• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.248-254
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• 2022

In this study, TiB₂-steel composite with high-fractional TiB₂ reinforcement was fabricated by gas pressure infiltration process and the microstructure analysis and compressive strength and hardness were evaluated. To elucidate the correlation between microstructure and mechanical properties for fabricated composite, after the compression test of TiB₂-steel composite, the fracture surface was analyzed and the fracture behavior on compression test was predicted. As a result of the compression fracture surface analysis, interfacial failure trace between the steel matrix and the reinforcement was observed, and the interface between the steel matrix and the reinforcement was analyzed using TEM. From the result of microstructure analysis on the fabricated composite, it was confirmed that, in addition to TiB₂ reinforcement and steel matrix, TiC phase and coarse (Fe,M)₂B (M=Cr,Mn) phase were formed. Throughout the thermodynamic calculation, it was confirmed that TiC and (Fe,M)₂B can be formed as a stable phase under the process condition. The fabricated TiB₂-steel composite had a significantly increased hardness, and the compressive strength and Young's modulus were improved by 3.07 times and 1.95 times, respectively, compared to steel matrix. It seems that the coarse (Fe,M)₂B (M=Cr,Mn) phase formed throughout the composite causes the deterioration of mechanical properties, and by controlling the formation of the (Fe,M)₂B (M=Cr,Mn) phase, it is judged that the mechanical properties of the TiB₂-steel composite can be further improved.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.336-342
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• 2019

Purpose: To examine the relationship between the progression of a kyphotic deformity and the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in conservatively treated osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture patients. Materials and Methods: This study categorized the patients who underwent conservative treatment among those patients who underwent treatment under the suspicion of a thoracolumbar compression fracture from January 2007 to March 2016. Among them, this retrospective study included eighty-nine patients with osteoporosis and osteopenia with a bone density of less than -2.0 and single vertebral body fracture. This study examined the MRI of anterior longitudinal ligament or posterior longitudinal ligament injury, superior or inferior endplate disruption, superior of inferior intravertebral disc injury, the presence of low signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and bone edema of intravertebral bodies in fractured intravertebral bodies. Results: In cases where the superior endplate was disrupted or the level of bone edema of the intravertebral bodies was high, the kyphotic angle, wedge angle, and anterior vertebral compression showed remarkably progression. In the case of damage to the anterior longitudinal ligament or the superior disc, only the kyphotic angle was markedly prominent. On the T2-weighted images, low signal intensity lesions showed a high wedge angle and high anterior vertebral compression. On the other hand, there were no significant correlations among the posterior longitudinal ligament injury, inferior endplate disruption, inferior disc injury, and the progression of kyphotic deformity and vertebral compression. The risk factors that increase the kyphotic angle by more than 5° include the presence of injuries to the anterior longitudinal ligament, superior endplate disruption, and superior disc injury, and the risk factors were 21.3, 5.1, and 8.5 times higher than those of the uninjured case, and the risk differed according to the level of bone edema. Conclusion: An osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture in osteoporotic or osteopenic patients, anterior longitudinal ligament injury, superior endplate and intravertebral disc injury, and high level of edema in the MRI were critical factors that increases the risk of kyphotic deformity.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.125-136
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• 2024

This study presents an automated Python algorithm for analyzing rainfall characteristics to establish critical rainfall thresholds as part of a landslide early warning system. Rainfall data were sourced from the Korea Meteorological Administration's Automatic Weather System (AWS) and the Korea Forest Service's Automatic Mountain Observation System (AMOS), while landslide data from 2020 to 2023 were gathered via the Life Safety Map. The algorithm involves three main steps: 1) processing rainfall data to correct inconsistencies and fill data gaps, 2) identifying the nearest observation station to each landslide location, and 3) conducting statistical analysis of rainfall characteristics. The analysis utilized power law and nonlinear regression, yielding an average R² of 0.45 for the relationships between rainfall intensity-duration, effective rainfall-duration, antecedent rainfall-duration, and maximum hourly rainfall-duration. The critical thresholds identified were 0.9-1.4 mm/hr for rainfall intensity, 68.5-132.5 mm for effective rainfall, 81.6-151.1 mm for antecedent rainfall, and 17.5-26.5 mm for maximum hourly rainfall. Validation using AUC-ROC analysis showed a low AUC value of 0.5, highlighting the limitations of using rainfall data alone to predict landslides. Additionally, the algorithm's speed performance evaluation revealed a total processing time of 30 minutes, further emphasizing the limitations of relying solely on rainfall data for disaster prediction. However, to mitigate loss of life and property damage due to disasters, it is crucial to establish criteria using quantitative and easily interpretable methods. Thus, the algorithm developed in this study is expected to contribute to reducing damage by providing a quantitative evaluation of critical rainfall thresholds that trigger landslides.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.23 no.4 s.100
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• pp.461-468
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• 2007

