• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.257-265
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• 2021

The COVID-19 virus is a β-genus virus that causes infection by mediating the angiotensin convertible enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is distributed in large numbers in the human respiratory tract. The disease requires effective post-management of antibody production by complete healers and vaccinators because there is no perfect remedy for the virus infection. This study aimed to develop recombinant proteins specifically responsive to neutralizing antibodies in clinical specimens and use them to develop a rapid diagnostic kit to diagnose neutralizing antibodies quickly and conveniently against the COVID-19 virus and confirm the possibility of commercialization through a performance evaluation. Rapid diagnostic kits using COVID-19 S1 RBD recombinant proteins can be applied to rapid diagnostic kits, with positive percentage agreement (PPA) and negative percentage agreement (NPA) of 100% and 98.3%, respectively, compared to the U.S. FDA-approved ELISA kits. If the performance of the rapid diagnostic kit is improved and neutralizing antibodies can be analyzed quantitatively using quantitative analysis equipment, it can be used as important data to predict immunity to the COVID-19 virus and determine additional vaccinations.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.81-98
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• 2021

As Korea declared that the entire country is free from ISA (Infectious salmon anaemia) based on the OIE aquatic code in 2019, it is necessary to improve the import quarantine system that meets the level of ISA management in Korea. Currently, Korea imports Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout from countries which have history of ISA outbreak such as Norway and the United States, so there is a constant possibility that trade with these countries will bring ISAV (Infectious salmon anaemia virus) into Korea. Therefore, some amendments to the Aquatic Life Diseases Control Act (ALDCA) are needed to prevent the entry of ISAV into the Korea through international trade. The amendment to the ALDCA should contain a list of countries, zones or compartments that the Korean competent authority has allowed or banned imports of ISA-susceptible fish. In addition, the subordinate statutes or administrative rules of the ALDCA need to be revised so that on-site inspections/audit can be conducted for the evaluation of the ISA management system in exporting countries. After the revision of the subordinate statutes or administrative rules, it is necessary to strengthen the present import conditions in line with those that meet the level of ISA management in Korea. As for the strengthened import conditions, the competent authorities of exporting countries must export only salmonid fish produced in zones or compartments declared freedom of ISA to Korea, and must prove through lab-testing that ISAV should not be detected in the fish exporting to Korea. In addition, official veterinarians/fish health professionals of the exporting country should check the health status of the fish within 72 hours prior to export. Also, competent authorities of the exporting countries must attest that fish storage containers and water, ice and other equipment used for transportation should be cleaned and disinfected to avoid contamination with pathogens, including ISA. Therefore, the proposed measures presented here will further improve the current import condition for salmonid fish and assist decision-making on strategies to reduce the risk of ISA introduction into Korea. Also, it is expected to contribute to maintain the status of ISA-free country.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.550-556
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• 2021

The scissor-type rope cutter is the most widely used amongst all kinds of commercially available rope cutters in Korea. In this study, we performed finite element analysis on the scissor-type rope cutter. We determined the structure of the cutter that would ensure its stable operation in various situations involving rope entanglement, and verified its effectiveness by testing it in the lab and in an actual ship. These investigations revealed that when the propeller shaft was not rotated by rope entanglement, the constant torque generated by the engine resulted in the torsion of the rope cutter and maximum deformation in the lower blade, which was not restricted by finite element analysis. With increasing blade thickness, the maximum values of deformation and equivalent stress decreased, resulting in a rise in the safety factor. At the constant blade thickness, the effect of the torque variations on the maximum equivalent stress and the maximum deformation is independent of the position of the external force of the rope cutter and decreases in direct proportion. The results of this study confirmed that the rope-cutter structure determined by analysis could lead to a hassle-free removal of ropes and fishing nets under all conditions and environments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.437-444
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• 2021

To evaluate the usefulness of Volume Axial Mode by comparing analyzing the exposure dose of the patients and the quality of each images from CT images obtained from high pitch mode using the local phantom or volume axial mode to determine the usefulness of he volume axial mode in diagnosing the head and cervical disease in adults. High Pitch Mode, Helical Mode, and Volume axial Mode as adult phantom were tested according to 70 kVp, 80 kVp, and 100 kVp tube voltages during an adult frontal CT scans. The equipment used was GE's Revolution (GE Healthcare, Wisconsin USA) model and iMED X-ray Phantom. The exposure dose of phantom was compared using the images obtained from each protocol, and the image quality was compared by calculating SNR and CNR by setting ROI on each image. When examined using Volume Axial Mode, the exposure dose of phantom was measured 17.12% lower than Helical Mode, 5.35% lower than High Pitch Mode, and both SNR and CNR were improved. Volume Axial Mode is a useful test that reduces investigation time without table movement using high speed rotary scanner, and in which exposure dose is reduced and image quality is improved by acquiring images in a short time of 0.28 seconds of phantom than using High Pitch Mode and Helical Mode. In addition, the fast testing time of Volume Axial Mode can be seen as the biggest advantage CT scans of emergency patients or patients with physical discomfort.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.146-152
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to confirm whether there is a factor to affect the evaluation of fit test of a 2nd class half masks using a OPC test method. Methods: Total 34 adults including Males and Females were tested using OPC-based fit testing equipment while wearing a 2nd class half filtered mask. Results: 1. The result of measuring face dimensions using different tools such as a 3D scanner and digital calipers revealed that the variation of lip width was not statistically significant because there was only a difference of about 4 mm. However, it showed that a difference in face length was statistically significant enough with 10 mm(p<0.000). 2. The fit factor for each exercise stage according to gender was the highest at 124.54(p<0.001) in Step 3, and the fit factor was the lowest at 73.75 in Step 1. 3. In the evaluation of the degree of fit factor according to gender, female passed 67.44%, which was higher than the value in male(p<0.038). 4. The acceptance rate of the group having a face length of shorter than 110 mm was 91.67%. On the other hand, the acceptance rate of the group with a face length of longer than 110 mm was 47.27%(p<0.000). 5. The fit test was possible because the fit factor with 2nd class half masks corresponding to FFP1(Filtering Face Piece 1) was passed 55% or more. Conclusions: The test results showed that using a 2nd class half filtered mask, it is important to wear a properly designed mask so that face size does not affect the fit factor.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

