• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.20-55
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• 2016

Koguryo's tomb mural paintings in North Korea are our precious cultural heritage which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage property receiving high praise in the following criterion, i) exceptional creativeness of human being, ii) representative value showing the stage of development in construction history of East-Asia, iii) aesthetic superiority iv) uniqueness of building construction including tombs' ceiling. Mural paintings have been found from almost 100 tombs of the Koguryo dynasty out of 130 which are scattered across Huanren County, Lianoning Province, Ji'an, Jilin Province in China and Pyongyang in North Korea. Especially, most of them are gathered in Pyongyang from 4th and 5th century. Peculiarly, some of them have been constructed before King Jangsu's transfer of the capital to Pyongyang(AD 427). It can be regarded that Pyongyang territory had been under control of Koguryo and to become a new capital in the near future. And dense emergence of such tombs since the capital transfer from Gungnae City to Pyongyang during the reign of Jangsu is linked closely to the construction of tombs for rulers under strengthen royal authority of Jangsu and centralized system of authoritarian rule. Tomb mural paintings describe the owner's figure pictorially based on the truth just as in his living years. General lifestyles of ruling powers and sovereigns can be seen from the wall paintings portraying several buildings with various styles, figures, manners of living, which are considered that the tomb owner had led politically and sociologically in his life. In spite of not enough proofs to approve figure of architectures or "Gong-Po" in wall paintings on the tombs as those of Koguryo, it is persuasive with consideration for painting and decoration inside the tomb like wooden building in real life for the purpose of reenacting and continuing the tomb owner's luxurious life after death. "Du-Gong-Po-Zak" had appeared in company with Koguryo tomb murals and it can be found in most of the murals. And the emergence of substantial "Gong-Po-Do" can be counted more than a century ahead of the figure in murals. It could be a reasonable assumption as regards Koguryo tomb murals time of appearance match up with production period of Gahyungmyunggi(家形明器) and Hwasangseok(畵像石) Hwasangjeon(畵像塼) Design in the Mural Painting of the East-Han(東漢) Ancient Tombs in China. On this study, architectural "Gong-Po"s described in Koguryo tomb murals are categorized largely in "Bi(non)-Po-Zak-kye", "Jun(semi)-Po-Zak-kye", and "Po-Zak-kye" based on presence of "Ju-Du", "Cheom-Cha", and "Cheom-Cha-Sal-Mi" with developmental aspect, and, "Po-zak" is subdivided as "Bi(non)-Cheul-Mok" and "Cheul-Mok" types.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2016

On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale and subsequent 10-.14 m waves struck the Fukushima Daiichi (FD) Nuclear Power Plant. The main and backup electric power was damaged preventing the cooling system from functioning. Fuel rods overheated and led to hydrogen explosions. If heat in the fuel rods is not dissipated, the nuclear fuel coating material (e.g., Zircaloy) reacts with water vapor to generate hydrogen at high temperatures. This hydrogen is released into the containment area. If the released hydrogen burns, the stability of the containment area is significantly impacted. In this study, researchers performed an explosion analysis in a high-risk explosion area, analyzing the hydrogen distribution in a containment building [1] and the effects of a hydrogen explosion on containment safety. Results indicated that a hydrogen explosion was possible throughout the containment building except the middle area. If an explosion occurs at the top of the containment building with more than 40% of the hydrogen collected or in the bottom right or left side of the of containment building, safety of the containment building could be threatened.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.703-731
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• 2013

In order to verify the applicability of buckling restrained braces (BRB's) and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets to the seismic strengthening of a low-rise RC building having the irregularities of a soft/weak story and torsion at the ground story, a series of earthquake simulation tests were conducted on a 1:5 scale RC building model before, and after, the strengthening, and these test results are compared and analyzed, to check the effectiveness of the strengthening. Based on the investigations, the following conclusions are made: (1) The BRB's revealed significant slips at the joint with the existing RC beam, up-lifts of columns from RC foundations and displacements due to the flexibility of foundations, and final failure due to the buckling and fracture of base joint angles. The lateral stiffness appeared to be, thereby, as low as one seventh of the intended value, which led to a large yield displacement and, therefore, the BRB's could not dissipate seismic input energy as desired within the range of anticipated displacements. (2) Although the strengthened model did not behave as desired, great enhancement in earthquake resistance was achieved through an approximate 50% increase in the lateral resistance of the wall, due to the axial constraint by the peripheral BRB frames. Finally, (3) whereas in the original model, base torsion was resisted by both the inner core walls and the peripheral frames, the strengthened model resisted most of the base torsion with the peripheral frames, after yielding of the inner core walls, and represented dual values of torsion stiffness, depending on the yielding of core walls.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.270-276
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• 2010

