• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.121-127
• /
• 2013

Nanotoxicological research has shown toxicity of nanomaterials to be inversely related to particle size. However, the contribution of agglomeration to the toxicity of nanomaterials has not been sufficiently studied, although it is known that agglomeration is associated with increased nanomaterial size. In this study, we prepared aerosols of nano-sized carbon black by 2 different ways to verify the effects of agglomeration on the toxicity and deposition of nano-sized carbon black. The 2 methods of preparation included the carbon black dispersion method that facilitated clustering without sonication and the carbon black dispersion method involving sonication to achieve scattering and deagglomeration. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to carbon black aerosols 6 hr a day for 3 days or for 2 weeks. The median mass aerodynamic diameter of carbon black aerosols averaged $2.08{\mu}m$ (for aerosol prepared without sonication; group N) and $1.79{\mu}m$ (for aerosol prepared without sonication; group S). The average concentration of carbon black during the exposure period for group N and group S was $13.08{\pm}3.18mg/m^3$ and $13.67{\pm}3.54mg/m^3$, respectively, in the 3-day experiment. The average concentration during the 2-week experiment was $9.83{\pm}3.42mg/m^3$ and $9.08{\pm}4.49mg/m^3$ for group N and group S, respectively. The amount of carbon black deposition in the lungs was significantly higher in group S than in group N in both 3-day and 2-week experiments. The number of total cells, macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and the number of total white blood cells and neutrophils in the blood in the 2-week experiment were significantly higher in group S than in normal control. However, differences were not found in the inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6, etc.) and protein indicators of cell damage (albumin and lactate dehydrogenase) in the BAL fluid of both group N and group S as compared to the normal control. In conclusion, carbon black aerosol generated by sonication possesses smaller nanoparticles that are deposited to a greater extent in the lungs than is aerosol formulated without sonication. Additionally, rats were narrowly more affected when exposed to carbon black aerosol generated by sonication as compared to that produced without sonication.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.335-342
• /
• 2015

Phononic crystals are composite materials consisting of a periodic arrangement of scattering inclusions in a host material. One of the most important properties of phononic crystals is the existence of band gaps, i.e., ranges of frequencies at which acoustic waves cannot propagate through the structure. The present study aims to investigate theoretically and experimentally the acoustic band structures in two-dimensional (2D) phononic crystals consisting of periodic square arrays of stainless steel solid cylinders with a diameter of 1 mm and a lattice constant of 1.5 mm in water. The theoretical dispersion relation that depicts the relationship between the frequency and the wave vector was calculated along the ${\Gamma}X$ direction of the first Brillouin zone using the finite element method to predict the band structures in the 2D phononic crystals. The transmission and the reflection coefficients were measured in the 2D phononic crystals with 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 layers of stainless steel cylinders stacked in the perpendicular direction to propagation at normal incidence. The theoretical dispersion relation exhibited five band gaps at frequencies below 2 MHz, the first gap appearing around a frequency of 0.5 MHz. The location and the width of the band gaps experimentally observed in the transmission and the reflection coefficients appeared to coincide well with those determined from the theoretical dispersion relation.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
• /
• v.9 no.8
• /
• pp.939-944
• /
• 2014

Traffic accidents caused by the attention dispersion are increasing and the behavior of the attention dispersion affects the front-observing rate, road keeping ability, and reaction time for a dangerous situation. Many drivers listen to a radio broadcast and they have to change the frequency for continuously listening a radio broadcast of the specific broadcasting station in case of crossing a boundary of the particular area. In this situation, the possibility of a car accident increases, because the attention dispersion of a driver might be occurred. Especially, the risk of a car accident caused by changing the frequency of a radio is more serious in the highway, due to the high speed of a vehicle. In order to reduce the risk of a car accident caused by handling a radio during driving car, in this paper, we propose an automatic frequency conversion algorithm for vehicle radio, which saves normal system frequencies of primary broadcasting stations in a database and determines new frequency of the changed area using the location information obtained from a navigation system in a boundary of the specific area. After determining new frequency, the proposed algorithm selects a frequency with better receiving rate comparing signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of two signals corresponding previous and new frequencies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.168-178
• /
• 2017

