• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.431-436
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• 2011

The onset, severity, and ultimate outcome of malaria infection are influenced by parasite-expressed virulence factors as well as by individual host responses to these determinants. In both humans and mice, liver injury follows parasite entry, persisting to the erythrocytic stage in the case of infection with the fatal strain of Plasmodium falciparum. Hepatic nuclear factor (HNF)-$1{\alpha}$ is a master regulator of not only the liver damage and adaptive responses but also diverse metabolic functions. In this study, we analyzed the expression of host HNF-$1{\alpha}$ in relation to malaria infection and evaluated its interaction with the 5'-untranslated region of subtilisin-like protease 2 (subtilase, Sub2). Recombinant human HNF-$1{\alpha}$ expressed by a lentiviral vector (LV HNF-$1{\alpha}$) was introduced into mice. Interestingly, differences in the activity of the 5'-untranslated region of the Pf-Sub2 promoter were detected in 293T cells, and LV HNF-$1{\alpha}$ was observed to influence promoter activity, suggesting that host HNF-$1{\alpha}$ interacts with the Sub2 gene.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.291-295
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• 2010

The onset, severity, and ultimate outcome of malaria infection are influenced by parasite-expressed virulence factors and individual host responses to these determinants, In both humans and mice, liver injury is involved after parasite entry, which persists until the erythrocyte stage after infection with the fatal strain Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has strong anti-apoptotic effects in various kinds of cells, and also has diverse metabolic functions. In this work, Pf-subtilisin-like protease 2 (Pf-Sub2) 5' untranslated region (UTR) was analyzed and its transcriptional activity was estimated by luciferase expression. Fourteen TATA boxes were observed but only one Oct-1 and c-Myb were done. In addition, host HGF interaction with Pf-Sub2 was evaluated by co-transfection of HGF- and Pf-Sub2-cloned vector. Interestingly, -1,422/+12 UTR exhibited the strongest luciferase activity but -329 to + 12 UTR did not exhibit luciferase activity. Moreover, as compared with the control of unexpressed HGF, the HGF protein suppressed luciferase expression driven by the 5' untranslated region of the Pf-Sub2 promoter. Taken together, it is suggested that HGF controls and interacts with the promoter region of the Pf-Sub2 gene.

• KCI Concrete Journal
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2001

Although portland cement concrete is one of the most universal construction materials, it has some disadvantage such as shrinkage, which is an inherent characteristic. Because of this shrinkage, combined with the low tensile strength of the material, cracks of varying sizes can be found in every reinforced concrete. To prevent this cracking, keeping the concrete in compression by mechanical prestress has been used. This study discusses application of expansive additives for concrete to improve the serviceability of precast concrete box culvert by inducing chemical prestress. For this purpose, both expansive concrete slabs and normal concrete slabs are tested to verify the effect of expansive additives. Then the failure tests of the fullscale precast box culverts were carried out and the critical aspects of the structural behavior were investigated. The result of the material testis shows that the optimal proportion of expansive additives is 13 percent of cement weight, and the properties of expansive concrete are the same as those of normal concrete in that proportion. Both the experimental cracking load and service load of the expansive concrete members are increased in comparison with those of the normal concrete, but the ultimate load is decreased slightly. In addition to the above results, the deformation of expansive concrete member is lets than that of normal concrete member, and permanent strain which results from cyclic load is decreased. It can be concluded that the use of expansive additives to induce chemical prestress in precast concrete box culvert greatly improves the serviceability.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.323-334
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• 2003

For performance-based design using nonlinear static analysis, it is required to predict the inelastic behavior of structural members accurately. In the present study, a nonlinear numerical analysis was peformed to develop the method describing the moment-curvature relationship of structural wall with boundary confinement. Through the numerical analysis, variations of behavioral characteristics and failure mechanism with the arrangement of vertical reinforcement and the length of boundary confinement were studied. According to the analysis, the maximum moment-carrying capacity of structural walls with adequately confined boundary elements is developed at the moment the unconfined concrete reaches the ultimate compressive strain. Walls with flexural re-bars concentrated on the boundaries fails in a brittle manner. As vortical re-bars in the web increases, the brittle failure is prevented and a ductile failure occurs. Based on the findings, moment-curvature curves for walls with a variety of re-bar arrangement were developed. According to the proposed relationships, deformability of the structural walls wth boundary confinement increases as the compressive strength of the confined concrete increases compared to the applied compressive force.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.937-974
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• 2016

While extensive efforts have been made in the past to develop finite element models (FEMs) for concrete-filled steel tubular columns (CFSTCs), these models may not be suitable to be used in some cases, especially in view of the utilisation of high strength steel and high strength concrete. A method is presented herein to predict the complete stress-strain curve of concrete subjected to tri-axial compressive stresses caused by axial load coupled with lateral pressure due to the confinement action in square and rectangular CFSTCs with normal and high strength materials. To evaluate the lateral pressure exerted on the concrete in square and rectangular shaped columns, an accurately developed FEM which incorporates the effects of initial local imperfections and residual stresses using the commercial program ABAQUS is adopted. Subsequently, an extensive parametric study is conducted herein to propose an empirical equation for the maximum average lateral pressure, which depends on the material and geometric properties of the columns. The analysis parameters include the concrete compressive strength ($f^{\prime}_c=20-110N/mm^2$), steel yield strength ($f_y=220-850N/mm^2$), width-to-thickness (B/t) ratios in the range of 15-52, as well as the length-to-width (L/B) ratios in the range of 2-4. The predictions of the behaviour, ultimate axial strengths, and failure modes are compared with the available experimental results to verify the accuracy of the models developed. Furthermore, a design model is proposed for short square and rectangular CFSTCs. Additionally, comparisons with the prediction of axial load capacity by using the proposed design model, Australian Standard and Eurocode 4 code provisions for box composite columns are carried out.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.793-808
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• 2018

