• Title/Summary/Keyword: laboratory and field tests

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Strategies for Worksite Health Interventions to Employees with Elevated Risk of Chronic Diseases

  • Meng, Lu;Wolff, Marilyn B.;Mattick, Kelly A.;DeJoy, David M.;Wilson, Mark G.;Smith, Matthew Lee
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.117-129
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    • 2017
  • Chronic disease rates have become more prevalent in the modern American workforce, which has negative implications for workplace productivity and healthcare costs. Offering workplace health interventions is recognized as an effective strategy to reduce chronic disease progression, absenteeism, and healthcare costs as well as improve population health. This review documents intervention and evaluation strategies used for health promotion programs delivered in workplaces. Using predetermined search terms in five online databases, we identified 1,131 published items from 1995 to 2014. Of these items, 27 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria; reporting data from completed United States-based workplace interventions that recruited at-risk employees based on their disease or disease-related risk factors. A content rubric was developed and used to catalogue these 27 published field studies. Selected workplace interventions targeted obesity (n = 13), cardiovascular diseases (n = 8), and diabetes (n = 6). Intervention strategies included instructional education/counseling (n = 20), workplace environmental change (n = 6), physical activity (n = 10), use of technology (n = 10), and incentives (n = 13). Self-reported data (n = 21), anthropometric measurements (n = 17), and laboratory tests (n = 14) were used most often in studies with outcome evaluation. This is the first literature review to focus on interventions for employees with elevated risk for chronic diseases. The review has the potential to inform future workplace health interventions by presenting strategies related to implementation and evaluation strategies in workplace settings. These strategies can help determine optimal worksite health programs based on the unique characteristics of work settings and the health risk factors of their employee populations.

ROLE OF COMPUTER SIMULATION MODELING IN PESTICIDE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT

  • Wauchope, R.Don;Linders, Jan B.H.J.
    • Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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    • 2003.10a
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    • pp.91-93
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    • 2003
  • It has been estimated that the equivalent of approximately $US 50 billion has been spent on research on the behavior and fate of pesticides in the environment since Rachel Carson published “Silent Spring” in 1962. Much of the resulting knowledge has been summarized explicitly in computer algorithms in a variety of empirical, deterministic, and probabilistic simulation models. These models describe and predict the transport, degradation and resultant concentrations of pesticides in various compartments of the environment during and after application. In many cases the known errors of model predictions are large. For this reason they are typically designed to be “conservative”, i.e., err on the side of over-prediction of concentrations in order to err on the side of safety. These predictions are then compared with toxicity data, from tests of the pesticide on a series of standard representative biota, including terrestrial and aquatic indicator species and higher animals (e.g., wildlife and humans). The models' predictions are good enough in some cases to provide screening of those compounds which are very unlikely to do harm, and to indicate those compounds which must be investigated further. If further investigation is indicated a more detailed (and therefore more complicated) model may be employed to give a better estimate, or field experiments may be required. A model may be used to explore “what if” questions leading to possible alternative pesticide usage patterns which give lower potential environmental concentrations and allowable exposures. We are currently at a maturing stage in this research where the knowledge base of pesticide behavior in the environmental is growing more slowly than in the past. However, innovative uses are being made of the explosion in available computer technology to use models to take ever more advantage of the knowledge we have. In this presentation, current developments in the state of the art as practiced in North America and Europe will be presented. Specifically, we will look at the efforts of the ‘Focus’ consortium in the European Union, and the ‘EMWG’ consortium in North America. These groups have been innovative in developing a process and mechanisms for discussion amongst academic, agriculture, industry and regulatory scientists, for consensus adoption of research advances into risk management methodology.

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An Experimental Study of Flow and Dispersion Characteristics in Meandering Channel (사행수로에서의 유속 및 분산특성에 관한 실험적 연구)

