• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.119-133
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• 1998

Attentional processes facilitate cognitive and behavioral performance in several ways. Attention serves to reduce the amount of information to receive. Attention enables humans to direct themselves to appropriate aspects of external environmental events and internal operations. Attention facilitates the selection of salient information and the allocation of cognitive processing appropriate to that information. Attention is not a unitary process that can be localized to a single neuroanatomical region. Before the cortical registration of sensory information, activation of important subcortical structures occurs, which is called as an orienting response. Once sensory information reaches the sensory cortex, a large number of perceptual processes occur, which provide various levels of perceptual resolution of the critical features of the stimuli. After this preattentional processing, information is integrated within higher cortical(heteromodal) systems in inferior parietal and temporal lobes. At this stage, the processing characteristics can be modified, and the biases of the system have a direct impact on attentional selection. Information flow has been traced through sensory analysis to a processing stage that enables the new information to be focused and modified in relation to preexisting biases. The limbic and paralimbic system play significant roles in modulating attentional response. It is labeled with affective salience and is integrated according to ongoing pressures from the motivational drive system of the hypothalamus. The salience of information greatly influences the allocation of attention. The frontal lobe operate response selection system with a reciprocal interaction with both the attention system of the parietal lobe and the limbic system. In this attentional process, the search with the spatial field is organized and a sequence of attentional responses is generated. Affective, motivational and appectitive impulses from limbic system and hypothalamus trigger response intention, preparation, planning, initiation and control of frontal lobe on this process. The reticular system, which produces ascending activation, catalyzes the overall system and increases attentional capacity. Also additional energetic pressures are created by the hypothalamus. As psychophysiological measurement, skin conductance, pupil diameter, muscle tension, heart rate, alpha wave of EEG can be used. Event related potentials also provide physiological evidence of attention during information process. NI component appears to be an electrophysiological index of selective attention. P3 response is developed during the attention related to stimulus discrimination, evaluation and response.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.178-186
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• 2020

Background: Cognitive impairment is a public health burden. Our objective was to investigate associations between work hours and cognitive function. Methods: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants (n = 2,497; 50.7% men; age range 44-84 years) reported hours per week worked in all jobs in Exams 1 (2000-2002), 2 (2002-2004), 3 (2004-2005), and 5 (2010-2011). Cognitive function was assessed (Exam 5) using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (version 2), a measure of global cognitive functioning; the Digit Symbol Coding, a measure of processing speed; and the Digit Span test, a measure of attention and working memory. We used a prospective approach and linear regression to assess associations for every 10 hours of work. Results: Among all participants, associations of hours worked with cognitive function of any type were not statistically significant. In occupation-stratified analyses (interaction p = 0.051), longer work hours were associated with poorer global cognitive function among Sales/Office and blue-collar workers, after adjustment for age, sex, physical activity, body mass index, race/ethnicity, educational level, annual income, history of heart attack, diabetes, apolipoprotein E-epsilon 4 allele (ApoE4) status, birth-place, number of years in the United States, language spoken at MESA Exam 1, and work hours at Exam 5 (β = -0.55, 95% CI = -0.99, -0.09) and (β = -0.80, -1.51, -0.09), respectively. In occupation-stratified analyses (interaction p = 0.040), we also observed an inverse association with processing speed among blue-collar workers (adjusted β = -0.80, -1.52, -0.07). Sex, race/ethnicity, and ApoE4 did not significantly modify associations between work hours and cognitive function. Conclusion: Weak inverse associations were observed between work hours and cognitive function among Sales/Office and blue-collar workers.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.767-773
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anxiolytic-like effect of the methanol extract of Sophorae fructus (MESF) using elevated plus-maze (EPM), open field test, and horizontal wire test in mice. MESF was orally administered at doses of 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg to ICR mice 1 h before behavioral evaluation. The control group was given an equal volume of 10% Tween 80, and the positive control group was given diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.). The administration of MESF significantly increased the percentage of time spent in open arms and the entries into the open arms of the EPM compared with the 10% Tween 80-treated control group (p < 0.05). In addition, the anxiolytic-like activities of MESF were antagonized by flumazenil (a GABAA antagonist, 10 mg/kg) but not by WAY-100635 (a 5-HT1A antagonist, 0.3 mg/kg). Futhermore, there were no changes in the locomotor activity and myorelaxant effects of the experimental group, as opposed to the 10% Tween 80-treated control group. Therefore, these findings suggest that MESF promotes the anxiolytic-like activity mediated by the GABAergic nervous system in mice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.290-296
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• 2014

