• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2018

Objectives: We investigated the efficacy and safety of miniscalpel acupuncture (MA) for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in an assessor-blinded randomized controlled pilot trial; this would provide information for a large-scale randomized controlled trial. Methods: Participants (n = 24) were recruited and randomly allocated to the MA group (experimental) or acupuncture group (control). The MA group received treatment once a week for 3 weeks (total of 3 treatments), while the acupuncture group received treatment two times per week for 3 weeks (total of 6 treatments). The primary outcome was pain as assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes (intensity of current pain, stiffness, and physical function) were assessed using the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Assessments were performed at baseline, 1, 2, and 3 during treatment and at week 5 (2 weeks after the end of treatment). Results: Of the 24 participants, 23 completed the study. Both groups showed significant improvements in VAS, SF-MPQ, and WOMAC. However, there were no significant differences between the MA and acupuncture groups. No serious adverse event occurred and blood test results were within normal limits. Conclusion: Our results suggest that although both MA and acupuncture provide similar effects with regard to pain control in patients with KOA, MA may be more effective in providing pain relief because the same relief was obtained with fewer treatments. A large-scale clinical study is warranted to further clarify these findings.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Three small scale hollow circular reinforced concrete columns with aspect ratio 4.5 were tested under cyclic lateral load with constant axial load. Diameter of section is 400 mm, hollow diameter is 200 mm. The selected test variable is transverse steel ratio. Volumetric ratios of spirals of all the columns are 0.302~0.604% in the plastic hinge region. It corresponds to 45.9~91.8% of the minimum requirement of confining steel by Korean Bridge Design Specifications, which represent existing columns not designed by the current seismic design specifications or designed by seismic concept. The longitudinal steel ratio is 2.017%. The axial load ratio is 7%. This paper describes mainly crack behavior, load-displacement hysteresis loop, seismic performance such as equivalent damping ratio, residual displacement and effective stiffness and flexural over-strength of circular reinforced concrete bridge columns with respect to test variable. The regulation of flexural over-strength is adopted by Korea Bridge Design Specifications (Limited state design, 2012). The test results are compared with nominal strength, result of nonlinear moment-curvature analysis and the design specifications such as AASHTO LRFD and Korea Bridge Design Specifications(Limited state design).

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.468-477
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• 2009

To evaluate the current indoor air quality condition of private academic facilities in Korea and investigate its association with subjective symptoms of student residing at the same academic facilities, air quality monitoring was carried out in total of 20 academic facilities located in Seoul, Daejon and Chungnam from the beginning of January to the end of April, 2009. To assess the air quality condition of academic facilities, 6 air pollutants with temperature and humidity were measured simultaneously inside and outside of academic facilities. The rate of exceeding the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) guideline concentrations in 6 air pollutants were 5%, 85%, 15%, 5%, 10% and 30% for CO, $CO_2$, PM10, HCHO, TVOCs and TBC, respectively. A questionnaire on 16 subjective symptoms related to indoor air quality was given to 342 students who studied at the 20 academic facilities. The most frequent symptom of students was 'I feel easily tired or sleepy', and this was followed by 'I feel muscular pain or stiffness on shoulder, back and neck'. The association of net difference (subjective symptoms at the academic facility - subjective symptoms of the usual situation) with air pollutants was analyzed using spearman rank correlation. In logistic analysis using proportional odds method, the students whose indoor air concentration of HCHO was ${\geq}60{\mu}g/m^3$ hadsignificant odds of having more subjective symptoms of 'My eyes are dry or feel irritated or itching' (OR=5.026: CI=1.587-15.911), 'I feel easily tired or sleepy' (OR=2.956: CI=1.072-8.152), 'I lose my concentration and I feel my memory is falling' (OR=7.745: CI=1.938-30.955) and 'I feel dizzy' (OR=4.424: CI=1.292-15.149) than those of <$60{\mu}g/m^3$.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.5-15
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• 2022

