• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.667-685
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• 2018

In eccentrically braced steel frames (EBFs), the links are fuse members which enter inelastic phase before other structure members and dissipate the seismic energy. Based on the force-based seismic design method, damages and plastic deformations are limited to the links, and the main structure members are required tremendous sizes to ensure elastic with limited or no damage. Force-based seismic design method is very common and is found in most design codes, it is unable to determine the inelastic response of the structure and the damages of the members. Nowadays, methods of seismic design are emphasizing more on performance-based seismic design concept to have a more realistic assessment of the inelastic response of the structure. Links use ordinary steel Q345 (the nominal yielding strength $f_y{\geq}345MPa$) while other members use high strength steel (Q460 $f_y{\geq}460MPa$ or Q690 $f_y{\geq}690MPa$) in eccentrically braced frames with high strength steel combination (HSS-EBFs). The application of high strength steels brings out many advantages, including higher safety ensured by higher strength in elastic state, better economy which results from the smaller member size and structural weight as well as the corresponding welding work, and most importantly, the application of high strength steel in seismic fortification zone, which is helpful to popularize the extensive use of high strength steel. In order to comparison seismic behavior between HSS-EBFs and ordinary EBFs, on the basis of experimental study, four structures with 5, 10, 15 and 20 stories were designed by PBSD method for HSS-EBFs and ordinary EBFs. Nonlinear static and dynamic analysis is applied to all designs. The loading capacity, lateral stiffness, ductility and story drifts and failure mode under rare earthquake of the designs are compared. Analyses results indicated that HSS-EBFs have similar loading capacity with ordinary EBFs while the lateral stiffness and ductility of HSS-EBFs is lower than that of EBFs. HSS-EBFs and ordinary EBFs designed by PBSD method have the similar failure mode and story drift distribution under rare earthquake, the steel weight of HSS-EBFs is 10%-15% lower than ordinary EBFs resulting in good economic efficiency.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.382-392
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• 2018

Objective: Allergic diseases such as asthma due to fungal exposure in houses have increased, and proper management is urgent. Mold can grow in the air, floor, walls, and other areas according to environmental conditions, and there are many limitations to the conventional methodology for examining fungal exposure. For this reason, the degree of fungal contamination is being evaluated by ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index), a quantitative analysis method proposed by the EPA. In this study, we compared ERMI values between water-damaged dwellings and non-damaged ones to evaluate the effectiveness of Korean ERMI values. We also explored the association of ERMI values with the level of airborne mold and characteristics of dwellings. Methods: Floor dust was collected after installing a Dustream collector on the suction port of a vacuum cleaner. The collected samples were filtered to remove only 5 mg of dust, and DNA was extracted using the FastDNA SPIN KIT protocol. Results: The ERMI values were found to be 19.6 (-6.9-58.8) for flooded houses, 7.5 (-29.2-48.3) for leaks/condensation, and 0.8 (-29.2-37.9) for non-damaged dwellings. The airborne concentration of mold for flooded, leakage or condensed, and non-damaged houses were $684CFU/m^3$, $566CFU/m^3$, and $378CFU/m^3$, respectively. The correlation between ERMI values and the levels of airborne mold was low (R = 0.038), but a weakly significant association of the ERMI values with the concentration of particulate matter ($PM_{10}$) was observed as well(R=0.231,P<0.05). Conclusions: Our findings show that the reference value using ERMI can be used to distinguish water-damaged and non-damaged dwellings. It is believed that ERMI values could be a promising tool for assessing long-term fungal exposure in dwellings.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.397-410
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• 2018