In order to prevent major and chemical accidents, some of the plants which would like to install and operate hazard chemicals handling facilities must submit Off-site Consequence Analysis due to recent arisen leak accidents since 2015. A lot of chemical industrials choose gas detectors as mitigation equipment to early detect gas vapor. The way of placement of gas detectors has two methods; Code-based Design(CBD) and Performance-based Design. The CBD has principles for gas detectors to be installed with consideration for the place that is expected to accumulate gas, and the leak locations according to legal standards and technical guidelines, and has a possibility to be unable to detect by these rules to locate gas detectors by vapor density information. The PBD has two methods; a Geographic Method and Scenario based Method. The Scenario-based Method has been suggested to make up for the Geographic Coverage Method. This Scenario-based Method draw the best optimum placement of gas detectors by considering leak locations, leak speed information, leak directions and etc. However, the domestic placement guidelines just refers to the CBD. Therefore, this study is to compare existing placement location of gas detectors by the domestic CBD with placement locations, coverages and the number of gas detectors in accordance with the Scenario-based Method. Also this study has measures for early detecting interest of Vapor Cloud and suitable placement of gas detectors to prevent chemical accidents. The Phast software was selected to simulate vapor cloud dispersion to predict the consequence. There are two cases; an accident hole size of leak(8 mm) from API which is the highst accident hole size less than 24.5 mm, and a normal leak hole size from KOSHA Guide (1.8 mm). Detect3D was also selected to locate gas detectors efficiently and compare CBD results and PBD results. Currently, domestic methods of gas detectors do not consider any risk, but just depend on domestic code methods which lead to placement of gas detectors not to make personnels recognize tolerable or intolerable risks. The results of the Scenario-based Method, however, analyze the leak estimated range by simulating leak dispersion, and then it is able to tell tolerable risks. Thus it is considered that individuals will be able to place gas detectors reasonably by making objectives and roles flexibly according to situations in a specific plant.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.276-286
• /
• 2021

General high fluidity concrete is the area of high strength concrete with a high amount of cement to secure the required fluidity and workability. Since most of the concrete structures currently used have normal strength, there is a limit to the practical expansion and practicality of use. Thus it is necessary to develop normal strength-high fluidity concrete with low binders that can be used not only in general buildings but also in special buildings, and can greatly reduce construction time and save labor costs. This requires to develop and apply the polycarboxylate-based superplasticizer. In this study, PCE was prepared for each combination of starting materials(WR, HB, RT) and the rheological properties of cement paste were analyzed using ringflow cone and a rotary viscometer. As a result, when PCE with a combination of WR 80%, HB 6.5%, and RT 13.5% was applied, the yield stress can be minimized while securing the plastic viscosity at level of the normal strength. In addition, high fluidity due to the high dispersion effect was confirmed.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.201-206
• /
• 2017

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of swim-up and density gradient centrifugation (DGC) for reducing the amount of sperm with fragmented DNA, sex chromosome aneuploidy, and abnormal chromatin structure. Methods: Semen samples were obtained from 18 healthy male partners who attended infertility clinics for infertility investigations and were processed with swim-up and DGC. The percentages of sperm cells with fragmented DNA measured by the sperm chromatin dispersion test, normal sex chromosomes assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and abnormal chromatin structure identified by toluidine blue staining were examined. Results: The percentage of sperm cells with fragmented DNA was significantly lower in the swim-up fraction (9.7%, p= 0.001) than in the unprocessed fraction (27.0%), but not in the DGC fraction (27.8%, p= 0.098). The percentage of sperm cells with normal X or Y chromosomes was comparable in the three fractions. The percentage of sperm cells with abnormal chromatin structure significantly decreased after DGC (from 15.7% to 10.3%, p= 0.002). The swim-up method also tended to reduce the percentage of sperm cells with abnormal chromatin structure, but the difference was not significant (from 15.7% to 11.6%, p= 0.316). Conclusion: The swim-up method is superior for enriching genetically competent sperm.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.283-289
• /
• 2004