Nickel-copper foam electrodes with pore gradient micro framework and nano-ramified wall have been prepared by using an electrochemical deposition process. Growth habit of nickel-copper co-deposits was quite different from that of pure nickel deposit. In particular, the ramified structure of the individual particles was getting clear with chloride ion content in the electrolyte. The ratio of nickel to copper in the deposits decreased with the distance away from the substrate and the more chloride ions in the electrolyte led to the more nickel content throughout the deposits. Compositional analysis for the cross section of a ramified branch, together with tactical selective copper etching, proved that the copper content increased with approaching central region of the cross section. Such a composition gradient actually disappeared after heat treatment. It is anticipated that the pore gradient nickel-copper nanostructured foams presented in this work might be a promising option for the high-performance electrode in functional electrochemical devices.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.223-230
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• 1995

This study investigates a combined mathematical model for the quantitative estimation of regional myocardial blood flow in experimental canine coronary artery occlusion and in patients with ischemic myocardial diseases using Rb-82 dynamic myocardial positron emission tomography. The coronary thrombosis was induced using the new catheter technique by narrowing the lumen of coronary vessel gradually, which finally led to partial obstruction of coronary artery. Thirty four Rb-82 dynamic myocardial PET scans were performed sequentially for each experiment using our 5, 10 and 20 second acquisition protocol, respectively, and six to seven regions of interest were drawn on each transaxial slices, one on left ventricular chamber for input function and the others on normal and decreased perfusion myocardial segments for the flow estimation in those regions. Two compartment model and graphical analysis method have been applied to the measured sets of regional PET data, and the rate constants of influx to myocardial tissue were calculated for regional myocardial flow estimates with the two parameter fits of raw data by the Levenberg-Marquardt method. The results showed that, (I) two compartment model suggested by Kety-Schmidt, with proper modification of the measured data and volume of distribution, could be used for the simple estimation of regional myocardial blood flow, (2) the calculated regional myocardial blood flow estimates were dependent on the selection of input function, which reflected partial volume effect and left ventricular wall motion in previously used graphical analysis, and (3) mathematically fitted input and tissue time activity curves were more suitable than the direct application of the measured data in terms of convergence.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.563-566
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• 2010

Retrobulbar abscess is a rare, but severe complication of paranasal sinusitis. The clinical presentations are eyelid swelling, erythema, proptosis, conjunctival chemosis, restricted ocular movement, and decreased visual acuity. Diagnostic methods available for evaluating retrobulbar abscess include sinus X-ray, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and bacterial culture. For the treatment of retrobulbar abscess, immediate surgical drainage and systemic antibiotic therapy are needed. Proper diagnosis and treatments are necessary for preventing visual loss, cavernous sinus thrombosis, subdural abscess, and other lifethreatening complications. A patient, a 30-year-old man, was admitted to our hospital because of progressive eyelid swelling, erythema, ptosis and decreased visual acuity on the right eye after endodontic treatment. The sinusitis occurred secondary to the infection from an upper molar tooth. The spread of the infection led to the orbit via ethmoidal sinus and posterior orbital wall. Immediate surgical intervention was performed and systemic antibiotics was administrated. The symptoms and signs are improved after treatments, so we present our case with a brief review of the literature.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.553-559
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• 2018

Investigations into the development of new therapeutic agents for lung inflammatory disorders have led to the discovery of plant-based alternatives. The rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides have a long history of use against lung inflammatory disorders in traditional herbal medicine. However, the therapeutic potential of this plant material in animal models of lung inflammation has yet to be evaluated. In the present study, we prepared the alcoholic extract and derived the saponin-enriched fraction from the rhizomes of A. asphodeloides and isolated timosaponin A-III, a major constituent. Lung inflammation was induced by intranasal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mice, representing an animal model of acute lung injury (ALI). The alcoholic extract (50-200 mg/kg) inhibited the development of ALI. Especially, the oral administration of the saponin-enriched fraction (10-50 mg/kg) potently inhibited the lung inflammatory index. It reduced the total number of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Histological changes in alveolar wall thickness and the number of infiltrated cells of the lung tissue also indicated that the saponin-enriched fraction strongly inhibited lung inflammation. Most importantly, the oral administration of timosaponin A-III at 25-50 mg/kg significantly inhibited the inflammatory markers observed in LPS-induced ALI mice. All these findings, for the first time, provide evidence supporting the effectiveness of A. asphodeloides and its major constituent, timosaponin A-III, in alleviating lung inflammation.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.9
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• pp.151-170
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• 2010