When considering the long-term safety assessment of spent-nuclear fuel management, americium is one of the most radio-toxic actinides. Although spectroscopic methods are widely used for the study of actinide chemistry, application of those methods to americium chemistry has been limited. Herein, we purified $^{241}Am$ to obtain a highly pure stock solution required for spectroscopic studies. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of purified $^{241}Am$ were carried out using liquid scintillation counting, and gamma and alpha radiation spectrometry. Highly sensitive absorption spectrometry coupled with a liquid waveguide capillary cell and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy were employed for the study of Am(III) hydrolysis and oxalate (Ox) complexation. $Am^{3+}$ ions under acidic conditions exhibit maximum absorbance at 503 nm, with a molar absorption coefficient of $424{\pm}8cm^{-1}{\cdot}M^{-1}$. $Am(OH)_3(s)$ colloidal particles formed under near neutral pH conditions were identified by monitoring the absorbance at around 506-507 nm. The formation of ${Am(Ox)_3}^{3-}$ was detected by red-shifts of the absorption and luminescence spectra of 4 and 5 nm, respectively. In addition, considerable enhancements of the luminescence intensities were observed. The luminescence lifetime of ${Am(Ox)_3}^{3-}$ increased from 23 to 56 ns, which indicates that approximately six water molecules are replaced by carboxylate ligands in the inner-sphere of the Am(III). These results suggest that ${Am(Ox)_3}^{3-}$ is formed through the bidentate coordination of the oxalate ligands.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.9 no.8
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• pp.140-147
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to find biomechanical parameters for optimal shoes production through an ergonomic usability assessment of five existing types of shoes preferred by B-BOY. Ten experts and ten non-experts participated in the experiment, and 12 infrared cameras (Qualis, Oqus), force plate (Kistler, 9286AA) and foot pressure plate (Zebris Gmbh, Zebris PDM-System) were used to obtain the data. The results of the study are as follows. First, P shoes with a friction coefficient of 0.38 and a free moment of 0.32 N/m/kg are desirable in terms of traction capability and safety. Second, on the cushion, it was found that the N shoes 2.51 N, sec/kg and non-expert, and 2.86 N and sec/kg were suitable. Third, it is deemed appropriate for C shoes with a forefoot average pressure of 10.11 KPa (right), 10.05 KPa (left), and V shoes with a rearfoot average pressure of 8.4 KPa (right) and 8.36 KPa (left). In conclusion, the combination of the structure and material of V shoes should be developed for traction and stability, N shoes for cushion, and walking balance for C and V shoes.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.301-308
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• 2021

It is important to develop a digital SOC (Social Overhead Capital) maintenance system for preemptive maintenance in response to the rapid aging of social infrastructures. Abnormal signals induced from structures can be detected quickly and optimal decisions can be made promptly using IoT sensors deployed on the structures. In this study, a digital SOC monitoring system incorporating a multimetric IoT sensor was developed for long-term monitoring, for use in cloud-computing server for automated and powerful data analysis, and for establishing databases to perform : (1) multimetric sensing, (2) long-term operation, and (3) LTE-based direct communication. The developed sensor had three axes of acceleration, and five axes of strain sensing channels for multimetric sensing, and had an event-driven power management system that activated the sensors only when vibration exceeded a predetermined limit, or the timer was triggered. The power management system could reduce power consumption, and an additional solar panel charging could enable long-term operation. Data from the sensors were transmitted to the server in real-time via low-power LTE-CAT M1 communication, which does not require an additional gateway device. Furthermore, the cloud server was developed to receive multi-variable data from the sensor, and perform a displacement fusion algorithm to obtain reference-free structural displacement for ambient structural assessment. The proposed digital SOC system was experimentally validated on a steel railroad and concrete girder bridge.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.305-309
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• 2021

Purpose: This study analyzed the increase in disposal rate of femoral heads in the bone bank of a single hospital from medical disease and drug history, as assessed by the Korean health insurance review and assessment service. Materials and Methods: The disposal rate and cause of 340 femoral heads were analyzed according to the regulations of the bone bank based on the standard model of the Ministry of food and drug safety. Results: One hundred and seven (33%) of 323 femoral heads collected from 2009 to 2018, and 65 (46%) of 142 femoral heads collected from 2015 to 2018 were discarded. The most common causes were related to the history of dementia and the administration of radioisotope for nuclear medicine. Conclusion: The current methods and screening tools can lead to errors in disposing of the available tissues in a bone bank. Thus, improved standards and screening methods are needed.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.403-421
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• 2021

