• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.418-425
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• 2019

Multicistronic elements, such as the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and 2A-like cleavage sequence, serve crucial roles in the eukaryotic ectopic expression of exogenous genes. For utilization of multicistronic elements, the cleavage efficiency and order of elements in multicistronic vectors have been investigated; however, the dynamics of multicistronic element-mediated expression remains unclear. Here, we investigated the dynamics of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) IRES- and porcine teschovirus-1 2A (p2A)-mediated expression. By utilizing real-time fluorescent imaging at a minute-level resolution, we monitored the expression of fluorescent reporters bridged by either EMCV IRES or p2A in two independent cultured cell lines, HEK293 and Neuro2a. We observed significant correlations for the two fluorescent reporters in both multicistronic elements, with a higher correlation coefficient for p2A in HEK293 but similar coefficients for IRES-mediated expression and p2A-mediated expression in Neuro2a. We further analyzed the causal relationship of multicistronic elements by convergent cross mapping (CCM). CCM revealed that in all four conditions examined, the expression of the preceding gene causally affected the dynamics of the subsequent gene. As with the cross correlation, the predictive skill of p2A was higher than that of IRES in HEK293, while the predictive skills of the two multicistronic elements were indistinguishable in Neuro2a. To summarize, we report a significant temporal correlation in both EMCV IRES- and p2A-mediated expression based on the simple bicistronic vector and real-time fluorescent monitoring. The current system also provides a valuable platform to examine the dynamic aspects of expression mediated by diverse multicistronic elements under various physiological conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.657-665
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• 2021

Nondestructive evaluation methods play an important role in ensuring component integrity and safety in many industries. Operator fatigue can play a critical role in the reliability of such methods. This is important for inspecting high value assets or assets with a high consequence of failure, such as aerospace and nuclear components. Recent advances in convolution neural networks can support and automate these inspection efforts. This paper proposes using residual neural networks (ResNets) for real-time detection of corrosion, including iron oxide discoloration, pitting and stress corrosion cracking, in dry storage stainless steel canisters housing used nuclear fuel. The proposed approach crops nuclear canister images into smaller tiles, trains a ResNet on these tiles, and classifies images as corroded or intact using the per-image count of tiles predicted as corroded by the ResNet. The results demonstrate that such a deep learning approach allows to detect the locus of corrosion via smaller tiles, and at the same time to infer with high accuracy whether an image comes from a corroded canister. Thereby, the proposed approach holds promise to automate and speed up nuclear fuel canister inspections, to minimize inspection costs, and to partially replace human-conducted onsite inspections, thus reducing radiation doses to personnel.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.893-899
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• 2021

BLT2 is a low-affinity receptor for leukotriene B₄, a potent lipid mediator of inflammation generated from arachidonic acid via the 5-lipoxygenase pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate whether BLT2 plays any role in sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by infection. A murine model of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis was used to evaluate the role of BLT2 in septic inflammation. In the present study, we observed that the levels of ligands for BLT2 (LTB₄ [leukotriene B₄] and 12(S)-HETE [12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid]) were significantly increased in the peritoneal lavage fluid and serum from mice with CLP-induced sepsis. We also observed that the levels of BLT2 as well as 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and 12-LO, which are synthesizing enzymes for LTB₄ and 12(S)-HETE, were significantly increased in lung and liver tissues in the CLP mouse model. Blockade of BLT2 markedly suppressed the production of sepsis-associated cytokines (IL-6 [interleukin-6], TNF-α [tumor necrosis factor alpha], and IL-1β [interleukin-β] as well as IL-17 [interleukin-17]) and alleviated lung inflammation in the CLP group. Taken together, our results suggest that BLT2 cascade contributes to lung inflammation in CLP-induced sepsis by mediating the production of inflammatory cytokines. These findings suggest that BLT2 may be a potential therapeutic target for sepsis patients.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.39.1-39.1
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• 2021

The Local Volume Mapper(LVM) project in the fifth iteration of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V) will produce large integral-field spectroscopic survey data to understand the physical conditions of the interstellar medium in the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, and other local-volume galaxies. We are developing the LVM Instrument control software. The architecture design of the software follows a hierarchical structure in which the high-level software packages interact with the low-level and mid-level software and hardware components. We adopt the spiral software development model in which the software evolves by iteration of sequential processes, i.e., software requirement analysis, design, code generation, and testing. This spiral model ensures that even after being commissioned, the software can be revised according to new operational requirements. We designed the software by using the Unified Modeling Language, which can visualize functional interactions in structure diagrams. We plan to use the SDSS software framework CLU for the interaction between components, based on the RabbitMQ that implemented the Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP).

