Recycling and Reuse of Waste Batteries from Electric Vehicles: A review

As sales of electric vehicles rapidly increase, the amount of waste batteries is also rapidly increasing. Accordingly, social interest in the recycling and reuse of waste batteries is rapidly increasing. Waste battery recycling refers to the process of reprocessing waste batteries and extracting valuable water for reuse. Reuse of waste batteries refers to the process of using them again for the same purpose after undergoing a slight conversion process. Currently, related technology development is required, and related policies are insufficient. Looking at the global trend, a waste battery collection system is being established through the labeling system and producer responsibility recycling system, battery performance and safety evaluation standards are being established, and efficient and safe transportation systems are being established. Since it is not clear who is responsible for each stage of the problem in the disposal of waste batteries, a history management system is needed. It is important to efficiently extract and recycle waste battery resources, but it is also necessary to develop battery technology free from resource scarcity. In this review, recycling and reuse-related technologies of waste batteries, battery-related policies, and rare metal replacement technologies were explored, and directions for future waste battery policies were presented

Determinants of Working Practice Location for Clinicians According to High School, Medical School, and Resident Training Locations in Korea

Although several regulations have been implemented for medical school admission, such as a quota system, the uneven distribution of healthcare personnel across regions is an unresolved problem in Korea. This study explores the distribution and retention rate of clinicians across regions according to the degree of experience staying in the current clinical area during high school/medical school/resident training using 2016 Korean Physician Survey data. Both in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, clinicians who completed high school, medical school, and resident training in the current practice region (Subgroup D) accounted for the largest proportion (Metro, n = 1611, 46.1%; non-metro, n = 1917, 52.9%). The retention rate was the highest in Subgroup D both in metropolitan (84.3%) and non-metropolitan areas (Chungcheong 86.2%, Jeolla 79.9%, Daegu/Gyeongbuk 81.6%, Busan/Ulsan/Gyeongnam 93.3%) except Gangwon and Jeju. The second, third, and fourth highest retention rates were observed in cases where clinicians completed their high school and resident training, medical school and resident training, and resident training only, respectively, in all regions, although the ranking differs by region. To increase the retention rate of physicians, this study shows that it is necessary for a student to seek ways to continue training in the same region in which they graduated from medical school

A Study on the User Experience to Improve Immersion as a Digital Human in Lifestyle Content

With the expansion of the digital environment and the metaverse, and the intervention of artificial intelligence, interaction in the virtual world is becoming more active. Humans are discussing the social reality of the user experience in this virtual space. Technology has created an object called a human-like digital human to enhance human immersion in the metaverse. This will become a factor that improves immersion so that the experience of the virtual world becomes more intimate for humans who feel unfamiliarity, alienation, and the rejection of new technologies. However, a clear definition, expression, and approach to the digital human are still being continuously improved. This article studied the direction of improvement in factors that can improve immersion in the user experience. In the process of communication between humans and digital humans, a qualitative survey was conducted based on the five human senses, where the user experience of the digital human was central. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 men and women regarding their digital human experience, targeting Generation Z, who are familiar with the digital environment. Using NVIVO, global qualitative research software, 1000 main frequency words were derived, and the top 20 words with the highest frequency were classified into emotions and the five senses to analyze their correlation. As a result, we found that the mental models of developers and users are different in the digital human experience. Users felt more comfortable and a higher degree of intimacy when they saw the digital human as a technology, and the technology that the developer was showing was more focused on the external aspects that look similar to a human. It was found that, in order for users to immerse themselves in the digital human, various non-verbal expressions using the five senses should be further developed, rather than focusing on the human-like appearance. This study intends to serve as a cornerstone for research that can improve immersion in digital humans, with a high potential for future development

High-speed optical coherence tomography by circular interferometric ranging

Existing three-dimensional optical imaging methods excel in controlled environments, but are difficult to deploy over large, irregular and dynamic fields. This means that they can be ill-suited for use in areas such as material inspection and medicine. To better address these applications, we developed methods in optical coherence tomography to efficiently interrogate sparse scattering fields, that is, those in which most locations (voxels) do not generate meaningful signal. Frequency comb sources are used to superimpose reflected signals from equispaced locations through optical subsampling. This results in circular ranging, and reduces the number of measurements required to interrogate large volumetric fields. As a result, signal acquisition barriers that have limited speed and field in optical coherence tomography are avoided. With a new ultrafast, time-stretched frequency comb laser design operating with 7.6 MHz to 18.9 MHz repetition rates, we achieved imaging of multi-cm(3) fields at up to 7.5 volumes per second