• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.143-154
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• 2024

In this study, we improved the vitamin C test method and reviewed data on the adjustable range of chromatography conditions for quantification. First, we adjusted the mobile phase conditions such as solvent composition, salt concentration, pH and column temperature and in particular, it was confirmed through an improved test method that the peak derived from the buffer solution could be clearly separated from the target component, vitamin C by adjusting the pH. The retention time of vitamin C was partially changed by adjusting the column diameter, length and particle size but the number of theoretical plates indicated similar values and did not affect the separation and quantitative analysis of the target component. The flow rate according to the column specifications was derived from the equation proposed by the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug administration) and the Korean MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety), and evaluation of the applicability to vitamin complexes showed high selectivity for vitamin C even with altered stationary phase conditions and flow rates. In conclusion, vitamin C can be optimally separated and detected by changing the chromatographic method conditions and it was confirmed that the mobile and stationary phase conditions of liquid chromatography can be slightly adjusted in case the assay method uses an isocratic elution.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.263-280
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• 2021

Percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) is one of the essential diagnostic procedures for pulmonary lesions. Its role is increasing in the era of CT screening for lung cancer and precision medicine. The Korean Society of Thoracic Radiology developed the first evidence-based clinical guideline for PTNB in Korea by adapting pre-existing guidelines. The guideline provides 39 recommendations for the following four main domains of 12 key questions: the indications for PTNB, pre-procedural evaluation, procedural technique of PTNB and its accuracy, and management of post-biopsy complications. We hope that these recommendations can improve the diagnostic accuracy and safety of PTNB in clinical practice and promote standardization of the procedure nationwide.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.329-338
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• 2024

Purpose: This study verified the safety of the improved box-type girder behavior by comparing and evaluating the bending behavior results of a full-scale specimen based on the analytical behavior of the splice element PSC U-shaped girder with integrated tensioning systems. Method: Based on the results of the service and strength limit state design using the bridge design standard(limit state design method), the applied load of a 40m full-scale specimen was calculated and a static loading experiment using the four-point loading method was performed. Result: When the design load, crack load, and ultimate load were applied, the specimen deflection occurred at 97.1%, 98.5%, and 79.0% of the analytical deflection value. When the design load, crack load, and ultimate load were applied, the crack gauge was measured at 0.009~0.035mm, 0.014~0.050mm, and 6.383~5.522mm at each connection. Conclusion: The specimen behaved linear-elastically until the crack load was applied, and after cracks occurred, it showed strainhardening up to the ultimate load, and it was confirmed that the resistance of bending behavior was clearly displayed against the applied load. The cracks in the dry joints were less than 25% of grade B based on the evaluation of facility condition standard. The final residual deformation after removing the ultimate load was 0.114mm, confirming the stable behavior of the segment connection.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2024

In 2017, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety conducted research for the revision of seismic design standards and performed studies on standard design response spectra. As a result, the Common Application Guidelines for Seismic Design Standards were introduced, and these guidelines have been implemented in the national design standards of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport for practical use. However, it should be noted that the research for proposing standard design response spectra during the 2017 revision was conducted before the occurrence of the significant seismic events in South Korea, such as the 2016 Gyeongju Earthquake and the 2017 Pohang Earthquake. To account for these recent major earthquakes, this study adjusted the standard design spectra based on the records of the 2016 Gyeongju Earthquake and the 2017 Pohang Earthquake and conducted ground response analyses accordingly. The results revealed variations in peak ground acceleration (PGA) at the ground surface even within the same ground classification. It was confirmed that this variation can lead to overestimation or underestimation of seismic loads.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.107-114
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• 2024

Objective : Cicadae Periostracum (CP), which is the discarded shell of the Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius, 1775), is a recognized component of oriental medicine for treatment sore throat, itching, shock, sedation, edema. However, the safety and toxicity of CP have not yet been established. It has been reported that symptoms of addiction or side effects may occur in patients who take high doses of CP or who are hypersensitive to it. Therefore, we investigated the acute toxicity of an CP extracts in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods : To study acute toxicity, five SD rats of each sex per group were treated with CP extracts at single doses of 0, 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg administrated by oral gavage, and body weight, clinical signs, and mortality were observed after dosing. At the end of 14-day observation period, all animals were sacrificed and complete hematological and macroscopic examinations were performed. Results : There were no dead animal and test article-related effects on body weight change or the gross finding. No toxicologically significant results were observed between control and treated groups in hematology. Although salivation related to stress at the highest dose was observed in clinical signs immediately after administration, it is considered to have no toxicological significance. Conclusion : As the results, we did not find any adverse effect at the dose levels of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg in rats. The minimal lethal dose was considered to be over 2000 mg/kg body weight in rats.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.229-238
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• 2024

This study evaluated the odor removal performance of a bacteria-based odor reduction kit. The bacteria used were Rhodobacter capsulatus, Paracoccus limosus, and Brevibacterium hankyongi, which can remove ammonia (NH₃), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), total nitrogen (T-P), and total phosphorus (T-N), which are odor pollutants. The materials used were bacteria and porous aggregates (expanded vermiculite, zeolite beads, activated carbon), and the combination of the materials varied depending on the removal mechanism. Materials with a physical adsorption mechanism (zeolite beads and activated carbon) gradually slowed down the concentration reduction rate of odor pollutants (NH₃, H₂S, T-P, and T-N), and had no further effect on reducing the concentration of odor pollutants after 60 hours. Expanded vermiculite, in which bacteria that remove odors through a bio-adsorption mechanism were immobilized, had a continuous decrease in concentration, and the concentration of odor pollutants reached 0 ppm after 108 hours. As a result, the odor removal performance of materials with physical adsorption mechanisms in actual river water did not meet the odor emission standard required by the Ministry of Environment, while the expanded vermiculite immobilized with bacteria satisfied the odor emission permissible standard and achieved water quality grade 1.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.163-171
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• 2024

