• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.6
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• pp.481-485
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• 2012

Background: Tracheostomy is a common procedure for patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. However, the timing of tracheostomy is quite variable. This study was performed to find out the factors determining the timing of tracheostomy in medical intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Patients who were underwent tracheostomy between January 2008 and December 2009 in the medical ICU of Seoul National University Hospital were included in this retrospective study. Results: Among the 59 patients, 36 (61.0%) were male. Median Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores on the admission day were 28 and 7, respectively. The decision of tracheostomy was made on 13 days, and tracheostomy was performed on 15 days after endotracheal intubation. Of the 59 patients, 21 patients received tracheostomy before 2 weeks (group I) and 38 were underwent after 2 weeks (group II). In univariate analysis, days until the decision to perform tracheostomy (8 vs. 14.5, p<0.001), days before tracheostomy (10 vs. 18, p<0.001), time delay for tracheostomy (2.1 vs. 3.0, p<0.001), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (19.0% vs. 2.6%, p=0.049), existence of neurologic problem (38.1% vs. 7.9%, p=0.042), APACHE II scores (24 vs. 30, p=0.002), and $PaO_2/FiO_2$ <300 mm Hg (61.9% vs. 91.1%, p=0.011) were different between the two groups. In multivariate analysis, APACHE II scores${\geq}20$ (odds ratio [OR], 12.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14~136.19; p=0.039) and time delay for tracheostomy (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.11~3.55; p=0.020) were significantly associated with tracheostomy after 2 weeks. Conclusion: APACHE II scores${\geq}20$ and time delay for tracheostomy were associated with tracheostomy after 2 weeks.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.909-920
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• 2020

Cytosolic Ca²⁺ levels ([Ca²⁺]_c) change dynamically in response to inducers, repressors, and physiological conditions, and aberrant [Ca²⁺]_c concentration regulation is associated with cancer, heart failure, and diabetes. Therefore, [Ca²⁺]_c is considered as a good indicator of physiological and pathological cellular responses, and is a crucial biomarker for drug discovery. A genetically encoded calcium indicator (GECI) was recently developed to measure [Ca²⁺]_c in single cells and animal models. GECI have some advantages over chemically synthesized indicators, although they also have some drawbacks such as poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), low positive signal, delayed response, artifactual responses due to protein overexpression, and expensive detection equipment. Here, we developed an indicator based on interactions between Ca²⁺-loaded calmodulin and target proteins, and generated an innovative GECI sensor using split nano-luciferase (Nluc) fragments to detect changes in [Ca²⁺]_c. Stimulation-dependent luciferase activities were optimized by combining large and small subunits of Nluc binary technology (NanoBiT, LgBiT:SmBiT) fusion proteins and regulating the receptor expression levels. We constructed the binary [Ca²⁺]_c sensors using a multicistronic expression system in a single vector linked via the internal ribosome entry site (IRES), and examined the detection efficiencies. Promoter optimization studies indicated that promoter-dependent protein expression levels were crucial to optimize SNR and sensitivity. This novel [Ca²⁺]_c assay has high SNR and sensitivity, is easy to use, suitable for high-throughput assays, and may be useful to detect [Ca²⁺]_c in single cells and animal models.

• KIPS Transactions on Computer and Communication Systems
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• v.9 no.11
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• pp.256-264
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• 2020

Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks (IWSNs) is exploited to achieve various objectives such as improving productivity and reducing cost in the diversity of industrial application, and it has requirements such as low-delay and high reliability packet transmission. To accomplish the requirement, the network manager performs graph construction and resource allocation about network topology, and determines the transmission cycle and path of each node in advance. However, this network management scheme cannot treat mobile devices that cause continuous topology changes because graph reconstruction and resource reallocation should be performed as network topology changes. That is, despite the growing need of mobile devices in many industries, existing scheme cannot adequately respond to path failure caused by movement of mobile device and packet loss in the process of path recovery. To solve this problem, a network management scheme is required to prevent packet loss caused by mobile devices. Thus, we analyse the location and movement cycle of mobile devices over time using machine learning for predicting the mobility pattern. In the proposed scheme, the network manager could prevent the problems caused by mobile devices through performing graph construction and resource allocation for the predicted network topology based on the movement pattern. Performance evaluation results show a prediction rate of about 86% compared with actual movement pattern, and a higher packet delivery ratio and a lower resource share compared to existing scheme.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.239-251
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• 2012