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.75.2-76
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• 2021

MESSIER is a science satellite project to observe the Low Surface Brightness (LSB) sky at UV and optical wavelengths. The wide-field, optical system of MESSIER is optimized minimizing optical aberrations through the use of a Linear Astigmatism Free - Three Mirror System (LAF-TMS) combined with freeform mirrors. One of the key factors in observations of the LSB is the shape and spatial variability of the Point Spread Function (PSF) produced by scatterings and diffraction effects within the optical system and beyond (baffle). To assess the various factors affecting the PSF in this design, we use PhoSim, the Photon simulator, which is a fast photon Monte Carlo code designed to include all these effects, and also atmospheric effects (for ground-based telescopes) and phenomena occurring inside of the sensor. PhoSim provides very realistic simulations results and is suitable for simulations of very weak signals. Before the application to the MESSIER optics system, PhoSim had not been validated for confocal off-axis reflective optics (LAF-TMS). As a verification study for the LAF-TMS design, we apply Phosim sequentially. First, we use a single parabolic mirror system and compare the PSF results of the central field with the results from Zemax, CODE V, and the theoretical Airy pattern. We then test a confocal off-axis Cassegrain system and check PhoSim through cross-validation with CODE V. At the same time, we describe the shapes of the freeform mirrors with XY and Zernike polynomials. Finally, we will analyze the LAF-TMS design for the MESSIER optical system.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.38.4-39
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• 2021

The Local Volume Mapper (LVM), for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V, consists of four 16 cm telescopes with three fiber spectrographs in the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. With the fixed telescopes on optical tables, the Alt-Alt mounted siderostats point and guide targets during spectrograph exposures. We are developing the integrated LVM instrument control software. Considering international travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, we decided to make a simplified version of siderostat to test the LVM telescope control system in Korea. The prototype siderostat consists of two aluminum flat mirrors, optomechanical housing structures made by aluminum profiles, and the Planewave L-350 mount. We designed the optical mirrors and the optomechanical structure of the siderostat. From structural analysis at various pointing cases, we estimated the tilt misalignments of mirrors within 4 arcsec, which would affect the telescope pointing errors.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.117-117
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• 2020

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.195-204
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• 2024

Floor inertial forces are transferred to lateral force resisting systems through a diaphragm action during earthquakes. The diaphragm action requires floor slabs to carry in-plane forces. In precast concrete diaphragms, these forces must be carried across the joints between precast floor units as they represent planes of weakness. Therefore, diaphragm reinforcement with sufficient strength and deformability is necessary to ensure the diaphragm action for the floor inertial force transfer. In a shake table test for a three-story precast concrete structure, an unexpected local failure in the diaphragm flexural reinforcement occurred. This failure caused loss of the diaphragm action but did not trigger collapse of the structure due to a possible alternative path for the floor inertial force transfer. This paper investigates this failure event and its impact on structural seismic responses based on the shake table test and simulation results. The simulations were conducted on a structural model with discrete diaphragm elements. The structural model was also validated from the test results. The investigation indicates that additional floor inertial force will be transferred into the gravity columns after loss of the diaphragm action which can further result in the increase of seismic demands in the gravity column and diaphragms in adjacent floors.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.123-148
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• 2013

The nonlinear finite element method with eight noded isoparametric quadrilateral element for concrete and two noded element for reinforcement is used for the prediction of the behavior of reinforcement concrete structures. The disturbed state concept (DSC) including the hierarchical single surface (HISS) plasticity model with associated flow rule with modifications is used to characterize the constitutive behavior of concrete both in compression and in tension which is named DSC/HISS-CT. The HISS model is applied to shows the plastic behavior of concrete, and DSC for microcracking, fracture and softening simulations of concrete. It should be noted that the DSC expresses the behavior of a material element as a mixture of two interacting components and can include both softening and stiffening, while the classical damage approach assumes that cracks (damage) induced in a material treated acts as a void, with no strength. The DSC/HISS-CT is a unified model with different mechanism, which expresses the observed behavior in terms of interacting behavior of components; thus the mechanism in the DSC is much different than that of the damage model, which is based on physical cracks which has no strength and interaction with the undamaged part. This is the first time the DSC/HISS-CT model, with the capacity to account for both compression and tension yields, is applied for concrete materials. The DSC model allows also for the characterization of non-associative behavior through the use of disturbance. Elastic perfectly plastic behavior is assumed for modeling of steel reinforcement. The DSC model is validated at two levels: (1) specimen and (2) practical boundary value problem. For the specimen level, the predictions are obtained by the integration of the incremental constitutive relations. The FE procedure with DSC/HISS-CT model is used to obtain predictions for practical boundary value problems. Based on the comparisons between DSC/HISS-CT predictions, test data and ANSYS software predictions, it is found that the model provides highly satisfactory predictions. The model allows computation of microcracking during deformation leading to the fracture and failure; in the model, the critical disturbance, Dc, identifies fracture and failure.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.375-383
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dental and skeletal effects of the modified C-palatal plate (MCPP) for total arch distalization in adult patients with Class II malocclusion and compare the findings with those of cervical pull headgear. Methods: The study sample consisted of the lateral cephalograms of 44 adult patients with Class II Division 1 malocclusion, including 22 who received treatment with MCPP (age, $24.7{\pm}7.7years$) and 22 who received treatment with cervical pull headgear (age, $23.0{\pm}7.7years$). Pre- (T1) and post-treatment (T2) cephalograms were analyzed for 24 linear and angular measurements. Multivariate analysis of variance was performed to evaluate the changes after treatment in each group and differences in treatment effects between the two groups. Results: The mean amount of distalization at the crown and root levels of the maxillary first molar and the amount of distal tipping was 4.2 mm, 3.5 mm, and $3.9^{\circ}$ in the MCPP group, and 2.3 mm, 0.6 mm, and $8.6^{\circ}$ in the headgear group, respectively. In addition, intrusion by 2.5 mm was observed in the MCPP group. In both groups, the distal movement of the upper lip and the increase in the nasolabial angle were statistically significant (p < 0.001). However, none of the skeletal and soft tissue variables exhibited significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that MCPP is an effective treatment modality for total arch distalization in adults.