The present experiment investigated putative anxiolytic-like effects of quercetin using an elevated plus-maze (EPM) and hole-board apparatus test in mice. Quercetin is a flavonoid widely distributed in nature. Quercetin (1.25, 2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg) was orally administered to ICR mice 1 h before a behavioral evaluation in the EPM. Control mice were treated with an equal volume of vehicle, and positive control mice were treated with buspirone (2 mg/kg, i.p.). The mice administered quercetin (5 mg/kg) spent a significantly longer percentage of time in the open arms of the EPM and their percentage of entries into the open arms was significantly increased compared to the vehicle-treated controls (p<0.05). The anxiolytic-like activities of quercetin were antagonized by trans-4-aminocrotonic acid (a $GABA_{A-{\rho}}$ agonist, 20 mg/kg) but not by flumazenil (a $GABA_A$ antagonist, 10 mg/kg) or WAY-100635 (a $5-HT_{1A}$ antagonist, 0.3 mg/kg). Moreover, there were no changes in the locomotor activity or myorelaxant effects in any group compared with the vehicle-treated controls. In the hole-board apparatus test, the number of head-dips increased significantly in the single treatment with quercetin (5 mg/kg) group compared to the vehicle-treated controls (p<0.05). These findings suggest that quercetin can promote anxiolytic-like activity, mediated by the GABAergic nervous system, in mice.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.12-17
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• 2009

Background : To do dental treatments successfully for dentally disabled patients who are unable to cooperate to procedures needs deep sedation (DS) or general anesthesia (GA). But there are some difficulties in selecting DS because of some disadvantages such as airway problem etc. But, if we select appropriate cases, DS would be better than GA. Methods : We reviewed total 238 cases of patients who had received dental treatments under GA or DS at the clinic for the disabled in Seoul National University Dental Hospital from November 2007 to February 2009. To compare anesthesia condition between DS and GA, we reviewed preanesthesia evaluation sheet, anesthesia or sedation records and PACU sheets retrospectively. Results : The number of DS cases was 25 (11%) and that of GA was 218 (89%). To maintain DS, intravenous propofol was infused with syringe pump (100%), and sevoflurane (134 cases) or propofol (13 cases) were used for sedation induction. Mean total treatment time for DS was 36 min and 2 hour 25 min for GA. The recovery time at PACU was 44 min for DS and 80 min for GA. There were no severe complications in DS, but 18 cases showed nausea and vomiting in GA. Conclusion : Deep sedation for disabled dental patients should be selected for effective behavioral control in conjunction with general anesthesia, considering duration and pain-evoking potentials of dental treatment and type and severity of patients' disabilities altogether.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.643-653
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• 2013

Recently, there are an increasing number of studies on the method of wrapping the outer wall of granular piles with geosynthetic fibers such as geotextile or geogrid that has a certain level of tensile strength as an alternative method for the ground improvement techniques. In this study, triaxial compression tests are performed on the sand and clay specimen encased with various textiles to evaluate the reinforcing effect with regard to the tensile strength of the textile. Furthermore, triaxial compression tests are performed on the clay specimen inserted by sand only and sand encased with geosynthetics to compare behavioral differences between the conventional sand compaction pile and geosynthetic encased sand pile with regard to the replacement ratio, ${\alpha}_s$ and the tensile strength of the geosynthetics. Based on the experimental results, the strength enhancement due to the textile is affected by the longitudinal tensile strength rather than the transverse one of the applied textile. The effect of the confinement by the textile encasement results in the large increase of the cohesions. The overall behaviors, such as shear strength, pore pressure parameter at failure and stress ratio, of the geosynthetic encased sand pile is quite different from those of the conventional sand compaction pile.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.138-146
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• 2013

