• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.158-164
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• 2012

Purpose: To evaluated the patterns of failure, survival rate, treatment-related toxicity and prognostic factors in postoperative radiotherapy of patients with ependymoma. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients who underwent surgery and postoperative radiotherapy for ependymoma between the period of June 1994 and June 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. The age of patients ranged from 21 months to 66 years (median, 19 years). Seventeen patients had grade II ependymoma, and 13 had grade III anaplastic ependymoma according to the World Health Organization grading system. The postoperative irradiation was performed with 4 or 6 MV photon beam with median dose of 52.8 Gy (range, 45 to 63 Gy), and radiation field including 2 cm beyond the preoperative tumor volume. Median follow-up period was 51 months (range, 12 to 172 months). Results: Fourteen out of 30 (46.7%) patients experienced recurrence, and 12 of those died. Among those 14 patients who experienced recurrence, 11 were in-field and 3 were out-of-field recurrence. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 66.7% and 56.1%, respectively. On univariate analysis, tumor grade was a statistically significant prognostic factor for OS and PFS. There were two complications after surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, including short stature and facial palsy on the left side. Conclusion: We observed good survival rates, and histologic grade was a prognostic factor affecting the OS and PFS. Almost all recurrence occurred in primary tumor site, thus we suggest further evaluation on intensity-modulated radiotherapy or stereotatic radiosurgery for high-risk patients such as who have anaplastic ependymoma.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.156-163
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• 2011

Purpose: To evaluate long-term local control rate and toxicity in patients treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for pituitary adenomas. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 60 patients treated with EBRT for pituitary adenoma at Korea University Medical Center from 1996 and 2006. Thirty-five patients had hormone secreting tumors, 25 patients had non-secreting tumors. Fifty-seven patients had received postoperative radiotherapy (RT), and 3 had received RT alone. Median total dose was 54 Gy (range, 36 to 61.2 Gy). The definition of tumor progression were as follows: evidence of tumor progression on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, worsening of clinical sign requiring additional operation or others, rising serum hormone level against a previously stable or falling value, and failure of controlling serum hormone level so that the hormone level had been far from optimal range until last follow-up. Age, sex, hormone secretion, tumor extension, tumor size, and radiation dose were analyzed for prognostic significance in tumor control. Results: Median follow-up was 5.7 years (range, 2 to 14.4 years). The 10-year actuarial local control rates for non-secreting and secreting adenomas were 96% and 66%, respectively. In univariate analysis, hormone secretion was significant prognostic factor (p = 0.042) and cavernous sinus extension was marginally significant factor (p = 0.054) for adverse local control. All other factors were not significant. In multivariate analysis, hormone secretion and gender were significant. Fifty-three patients had mass-effect symptoms (headache, dizziness, visual disturbance, hypopituitarism, loss of consciousness, and cranial nerve palsy). A total of 17 of 23 patients with headache and 27 of 34 patients with visual impairment were improved. Twenty-seven patients experienced symptoms of endocrine hypersecretion (galactorrhea, amenorrhea, irregular menstruation, decreased libido, gynecomastia, acromegaly, and Cushing's disease). Amenorrhea was abated in 7 of 10 patients, galactorrhea in 8 of 8 patients, acromegaly in 7 of 11 patients, Cushing's disease in 4 of 4 patients. Long-term complication was observed in 4 patients; 3 patients with cerebrovascular accident, 1 patient developed dementia. Of these patients, 3 of 4 received more than 60 Gy of irradiation. Conclusion: EBRT is highly effective in preventing recurrence and reducing mass effect of non-secreting adenoma. Effort to improve tumor control of secreting adenoma is required. Careful long-term follow-up is required when relatively high dose is applied. Modern radiosurgery or proton RT may be options to decrease late complications.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.199-205
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• 2013

