• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1125-1131
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• 2006

A kan'::luxCDABE fusion strain that was both highly bioluminescent and responsive to benzoic acid was constructed by transforming E. coli strain W3110 with the plasmid pUCDK, which was constructed by digesting and removing the 7-kb KpnI fragment from the promoterless luxCDABE plasmid pUCD615. Experiments using buffered media showed that this induction was dependent on the pH of the media, which influences the degree of benzoic acid protonation, and the expression levels seen are likely due to acidification of the cytoplasm by uncoupling of benzoic acid. Consequently, the sensitivity of this strain for benzoic acid was increased by nearly 20-fold when the pH was shifted from 8.0 to 6.5. Benzoic acid derivatives and several phenolics also resulted in significantly increased bioluminescent signals. Although these compounds are known to damage membranes and induce the heat-shock response within E. coli, bacterial strains harboring mutations in the fadR and rpoH genes, which are responsible for fatty acid biosynthesis during membrane stress and induction of the heat-shock response, respectively, showed that these mutations had no effect on the responses observed.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 1997

The order of the stress singularity that occurs at the termination of an interface between materials exhibiting bilinear stress-strain response under plane strain conditions has been calculated, The governing equation of elasticity together with traction-free boundary condition and interface continuity condition defines a two-point boundary value problem. The stress components near the free edge are assumed to be proportional to r/sup s-1/, with solutions existing only for certain values of s. Finding these values entails the solution of an eigenvalue problem. Because it has been impossible to integrate the differential equations analytically, the integration has been performed numerically with a shooting method coupled with a Newton improvement scheme.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.703-753
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• 2016

The ratcheting behavior was studied experimentally for Z2CND18.12N elbow piping under cyclic bending and steady internal pressure. Dozens of cyclic plasticity models for structural ratcheting responses simulations were used in the paper. The four models, namely, Bilinear (BKH), Multilinear (MKIN/KINH), Chaboche (CH3), were already available in the ANSYS finite element package. Advanced cyclic plasticity models, such as, modified Chaboche (CH4), Ohno-Wang, modified Ohno-Wang, Abdel Karim-Ohno and modified Abdel Karim-Ohno, were implemented into ANSYS for simulating the experimental responses. Results from the experimental and simulation studies were presented in order to demonstrate the state of structural ratcheting response simulation by these models. None of the models evaluated perform satisfactorily in simulating circumferential strain ratcheting response. Further, improvement in cyclic plasticity modeling and incorporation of material and structural features, like time-dependent, temperature-dependent, non-proportional, dynamic strain aging, residual stresses and anisotropy of materials in the analysis would be essential for advancement of low-cycle fatigue simulations of structures.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2018

In this paper the strain energy density (SED) model is used to analyze the seismic behavior of suspen-domes and a new criterion is established for judging the seismic failure based on a characteristic point in the SED model. Firstly, a nonlinear time-history response analysis was carried out using the finite-element package ANSYS for typical suspen-domes subjected to different ground motions. The seismic responses including nodal displacements, ratios of yielding members, strain energy density and structural maximum deformation energy were extracted corresponding to the increasing peak ground acceleration (A). Secondly, the SED sum ($I_d$) was calculated which revealed that the $I_d-A$ curve exhibited a relatively large change (called a characteristic point) at a certain value of A with a very small load increment after the structures entered the elastic-plastic state. Thirdly, a SED criterion is proposed to judge the seismic failure load based on the characteristic point. Subsequently, the case study verifies the characteristic point and the proposed SED criterion. Finally, this paper describes the unity and application of the SED criterion. The SED method may open a new way for structural appraisal and the SED criterion might give a unified criterion for predicting the failure loads of various structures subjected to dynamic loads.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.175-181
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• 2020

For the success of a structural integrity management, it is essential to acquire structural response data at some critical locations with limited number of sensors. In this study, the structural response of numerical model was estimated by data fusion approach based on the Kalman filter known as stochastic recursive filter. Firstly, transient direct analysis was conducted to calculate the acceleration and strain of the numerical standing beam model, then the noise signals were mixed to generate the numerical measurement signals. The acceleration measurement signal was provided to the Kalman filter as an information on the external load, and the displacement measurement, which was transformed from the strain measurement by using strain-displacement conversion relationship, was provided into the Kalman filter as an observation information. Finally, the Kalman filter estimated the displacement by combining both displacements calculated from each numerically measured signal, then the estimated results were compared with the results of the transient direct analysis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 1998

