• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.833-838
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• 2024

The urban railway sleeper floating track(STEDEF) is a structure that structurally separates the sleepers and the concrete bed using sleeper boots and resilience pads to reduce vibration transmitted to the concrete bed. Recently, the resilience pads of sleeper floating tracks that have been in use for more than 20 years are deteriorating. Accordingly, in order to evaluate the performance of the resilience pad, a static spring stiffness test is being performed after extracting the resilience pad. This evaluation technique is performed after replacing the resilience pad in use. However, the track natural frequency can change depending on the resilience pad spring stiffness and the uplift and subsidence of the concrete bed. In this study, modal testing technique was used to evaluate the track natural frequency. For this purpose, the sleeper boots material, resilience pad spring stiffness, and track natural frequency according to concrete bed uplift and subsidence were measured using modal tests at a laboratory scale. It was analyzed that the natural frequency of the sleeper floating track was directly affected by changes in the spring stiffness of the resilience pad. In addition, the change in natural frequency due to the uplift and subsidence of the concrete bed was also found to be large. Therefore, it is believed that the modal test technique presented in this study can be used to evaluate the resilience pad deterioration and voided sleepers.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2024

Demand for submarine cable is increasing due to advances in submarine power transmission technology and submarine cable manufacturing technology. Submarine cable use various types of protective equipment to prevent problems such as high maintenance costs in the event of cable damage and power outages during maintenance periods. Among them, flexible protection tube is a representative protective equipment to protect cables and respond to external forces such as waves and current. The flexible protection tube is made of polyurethane 85A hyperelastic material, so the calculation of mechanical behavior is carried out using mechanical properties based on experimental results. In this study, a study was conducted to determine the bending performance and tensile performance of flexible protection tube through analytical methods. The physical properties obtained through the multiaxial tensile test of polyurethane 85A were used for the analysis. Bending and tensile performance were determined for the maximum bending moment standard of 15 kN·m and the tensile load standard of 50 kN. As a result, it was confirmed that when the maximum bending moment of 15 kN·m of the flexible protection tube occurred, the bending performance of the MBR was secured at 13 m and when a tensile load of 50 kN, it was applied the maximum vertical displacement was 968 mm, confirming that the tensile performance was secured.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.214-223
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• 2024

The recent increase in maritime traffic and coastal leisure activities has led to a rise in various marine accidents. These incidents not only result in damage to human life and property but also pose a significant risk of marine pollution involving oil and hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) spills. Therefore, effective ship monitoring is crucial for preparing and for responding to marine accidents. This study conducted an aerial experiment utilizing hyperspectral remote sensing to develop a maritime ship monitoring system. Hyperspectral aerial measurements were carried out around Gungpyeong Port in the western coastal region of the Korean Peninsula, and spectral libraries were constructed for various ship decks. The spectral correlation similarity (SCS) technique was employed for ship detection, analyzing the spatial similarity distribution between hyperspectral images and ship spectra. As a result, 15 ships were detected in the hyperspectral images. The color of each ship's deck was classified based on the highest spectral similarity. The detected ships were verified by matching them with high-resolution digital mapping camera (DMC) images. This foundational study on the application of aerial hyperspectral sensors for maritime ship detection demonstrates their potential role in future remote sensing-based ship monitoring systems.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.31
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• pp.71-103
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• 2024

The National Museum of Korea Conservation science division conducted a precise diagnosis and a non-destructive investigation to comprehensively assess the overall damage of the Twin-lion stone lantern from the Godalsa Temple site, Yeoju to be placed on display in the museum's outdoor stone garden, then reviewed the relevant conservation and management plan and applied conservation treatment to the artifact. The museum carried out the treatment in the following order: precise diagnosis; dismantling of the previously-restored part of the roof stone; reinforcement and restoration of the roof structure with new stone; restoration of the previously-restored part of the lantern's support stone (jungseok); surface texture treatment to the restored area; cleaning (basic, laser); and color matching. The previously-restored part of the roof stone was removed and restored with new stone material, based on the results of a safety diagnosis regarding the separation at the said part. Granite from the Sangju area was selected as the material for the restoration in consideration of the results of mineral analysis as well as the surface color and particle size. The new stone was divided into three pieces based on the descending edges of the octagonal roof structure and joined together using epoxy resin. The structure was further strengthened by inserting titanium rods. It is expected that the status diagnosis and conservation treatment of the twin-lion stone lantern from the Godalsa Temple site in Yeoju will be used as a reference for the future conservation and management of outdoor displays of stone cultural heritage.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.203-214
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• 2024

