• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.92-97
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• 2022

Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) is a high-risk viral pathogen that infects many types of fruit trees, especially pear and apple, and causes serious economic losses across the globe. Thus, rapid and reliable detection assay is needed to identify ASGV infection and prevent its spread. A reliable reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) was developed, optimize, and evaluated for the coding region of coat protein of ASGV in pear leaf. The developed RT-LAMP facilitated the simple screening of ASGV using visible fluorescence and electrophoresis. The optimized reaction conditions for the RT-LAMP were 63℃ for 50 min, and the results showed high specificity and 100-fold greater sensitivity than the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In addition, the reliability of the RT-LAMP was validated using field-collected pear leaves. Furthermore, the potential application of paper-based RNA isolation, combined with RT-LAMP, was also evaluated for detecting ASGV from field-collected samples. These assays could be widely applied to ASGV detection in field conditions and to virus-free certification programs.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.305-321
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• 2022

Bridge structural health monitoring with the aim of continuously assessing structural safety and reliability represents a topic of major importance for worldwide infrastructure managers. In the last two decades, due to their potential economic and operational advantages, drive-by approaches experienced growing consideration from researcher and engineers. This work addresses two technical topics regarding indirect frequency estimation methods: bridge and vehicle dynamics overlapping, and bridge expansion joints impact. The experimental campaign was conducted on a mixed multi-span bridge located in Lombardy using a Ford Galaxy instrumented with a mesh of wireless accelerometers. The onboard time series were acquired for a number of 10 passages over the bridge,performed at a travelling speed of 30 km/h, with no limitations imposed to traffic. Exploiting an ad-hoc sensors positioning, pitch vehicle motion was compensated, allowing to estimate the first two bridge bending frequencies from PSD functions; moreover, the herein adopted approach proved to be insensitive to joints disturbance. Conclusively, a sensitivity study has been conducted to trace the relationship between estimation accuracy and number of trips considered in the analysis. Promising results were found, pointing out a clear positive correlation especially for the first bending frequency.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.4
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• pp.511-529
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• 2023

This paper aims to better understand the bonding behavior in Reinforced Concrete beams strengthened with an Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (RCUHPFRC) layer on the compression side using experimental tests and numerical analyses. The UHPFRC mix design was obtained through an optimization procedure, and the characterization of the materials included compression and slant shear tests. Flexural tests were carried out in RC beams and RC-UHPFRC beams. The tests demonstrated a debonding of the UHPFRC layer. In addition, 3D finite element analyses were carried out in the Abaqus CAE program, in which the interface is modeled considering a zero-thickness cohesive-contact approach. The cohesive parameters are investigated, aiming to calibrate the numerical models, and a sensitivity analysis is performed to check the reliability of the assumed cohesive parameters and the mesh size. Finally, the experimental and numerical values are compared, showing a good approximation for both the RC beams and the RC strengthened beams.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.499-509
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• 2023

The objective of this study is to perform outlier analysis to obtain the distribution of groundwater levels through the best model. The groundwater levels are measured in 10, 25 and 30 piezometers in Seoul, Daejeon and Suncheon in South Korea. Fifty-eight empirical distribution functions were applied to determine a suitable fit for the measured groundwater levels. The best fitted models based on the measured values are determined as the Generalized Pareto distribution, the Johnson SB distribution and the Normal distribution for Seoul, Daejeon and Suncheon, respectively; the reliability is estimated through the Anderson-Darling method. In this study, to choose the appropriate confidence interval, the relationship between the amount of outlier data and the confidence level is demonstrated, and then the 95% is selected at a reasonable confidence level. The best model shows a smaller error ratio than the GEV while the Mahalanobis distance and outlier labelling methods results are compared and validated. The outlier labelling and Mahalanobis distance based on median shown higher validated error ratios compared to their mean equivalent suggesting, the methods sensitivity to data structure.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2024

