated core damage frequency (CDF) of nuclear power plant (NPP). If a PSA fault tree has negates and non-rare events, the overestimation in CDF drastically increases. Since multi-unit seismic PSA model has plant level negates and many non-rare events in the fault tree, it should be very carefully quantified in order to avoid CDF overestimation. Multi-unit PSA fault tree has normal gates and negates that represent each NPP status. The NPP status means core damage or non-core damage state of individual NPPs. The non-core damage state of a NPP is modeled in the fault tree by using a negate (a NOT gate). Authors reviewed and compared (1) quantification methods that generate exact or approximate Boolean solutions from a fault tree, (2) DTA method generating approximate Boolean solution by solving negates in a fault tree, and (3) probability calculation methods from the Boolean solutions generated by exact quantification methods or DTA method. Based on the review and comparison, a new intersection removal by probability (IRBP) method is suggested in this study for the multi-unit PSA. If the IRBP method is adopted, multi-unit PSA fault tree can be quantified without the overestimation error that is caused by the direct application of DTA method. That is, the extremely overestimated CDF can be avoided and accurate CDF can be calculated by using the IRBP method. The accuracy of the IRBP method was validated by simple multi-unit PSA models. The necessity of the IRBP method was demonstrated by the actual plant multi-unit seismic PSA models.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.157-163
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• 2018

This paper describes design improvement to a research rector for safety enhancement using Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA). This PSA under reactor design was undertaken to assess the level of safety for the design of a research reactor and to evaluate whether it is probabilistically safe to operate and reliable to use. The scope of the PSA reported here is a Level 1 PSA, which addresses the risks associated with the core damage. The technical objectives of this study were to identify accident sequences leading to core damage and to derive design improvement from the dominant accident sequences through the sensitivity analysis. The AIMS-PSA and FTREX were used for the this PSA of the research reactor. The criterion for inclusion was all sequences with a point estimate frequency greater than a truncation value of 1.0E-14/yr. The final result indicates a point estimate of 6.79E-05/yr for the overall Core Damage Frequency (CDF) attributable to internal initiating events for the research reactor under design. Based on the dominant accident sequences from the PSA, the seven kinds of sensitivity analysis were performed and some design improvement items were derived. When the five methods to improve the safety were all applied to the reactor design and emergency operating procedure, its risk was reduced to about 1.21E-06/yr from 6.79E-05/yr. The contribution of LOCA and LOEP with high CDF were significantly reduced by the sensitivity analysis. The safety of the research reactor was well improved and the risk was reduced than before adapting the design improvement gotten from the sensitivity analysis. The present study indicated that the research reactor has the well-balanced safety in regard to each initiating event contribution to CDF. The PSA methodology is very effective to improve reactor safety in a conceptual design phase and especially, Risk-informed design(RID) is very nice way to find the deficiencies of research reactor under design and to improve the reactor safety by solving them.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8387-8390
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• 2016

Background: Treatment of biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer is largely empirically based. The use of PSA kinetics has been used as a guide to determine local or systemic treatment of biochemical failure. We here compared PSA kinetics with detection of bone marrow micrometastasis as methods to determine local or systemic relapse. Materials and Methods: A transversal study was conducted of men with biochemical failure, defined as a serum PSA >0.2ng/ml after radical prostatectomy. Consecutive patients having undergone radical prostatectomy and with biochemical failure were enrolled and clinical and pathological details were recorded. Bone marrow biopsies were obtained from the iliac crest and touch prints made, micrometastasis (mM) being detected using anti-PSA. The clinical parameters of total serum PSA, PSA velocity, PSA doubling time and time to biochemical failure, age, Gleason score and pathological stage were registered. Results: A total of 147 men, mean age $71.6{\pm}8.2years$, with a median time to biochemical failure of 5.5 years (IQR 1.0-6.3 years) participated in the study. Bone marrow samples were positive for micrometastasis in 98/147 (67%) of patients at the time of biochemical failure. The results of bone marrow micrometastasis detected by immunocytochemistry were not concordant with local relapse as defined by PSA velocity, time to biochemical failure or Gleason score. In men with a PSA doubling time of < six months or a total serum PSA of >2,5ng/ml at the time of biochemical failure the detection of bone marrow micrometastasis was significantly higher. Conclusions: The detection of bone marrow micrometastasis could be useful in defining systemic relapse, this minimally invasive procedure warranting further studies with a larger group of patients.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.306-312
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• 2017

