• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.700-706
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• 2009

Bridges are vital components of any road network which demand crucial and timely decision-making for Maintenance, Repair and Rehabilitation (MR&R) activities. Bridge Management Systems (BMSs) as a decision support system (DSS), have been developed since the early 1990's to assist in the management of a large bridge network. Historical condition ratings obtained from biennial bridge inspections are major resources for predicting future bridge deteriorations via BMSs. Available historical condition ratings in most bridge agencies, however, are very limited, and thus posing a major barrier for obtaining reliable future structural performances. To alleviate this problem, the verified Backward Prediction Model (BPM) technique has been developed to help generate missing historical condition ratings. This is achieved through establishing the correlation between known condition ratings and such non-bridge factors as climate and environmental conditions, traffic volumes and population growth. Such correlations can then be used to obtain the bridge condition ratings of the missing years. With the help of these generated datasets, the currently available bridge deterioration model can be utilized to more reliably forecast future bridge conditions. In this paper, the prediction accuracy based on 4 and 9 BPM-generated historical condition ratings as input data are compared, using deterministic and stochastic bridge deterioration models. The comparison outcomes indicate that the prediction error decreases as more historical condition ratings obtained. This implies that the BPM can be utilised to generate unavailable historical data, which is crucial for bridge deterioration models to achieve more accurate prediction results. Nevertheless, there are considerable limitations in the existing bridge deterioration models. Thus, further research is essential to improve the prediction accuracy of bridge deterioration models.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.221-232
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• 2024

Waste tire management and recycling have grown to be significant issues because they bring up a global environmental concern. Thus, turning recycled waste tires into useful products may help tackle the environmental issue. This research aims to study and compare the effect of recycled carbon black (rCB) and commercial carbon black (CB) at certain 15 vol. % of filler loading on the mechanical, thermal, morphology and electrical properties of epoxy/CB composites. For this project, epoxy resin, diethyltoluenediamine (DETDA), recovered carbon black (rCB) and commercial carbon black (CB) graded N330, N550, N660 and N774 were mixed and compared accordingly to the formulation determined. The CB content was dispersed in the epoxy matrix using the mechanical mixing technique. The distribution and dispersion of CB in the epoxy matrix affect the characteristics of the conductive composites. rCB content at 15 vol% was selected at fixed content for comparison purposes due to the optimum value in electrical conductivity results. The flexural strength results followed the sequence of rCB>N774>N660>N550>N330. As for electrical conductivity results, epoxy/N330 exhibited the highest conductivity value, while the others achieved a magnitude of X10^-3 due to the highest external surface area of N330. In terms of thermal stability, epoxy/N330 and epoxy/N774 were slightly more stable than epoxy/rCB.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 2002

The U.S. government have concerned about food safety over the last two decades. The concept of the continuum, “from farm to table” was created to explore ways to prevent foodborne illnesses in all stages of food systems. On the continuum, consumers were recognized as the last line of defense to prevent foodborne illnesses, and much efforts were made to educate them safe food handling. This research was conducted to investigate infant formula handling and hand-washing behaviors of low-income families, especially parents and guardians of infants. The subject was selected from participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children(WIC), a federal program for low-income families in the U.S. Stratified 200 local WIC offices were randomly selected based on the number of WIC participants in each state, and 20 randomly selected WIC participants from each selected office were asked to complete questionnaires. SPSS for Windows was used for statistical analyses including frequency, cross- tabulation, and chi-square analyses. A total of 87 WIC offices returned completed question-naires (N = 1,598), and 492 were parents/guardians of infants. Most respondents were white (51.3%), high school graduates (41.5%) , and participated in WIC>1 yew. Most respondents (80.9%) teamed about food safety from WIC, and only limited number of respondents (10.2%) used the Internet for food safety information. Most respondents stored prepared formula safely (94.6%) and discarded formula left in the bottle after feeding (84.5%) , but fewer used brushes to wash formula bottles (71.3%) and boiled water(15.2%) Chi-square analyses showed respondents in different race/ethnicity had different food handling behaviors. Respondents showed generally good hand-washing behaviors as 94.2% always washing hands after using restroom, 93.2% after touching meat items, and 87.l% before preparing foods. Fewer respondents, however, washed hands after changing baby diapers (77.0%) and touching pets (67.2%). Researchers concluded that WIC education on food safety was effective, as limited food safety education covered during WIC education were followed well (e.g., storing prepared formula and discarding leftover). However, results also indicated that there were many behaviors needed to be reinforced especially to overcome family tradition and culture on food handling behaviors. The WIC may serve as good food safety resources and education agents utilizing mandatory education sessions because the vast amount of food safety information on the Internet was not readily accessible for this low-Income Population.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.625-635
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• 2007