Ceramide is a lipid in which sphingoid bases and fatty acids are linked by amide bonds. As a marker of skin disease in the human stratum corneum, its disease-causing and therapeutic effects have been partially confirmed, and it is therefore an important element in commercially available cosmetic formulations. However, structural diversity caused by differences in the chain length, number, and location of hydroxyl groups makes quality control difficult. In this study, a method was established to separate different ceramide species using reversed-phase LC-MS/MS and thus enable qualitative evaluation. Separation of four standards was achieved within a short retention time, and the accuracy and sensitivity of the method were demonstrated by the low limit of detection (LOD) calculated based on the calibration curve showing linearity, with R² > 0.994. After verification of reproducibility and reliability through intra- and inter-day analyses, the efficiency of the method was confirmed through analysis of commercial cosmetic raw materials.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.97-115
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• 1994

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the observed behaviors of subjects who suffered from low back pain with spinal diseases, Thirty two low back pain patients admitted on the neurosurgical unit in an army hospital were compared with 30 normal controls belonged to an army unit, by means of matching the age, hight and weight. Observed pain behaviors were developed by the researcher on the bases of literature and patient observation. This tool consists of 18 behaviors seperated into two major groups : mutually exclusive and concomittent behaviors. The mutually exclusive behaviors included coding cathegories for 6. body motions assumed by the subjects during the observation session. These 6 standardized motions consisted of sitting from standing first, and serially tying down, reclining, sitting again, and then standing, 6 steps walking. Concomittent behaviors consisted of 12 observable patterns that can be observed systematically from the face, grimacing, bracing, rubbing, walking with arms fixed, support with hands on sitting or standing, guarded movement, limping, unbalaced weightbearing, stopped movement from tying position to sitting, sighing and graoning. Subjects were videotrecorded as they performed a 6-standardized sequence of motions, simultanously researcher measured the time spent performing each motion and step length. Patients were asked torate their subjective pain score on the 10 mm graphic rating scale ranging from 'no pain' to 'sever pain'. For scoring of the pain behaviors, two trained nursing officiers independently and simutanously viewwd each videorecording and checked subject 'pain behaviors at the observational item checklist. The result of the study are summarized as follows : 1. Reability of the observational tool was a=.845. 2. Spearman's rho and percentage agreement were p=.97 and 81.7 persent respectively, that indicate adequate interrater reability of this tool. 3. The sensitivity rate of the tool was .875 while specificity rate .866 for differentiating patient from the normal. 4. When difference in the objective pain indices between patient group and control were compared, there was significant difference of all indices, such as pain behavior(t=7.71, p=.0001). spent time performing motion(t=14.2, p=.0001), step length (t=-10.72, p=.0001). 5. There were differences in the objective indices the subjective pain subgroups (low, medium, high). Differences in the mean score of objective pain behavior (F=6.376. p=.005) and spent time for moyion(F=4.631, p=.018). But there were no significant differences in the step length among the subgroups(F=.667, p=.521). 6. Highly correlated pain behavior items wiyh subjective pain score were 'stopped movement from lying position to sitting', 'limping', 'support with hands on sitting or standing', 'bracing', 'guarding' and 'walking with arms fixed'. In summary, although some of rho behavior items such as sighing and groaning in this study could not be observed because of videotaped datd, the reliability and validity of the over all observation method were satifactory. Thus, the results of the present study demonstrate rye potetional utility of the tool in assessing objective pain complementing self-reported pain in low back pain patients.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2018

Twenty-two allergy-induced aromatics in children were analyzed using a gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GC-MSD). Analytes were extracted using an automatic Soxhlet extractor and centrifuged for 10 min in a fast freezing centrifuge, and the supernatant was transferred into a 2 mL vial and injected in split mode. Under the established conditions, the calibration curve showed linearity with a correlation coefficient of 0.996 or more. A wide range of sensitivity of 6.7 to 1,859,839 depending on the device characteristics and detector used was shown. The detection limit of the device was 0.0032 to $0.0335{\mu}g/mL$, and the maximum detection limit was less than $0.1{\mu}g/mL$. The detection limit of the method ranged from 0.0033 to $0.1161{\mu}g/mL$. In addition, the limit of quantification ranged from 0.0100 to $0.5422{\mu}g/mL$, with a level of precision ranging from 0.21 % to 4.89 % and a degree of accuracy ranging from 89 % to 111 %. The analytical method developed in this study was applied to commercial products.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.262-270
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• 2011