The purpose of this research is to introduce the technical standard of accident sequence precursor (ASP) analysis, and to propose a case study using the dynamic-probabilistic safety assessment (D-PSA) approach. The D-PSA approach can aid in the determination of high-risk/low-frequency accident scenarios from all potential scenarios. It can also be used to investigate the dynamic interaction between the physical state and the actions of the operator in an accident situation for risk quantification. This approach lends significant potential for safety analysis. Furthermore, the D-PSA approach provides a more realistic risk assessment by minimizing assumptions used in the conventional PSA model so-called the static-PSA model, which are relatively static in comparison. We performed risk quantification of a steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) accident using the dynamic event tree (DET) methodology, which is the most widely used methodology in D-PSA. The risk quantification results of D-PSA and S-PSA are compared and evaluated. Suggestions and recommendations for using D-PSA are described in order to provide a technical perspective.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.7-19
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• 2022

Hydrogen purification is generally performed through chemical and physical methods. Among various types of purification method PSA(Pressure Swing Adsorption) is widely used with its purification capacity and economic efficiency. In Korea, most of the hydrogen used in automobiles and power generation fuel cells is purified using PSA. Hydrogen produced in petrochemical complexes has difficulties in transportation. The government is planning to install hydrogen extractors that produce hydrogen directly from consumers in connection with the city gas supply chain, and companies are also installing related research and demonstration facilities one after another. Europe and others have recently established safety standards related to PSA and are making efforts for systematic safety management at the construction and operation stage, but domestic safety standards related to PSA are still insufficient. This study aims to identify problems of existing facilities through surveys and risk assessment by companies operating existing PSA, and to prepare domestic technical standards including them in overseas technical standards to promote the safety of new and existing PSA systems.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.653-660
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• 1996

For oxygen PSA process development, adsorbed amount of oxygen and nitrogen on various adsorbents were measured corresponding Langmuir isotherm parameters were measured. A reasonable adsorbent for oxygen process was selected based on the effective adsorbed amount. The PSA process consists of adsorption, desorption, pressurization, purging and pressure equilization steps. Adsorption pressure was about 2 atm and desorption pressure was between 120 torr to 400torr. Cycle time of 2-bed PSA process was 80 seconds and that of 3-bed oxygen PSA process was 180 seconds. In order to compare and analyze operation characteristics and economic feasibilities of 2-bed and 3-bed oxygen PSA processes, productivity, oxygen concentration and recovery were compared and the effect of purge and pressurization steps on the performance of PSA processes were analyzed. For the commercial scale oxygen PSA process, capital and electricity cost were estimated. In the range of $O_2$ production less than $700Nm^3/hr$, the 2-bed process is conformed more feasible in economic view point.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5695-5699
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• 2012

We investigated the relationships between demographics, lifestyle characteristics, and serum total prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration and examined the population-based distribution of total PSA by age among 2,246 Korean men with a median age of 45 years. We obtained data about demographic and lifestyle characteristics based on self-reporting using a quetionnaire. We also performed physical examinations, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical measurements. The PSA concentration increased with age and there was a significant difference in total PSA concentration between the age groups of 21-60 years and >60 years. Age >60 years, height ${\geq}1.8$ m, a low frequency of alcohol consumption, and taking nutritional supplements showed a significantly increased odds ratio for increased PSA when 3.0 ng/mL was chosen as the PSA cut-off level. Smoking status, BMI, percent body fat, diabetes mellitus, fatty liver, herbal medicine use, vitamin use, and diet were not significantly associated with total PSA regardless of the cut-off level. When interpreting a single PSA test, height, alcohol consumption, and nutritional supplement use should be considered, in addition to age.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5365-5370
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• 2015