The quality characteristics of bread made from domestic Korean wheat flour that contained different amounts of cactus Chounnyuncho (Opuntia humifusa) powder were investigated. The water absorption and peak time, as determined by a farinograph, increased with increasing amounts of cactus powder, while stability, elasticity, and weakness decreased (p<0.05). RVA(Rapid Visco Analyzer) analysis showed that wheat flour retrogradation was retarded by increasing cactus powder content (p<0.05). The fermentation time of the bread increased with increasing cactus powder content, while the fermented volume and baking loss decreased (p<0.05). According to the sensory test, the most preferred bread contained 3% cactus powder (p0.05).

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2010

According to the capacity design concept which forms the basis of the current steel seismic codes, the braces in concentrically braced frames (CBFs) should dissipate seismic energy through cyclic tension yielding and cyclic compression buckling while the beams and the columns should remain elastic. Brace buckling in inverted V-braced frames induces unbalanced vertical forces which, in turn, impose the additional beam moments and column axial forces. However, due to difficulty in predicting the location of buckling stories, the most conservative approach implied in the design code is to estimate the column axial forces by adding all the unbalanced vertical forces in the upper stories. One alternative approach, less conservative and recommended by the current code, is to estimate the column axial forces based on the amplified seismic load expected at the mechanism-level response. Both are either too conservative or lacking technical foundation. In this paper, three combination rules for a rational estimation of the column axial forces were proposed. The idea central to the three methods is to detect the stories of high buckling potential based on pushover analysis and dynamic behavior. The unbalanced vertical forces in the stories detected as high buckling potential are summed in a linear manner while those in other stories are combined by following the SRSS(square root of sum of squares) rule. The accuracy and design advantage of the three methods were validated by comparing extensive inelastic dynamic analysis results. The mode-shape based method(MSBM), which is both simple and accurate, is recommended as the method of choice for practicing engineers among the three.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1218-1225
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• 2009

Difractose anhydrides (DFAs) is studied as a sweetener for diabetics because of its structural property. DFAs have four types: DFA I, III, IV (degradation of levan) and V (degradation of inulin). Especially, DFA IV has been shown to enhance the absorption of calcium in experiments using rats. Levan fructotransferase is an enzyme for producing di-d-fructose-2,6':6,2-dianhydride (DFA IV). To identify structural characterization, we purified wild-type and mutants (D63A, D195N and N85S) of levan fructotransferase (LFTase) from Microbacterium sp. AL-210. These proteins were purified to apparent homogeneity by Ni-NTA affinity column, Q-sepharose ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography and detected by SDS-PAGE. They were also analyzed by circular dichroism (CD) measurements, JNET secondary structure prediction, activity measurements at various temperatures, and pH analysis. The optimum pH for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction was pH 7.5 and optimum temperature was observed at $55^{\circ}C$. Along with wild-type LFTase, mutants were analyzed by CD measurement, fluorescence analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). N85S showed less $\alpha$-helix and more $\beta$ strand than others. Also, N85S showed almost the same curve as wild-type in their steady-state fluorescence spectra, whereas mutant D63A and D195N showed higher intensity than wild-type. The amino acid sequence of wild-type LFTase was compared to the sequences of exo-inulinase from Aspergillus awamori, a plant fructan 1-exohydrolase from Cichorium intybus, and Thermotogo maritime (Tm) invertase and showed a high identity with Exo-inulinase from Aspergillus awamori.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.50 no.10
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• pp.703-714
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• 2017

This paper analyzes the impact of two climate change scenarios on flow rate and water quality of the Yongdam Dam and its basin using CE-QUAL-W2 and SWAT, respectively. Under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios by IPCC, simulations were performed for 2016~2095, and the results were rearranged into three separate periods; 2016~2035, 2036~2065 and 2066~2095. Also, the result of each year was divided as dry season (May~Oct) and wet season (Nov~Apr) to account for rainfall effect. For total simulation period, arithmetic average of flow rate and TSS (Total Suspended Solid) and TP (Total Phosphorus) were greater for RCP 4.5 than those of RCP 8.5, whereas TN (Total Nitrogen) showed contrary results. However, when averaged within three periods and rainfall conditions the tendencies were different from each other. As the scenarios went on, the number of rainfall days has decreased and the rainfall intensities have increased. These resulted in waste load discharge from the basin being decreased during the dry period and it being increased in the wet period. The results of SWAT model were used as boundary conditions of CE-QUAL-W2 model to predict water level and water quality changes in the Yongdam Dam. TSS and TP tend to increase during summer periods when rainfalls are higher, while TN shows the opposite pattern due to its weak absorption to particulate materials. Therefore, the climate change impact must be carefully analyzed when temporal and spatial conditions of study area are considered, and water quantity and water quality management alternatives must be case specific.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 1999

