Nuclear security event involving nuclear and other radioactive materials outside of regulatory control (MORC) has the potential to cause severe consequences for public health, the environment, the economy and society. Each state has a responsibility to develop national nuclear security measures including nuclear forensics to respond to such events. In Japan, national nuclear forensics capability building efforts mainly based on research and development (R&D) have been conducted since 2010, in accordance with national statement of Japan at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC. Most of that work is undertaken at the Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of the Japan Atmic Energy Agency (JAEA) in close cooperation with other competent authorities. The ISCN has made increased contributions to the enhancement of international nuclear security by establishing technical capabilities in nuclear forensics and sharing the achievements with the international community. The ISCN has mainly engaged in R&Ds for establishing and enhancing nuclear forensics technical capability. As for the laboratory capability, several new pieces of analytical equipment have been introduced for nuclear forensics R&D purposes. High-precise measurement techniques validated in the past nuclear forensics incidents have been established, and novel techniques that can contribute to the more timely and confident nuclear forensics signature analysis have been developed. The ISCN has been also developed a proto-type nuclear forensics library based on the data of nuclear materials possessed for past nuclear fuel cycle research in JAEA. These technical capability developments have been conducted based on the cooperation with international partners such as the U.S. Department of Energy and EC Joint Research Center, as well as participation in exercises organized by Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (NF-ITWG). Recent R&D works have been mainly based on the needs of domestic competent authorities, such as first responders and investigators, and aim to develop technologies covering the entire spectrum of nuclear forensics processes from crime scene investigation to laboratory analysis and interpretation. One important key issue is the enhancement of technical capability for post-dispersion nuclear forensics. For instance, the ISCN has carried out the development of radiation measurement equipment coupled with the low-cost and mobile radiation detectors that uses machine-learning algorithms for quick and autonomous radioisotope identification to support first responders during crime scene investigations. Laboratory measurement techniques for samples collected at a post-dispersion crime scene are also among the important technical issues studied at the ISCN. The application of emerging technologies to nuclear forensics has also been studied. This includes the application of deep leaning models to nuclear forensics signature interpretation that could provide more confident results, as well as the development of contamination imaging technology that could contribute to the analytical planning on the samples in collaboration with conventional forensics. Many analytical techniques have been developed and the capability to analyze nuclear and other radioactive materials for nuclear forensics purposes has been considerably matured over the past decade. The challenges of post-dispersion samples, collaboration with conventional forensics and the development of novel signatures will be more important in the near future. Therefore, the ISCN will promote the R&Ds to further enhance the technical capabilities solving these issues. In addition, the ISCN is also promoting to expand the nuclear forensics research into universities and other research institutes in Japan. This is expected to contribute to the establishment of a domestic nuclear forensics network that enables to respond timely and flexibly to the MORC incidents, and to the maturation of nuclear forensics as a new academic field.

In this study, phase-pure titanium dioxide TiO2 ceramics are sintered using standard high-temperature solid-state reaction technique at different temperatures (1,000, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300, 1,400 oC). The effect of sintering temperature on the densification and impedance properties of TiO2 ceramics is investigated. The bulk density and average grain size increase with the increase of sintering temperature. Impedance spectroscopy analysis (complex impedance Z * and complex modulus M *), performed in a broad frequency range from 100 Hz to 10 MHz, indicates that the TiO2 ceramics are dielectrically heterogeneous, consisting of grains and grain boundaries. The complex impedance Z *-plane indicates the resistance of grains of the TiO2 ceramics increases with increasing sintering temperature, while that of grain boundaries develops in the opposing direction. The complex modulus M *-plane shows a grain capacitance that seems to be independent of the sintering temperature, while that of the grain boundaries decreases with increasing sintering temperature. These results suggest that different sintering temperatures have effects on the microstructure, leading to changes in the impedance properties of TiO2 ceramics.

