• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.1-13
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• 2021

Previous studies have found the significant adverse effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on stock returns and volatility. The effects varied with the confirmed cases and deaths. However, the extent of the effects have never been measured exactly. This study proposes a measurement model for the COVID-19 effects. In the proposed model, stock returns in the COVID-19 period are weighted averages of pre-COVID-19 normal returns and COVID-19-induced returns. The effects are measured by the contributing weights of the COVID-19-induced returns. Kalman filtering is used to estimate the model for the world and Chinese markets, in combination with 10 markets - five most affected countries (United States, India, Brazil, Russia, and France) and five best recovering countries (Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea). The sample returns are daily, obtained from the closing Morgan Stanley global investable market indexes. The full period is from September 24, 2018, to October 30, 2020, whereas the COVID-19 period is from November 18, 2019, to October 30, 2020. The contributing weights are significant and close to 100% for all markets. The COVID-19-induced returns replace the pre-COVID-19 normal returns; they are negatively auto-correlated and highly volatile. The COVID-19-induced returns are new normal returns in the COVID-19 period.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.58-73
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• 2000

Objectives : This study was performed to evaluate BTEX exposure to gas station service attendants and the critical affect of benzene and MtBE airborne concentration. Methods : the degree of exposure to airborne BTEX and MtBE was examined in the service attendants at seven gas stations across the country during a summer season. The TWAs(time-weighted averages) of atmospheric concentration of substances in personal and area samples, were calculated. The component ratio of BTEX and MtBE in the samples of bulk gasoline from each station studied was also measured. Results : The airborne concentrations of BTEX and MtBE showed a lognormal distribution and The TWA concentrations of benzene in personal samples from each station were 0.089 ppm - 0.18 ppm, and those of toluene were 0.097 ppm - 0.2 ppm. The average TWA concentrations of xylene and ethyl benzene was 0.03 ppm and 0.001 ppm, respectively. The TWA concentrations of MtBE were 0.4 ppm - 1.3 ppm. The volume concentrations of MtBE, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene in the bulk gasoline samples were 3 - 7.4 %, 3 - 12 %, 0.64 % and 1.5 - 10 %, respectively. Conclusions : The benzene concentration was detected to exceed the ACGIH threshold benzene level of 0.5 ppm, in one of 74 personal and area samples. MtBE, a substitute for aromatic compounds such as benzene in gasoline, was found to bring about a greater chance of exposure to carcinogen, due to its high vapor pressure and carcinogenicity.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제15권12호
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• pp.1125-1139
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• 2006

The cluster analysis of diurnal precipitation patterns is performed by using daily precipitation of 59 stations in South Korea from 1973 to 1996 in four seasons of each year. Four seasons are shifted forward by 15 days compared to the general ones. Number of clusters are 15 in winter, 16 in spring and autumn, and 26 in summer, respectively. One of the classes is the totally dry day in each season, indicating that precipitation is never observed at any station. This is treated separately in this study. Distribution of the days among the clusters is rather uneven with rather low area-mean precipitation occurring most frequently. These 4 (seasons)$\times$2 (wet and dry days) classes represent more than the half (59 %) of all days of the year. On the other hand, even the smallest seasonal clusters show at least $5\sim9$ members in the 24 years (1973-1996) period of classification. The cluster analysis is directly performed for the major $5\sim8$ non-correlated coefficients of the diurnal precipitation patterns obtained by factor analysis In order to consider the spatial correlation. More specifically, hierarchical clustering based on Euclidean distance and Ward's method of agglomeration is applied. The relative variance explained by the clustering is as high as average (63%) with better capability in spring (66%) and winter (69 %), but lower than average in autumn (60%) and summer (59%). Through applying weighted relative variances, i.e. dividing the squared deviations by the cluster averages, we obtain even better values, i.e 78 % in average, compared to the same index without clustering. This means that the highest variance remains in the clusters with more precipitation. Besides all statistics necessary for the validation of the final classification, 4 cluster centers are mapped for each season to illustrate the range of typical extremities, paired according to their area mean precipitation or negative pattern correlation. Possible alternatives of the performed classification and reasons for their rejection are also discussed with inclusion of a wide spectrum of recommended applications.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.232-235
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• 2018