Structural health monitoring for ships and offshore structures is important in various aspects. Ships and offshore structures are continuously exposed to various environmental conditions, such as waves, wind, and currents. In the event of an accident, immense economic losses, environmental pollution, and safety problems can occur, so it is necessary to detect structural damage or defects early. In this study, structural response data of multi-linked floating offshore structures under various wave load conditions was calculated by performing fluid-structure coupled analysis. Furthermore, the order reduction method with distortion base mode was applied to the structures for predicting the structural response by using the results of numerical analysis. The distortion base mode order reduction method can predict the structural response of a desired area with high accuracy, but prediction performance is affected by sensor arrangement. Optimization based on a genetic algorithm was performed to search for optimal sensor arrangement and improve the prediction performance of the distortion base mode-based reduced-order model. Consequently, a sensor arrangement that predicted the structural response with an error of about 84.0% less than the initial sensor arrangement was derived based on the root mean squared error, which is a prediction performance evaluation index. The computational cost was reduced by about 8 times compared to evaluating the prediction performance of reduced-order models for a total of 43,758 sensor arrangement combinations. and the expected performance was overturned to approximately 84.0% based on sensor placement, including the largest square root error.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2024

Purpose:The acute hospital accreditation program launched in South Korea has shown positive effects on safety culture and quality of care. However, relative weights have not yet been investigated for accreditation criteria with a hierarchical structure. This study aimed to derive the relative weights of acute-care hospital accreditation criteria. Methods: We conducted an online survey using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique to assess the validity, importance, and urgency of acute hospital accreditation criteria. The AHP online survey link was distributed in November 2022 after obtaining informed consent from 10 experts in hospital accreditation. Results: 'Basic value system' ranked highest, while 'patient care system' ranked second in terms of validity, importance, and urgency. 'Performance management system' had the lowest validity and urgency, while 'organizational management system' carried the lowest importance. Within the 'patient care system' domain, 'surgery and anesthesia sedation management' scored highest in validity and importance, and 'patient care' scored highest in urgency. 'Care delivery system and evaluation' received the lowest scores for all three aspects. In the 'organizational management system' domain, infection control ranked highest in terms of validity, importance, and urgency. The lowest validity was observed for 'management and organizational operation' and the lowest importance and urgency were noted for 'human resource management'. Conclusion: The weights for validity, importance, and urgency, as shown in each domain and chapter, and the number of measurable elements included, are largely inconsistent. This study will contribute to the development of the structure and scientific improvement of accreditation standards.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2024

Seismic safety of expansion joints for piping systems has been underscored by water pipe ruptures and leaks resulting from the Gyeongju and Pohang earthquakes. Metal bellows in piping systems are applied to prevent damage from earthquakes and road subsidence in soft ground. Designed with a series of corrugated segments called convolutions, metal bellows exhibit flexibility to accommodate displacements. Several studies have examined variations in convolution shapes and layers based on the intended performance to be evaluated. Nonetheless, the research on the seismic performance of complex bellows having multiple corrugation heights is limited. In this study, monotonic loading tests, cyclic loading tests, and fatigue tests were conducted to evaluate the shear performance in seismic conditions, of metal bellows with variable convolution heights. Single- and triple-layer bellows were considered for the experimentation. The results reveal that triple-layer bellows exhibit larger maximum deformation and fatigue life than single-layer bellows. However, the high stiffness of triple-layer bellows in resisting internal pressure poses certain disadvantages. The convolutions are less flexible at lower displacements and experience leakage at a rate related to the variable height of the convolutions in certain conditions. At lower deformation rates, the fatigue life is rated higher as the number of layers increase. It converges to a similar fatigue life at higher deformation rates.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.438-448
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• 2024

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic outcomes of no-touch radiofrequency ablation (NT-RFA) using twin cooled wet (TCW) electrodes in patients experiencing recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after undergoing locoregional treatments. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-arm study of NT-RFA involving 102 patients, with a total of 112 recurrent HCCs (each ≤ 3 cm). NT-RFA with TCW electrodes was implemented under the guidance of ultrasonography (US)-MR/CT fusion imaging. If NT-RFA application proved technically challenging, conversion to conventional tumor puncture RFA was permitted. The primary metric for evaluation was the mid-term cumulative incidence of local tumor progression (LTP) observed post-RFA. Cumulative LTP rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to explore factors associated with LTP. Considering conversion cases from NT-RFA to conventional RFA, intention-to-treat (ITT; including all patients) and per-protocol (PP; including patients not requiring conversion to conventional RFA alone) analyses were performed. Results: Conversion from NT-RFA to conventional RFA was necessary for 24 (21.4%) out of 112 tumors. Successful treatment was noted in 111 (99.1%) out of them. No major complications were reported among the patients. According to ITT analysis, the estimated cumulative incidences of LTP were 1.9%, 6.0%, and 6.0% at 1, 2, and 3 years post-RFA, respectively. In PP analysis, the cumulative incidence of LTP was 0.0%, 1.3%, and 1.3% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. The number of previous locoregional HCC treatments (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.265 per 1 treatment increase; P = 0.004), total bilirubin (aHR, 7.477 per 1 mg/dL increase; P = 0.012), and safety margin ≤ 5 mm (aHR, 9.029; P = 0.016) were independently associated with LTP in ITT analysis. Conclusion: NT-RFA using TCW electrodes is a safe and effective treatment for recurrent HCC, with 6.0% (ITT analysis) and 1.3% (PP analysis) cumulative incidence of LTP at 2 and 3-year follow-ups.