In this study, the seismic performance of the connections between L-shaped columns composed of concrete-filled steel tubes (L-CFST columns) and H-beams used in high-rise steel frame structures was investigated. Seven full-scale specimens were tested under quasi-static cyclic loading. The variables studied in the tests included the joint type, the axial compression ratio, the presence of concrete, the width-to-thickness ratio and the internal extension length of the side plates. The hysteretic response, strength degradation, stiffness degradation, ductility, plastic rotation capacity, energy dissipation capacity and the strain distribution were evaluated at different load cycles. The test results indicated that both the corner and exterior joint specimens failed due to local buckling and crack within the beam flange adjacent to the end of the side plates. However, the failure modes of the interior joint specimens primarily included local buckling and crack at the end plates and curved corners of the beam flange. A design method was proposed for the flexural capacity of the end plate connection in the interior joint. Good agreement was observed between the theoretical and test results of both the yield and ultimate flexural capacity of the end plate connection.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.18 no.4 s.94
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• pp.469-477
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• 2006

Models to predict the ultimate strength of simply supported or continuous deep beams with web openings are proposed. The derived equations are based on upper-bound theorem. The concrete is assumed as a perfectly plastic material obeying the modified Coulomb failure criteria with zero tension cutoff. Reinforcing bar is considered as elastic-perfectly plastic material and its stress is calculated from the limiting principal compressive strain of concrete. The governing failure mechanisms based on test results are idealized as rigid moving blocks separated by a hyperbolic yield line. The effective compressive strength of concrete is calculated from the formula proposed by Vecchio and Collins. Comparisons with existing test results are performed, and they show good agreement.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2020

Traditionally used analytical approach to predict the fatigue failure of reinforced concrete (RC) structure is generally conservative and has certain limitations. The nonlinear finite element method (FEM) offers less expensive solution for fatigue analysis with sufficient accuracy. However, the conventional implicit dynamic analysis is very expensive for high level computation. Whereas, an explicit dynamic analysis approach offers a computationally operative modelling to predict true responses of a structural element under periodic loading and might be perfectly matched to accomplish long life fatigue computations. Hence, this study simulates the fatigue behaviour of RC beams with finite element (FE) assemblage presenting a simplified explicit dynamic numerical solution to show computer aided fatigue behaviour of RC beam. A commercial FEM package, ABAQUS has been chosen for this complex modelling. The concrete has been modelled as a 8-node solid element providing competent compression hardening and tension stiffening. The steel reinforcements are simulated as two-node truss elements comprising elasto-plastic stress-strain behaviour. All the possible nonlinearities are duly incorporated. Time domain analysis has been adopted through an automatic Newmark-β time incremental technique. The program consists of twelve RC beams to visualize the real behaviour during fatigue process and to obtain the reliability of the study. Both the numerical and experimental results indicate a redistribution of stresses along the time and damage accumulation of beam which severely affect the serviceability and ultimate capacity of RC beam. The output of the FEM analysis demonstrates good match with the experimental consequences which affirm the efficacy of the computer aided model. The controlled fatigue damage evolution at service fatigue load limits makes the FE model an efficient tool in predicting high cycle fatigue behaviour of RC structures.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.68-79
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• 1998

In the years, the concern about high-strength concrete which is new material has been heightened as a result of active research and development. Recently, as the building structure has been being bigger, higher, longer and more specialized, the demand of material with high-strength concrete for building has been increasing. The demand of high -strength concrete is expected to increase with expansion of usage about the complex concrete structures such as bridge structure as well as nuclear plants, underground structures, hydraulic structures and arctic area sturctures. In this research, silica-fume was used as an admixture in order to get a high-strength concrete. Water/binder ration was limited no more than 18 percent and the amount of unit cement was increased. In this study, a number of trial in concrete mix was carried out to get optimal mix design, and the target slump with $10{\pm}2cm$ was set for in-situ construction. High-strength concrete with cylinder strength of 1,200kgf/$cm^2$ in the 28-days was produced and tested. The static test was carried out to measure the ultimate load, the initial load of flexural and diagonal cracking, crack patterns, fracture modes. The load versus strain and load versus deflection relations were obtained form the static test. The test results were compared with the shear strengths predicted by the equations of ACI code 318-89 and orther researchers. Based on the test results, shear strength equation of reinforced concrete beam using high strength concrete was proposed. Form an evaluation of the results of this experimental investigation, it was concluded that shear strength after diagonal tention cracking diminished with the increase in compressive strength for beams.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.88-97
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• 2012

The objective of this research is to investigate the seismic performance and flexure-shear behavior of square reinforced concrete bridge piers with solid and hollow cross section. Test specimens were nonseismically designed with the aspect ratio 4.5 Two reinforced concrete columns were tested under constant axial load while subjected to lateral load reversals with increasing drift levels. Longitudinal steel ratio was 2.217 percent. The transverse reinforcement ratio As/($s{\cdot}h$), corresponding to 58 percent of the minimum lateral reinforcement required by Korean Bridge Design Specifications for seismic detailing, which represent existing columns not designed by the current seismic design specifications or designed by limited ductility concept. This study are to provide quantitative reference data for the limited ductility design concept and tendency for performance or damage assessment based on the performance levels such as cracking, yielding, collapse, etc. Failure behavior, ultimate displacement/drift ratio, displacement ductility, response modification factor, equivalent viscous damping ratio, residual deformation, effective stiffness, plastic hinge length, strain of reinforcements and nonlinear analysis are investigated and discussed in this paper.