Facility In Korea Research Articles

Enhancing road safety through misbehaviour detection in vehicle‐to‐everything systems of Korea

AbstractVehicle‐to‐everything communication systems play a crucial role in enhancing road safety and traffic efficiency through vehicle and roadside infrastructure interactions. To provide robust defences against external threats in secure and trustworthy information exchange, these systems utilise public key infrastructure to authenticate vehicle‐to‐everything participant identities with digital certificates and security credential management systems to administer these certificates and encryption keys. However, even with these defences, vulnerabilities persist, particularly from vehicles with legitimate certificates that may malfunction or be exploited for malicious purposes. To address these issues, this paper introduces a misbehaviour detection (MBD) system, notable for its combined use of local and global MBD algorithms. This system is specifically designed to combat both conventional and novel threats, including slander attacks, in which vehicles with legitimate certificates may be falsely accused, and sophisticated attacks targeting the global MBD system itself. The efficacy of our MBD system was rigorously validated at K‐City, the leading autonomous vehicle technology testing facility in Korea, demonstrating its ability to identify and counter internal misbehaviours precisely.

Design and commissioning of the ISOL beamline at the RAON facility

The Rare isotope Accelerator complex for ON-line experiment (RAON) located at the Daejeon site of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) is the first Radioactive Isotope (RI) beam facility in Korea. The RAON facility employs an in-flight method using RI beams produced using an Isotope Separator On-Line (ISOL) method to explore unstable nuclei in uncharted regions. A high-power ISOL facility is critical for providing the required high-quality, intense RI beams. The design, construction, and installation of the ISOL system have been completed, and the beam transport line commissioning with stable isotope beams has been conducted. As a result, all requirements, such as the transmission and the mass-resolving power, for the beamlines were satisfied, and the beams from the Target Ion Source (TIS) were transported to the end of the ISOL beamline, which is the entrance to the superconducting linear accelerator system. The ISOL beamline is now ready for the transport of RI beams.

Beam Commissioning of the Heavy-ion Accelerator RAON

RAON (Rare-isotope Accelerator complex for ON-line experiments) is the superconducting linac (SCL3 and SCL2) facility in Korea. It consists of an injector, a superconducting linac, and user facilities. It is designed to accelerate various ion beams from proton (A/Q=1) to uranium (A/Q=7.2). The ECR ion source in the injector system generates ion beams with the energy of 10 keV/u. They are accelerated to the energy of 500 keV/u by the RFQ (Radio-Frequency Quadrupole) in the injector. The superconducting linac (SCL3) includes 22 QWR (Quater-Wave Resonator) cavities and 102 HWR (Half-Wave Resonator) cavities. The energy becomes 18.5 MeV/u for uranium beams after the linac. The beam commissioning of the injector started from August 2021. The first beam commissioning of the superconducting linac was performed from October 2022 to June 2, 2023. Research and development of the cavities for the high-energy part (SCL2) of the superconducting linac is in progress. This work explains some characteristic features of the beam dynamics for RAON linac and some beam commissioning results.

Comparative Analysis of Neural Network Models for Predicting Ammonia Concentrations in a Mechanically Ventilated Sow Gestation Facility in Korea

Conventional methods for monitoring ammonia (NH3) emissions from livestock farms have several challenges, such as a poor environment for measurement, difficulty in accessing livestock, and problems with long-term measurement. To address these issues, we applied various neural network models for the long-term prediction of NH3 concentrations from sow farms in this study. Environmental parameters, including temperature, humidity, ventilation rate, and past records of NH3 concentrations, were given as inputs to the models. These neural network models took the encoder or the feature extracting parts from the representative deep learning models, including Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Transformer, to encode temporal patterns of time series. However, all of these models adopted dense layers for the decoder to format the task of long-term prediction as a regression problem. Due to their regression nature, all models showed a robust performance in predicting long-term NH3 concentrations at a scale of weeks or even months despite there being a relatively short period of input signals (a few days to a week). Given one week of input, LSTM showed the minimum mean absolute errors (MAE) of 1.83, 1.78, and 1.87 ppm for the prediction of one, two, and three weeks, respectively, whereas Transformer performed best with a MAE of 1.73 ppm for a four-week prediction. In the long-term estimation of spanning months, LSTM showed the minimum MAEs of 1.95 and 1.90 ppm when trained on predicting two and three weeks of windows. At the same condition, Transformer gave the minimum MAEs of 1.87 and 1.83 when trained on predicting one and four weeks of windows. Overall, the neural network models can facilitate the prediction of national-level NH3 emissions, the development of mitigation strategies for NH3-derived air pollutants, odor management, and the monitoring of animal-rearing environments. Further, their integration of real-time measurement devices can significantly prolong device longevity and offer substantial cost savings.