Background: Combining risk factors for prostate cancer into a predictive tool may improve the detection of prostate cancer while decreasing the number of benign biopsies. We compare one such tool, age multiplied by prostate volume divided by total serum PSA (PSA-AV) with PSA density and detection of primary malignant circulating prostate cells (CPCs) in a Chilean prostate cancer screening program. The objectives were not only to determine the predictive values of each, but to determine the number of clinically significant cancers that would have been detected or missed. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted of all men undergoing 12 core ultrasound guided prostate biopsy for suspicion of cancer attending the Hospital DIPRECA and Hospital de Carabineros de Chile. Total serum PSA was registered, prostate volumecalculated at the moment of biopsy, and an 8ml blood simple taken immediately before the biopsy procedure. Mononuclear cells were obtained from the blood simple using differential gel centrifugation and CPCs identified using immunocytchemistry with anti-PSA and anti-P504S. Biopsy results were classed as positive or negative for cancer and if positive the Gleason score, number of positive cores and percent infiltration recorded. Results: A total of 664 men participated, of whom 234 (35.2%) had cancer detected. They were older, had higher mean PSA, PSA density and lower PSA-AV. Detection of CPCs had high predictive score, sensitivity, sensibility and positive and negative predictive values, PSA-AV was not significantly different from PSA density in this population. The use of CPC detection avoided more biopsies and missed fewer significant cancers.Conclusions: In this screening population the use of CPC detection predicted the presence of clinically significant prostate cancer better than the other parameters. The high negative predictive value would allow men CPC negative to avoid biopsy but remain in follow up. The formula PSA-AV did not add to the predictive performance using PSA density.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.331-343
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• 2002

We performed an importance analysis of In-Service Testing (157) components for Ulchin Unit 3 using the integrated evaluation method for categorizing component safety significance developed in this study. The developed method is basically aimed at having a PSA expert perform an importance analysis using PSA and its related information. The importance analysis using the developed method is initiated by ranking the component importance using quantitative PSA information. The importance analysis of the IST components not modeled in the PSA is performed through the engineering judgment, based on the expertise of PSA, and the quantitative and qualitative information for the 157 components. The PSA scope for importance analysis includes not only Level 1 and 2 internal PSA but also Level 1 external and shutdown/low power operation PSA. The importance analysis results of valves show that 167 (26.55%) of the 629 IST valves are HSSCs and 462 (73.45%) are LSSCs. Those of pumps also show that 28 (70%)of the 40157 pumps are HSSCs and 12 (30%) are LSSCs.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.151-163
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• 2000

Adopting the theory of enter-educate, this study was conducted to prevent the smoking by middle school students who had not started smoking yet. A famous pop music singer with high popularity among teenagers was cast on the public sponsored advertisement (PSA) on smoking prevention. This PSA was televised through major TV stations for two months. The effectiveness of this project was evaluated seven times. The effectiveness of the PSA, the role of the cast singer, the rate of seeing the PSA, and the impression about the PSA were evaluated. The viewer survey since the second period of the PSA revealed that most of the middle school students (79~94 percent) watched it. Among TV stations, MBC recorded the highest viewer rate as 69.6~72.0 percent of the middle school students watched the PSA at least once from this station. Also, the viewer rates of such cable TV stations as Mnet and OCN were quite high for their advertisement prices. The overall impression about the PSA was favorable. The contribution of the singer to this positive outcome was 60 percent and over. The effect of smoking prevention was also high as 93.7 percent of the middle school students replied that they would not start smoking. However, since this study dealt with the general public, it was not possible to control the effect of other factors systematically. Also, we could not measure the differences bewteen the pre-PSA and the post-PSA periods, so that the interpretation of the results has some limitation.