• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권10호
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• pp.3275-3285
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• 2021

A Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is a complex dynamic system-of-systems with highly nonlinear behaviors. In order to control the plant operation under both normal and abnormal conditions, the different systems in NPPs (e.g., the reactor core components, primary and secondary coolant systems) are usually monitored continuously, resulting in very large amounts of data. This situation makes it possible to integrate relevant qualitative and quantitative knowledge with artificial intelligence techniques to provide faster and more accurate behavior predictions, leading to more rapid decisions, based on actual NPP operation data. Data-driven models (DDM) rely on artificial intelligence to learn autonomously based on patterns in data, and they represent alternatives to physics-based models that typically require significant computational resources and might not fully represent the actual operation conditions of an NPP. In this study, a feed-forward backpropagation artificial neural network (ANN) model was trained to simulate the interaction between the reactor core and the primary and secondary coolant systems in a pressurized water reactor. The transients used for model training included perturbations in reactivity, steam valve coefficient, reactor core inlet temperature, and steam generator inlet temperature. Uncertainties of the plant physical parameters and operating conditions were also incorporated in these transients. Eight training functions were adopted during the training stage to develop the most efficient network. The developed ANN model predictions were subsequently tested successfully considering different new transients. Overall, through prompt prediction of NPP behavior under different transients, the study aims at demonstrating the potential of artificial intelligence to empower rapid emergency response planning and risk mitigation strategies.

• Investigative and Clinical Urology
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• 제59권6호
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• pp.410-415
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• 2018

Purpose: Despite meticulous techniques, surgical complications continue to be problematic in kidney transplant recipients. Role of routine stenting to reduce complications is controversial. In this study, we compare incidence of early urological complications, lymphoceles, urinary tract infections (UTI) and graft function; with or without double-J stenting. Materials and Methods: All patients who underwent live related donor renal transplantation from February 2014 to February 2016 were included. Transplants prior to February 2015 were without routine stenting; subsequent transplants were with routine stenting. Patients with neurogenic bladder, previously operated bladder and delayed or low urinary output were excluded. Followup was for at least three months. Descriptive statistics was performed for all parameters. Chi square test and Fisher's Exact test were used for qualitative variables. For quantitative variables, Mann-Whitney test was used to test median difference and independent samples t-test for mean difference. The p-value ${\leq}0.05$ was considered significant. Results: We analysed 74 patients (34 stented and 40 non-stented). There was no difference in the incidence of urinary leak, anastomotic obstruction, lymphoceles or UTI (p>0.4 for all comparisons). However, mean estimated glomerular filtration rate at sixth day, 14th day, one month and two months were 76.1 vs. 61.5 (p=0.025), 72.1 vs. 56.6 (p=0.005), 79.4 vs. 63.1 (p=0.002) and 82.0 vs. 63.3 (p=0.001) in the stented versus non-stented groups. Conclusions: Placement of ureteral stent in renal transplant does not significantly affect the incidence of early urinary complications or UTI. However, graft function is significantly better in stented recipients, at least in the short term.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제62권3호
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• pp.353-360
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• 2019

Epilepsy surgery that eliminates the epileptogenic focus or disconnects the epileptic network has the potential to significantly improve seizure control in patients with medically intractable epilepsy. Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) has been an established option for epilepsy surgery since the US Food and Drug Administration cleared the use of MRgLITT in neurosurgery in 2007. MRgLITT is an ablative stereotactic procedure utilizing heat that is converted from laser energy, and the temperature of the tissue is monitored in real-time by MR thermography. Real-time quantitative thermal monitoring enables titration of laser energy for cellular injury, and it also estimates the extent of tissue damage. MRgLITT is applicable for lesion ablation in cases that the epileptogenic foci are localized and/or deep-seated such as in the mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hypothalamic hamartoma. Seizure-free outcomes after MRgLITT are comparable to those of open surgery in well-selected patients such as those with mesial temporal sclerosis. Particularly in patients with hypothalamic hamartoma. In addition, MRgLITT can also be applied to ablate multiple discrete lesions of focal cortical dysplasia and tuberous sclerosis complex without the need for multiple craniotomies, as well as disconnection surgery such as corpus callosotomy. Careful planning of the target, the optimal trajectory of the laser probe, and the appropriate parameters for energy delivery are paramount to improve the seizure outcome and to reduce the complication caused by the thermal damage to the surrounding critical structures.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.103-109
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• 2019