As an art group, De Stijl (1917-1931) led a total art movement encompassing painting, sculpture, design, and architecture. Among these, architecture, as a model of the total art pursued by the group, was encapsulated by the term 'plastic architecture.' The term reflects architecture's shared features with plastic art, especially its pictorial characteristics. Firstly, De Stijl architecture shares geometric form with painting. Assembled in simple, clear and rational structures, the geometric forms signified universal forms, and extended the pictorial experimentation that Mondrian exercised through Neo-Plasticism to architecture. Constructed with colour fields made of concrete wall, De Stijl architecture is geometric abstract painting embodied in space. Together with such pictorial characteristics, large plate glass windows, narrow window frames, and cantilever structure minimize the building's visual weight. De Stijl architecture, which appears suspended in the air, is an architectural version of the abstract paintings of the era that revealed unknown spaces beyond perspective. De Stijl architecture is also an 'open' architecture, where the units placed as if radiating from the center form relations with each other flexibly and organically. The observer in such a space is encouraged to experience space within time, as his/her physical and visual mobility and extension are maximized. De Stijl architecture is an example of how the time-space continuum, represented within picture frame through Cubism, Futurism, and abstract art, can be realized in space. By transforming the ideal space of painting into real space in this way, 'plastic architecture' turned out to be an architectural manifestation of the utopianism of the era, aimed at building a society in 'perfect harmony.' However, such rationalism and universalism are not free from the violence of totalization that deletes various differences. This is evident in the history that followed as the geometric form of architecture and urban planning proliferated across the globe, engulfing the diverse natural landscapes and local cultures.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.185-188
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• 2016

The $12^{th}$ rib syndrome is a disease that causes pain between the upper abdomen and the lower chest. It is assumed that the impinging on the nerves between the ribs causes pain in the lower chest, upper abdomen, and flank. A 74-year-old female patient visited a pain clinic complaining of pain in her back, and left chest wall at a 7 on the 0-10 Numeric Rating scale (NRS). She had a lateral fixation at T12-L2, 6 years earlier. After the operation, she had multiple osteoporotic compression fractures. When the spine was bent, the patient complained about a sharp pain in the left mid-axillary line and radiating pain toward the abdomen. On physical examination, the $10^{th}$ rib was not felt, and an image of the rib-cage confirmed that the left $10^{th}$ rib was severed. When applying pressure from the legs to the $9^{th}$ rib of the patient, pain was reproduced. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with $9^{th}$ rib syndrome, and ultrasound-guided $9^{th}$ and $10^{th}$ intercostal nerve blocks were performed around the tips of the severed $10^{th}$ rib. In addition, local anesthetics with triamcinolone were administered into the muscles beneath the $9^{th}$ rib at the point of the greatest tenderness. The patient's pain was reduced to NRS 2 point. In this case, it is suspected that the patient had a partial resection of the left $10^{th}$ rib in the past, and subsequent compression fractures at T8 and T9 led to the deformation of the rib cage, causing the tip of the remaining $10^{th}$ rib to impinge on the $9^{th}$ intercostal nerves, causing pain.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2011

A nano-porous structure of tin oxide was prepared using an anodic oxidation process and the sample's electrochemical properties were evaluated for application as an anode in a rechargeable lithium battery. Microscopic images of the as-anodized sample indicated that it has a nano-porous structure with an average pore size of several tens of nanometers and a pore wall size of about 10 nanometers; the structural/compositional analyses proved that it is amorphous stannous oxide (SnO). The powder form of the as-anodized specimen was satisfactorily lithiated and delithiated as the anode in a lithium battery. Furthermore, it showed high initial reversible capacity and superior rate performance when compared to previous fabrication attempts. Its excellent electrode performance is probably due to the effective alleviation of strain arising from a cycling-induced large volume change and the short diffusion length of lithium through the nano-structured sample. To further enhance the rate performance, the attempt was made to create porous tin oxide film on copper substrate by anodizing the electrodeposited tin. Nevertheless, the full anodization of tin film on a copper substrate led to the mechanical disintegration of the anodic tin oxide, due most likely to the vigorous gas evolution and the surface oxidation of copper substrate. The adhesion of anodic tin oxide to the substrate, together with the initial reversibility and cycling stability, needs to be further improved for its application to high-power electrode materials in lithium batteries.