Objectives : The definition of a hidden youth is a young person who has completely withdrawn from society and shut himself or herself away for more than 3 months. Those pathologically-withdrawn youths have become a burden not only to society but also to the family. However, screening of these hidden youths cannot be done easily. This study focused on developing a primary effective screening tool for these hidden youths. Methods : The 42 participants of this study were parents of hidden youths that are between 8 to 25 years old. They were selected from from mental health centers and psychiatric clinics around Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. We also recruited 239 parents of middle and high school students in the Seoul metropolitan area for a control group. In order to decide the concurrent validity of this questionnaire, we used the Symptom Checklist-90-Revision, Children's Depression Inventory, Beck Depression Inven-tory, Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised, Social Anxiety and Distress Scale, Avoidant Personality Disorder Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. SPSS version 12.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results : Cronbach's alpha values, the reliability coefficient to represent internal consistency, were between 0.396 and 0.935, which showed relatively high internal consistency for this questionnaire. The test-retest coefficient was between 0.68 and 0.78, which was a statistically significant result. In a factor analysis, 4 factors such as avoidance, withdrawal, isolation, and apathy were extracted. In a concurrent validity test with SCL-90-R, the isolation factor showed a statistically-significant relationship with a phobic-anxiety sub-scale, and avoidance and withdrawal sub-scales were remarkably correlated with the interpersonal sensitivity sub-scale. Conclusion : Since the questionnaire for socially withdrawn youths has achieved statistically-satisfactory reliability and validity, it will be a useful method to screen for hidden youths in educational, community, and clinical settings.

• 재활복지
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.43-58
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• 2018

Swallowing disorders that can affect nutrient intakes and quality of life are commonly shown among the elderly as well as patients with neurogenic disorder. This study verifies the reliability and validity of the Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire (SDQ), a subjective swallowing disability assessment tool, modified for Koreans' eating habit and cultural sentiment, against 105 stroke patients, in order to help identify early swallowing problems of the elderly. Reliability of internal consistency in the Korean version of SDQ is .601, test-retest reliability is .97, and concurrent validity is .956. Based on 8 points of cut-off score, 46.8% of sensitivity and 81.6% of specificity. Comparing the results of video fluoroscopic study (VFSS), an objective swallowing disorder test with those of Korean version of SDQ, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) was shown as 81% and 53%. The Korean version of SDQ is expected to be a useful testing tool to discriminate swallowing disorders in stroke patients. It has great clinical significance in that swallowing difficulties shown by subjects can be sorted out to request a diagnostic assessment before clinical evaluation by a rehabilitation therapist or ruling out unnecessary exposure to additional tests by accurately identifying stroke patients without swallowing problems.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.6A
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• pp.835-842
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• 2008

The response surface method (RSM) is widely adopted for the structural reliability analysis because of its numerical efficiency. However, the RSM is still time consuming for large-scale applications and sometimes shows large errors in the calculation of sensitivity of reliability index with respect to random variables. Therefore, this study proposes a new RSM in which moving least squares (MLS) approximation is applied. Least squares approximation generally used in the common RSM gives equal weight to the coefficients of the response surface function (RSF). On the other hand, The MLS approximation gives higher weight to the experimental points closer to the design point, which yields the RSF more similar to the limit state at the design point. In the procedure of the proposed method, a linear RSF is constructed initially and then a quadratic RSF is formed using the axial experimental points selected from the reduced region where the design point is likely to exist. The RSF is updated successively by adding one more experimental point to the previously sampled experimental points. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, mathematical problems and ten-bar truss are considered as numerical examples. As a result, the proposed method shows better accuracy and computational efficiency than the common RSM.