• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.5
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• pp.467-480
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• 2024

The mechanical properties and durability of concrete pavements may be degraded in extreme situations, resulting in the need for partial repair or total replacement. During the past few decades, there has been a growing body of research on substituting a portion of Portland cement with alternative cementitious materials for improving concrete properties. In this study, two different configurations of powdered and granulated blast furnace slag were implemented, replacing fine aggregates (by 12 wt.%) and Portland cement (by 0, 20, 40, and 60 wt.%) in the making of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) mixes. The specimens were fabricated to investigate the mechanical properties and durability specifications, involving freeze-thaw, salt-scaling, and water absorption resistance. The experimental results indicated that the optimum mechanical properties of RCC mixes could be achieved when 20-40 wt.% of powdered slag was added to concrete mixes containing slag aggregates. Accordingly, the increases in compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths were 45, 50, and 28%, in comparison to the control specimen at the age of 90 days. Also, incorporating 60 wt.% of powdered slag gave rise to the optimum mix plan in terms of freeze-thaw resistance such that a negligible strength degradation was experienced after 300 cycles. In addition, the optimal moisture content of the proposed RCC mixtures was measured to be in the range of 5 to 6.56%. Furthermore, the partial addition of granulated slag was found to be more advantageous than using entirely natural sand in the improvement of the mechanical and durability characteristics of all mixture plans.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.41-51
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• 2024

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of home-based exercise program in elderly with chronic diseases on balance, activities of daily living, depression and quality of life. Design: One group pretest-posttest design Methods: The subjects consisted of 21 elderly people over the age of 65 years with chronic diseases lived in seo-gu, Gwangju. Home-based exercise program was performed twice a week, for an hour, during 6 weeks under supervision of an experienced instructor. The home-based exercise program was structured to last a total of 1 hour, consisting of 10 minutes of warm-up, 30 minutes of main exercises, and 20 minutes of concluding exercises. For the warm-up, we performed range of motion, stretching, and flexibility exercises. The main exercises comprised of strength, weight-bearing and balance exercises, and endurance exercises. The concluding exercises were tailored to the individual's home environment and needs, including task-oriented daily living training such as getting up from bed, moving to the restroom, and walking indoors. The subjects were assessed before and after the exercise program with berg balance scale(BBS), Korean-version modified barthel index(K-MBI), euro quality of life questionnaire 5-dimensional classification(EQ-5D), and geriatric depression scale short form-Korea(GDSSF-K). The collected data was analyzed using SPSS Win 18.0 program. Results: The results showed statistically significant difference in all domains of the BBS, K-MBI, EQ-5D, GDSSF-K after the exercise program. Conclusion: These results suggest that Home-based exercise program has resulted in a significant improvement on ADL, depression and quality of life in elderly with chronic diseases.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.93-102
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• 2022

Background and Purpose: The effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions on functional brain changes in older adults remain unclear. This preliminary study aimed to explore the effect of physical exercise intervention (PEI), including HIIT, on cognitive function, physical performance, and electroencephalogram patterns in Korean elderly people. Methods: We enrolled six non-dementia participants aged >65 years from a community health center. PEI was conducted at the community health center for 4 weeks, three times/week, and 50 min/day. PEI, including HIIT, involved aerobic exercise, resistance training (muscle strength), flexibility, and balance. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for data analysis. Results: After the PEI, there was improvement in the 30-second sit-to-stand test result (16.2±7.0 times vs. 24.8±5.5 times, p=0.027), 2-minute stationary march result (98.3±27.2 times vs. 143.7±36.9 times, p=0.027), T-wall response time (104.2±55.8 seconds vs.71.0±19.4 seconds, p=0.028), memory score (89.6±21.6 vs. 111.0±19.1, p=0.028), executive function score (33.3±5.3 vs. 37.0±5.1, p=0.046), and total Literacy Independent Cognitive Assessment score (214.6±30.6 vs. 241.6±22.8, p=0.028). Electroencephalography demonstrated that the beta power in the frontal region was increased, while the theta power in the temporal region was decreased (all p<0.05). Conclusions: Our HIIT PEI program effectively improved cognitive function, physical fitness, and electroencephalographic markers in elderly individuals; thus, it could be beneficial for improving functional brain activity in this population.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.1890-1897
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• 2024