Conventionally, because evaluation methods of the bearing capacity for double steel pipe-concrete composite pile design have not been established, the conventional vertical bearing capacity equations for steel hollow pile are used. However, there are severe differences between the predictions from these equations, and the most conservative one among vertical bearing capacity predictions are conventionally adopted as a design value. Consequently, the current prediction method for vertical bearing capacity of composite pile prediction composite pile causes design reliability and economical feasibility to be low. This paper investigated mechanical behaviors of a new composite pile, with a cross-section composed of double steel pipes filled with concrete (DSCT), vertical bearing capacities were analyzed for several DSCT pile conditions. Axisymmetric finite element models for DSCT pile and surrounding ground were created and they were used to analyze effects on behaviors of DSCT pile pile by embedding depth, stiffness of plugging material at pile tip, height of plugging material at pile tip, and rockbed material. Additionally, results from conventional design prediction equations for vertical bearing capacity at steel hollow pile tip were compared with that from numerical results, and the use of the conventional equations for steel hollow pile was examined to apply to that for DSCT pile.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.84-91
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• 2022

In this study, an experimental study was conducted to analyze the hysteresis behavior according to the steel fiber aspect ratio and volume fraction of diagonally reinforced concrete coupling beams under to cyclic loading. The aspect ratio and volume fraction of the steel fibers were set as the main variables, and 4 specimens were fabricated in which the amount of transverse reinforcement of the coupling beam suggested in the domestic building structural standard was relaxed by about 53%. In the experiment, cyclic loading experiments were performed in the displacement control method in accordance with ACI 374.2R-13, and as a result of the experiment, it was found that all specimens containing steel fibers exceeded the nominal shear strength suggested by the current structural standards. As the aspect ratio of the steel fibers increased, the steel fibers prevented the buckling of the diagonal reinforcement, and the bridging effect of the steel fibers held the crack surface of the concrete. The shear strength, stiffness reduction and energy dissipation capacity of the specimens containing steel fibers were superior to those of the Vf0 specimens without steel fibers. Therefore, it is judged that the steel fiber reinforced concrete can relieve the details of the transverse reinforced.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.515-524
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• 2022

The turnout system of the sleeper floating tracks (STEDEF) on urban transit is a Anti-vibration track composed of a wooden sleeper embedded in a concrete bed and a sleeper resilience pad under the sleeper. Therefore, deterioration and changes in spring stiffness of the sleeper resilience pad could be cause changes in sleeper support conditions. The damage amount of manganese crossings that occurred during the current service period of about 21 years was investigated to be about 17% of the total amount of crossings, and it was analyzed that the damage amount increased after 15 years of use (accumulated passing tonnage of about 550 million tons). In this study, parameter analysis (wheel position, sleeper support condition, and dynamic wheel load) was performed using a three-dimensional numerical model that simulated real manganese crossing and wheel profile, to analyze the damage type and cause of manganese crossing that occurred in the actual field. As a result of this study, when the voided sleeper occurred in the sleeper around the nose, the stress generated in the crossing nose exceeded the yield strength according to the dynamic wheel load considering the design track impact factor. In addition, the analysis results were evaluated to be in good agreement with the location of damage that occurred in the actual field. Therefore, in order to minimize the damage of the manganese crossing, it is necessary to keep the sleeper support condition around the nose part constant. In addition, by considering the uniformity of the boundary conditions under the sleepers, it was analyzed that it would be advantageous to to replace the sleeper resilience pad together when replacing the damaged manganese crossing.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2024

In this study, a structural concrete square beam was developed using the centrifugal molding technique. In order to secure the bending stiffness of the cross section, the hollow rate of the cross section was set to 10% or less. Instead of using the current poor mixture of concrete and a concrete mixing ratio with a high slump (150-200) and a design strength of 100 MPa or more was developed and applied. In order to investigate the durability of centrifugally formed PSC square beams to be used as the superstructure of the avalanch tunnel or ramen bridge, the durability performance of ultra-high-strength centrifugally formed concrete with a compressive strength of 100 MPa was evaluated in terms of deterioration and chemical resistance properties.Concrete durability tests, including chloride penetration resistance, accelerated carbonation, sulfate erosion resistance, freeze-thaw resistance, and scaling resistance, were performed on centrifugally formed square beam test specimens produced in 2022 and 2023. Considering the information verified in this study, the durability of centrifugally molded concrete, which has increased watertightness in the later manufacturing stage, was found to be superior to that of general concrete.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.92-98
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• 2007

