• KIEAE Journal
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.147-152
• /
• 2007

Numerous non-destructive tests(NDT) to assess the safety of real structures have been developed. System identification(SI) techniques using dynamic responses and behaviors of structural systems become an outstanding issue of researchers. However the conventional SI techniques are identified to be non-practical to the complex and tall buildings, due to limitation of the availability of an accurate data that is magnitude or location of external loads. In most SI approaches, the information on input loading and output responses must be known. In many cases, measuring the input information may take most of the resources, and it is very difficult to accurately measure the input information during actual vibrations of practical importance, e.g., earthquakes, winds, micro seismic tremors, and mechanical vibration. However, the desirability and application potential of SI to real structures could be highly improved if an algorithm is available that can estimate structural parameters based on the response data alone without the input information. Thus a technique to estimate structural properties of building without input measurement data and using limited response is essential in structural health monitoring. In this study, shaking table tests on three-story plane frame steel structures were performed. Out-put only model analysis on the measured data was performed, and the dynamic properties were inverse analyzed using least square method in time domain. In results damage detection was performed in each member level, which was performed at story level in conventional SI techniques of frequency domain.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.131-140
• /
• 2012

There are different types of compost used as soil conditioners and fertilizers. Plants can have different responses to different forms of compost. This field study was performed to examine the effects of different types of compost on growth factors of three dry rangeland species (Atriplex, $Atriplex$ $lentiformis$; Saltwort, $Seidlitzia$ $rosmarinus$; Haloxylon, $Haloxylon$ $persicum$) and soil properties. The experiment was conducted in the Fars Province of Iran during the year 2010-2011. Compost applications consisted of compost tea, solid compost (SC), solid and liquid mixture (MX) and no compost as the control. The study was a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. The results showed that all the tested compost applications enhanced the growth traits of all three species. It was also demonstrated that the use of compost significantly increased the organic matter (1% probability level [PL]), nitrogen concentration (5% PL), phosphorous (5% PL) and potassium (5% PL) concentrations of the soil. The soil's pH level was unchanged (range, 7.3 to 7.6), and the sodium concentration was also significantly decreased (1% PL) by the use of compost. The higher responses were observed in canopy volume and soil sodium and the lower were observed in stem diameter and soil pH level. Among the three plants in the study, Atriplex showed the best response to the application of compost. Based on the results of this study, it can be recommended that the best compost application to increase growth and improve soil condition is the mixed compost (MX) for Atriplex and the SC for Saltwort and Haloxylon.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.177-188
• /
• 2012

We analyzed crown development in Aucuba japonica Thunb. var. japonica resulting from the responses of phytoelements to habitat light conditions over a long period of time. Over the years, the degree of extension unit (EU) dimorphism and the degree of anisophylly were higher under shaded conditions than in brighter conditions. An overall temporally increasing pattern in the degree of EU dimorphism was found while no clear-cut trend was found in the case of anisophylly. EU length and number of leaves per EU co-varied in a spatio-temporal context. The number of terminal buds and their sizes acted as the key initiators of morphological differences of phytoelements which were further amplified following bud break. Leaf area density was displayed mostly in the apex peripheral layer of the crown and the apex layer received most of the incident light. There was a tradeoff between annual leaf production and mean leaf size. Depending on the heterogeneity of irradiance level within a crown, correlative growth inhibition caused higher EU mortality at brighter sites. Due to high mortality, shorter EUs had a mere role in the construction of structural framework of the crown except for the formation of some gaps. There was a strong convergence of EU dimorphism, anisophylly, EU extension growth and variations in leaf size towards formation of functional crown to reduce potential self-shading. Depending on the irradiance level, Aucuba japonica Thunb. var. japonica showed two different modes of crown expansion. At the brighter sites, individual crown expansion was progressive while at the darker sites, individual crown expanded in a diminishing manner and maintained a stable size. A plant's "growth diminishing phase" appeared earlier at shaded sites than brighter sites.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.11 no.sup1
• /
• pp.83-92
• /
• 2008