Fermentation has been identified as an effective strategy to alter the chemical makeup of tobacco, thereby enhancing its quality. The deliberate introduction of microorganisms can hasten the fermentation process. In this research, microbial consortia harvested from the tobacco surface were utilized to enhance the tobacco quality. This enhancement also elevated several sensory attributes of HnB cigarettes, such as aroma richness, moisture, strength, and reduced irritation, achieving a sensory quality rating of 84.5. This marks a notable improvement compared to the 82 rating of the original, unfermented cigarettes. Untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed a decrease in total polyphenols and unsaturated fatty acids, while the levels of polyacids, alcohols, ketones, furans, and other compounds increased in the fermented tobacco. Additionally, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the enhancement in tobacco quality through microbial consortia fermentation is linked to various biological pathways, with pathways related to fatty acid and amino acid degradation playing pivotal roles. The findings of this study will serve as a reference for the commercial production of HnB cigarettes, and the elucidated mechanism offers a theoretical basis for exploring microbial fermentation as a means to improve tobacco quality.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.50-57
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tendon healing of arthroscopic repair in full-thickness supraspinatus tears. We evaluate the effectiveness of the arthroscopic repair of full-thickness supraspinatus tears by assessing functional improvement. Materials and Methods: Thirty consecutive full-thickness supraspinatus tears were repaired arthroscopically in 19 patients with a one row of anchor and 11 patients with two rows of anchors. Patients ranged in age from 51 to 79 years (average 63 years). Average follow-up was 16 month (range, 12 to 28 months). To evaluate the effectiveness of the arthroscopic repair of full-thickness supraspinatus tears by assessing functional improvement, we calculate the Constant, ASES, UCLA scores. The 30 patients had either an MR Arthrogram (25 cases) or an MRI (5 cases), performed between 5 months and 20 months (mean 10 months) after surgery. Results: The cuff was healed in 21/30 cases (70%) and partially torn in 3 cases (10%) after the arthroscopic repair of full-thickness supraspinatus tear. Although the supraspinatus tendon was totally torn to the tuberosity in 6 cases(20%) after the arthroscopic repair, the size of the tear was smaller than the initial in 5 cases. The Constant score improved from an average of $55.7{\pm}7.1$ points preoperatively to $77.7{\pm}9.7$ points at the last follow-up (p<0.001), and the average ASES score improved from $39.2{\pm}7.4\;to\;72.4{\pm}12.6$ (p<0.001), and the average UCLA score improved from $17.9{\pm}2.2\;to\;26.8{\pm}5.0$ (p<0.001). Strength of elevation was significantly better $(7.1kgs{\pm}2.4)$ in the shoulders with a healed tendon that in those with an total or partial re-tear tendon $(4.5kgs{\pm}1.0)$ (p<0.05). Factors adversely affecting tendon healing were increasing age, Only 41.7% of the repairs completely healed in patients over 65 years (p<0.05). Conclusion: Arthroscopic repair of isolated full-thickness tear of the supraspinatus leads to completely healing in 70% of the cases. Total or partial re-tear of the repaired rotator cuff is associated with a decreased strength. Older patients had significantly lower healing rates.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.446-455
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• 2015

Based on comparative studies on standards and grading procedures of machine graded lumber in Korea and other countries, this study proposed a procedure of determining the grade classification and design strengths of domestic machine graded lumber. Differences between machine stress rated lumber and E-rated laminations were detailed in order to clarify the need for the procedure improvement. To this improvement the use of average MOE requirement for grading was introduced instead of the fixed minimum MOE requirement which is currently used in the Korean standards. It was found that the fixed minimum MOE requirement method was easier for an inspector to grade but, less efficient as a strength predictor than the average MOE requirement method. The advantage of average MOE requirement method is statistically MOR-MOE regression-based MOR prediction and highly efficient in quality control though it requires a computer-aided operation system in an initial setup. A major weakness of the current Korean grading system was found that different strength characteristics depending on wood species were not reflected on the grade classification and the tabulated allowable design stress. The proposed procedures were developed taking advantages of respective merits of both methods and based on MOR-MOE regression analysis. Through this procedure, the grades of machine stress rated lumber should be revised to become interchangeable with E-rated lamination, which would be beneficial to the cost competitiveness of domestic machine graded lumber and glued laminated timber industry.