Introduction: The treatment of proximal humeral fracture is traditionally determined by Neer's classification system. The severely displaced three-part or four-part fracture is an indication for primary hemiarthroplasty. The current authors report the clinical results of 10 patients who received hemiarthroplasty for proximal comminuted fractures. The minimum follow-up period was 12 months. Materials and Methods: The current authors studied 10 patients who, between July 1999 and March 2005, each received hemiarthroplasty for a proximal humeral fracture of one shoulder. According to Neer's classification system, 5 of the patients had three-part fractures, and 5 of the patients had 4-part fractures. The mean interval between trauma and hemiarthroplasty was 6.1 days. The mean age of the 6 female and 4 male patients was 67.4 years(range: 56 to 76). Shoulder function was evaluated using the Constant score, the Simple Shoulder Test, and the modified UCLA score. Results: The mean Constant score was 51.4(range: 34 to 60). The mean modified SST score was 7.8 out of 12 tasks. Excluding the one patient who had also sustained an axillary artery rupture and a brachial plexus injury after the initial trauma, the mean Constant score for the remaining 9 patients was 53.5(range: 44 to 60), and the mean SST score was 7.2 tasks. The modified UCLA score averages for pain, function, and active forward flexion and strength were, respectively, 8.2($6{\sim}10$), 6.6($2{\sim}8$), and 6.9($4{\sim}8$). The total UCLA score was an average of 21.7($12{\sim}26$). Patients' the modified UCLA ratings were as follows: Excellent: 3, Good: 6, and Poor: 1. The patient with the poor outcome was the one who had also sustained the neurovascular injury. Patient's subjective satisfaction rating were as follows: Excellent: 2, Good: 7, and Poor: 1. Conclusion: Based on short term follow-up results, this study indicates that hemiarthroplasty is the treatment of choice for proximal humeral fractures on which it would be difficult to perform open reduction and internal fixation. Hemiarthroplasty is a useful treatment modality to prevent shoulder stiffness and to allow daily living tasks in elderly patients. However, restoration of muscle power and range of joint motion were not recovered satisfactorily.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.5-16
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• 2018

In the current study, the engineering behaviour of prebored and precast steel pipe piles was examined from a series of full-scale field measurements by conducting static pile load tests, dynamic pile load tests (EOID and restrike tests) and Class-A and Class-C1 type numerical analysis. The study includes the pile load - settlement relations, allowable pile capacity and shear stress transfer mechanism. Compared to the allowable pile capacity obtained from the static pile load tests, the dynamic pile load tests and the numerical simulation showed surprisingly large variations. Overall among these the restrike tests displayed the best results, however the reliability of the predictions from the numerical analysis was lower than those estimated from the dynamic pile load tests. The allowable pile capacity obtained from the EOID tests and the restrike tests indicated 20.0%-181.0% (avg: 69.3%) and 48.2%-181.1% (avg: 92.1%) of the corresponding measured values from the static pile loading tests, respectively. Furthermore, the computed results from the Class-A type analysis showed the largest scatters (37.1%-210.5%, avg: 121.2%). In the EOID tests, a majority of the external load were carried by the end bearing pile capacity, however, similar skin friction and end bearing capacity in magnitude were mobilised in the restrike tests. The measured end bearing pile capacity from the restrike tests were smaller than was measured from the EOID tests. The present study has revealed that if the impact energy is not sufficient in a restrike test, the end bearing pile capacity most likely will be underestimated. The shear stresses computed from the numerical analysis deviated substantially from the measured pile force distributions. It can be concluded that the engineering behaviour of the pile is heavily affected if a slime layer exists near the pile tip, and that the smaller the stiffness of the slime and the thicker the slime, the greater the settlement of the pile.