Purpose: To assess the clinical efficacy and toxicity of whole pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy (WP-IMRT) for high-risk prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients with high-risk prostate cancer treated between 2008 and 2013 were reviewed. The study included patients who had undergone WP-IMRT with image guidance using electronic portal imaging devices and/or cone-beam computed tomography. The endorectal balloon was used in 93% of patients. Patients received either 46 Gy to the whole pelvis plus a boost of up to 76 Gy to the prostate in 2 Gy daily fractions, or 44 Gy to the whole pelvis plus a boost of up to 72.6 Gy to the prostate in 2.2 Gy fractions. Results: The study cohort included 70 patients, of whom 55 (78%) had a Gleason score of 8 to 10 and 50 (71%) had a prostate-specific antigen level > 20 ng/mL. The androgen deprivation therapy was combined in 62 patients. The biochemical failure-free survival rate was 86.7% at 2 years. Acute any grade gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity rates were 47% and 73%, respectively. The actuarial rate of late grade 2 or worse toxicity at 2 years was 12.9% for GI, and 5.7% for GU with no late grade 4 toxicity. Conclusion: WP-IMRT was well tolerated with no severe acute or late toxicities, resulting in at least similar biochemical control to that of the historic control group with a small field. The long-term efficacy and toxicity will be assessed in the future, and a prospective randomized trial is needed to verify these findings.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.467-474
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• 2007

In this paper, a total of 13 beams with bonding, anchorage system, amount of prestressing and span length as variables of experiment were tested in flexural test and analyzed in finite element analysis; one control beam, two simplified FRP-boned beams, four prestressed FRP-unbonded beams and four prestressed FRP-bonded beams. Also, a nonlinear finite element analysis of beams in the flexural test is performed by DIANA program considered material nonlinear of concrete, reinforcement and the interfacial bond-slip model between concrete and CFRP plates. The failure mode of prestressed CFRP plated-beams is not debonding but FRP rupture. RC members strengthened with external bonded prestressed CFRP plates occurred 1st and 2nd debonding of the composite material. After the debonding of CFRP plates occurs in bonded system, behavior of bonded CFRP-plated beams change into that of unbonded CFRP-plated beams due to fix of the anchorage system. Also, It was compared flexural test results and analytical results of RC members strengthened with CFRF plates. The ductility of beams strengthened by CFRP plates with the anchorage system is considered high with the ductility index of above 3. Analysis results showed a good agreement with experiment results in the debonding load, yield load and ultimate load.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.2 s.54
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• pp.95-104
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• 2007

Three types of high-rise RC building structures having irregularity in the lower two stories were selected as prototypes and were performed nonlinear static analysis by using OpenSees to verify the analysis technique and to investigate the seismic capacity of those buildings. The first one has a symmetrical moment resisting frame (Model 1), the second has an infilled shear wall in the central frame (Model 2), and the third has an infilled shear wall only in one of exterior frames (Model 3). Fiber model, which consists of concrete and reinforcing bar represented from stress-strain relationship, is adapted used for simulate the nonlinearity of members, and MVLEM(Multi vertical linear element model) is used for simulate the behavior of wall. The analytical results are simulate the behavior of piloti stories well, for example, the stiffness and yield farce of piloti stories, the up-lift of wall and the variation of lateral stiffness of column due to the variation of axial forces. Overstrength of Model 2 and Model 3 are about 2 times larger than that of Model 1. The reason of the high oversttrength and ductility of Model 2 and Model 3 is that the conservative design of Model 2 and Model 3, whose beam and column sections are the same as those of Model 1. The ductilities of Model 1 and Model 3 are slightly larger than that of Model 1 and Model 3. Model 1 and Model 3 reached mechanism condition, whereas Model 2 failed to the shear failure of shear wall and the large axial forces in columns due to large overturning moment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.151-160
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• 2010

The number of cases of collapsed plastic greenhouses in farmlands has increased due to the heavy local snowfall caused by extraordinary atmospheric phenomena. Consequently, the economic losses of farmers have also increased. However the government policy in relation to damage pretension is insufficient and collapse case is repeated every year. The main reason for frame collapse is that the moment capacity of a steel pipe is not sufficient to resist a heavy snowload. In this study, experiments were conducted on the current frame system of a greenhouse with a tension tie. The frame consisted of two sections(${\phi}25.4{\times}1.5$, ${\phi}31.8{\times}1.5$), and its span length was 6.5 m. A temporary tension tie using a steel wire and a fabric rope was connected to the two joints, to which a curved beam and a straight column were connected. The pretension force was applied at the tension tie, and a vertical force simulating snowfall was applied until failure. The fabric rope frame increased the load-carrying capacity by 10-45% compared to the normal frame without a tension tie, and the steel wire frame increased the load-carrying capacity by 58-73% compared to the normal frame without a tension tie. Steel wire was found to be more effective as far as strength is concerned, but its connection details and pretension application are more difficult and complicated than those of the fabric rope. The test results thus show that the fabric rope is more preferable.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.671-679
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• 2008