  • Park, Sung-Won;Seo, Il-Won
    • 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2008.02a
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    • pp.799-802
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    • 2008
  • General behaviors based on hydraulic characteristics of natural streams and channels have been recently analyzed and developed via various numerical models. However in the states of natural hydraulics, an experimental research must be performed simultaneously with the mathematical analysis due to effects of hydraulic properties such as meander, sediment, and so on. In this study based on 2-D advection-dispersion equation, flow and tracer experiments were performed in the S-curved meandering laboratory channel with a rectangular cross-section. The channel was equipped with instrument carriages which was equipped with an auto-traversing system to be used with velocity measuring sensors throughout the depth and breadth of the flow field. To measure concentration distribution of the salt solution was adjusted to that of the flume water by adding methanol and a red dye (KMnO4) was added to aid the visualization of the tracer cloud, the tracer was instantaneously injected into the flow as a full-depth vertical line source by the instantaneous injector and the initial concentration of the tracer was 100,000 mg/l. The secondary current as well as the primary flow pattern was analyzed to investigate the flow distribution in the meandering channels. The velocity distribution of the primary flow for all cases skewed toward the inner bank at the first bend, and was almost symmetric at the crossovers, and then shifted toward the inner bank again at the next alternating bend. Thus, one can clearly notice that the maximum velocity occurs taking the shortest course along the channel, irrespective of the flow conditions. The result of the tracer tests shows that pollutant clouds are spreading following the maximum velocity lines in each cases with various mixing patterns like superposition, separation, and stagnation of pollutant clouds. Flow characteristics in each cases performed in this study can be compared with tracer dispersion characteristics with using evaluation of longitudinal and transverse dispersion coefficients(LDC, TDC). As expected, LDC and TDC in meandering parts have been evaluated with increasing distribution and straight parts have effected to evaluate minimum of LDC and TDC due to symmetric flow patterns and attenuations of secondary flow.

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Ear-EEG-based Stress Assessment for Construction Workers: A Comparison with High-Density Scalp-EEG

  • Juhyeon BAE;Gaang LEE;SangHyun LEE
    • International conference on construction engineering and project management
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    • 2024.07a
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    • pp.343-350
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    • 2024
  • Mobile electroencephalography (EEG) can continuously and objectively monitor construction workers' psychological stress, thereby contributing to enhanced safety and health. Traditional EEG-based stress assessment techniques utilize headset-type devices that cover the scalp, including the frontal area, which is the most relevant brain part to stress. Yet, the invasiveness of such devices may pose a potential barrier to their field application. In response, ear-EEG technology presents a less intrusive alternative for continuous monitoring, potentially overcoming the limitations of scalp-EEG. The temporal regions monitored by ear-EEG hold anatomical and functional significance in the brain's response to stress, suggesting that ear-EEG could effectively detect stress. Despite its advantage, the effectiveness of ear-EEG in stress detection remains underexplored, largely due to the existing literature's focus on frontal brain regions. To address this gap, the authors aim to evaluate ear-EEG's effectiveness in measuring stress and compare it to high-density scalp-EEG. EEG signals were collected with ear- and scalp-EEGs from 10 subjects in a controlled laboratory while they performed the mental arithmetic tasks under time pressure and socio-evaluative threats to induce stress at different levels (high vs. low). Subsequently, the authors performed t-tests and point-biserial analysis to analyze differences between high and low-stress conditions in the most reliable stress biomarkers in literature: high-beta power in temporal regions for ear-EEG, and alpha asymmetry in frontal regions for scalp-EEG. The results indicate that both EEG techniques could effectively differentiate between stress levels, with statistical significance (p <0.001 for both) and moderate effect size. Furthermore, the results demonstrate ear-EEG's comparable effectiveness to scalp-EEG in detecting stress-induced brain activity given the comparable statistical metrics, such as p-value and effect size. This study provides a groundwork for further explorations into leveraging ear-EEG as a practical tool for the early detection of stress, aiming to enhance stress management strategies within the construction industry.

Development of ABS ECU for a Bus using Hardware In-the-Loop Simulation

  • Lee, K.C.;Jeon, J.W.;Nam, T.K.;Hwang, D.H.;Kim, Y.J.
    • 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2003.10a
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    • pp.1714-1719
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    • 2003
  • Antilock Brake System (ABS) is indispensable safety equipment for vehicles today. In order to develop new ABS ECU suitable for pneumatic brake system of a bus, a Hardware In-the-Loop Simulation (HILS) System was developed. In this HILS, the pneumatic brake system of a bus and antilock brake component were used as hardware. For the computer simulation, the 14-Degree of Freedom (DOF) bus dynamic model was constructed using the Matlab/Simulink software package. This model was compiled and downloaded in the simulation board, where the Power PC processor was used for real-time simulation. Additional commercial package, the ControlDesk was used to monitor the dynamic simulation results and physical signal values. This paper will focus on the procedure and results of evaluating the ECU in the HILS simulation. Two representative cases, wet basalt road and $split-{\mu}$ road, were used to simulate real road conditions. At each simulated road, the vehicle was driven and stopped under the help of the developed ECU. In each simulation, the dynamical behavior of the vehicle was monitored. After enough tests in the laboratory using HILS, the parameter-tuned ECU was equipped in a real bus, which was driven and stopped in the real test field in Korea. And finally, the experiment results of ABS equipped vehicle's dynamic behavior both in HILS test and in test fields were compared.