Helicobacter pylori is the causative agent of chronic gastritis and has a role in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer diseases, and gastric cancer. There have been reports suggesting a close link between these gastroduodenal disorders and a state of vitamin C deficiency. In this paper, the past, present and future perspectives on H. pylori infection and vitamin C will be discussed under the following view points. Since the ecological niche of H. pylori is the mucus layer and intercellular junctions of the gastric epithelium, the various kinds of host inflammatory cells motivated by the local and systemic immune responses cannot eliminate the microorganisms. When the invading foreign body is not removed, despite full activation of defense mechanisms, adverse consequences of the immune responses develop on the host gastric mucosa. The reasons for the body vitamin C depletion could be explained as follows; 1) the increased vitamin C consumption by increased oxygen free radical production through the prolonged hypersensitivity reactions in the gastric mucosa, 2) the increased vitamin C oxidation by the nitrite which is formed from nitrate reduction by the intragastric bacteria proliferated in the hypochlorhydric gastric cavity, 3) the strong ${\gamma}$-glutamyltranspeptidase activity of H. pylori which depletes the glutathiones in gastric mucosa. Depletion of glutathiones in the stomach favors irreversible oxidative destruction of ascorbic acid. Both persistent inflammatory burdens in the stomach by H. pylori and resultant vitamin C depletions synergistically and uninhibitedly might aggravate the hypothetical sequence of gastric carcinogenesis: atrophic gastritis${\rightarrow}$intestinal metaplasia${\rightarrow}$dysplasia${\rightarrow}$gastric adenocarcinoma. High intake of vitamin C could reverse the hypothetical sequence of the gastric carcinogenesis via direct and indirect effects on H. pylori and host-parasite relationships.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.272-279
• /
• 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the interaction between Daphnia similis and various organisms related to the rice paddy ecosystem. We selected several organisms that are likely to prey on D. similis and evaluate predation rate as well as responses of D. similis to the chemical compounds exuded by these organisms. As a result of predation experiment, larval dragonfly (Anax parthenope) and Triops longicaudatus were clearly shown decreasing abundances of D. similis. Especially, Triops longicaudatus was observed higher feeding rates on D. similis than larval dragonfly. Chemical compounds from the vertebrates such as fish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, Pseudorasbora parva, Micropterus salmoides) and tadpole of frog (Rana nigromaculata) did not affect the life history of Daphnia. However, a potential predatory fish P. parva induced significantly longer tail spine in Daphnia. In addition, among the invertebrates (T. longicaudatus, A. Parthenope, Micronecta spp., Palaemon paucidens), chemical compounds exuded by T. longicaudatus induced shorter body and significantly longer tail spine in D. similis.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.109-119
• /
• 2007

The effect of water flow on the growth of Gafrarium tumidum was studied in the field using open cages constructed with stainless steel net and perspex in which holes were drilled. Cages with different flows (25, 50 and 75% of the control) were made by varying the area of perspex being drilled. Reduction in flow rate was directly proportional to the undrilled area, and the mean flow rate of the different treatment groups varied from 3.12 cm/s for the 25% exposure to 12.48 cm/s for the control cages. At the end of the 3-month experiment, no significant differences in sediment characteristics were found among the treatments. Growth in shell length, shell weight and tissue dry weight was, however, positively correlated with flow rate. Percentage increases ranged from $3.0{\sim}8.3%$ for shell length, $9.9{\sim}23.1%$ for shell weight and $17.2{\sim}53.3%$ for tissue dry weight. Condition index of the clam was not significantly different among the treatments. Seston depletion effect could reduce growth in G. tumidum only when water flow was reduced to 25% of the control. G. tumidum also exhibited different responses in shell and tissue growth at low flow rates, in which shell growth continued to decrease as flow rate decreased whereas tissue growth was relatively independent of low flows at 25 and 50% of the control. It was suggested that when seston flux was reduced at slow flows, it would be a better strategy for G. tumidum to channel energy for gonad development instead of shell growth during the reproductive stage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.441-453
• /
• 2019

