• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 2010

Recently, many utilities have considered interim dry storage of spent nuclear fuel as an option for increasing spent fuel storage capacity. Foreign nuclear regulatory committees have provided some regulatory and licensing requirements for relatively low- and medium-burned spent fuel with respect to the prevention of spent fuel degradation during transportation and interim dry storage. In the present study, the effect of cladding creep and hydride distribution on spent fuel degradation is reviewed and performance tests with high-burned Zircaloy-4 and advanced Zr alloy spent fuel are proposed to investigate the effect of burnup and cladding materials on the current regulatory and licensing requirements. Creep tests were also performed to investigate the effect of temperature and tensile hoop stress on hydride reorientation and subsequently to examine the temperature and stress limits against cladding material failure. It is found that the spent fuel failure is mainly caused by cladding creep rupture combined with mechanical strength degradation and hydride reorientation. Hydride reorientation from the circumferential to radial direction may reduce the critical stress intensity that accelerates radial crack propagation. The results of cladding creep tests at $400^{\circ}C$ and 130MPa hoop stress performed in this study indicate that hydride reorientation may occur between 2.6% to 7.0% strain in tube diameter with a hydrogen content range of 40-120ppm. Therefore, it is concluded that hydride re-orientation behaviour is strongly correlated with the cladding creep-induced strain, which varies as functions of temperature and stress acting on the cladding.

• Composites Research
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.22-30
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• 1999

Since the surface diffusion processed $Nb_3Sn$ superconducting tape has the advantage of having large overall critical current density. it is used for the construction of open type MRI superconducting magnets. However one of the disadvantages of this tape is that $Nb_3Sn$ compound often exhibited multiple cracking due to its intrinsic brittleness when subjected to mechanical loading such as bending and winding during the fabrication process for superconducting coil. This will eventually cause the severe degradation of critical current density. Therefore it is important to understand the microscopic deformation behavior of this kind of superconducting tape under the mechanical loading.In this study, acoustic emission(AE) was used to clarify microscopic deformation behavior at room temperature for $Nb_3Sn$ superconducting tape which was strengthened and stabilized with copper. For this purpose, special attention was paid to AE characteristics including AE event, energy, and amplitude distribution which were associated with microscopic mechanism of deformation of $Nb_3Sn$ superconducting tape under tensile load.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.239-250
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• 2003

The reliability degradation phenomena in the SiGe hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT) are investigated in this review. In the case of the SiGe HBT the decrease of the current gain, the degradation of the AC characteristics, and the offset voltage are frequently observed, which are attributed to the emitter-base reverse bias voltage stress, the transient enhanced diffusion, and the deterioration of the base-collector junction due to the fluctuation in fabrication process, respectively. The reverse-bias stress on the emitter-base junction causes the recombination current to rise, increasing the base current and degrading the current gain, because hot carriers formed by the high electric field at the junction periphery generate charged traps at the silicon-oxide interface and within the oxide region. Because of the enhanced diffusion of the dopants in the intrinsic base induced by the extrinsic base implantation, the shorter distance between the emitter-base junction and the extrinsic base than a critical measure leads to the reduction of the cut-off frequency ($f_t$) of the device. If the energy of the extrinsic base implantation is insufficient, the turn-on voltage of the collector-base junction becomes low, in the result, the offset voltage appears on the current-voltage curve.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2014

This paper investigates the output powers of PV modules by predicting three unknown parameters: reverse saturation current, and series and shunt resistances. A theoretical model using the non-uniform physical parameters of solar cells, including the temperature coefficients, voltage, current, series and shunt resistances, is proposed to obtain the I-V characteristics of PV modules. The solar irradiation effect is included in the model to improve the accuracy of the output power. Analytical and Newton methods are implemented in MATLAB to calculate a module output. Experimental data of the non-uniform solar cells for both serial and parallel connections are used to extend the implementation of the model based on the I-V equation of the equivalent circuit of the cells and to extend the application of the model to m by n modules configuration. Moreover, the theoretical model incorporates, for the first time, the variations of series and shunt resistances, reverse saturation current and irradiation for easy implementation in real power generation. Finally, this model can be useful in predicting the degradation of a PV system because of evaluating the variations of series and shunt resistances, which are critical in the reliability analysis of PV power generation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.257-257
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• 2010

One of the critical issues for applications of flexible organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) for flexible electronic systems is the electrical stabilities of the OTFT devices, including variation of the current on/off ratio ($I_{on}/I_{off}$), leakage current, threshold voltage, and hysteresis, under repetitive mechanical deformation. In particular, repetitive mechanical deformation accelerates the degradation of device performance at the ambient environment. In this work, electrical stabilities of the pentacene organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) employing multi-stack hybrid encapsulation layers were investigated under mechanical cyclic bending. Flexible bottom-gated pentacene-based OTFTs fabricated on flexible polyimide substrate with poly-4-vinyl phenol (PVP) dielectric as a gate dielectric were encapsulated by the plasma-deposited organic layer and atomic layer deposited inorganic layer. For cyclic bending experiment of flexible OTFTs, the devices were cyclically bent up to $10^5$ times with 5mm bending radius. In the most of the devices after $10^5$ times of bending cycles, the off-current of the OTFT with no encapsulation layers was quickly increased due to increases in the conductivity of the pentacene caused by doping effects from $O_2$ and $H_2O$ in the atmosphere, which leads to decrease in the $I_{on}/I_{off}$ and increase in the hysteresis. With encapsulation layers, however, the electrical stabilities of the OTFTs were improved significantly. In particular, the OTFTs with multi-stack hybrid encapsulation layer showed the best electrical stabilities up to the bending cycles of $10^5$ times compared to the devices with single organic encapsulation layer. Changes in electrical properties of cyclically bent OTFTs with encapsulation layers will be discussed in detail.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.227-244
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• 2011