This study examined the characteristics of the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) in Science according to gender. It investigated gender achievement differences in the science section of the 2010 NAEA, the ratio of gender difference in achievement, the ratio of correct answers within each content domain and behavioral domain, and the items which showed high differences between males and females. The results indicate first, that, for 9th graders, females outperformed males in academic achievement in science. Second, with respect to the ratio of correct answers, males outperformed females in the advanced and below basic level groups, but females outperformed males in intermediate level groups. Third, females outperformed males in knowledge and inquiry in the behavior domains, and in chemistry and biology in the content domains. Fourth, an analysis of the items showing the largest gender gap indicated that males outperformed females in interpreting data, while females outperformed males in the items concerned with daily life and items related to the memorization of rules. This research on gender differences in science will allow teachers to complement the weaknesses of students when they study science, and support improved instructional methods in science.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.1706-1709
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• 2010

Sewerage Treatment Plants(STPs) are complexes systems in which a range of physical, chemical and biological processes occur. Since Activated Sludge Model(ASM) No.1 was published, a number of new mathematical models for simulating biological processes have been developed. However, these models have disadvantages in cost and simplicity due to the laboriousness and tediousness of their procedures. One of the major difficulties of these mathematical model based tools is that the field-operators mostly don't have the time or the computer-science skills to handle there models, so it mainly remains on experts or special engineers. In order to solve these situations and help the field-operators, the $KM^2BM$(K-water & More-M Mass Balance Model) based on the dynamic-mass balance model was developed. This paper presents $KM^2BM$ as a simulation tools for STPs design and optimization. This model considers the most important microbial behavioral processes taking place in a STPs to maximize potential applicability without increasing neither model parameter estimation nor wastewater characterization efforts.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.203-212
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• 2008

The cyclic behavior and energy dissipation mechanism of short coupling beams with various reinforcement layouts were studied. For numerical analysis of coupling beams, nonlinear truss model was used. The results of numerical analysis showed that the coupling beams with conventional reinforcement layout showed pinched cyclic behavior without significant energy dissipation, whereas the coupling beams with diagonal reinforcement exhibited stable cyclic behavior without pinching. The energy dissipation of the coupling beams was developed mainly by diagonal reinforcing bars developing large plastic strains rather than concrete which is a brittle material Based on this result, simplified equations for evaluating the energy dissipation of coupling beams were developed. For verification, the predicted energy dissipation was compared with the test results. The results showed that the simplified equations can predict the energy dissipation of short coupling beams with shear span-to-depth ratio less than 1.25 with reasonable precision, addressing various design parameters such as reinforcement layout, shear span-to-depth ratio, and the magnitude of inelastic displacement. The proposed energy equations can be easily applied to performance-based seismic evaluation and design of reinforced concrete structures and members.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.459-465
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• 2012

This study analyzed the effect of semi-rigid rafter-purlin cross-linking connection and driven steel pipe base on the static behavior of plastic greenhouse (PG). To promote the time and cost efficiency of the assembly process, each cross-linking connections of space arch type grid that consists of rafter and purlin is linked with steel-wire buckles, and each end of the rafters was driven directly to the ground to support the PG structure. However, in the design process, cross-linking connections and bases are idealized by being categorized as fully rigid or frictionless pinned, which does not appropriately reflect actual conditions. This study takes a full-scale loading test of PG and analyzes the effect of member cross-linking connections and driven steel pipe base on the behavior of a structure. The analysis provided a basis for determining the rigidity factor of member cross-linking nodes needed for finite element analysis, and the reliability of the result regarding the static behavior of PG.