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the heat stress and semen quality among male workers in a steel industry in Iran and investigate the relationship between heat stress indices and semen parameters. Methods: The study was conducted on workers exposed (n = 30) and unexposed (n = 14) to heat in a steel industry. After obtaining a brief biography of the selected employees, scrotal temperature, oral temperature, and environmental parameters were measured, and their semen samples were analyzed according to the procedure recommended by the World Health Organization. The heat stress indices, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and predicted heat strain (PHS), in their workplace were calculated according to environmental parameters (ISO 7243:1989 and 7933:2004, respectively). Results: Time-weighted averages of WBGT and PHS ($35.76^{\circ}C$ and 491.56 $w/m^2{\frac{w}{m^2}}$, respectively) for the exposed group were higher than threshold limit values. The mean difference of environmental, physiological, and semen parameters (exception: pH of semen), and also WBGT and PHS indices were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Mean semen parameters were in the normozoospermic range. WBGT and PHS indices showed significantly "negative" correlation with physiological parameters (scrotal and oral temperature) and most semen parameters (semen volume, sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm count; p < 0.05); moreover, the correlation of WBGT with these parameters was stronger than PHS. Conclusion: Semen parameters of the studied workers exposed to heat were in the borderline level of normozoospermic range, and their semen parameters were significantly lower than controls. For better assessment of occupational environment concerning physiological and semen parameters in steel industries, WBGT can be a more useful index.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.9-16
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• 2005

One of the most important roles of a brain atlas is providing a spatial reference system in which multiple images can be interpreted in a consistent way. The brain atlase based on Western populations such as the International Consortium for Brain Mapping's 452 T-1 Weighted Average Atlas was widely used; however, they may not be the optimal choice for use with brain images from other ethnic groups, because structural differences between occidental and oriental brains have been reported. Therefore, in this study, we created an average brain atlas from 100 healthy Koreans (100 cases (M/F=53/47), 39.0±17.0 years). The purpose of this study was to make a Korean average-brain atlas and to measure its differences from a widely accepted average brain atlas built on an occidental population. The average brain atlas for Koreans was developed using widely accepted tools and procedures. The comparison between the Korean and occidental averages was performed using tissue probability maps and a registration tool, and it was shown that the global pattern of differences between the two average brains found in this work agreed with previously reported differences: Korean brains are wider and shorter in size, and smaller in volume, yet no hemispheric volume asymmetry was found.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.464-470
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• 2023

Objectives: This study evaluated occupational exposures to noise and heat stress during routine non-outage works in three coal-fired power plants in the Republic of Korea. Methods: The data were collected during the summer of 2020. Full shift noise exposure of 52 workers were measured using noise dosimeters. Heat stress of 16 worksites were measured for 70 minutes using wet-bulb globe temperature monitors. Results: The noise dosimetry results revealed time-weighted averages that ranged from 47.5 to 88.9 dBA. 2 out of 52 noise measurements exceeded 85 dBA. Based on the arithmetic mean, the coal service group showed the highest level at 80.2 dBA by job tasks. Noise exposures exceeding 85 dBA were measured in the coal service and plant operator group. Heat stress index measurements ranged from 20.3℃ to 37.2℃. 1 out of 9 indices measured in coal facilities and 4 out of 7 indices measured in boiler house exceeded 1 hour TWA during moderate work. Heat stress indices measured from boiler houses were significantly higher than those measured from coal equipment. Conclusions: The results show that overexposure to noise and heat stress may be encountered during routine non-outage work activities in coal-fired power plants. Appropriate actions should be taken to reduce future health outcome from occupational exposure to noise and heat stress in the industry.

• 방송공학회논문지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.21-30
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• 2013

알려져 있지 않은 광원에 의한 색 변화는 대부분의 영상처리에서 중요한 문제이다. 색상 변화를 보상하기 위해서는 광원의 색상을 추정해야 한다. 이 때 광원에 의한 색 분포의 가정을 사용하게 되는데 이 가정을 만족하지 않는 화소를 사용하게 되면 정확한 추정이 이루어지지 않을 수 있다. 흔하게 사용되는 색 분포의 가정은 장면에서 표면 반사율의 평균은 무채색을 갖는다는 Grey-world 가정이다. 우리는 광원의 내재적인 특징을 바탕으로 카메라 응답 함수의 특성과 함께 화소의 값과 색도가 Grey-world 가정에 어떤 영향을 미치는지 분석하고 광원의 색상을 추정하기 위한 중요한 화소를 검출하기 위하여 가정을 잘 만족하는 화소에 가중치를 주는 방법과 가중치가 적용된 화소에 대해서 기존의 max-RGB 방법을 변형하여 각 채널의 행 방향과 열 방향으로 최대로 가중된 화소를 검출하는 방법을 제안한다. 제안한 방법은 다양한 실제 장면들에 대한 검증을 통해 기존의 다른 방법들에 비해서 정확하게 광원의 색을 추정함을 보였다.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.87-98
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• 1999