Ports often suffer pavement damage due to soft ground and heavy equipment operations, leading to issues such as differential settlement and cracks. In this study, we developed port concrete blocks and applied them to a port in two configurations to figure out settlement characteristics. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests on asphalt pavement and block pavements were conducted to figure out deflection and bearing capacity. The block pavement with the cement treated base showed improved bearing capacity with the port operation since lower settlements were detected than asphalt pavement. In the cement treated base, the relative deflection ratio to asphalt concrete pavement was less than 1, indicating enhanced bearing capacity. LiDAR measurements identified multiple settlements in the crushed-stone base due to surface loads after construction. Both relative deflection ratio and LiDAR measurements suggested that block pavement can be widely applied to various port sites with its applicability and bearing capacity of cement-treated base.

• Experimental and Molecular Medicine
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• v.54
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• pp.1236-1249
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• 2022

Acquired resistance to inhibitors of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a major clinical challenge for ALK fusion-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the absence of secondary ALK mutations, epigenetic reprogramming is one of the main mechanisms of drug resistance, as it leads to phenotype switching that occurs during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although drug-induced epigenetic reprogramming is believed to alter the sensitivity of cancer cells to anticancer treatments, there is still much to learn about overcoming drug resistance. In this study, we used an in vitro model of ceritinib-resistant NSCLC and employed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in combination with single-cell (sc) RNA-seq to identify cytidine deaminase (CDA), a pyrimidine salvage pathway enzyme, as a candidate drug target. CDA was hypomethylated and upregulated in ceritinib-resistant cells. CDA-overexpressing cells were rarely but definitively detected in the naïve cell population by scRNA-seq, and their abundance was increased in the acquired-resistance population. Knockdown of CDA had antiproliferative effects on resistant cells and reversed the EMT phenotype. Treatment with epigenome-related nucleosides such as 5-formyl-2'-deoxycytidine selectively ablated CDA-overexpressing resistant cells via accumulation of DNA damage. Collectively, our data suggest that targeting CDA metabolism using epigenome-related nucleosides represents a potential new therapeutic strategy for overcoming ALK inhibitor resistance in NSCLC.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.4
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• pp.524-531
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• 2024

Background: Endothelial activation and stress index (EASIX) reflects endothelial dysfunction or damage. Because endothelial dysfunction is one of the key mechanisms, a few studies have shown the clinical usefulness of original and age-adjusted EASIX (age-EASIX) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of age-EASIX in predicting intensive care unit (ICU) mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in South Korea. Methods: Secondary analysis was performed using clinical data retrospectively collected from 22 nationwide hospitals in South Korea between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2021. Patients were at least 19 years old and admitted to the ICU for severe COVID-19, demanding at least high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy. EASIX [lactate dehydrogenase (U/L)×creatinine (mg/dL)/platelet count (10⁹ cells/L)] and age-EASIX (EASIX×age) were calculated and log₂-transformed. Results: The mean age of 908 critically ill patients with COVID-19 was 67.4 years with 59.7% male sex. The mean log₂ age-EASIX was 7.38±1.45. Non-survivors (n=222, 24.4%) in the ICU had a significantly higher log₂ age-EASIX than of survivors (8.2±1.52 vs. 7.1±1.32, p<0.001). Log₂ age-EASIX was significantly associated with ICU mortality (odds ratio, 1.541; 95% confidence interval, 1.322 to 1.796; p<0.001) and had a better area under the receiver operating characteristic curve than of the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score in predicting ICU mortality (0.730 vs. 0.660, p=0.001). Conclusion: Age-EASIX is significantly associated with ICU mortality and has better discriminatory ability than the SOFA score in predicting ICU mortality.