As the demand for bone mineral density testing increases in Korea, which is close to an aging society, it is necessary to evaluate the repeatability of equipment such as femur phantom other than l-spine for more accurate diagnosis. However, in clinical practice, it is often not possible to proceed such evaluation due to insufficient quality control conditions. Therefore, this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the femur phantom after fabricating the same using 3D printing technology. The femur phantom was output using GlowFill filament and FDM 3D printing type. Each phantom was repeatedly scaned 20 times to compare whether the existing l-spine phantom and the fabricated femur phantom were suitable as a phantom for quality control. Each time the seven researchers took three times, the location of the femur phantom was readjusted, and then scanned to confirm the error between the researchers. As a result of conducting repeatability evaluation using femur phantom, the coefficient of variation rate was 2%, which was within the minimum precision tolerance of 2.5%. The reproducibility between the researcher was also found to be suitable as the average coefficient of variation was 0.031 and the coefficient of variation rate was 3.1%, which was within the minimum precision error range of 5%. In conclusion, it is considered that the prospective attitude and usefulness of the femur phantom fabricated by 3D printing in clinical practice will be sufficient.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2023

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has underscored the pressing need for robust infection control practices in pulmonary function laboratories (PFL). However, the existing guidelines and regulatory frameworks provided by relevant authorities in the country have revealed certain deficiencies in effectively addressing this significant public health crisis. This study surveyed the infection control regulations, disposable item usage, ventilation facilities, spatial separation, and the configuration of entrance doors in 51 domestic hospital facilities from Oct 1, 2021, to Nov 2, 2021. The survey findings revealed that while there was a relatively satisfactory adherence to airborne, droplet, and contact precautions with adequate awareness and utilization of personal protective equipment, the environmental disinfection practices exhibited a suboptimal performance rate of 39.22% per patient. Depending on the specific survey domains, substantial variations were observed in the utilization of disposable items (81.05%), ventilation systems (45.75%), dedicated testing spaces (80.39%), separation of administrative areas (15.69%), and the installation of automated doors (19.61%). This study not only highlights the paramount importance of infection control in PFLs within domestic medical institutions but also provides foundational data for developing and enhancing standardized guidelines that align with international benchmarks for infection control in these settings.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.57-67
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• 2009

Along with the advanced construction technologies, the maximum size of coarse aggregate used for dam construction ranges from several cm to 1m. Testing the original gradation samples is not only expensive but also causes many technical difficulties. Generally, indoor tests are performed on the samples with the parallel grading method after which the results are applied to the design and interpretation of the actual geotechnical structure. In order to anticipate the exact behavior characteristics for the geotechnical structure, it is necessary to understand the changes in the shear behavior. In this study, the Large Triaxial Test was performed on the parallel grading method samples that were restructured with river bed sand-gravel, with a different maximum size, which is the material that was used to construct Dam B in Korea. And the Stress - Strain characteristics of the parallel grading method samples and the characteristics of the shear strength were compared and analyzed. In the test results, the coarse-grained showed strain softening and expansion behavior of the volume, which became more obvious as the maximum size increased. The internal angle of friction and the shear strength appeared to increase as the maximum size of the parallel grading method sample increased.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.45-55
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• 2008

CFRD (Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam) has been world-widely constructed due to a lot of advantages which it has compared with rockfill dam and recently, sand/gravel materials, Instead of crushed rock materials, are also utilized as a main rockfill material to overcome geological and environmental problems. In Korea, two dams using sand/gravel materials as a main fill material were designed and are being constructed. In this research, the strength and deformation characteristics of the rockfill and sand/gravel materials taken from 2 dam sites were tested by using a laboratory large triaxial testing equipment for a total of 7 cases. From the results of large triaxial and compaction tests, it was observed that two kinds of materials show a little different compaction, shear strenght and deformation characteristics. It could be expected that the shear strength of sand/gravel material was not disadvantageous compared with that of rockfill materials, however, there was some difference between two materials with respect to behavior characteristics. On the other hand, smaller displacements were observed from numerical analysis based on the data from a large triaxial test when the sand/gravel is used as a main fill material compared with the case when the crushed rock material is used as a main fill material. Finally, in spite of a little different shear strength and behavior characteristic between two materials, it was concluded that it will not lead to a significant problem when the sand/gravel material is used as a main rockfill material.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.345-363
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• 2024

Steel pipe reinforced grouting method has been widely used to strengthen the crown of tunnel face and prevent groundwater leakage during tunnel excavation. Various injection procedures without sealing have recently been suggested to enhance efficiency. There are two representative injection methods. One is simultaneous injection in segmented batches, and the other is multiple injection using the external packer. The pros and cons of each method were discussed in terms of construction duration and equipment. However, it has yet to be discussed how the injection procedure affects the grout diffusion range in the ground. This study aims to evaluate the grout diffusion range quantitatively by considering the practical grouting sequences. The grout viscosity was measured by laboratory testing. Then, the numerical modeling was structured using the commercial computational fluid dynamics software. Finally, the grout diffusion range affected by the injection procedure and ground conditions was evaluated by performing the numerical parametric study. The results showed that the injection method highly affected the grout diffusion range, especially for inhomogeneous soil. Consequently, it is anticipated that the proper method of steel pipe reinforced grouting will be suggested.