Development of Vulnerability Evaluation Technology for Environmental Facilities Focused on the Water Treatment Systems in South Korea

This study developed a vulnerability evaluation framework for earthquake and flood disasters targeting water treatment facilities. The vulnerability evaluation framework of a water treatment facility determines vulnerability evaluation factors such as exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity in consideration of the characteristics of an environmental facility. At this time, vulnerability evaluation items are derived in consideration of topography, natural environment, hydraulic, structural, and non-structural characteristics by analyzing the facility. The vulnerability evaluation items consist of 24 for earthquake disasters, and for the flood disaster derived 20 indicators. Then the final vulnerability of disaster is determined by considering the impact of each item. To verify the vulnerability evaluation framework proposed in this study, the technology was applied to a real water treatment facility in Korea. The proposed technique would be able to make a plan to prevent natural disasters damage and minimize such damage to the environmental facility.

Comparative Study on Two COVID-19 Outbreaks at a Long-Term Mental Health Facility in Korea in 2020 and 2022.

(1) Background and Objectives: There were two distinct coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks in 2020 and 2022 at a long-term mental health facility (LTMHF) in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. We aimed to compare the two outbreaks and identify differences in epidemiological and clinical outcomes due to changes in epidemic timing and management methods. (2) Materials and Methods: The structural, operational, and case-specific LTMHF data of COVID-19-confirmed patients during these outbreaks in 2020 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. (3) Results: Forty individuals (37 residents) in 2020 and thirty-nine (32 residents) in 2022 were confirmed to have COVID-19, and ten were infected twice. Facility isolation was implemented as an infection control measure, and one COVID-19-related death occurred in 2020. All residents and staff were vaccinated at least twice in 2022; moreover, in 2022, 38 patients (97.4%) received a third vaccination less than months before infection. The average Ct value of the cases in 2022 was significantly higher than that in 2020; however, vaccine-breakthrough (V-BT) and reinfection after vaccination rates were similar. (4) Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccination could help lower the viral load of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was inversely correlated with Ct values, and ventilation system improvements in health facilities might reduce transmissibility.

ISOL module system for RAON ISOL facility

RAON (Rare Isotope Accelerator complex for ON-line experiments) heavy ion accelerator facility in Korea is preparing for producing rare isotopes using Isotope Separation On-line (ISOL) facility. Rare isotopes will be produced by a 70 MeV proton beam incident on the target system. Expecting the harsh radiation environment of the target area, the module system has been adopted. The module system in the ISOL facility consists of target ion source (TIS), rare isotope (RI) transport, and proton beam diagnostic modules. In order to handle and maintain the module system, the remote handling (RH) systems are developed and tested.

A New Digital Analysis Technique for the Mechanical Aperture and Contact Area of Rock Fractures

In this study, a new digital technique for the analysis of the mechanical aperture and contact area of rock fractures under various normal stresses is proposed. The technique requires point cloud data of the upper and lower fracture surfaces, pressure film image data of the fracture, and normal deformation data of the fracture as input data. Three steps of algorithms were constructed using these input data: (1) a primary matching algorithm that considers the shape of the fracture surfaces; (2) a secondary matching algorithm that uses pressure film images; and (3) a translation algorithm that considers the normal deformation of a fracture. The applicability of the proposed technique was investigated using natural fracture specimens sampled at an underground research facility in Korea. In this process, the technique was validated through a comparison with the empirical equation suggested in a previous study. The proposed technique has the advantage of being able to analyze changes in the mechanical aperture and contact area under various normal stresses without multiple experiments. In addition, the change in the contact area on the fracture surface according to the normal stress can be analyzed in detail.

