• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.92-99
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• 2021

Microstructure-dependent changes in the crystalline properties of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) was investigated using various EVAs at different VA contents via X-ray diffraction (XRD). The parameters analyzed herein were percentage crystallinity (X_c), interplanar crystal spacing (d_hkl), crystal stack size (D_hkl), and the number of crystal plane piles (N_hkl). The X_cs of [110] and [200] crystals were 21.0-4.1 and 6.7-1.4%, respectively, and they decreased by approximately 2.3 and 0.7% for every mol% of the VA content, respectively. The X_c ratios of the [110] and [200] crystals were approximately 3. The d₁₁₀s and d₂₀₀s values were 0.41-0.42 and 0.37-0.38 nm, respectively. The D₁₁₀s and D₂₀₀s values were 9.56 -21.92 and 7.00-16.42 nm, respectively. The d_hkls increased with an increase in the VA content, whereas the D_hkls decreased. The N₁₁₀s and N₂₀₀s were 22.7-51.3 and 18.3-43.2, respectively, and they decreased by increasing the VA content. EVA with the same VA content showed different crystalline properties as per the suppliers, and some EVAs deviated from the average trends. This could be explained by the difference in their microstructures such as the sizes and distribution uniformity of the ethylene sequences in EVA chains.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.144-151
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• 2021

In the present work, planar-type ZnO powder of [0001] plane with a high aspect ratio range of 20:1 to 50:1 was synthesized. Ag or CuO could be coated on the planar-type ZnO powder by wet methods such as centrifugation or ball milling. During the coating, the average size of the powder was slightly increased while maintaining the shape and XRD pattern of ZnO. When Ag or CuO was coated, the absolute value of the zeta potential, as well as the concentration of oxygen vacancy, was increased. Ag or CuO coated planar-type ZnO power exhibited excellent antibacterial performance, which seems to be related to their high electrostatic attraction force. They could be made into a masterbatch by mixing with ABS resin, and their applicability to antibacterial substances was confirmed by manufacturing the caps of a keyboard.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.356-367
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• 2022

Background: The emergence of new infectious diseases threatens public health, increasing socioeconomic damage, and national risks. This study aimed to develop an evidence-based risk assessment tool to quickly respond to new infectious diseases. Methods: The risk elements were extracted by reviewing the risk assessment methods of the World Health Organization, United States, Europe, United Kingdom, and Germany, and the validity and priority of elements were determined through expert meetings and Delphi surveys. Then, the scale and level for each risk element were defined and a final score calculation method according to the risk evaluation result was derived. The developed risk assessment tool was verified using data at the time of domestic transmission of an emerging infectious disease. Results: In case of spread of actual infectious diseases, priority is determined based on the criticality of the elements in each area of transmissibility and severity, from which the weighted score of the risk assessment is derived. Then, the risk score for each element was calculated by multiplying the average value of the risk evaluation by its weight and the evaluation risk assessment score for the two areas was calculated. At last, the final score is plotted in a matrix where the x-axis indicates the transmissibility and the y-axis the severity and plotted on the coordinate plane for time series use. Conclusion: With respect to transmissibility and severity, this risk assessment method to respond to new and re-emerging infectious diseases enables rapid and evidence-based evaluation by quantitatively and qualitatively assessing various risk elements.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.379-395
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• 2021

For the complicated structural details in ships and offshore structures, the traditional hotspot stress approaches are known to be sensitive to the element variables of element topologies, sizes, and integration schemes. This motivated to develop a new approach for predicting reasonable hotspot stresses, which is less sensitive to the element variables and easy to be implemented the real marine structures. The three-point bending tests were conducted for the longitudinal attachments with the round and rectangular weld toes. The tests were reproduced in the numerical simulations using the solid and shell element models, and the simulation technique was validated by comparing the experimental stresses with the simulated ones. This paper considered three hotspot stress approaches: the ESM method based on surface stress extrapolation, the Dong's method based on nodal forces along a weld toe, and the proposed method based on nodal forces perpendicular to an imaginary vertical plane at a weld toe. In order to study the element sensitivities of each method, 16 solid element models and 8 shell element models were generated under the bending and tension loads, respectively. The element sensitivity was analyzed in terms of Stress Concentration Factors (SCFs) in viewpoints of two statistical quantities of mean and bias with respect to the reference SCFs. The average SCFs predicted by the proposed method were remarkably in good agreement with the reference SCFs based on the experiments and the ship rules. Negligibly small Coefficients of Variation (CVs) of the SCFs, which is measure of statistical bias, were drawn by the proposed method.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.179-192
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• 2023