This study aims to seek the policies and the plans for the successful small business start-up through an exploratory study about the factors affecting the success rate of small business start-up. To measure the performance of the start-up business(sales revenue, net profit, and outcome expectancy), the characteristics of founders (experience, psychological characteristics) and the preparation of small business start-up were measured as independent variables and the self-efficacy was measured as a parameter. 427 small business owners were targeted and structured self-administered questionnaires were collected from them. For the data process, a multiple regression analysis by SPSS 18.0 was conducted. The findings demonstrated the experience in the same business, the need for achievement, the risk-taking propensity, the preparation period for business start-up had a significant effect on self-efficacy, and experience of failure and the ratio of net worth had a significant effect on sales revenue and net profit, and the locus of control had a significant effect on outcome expectancy through the self-efficacy, a parameter. It was also noted the self-efficacy of small business owners and the business performance varied depending on the characteristics of them and the preparation process of the business start-up. Based on the those findings, the theoretical and practical implications were discussed and the suggestions about the limits of the study, future policies and studies were made.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.149-171
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• 2006

This is a pilot study on rural women's psychological trap to define some obstacles to self directed learning. During few decades, according to major crop of each farm household has shifted from rice to other crops like as vegetables, fruits, horticultures, livestock, etc., women's role or labor sharing of women in farming has been also increased. Although women are important human resources, till now, there is no a research or an approach to rural woman on the view of individual human being. Therefore this study will contribute to understand woman's behavior or attitudes based on psychological description at each person's experiences. For this study, the data was collected from 23 women leaders who participated in a training course in 2005, through the scale of Jeffrey E. Young & Janet S. Klosko which was developed to improvement of one's repetitious behavior based on cognitive psychological care. It was categorized into 11types of psychological trap of one person, named as follows; (1) trap of being deserted by someone (2) trap of disbelief and being ill-treated (3) trap of weakness (4) trap of dependence (5) trap of emotional deprivation (6) trap of feelings of alienation among society (7) trap of deficiency (8) trap of anxiety to failure (9) trap of subordination (10) trap of the merciless standard by self-estimation (11) trap of the sense of privilege. From the data, the average age of subjects was 52.8years old, and the educational back of subjects was higher than general rural women. In both of the trap of weakness and the trap of the merciless standard by self-estimation, the ratio of over and 4 point score of 6 points was 71.4% and 76.2%. It means most of subjects have experienced fear of unexpected calamity(trap of weakness), and mental press hard for efforts to meet one's ideal standard(trap of the merciless standard by self-estimation). Especially the trap of the merciless standard by self-estimation may have relation with rural women's over burden from farming and local society activities.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.363-370
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• 2017

Background: Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is widely used in refractory heart or lung failure, and the demand for inter-facility transportation on ECLS is expanding. However, little is known about post-transportation outcomes, the clinical safety of such transportation, or the characteristics of the transported patients. Methods: This was a retrospective review of a 3-year, single-institution experience with inter-facility ECLS transport, as well as a comparative analysis of clinical outcomes with those of in-house patients. We also analyzed the risk factors for hospital mortality in the entire ECLS population using univariate and multivariate analyses to investigate the effects of transport. Results: All 44 patients were safely transported without adverse events. The average travel distance was 178.7 km, with an average travel time of 74.0 minutes. Early survival of the transported group seemed to be better than that of the in-house group, but the difference was not statistically significant (70.5% vs. 56.6%, p=0.096). The incidence of complications was similar between the 2 groups, except for critical limb ischemia, which was significantly more common in the transported group than in the in-house group (25.0% vs. 8.1%, p=0.017). After adjusting for confounders, being part of the transported group was not a predictor of early death (adjusted odds ratio, 0.689; p=0.397). Conclusion: Transportation of patients on ECLS is relatively safe, and the clinical outcomes of transported patients are comparable to those of in-house ECLS patients. Although matched studies are required, our study demonstrates that transporting patients on ECLS did not increase their risk of hospital mortality after adjustment for other factors.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.170-178
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• 2015