The enzyme squalene synthase (EC 2.5.1.21) catalyzes a reductive dimerization of two farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) molecules into squalene, a key precursor for the sterol and triterpene biosynthesis. A full-length cDNA encoding squalene synthase (designated as TcSqS) was isolated from Taxus cuspidata, a kind of important medicinal plants producing potent anti-cancer drug, taxol. The full-length cDNA of TcSqS was 1765 bp and contained a 1230 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 409 amino acids. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the deduced TcSqS protein had high similarity with other plant squalene synthases and a predicted crystal structure similar to other class I isoprenoid biosynthetic enzymes. Southern blot analysis revealed that there was one copy of TcSqS gene in the genome of T. cuspidata. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis and northern blotting analysis showed that TcSqS expressed constitutively in all tested tissues, with the highest expression in roots. The promoter region of TcSqS was also isolated by genomic walking and analysis showed that several cis-acting elements were present in the promoter region. The results of treatment experiments by different signaling components including methyl-jasmonate, salicylic acid and gibberellin revealed that the TcSqS expression level of treated cells had a prominent diversity to that of control, which was consistent with the prediction results of TcSqS promoter region in the PlantCARE database.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.96-105
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• 2020

Sirtuin inhibitors are pharmaceutically and therapeutically valuable compounds that inhibit sirtuin, a type III histone deacetylase. Synthetic sirtuin inhibitors were discovered and characterized using cell-based screens in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and have been used in the study of aging, carcinogenesis, and diabetes, all of which are related to sirtuin function. For medical applications, synthetic inhibitors have been further developed for increased potency and specificity, including compounds containing nicotinamide, thioacetyl lysine, β-naphthol, and indole derivatives. Suramin, tenovin, and their analogues were developed as a result. Sirtuin inhibitors were found to affect organic development and have been used to genetically modify plants, although a sirtinol-resistant mutation in the biosynthesis of a molybdopterin cofactor for an aldehyde oxidase has been identified. Some natural flavonoids, and catechin and quercetin derivatives also act as sirtuin inhibitors have been studied to identify a more potent inhibitor for therapeutic purposes. In this review, sirtuin is introduced and the therapeutic inhibitors that have been developed are presented, particularly sirtinol which has been used for genetic modification in plants though it was not designed to be so. Sirtuin inhibitors with greater potency and selectivity are required and those developed in pharmaceutics should be used in plant research to identify more authentic sirtuins in plants.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated age differences of preference and trust ratings when the appearance of an artificial intelligent speaker resembles a human face. The appearance of the artificial intelligent speaker was presented in seven levels from robot face to human face. In addition, face stimuli were divided into gender (male and female) and age (20s / 60s). Participants evaluated the reliability and likability of each face stimulus on a 7-point scale. The results show that younger adults tend to prefer the face that was halfway between the robot and the human face, while older adults evaluated that the perceived reliability and likability were higher when the stimuli resembled the human face. When asked to choose the most preferred of the four face categories, all participants chose a younger face. However, with additional conditions including emoticon face and empty condition, older adults still preferred human face, while younger adults preferred emoticon face and empty condition. Taken together, older adults are more receptive to human faces than robotic faces in the context of artificial intelligence speakers. Because artificial intelligent speakers can play an important role in the elderly living alone, the present study will be a good reference in the design and development of artificial intelligent speakers for the elderly users.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartD
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• v.10D no.4
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• pp.727-734
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• 2003

Recently various quality assurance activities have been applied in software industry for the purpose of software qualify improvement, and the ultimate target of those activities are focused on removing defects from its developed applications. We declared "ZERO DEFECT 21" movement on March 1999 whose purpose is to deliver defect-free applications to the customer. In this paper we would like to introduce the followings $\circled1$ Approaching Methods, $\circled2$ Achievements of "ZERO DEFECT 21". After accomplishing first you of "ZERO DEFECT 21" movement which consist of Audits and Software inspections, we could get the following improvement . $\circled1$ due to conducting the "Audits," we could prevent 22 cases of customer claims, enhance 11.7% of design quality and improve 23.3% of deliverable reusability : $\circled2$ also, due to conducting the "Periodic Sampling inspection and Final inspection," we could enhance 123% of defect rate compared with early stage of development and 247% of defect rate compared with previous yew. Based on the survey results, we could conclude that "ZERO DEFECT 21 " movement provides confidence to project team members and reliability to our customers.ce to project team members and reliability to our customers.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.16 s.16
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• pp.39-51
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• 2004