This research studied faults that may occur during slow charging using the J1772 adapter of Tesla Model-3 electric vehicles. When the AC terminal was instantaneously disconnected, charging was performed normally when an AC circuit with disconnection up to three disconnection times was connected. Charging control was suspended when the number of disconnection reached four times. However, if the AC disconnection time exceeded 22 seconds, the charging control was stopped regardless of the number of disconnection. When a contact failure occurred at the AC terminal, high surge current and noise occurred. However, when the contact improved, the charging control continued. In terms of safety, it seems necessary to take measures such as stopping charging control when detecting noise.

The waterpower generation of the dam generates electricity by revolving the turbine through a water pipe using the difference of high/low of water, the revolving turbine makes an occurrence a terribly loud noise. Accordingly, in the water turbine generator room located on such hydroelectric generator, since a mutual communication is not establish properly when working, they are suffering many difficulties, and it is real state that such noise damages even to those workers in the office of power plant. Since the most of dam water turbine generator room built in domestic country had used the finishing materials of a huge volume and a high reflexibility, it is carrying more amplifying function with the turbine noise arising when generates the electricity. Therefore, there is not only a difficulty for mutual communication among those workers in the workplace, but also it becomes an obstruction factor for working even to the workers in the adjacent office, and because they are suffering the mental and physical damages, it is actual state that a noise-reduction measure is urgently needed. As a result of the study, on the object with the dam hydraulic turbine dynamo room in which an acoustic defect is being occurring, this Study has conducted the Psycho-Acoustics Experiment about the Delivery of Voice Information using Auralization Technique that can experience the Virtual Acoustic Field. It is considering that such study result could be used usefully for improvement of the Voice Definition when construction the dam hydraulic turbine dynamo room, in the future.

본 연구에서는 폴리술폰 분리막을 이용한 바이오가스 정제 공정으로 고선택성 소재를 이용한 2단 공정의 높은 회 수율 및 경제성과 동등한 수준의 회수율을 확보하기 위해 저온 고압의 분리막 공정을 설계하고 평가하였다. 폴리술폰 고분자 를 4성분계 도프를 이용하여 비용매 유도 상전이법으로 중공사 분리막을 제조하였다. 기체 분리용 중공사 분리막은 1.6 m2의 유효 막면적을 갖는 샘플을 제조하여 상온 및 저온에서 기체 투과 특성을 평가하였다. 제조된 기체분리막 모듈의 온도에 따 른 기체 투과 특성을 분석하기 위하여 온도별 단일 기체 투과도를 평가한 결과 이산화탄소와 메탄 투과도는 20°C에서 각각 412, 12.7 GPU이며, -20°C에서는 각각 280, 3.6 GPU로써 이상 선택도는 32.4에서 77.8로 향상되었다. 단일 기체 투과 테스 트 후 혼합 기체에 대한 분리 테스트를 진행하였으며, 모듈 1단 구성 및 2단 구성(막 면적비 1:1, 1:2, 1:3)을 통하여 투과 거 동을 살펴보았다. 1단 구성에서는 stage-cut이 상승함에 따라 메탄의 농도가 상승하지만, 반대로 회수율은 떨어지는 결과를 나 타내었다. 2단 구성 테스트에서는 메탄 농도 97% 기준에서 막 면적비 1:1보다 1:3이 메탄의 회수율이 더 높게 측정되었으며, 공급 기체의 온도가 낮을수록 메탄의 회수율이 높아짐을 확인하였고, 최종적으로 폴리술폰 2단 공정에서 메탄 농도 97%, 회 수율 97%의 결과를 달성하였다.

