• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.227-236
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• 2018

As consciousness of safety becomes an important social issue, the demand for protective clothing is increasing. Conventional flame-retardant cotton working wear has low durability, and working wear with m-aramid fibers are stiff, heavy, less permeable, and expensive. In this study, recycled m-aramid and cotton have been blended to produce woven fabric of different compositions to enhance high performance and comfort to solve aforementioned problems. The fabrics were analyzed according to constituents and various structural factors. Mechanical properties were measured using KES-FB system. The measured thermal properties are TGA, $Q_{max}$, TPP and RPP. Fabric with polyurethane yarn covered by m-aramid/cotton spun yarn is observed to have good wearability. The fabric of open end spun yarn showed more stiffness than that of ring spun yarn. The sample with the high count of yarn has more smooth surface. In addition, high m-aramid content fabric is considered to have relatively high stiffness when using as clothing. In TGA the fabric with higher m-aramid content showed more stable decomposition behavior. The fabric having rough surface showed lower heat transfer properties in $Q_{max}$. The influence of the fabric thickness was important in convection and radiant heat test.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.468-472
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• 2018

Background: Firefighters are required to use self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which impairs ventilatory mechanics. We hypothesized that firefighters have elevated arterial $CO_2$ when using SCBA. Methods: Firefighters and controls performed a maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer and two graded exercise tests (GXTs) at 25%, 50%, and 70% of their maximal aerobic power, once with a SCBA facemask and once with protective clothing and full SCBA. Results: Respiratory rate increased more in controls than firefighters. Heart rate increased as a function of oxygen consumption ($V_{O_2}$) more in controls than firefighters. End-tidal $CO_2$ ($ETCO_2$) during the GXTs was not affected by work rate in either group for either condition but was higher in firefighters at all work rates in both GXTs. SCBA increased $ETCO_2$ in controls but not firefighters. Conclusions: The present study showed that when compared to controls, firefighters' hypoventilate during a maximal test and GXT. The hypoventilation resulted in increased $ETCO_2$, and presumably increased arterial $CO_2$, during exertion. It is proposed that firefighters have altered $CO_2$ sensitivity due to voluntary hypoventilation during training and work. Confirmation of low $CO_2$ sensitivity and the consequence of this on performance and long-term health remain to be determined.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2023

This study presents a novel monitoring technique for underwater high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables based on the Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS). The proposed technique utilizes vibration and acoustic signals generated on HVDC cables to monitor their condition and detect events such as earthquakes, shipments, tidal currents, and construction activities. To implement the monitoring system, a DAS based on phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (Φ-OTDR) system was designed, fabricated, and validated for performance. For the HVDC cable monitoring experiments, a testbed was constructed on land, mimicking the cable burial method and protective equipment used underwater. Defined various scenarios that could cause cable damage and conducted experiments accordingly. The developed DAS system achieved a maximum measurement distance of 50 km, a distance measurement interval of 2 m, and a measurement repetition rate of 1 kHz. Extensive experiments conducted on HVDC cables and protective facilities demonstrated the practical potential of the DAS system for monitoring underwater and underground areas.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.475-481
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• 2022

Background: This study investigated the association between fair and supportive leadership and symptoms of burnout and insomnia in police employees. Burnout and insomnia can have negative consequences for health, performance, and safety among employees in the police profession, and risk and protective factors should be thoroughly investigated. Methods: Data were collected in a police district in Norway through questionnaires administered in October 2018 and May 2019. The sample consisted of 206 police employees (52% males), with an average age of 42 years and 16 years of experience in the police occupation. Results: The results showed that a high degree of fair and supportive leadership was associated with lower levels of burnout and insomnia six months later. Fair and supportive leadership explained a greater amount of variance in burnout compared to insomnia. This finding indicates that fair and supportive leadership is a more important buffer factor against burnout than it is against insomnia. Stress was positively associated with burnout and insomnia, whereas quantitative job demands had no significant association with the concepts. Conclusion: Fair and supportive leadership can help protect employees from adverse consequences of stress and contribute to improved occupational health, whereas a low degree of support and fair treatment from leaders can both represent a stressor by itself and contribute to poorer coping of stressful events at work. The important role of leadership should be incorporated in measures aimed at preventing and reducing burnout and sleep problems.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.47-53
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• 2024

The traditional personal information life cycle model, primarily tailored to conventional systems, is inherently unsuitable for comprehending the nuances of personal information flow within artificial intelligence frameworks and for formulating effective protective measures. Therefore, this study endeavors to introduce a personal information life cycle model specifically designed for artificial intelligence (AI). This paper presents a personal information life cycle model suitable for artificial intelligence, which includes the stages of collection, retention, learning, use, and destruction/suspension, along with the re-learning process for destruction/suspension. Subsequently, we compare the performance of these existing models (such aspersonal information impact assessment and the ISMS-P model) with the newly proposed model. This underscores the superiority of our proposed model in comprehensively understanding the personal information flow in AI and establishing robust protective measures.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2006.05b
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• pp.253-256
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• 2006