The standing Buddha named Taehwa 4 yew in the Jincheon were sculptured with rock cliff of the dark grey shale. Front of the Buddha statue shows $N40^{\circ}W$ strike with nearly vertical dip toward the back side. Rock blocks of the Buddha statue well developed with bedding and laminations whereas rock surface distributed into the various irregular discontinuities. Sculptured lines of the Buddha were uncertain because of degradation and exfoliations on the rock surface. The surface near the Buddha statue is highly contaminated with lichen and mosses, and accelerate physical and biological weathering owing to the roots of weed and bush along the fracture systems. For the conservational treatment, we treated with primary wet cleaning by air gun and secondary cleaning treatment using distilled water. Separated rock surface and fractured parts fasten and/or fill up the boundaries of the rock blocks using epoxy resin for conservation of rock properties. Some brittle surface was treatment with water repellent consolidant of ethyl silicates, and heterogeneous surface carried out color matching by acrylic pigments. Upper part of the Buddha statue dig out small ditch for rain water drainage, and near surface of the Buddha statue treat removal works for lichen, weeds and bush. The duration capacity of the Buddha constituting rocks are degraded by various weathering factors, therefore we suggest that this Buddha statue have need to do long term monitoring and synthetic conservation researches.

• Journal of Korea Foresty Energy
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.9-19
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate natural insectifuge materials from tree extractives in order to substitute for organic synthetic insecticides for food wrapping corrugated board. Tree samples were collected, extracted, fractionated with hexane, $CH_2Cl_2$, ethylacetate(EtOAc) and $H_2O$, and then freezed dried for further study. EtOAc or $H_2O$ fractions were chromatographed on a Sephadex LH-20 column for isolation and purification, and the isolated compounds were characterized by spectroscopic tools such as NMR and MS. Crude extractives of EtOAc and $H_2O$ fractions were added to the printing ink for corrugated board with the concentration of 2% or 3% based on the weight of the ink, then the prepared ink was printed on the corrugated board to be used for evasion test using larva of indian meal moth(Plodia interpunctella(Hubner)). Robtin, dihydrorobinetin and leucorobinetinidin were isolated from the wood extractives of black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia) and the bark of poplar(Populus alba $\times$ glandulosa) contained many kinds of compounds such as (+)-catechin, naringenin, aromadendrin, eriodictyol, sakuranetin and its glycoside, taxifolin, neosaturanin, salireposide, p-coumaric acid and aesculin. Much of (+)-catechin was isolated from the bark extractives of willow(Salix koreensis) in addition to (+)-gallocatechin and p-coumaric acid and the bark of weeping willow(Salix babylonica) also contained (+)-catechin, (+)-gallocatechin, dihydromyricetin and myricetin.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1999

Large-scale cultures of plant cell, tissue, and organ have been achieved by using BTBB. When different sized BTBBs (5 L, 20 L, 100 L, 300 L, and 500 L) were tested for the culture of yew cells (Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc.), cell growth increment reached to 94.5% in SCV after 24 days of culture with 30% of inoculation cell density. However, there were some variations in the production of taxol and its derivatives among the BTBBs of different size. Approximate 4 ㎎/l of taxol and 84 ㎎/l of total taxanes were obtained by using a 500L BTBB after 6 weeks of culture. With a 20L BTBB, about 20,000 cuttings of virus-free potatoes (cv. Dejima) could be obtained by inoculating 128 explants and maintaining 8 weeks under 16 hr light illumination. The frequency of ex vitro rooting of the cuttings revealed as more than 99% under 30% shade. By incorporating two-stage culture process consisting of multiple bulblet formation in solid medium and bulblet development in liquid medium, mass propagation of lily through bioreactor seemed to be possible. In the case of 'Marcopolo', the growth of mini-bulblets in BTBB was nearly 10 folds faster than that of the solid medium. Time course study revealed that maximum MAR yield of ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) in a 5 L and 20 L BTBB after 8 weeks of culture was 500 g and 2.2 ㎏, respectively. By cutting the MAR once and/or twice during the culture, the yield of root biomass could be increased more than 50% in fresh weight at the time of harvest. With initial inoculum of 500 g of sliced MAR in a 500 L BTBB, 74.8 ㎏ of adventitious root mass was obtained after 8 weeks of culture. The average content of total ginseng saponin obtained from small-scale and/or pilotscale BTBBs was approximately 1% per gram dry weight. Based on our results, we suggest that large-scale cultures of plant cell, tissue, and organ using BTBB system should be quite a feasible approach when compared with conventional method of tissue culture.