Objective: Ensiling of tannin-rich fruit byproducts (FB) involves quantitative and qualitative changes in the tannins, which would consequently change the rumen fermentation characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate whether ensiled FBs are effective in mitigating methane emission from ruminants by conducting in vitro assessments. Methods: Fruit byproducts (grape pomace, wild grape pomace, and persimmon skin) were collected and subjected to four-week ensiling by Lactobacillus buchneri inoculant. A defined feed component with or without FB samples (both fresh and ensiled material) were subjected to in vitro anaerobic culturing using rumen fluid sampled from beef cattle, and the fermentation parameters and microbial populations were monitored. Results: Reduced methane production and a proportional change in total volatile fatty acids (especially enhanced propionate proportion) was noted in bottles containing the FBs compared with that in the control (without FB). In addition, we found lower gene copy number of archaeal 16S rRNA and considerably higher levels of one of the major fibrolytic bacteria (Fibrobacter succinogenes) in the bottles containing FBs than in the control, particularly, when it was included in a forage-based feed. However, in the following cultivation experiment, we observed that FBs failed to exhibit a significant difference in methane production with or without polyethylene glycol, implying that tannins in the FBs may not be responsible for the mitigation of methane generation. Conclusion: The results of the in vitro cultivation experiments indicated that not only the composition but also ensiling of FBs affected rumen fermentation patterns and the degree of methane generation. This is primarily because of the compositional changes in the fibrous fraction during ensiling as well as the presence of readily fermented substrates, whereas tannins in these FBs seemed to have little effect on the ruminal fermentation kinetics.

• 대한영양사협회학술지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.30-43
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• 2019

This study compared the predictive models for the growth kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus in ham rice balls. In addition, a semi-quantitative risk assessment of S. aureus on ham rice balls was conducted using FDA-iRISK 4.0. The rice was rounded with chopped ham, which was mixed with mayonnaise (SHM), soy sauce (SHS), or gochujang (SHG), and was contaminated artificially with approximately $2.5{\log}\;CFU{\cdot}g^{-1}$ of S. aureus. The inoculated rice balls were then stored at $7^{\circ}C$, $15^{\circ}C$, and $25^{\circ}C$, and the number of viable S. aureus was counted. The lag phases duration (LPD) and maximum specific growth rate (SGR) were calculated using a Baranyi model as a primary model. The growth parameters were analyzed using the polynomial equation as a function of temperature. The LPD values of S. aureus decreased with increasing temperature in SHS and SHG. On the other hand, those in SHM did not show any trend with increasing temperature. The SGR positively correlated with temperature. Equations for LPD and SGR were developed and validated using $R^2$ values, which ranged from 0.9929 to 0.9999. In addition, the total DALYs (disability adjusted life years) per year in the ham rice balls with soy sauce and gochujang was greater than mayonnaise. These results could be used to calculate the expected number of illnesses, and set the hazard management method taking the DALY value for public health into account.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제35권5호
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• pp.521-529
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• 2019

Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus is a species of the widespread geminiviruses. The infection of Nicotiana benthamiana by Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV) causes a reduction in photosynthetic activity, which is part of the viral symptoms. ${\beta}C1$ is a viral factor encoded by the betasatellite DNA ($DNA{\beta}$) accompanying TYLCCNV. It is a major viral pathogenicity factor of TYLCCNV. To elucidate the effect of ${\beta}C1$ on plants' photosynthesis, we measured the relative chlorophyll (Chl) content and Chl fluorescence in TY-LCCNV-infected and ${\beta}C1$ transgenic N. benthamiana plants. The results showed that Chl content is reduced in TYLCCNV A-infected, TYLCCNV A plus $DNA{\beta}$ (TYLCCNV A + ${\beta}$)-infected and ${\beta}C1$ transgenic plants. Further, changes in Chl fluorescence parameters, such as electron transport rate, $F_v/F_m$, NPQ, and qP, revealed that photosynthetic efficiency is compromised in the aforementioned N. benthamiana plants. The presense of ${\beta}C1$ aggravated the decrease of Chl content and photosynthetic efficiency during viral infection. Additionally, the real-time quantitative PCR analysis of oxygen evolving complex genes in photosystem II, such as PsbO, PsbP, PsbQ, and PsbR, showed a significant reduction of the relative expression of these genes at the late stage of TYLCCNV A + ${\beta}$ infection and at the vegetative stage of ${\beta}C1$ transgenic N. benthamiana plants. In summary, this study revealed the pathogenicity of TYLCCNV in photosynthesis and disclosed the effect of ${\beta}C1$ in exacerbating the damage in photosynthesis efficiency by TYLCCNV infection.