For nuclear concrete structures on the coast, the prevention and management against salt damage is needed because they are being under the influence of the sea water at all times. In general, the deterioration of the concrete is generated in concrete surface firstly and then extended into concrete gradually as its service life increases. Therefore, the protective layer on the concrete surface is needed to establish and manage the durability of concrete. To enhance the durability performance of the existing and new concrete, the development and application of a high-performance penetration sealer is needed. The sealer has to have the functions that are able to prevent the attack of the moisture, carbon dioxide, and harmful substance from the outside. Therefore, the aim of this project is to guarantee the long service-life and waterproof performance of a nuclear concrete structures by increasing the density of the existing and new concrete surface layer, and to enhance the dust-proof performance of the uncoating part of the nuclear safety-relative structures.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

Respiratory face masks are protective facepieces that are designed to filter inhaled air. They are easy-to-use devices that can protect the wearer against various hazardous particles in the air. Respiratory face masks also prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria-containing droplets that are released from the coughing or sneezing of the infected people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, various types of face masks have circulated on the market. Their ability to filter sub-micron particles, which are the sizes of harmful particulate matter and airborne viruses, needs to be investigated. Their breathability, the easiness of breath through the mask, also needs to be considered. In this study, wwe evaluated the performance of filters used for different types of face masks certified by different standards including Korean (KF94, KF80, KF-AD), USA (N95), and Chinese (KN95) standards. We also tested the filters of nanofiber masks and surgical masks for which there are no standards for filtration test. The N95 mask filters showed the highest quality factor for capturing virus-sized particles. The other types of mask filters have acceptable performance except for nanofiber mask filters whose performance is very low.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2020

The purpose of this research is to analyze the gamma ray shielding effect of heavy concrete containing magnetic aggregate and to confirm the applicability to the military protective facilities. In general, a military concrete structure protects combatants from bullets, and also it provides some radiation shielding. In this research, experiments were conducted using a Cs-137 source to check the gamma ray shielding effect. In addition, the Monte Carlo N-Particle(MCNP) modeling was applied to evaluate the gamma ray shielding effect of a military structure. As a result, as the concrete thickness increased, the shielding performance improved according th the linear attenuation law. With that, as the ratio of magnetic aggregate was increased, gamma ray shielding performance was also improved. Therefore, this research verified that the application of magnetic aggregate concrete to military facilities for radiation shielding purposes would be useful.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.355-367
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• 2021

This paper investigates the mechanical response of simply supported one-way reinforced concrete slabs under fire through numerical analysis. The numerical model is constructed using the software ABAQUS, and verified by experimental results. Generally, mechanical response of the slab can be divided into four stages, accompanied with drastic stress redistribution. In the first stage, the bottom of the slab is under tension and the top is under compression. In the second stage, stress at bottom of the slab becomes compression due to thermal expansion, with the tension zone at the mid-span section moving up along the thickness of the slab. In the third stage, compression stress at bottom of the slab starts to decrease with the deflection of the slab increasing significantly. In the fourth stage, the bottom of the slab is under tension again, eventually leading to cracking of the slab. Parametric studies were further performed to investigate the effects of load ratio, thickness of protective layer, width-span ratio and slab thickness on the performance of the slab. Results show that increasing the thickness of the slab or reducing the load ratio can significantly postpone the time that deflection of the slab reaches span/20 under fire. It is also worth noting that slabs with the span ratio of 1:1 reached a deflection of span/20 22 min less than those of 1:3. The thickness of protective layer has little effect on performance of the slab until it reaches a deflection of span/20, but its effect becomes obvious in the late stages of fire.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2021

Objectives: Non-traditional materials are used for mask construction to address personal protective equipment shortages during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Reusable masks made from surgical sterilization wrap represent such an innovative approach with social media frequently referring to them as "N95 alternatives." This material was tested for particle filtration efficiency and breathability to clarify what role they might have in infection prevention and control. Methods: A heavyweight, double layer sterilization wrap was tested when new and after 2, 4, 6, and 10 autoclave sterilizing cycles and compared with an approved N95 respirator and a surgical mask via testing procedures using a sodium chloride aerosol for N95 efficiency testing similar to 42 CFR 84.181. Pressure testing to indicate breathability was also conducted. Results: The particle filtration efficiency for the sterilization wrap ranged between 58% to 66%, with similar performance when new and after sterilizing cycles. The N95 respirator and surgical mask performed at 95% and 68% respectively. Pressure drops for the sterilization wrap, N95 and surgical mask were 10.4 mmH2O, 5.9 mmH2O, and 5.1 mmH2O, respectively, well below the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health limits of 35 mmH2O during initial inhalation and 25 mmH2O during initial exhalation. Conclusions: The sterilization wrap's particle filtration efficiency is much lower than a N95 respirator, but falls within the range of a surgical mask, with acceptable breathability. Performance testing of non-traditional mask materials is crucial to determine potential protection efficacy and for correcting misinterpretation propagated through popular media.