• FLOWER RESEARCH JOURNAL
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.251-255
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate effect of ionic strength and feeding times of a nutrient solution on reduction of stem cavity size and improvement of flower quality in chrysanthemum 'Baekma'. A nutrient solution was applied with different strengths at three stages, namely, transplanting, budding, and flowering. The solution EC was adjusted as 1.61.82.0, 1.81.81.8, 1.82.01.8, and $2.02.02.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in four treatments. Feeding frequency per a day were 4 times for 12 min., 8 times for 6 min., 12 times for 4 min., and 18 times for 2.7 min. each. Cut flower length as affected by different strengths of a nutrient solution was the greatest in the plot of EC $2.02.02.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. However number of leaves, stem diameter, and leaf size were greater in EC $1.82.01.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ than in other treatments. Also, petal number of petals was the greatest and stem cavity size was the smallest in the plot of EC $1.81.81.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. Plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, leaf size were greater in the plot with 12 times feed ing per a day. number of petal was most in the plot with 8 times feeding per day, while stem cavity size was the smallest in the plot with 12 times feed ing per a day. Therefore, the better plant growth, the smaller stem cavity size.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.298-305
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• 2011

This study was conducted to enhance the stem firmness of standard chrysanthemum 'Baekma' bred in Korea for commercial quality improvement and inhibition of stem breaking during transportation through foliar spray with calcium agents. Calcium agent screening 'Baekma' was examined using $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$, $Ca(NO_3)_2{\cdot}4H_2O$, and OS-Ca (natural liquid calcium compounds extracted from oyster shell) depending on each concentration (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0%, respectively). All calcium agents sprayed with 1.0% caused chemical injury such as stem bending or leaf burn. OS-Ca also showed more sensitive response to chemical injury than the other calcium agents because OS-Ca was absorbed very well by 'Baekma' leaves. Maximum stem firmness measured during the final harvest was greater in OS-Ca than in the other calcium agents. Especially, maximum stem firmness was greatest in 0.01% OS-Ca. However, elastic strength and maximum bending stress were greater in 0.001% OS-Ca than in the others. Thus, OS-Ca ranged from 0.005 to 0.05%, which did not show any chemical injury, was finally selected as the first candidate for hardening the stem of 'Baekma'. The next experiment using OS-Ca was conducted with the concentrations of 0, 0.005, 0.01, and 0.05%, respectively. From the results, 0.05% OS-Ca showed better plant growth and parameters such as plant height, stem diameter (upper and middle part), the number of leaves, and dry weights of each part than the other concentrations of OS-Ca and control. As for stem firmness depending on OS-Ca concentration, the Ca content within stem, maximum firmness, elastic strength, and maximum bending stress of stem in 'Baekma' sprayed with 0.05% OS-Ca showed the highest values among all the treatments and it turned out to be very high level of significance between control and OS-Ca treatments. However, the area and percentage of the inside cavity within horizontal stem section in 'Baekma' did not show any significance between any treatments including control. Thus, stem firmness of 'Baekma' did not show any correlation with the inside cavity area of stem. In conclusion, we recommend foliar sprays with 0.05% OS-Ca at vegetative growth stage to enhance stem firmness of 'Baekma' during transportation.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.3-16
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• 1974