The near surface mounted (NSM) FRP strengthening method has been conventionally applied for strengthening the deteriorated concrete structures. The NSM strengthening method, however, has been issued with the problem of limitation of the cutting depth which is usually considered as concrete cover depth. This may be related with degradation of bonding performance in long-term service state. To improve the debonding problem, in this study, the Stirrup partial-cutting NSM (SCNSM) strengthening method using CFRP plate was newly developed. SCNSM strengthening method can be effectively applied to the deteriorated concrete structure without any troubles of insufficient cutting depth. To experimentally verify the structural behavior, the flexural test of the concrete beam by using the SCNSM strengthening method was conducted with the test variable as the strengthening length (32%, 48%, 70%, 80%, 96% of span length). In the result of the test, the NSM and SCNSM strengthened specimen showed similar structural behavior with load-deflection, mode of failure. Additionally, there was no apparent structural degradation by the stirrup partial-cutting. Consequently, it was evaluated that the SCNSM strengthening method can be useful for seriously damaged concrete structures that is hard to apply the conventional NSM strengthening method for increasing the structural capacity.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2017

This paper concerns the structural behavior of high-strength concrete beams with compressive strength of 80 MPa subjected to flexure. Main test variables were nominal yielding strength of longitudinal rebar including normal strength rebar(SD 400) and high strength rebar(SD 600), reinforcement ratio from 0.98 to 1.58% and beam section size with $200{\times}250$, $200{\times}300mm$. The nine beams were cast and tested under flexure. The study investigated ultimate flexural strength, load-deflection relationship, crack patterns, failure patterns and ductility of the test beams. Test results indicate that when rebar ratio increased flexural strength increased and ductility decreased. In addition, the number of cracks increased and the crack width decreased as the reinforcement ratio increased. The yield strength of rebar did not affect significantly load-crack width relationship. Nonlinear analysis of test beams was performed and then test results and analytical results of ultimate load were compared. Analytical results of high-strength concrete beams overall underestimated flexural strength of test beams.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.669-677
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• 2009

Twenty-four beam specimens were tested to examine the effect of the maximum aggregate size on the shear behavior of lightweight concrete continuous beams. The maximum aggregate size varied from 4 mm to 19 mm and shear span-to-depth ratio was 2.5 and 0.6 in each all-lightweight, sand-lightweight and normal weight concrete groups. The ratio of the normalized shear capacity of lightweight concrete beams to that of the company normal weight concrete beams was also compared with the modification factor specified in ACI 318-05 for lightweight concrete. The microphotograph showed that some unsplitted aggregates were observed in the failure planes of lightweight concrete beams, which contributed to the enhancement of the shear capacity of lightweight concrete beams. As a result, the normalized shear capacity of lightweight concrete continuous beams increased with the increase of the maximum aggregate size, though the increasing rate was lower than that of normal weight concrete continuous beams. The modification factor specified in ACI 318-05 was generally unconservative in the continuous lightweight concrete beams, showing an increase of the unconservatism with the increase of the maximum aggregate size. In addition, the conservatism of the shear provisions of ACI 318-05 was lower in lightweight concrete beams than in normal weight concrete beams.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.261-269
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• 2003

The length of the links in an eccentrically braced frame will dictate the behavior of the frame. Link length controls the yielding mechanism and the ultimate failure mode. For short links, the links' shear forces reach the plastic shear capacity before the end moments reach the plastic moment capacity, and the links yields in the shear, forming a shear hinges. These links are termed "shear links." For long links, the end moments reach the plastic moment capacity before the links' shear forces reach the plastic shear capacity, forming moment hinges. These links are termed moment links." In long links, flexural yielding dominates the response, and very high bending strains are required at the link ends to produce large link deformations. In a shear links, the shear force is constant along the length of the links, and the inelastic shear strain are is uniformly distributed over the length of the links. This permits the development of large inelastic link deformations without the development of excessively high local strains. However, The use of eccentrically braced steel frames for the purpose of architectural cionsiderations such as openings and doors, areis dictating the use of longer links, though. Little data areis available on the behavior of long links under cyclic loading conditions. In This paper documents the results of an experimental program is that was conducted to assess the response of moment links in eccentrically braced frames. Sixteen specimens awere tested using a cyclic load.