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Studies on Structural Degradation of Agricultural Reservoirs in Kyungki Province (경기도내 농업용 저수지의 제체 및 구조물의 노후도 조사 연구)

  • 장병욱;송창섭;박영곤;우철웅;원정윤
    • Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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    • v.39 no.4
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    • pp.90-97
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    • 1997
  • Field inspections and laboratory tests for 31 agricultural reservoirs in Kyungki province were performed to provide basic data for maintenance and rehabilitation of agricultural reservoirs and to evaluate structural degradation of agricultural reservoirs Results of the study are as follows : 1) From survey's results of embankments, signs of settlement and lateral movement are appeared in 17 reservoirs. Crest settlement of 20~80cm, downstream settlement of 10~90cm, and 20~160cm lateral movement of embankments are detected from settlement and movement analysis of 17 reservoirs. Crest and downstream settlements and lateral movement are greatly occurred in 20 ~ 40 years after embankment construction. 2) About 39% of total reservoirs shows seepage problems occurred in the lower part of berm and retaining wall located between embankment and spillway. Probability of seepage problems is higher at retaining wall than others. 3) Concrete strength estimated by Schmidt hammer in structures of reservoirs is a range of 100~l50kgf/$cm^2$ and average deviation of concrete strength is about l0kgf/$cm^2$. Strength difference$({\delta}S)$ between compressive strength estimated by Schmidt hammer and uniaxial compressive strength of concrete core is about $\pm$100kgf/$cm^2$. This difference is due to absence or presence of reinforced bar in concrete core, variable length of concrete core and limitation of Schmidt hammer. 4) About 68% of total reservoirs shows leaching, 58% alkali-aggregate reaction and 71 % abrasion/frost. Leaching, alkali-aggregate reaction and abrasion/frost occurred in most reservoirs when passed 10 years after construction of structure parts.

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Two dimensional finite element modeling of Tabriz metro underground station L2-S17 in the marly layers

  • Mansouri, Hadiseh;Asghari-Kaljahi, Ebrahim
    • Geomechanics and Engineering
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    • v.19 no.4
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    • pp.315-327
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    • 2019
  • Deep excavations for development of subway systems in metropolitan regions surrounded by adjacent buildings is an important geotechnical problem, especialy in Tabriz city, where is mostly composed of young alluvial soils and weak marly layers. This study analyzes the wall displacement and ground surface settlement due to deep excavation in the Tabriz marls using two dimensional finite element method. The excavation of the station L2-S17 was selected as a case study for the modelling. The excavation is supported by the concrete diaphragm wall and one row of steel struts. The analyses investigate the effects of wall stiffness and excavation width on the excavation-induced deformations. The geotechnical parameters were selected based on the results of field and laboratory tests. The results indicate that the wall deflection and ground surface settlement increase with increasing excavation depth and width. The change in maximum wall deflection and ground settlement with considerable increase in wall stiffness is marginal, however the lower wall stiffness produces the larger wall and ground displacements. The maximum wall deflections induced by the excavation with a width of 8.2 m are 102.3, 69.4 and 44.3 mm, respectively for flexible, medium and stiff walls. The ratio of maximum ground settlement to maximum lateral wall deflection approaches to 1 with increasing wall stiffness. It was found that the wall stiffness affects the settlement influence zone. An increase in the wall stiffness results in a decrease in the settlements, an extension in the settlement influence zones and occurrence of the maximum settlements at a larger distance from the wall. The maximum of settlement for the excavation with a width of 14.7 m occurred at 6.1, 9.1 and 24.2 m away from the wall, respectively, for flexible, medium and stiff walls.