This study was conducted to determine the effects of incubation time after cooling on mouse meiotic spindle and chromosome alignment and the optimal incubation time for their restoration. Oocytes at the metaphase II were obtained from superovulated mice. Control oocytes were held at 37$^{\circ}C$ during the experiment. Oocytes were rapidly cooled to $0^{\circ}C$, held for 30 minutes, warmed and incubated at 37$^{\circ}C$ for 5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 minutes, respectively. The morphological features of spindle and chromosomes in oocytes were evaluated by immunofluorescent staining. Meiotic spindle of control oocytes exhibited a normal-looking bipolar configuration(barrel-shaped) and highly fluorescent microtubles. The chromosomes were clustered in a discrete bundles at metaphase plate. Disassembly of meiotic spindle and chromosome dispersion were occurred immediately after chilling of oocyte. Fluorescence intensity index(FIS), normal chromosomes aligned and normal spindle configuration were compared according to incubation time at 37$^{\circ}C$. Restoration of a barrel-shaped spindle and normal chromosome alignment was occurring after 5 minutes incubation at 37$^{\circ}C$, improved as a incubation time increased, and decreased gradually after 120 minutes incubation(P<0.05). The optimal incubation time for restoration of meiotic spindle and chromosomes in cooled oocytes was 60 minutes.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.102-112
• /
• 2019

This paper studies impact fracture behavior under temperature variation and compressive flexural strength of cement composites using VAE(vinyl acetate ethylene) powder polymer and PVA(polyvinyl alcohol) fiber. Impact test were conducted in the temperature range selected for the $-35^{\circ}C$, $0^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$. In this experimental study, impact test were carried out using a drop impact testing machine (Ceast 9350) to obtain such as displacement, time, and impact fracture energy of normal specimen and and cement composites specimen. As test results, the use of VAE powder polymer and PVA fiber were observed to enhance the flexural strength of mortar. The compressive strength of PVA fibers reinforced cement composites was slightly decreased at 28 days, but the flexural strength was observed to increase 24.4% of normal mortar strength. As a result of the drop impact tests, PVA fiber reinforced cement composites specimens showed microcracks due to energy dispersion and crack prevention with bridge effect of the fibers, and scabbing or perforation by impact was suppressed. On the other hand, the normal mortar and VAE powder polymer cement composites specimens were carried out to the perforation and macro crack. Most of normal mortar and the cement composites subjected to impact load on specimens shows mostly local brittle failure. The impact resistant performance of the specimen with PVA fiber was greatly improved due to the increase of flexure performance.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.325-329
• /
• 2012

We will report our recent study on the properties of more than 1,600 galaxies detected by the AKARI All-Sky Survey with physical quantities based on optical and 21-cm observations, to understand the physics determining the infrared spectral energy distribution (Totani et al., 2011). We discover a tight linear correlation for normal star-forming galaxies between the radiation field strength of dust heating (corresponding to dust temperature) and the galactic-scale infrared radiation field, $L_{TIR}/R^2$. This is the tightest correlation of dust temperature ever known, and the dispersion along the mean relation is 13% in dust temperature. This relation can be explained physically by a thin layer of heating sources embedded in a thicker, optically-thick dust screen. We also find that the number of galaxies sharply drops when galaxies become optically thin against dust-heating radiation, indicating that a feedback process to galaxy formation (e.g., by the photoelectric heating) is working when dust-heating radiation is not self-shielded on a galactic scale. We discuss implications from these findings for the $M_{H_I}$ -size relation, the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation, and galaxy formation in the cosmological context.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.40-45
• /
• 2017

Chemical accidents generated during maintenance, repair, and normal operation, such as dispersion, fire, and explosions, can cause massive losses like a 2012 hydro fluorine leak in Gumi, South Korea. Since this accident, many researches have studied physical mitigation systems. However, due to many difficulties including potential costs and lack time, it is really hard for many companies to install mitigation systems without prior knowledge. Thus, the efficacy of mitigation system should be evaluated. This study assesses a dike design considering the fluid velocity at an open hole when a leakage accident occurs. It is assumed that leakage materials follow a free fall motion. Throughout case studies, a current KOSHA guide for a dike design was evaluated and new guidelines handling various conditions were proposed.