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNA molecules that negatively regulate gene expression via degradation or translational repression of their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Recent studies have clearly demonstrated that miRNAs play critical roles in several biologic processes, including cell cycle, differentiation, cell development, cell growth, and apoptosis and that miRNAs are highly expressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells and a wide range of miRNAs are involved in the regulation of immunity and in the prevention of autoimmunity. It has been increasingly reported that miRNAs are associated with various human diseases like autoimmune disease, skin disease, neurological disease and psychiatric disease. Recently, the identification of miRNAs in skin has added a new dimension in the regulatory network and attracted significant interest in this novel layer of gene regulation. Although miRNA research in the field of dermatology is still relatively new, miRNAs have been the subject of much dermatological interest in skin morphogenesis and in regulating angiogenesis. In addition, miRNAs are moving rapidly center stage as key regulators of neuronal development and function in addition to important contributions to neurodegenerative disorder. Moreover, there is now compelling evidence that dysregulation of miRNA networks is implicated in the development and onset of human neruodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Tourette's syndrome, Down syndrome, depression and schizophrenia. In this review, I briefly summarize the current studies about the roles of miRNAs in various autoimmune diseases, skin diseases, psychoneurological disorders and mental stress.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.149-166
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• 2013

Flexible behaviors in new aerospace structures can lead to a degradation of their control and guidance system and undesired performance. The objectives of the current work are to analyze the vibration resulting from the propulsion force on a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) launch vehicle (LV). This is modeled as a follower force on a free-free Euler-Bernoulli beam consisting of two concentrated masses at the two free ends. Once the effects on the oscillation of the actuators are studied, a solution to reduce these oscillations will also be developed. To pursue this goal, the stability of the beam model is studied using Ritz method. It is determined that the transverse and rotary inertia of the concentrated masses cause a change in the critical follower force. A new dynamic model and an adaptive control system for an SSTO LV have been developed that allow the aerospace structure to run on its maximum bearable propulsion force with the optimum effects on the oscillation of its actuators. Simulation results show that such a control model provides an effective way to reduce the undesirable oscillations of the actuators.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.16-27
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• 2012

In multi-interface multi-channel(MIMC) based tactical ad hoc networks, QoS support for required operational capacity is one of the main challenging issues for multi-hop transmissions. To support QoS in such a harsh environment, we propose a novel MAC scheme to minimize multi-hop as well as per-hop delay. The current IEEE 802.11 MAC protocols should contend to reserve the channel resource at every hop by each sender. The every-hop channel contention results in a degradation of end-to-end delay for multi-hop transmissions. The basic idea of our scheme is to make a "multi-hop reservation" at the MAC layer by using the modified RTS frame. It contains additional information such as destination information, packet priority, and hop count, etc. In addition, we differentiate the contention window area according to the packet priority and the number of hops to deliver packets in the predefined allowed latency. Our scheme can minimize the multi-hop delay and support the QoS of the critical data in real time(i.e., VoIP, sensing video data, Video conference between commanders). Our simulation study and numerical analysis show that the proposed scheme outperforms the IEEE 802.11 MAC.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 2015

An in-flight fragment separator, which aims to produce and study rare isotopes, consists of superferric quadrupole triplets and $30^{\circ}$ dipole magnets to focus and bend the beams for achromatic focusing and momentum dispersion, respectively. The separator is divided into pre and main stages, and we plan to use superconducting magnets employing high-Tc superconductor (HTS) coils in the pre-separator area, where radiation heating is high. The HTS coils will be cooled by cold He gas in 20-50 K, and in the other area, superferric magnets using low-temperature superconductor (LTS) will be used at 4 K. A few LTS coils were wound and successfully tested in a LHe dewar, and the design of cryostat has been optimized. Development of the HTS coils is ongoing in collaboration with a group at KERI. An HTS coil of racetrack shape was wound and tested in a $LN_2$ bath and in a dewar with cryocooler. No degradation on critical current due to coil winding was found.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.271-280
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• 2016

An approach to achieving the ambitious goal of cost effectively extending the safe operation life of energy pipeline to 100 years is the application of health monitoring and life prediction tools that are able to provide both long-term remnant pipeline life prediction and in-situ pipeline condition monitoring. A critical step is the enhancement of technological capabilities that are required for understanding and quantifying the effects of key factors influencing buried steel pipeline corrosion and environmentally assisted materials degradation, and the development of condition monitoring technologies that are able to provide in-situ monitoring and site-specific warning of pipeline damage. This paper provides an overview of our current research aimed at developing new sensors and electrochemical cells for monitoring, categorising and quantifying the level and nature of external pipeline and coating damages under the combined effects of various inter-related variables and processes such as localised corrosion, coating cracking and disbondment, cathodic shielding, transit loss of cathodic protection.