A Study on the Characteristics of Alluvial Clay in Yangsan-Mulgum (양산-물금 충적점토의 토질특성에 관한 연구)

  • 이달원
    • Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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    • v.39 no.1
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    • pp.102-111
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    • 1997
  • Experiments both in laboratory and field were performed to compare and analyze the characteristics of alluvial clay. The alluvial clay was sampled in test site in which large-scaled tests for the part of the site are under process to suggest the rational method for alluvial clay and the criterion for ground settlement monitoring system. The followings were observed through the experiments : 1. Natural water content, plastic limit, and liquid limit of alluvial clay composed of highly fine grains were 40~80%, 10~20%, and 30~55%, respectively. The values of these properties were relatively small at the ground surface, while the values showed maximum at G.L.- l0m and gradually decreased below the level. 2. Shear strength of alluvial clay was proportionally increased to the depth. Unconfined and triaxial compressive strengths were 0.2~0.6kgf/$cm^2$ and 0.1~0.3kgf/$cm^2$, respectively. 3. Compression index and secondary compression index showed maximum values at G.L.-l0m and gradually decreased below the level. The value of consolidation coefficient was relatively large at the ground surface, constant with decreasing the depth, and incresed when G.L. was below -20m. 4. Piezocone test appeared that alluvial clay with N value of 2~4 was uniformly distributed with 20~ 30m thickness from the ground surface, sand seam was nonuniformly distributed, and penetration pore pressure was 0.8 ~ 1 times of the hydrostatic pressure. Undrained shear strength and consolidation coefficient were 0.04 ~ 0.76kgf / $cm^2$ and $2.88{\times} 10{^-4}~1.3{\times} 10{^-2} cm^2/s$ respectively.

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Molecular differentiation of Korean Newcastle disease virus (NDV) by restriction enzyme analysis and pathotype-specific RT-PCR

  • Kwon, Hyuk-Joon;Cho, Sun-Hee;Kim, Sun-Joong
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.371-379
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    • 2006
  • Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a single-stranded negative sense RNA virus, which has been classified as a member of the Avulavirus genus of the Paramyxoviridae family. It is also one of the most important pathogens in the poultry industry. The glycoproteins, fusion (F) and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN), determine the virulence of NDV, and the relevant molecular structures have already been determined. NDV isolates differ in terms of virulence, and at least 2 of 9 genotypes (I-IX) have been shown to co-circulate. Therefore, it is clearly important to differentiate between vaccine strains and field isolates. In vivo pathogenicity tests have been the standard protocol for some time, but molecular methods appear preferable in terms of the rapidity of diagnosis, as well as animal welfare concerns. In this study, we have designed primer sets from HN gene for phylogenetic analysis and restriction enzyme analysis, and from F gene for pathotype-specific RT-PCR. Via the combination of 2 methods, 106 Korean NDV isolates obtained from 1980 to 2005 were differentiated into vaccine strains, and virulent genotypes VI and VII. The genotype VI viruses were only rarely isolated after 1999, and genotype VII, after it was initially isolated from poultry in 1995, recurred in 2000, and then became the main NDV constituting a threat to the Korean poultry industry.

Diagnostic Imaging of Nasal Lymphoma in a Cat (고양이에서 비강 림프종의 영상 진단 증례)

  • Jung, Joo-Hyun;Seo, Kyoung-Won;Chang, Jin-Hwa;Bae, Il-Hong;Kim, Dae-Yong;Yoon, Hwa-Young;Yoon, Jung-Hee;Choi, Min-Cheol
    • Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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    • v.23 no.3
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    • pp.361-365
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    • 2006
  • A spayed female, 5-year-old, weighing 2.7 kg, domestic short hair cat was referred to Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Seoul National University. The clinical signs of this patient were weight loss, sneezing, respiratory distress, nasal discharge, epistaxis, ocular discharge, left exophthalmos, and left facial edema and deformity. The laboratory tests represented mild leukocytosis. On the skull radiographs, soft tissue density filled nasal cavity with loss of turbinate detail was found. Destructive and lytic changes of the left nasal bone with soft tissue swelling were identified. On the thorax radiographs, there were a tracheobronchial lymph node swelling and a soft tissue round mass in the left caudal lung field. On computed tomographic scan images, asymmetrical destruction of turbinate and nasal septum and increased soft tissue opacity in the nasal cavity were identified. Destruction of the lateral maxillary bone, invasion to the left retrobulbar region, and craniodorsal deviation of the left eye were seen. Also, there was lysis of hard palate and cribriform plate. Invasion to the brain was found. The patient was diagnosed as nasal lymphoma by cytology and histopathology.