Vsrio vulnificus is an estuarine gram-negative human pathogen that affects people with chronic hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus or other underlying diseases. V. vulnificus infection is mediated primarily by consumption of raw fish or by exposure of pre-existing wounds to seawater, causing permanent tissue damages or fatal septic shock. We have been developing a vaccine against V. vulnificus composed of whole cell Iysate of a V. vulnificus O-antigen serotype 4 strain. Oral administration of the V. vulnificus;oral vaccine;immunogenicity;protective efficacy vaccine elicited a high serum antibody response in rabbits. The induced antibodies were reactive not only to the homologous strain but also to heterologous O-antigen serotype strains, indicating cross-reactivities among serotypes. Western blot analysis revealed that the antibodies are mainly specific for outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and reacted equally well with OMPs purified from 9 O-antigen serotypes. The rabbit antisera showed opsonophagocytic killing activity against heterologous strains as well as the homologous strain. Passively transferred rabbit antisera into mice were protective against a lethal V. vulnificus infection. These data demonstrate that oral administration of the V. vulnificus vaccine induced a systemic antibody response which had a protective efficacy against V. vulnificus infections, suggesting that this vaccine preparation could be used to develop an oral vaccine against V. vulnificus.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2019

The force-deformation behavior, strain distribution and failure modes of a variable damping self-centering brace (VD-SCB) are theoretically analyzed, experimentally studied, and numerically simulated to guide its design. The working principle of the brace is explained by describing the working stages and the key feature points of the hysteretic curve. A large-scale brace specimen was tested under different sinusoidal excitations to analyze the recentering capability and energy dissipation. Results demonstrate that the VD-SCB exhibits a full quasi-flag-shaped hysteretic response, high ultimate bearing capacity, low activation force and residual deformation, and excellent recentering and energy dissipation capabilities. Calculation equations of the strain distribution in different parts of the brace are proposed and are compared with the experimental data and simulated results. The developments of two failure modes are compared. Under normal circumstances, the brace fails due to the yielding of the spring blocking plates, which are easily replaced to restore the normal operating conditions of the brace. A brief description of the design procedure of the brace is proposed for application.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.783-791
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• 2022

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) improves various physiological illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension, depression, memory lapse, and insomnia in humans. Therefore, interest in the commercial production of GABA is steadily increasing. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have widely been reported as a GABA producer and are safe for human consumption. In this study, GABA-producing LAB were preliminarily identified and quantified via GABase assay. The acid and bile tolerance of the L. plantarum FBT215 strain were evaluated. The one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) strategy was applied to determine the optimal conditions for GABA production using HPLC. Response surface methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design was used to predict the optimum GABA production. The strain FBT215 was shown to be acid and bile tolerant. The optimization of GABA production via the OFAT strategy resulted in an average GABA concentration of 1688.65 ± 14.29 ㎍/ml, while it was 1812.16 ± 23.16 ㎍/ml when RSM was applied. In conclusion, this study provides the optimum culture conditions for GABA production by the strain FBT215 and indicates that L. plantarum FBT215 is potentially promising for commercial functional probiotics with health claims.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.409-418
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• 2023

A coupled algorithm is proposed which first considers the creation of porous structure of the material and then the simulations of response of mechanical components with porous structure to a variable load history. The simulations are carried out by the Prandtl operator approach in the finite element method (FEM) which enables structural simulations of mechanical components subjected to variable thermomechanical loads. Temperature-dependent material properties and multilinear kinematic hardening of the material can be taken into account by this approach. Several simulations are then performed for a tensile-compressive specimen made of a generic porous structure and mechanical properties of Aluminium alloy AlSi9Cu3. Variable mechanical load history has been applied to the specimens under constant temperature conditions. Comparison of the simulation results shows a considerable elastoplastic stress-strain response in the vicinity of pores whilst the surface of the gauge-length of the specimen remains in the elastic region of the material. Moreover, the distribution of the pore sizes seems more influential to the stress-strain field during the loading than their radial position in the gauge-length.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.1
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• pp.77-91
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• 2024

During strong seismic events, inelastic shear deformation occurs in beam-column joints. To capture inelastic shear deformation, an analytical model for beam-column joint in reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures has been proposed in this study. The proposed model has been developed using a rotational spring and rigid links. The stiffness properties of the rotational spring element have been assigned in terms of a moment rotation curve developed from the shear stress-strain backbone curve. The inelastic rotation behavior of joint has been categorized in three stages viz. cracking, yielding and ultimate. The joint shear stress and strain values at these stages have been estimated using analytical models and experimental database respectively. The stiffness properties of joint rotational spring have been modified by incorporating a geometry factor based on dimensions of adjoining beam and column members. The hysteretic response of the joint rotational spring has been defined by a pivot hysteresis model. The response of the proposed analytical model has been verified initially at the component level and later at the structural level with the two actually tested RC frame structures. The proposed joint model effectively emulates the inelastic behavior precisely with the experimental results at component as well as at structural levels.