Participatory Planning of Public Architecture under the Condition of Newly Exploring and Organizing Various Participants: The Case of School Facility in Korea

Discussions and practices aimed at improving the learning environment of public school facilities built in the 1990s to fit the current century are ongoing. There have been improvements to the school environment in Korea for approximately a decade that involved user participation and collaboration in the design process. This study aims to determine the characteristics of user participation in consultations on one such project and reflects on the condition that participants in public building projects be newly sought out and organized. This is a qualitative study that tracks the actions and results of participants and related subjects from an exploratory point of view, targeting the Seoul Eunro Elementary School (SEES) project. The participants did not include users who raised issues about the school space or influenced the start of the project, moreover, they had no experience participating in public projects. Thereby, the participants should be categorized into newly or partly reorganized groups. The administration and experts should focus on collecting opinions, including design training, and detailed roles should be assigned for the same.

An Effective Staff Scheduling for Shift Workers in Social Welfare Facilities for the Disabled

The efficient management of social worker personnel is important since it involves a huge portion in its operations. However, the burnout and turnover rates of social workers are very high, which is due to dissatisfaction with the irregular and unequal schedules, despite the continuous improvement in the treatment of social workers and the enactment of work-related legislation in Korea. This means that changes in policy do not significantly contribute to improving worker satisfaction, which shows the necessity of the strategies to prevent the turnover of workers. Therefore, this study aims to propose a strategy for the staff scheduling of workers that considers the fairness in the shift distribution among workers and the individual preference for shift work by using the linear programming. A survey about the preferences for shift work is conducted that targeted the employees of a welfare facility in Korea to enhance the practicality of the model. The effectiveness and applicability of the developed mathematical model are verified by deriving a deterministic schedule for a worker via the system parameters that were obtained based on the survey and the rules of the welfare facility in the numerical experiment. Compared to the conventional schedule, the derived schedule shows an improvement in the deviations in the number of shifts workers and a reflection of the personal preferences. This can raise the social worker’s satisfaction, which will decrease intention on burnouts and turnover. It will consequently facilitate on managing human resources in welfare facilities.

Impact of Concrete Degradation on the Long-Term Safety of a Near-Surface Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility in Korea

The migration of radionuclides from radioactive waste into the environment poses a public safety concern. Thus, the long-term safety assessment for near-surface disposal sites for radioactive waste in South Korea entails providing reasonable assurance that the annual radiation dose exposure from radionuclide release from the waste repository into the biosphere will not exceed the regulatory limit of 0.1 mSv/yr. At the first near-surface disposal site in Gyeongju, concrete was a crucial component of the engineered barriers designed to contain radionuclides within the disposal site. The ability of concrete to retain radioactive waste within the disposal site is attributed to its high sorption capacity for radionuclides. However, research has shown that the degradation of concrete can affect its radionuclide retention capabilities, which are defined by sorption properties of distribution (Kd) and diffusion (Ds) coefficient parameters. As a result, changes in sorption properties may lead to radionuclides migrating out of the disposal vault. In light of the geochemical deterioration of engineered concrete barriers, this study assesses the long-term safety of near-surface disposal sites. To simulate the impact of concrete degradation on radionuclide migration, we employed RESRAD-OFFSITE’s extended source-term features, which can model the release of radionuclides from radioactive waste shielded by concrete barriers. Using carefully screened published sorption data of four radionuclides (14C, 137Cs, 90Sr and 99Tc) in different stages of concrete degradation, the results indicated that released radioactivity during the most degraded state of concrete will result in a maximum radiation exposure dose of 1.4 × 10−8 mSv/yr from 99Tc which is below the permissible limit of 0.1 mSv per year, thus demonstrating that concrete is a reliable component of the engineered designed barriers for near-surface disposal facilities.