One of the disadvantages of. wood and wood products is their hydroscopicity or dimensional instability. This is responsible for the loss of green volume of lumber as seasoning degrade. Dimensional stabilization is needed to substantially reduce seasoning defects and degrades and for increasing the serviceability of wood products. Recently, considerable world-wide attention has been drawn to the so-called Wood-Plastic Composites by irradiation-and heat-catalyst-polymerization methods and many research and developmental works have been reported. Wood-Plastic Composites are the new products having the superior mechanical and physical properties and the combinated characteristics of wood and plastic. The purpose of this experiment was to obtain the basic data for the improvement of wooden materials by manufacturing WPC. The species examined were Mulpurae-Namoo (Fraxinus, rhynchophylla), Sea-Namoo (Carpinus laxiflora), Cheungcheung-Namoo (Cornus controversa), Gorosae-Namoo (Acermono), Karae-Namoo(Juglans mandshurica) and Sanbud-Namoo (Prunus sargentii), used as blocks of type A ($3{\times}3{\times}40cm$) and type B ($5{\times}5{\times}60cm$), and were conditioned to about 10~11% moisture content before impregnation in materials humidity control room. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) as monomer and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator are used. The monomer containing BPO was impregnated into wood pieces in the vacuum system. After impregnation, the treated samples were polymerized with heat-catalyst methods. The immersed weights of monomer in woods are directly proportionated to the impregnation times. Monomer impregnation properties of Cheungcheung-Namoo, Mulpurae-Namoo and Seo-Namoo are relatively good, but in Karae-Namoo, it is very difficult to impregnate the monomer MMA. Fig. 3 shows the linear relation between polymer retentions in wood and polymerization times; that is, the polymer loadings are increasing with polymerization times. Furthermore species, moisture content, specific gravity and anatomical or conductible structure of wood, bulking solvents and monomers etc have effects on both of impregnation of monomer and polymer retention. Physical properties of treated materials are shown in table 3. Increasing rates of specific gravity are ranged 3 to 24% and volume swelling 3 to 10%. ASE is 20 to 46%, AE 14 to 50% and RWA 18 to 40%. Especially, the ASE in relation to absorption of liquid water increases approximately with increase of polymer content, although the bulking effect of the polymerization of monomer may also be influential. WPCs from Mulpurae-Namoo and Cheungcheung-Namoo have high dimensional stability, while its of Karae-Namoo and Seo-Namoo are-very low. Table 4 shows the mechanical properties of WPCs from 6 species. With its specific gravity and polymer loading increase, all mechanical properties are on the increase. Increasing rate of bending strength is 10 to 40%, compression strength 25 to 70%, ;impact bending absorbed energy 4 to 74% and tensile strength 18 to 56%. Mulpurae-Namoo and Cheungcheung-Namoo with high polymer content have considerable high increasing rate of strengths. But incase of Karae-Namoo with inferior monomer impregnation it is very low. Polymer retention in cell wall is 0.32 to 0.70%. Most of the polymer is accumulated in cell lumen. Effective. of polymer retention is 58.59% for Mulpurae-Namoo, 26.27% for Seo-Namoo, 47.98% for Cheungcheung-Namoo, 25.64% for Korosae-Namoo, 9.96% for Karae-Namoo and 25.84% for Sanbud-Namoo.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.98-105
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• 2017

In this study, the fiber blending ratio and strain rate effect on the tensile behavior of hybrid fiber reinforced cement composite was evaluated. Hooked steel fiber and polyvinyl alcohol fiber were used for reinforcing fiber. The fiber blending ratio of HSF+PVA were 1.5+0.5, 1.0+1.0 and 0.5+1.5vol.%. As a results, the tensile strength, strain capacity and fracture toughness of the hooked steel fiber reinforced cement composites were improved by the increase of the bond strength of the fiber and the matrix according to increase of strain rate. However, the tensile stress sharply decreased after the peak stress because of the decrease in the number of straightened pull-out fibers by micro cracks in the matrix around hooked steel fiber. On the other hand, PVA fiber showed cut-off fracture at strain rate $10^{-6}/s$ with multiple cracks. However, at the strain rate $10^1/s$, the multiple cracks and strain capacity were decreased because of the pull-out fracture of PVA fiber. The HSF1.5PVA0.5 shown the highest tensile strength because the PVA fiber suppressed the micro cracks in the matrix around the hooked steel fiber and improved the pull-out resistance of hooked steel fiber. Thus, DIF of strain capacity and fracture toughness of HSF1.5PVA were greatly improved. In addition, the synergistic response of fracture toughness was positive because the tensile stress was slowly decreased after the peak stress by improvement of the pull-out resistance of hooked steel fiber at strain rate $10^1/s$.