• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.998-1008
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• 2022

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the relationship between incidental abnormalities on thoracic computed tomography (CT) and mortality in a general screening population using a long-term follow-up analysis. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected the medical records and CT images of 840 participants (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 58.5 ± 6.7 years; 564 male) who underwent thoracic CT at a single health promotion center between 2007 and 2010. Two thoracic radiologists independently reviewed all CT images and evaluated any incidental abnormalities (interstitial lung abnormality [ILA], emphysema, coronary artery calcification [CAC], aortic valve [AV] calcification, and pulmonary nodules). Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank and z-tests was performed to assess the relationship between incidental CT abnormalities and all-cause mortality in the subsequent follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to further identify risk factors of all-cause mortality among the incidental CT abnormalities and clinical factors. Results: Among the 840 participants, 55 (6%), 171 (20%), 288 (34%), 396 (47%), and 97 (11%) had findings of ILA, emphysema, CAC, pulmonary nodule, and AV calcification, respectively, on initial CT. The participants were followed up for a mean period ± SD of 10.9 ± 1.4 years. All incidental CT abnormalities were associated with all-cause mortality in univariable analysis (p < 0.05). However, multivariable analysis further revealed fibrotic ILA as an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 2.52 [95% confidence interval, 1.02-6.22], p = 0.046). ILA were also identified as an independent risk factor for lung cancer or respiratory disease-related deaths. Conclusion: Incidental abnormalities on screening thoracic CT were associated with increased mortality during the long-term follow-up. Among incidental CT abnormalities, fibrotic ILA were independently associated with increased mortality. Appropriate management and surveillance may be required for patients with fibrotic ILA on thoracic CT obtained for general screening purposes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1734-1740
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• 2001

Feeding trials using weanling pigs and broiler chicks were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of different metal-amino acid chelates and complexes at various levels of copper and zinc on the performance and fecal excretions. A total of 200 weanling pigs (Large White ${\times}$ Yorkshire ${\times}$ Duroc, $11.20{\pm}0.81kg$) were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments following a randomized complete block design. Each treatment was replicated 4 times with 10 pigs per pen. The dietary treatments were designated as : A-diet containing 170 ppm Cu from $CuSO_4$ and 120 ppm Zn from $ZnSO_4$, B-diet containing 85 ppm Cu from Cu-amino acid chelate (CAC) and 60 ppm Zn from Zn-amino acid chelate (ZAC), C-diet containing 170 ppm Cu from CAC and 120 ppm Zn from ZAC, D-diet containing 85 ppm Cu from Cu-lysine complex (CL) and 60 ppm Zn from Zn-methionine complex (ZM), and E-diet containing 170 ppm Cu from CL and 120 ppm Zn from ZM. On the other trial, 144 of one day old broiler chicks were randomly distributed to 6 dietary treatments following a completely randomized design. Each treatment was replicated 3 times with 8 chicks per replicate. The dietary treatments were as follows: 1-diet with 60 ppm Cu from $CuSO_4$ and 40 ppm Zn from $ZnSO_4$, 2-diet with 120 ppm Cu from $CuSO_4$ and 80 ppm Zn from $ZnSO_4$, 3-diet with 60 ppm Cu from CAC and 40 ppm Zn from ZAC, 4-diet with 120 ppm Cu from CAC and 80 ppm Zn from ZAC, 5-diet with 60 ppm Cu from CL and 40 ppm Zn from ZM, and 6-diet with 120 ppm Cu from CL and 80 ppm Zn from ZM. In Exp. 1 with pigs, there was no difference on average daily gain and average daily feed intake observed among treatments. There was improvement (p<0.05) on the overall feed conversion ratio (FCR) of pigs fed diet containing 120 ppm Zn and 170 ppm Cu from metal-amino acid chelates relative to those fed diet containing inorganic sources of Cu and Zn but equally efficient as those fed diet containing metal-amino acid complexes. Pigs fed diet containing either metal-amino acid chelates or complexes as sources of Cu and Zn had higher (p<0.05) Cu and Zn concentration in serum and lower (p<0.05) in feces than those receiving diet with inorganic sources. In Exp. 2 with broiler chicks, the overall FCR was not different among treatments. Higher (p<0.05) Cu and Zn concentration in serum was obtained from birds fed diet with 60 ppm Cu and 40 ppm Zn from metal-amino acid chelates compared to those fed diet with inorganic sources of Cu and Zn. Also, the feces collected from birds fed diet with either metal-amino acid chelates or complexes contained generally lower Cu and Zn than those birds fed diet with inorganic sources. The higher the dietary level of Cu and Zn the higher the Cu and Zn concentration in the feces. Based on the results, both metal-amino acid chelates and complexes of Cu and Zn at low levels (Zn 60 ppm, Cu 85 ppm for weanling pigs and Zn 40 ppm, Cu 60 ppm for broiler chicks) are not different from that of high levels of inorganic sources in maintaining growth performance and serum concentration. The fecal excretions for Cu and Zn were greatly reduced when organic sources were used.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.187-202
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• 2009