Purpose: The sensitivity of ST-depression in the electrocardiogram during exercise is influenced by the level of efforts. However, unlike the prevalence of ST-depression on exercise ECG, the degree of exercise is reported to do not influence the diagnostic ability of myocardial perfusion scan. Furthermore, the relation between the prevalence of myocardial ischemia and effort is still controversial. We evaluated the effect of the degree of exercise on the ability of SPECT imaging to detect coronary artery stenosis. Materials and Methods: The patient population was comprised of 111 patients (73 men and 38 women, mean age 56 years) who underwent an exercise test in conjunction with Tc-99m MIBI and cardiac catheterization within 3 months apart each other. The degree of exercise was classified into four groups according to the percentage of maximal predicted heart rate. The sensitivity and specificity was compared between each group. Results: The overall diagnostic sensitivity was significantly higher with Tc-99m MIBI SPECT than exercise ECG. The specificity was not significantly different between two tests. Sensitivity and specificity of Tc-99m MIBI was not different between four groups. Sensitivity for individual coronary stenosis seemed to be lower in subjects who had premature termination of exercise due to early appearance of ST depression. Conclusion: These results suggest that the overall diagnostic sensitivity of Tc-99m MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT is not significantly affected by the degree of exercise in stable patients undergoing symptom-limited treadmill exercise testing. Myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging should be added to routine exercise stress testing for the detection of coronary artery disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.315-323
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• 2000

Background : An immunochromatographic assay (ICT Diagnostics) which facilitates the diagnosis of tuberculosis(TB) by detecting serum antibodies mainly directed against specific 38KDa of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has come into the market. The test consists of a cardboard folding device containing nitrocellulose strip and absorbent pads. The whole procedure is completed within 15 min and does not require any additional equipment. The test has been reported to be sensitive and specific in diagnosing active TB. Thus the test had been evaluated with sera from TB patients and TB-free subjects. Method : Sera from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis(40 sputum positives for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 79 sputum negatives, and 3 extrapulmonary tuberculosis) were obtained from the Double-Cross Chest Clinic of the Korean National Tuberculosis Association (KNTA) in Seoul. The control group consisted of TB-free 68 subjects(21 children under 7 years old and 47 healthy staff members of KNTA). Results : Nine out of 68(13.2%) TB-free controls had positive antibody response. Total 106 of 122(86.9%) radiologically active patients had positive antibodies while 16 (13.1%) showed negative reaction. Antibody was detected in 38 of 40(95.0%) sputum positive patients and 68 of 82(82.9%) sputum negative patients who were under the antituberculosis chemotherapy. The sensitivity and specificity were all 87% and the positive predictive value was 92.2% while the negative predictive value was 78.7%, when the prevalence of TB in the sample was 64.2%. Our results clearly show that the detection of antibodies which mainly react with the 38KDa antigen of M. tuberculosis is not suitable as the first-line method of diagnosis but considered only as an adjunctive test to standard techniques of tuberculosis diagnosis. when considering its high false positivity.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.1058-1064
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• 2016

This study investigated the correlation between physicochemical (color, soluble solids content (SSC), pH, titratable acidity (TA), and firmness) and sensory (appearance, taste, odor, and texture) characteristics of environment-friendly 'Campbell early' grapes to identify quality indices. For analysis, samples of similar-sized grapes were collected from five orchards. The results showed that the physicochemical characteristics of CIE $L^*$, CIE $a^*/b^*$, SSC, pH, TA, and firmness and the sensorial characteristics of color intensity, freshness of stem, odor, sourness, sweetness, and elasticity were different among groups. Correlation analysis results showed that an increase in sweetness and firmness and a decrease in sourness were associated with an increase in overall acceptance. Sourness and sweetness were positively correlated with CIE $L^*$ (r=0.88) and firmness (r=0.95), individually. In the principal component analysis results, component F1 and F2 explained 44.35% and 33.77%, respectively, of the total variance (78.12%). F1 represented firmness, sweetness, elasticity, hardness, grape odor, color intensity, sweet odor, sourness, and damage degree. F2 represented CIE $L^*$, TA, CIE $a^*$, CIE $a^*/b^*$, SSC/TA, SSC, and peel thickness. The results showed that consumer acceptance of 'Campbell early' grapes can be determined by assessing physicochemical attributes of firmness, CIE $L^*$, TA, CIE $a^*$, CIE $a^*/b^*$, SSC/TA, and SSC and various sensorial attributes including sweetness, fruit elasticity, fruit hardness, grape odor, and color intensity.