• Molecular Medicine Reports
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.3709-3718
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• 2019

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is characterized by recurrent pancreatic injury, resulting in inflammation and fibrosis. Currently, there are no drugs for the treatment of pancreatic fibrosis associated with CP. Piperine, a natural alkaloid found in black pepper, has been reported to show anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and antitumor activities. Although piperine exhibits numerous properties in regards to the regulation of diverse diseases, the effects of piperine on CP have not been established. To investigate the effects of piperine on CP in vivo, we induced CP in mice through the repetitive administration of cerulein (50 ㎍/kg) six times at 1-h intervals, 5 times per week, for a total of 3 weeks. In the pre-treatment groups, piperine (1, 5, or 10 mg/kg) or corn oil were administrated orally at 1 h before the first cerulein injection, once a day, 5 times a week, for a total of 3 weeks. In the post-treatment groups, piperine (10 mg/kg) or corn oil was administered orally at 1 or 2 week after the first cerulein injection. Pancreases were collected for histological analysis. In addition, pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) were isolated to examine the anti-fibrogenic effects and regulatory mechanisms of piperine. Piperine treatment significantly inhibited histological damage in the pancreas, increased the pancreatic acinar cell survival, reduced collagen deposition and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In addition, piperine treatment reduced the expression of fibrotic mediators, such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen, and fibronectin 1 in the pancreas and PSCs. Moreover, piperine treatment reduced the production of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β in the pancreas and PSCs. Furthermore, piperine treatment inhibited TGF-β-induced pSMAD2/3 activation but not pSMAD1/5 in the PSCs. These findings suggest that piperine treatment ameliorates pancreatic fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-β/SMAD2/3 signaling during CP.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2024

This study investigated the effect of bearing aging on the seismic response of a three-span continuous concrete girder bridge with pot bearings installed. The pot bearings were modeled as elastic springs in the longitudinal, transverse, and vertical directions of the bridge to reflect the stiffness of fixed and movable supports. The effect of bearing aging on the seismic response of the bridge was examined by considering two factors: a decrease in the horizontal stiffness of the fixed bearings and an increase in the horizontal stiffness of the movable bearings. The finite element model of the three-span continuous girder bridge was validated by comparing its numerical natural frequencies with the designed natural frequencies. Using artificial ground motions that conform to the design response spectrum specified by the KDS bridge seismic design code, the seismic responses of the bridge's girders and bearings were calculated, considering the bearing stiffness variation due to aging. The results of a numerical analysis revealed that a decrease in the horizontal stiffness of the fixed bearings led to an increase in the absolute maximum relative displacement of the bearings during an earthquake. This increases the risk of the mortar block that supports the bearing cracking and the anchor bolt breaking. However, an increase in the horizontal stiffness of the movable bearings due to aging decreased the absolute maximum shear on the fixed bearings. Despite the shear reduction in the fixed bearings, the aging of the pot bearings change could cause additional tensile bending stress in the girder section above the free bearings, which could lead to unexpected structural damage to the continuous bridge during an earthquake.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.403-417
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• 2024

Purpose: This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of Evodiae Fructus (EF) on hydrochloric acid (HCl)/ethanol-induced gastritis, focusing on its impact on oxidative stress by analyzing inflammatory cytokines and inflammation-related factors. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were determined through in vitro experiments, while the radical scavenging activity was confirmed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays. Methods: In vivo experiments were conducted on rats divided into 5 groups (n = 7/in each group): normal group (Normal), 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol-induced gastritis group (Control), 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol-induced gastritis group administered 10 mg/kg sucralfate (SC), 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol-induced gastritis group administered EF at the doses of 100 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg (EF100 or EF200). The mice were pretreated with the extract (EF) or drug (SC), and after 1 hour, 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol (v/v) mixture was administered orally. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, peroxynitrite (ONOO^-), and pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1 beta were assessed in serum. Additionally, western blotting of the gastric tissues confirmed the expression of inflammation-related proteins. Results: EF alleviated the gastric mucosal damage caused by 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol. The assessment of oxidative stress in the serum showed that EF significantly reduced ROS and ONOO^- levels and significantly decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Western blot analysis revealed that EF reduced ROS-generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase subunits, including gp91^phox, p22^phox, and p47^phox. Additionally, EF mitigated the inflammation by inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Conclusion: These results indicate that EF is a potential herbal medicine candidate for the treatment of oxidative stress-induced gastritis.