The objectives of this study were to evaluate exposures to airborne methylene chloride and postshift carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) in blood of workers engaged in processes using blowing or cleaning agents, and to investigate correlation between methylene chloride concentrations and the blood COHb levels of workers. The geometric mean (GM) of workers' exposures (8 hour-time weighted averages, TWA) to airborne methylene chloride during cleaning molds using rags wetted with the solvent in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane foam (GM = 61.4 ppm), during operating the dip tank for cleaning molds in the manufacture of lens (GM = 61.0 ppm), and during cleaning the blowing nozzles by spraying the solvent in the manufacture of shoes (GM = 117.2 ppm) were exceeded the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value ($TLV^{(R)}$)-Time Weighted Average (TWA) (50 ppm). The COHb levels were significantly different among groups (p<0.05). The average COHh levels in blood of non-smoking workers were 2.0% in. low-level (<50 ppm) exposure group, and 3.9 % in high-level (>50ppm) exposure group. The average COHb levels in smoking workers were 3.1% in low-level exposure group, and 4.8% in high-level exposure group. The blood COHb levels of no-exposed workers to methylene chloride were 1.8% in non-smoking group, and 2.8% in smoking group. It was found that the COHb level dependeds on the methylene chloride concentration and smoking habit, and was highly correlated with methylene chloride concentration in air. The correlation coefficient was 0.81 among non-smoking workers. The estimated COHb level (3.6%) and 95% upper confidence limit (4.0%) corresponding to TLV-TWA of methylene chloride exceeded the current ACGIH Biological Exposure Index (COHb 3.5%) for carbon monoxide. The estimated COHb level (5.4%) at 100 ppm exceeded the standard (5%) recommended by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for preventing adverse cardiovascular effect. The estimated COHb value and 95% upper confidence limit at 25 ppm of the Occupational Safety and Health. Adminstration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit-TWA (PEL-TWA) were 2.6% and 3.0%, respectively. It is suggested that COHb in blood be kept below 3.0% to comply with OSHA PEL-TWA.

• 한국수자원학회논문집
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.521-531
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• 2003

용담호의 주요 유입 지류를 대상으로 1998년 12월부터 1999년 10월까지 매월 1회 측정된 수질농도 자료와 1999년 6원 강우시 3차에 걸쳐 4시간 간격의 집중 수질 측정 자료를 이용하여 강우의 영향을 고려한 월별 가중 평균 농도를 산정하였다. 연중 오염물질 유입부하를 산정하기 위하여 10 mm 이상의 강우가 발생하였을 경우 유역의 표면유출 및 오염물질 농도가 심각하게 증가한다고 가정하고, 강우시 측정된 수질농도 측정치를 적용하였으며, 10 mm 이하의 강우가 발생한 경우에는 건기시에 측정된 수질 농도를 적용하였다. 산정된 월평균 수질농도는 수질모의를 위한 경계농도로 입력되어 용담호의 수질 모의를 실시하였으며 건기시 측정된 수질 농도를 수질 모의에 적용한 결과와 비교하였다. 강우의 영향을 고려할 경우 호내 평균 BOD, TN, TP 농도는 각각 70%, 5% 그리고 27% 가량 증가하는 결과를 나타냈다. 우리나라는 기후 특성상 연중 강우의 약 70% 가량이 하절기에 집중되므로 이 기간 동안에 상당량의 오염물질이 수계내로 유입되며 오염부하량 산정시 이에 대한 고려가 반드시 필요하나 일반적인 수질측정은 주로 건기시에 이루어지므로 수질 모의를 위한 입력자료로 사용될 때 정확한 모의 결과를 얻을 수 없다. 따라서 건기시와 우기시 수질 측정을 통한 실제 유입 농도의 산정은 수질모델의 적용에 있어서 신뢰도의 향상에 기여할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.6-15
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• 2024

Background: People's activities have been restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes in activity patterns may lead to a decrease in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations. Additionally, the level of population exposure to PM_2.5 may be changed. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the impact of population movement and meteorological factors on the distribution of PM_2.5 concentrations before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Methods: The study area was Guro-gu in Seoul. The research period was selected as January to March 2020, a period of significant population movement changes caused by COVID-19. The evaluation of the dynamic population was conducted by calculating the absolute difference in population numbers between consecutive hours and comparing them to determine the daily average. Ambient PM_2.5 concentrations were estimated for each grid using ordinary kriging in Python. For the population exposure assessment, the population-weighted average concentration was calculated by determining the indoor to outdoor population for each grid and applying the indoor to outdoor ratio to the ambient PM_2.5 concentration. To assess the factors influencing changes in the ambient PM_2.5 concentration, a statistical analysis was conducted, incorporating population mobility and meteorological factors. Results: Through statistical analysis, the correlation between ambient PM_2.5 concentration and population movement was positive on both weekends and weekdays (r=0.71, r=0.266). The results confirmed that most of the relationships were positive, suggesting that a decrease in human activity can lead to a decrease in PM_2.5 concentrations. In addition, when population-weighted concentration averages were calculated and the exposure level of the population group was compared before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, the proportion of people exceeding the air quality standard decreased by approximately 15.5%. Conclusions: Human activities can impact ambient concentrations of PM_2.5, potentially altering the levels of PM_2.5 exposure in the population.