• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2024

The key components of a Phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) are an electrode catalyst, an electrolyte matrix and a gas diffusion layer (GDL). In this study, we introduced a microporous layer on the GDL of PAFC to enhance liquid electrolyte management and overall electrochemical performance of PAFC. MPL is primarily used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells to serve as an intermediate buffer layer, effectively managing water within the electrode and reducing contact resistance. In this study, electrodes were fabricated using GDLs with and without MPL to examine the influence of MPL on the performance of PAFC. Internal resistance and polarization curves of the unit cell were measured and compared to each other to assess the impact of MPL on PAFC electrode performance. As the results, the application of MPL improved power density from 170.2 to 192.1 mW/cm². MPL effectively managed electrolyte and water within the matrix and electrode, enhancing stability. Furthermore, the application of MPL reduced internal resistance in the electrode, resulting in sustained and stable performance even during long-term operation.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2024

In current slope stability analysis techniques, slope stability is evaluated based on the saturated-soil theory. However, soil-water characteristics change frequently depending on the climate. Therefore, because the saturated soil theory has limitations, the application of the unsaturated soil theory is necessary for slope stability. It is also important to evaluate the engineering properties of unsaturated soil because the capillary absorption capacity is reduced due to heavy rain, thereby causing a reduction in slope stability. In this study, soil-water characteristic tests were performed using four samples with different fine contents (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) using granite-weathered soil in domestic production areas. In particular, to consider the previously conducted drying process as well as the evaluation of stability due to heavy rain on the actual slope, a wetting process was conducted, in which the water content was increased. In addition, the van Genuchten (1980) model, which is the most consistent theoretical equation for the experiment, was used with various theoretical equations, and the parameters were analyzed according to the fine content of the granite-weathered soil for the drying and wetting processes.

• Journal of Cadastre & Land InformatiX
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 2024

South Korea faces a declining population and rural areas vanishing due to urbanization. Infrastructure, especially medical facilities, may not be sustainable for a long-term. This may impact vulnerable groups like children, teens, and the elderly, worsened by an aging population and low birth rates. Gangwon-do, notably Chuncheon-si, suffers from rural depopulation and poor healthcare self-sufficiency. In this paper, using 2SFCA(Two-Step Floating Catchment Area), we analyze healthcare access in Chuncheon-si, identifying gaps and vulnerable areas. LISA analysis helps map medical vulnerability, considering patient demand and supply. The Gini coefficient assesses spatial inequality. We propose distributing healthcare services and personnel based on age and region. The aim is to identify locations for additional hospitals catering to the elders, Infants, Children, and Adolescents,considering spatial accessibility.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2024

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells have the advantage of low operating temperatures and fast startup and response characteristics compared to others. Simulation studies are actively researched because their cost and time benefits. In this study, the resistance of water residual in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of the unit cell was added to the existing equation to compare the actual data with the model data. The experiments were conducted with a 25 cm² unit cell, and the samples were separated into stopping times of 0, 10, and 60 minutes following primary impedance measurement, activation, and polarization curve data acquisition. This gives 0, 10, and 60 minutes for the residual water in the GDL to evaporate. Without the rest period, the magnitude of the performance improvement was not significantly different at the same potential and flow rate, but the rest period did improve the performance of the membrane electrode assembly when measuring impedance. By changing the magnitude of the resistance reduction to an overvoltage, the voltage difference between the fuel cell model with and without residual water was compared, and the error rate in the high current density region, which is dominated by concentration losses, was reduced.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.6
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• pp.1312-1326
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• 2022

Purpose To investigate the added value of right down decubitus (RDD) CT when determining adjacent organ invasion in cases of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Materials and Methods A total of 728 patients with pathologically confirmed T4a (pT4a), surgically confirmed T4b (sT4b), or pathologically confirmed T4b (pT4b) AGCs who underwent dedicated stomach-protocol CT, including imaging of the left posterior oblique (LPO) and RDD positions, were included in this study. Two radiologists scored the T stage of AGCs using a 5-point scale on LPO CT with and without RDD CT at 2-week intervals and recorded the presence of "sliding sign" in the tumors and adjacent organs and compared its incidence of appearance. Results A total of 564 patients (77.4%) were diagnosed with pT4a, whereas 65 (8.9%) and 99 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with pT4b and sT4b, respectively. When RDD CT was performed additionally, both reviewers deemed that the area under the curve (AUC) for differentiating T4b from T4a increased (p < 0.001). According to both reviewers, the AUC for differentiating T4b with pancreatic invasion from T4a increased in the subgroup analysis (p < 0.050). Interobserver agreement improved from fair to moderate (weighted kappa value, 0.296-0.444). Conclusion RDD CT provides additional value compared to LPO CT images alone for determining adjacent organ invasion in patients with AGC due to their increased AUC values and improved interobserver agreement.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2024

Physical models, which are often used for water resource management, are difficult to build and operate with input data and may involve the subjective views of users. In recent years, research using data-driven models such as machine learning has been actively conducted to compensate for these problems in the field of water resources, and in this study, an artificial neural network was used to simulate long-term rainfall runoff in the Osipcheon watershed in Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do. For this purpose, three input data groups (meteorological observations, daily precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, and daily precipitation - potential evapotranspiration) were constructed from meteorological data, and the results of training the LSTM (Long Short-term Memory) artificial neural network model were compared and analyzed. As a result, the performance of LSTM-Model 1 using only meteorological observations was the highest, and six LSTM-MLP ensemble models with MLP artificial neural networks were built to simulate long-term runoff in the Fifty Thousand Watershed. The comparison between the LSTM and LSTM-MLP models showed that both models had generally similar results, but the MAE, MSE, and RMSE of LSTM-MLP were reduced compared to LSTM, especially in the low-flow part. As the results of LSTM-MLP show an improvement in the low-flow part, it is judged that in the future, in addition to the LSTM-MLP model, various ensemble models such as CNN can be used to build physical models and create sulfur curves in large basins that take a long time to run and unmeasured basins that lack input data.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.209-222
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• 2024

The Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is widely used for underground tunnel construction for its advantages, such as eliminating the need for additional facilities compared to the slurry shield TBM, which requires Slurry Treatment Plant (STP). During EPB shield TBM excavation, a soil conditioning technique is employed to enhance the physical properties of the excavated soil by injecting additives, thus broadening the range of applicable ground conditions to EPB shield TBMs. This study explored the use of xanthan gum, a type of biopolymer, as an alternative to the commonly used polymer additive. Biopolymers, derived from biological sources, are fully biodegradable. In contrast to traditional polymers such as polyacrylic acid, which contain environmentally harmful components, xanthan gum is gaining attention as an eco-friendly material due to its minimal toxicity and environmental impact. Test conditions with similar workability were established through slump tests, and the rheological characteristics were assessed using a laboratory pressurized vane shear test apparatus. The experiments demonstrated that, despite exhibiting similar workability, the peak strength in the flow curve decreased with increasing the content of xanthan gum. Consequently, a correlation between the xanthan gum content and peak strength was established. Replacing the traditional polymers with xanthan gum could enable stable EPB shield TBM operation by reducing equipment load, in addition to offering environmental benefits.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2024

In this study, the antibacterial activity and mechanisms of bitter orange extract, a natural antibacterial agent, were investigated, with a focus on its potential application in washing water for controlling Salmonella Typhimurium contamination of salad, a ready-to-eat food. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of bitter orange extract against S. Typhimurium was determined using the broth dilution method. Subsequently, S. Typhimurium was exposed to various concentrations of bitter orange extract (1/16 MIC-2 MIC) and growth curves were measured. Following treatment with bitter orange extract, we investigated its antibacterial mechanism by measuring intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, alterations in membrane potential and integrity, and nucleic acid leakage in S. Typhimurium. Additionally, salads artificially contaminated with S. Typhimurium were treated with different concentrations of bitter orange extract using the dipping method for various durations to assess the reduction effect. The MIC of bitter orange extract against S. Typhimurium was 195.313 mg/L, and bacterial growth was completely inhibited at a concentration of 1 MIC. Furthermore, an increase in bitter orange extract concentration correlated with elevated intracellular ROS levels, membrane potential disruption, membrane damage, and nucleic acid release. Importantly, salads treated with bitter orange extract exhibited a significant reduction in S. Typhimurium counts compared to the control, and prolonged treatment times resulted in further reductions in bacterial counts. Bitter orange extract was more effective than sodium hypochlorite and can be used as a safer salad wash. These findings indicate the potential treatment of salads to prevent foodborne illnesses.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.89-98
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• 2007

This study investigates the deformation behavior, related to debonding failure, of adhesion and repairing-strengthening materials of RC construction. A strain-stress curve shows that when the stress of specimens reached the highest and then fails, the strain value of cement mortar is $2.0{\times}10^{-3}$, while concrete was indicated at around $1.3{\times}10^{-3}$, epoxy resins are $0.8{\times}10^{-3}$, polymer mortar is $2.5{\times}10^{-3}$, steel plate is $2.5{\times}10^{-3}$, and carbon bar was $9.1{\times}10^{-3}$, respectively. For a thermal expansion coefficient with temperature variation, those basis materials, cement mortar and concrete, exhibited around $10{\mu}{\varepsilon}/{^{\circ}C}$, but adhesive materials, such as epoxy resins and polymer mortar, were $41{\sim}54{\mu}{\varepsilon}/{^{\circ}C}$ and $-0.5{\sim}0.7{\mu}{\varepsilon}/{^{\circ}C}$, respectively. In the case of steel plate is similar to basic materials but carbon fiber is indicates at $-1.7{\mu}{\varepsilon}/{^{\circ}C}$, which is the lowest value. Especially, between basic and adhesive materials, the thermal expansion coefficient was highly different. Although the coefficient depends on the type of epoxy resins, it is clear that the epoxy resins are susceptible to be debonded in nature, when the difference of environmental temperature varies more than $20{\sim}35{^{\circ}C}$.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.115-122
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• 2008

This paper is to investigate the affecting factors on spalling of the high strength concrete including W/B, air content and moisture condition as well as PP fiber contents subjected to fire. An increase with 0.05% of PP fiber resulted in a reduction of slump flow by as much as 11%. Ten percent of air contents due to excessive amounts of AE agent does not lead to variance of slump flow, regardless of PP fiber content. For the effect of the compressive strength, high strength concrete with 15, 25 and 35% of W/B gained 60 MPa~100 MPa of the compressive strength. High strength concrete with H-air had half of compressive strength of that with L-air due to large amount of air. Fire test was conducted in accordance with KS F 2257-1 for 1 hour. Spalling did not occur with all specimens containing more than 0.10% of PP fiber except those with 15% of W/B. Moreover, it is interesting to note that the specimens with more than 10% of air content and with oven dried condition, respectively, had no spalling even if the content of PP fiber is 0.05 vol.%.