Evaluation of cementation of intermediate level liquid waste produced from fission 99Mo production process and disposal feasibility of cement waste form

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) is planning the construction of the KIJANG Research Reactor (KJRR) for stable supply of 99Mo. The Fission 99Mo Production Process (FMPP) of KJRR produces solid waste such as spent uranium cake and alumina cake, and liquid waste in the form of intermediate level liquid waste (ILLW) and low level liquid waste (LLLW). This study thus established the operating range and optimum operating conditions for the cementation of ILLW from FMPP. It also evaluated whether cement waste form samples produced under optimum operational conditions satisfy the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) of a disposal facility in Korea (Korea radioactive waste agency, KORAD). Considering economic feasibility and safety, optimum operational conditions were achieved at a w/c ratio of 0.55, and the corresponding salt content was 5.71 wt%. The cement waste form samples prepared under optimum operational conditions were found to satisfy KORAD's WAC when tested for structural stability and leachability. The results indicate that the proposed cementation conditions for the disposal of ILLW from FMMP can be effectively applied to KJRR's disposal facility.

Evaluation of Disposal Stability for Cement Solidification of Lime Waste.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) obtains UO2 powder using the ammonium uranyl carbonate (AUC) wet process. Hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) is used to neutralize liquid wastes produced from the AUC process, and the resulting byproduct is known as lime waste. The purpose of this study is to determine optimum operating conditions for cementation of radioactive lime waste produced from the AUC process, and to evaluate the structural stability and leaching stability of cement waste form. The waste acceptance criteria (WAC) of a waste disposal facility in Korea were used to evaluate the cement waste form samples. The maximum lime waste content guaranteeing the shape stability of cement waste form was found to be 80 wt.% or less. Considering the economic feasibility and error of the cementation process, the optimum operating conditions were achieved at a lime waste content of 75 wt.% and a water-to-cement (w/c) ratio of 2.0. The compressive strength of cement waste form samples prepared under optimal operating conditions was 61.4, 76.3, and 61.0 kgf/cm2 after the thermal cycling test, water immersion test, and irradiation, respectively, satisfying the compressive strength of 35.2 kgf/cm2 specified in WAC. A leaching test was performed on the samples, and the leachability indexes (LX) of Cs, Sr, and Co nuclides were 7.63, 8.02, and 10.89, respectively, which are all higher than the acceptance criterion of 6. The results showed that the cement waste forms prepared under optimal operating conditions satisfied the WAC in terms of structural stability and leaching stability. As such, the proposed cement solidification method for lime waste disposal can be effective in solidifying lime waste powder produced during the neutralization of liquid wastes in the AUC process.

The new underground facility in Korea, Yemilab

A new underground facility called Yemilab with a depth of 1,000 m will be constructed for studies on neutrinos and dark matter search. The new underground facility is located within the site of an iron mine in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea. Since the mine has a vertical shaft with a diameter of 6 m and a length of 600 m, the facility uses this shaft. The construction of the new underground facility consists of a cage for passengers (man-cage) to enter the underground, excavation of tunnels with a total area of 10,000 m2 including a dedicated area of 2,600 m2 for experiments, and construction of electrical and mechanical facilities for operation. The construction is carried out in two phases. In the first phase, man-cage manufacturing/installation and most of the tunnel excavation were carried out. In the second stage, excavation of a large cylindrical pit with dimensions of 20 m (D) × 20 m (H) is being carried out together with the installation of a 2 MW power supply and construction of facilities for ventilation, drainage, and fire prevention. The first phase construction started in 2018 and was completed in August 2020. The second phase construction started in May 2021 and is going to be completed in May 2022.