This paper focuses on the flexural behavior of RC beams externally strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) fabric. A non-linear finite element (FE) analysis strategy is proposed to support the beam flexural behavior experimental analysis. A development system (QUEBRA2D/FEMOOP programs) has been used to accomplish the numerical simulation. Appropriate constitutive models for concrete, rebars, CFRP and bond-slip interfaces have been implemented and adjusted to represent the composite system behavior. Interface and truss finite elements have been implemented (discrete and embedded approaches) for the numerical representation of rebars, interfaces and composites.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.229-241
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• 2011

In this work, cement paste samples with 1% (by cement mass) of a conductive carbon fiber admixture have been studied under uniaxial compression. Three different arrangements were used to measure the resistivity of the samples. According to the results obtained, the resistance should be measured using the four wire method in order to obtain good sensitivity and repeatability. The effect of the load value and the load rate on the fractional change of the volume resistivity has been determined. It has been observed that the gage factor (fractional change in resistance respect to strain) increases when the maximum load is increased, and the loading rate does not affect significantly this parameter. The effect of the sample ambient humidity on the material piezoresistivity has also been studied, showing that the response of the composite is highly affected by this parameter.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.143-162
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• 2011

Advanced material models for concrete are not widely available in general purpose finite element codes. Parameters to define them complicate the implementation because they are case sensitive. In addition to this, their validity under severe shear condition has not been verified. In this article, simple engineering plasticity material models available in a commercial finite element code are used to demonstrate that complicated shear behavior can be calculated with reasonable accuracy. For this purpose dynamic response of a squat shear wall that had been tested on a shaking table as part of an experimental program conducted in Japan is analyzed. Both the finite element and material aspects of the modeling are examined. A corrective artifice for general engineering plasticity models to account for shear effects in concrete is developed. The results of modifications in modeling the concrete in compression are evaluated and compared with experimental response quantities.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.169-182
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• 2013

One of the major benefits of the pre-stressed concrete pavements is the omission of tension in concrete that results in a reduction of cracks in the concrete slabs. Therefore, the life of the pavement is increased as the thickness of the slabs is reduced. One of the most important issues in dealing with the prestressed concrete pavement is determination of the magnitude of the pre-stress. Three dimensional finite element analyses are conducted in this research to study the pre-stress under various load (Boeing 777) and thermal gradient combinations. The model was also analyzed under temperature gradients without the presence of traffic loading and the induced stresses were compared with those from theoretical relationships. It was seen that the theoretical relationships result in conservative values for the stress.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.305-322
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• 2016

The work is intended to demonstrate that the loss of bond between concrete and flexural steel which led in recent years a number of flat-slab structures to punching collapse under service loading conditions is also relevant to ultimate limit-state design. It is based on a comparative study of the results obtained from numerical experiments on flat slab-column sub-assemblages. The slabs were designed for punching either in compliance with the EC2 code requirements, which do not allow for such loss of bond, or in accordance with the compressive force-path method which considers the loss of bond between concrete and the flexural reinforcement in tension as the primary cause of punching. The numerical experiments are carried out through the use of a nonlinear finite element analysis package for which, although ample published evidence of its validity exists, additional proof of its suitability for the purposes of the present work is presented.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.295-304
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• 2016

An experimental investigation on the behaviour of concrete beams reinforced with various reinforcement, including ordinary steel bars, CFRP bars and CFRP prestressed concrete prisms(PCP). The main variable in the test program was the level of prestress and the cross section of PCP.The modes of failure and the crack width were observed. The results of load-deflection and load-crack width characteristics were discussed. The results showed that the CFRP prestressed concrete prisms as flexural reinforcement of concrete beams could limit deflection and crack width under service load and PCP can overcome the serviceability problems associated with the low elastic modulus/strength ratio of CFRP.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.407-421
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• 2016

This paper presents numerical modeling of the structural behavior of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) strengthened RC (reinforced concrete) beams under four-point bending. Simulation of debonding at the CFRP-concrete interface was focused, as it is the main failure mode of CFRP strengthened RC beams. Here, cohesive layer was employed to model the onset of debonding, which further helps to describe the post debonding behavior of the CFRP strengthened RC beam. In addition, the XFEM approach was applied to investigate the effects of crack localization on strain field on CFRP sheet and rebar. The strains obtained from the XFEM correlate better to the test results than that from CDP (concrete damaged plasticity) model. However, there is a large discrepancy between the experimental and simulated loaddisplacement relationships, which is due to the simplification of concrete constitutive law.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.351-375
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• 2013

Post-punching resistance of a flat slab can help redistribute the gravity loads and resist progressive collapse of a structure following initial damage. One important difficulty with accounting for the post-punching strength of a slab is the discontinuity that develops following punching shear. A numerical simulation technique is proposed here to model and evaluate post-punching resistance of flat slabs. It is demonstrated that the simulation results of punching shear and post-punching response of the model of a slab on a single column are in good agreement with corresponding experimental data. It is also shown that progressive collapse due to a column removal (explosion) can lead to punching failure over an adjacent column. Such failure can propagate throughout the structure leading to the progressive collapse of the structure. Through post-punching modeling of the slab and accounting for the associated discontinuity, it is also demonstrated that the presence of an adequate amount of integrity reinforcement can provide an alternative load path and help resist progressive collapse.