Recently, the purchase of fresh-cut produce and meal kits has increased. Ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh-cut products have potentially hazard of cross-contamination of various microorganisms in the processes of peeling, slicing, dicing, and shredding. There are frequent cases of protozoa food poisoning, such as Cyclospora and Cryptosporidium, caused by fresh-cut products. The objective of the study is to investigate the microbiological qualities of various types of RTE fresh-cut products in the domestic on/offline markets. RTE fresh-cut fruits cup (n=100), fresh-cut vegetables (n=50), and vegetables in meal kits (Vietnamese spring rolls and white radish rolls kits, n=50) were seasonally analyzed. The contamination levels of hygienic indicator organisms, yeast and mold (YM), and foodborne pathogens (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7) were monitored. Overall, the lowest microbiological qualities of meal kits vegetables were observed, followed by RTE fresh-cut fruits cup and fresh-cut vegetables. Contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and YM in meal kits vegetables were 5.91, 3.90, and 4.71 logs CFU/g, respectively. From the qualitative analysis, 6 out of 200 RTE fresh-cut products (3%) returned positive result for S. aureus. From the quantitative analysis, the contamination levels of S. aureus in purple cabbage from a meal-kit and fresh-cut pineapple were below the acceptable limit (100 CFU/g). Staphylococcus enterotoxin seg and sei genes were detected in RTE fresh-cut celery and red cabbage from meal-kits, respectively. S. aureus contamination must be carefully controlled during the manufacturing processes of RTE fresh-cut products. Neither Cyclospora cayetanensis nor Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in the samples of RTE fresh-cut products and vegetables from meal-kits from the Korean retail markets.

The purpose of this study was to examine the microbiological and physicochemical changes on packaged tofu stored at temperatures of 5, 13, 23, and 30oC, and measure the consumable period from the expiry date to ultimately evaluate the microbiological safety on the extension of the consumable period. From the investigation, the pH value of tofu at each storage temperature (5, 13, and 23oC) showed a slight decrease over the storage period, although there was no significant change. The hardness of packaged tofu decreased more rapidly as temperature and storage time increased and the tofu started to show signs of decomposition at the same time. Analysis on the microbial change of tofu at different storage temperature revealed that the number of general bacteria also increased as the temperature increased. It was further found that packaged tofu takes 25 days at 5oC, 7 days at 13oC, and 1 day at 23oC from the expiry date until the general bacteria count is at least at the early decomposition level which is 10oC log CFU/g. However, no coliform bacteria was detected from tofu after storing at 5, 13 and 23oC. When packaged tofu was stored at 5oC, the L value changed significantly after 26 days, whereas the a and b values showed no significant change during the storage period (P>0.05). When storing tofu at 13oC and 23oC the L value decreased after 8 and 3 days, respectively. However, both a and b values increased (P<0.05).

PURPOSES : Abroad, road pavement materials vary depending on the speed and traffic volume of vehicles, but owing to the negative perception of block pavements, sidewalks, parking lots, and parks are primarily used in Korea. In addition, since speed restriction policies such as safety speed 5030 have been implemented recently, it is necessary to use block pavements for roadways, which are considered to have the effect of reducing speed. Therefore, it is necessary not only to actively discuss the introduction of block pavements for roadways but to continue research on the effectiveness of the performance evaluation and to change the perception of roads in Korea. METHODS : In this study, five indicators (surface damage, surface temperature, driving speed of vehicle, noise, and suspended dust) were selected for a sustainable road environment. The performance evaluation index of block pavement for roadways was decided according to the domestic and international literature, and the data were collected based on the evaluation index in the section with block pavement for roadways in Korea. RESULTS : The damage rate was calculated 0.35% according to the breakage of block and Maintenance Control Index(MCI) was ranked A~B even though the pavement was used for more than 4~5 years. The surface temperature of block pavement has a temperature reduction effect of 7 ℃ compared with ordinary asphalt pavement and a speed reduction of approximately 4 km/h on average; therefore, the traffic calming effect of block pavements can be expected. The noise of block pavement and asphalt pavement exhibited a similar level, and the noise level experienced by pedestrians did not change significantly as a result of frequency analysis. The measurement of road suspended dust around the road confirmed the possibility of reducing the concentration of road dust in the air owing to the smooth surface drainage and the results indicated the possibility. CONCLUSIONS : The results of this study are expected to contribute to the recognition and functional improvement of domestic block pavements by continuous monitoring to ensure the reliability of blocks. In addition, it is necessary to ensure the reliability of the quality and functional evaluation of paving materials through continuous on-site monitoring.