1960-70년대 반애란(Eleanor van Lierop) 선교사의 요보호여성 복지사업과 애란원의 설립 : 『Lord of the Dance』를 중심으로

Missionary Eleanor van Lierop is the founder of Aeranwon, which was established to help prostitutes who have increased rapidly after the Korean War. Based on her Christian perception of women, she tried to overcome the prejudice of Korean society that 'a woman who is once into prostitution cannot be recovered'. She also urged the need for welfare for prostitutes. Through the establishment of the first single mother protection facility in Korea, she was the first to take the lead in respecting the fetus' life and protecting the motherhood of the single mother. Her activities have led to the interests and alliances of various institutions in welfare work for women in need. The values of Aeranwon's founding spirit, such as respect for the life of the fetus, protection of motherhood, and preservation of family, are in line with the social ethics pursued by Korean Christianity. In the end, the establishment and growth of Aeranwon contributed to sharing the value of Christianity in Korean society and led to changes in government policies. This can be seen as a case in which Christianity has established itself as a new standard of the view of women replacing Confucianism. Because of this, it has historical significance in the history of the Korean church.

Decomposition of Waste Shells Using Multi-Complex Microorganisms

Objectives : Korea is a global aquatic product producer/consumer country, and shellfish including oysters are no exception. Oysters occupy the largest proportion as a single variety in the domestic aquaculture industry. The production volume reaches an average of more than 300,000 tons per year. The oyster shells left after harvesting oyster is reaching over 280,000 tons/yr. About 70 % of these are recycled, but the remaining shells which are over 60,000 tons, causing serious environmental problems such as odor and water pollution. In order to solve this problem, some local governments investigated the possibility of applying microorganisms, but it was effective only to remove odors and it was not possible to decompose the oyster shell itself. In this study, an attempt was made to solve the problem of waste shell decomposition by using multi-complex microorganisms rather than microorganisms composed of a few species.Methods : As a waste food extinction facility in Korea, the first certified Q mark equipment was used. After mixing oyster shells and food wastes in a 1:1 ratio, they were subjected to decomposition and extinction treatment at a high temperature of 80 ℃ using multi-complex microorganisms. Multi-complex microorganisms are composed of various soil microorganisms, including aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms. They are in an activated ecosystem by forming a symbiotic relationship to obtain a strong decomposition synergistic effect.Results and Discussion : The composition of complex microorganisms was mainly Firmicutes at the beginning, but Proteobacteria accounted for a half after 29 hours from the start of the experiment, and after 77 hours, it was shifted to Firmicutes A. All-organic components were decomposed within 72 hours, and the shell was changed to a powder form, and the total weight was reduced to less than 10% of the input total weight. It was found that treatment for at least 48 hours was required to decompose organic components from food waste, and after the organic components were decomposed, oyster shells were transformed into fine particles. The main components of the particles were calcium carbonate, which was identified as Aragonite and Calcite.Conclusions : Considering that the main component of the shell is calcium carbonate, and the temperature at which calcium carbonate is decomposed into quicklime and carbon dioxide is around 800 ℃, the result of weight loss of the shell is difficult to explain with the existing thermal decomposition mechanism. It is necessary to explore further a new possible mechanism of shell decomposition by complex microorganisms.

Species and characteristics of volatile organic compounds emitted from an auto-repair painting workshop

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are secondary pollutant precursors having adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Although VOC emissions, their sources, and impacts have been investigated, the focus has been on large-scale industrial sources or indoor environments; studies on relatively small-scale enterprises (e.g., auto-repair workshops) are lacking. Here, we performed field VOC measurements for an auto-repair painting facility in Korea and analyzed the characteristics of VOCs emitted from the main painting workshop (top coat). The total VOC concentration was 5069–8058 ppb, and 24–35 species were detected. The VOCs were mainly identified as butyl acetate, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene compounds. VOC characteristics differed depending on the paint type. Butyl acetate had the highest concentration in both water- and oil-based paints; however, its concentration and proportion were higher in the former (3256 ppb, 65.5%) than in the latter (2449 ppb, 31.1%). Comparing VOC concentration before and after passing through adsorption systems, concentrations of most VOCs were lower at the outlets than the inlets of the adsorption systems, but were found to be high at the outlets in some workshops. These results provide a theoretical basis for developing effective VOC control systems and managing VOC emissions from auto-repair painting workshops.

