• Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2016

Background: Conventionally, elderly hip fracture patients are assessed by orthopedists to decide whether they need geriatric intervention. We aimed to evaluate the effect of perioperative geriatric intervention on healthcare outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for hip fractures. Methods: Our care model for hip fracture surgery resembles a combination of a routine geriatric consultation model and a geriatric ward model. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients aged ${\geq}65years$ undergoing surgery for hip fracture at a single tertiary hospital from January 2010 to December 2013. We assessed comorbidity, indwelling status, fracture type, and mode of anesthesia. We also evaluated in-hospital expenditure, duration of admission, disposition at discharge and 1-year mortality as clinical outcomes. We developed a propensity score model using the variables of age, cholesterol, and creatinine and examined the effect of perioperative geriatric intervention on intergroup differences of clinical variables. Results: Among 639 patients, 138 patients received the geriatric intervention and 501 patients received the usual care. Univariate analysis showed that factors such as age; Charlson comorbidity index; and serum levels of cholesterol, albumin, and creatinine differed significantly between these 2 groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of 1-year mortality, disposition at discharge, and in-hospital expenditure in the propensity matched model. However, the duration of hospitalization was shorter in the intervention group ($8.9{\pm}0.8days$) than in the usual care group ($14.2{\pm}3.7days$, p=0.006). Conclusion: This care model of geriatric intervention for patients with hip fracture is associated with reduced hospitalization duration.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-39
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• 2016

Despite the importance of university-industry collaboration, issues pertaining to the characteristics of collaborating firms, their modes of interaction, and the relationship between these modes and outcomes are not well-researched. The impact of country's development on these issues is also unclear. This case study examines Japan and Thailand-respectively representing developed and developing countries-and features the following key findings: 1) the characteristics of firms affect modes, with large Japanese firms being more collaborative with universities, whereas Thai SMEs significantly collaborate more with universities; 2) the relationship between modes in Thai firms is stronger than those of Japanese firms because in Thailand, perhaps due to weak technological capacity, R&D collaboration is conducted alongside university consultancy services; and 3) in Japan, R&D and human resource development collaboration lead to product innovation, whereas different outcomes are expected from different modes in Thailand. Apparently, trivial informal collaborations do have significant impact on innovation.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.475-494
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• 2007

This paper deals with the development of an innovative distributed construction system based on smart prefabricated concrete elements for the real-time condition assessment of civil infrastructure. So far, two reduced-scale prototypes have been produced, each consisting of a $0.2{\times}0.3{\times}5.6$ m RC beam specifically designed for permanent instrumentation with 8 long-gauge Fiber Optic Sensors (FOS) at the lower edge. The sensing system is Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG)-based and can measure finite displacements both static and dynamic with a sample frequency of 625 Hz per channel. The performance of the system underwent validation in the laboratory. The scope of the experiment was to correlate changes in the dynamic response of the beams with different damage scenarios, using a direct modal strain approach. Each specimen was dynamically characterized in the undamaged state and in various damage conditions, simulating different cracking levels and recurrent deterioration scenarios, including cover spalling and corrosion of the reinforcement. The location and the extent of damage are evaluated by calculating damage indices which take account of changes in frequency and in strain-mode-shapes. The outcomes of the experiment demonstrate how the damage distribution detected by the system is fully compatible with the damage extent appraised by inspection.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.105-119
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• 2015

Structural damage detection using modal strain energy (MSE) is one of the most efficient and reliable structural health monitoring techniques. However, some of the existing MSE methods have been validated for special types of structures such as beams or steel truss bridges which demands improving the available methods. The purpose of this study is to improve an efficient modal strain energy method to detect and quantify the damage in complex structures at early stage of formation. In this paper, a modal strain energy method was mathematically developed and then numerically applied to a fixed-end beam and a three-story frame including single and multiple damage scenarios in absence and presence of up to five per cent noise. For each damage scenario, all mode shapes and natural frequencies of intact structures and the first five mode shapes of assumed damaged structures were obtained using STRAND7. The derived mode shapes of each intact and damaged structure at any damage scenario were then separately used in the improved formulation using MATLAB to detect the location and quantify the severity of damage as compared to those obtained from previous method. It was found that the improved method is more accurate, efficient and convergent than its predecessors. The outcomes of this study can be safely and inexpensively used for structural health monitoring to minimize the loss of lives and property by identifying the unforeseen structural damages.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.135-146
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• 2024

This study predicts the means sharing ratio of the urban air transportation (UAM) when the VertiHub of the UAM in the southern western part is built at Songjeong Station in Gwanju. Based on Monte Carlo simulation of the utility function and means selection logit model for each means of transportation, our findings indicate an average mode share of 0.95%, with a variability range from 0.07% to 4.7%. Moreover, 95% of the simulation outcomes fall below a 2.02% mode share. Sensitivity analysis, conducted via Tornado Plot, highlights that the mode share is principally influenced by factors such as the unit fare, cost parameter, basic fare, and the time required for takeoff and landing. Notably, a negative correlation exists for unit fare, basic fare, and takeoff and landing time, suggesting the necessity of setting an appropriate level of fair to enhance UAM utilization.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.1024-1031
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• 2019

The Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) with its liquid circulating fuel and its fast neutron spectrum calls for a new safety approach including technological neutral methodologies and analysis tools adapted to early design phases. In the frame of the Horizon2020 program SAMOFAR (Safety Assessment of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor) a safety approach suitable for Molten Salt Reactors is being developed and applied to the MSFR. After a description of the MSFR reference design, this paper focuses on the identification of the Postulated Initiating Events (PIEs), which is a core part of the global assessment methodology. To fulfil this task, the Functional Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FFMEA) and the Master Logic Diagram (MLD) are selected and employed separately in order to be as exhaustive as possible in the identification of the initiating events of the system. Finally, an extract of the list of PIEs, selected as the most representative events resulting from the implementation of both methods, is presented to illustrate the methodology and some of the outcomes of the methods are compared in order to highlight symbioses and differences between the MLD and the FFMEA.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.203-218
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• 2022

In this paper, quasi-static tests were carried out on three prefabricated reinforced concrete column-steel beam (RCS) sub-assemblages with floor slabs and one comparison specimen without floor slab. The effects of axial compression and floor slab on the seismic performance were studied, and finite element simulations were conducted using ABAQUS. The results showed that the failure of prefabricated RCS sub-assemblages with floor occurred as a joint beam and column failure mode, while failure of sub-assemblages without floor occurred due to beam plastic hinge formation. Compared to the prefabricated RCS sub-assemblages without floor slab, the overall stiffness of the sub-assemblages with floor slab was between 19.2% and 45.4% higher, and the maximum load bearing capacity increased by 26.8%. However, the equivalent viscosity coefficient was essentially unchanged. When the axial compression ratio increased from 0.24 to 0.36, the hysteretic loops of the sub-assemblages with floor became fuller, and the load bearing capacity, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity increased by 12.1%, 12.9% and 8.9%, respectively. Also, the initial stiffness increased by 10.2%, but the stiffness degradation accelerated. The proportion of column drift caused by beam end plastic bending and column end bending changed from 35% and 46% to 47% and 36%, respectively. Comparative finite element analyses indicated that the numerical simulation outcomes agreed well with the experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.68 no.2
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• pp.171-182
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• 2018

For the first time, nonlocal damped vibration and buckling analyses of arbitrary tapered bidirectional functionally graded solid circular nano-plate (BDFGSCNP) are presented by employing modified spectral Ritz method. The energy method based on Love-Kirchhoff plate theory assumptions is applied to derive neutral equilibrium equation. The Eringen's nonlocal continuum theory is taken into account to capture small-scale effects. The characteristic equations and corresponding first mode shapes are calculated by using a novel modified basis in spectral Ritz method. The modified basis is in terms of orthogonal shifted Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind to avoid employing adhesive functions in the spectral Ritz method. The fast convergence and compatibility with various conditions are advantages of the modified spectral Ritz method. A more accurate multivariable function is used to model two-directional variations of elasticity modulus and mass density. The effects of nanoscale, in-plane pre-load, distributed dashpot, arbitrary tapering, pinned and clamped boundary conditions on natural frequencies and buckling loads are investigated. Observing an excellent agreement between results of current work and outcomes of previously published works in literature, indicates the results' accuracy in current work.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2101-2107
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• 2012

Treatment responses of $N_0$ stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma were firstly analyzed comprehensively to evaluate long term outcomes of patients and identify prognostic factors. A total of 610 patients with $N_0$ NPC, undergoing definitive radiotherapy to their primary lesion and prophylactic radiation to upper neck, were reviewed retrospectively. Concomitant chemotherapy was administrated to 65 out of the 610. Survival rates of the patients were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test. Prognostic factors were identified by the Cox regression model. The study revealed the 5-year and 10-year overall, disease-free, disease-specific, local failure-free, regional failure-free, locoregional failure-free and distant metastasis-free survival rates to be 78.7% and 66.8%, 68.8% and 55.8%, 79.9% and 70.4%, 81.2% and 72.5%, 95.8% and 91.8%, 78.3% and 68.5%, 88.5% and 85.5%, respectively. There were 192 patients experiencing failure (31.5%) after radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Of these, local recurrence, regional relapse and distant metastases as the first event of failure occurred in 100 (100/610, 16.4%), 15(15/610, 2.5%) and 52 (52/610, 8.5%), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that T stage was the only independent prognostic factor for patients with $N_0$ NPC (P=0.000). Late T stage (P=0.000), male (P=0.039) and anemia (P=0.007) were independently unfavorable factors predicting disease-free survival. After treatment, satisfactory outcome wasgenerally achieved in patients with $N_0$ NPC. Local recurrence represented the predominant mode of treatment failure, while T stage was the only independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Late T stage, male gender, and anemia independently predicted lower possibility of the disease-free survival.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 2013

Designs of total elbow arthroplasty have been evolving with clinical experiences. Newer implants are expected to resolve current limitations and improve long term outcomes. This review article focuses on the basic knowledge of unlinked and convertible total elbow arthroplasty. There have been a variety of designs of unlinked total elbow prostheses. Some implants are still used in the market, while others are no longer commercially available. Modified and newer designs include more congruent contact surface, stemmed implant, and radiocapitellar arthroplasty. Two convertible elbow prostheses have been developed, and one implant is currently available in Korea. Conversion from an unlinked to a linked mode is performed by adding a linking cap. Unlinked total elbow arthroplasty, which restores native elbow kinematics, has a biomechanical rationale of lowering polyethylene wear and loosening of implants. It can be indicated in younger and higher demand patients, who have adequate bone stock and soft tissues. Convertible total elbow arthroplasty broadens implant selection and simplifies revision surgery. These newer prostheses possibly improve the long term outcomes and resolve disadvantages of linked prostheses in total elbow arthroplasty.