We have studied the structural and optical properties of the non-doped and Co 0.08 at.%, Co 0.02 at.%, and Co 0.11 at.% doped ZnO nanorods (NRs) synthesized using the simple low-temperature chemical bath deposition (CBD) method at 95℃ for 2 hours. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images confirmed the morphology of the ZnO NRs are affected by Co incorporation. As observed, the Co 0.08 at.% doped ZnO NRs have a larger dimension with an average diameter of 153.4 nm. According to the International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD) number #00-036-1451, the x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of non-doped and Co-doped ZnO NRs with the preferred orientation of ZnO NRs in the (002) plane possess polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure with the space group P63mc. Optical absorbance indicates the Co 0.08 at.% doped ZnO NRs have stronger and blueshift bandgap energy (3.104 ev). The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnO NRs exhibited excitonicrelates ultraviolet (UV) and defect-related green band (GB) emissions. By calculating the UV/GB intensity, the Co 0.08 at.% is the proper atomic percentage to have fewer intrinsic defects. We predict that Co-doped ZnO NRs induce a blueshift of near band edge (NBE) emission due to the Burstein-Moss effect. Meanwhile, the redshift of NBE emission is attributed to the modification of the lattice dimensions and exchange energy.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.274-281
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• 2022

Background: In the present study, the age- and sex-adjusted Constant score (CS) in a normal Indian population was calculated and any differences with other population cohorts assessed. Methods: The study participants were patients who visited the outpatient department for problems other than shoulder and healthy volunteers from the local population. Patients without shoulder pain/discomfort during activity were included in the study. Subjects with any problem that might affect shoulder function (e.g., cervical, thoracic spine, rib cage deformity, inflammatory arthritis) were excluded. Constant scoring of all participants was performed by trained senior residents under the supervision of the senior faculty. Shoulder range of movement and strength were measured following recommendations given by the research and Development Committee of the European Society for Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (2008). A fixed spring balance was used for strength measurement; one end was fixed on the floor and the other end tied with a strap to the wrist of the participant, arm in 90° abduction in scapular plane with palm facing down. Results: Among the 248 subjects (496 shoulders), the average age was 37 years (range, 18-78 years), 65.7% were males (326 shoulders) and 34.3% females (170 shoulders). The mean CS was 84.6±2.9 (males, 86.1±3.0; females, 81.8±2.9). CS decreased significantly after 50 years of age in males and 40 years of age in females (p<0.05). The mean CS was lower than in previous studies for both males and females. Heavy occupation workers had higher mean CS (p<0.05). A linear standardized equation was estimated for calculating the adjusted CS for any age. Conclusions: Mean CS and its change with age differed from previous studies among various population cohorts.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.149-160
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• 2008

Offshore pile foundations are prone to lateral soil pressures resulting from embankment construction for the reclamation on deepwater soft clay. Since the 1990s, offshore reclamation has actively progressed in Korea, connecting with the development of Songdo newtown, Incheon newport, and Busan newport representatively. Special attention has been given to lateral soil-structure interaction problems related to passively-loaded offshore pile foundations. Based on a plane strain large deformation finite element (LDFE) approach, this paper presents the results of investigation into undrained (short-term) and drained (long-term) behavior of passively-loaded offshore pile foundations. This study examines the effects of major factors, such as soil profile, pile head boundary condition, magnitude of embankment load, and average degree of consolidation. The results allowed quantification of differences in the magnitude of lateral soil pressure acting on the piles between undrained and drained phases.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.759-769
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the application of laplacian-regularized mean apparent propagator (MAPL)-MRI to brain glioma-induced corticospinal tract (CST) injury. Materials and Methods: This study included 20 patients with glioma adjacent to the CST pathway who had undergone structural and diffusion MRI. The entire CSTs of the affected and healthy sides were reconstructed, and the peritumoral CSTs were manually segmented. The morphological characteristics of the CST (track number, average length, volume, displacement of the affected CST) were examined and the diffusion parameter values, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), mean squared displacement (MSD), q-space inverse variance (QIV), return-to-origin probability (RTOP), return-to-axis probabilities (RTAP), and return-to-plane probabilities (RTPP) along the entire and peritumoral CSTs, were calculated. The entire and peritumoral CST characteristics of the affected and healthy sides as well as those relative CST characteristics of the patients with motor weakness and normal motor function were compared. Results: The track number, volume, MD, RD, MSD, QIV, RTAP, RTOP, and RTPP of the entire and peritumoral CSTs changed significantly for the affected side, whereas the AD and FA changed significantly only in the peritumoral CST (p < 0.05). In patients with motor weakness, the relative MSD of the entire CST, QIV of the entire and peritumoral CSTs, and the AD, MD, RD of the peritumoral CST were significantly higher, whereas the RTPP of the entire and peritumoral CSTs and the RTOP of the peritumoral CST were significantly lower than those in patients with normal motor function (p < 0.05 for all). In contrast, no significant changes were found in the CST morphological characteristics, FA, or RTAP (p > 0.05 for all). Conclusion: MAPL-MRI is an effective approach for evaluating microstructural changes after CST injury. Its sensitivity may improve when using the peritumoral CST features.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.341-358
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• 2024