In this study, it was developed eco-friendly alkali-activated slag fiber reinforced concrete using ground granulated blast furnace slag, alkali activator (water glass, sodium hydroxides), and steel fiber. Eight reinforced concrete beam using alkali-activated slag concrete were constructed and tested under monotonic loading. The major variables were mixture ratio of alkali activator, mixed/without of steel fiber. Experimental programs were carried out to improve and evaluate the flexural performance of such test specimens, such as the load-displacement, the failure mode, the maximum load carrying capacity, and ductility capacity. All the specimens were modeled in scale-down size. The reinforced concrete beams using the eco-friendly alkali-activated slag fiber reinforced concrete was failed by the flexure or flexure-shear in general. In addition, the maximum strength increased with the adding the mol of sodium hydroxide, and the specimen reinforced the steel fiber showed the value of maximum strength which is increased by 15.8% through 25.9%. It is thought that eco-friendly alkali-activated slag fiber reinforced concrete can be used with construction material and product to replace normal concrete. If there is applied to structures such as precast concrete member and production of 2nd concrete product, it could be improved the productivity and reduction of construction duration etc.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.773-783
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• 2007

A simple unbonded-type shear strengthening technique for reinforced concrete beams using wire rope units is developed. Six two-span continuous T-beams externally strengthened with wire rope units and an unstrengthened control beam were tested. The main variables investigated were the amount and prestressing force of wire rope units. All specimens had the same geometrical dimension and arrangement of internal reinforcement. Influence of the distribution of vertical stresses in beam web owing to the prestressing force of wire rope units on the diagonal shear cracking load and the ultimate shear capacity of beams tested is presented. Based on the current study, it can be concluded that the amount and initial prestress of wire rope should be limited to be above 2.5 times the minimum shear reinforcement ratio specified in ACI 318-05 and below 0.6 times its own tensile strength, respectively, to ensure the enhancement of shear capacity and ductile failure mode of the strengthened beams. A numerical analysis based on the upper-bound theorem is developed to assess the shear capacity of continuous T-beams strengthened with wire rope units. From the comparisons of measured and predicted shear capacities, a better agreement is achieved in the proposed numerical analysis than in empirical equations recommended by ACI 318-05.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.151-160
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• 1999

A series of laboratory tests for the marine clay sampled under the sea of Kwangyang bay have been conducted. The main types of tests are the general index property tests, the oedometer tests and the triaxial compression tests in both undrained(CIU) and drained(CID) conditions. The clayey samples, classified as CL, CH with natural water content of 38.3~84.6% and liquidity index of 0.71~0.98, are in the normally consolidated state with O.C.R. of 1.0l~l.60. The undrained stress path from CIU tests can be normalized with isotropic consolidation pressure$(p_0)$ and equal shear strain contour is linear passing through the origin in the (q, p) plot. The undrained shear strain is found to be the only function of the stress ratio($\eta$) and linear with intercept in the ($\varepsilon/\eta,\eta$) plot. The built-up pore pressure normalized with pc is also linear with respect to $\eta$. and its slope is defined by ´C´ as a pore pressure parameter. Equations to predict the undrained stress path and the shear strain are proposed. It is proved that the proposed equations give better agreements to the measured values than the Cam-clay theories. The failure points of the stress path are located on the same C.S.L. in (q, p) plot during both CIU and CID tests, which justifies the concept of critical state theory.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.227-236
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• 1991

Background: The evaluation of individual renal function is important to diagnosis and follow-up of various diseases. Ureteral catheterization of each kidney has been widely used for this purpose, but this method had some technical difficulty, frequent complications and much restriction in reapplication. Therefore we tried to applicate radiopharmaceuticals for the evaluation of individual renal function. Methods: We measured 2 hour, 4 hour and 24 hour relative renal uptake of $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ and relative glomerular filteration rate of $^{99m}Tc-DTPA$ with 59 patients with various renal diseases to determine their usefulness for assessment of individual renal function and to compare correlations between every renal uptake of $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ and relative glomerular filteration rate. Results: The correlations between 2 hour-, 4 hour- and 24 hour- relative renal uptake of $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ and relative glomerular filteration rate of $^{99m}Tc-DTPA$ were R=0.9190 (p < 0.001), R: 0.9229 (p<0.001) and R=0.9917 (p<0.001). In acute obstructive uropathy, the correlations at 2 hour and 4 houre were poor as R=0.1812 (p<0.05) and R=0.4923 (p < 0.05), but the correlation at 24 hour was good as R=0.9942 (p<0.001). Conclusions: We concluded that relative renal uptake at 2 hour and 4 hour had good correlation with relative DTPA uptake ratio in the cases without chronic renal failure and obstructive uropathy. Delayed image with 24 hour relative renal uptake $^{99m}Tc-DTPA$ had the best correlation with relative glomerular filteration rate of $^{99m}Tc-DTPA$ and that might be useful in evaluation of chronic renal disease in which showed increased beckground activity or acute obstructive uropathy.