Organic farming is considered an effective form of sustainable agricultural management. However, understanding of soil microbial diversity and composition under long-term organic and conventional farming is still limited and controversial. In this study, the Illumina MiSeq platform was applied to investigate the responses of soil bacterial and fungal diversity and compositions to organic farming (OF) and improved conventional farming (CF, applied straw retention) in the rice-wheat rotation system. The results highlighted that the alpha diversity of microbial communities did not differ significantly, except for higher bacterial diversity under OF. However, there were significant differences in the compositions of the soil bacterial and fungal communities between organic and conventional farming. Under our experimental conditions, through the ecological functional analysis of significant different or unique bacterial and fungal taxonomic members at the phyla and genus level, OF enhanced nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and carbon dynamic cycling in soil with the presence of Nodosilinea, Nitrospira, LCP-6, HB118, Lyngbya, GOUTA19, Mesorhizobium, Sandaracinobacter, Syntrophobacter and Sphingosinicella, and has the potential to strengthen soil metabolic ability with Novosphingobium. On the other hand, CF increased the intensity of nitrogen cycling with Ardenscatena, KD1-23, Iamia, Nitrosovibrio and Devosia, but enriched several pathogen fungal members, including Coniochaeta, Corallomycetella, Cyclaneusma, Cystostereum, Fistulina, Curvularia and Dissoconium.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.144-152
• /
• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the social and policy determinants of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection across 23 countries. Methods: COVID-19 indicators (incidence, mortality, and fatality) for each country were calculated by direct and indirect standardization. Multivariable regression analyses were used to identify the social and policy determinants of COVID-19 infection. Results: A higher number of doctors per population was related to lower incidence, mortality, and fatality rates of COVID-19 in 23 countries (β=-0.672, -0.445, and -0.564, respectively). The number of nurses/midwives per population was associated with lower mortality and fatality rates of COVID-19 in 23 countries (β=-0.215 and -0.372, respectively). Strengthening of policy restriction indicators, such as restrictions of public gatherings, was related to lower COVID-19 incidence (β=-0.423). A national Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination policy conducted among special groups or in the past was associated with a higher incidence of COVID-19 in 23 countries (β=0.341). The proportion of the elderly population (aged over 70 years) was related to higher mortality and fatality rates (β=0.209 and 0.350, respectively), and income support was associated with mortality and fatality rates (β=-0.362 and -0.449, respectively). Conclusions: These findings do not imply causality because this was a country-based correlation study. However, COVID-19 transmission can be influenced by social and policy determinants such as integrated health systems and policy responses to COVID-19. Various social and policy determinants should be considered when planning responses to COVID-19.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.32 no.7
• /
• pp.1124-1138
• /
• 2012

This study investigates Korean middle school students' perceptions as global citizens (i.e. ecological worldview, social and moral compassion, and socioscientific accountability) of Socioscientific Issues (SSI). We developed questionnaires that consisted of 20 Likert-type items to gauge their preceptions of the three different SSI contexts (i.e. nuclear power generation, bio-technology, climate change), and administered them to 225 9th grade students in Seoul. The results revealed that participants showed relatively high scores for ecological worldview but scored low on social and moral compassion across the SSI contexts. In addition, participants presented much higher scores for ecological worldview and socioscientific accountability regarding the issues of climate change. The participant responses indicated that they perceived more inter-connectedness with the environment and felt the responsibility of promoting sustainable development more to prevent further devastation in the context of climate change compared to nuclear power generation or biotechnology.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.255-267
• /
• 2013

This study aims to reveal the relationship between major climatic factors and radial growth in Siu-ri, NamYangJuSi, Kyeonggido. To identify tree growth responses to climatic variation, we used correlation analysis after standardization and cross-dating of tree ring growth. We use the climatic data(monthly mean, minimum, maximum temperature and precipitation) from September of previous year to August of current year. In terms of relationship between mean, minimum, maximum temperature and tree ring growth, negative correlations were observed in September and October of the previous year. In case of Quercus mongolica, negative relationship were appeared in December of the previous year, January and February of present year. When it comes monthly maximum temperature, August and September of present year was negatively correlated with radial growth in the case of Pinus densiflora. We can conclude that reduced soil moisture due to high temperatures causes a water stress that stunts tree growth. In contrast, there are positive correlations in March of present year. These results suggest that high temperatures in March appear to prolong the growing season. Growth was positively correlated with precipitation from October to December of previous year and from May to September of present year. The results suggest that the smooth water supply from precipitation can promote the tree growth.