Most of the urban tunnels in Korea, which are represented by the 1st to 3rd subways, use the drainage tunnel by NATM. Recently, when a construction project that actively utilizes large-scale urban space is promoted, negative effects that do not conform to the existing empirical rules of urban tunnels may occur. In particular, there is a high possibility that groundwater fluctuations and hydrodynamic behavior will occur owing to the practice of tunnel technology in Korea, which has mainly applied the drainage tunnel. In order to solve the problem of the drainage tunnel, attempts are being made to control groundwater fluctuations. For this, the establishment of tunnel groundwater management standard concept and the analysis of the tunnel hydraulic behavior were performed. To prevent the problem of groundwater fluctuations caused by the construction of large-scale tunnels in urban areas, it was suggested that the conceptual transformation of the empirical technical practice, which is applied only in the underground safety impact assessment stage, to the direction of controlling the inflow in the tunnel, is required. And the relationship between the groundwater level and the inflow of the tunnel required for setting the allowable inflow when planning the tunnel was derived. The introduction of a tunnel groundwater management concept is expected to help solve problems such as groundwater fluctuations, ground settlement, depletion of groundwater resources, and decline of maintenance performance in various urban deep tunnel construction projects to be promoted in the future.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to conduct a summative evaluation of the usability of a general-purpose ventilator to determine whether it can be used for its intended purpose in the intended environment by the intended user and to find possible errors in use. The importance of ventilators has increased due to the accelerated aging of the population and the impact of the pandemic. In addition, patients who require ventilators are often in critical condition, so even a small error in use can be fatal. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the ventilator has sufficient stability and can be used satisfactorily without inconvenience to the user. In this study, we conducted a usability test with 17 respiratory nurses with more than 3 years of experience using the ventilator. We analyzed the task success rate, satisfaction, and opinions of the intended users while going through a total of 17 scenarios. Satisfaction was captured through an ASQ questionnaire and subjective opinions were captured through a detailed opinion questionnaire. The results showed a high level of satisfaction with an average score of 6.3 for the use scenarios. Evaluators expressed satisfaction with the overall visibility and versatility of the features, but noted that improvements were needed for calibration tasks with low task success rates. As the calibration method is different from other equipment, it was suggested that specific explanations of the calibration method and the picture that appears when calibrating are needed, and that if relevant training is provided, the equipment can be used without problems. If the usability evaluation is not limited to securing efficiency and satisfaction from the intended users, but also continuously receives feedback from users to prepare for use in emergency environments such as pandemic situations, it will be very helpful to seize opportunities such as emergency authorization in future situations, and ultimately contribute to patient safety by reducing use errors.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.41-58
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• 2023

Objectives: This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of Cheongpebaedok-tang, a traditional Korean herbal medicine, provided via telemedicine to patients with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19 in Korea. Methods: From February to April 2020, a retrospective analysis investigated COVID-19 patients treated via Korean telemedicine. The study involved asymptomatic to mild cases receiving Cheongpebaedok-tang more than three times, along with continuous Korean medicine care in convalescence. Diagnoses and treatment adhered to the telemedicine guidelines of the Association of Korean Medicine, with varied Cheongpebaedok-tang prescriptions based on symptom severity. Symptom evaluation involved a detailed assessment using a 15-item tool at initial and final sessions. Results: The study included 27 patients, with a mean age of 48.7 ± 2.3 years (mean ± standard error). Patients began self-administering oral Cheongpebaedok-tang for an average of 19.4 ± 1.8 days after the date of COVID-19 diagnosis confirmation and continued the medication for 15.8 ± 1.2 days. The reported side effects of the Cheongpebaedok-tang included palpitations (11.1%), insomnia (7.4%), dizziness (3.7%), and diarrhea (3.7%). All side effects disappeared after adjusting the prescription according to standard treatment guidelines. The occurrence of all COVID-19-related adverse symptoms, except fatigue and myalgia, decreased. Fatigue was the most common chronic symptom persisting after 6 months (51.9%), followed by ocular symptoms (37.0%) and sore throat (22.2%). Conclusions: This study implies Cheongpebaedok-tang may offer a potentially safe, symptom-alleviating approach for managing mild COVID-19 cases via telemedicine, although further comprehensive research is warranted.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.57-64
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• 2016

Many phthalic acid esters (PAEs), including DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP, as well as DEHA are widely used as plasticizers in plastics. An analytical method was developed and used to analyze these compounds at 41 industrial facilities. The coefficient of determination (R²) for each constructed curve was higher than 0.98. The method detection limit (MDL) values were 0.4–0.7 μg/L for PAEs and 0.6 μg/L for DEHA. In addition, the recovery rate was shown to be 77.0–92.3%, while the relative standard deviation was shown to be in the range of 5.8-10.5%. DMP (n = 3), DEP (n = 2), DBP (n = 2), BBP (n = 2), and DEHA (n = 3) were detected in the range of 2.2-11.1% in the influent. DEHP was a predominant compound and was detected at > MDL in both the influent (n = 16, 35.6%) and the effluent (n = 4, 10.0%) at a high removal efficiency (92–100%). The highest levels of residue in industrial wastewater influent were 137.4 μg/L of DEHP at plastic products manufacturing facility, 12.5 μg/L of DEHA at a chemical manufacturing facility, and 14.0 μg/L of DEP at an electronics facility. The highest concentration of effluent was 12.5 μg/L of DEHP at a chemical manufacturing facility, which indicated that the effluent was below the allowable concentration (800 μg/L). Therefore, the levels of PAEs and DEHA that are discharged into nearby streams could not influence the health of the ecosystem.