A Care Knowledge Management System Based on an Ontological Model of Caring for People With Dementia: Knowledge Representation and Development Study

BackgroundCaregivers of people with dementia find it extremely difficult to choose the best care method because of complex environments and the variable symptoms of dementia. To alleviate this care burden, interventions have been proposed that use computer- or web-based applications. For example, an automatic diagnosis of the condition can improve the well-being of both the person with dementia and the caregiver. Other interventions support the individual with dementia in living independently.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop an ontology-based care knowledge management system for people with dementia that will provide caregivers with a care guide suited to the environment and to the individual patient’s symptoms. This should also enable knowledge sharing among caregivers.MethodsTo build the care knowledge model, we reviewed existing ontologies that contain concepts and knowledge descriptions relating to the care of those with dementia, and we considered dementia care manuals. The basic concepts of the care ontology were confirmed by experts in Korea. To infer the different care methods required for the individual dementia patient, the reasoning rules as defined in Semantic Web Rule Languages and Prolog were utilized. The accuracy of the care knowledge in the ontological model and the usability of the proposed system were evaluated by using the Pellet reasoner and OntOlogy Pitfall Scanner!, and a survey and interviews were conducted with caregivers working in care centers in Korea.ResultsThe care knowledge model contains six top-level concepts: care knowledge, task, assessment, person, environment, and medical knowledge. Based on this ontological model of dementia care, caregivers at a dementia care facility in Korea were able to access the care knowledge easily through a graphical user interface. The evaluation by the care experts showed that the system contained accurate care knowledge and a level of assessment comparable to normal assessment tools.ConclusionsIn this study, we developed a care knowledge system that can provide caregivers with care guides suited to individuals with dementia. We anticipate that the system could reduce the workload of caregivers.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Surgical Treatment Patterns for Colorectal Cancer in a Tertiary Medical Facility in Korea.

Simple SummaryThe COVID-19 pandemic is threatening to public health, including malignant disease. Fear of viral infection has influenced the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer and may result in impairment of surgical and oncologic outcomes. Therefore, we need to analyze the influence of COVID-19 on surgical outcomes of colorectal cancer and provide guidance on proper diagnosis and treatment, including public messaging regarding appropriate healthcare. Because of their reluctance to visit the hospital due to concerns about contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), patients with colorectal cancer have been affected by delays in care during the pandemic. This study assessed the effects of the pandemic on the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment patterns of colorectal cancer patients at a tertiary medical facility in Korea. Patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery at our institution between March and September 2020 were analyzed. Clinicopathological and treatment characteristics were compared with those of patients who underwent surgery in 2018 and 2019. The patients who did not undergo tumor resection (4.1% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001) and who received neoadjuvant treatment (16.7% vs. 14.7%, p = 0.039) were significantly higher during the COVID period. The minimally invasive approach was performed less during the COVID period (81.2% vs. 88%, p < 0.001). More patients in the COVID period required combined resection of organs adjacent to the tumor (4.8% vs. 2.8%, p = 0.017). Surgical aggressiveness, as shown by the proportion of patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery and adjacent organ resection, was significantly influenced by the pandemic. In addition, resectability decreased during the COVID period. These characteristics will likely influence long-term oncological outcomes, indicating the need for long-term monitoring of this cohort.

Design of muon production target system for the RAON μSR facility in Korea

Following the launch of Rare Isotope Science Project in December 2011, a heavy ion accelerator complex in South Korea, named RAON, has since been designed. It includes a muon facility for muon spin rotation, relaxation, and resonance. The facility will be provided with 600 MeV and 100 kW (one-fourth of the maximum power) proton beam. In this study, the graphite target in RAON was designed to have a rotating disk shape and was cooled by radiative heat transfer. This cool-down process has the following advantages: a low-temperature gradient in the target and the absence of a liquid coolant cooling system. Monte Carlo simulations and ANSYS calculations were performed to optimize the target system in a thermally stable condition when the 100 kW proton beam collided with the target. A comparison between the simulation and experimental data was also included in the design process to obtain reliable results. The final design of the target system will be completed within 2020, and its manufacturing is in progress. The manufactured target system will be installed at the RAON in the Sindong area near Daejeon-city in 2021 to carry out verification experiments.