This paper reports several plane-strain trapdoor tests conducted to investigate the effects of reinforcement on soil arching development under localized surface loading with a loading plate width three times the trapdoor width. An analogical soil composed of aluminum rods with three different diameters was used as the backfill and Kraft paper with two different stiffness values was used as the reinforcement material. Four reinforcement arrangements were investigated: (1) no reinforcement, (2) one low stiffness reinforcement R1, (3) one high stiffness reinforcement R2, and (4) two low stiffness reinforcements R1 with a backfill layer in between. The stiffness of R2 was approximately twice that of R1; therefore, two R1 had approximately the same total stiffness as one R2. Test results indicate that the use of reinforcement minimized soil arching degradation under localized surface loading. Soil arching with reinforcement degraded more at unloading stages as compared to that at loading stages. The use of stiffer reinforcement had the advantages of more effectively minimizing soil arching degradation. As compared to one high stiffness reinforcement layer, two low stiffness reinforcement layers with a backfill layer of certain thickness in between promoted soil arching under localized surface loading. Due to different states of soil arching development with and without reinforcement, an analytical multi-stage soil arching model available in the literature was selected in this study to calculate the average vertical pressures acting on the trapdoor or on the deflected reinforcement section under both the backfill self-weight and localized surface loading.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.279-289
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: In many cardiovascular disorders, the contractile performance of the right ventricle (RV) is the primary determinant of prognosis. For evaluating RV volumes and function, 4 dimensional (4D)-echocardiography has become common. This research used 2D and 4D modalities to assess RV contractile performance in hypertensive patients. METHODS: A total of 150 patients with essential hypertension were enrolled in this study, along with 75 age and sex-matched volunteers. Clinical evaluation and echocardiographic examination (including M-mode, tissue Doppler imaging, and 2D speckle tracking) were conducted on all participants. RV volumes, 4D-ejection fraction (EF), 4D-fractional area change (FAC), 4D-tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), 4D-septal and free wall (FW) strain were all measured using 4D-echocardiography. RESULTS: Hypertensive patients showed 2D-RV systolic and diastolic dysfunction (including TAPSE, 2D-right ventricular global longitudinal strain, RV-myocardial performance index and average E/EaRV) and 4D-RV impairment (including right ventricular EF, FAC, RV strain and TAPSE, right ventricular end-diastolic volume and right ventricular end-systolic volume) compared to the control group. We verified the prevalence of RV systolic dysfunction in hypertension patients using the following parameters: 1) 15% of them had 2D-TAPSE < 17 mm vs. 40% by 4D-TAPSE; 2) 25% of them had 2D-GLS < 19% vs. 42% by 4D-septal strain and 35% by 4D FW strain; 3) 35% of hypertensive patients had 4D-EF < 45%; and finally; 4) 25% of hypertensive patients had 2D-FAC < 35% compared to 45% by 4D-FAC. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of RV involvement was greater in 4D than in 2D-modality trans-thoracic echocardiography. We speculated that 4D-echocardiography with 4D-strain imaging would be more beneficial for examining RV morphology and function in hypertensive patients than 2D-echocardiography, since 4D-echocardiography could estimate RV volumes and function without making geometric assumptions.