• 한국지반공학회논문집
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.37-46
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• 2019

최근 다른 현장시험에 비하여 비교적 정확성이 높은 CPT 기반 액상화 평가법의 사용이 증가하고 있다. CPT 기반 액상화 평가는 다양한 흙의 특성을 예측하고 이를 액상화 평가에 활용할 수 있다. 특히, 세립분 함량은 CPT 기반 액상화 평가에서 중요한 입력 변수 중 하나로 이에 대한 정확한 예측식의 사용 및 예측 변동성을 정량적으로 파악하는 것은 매우 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 2017년 포항지진 시 액상화 현상이 관측된 지점에서 수행된 CPT 자료를 이용하여 기존 세립분 함량 예측식들의 오차를 분석하고 포항지역에 적합한 세립분 함량 예측식을 선정하였다. 또한, 지반의 고유한 변동성을 분석하고 CPT의 측정오차, 선정된 예측식에 대한 변환 불확실성을 고려한 세립분 함량의 예측 변동성을 정량적으로 평가하였다.

• 한국정보전자통신기술학회논문지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.265-272
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• 2019

본 연구에서는 예금은행 주택담보대출에 대해 매년 문제가 야기되는 지속적인 증가율을 정성적으로 파악하고, 다시 안정세를 보일 수 있는 특성요인을 파악하고자 향후 주택담보대출에 대해 정량적으로 분석하고 증가율 추세에 대한 대책을 마련하고자 예측 연구를 실행하였다. 빅-데이터 분석에 많이 쓰이는 R 프로그램을 활용하여 데이터를 분석한 결과 ARIMA 모형의 모수를 (0,1,1)(0,1,1)[12]로 추정하였을 때, MAPE와 RMSE의 검정 결과 기준으로 가장 최적의 ARIMA 모형인 것으로 나타났다. 해당 모수를 통해 향후 5년 (60개월간)의 추정치를 예측한 결과, 평균 4.5%대의 증가율을 나타냈다. 그러나 이는 사회 환경요인의 요인을 반영하지 않은 예측 값이기 때문에 다양한 사회 환경요인을 활용하여 외부 충격요인에 대한 구조적 모형 연구가 이루어져야 할 것이며, 추후 관련연구들은 이와 같은 한계들을 극복하여 진행될 필요가 있으며 정책적인 활용도를 높이기 위해 많은 실증연구가 이루어져야 하겠다.

• 수산해양기술연구
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• 제57권2호
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• pp.149-161
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• 2021

The concern on the greenhouse gas emission is strongly increasing globally. In fishery industry section, the greenhouse gas emissions are an important issue according to The Paris Climate Change Accord in 2015. The Korean government has a plan to reduce the GHG emissions as 4.8% compared to the BAU in fisheries until 2020. Furthermore, the Korean government has also declared to achieve the carbon neutrality in 2050 at the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021. However, the investigation on the GHG emissions from Korean fisheries did not carry out extensively. Most studies on GHG emissions from Korean fishery have dealt with the GHG emissions by fishery classification so far. However, follow-up studies related to GHG emissions from fisheries need to evaluate the GHG emission level by species to prepare the adoption of environmental labels and declarations (ISO 14020). The purpose of this research is to investigate which degree of GHG emitted to produce the species (hairtail and small yellow croaker) from various fisheries. Here, we calculated the GHG emission to produce the species from the fisheries using the Life Cycle Assessment method. The system boundary and input parameters for each process level are defined for the LCA analysis. The fuel use coefficients of the fisheries for the species are also calculated according to the fuel type. The GHG emissions from sea activities by the fisheries will be dealt with. Furthermore, the GHG emissions for producing the unit weight species and annual production are calculated by fishery classification. The results will be helpful to understand the circumstances of GHG emissions from Korean fisheries.

• 공업화학
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.114-118
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• 2011

미네랄 오일을 결합재로 사용하는 탄소반죽전극은 효소의 특성 연구 분야에서 효과적으로 활용되고 있으나 전극이 기계적 경도가 없으므로 실용화의 가능성은 없다. 본 실험실에서는 톨루엔에 녹인 고무 용액이 탄소가루의 결합재로 사용될 때 탄소반죽의 기계적 물성이 얻어지는 것을 확인하였다. 클로로프렌 고무 용액을 이용하여 만든 전극이 정량적인 전기화학적 행동을 보이는지 확인하기 위하여 여러 가지 속도론적 파라메터 즉 대칭인자($\alpha$, 0.28), 교환전류밀도 ($i_0$, $4.06{\mu}A/cm^2$), 이중층의 축전용량($C_d$, $2.11{\times}10^{-3}F$), Michaelis 상수($K_M$, $2.45{\times}10^{-3}M$), 시간상수(${\tau}_B$, 0.077 sec) 등을 구하였다. 이 실험적 사실들은 클로로프렌 고무가 탄소반죽전극의 실용화에 전망 좋은 결합재임을 입증하였다.