• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.646-652
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• 2009

In this paper, welding pitch optimization technique of vehicle subframe is presented considering the fatigue life of spot welding nuggets. Fatigue life of spot welding nuggets is estimated by using the frequency-domain fatigue analysis technique. The input data, which are used in the fatigue analysis, are obtained by performing the dynamic analysis of vehicle model passing through the Belgian road profile and also the modal frequency response analysis of finite element model of vehicle subframe. According to the fatigue life result obtained from the frequency-domain fatigue analysis, the design points to optimize the weld pitch distance are determined. For obtaining the welding pitch combination to maximize the fatigue life of the spot welding nuggets, 4-factor, 3-level orthogonal array experimental design is used. This study shows that the optimized subframe improves the fatigue life of welding nugget with minimum fatigue life about 65.8 % as compared with the baseline design.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.261-275
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• 2024

Before performing an experimental study on the downburst-generated wave, it is necessary to examine the scale effects and corresponding corrections or compensations. Analysis of similarity is conducted to conclude the non-dimensional force ratios that account for the dynamic similarity in the interaction of downburst with wave between the prototype and the scale model, along with the corresponding scale factors. The fractional volume of fluid (VOF) method in association with the impinging jet model is employed to explore the characteristics of the downburst-generated wave numerically, and the validity of the proposed scaling method is verified. The study shows that the location of the maximum radial wind velocity in a downburst-wave field is a little higher than that identified in a downburst over the land, which might be attributed to the presence of the wave which changes the roughness of the underlying surface of the downburst. The impinging airflow would generate a concavity in the free surface of the water around the stagnation point of the downburst, with a diameter of about two times the jet diameter (D_jet). The maximum wave height appears at the location of 1.5D_jet from the stagnation point. Reynolds number has an insignificant influence on the scale effects, in accordance with the numerical investigation of the 30 scale models with the Reynolds number varying from 3.85 × 10⁴ to 7.30 × 10⁹. The ratio of the inertial force of air to the gravitational force of water, which is denoted by G, is found to be the most significant factor that would affect the interaction of downburst with wave. For the correction or compensation of the scale effects, fitting curves for the measures of the downburst-wave field (e.g., wind profile, significant wave height), along with the corresponding equations, are presented as a function of the parameter G.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2024

Ensuring swift on-site access to fire engines is crucial in preserving the golden time and minimizing damage. However, various mobility constraints in alleyways hinder the timely entry of fire engines to the fire scene, significantly impairing their initial response capabilities. Therefore, this study analyzed the significant mobility constraints of fire engines, focusing on Seoul, which has many old town areas. By leveraging survey responses from firefighting experts and actual observations, this study quantitatively assessed the frequency and severity of mobility constraint factors affecting the disaster responses of fire engines. Survey results revealed a consistent set of top five factors regarding the frequency and disturbance level, including illegally parked cars, narrow paths, motorcycles, poles, and awnings/banners. A comparison with actual road-view images showed notable consistency between the survey and observational results regarding the appearance frequency of mobility constraint factors in vulnerable areas in Seoul. Furthermore, the study emphasized the importance of tailored management strategies for each mobility constraint factor, considering its characteristics, such as dynamic or static. The findings of this study can serve as foundational data for creating more detailed fire safety maps and advancing technologies that monitor the mobility of fire engines through efficient vision-based inference using CCTVs in the future.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.781-790
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• 2019

Objective: To assess the relationship between contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) parameters and perfusion CT (PCT) parameters of gastric cancers and their correlation with histologic features. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was approved by our Institutional Review Board. We included 43 patients with pathologically-proven gastric cancers undergoing CEUS using SonoVue^® (Bracco) and PCT on the same day. Correlation between the CEUS parameters (peak intensity [PI], area under the curve [AUC], rise time [RT] from 10% to 90% of PI, time to peak [TTP_US], and mean transit time [MTT_US]) and PCT parameters (blood flow, blood volume, TTP_CT, MTT_CT, and permeability surface product) of gastric cancers were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation test. In cases of surgical resection, the CEUS and PCT parameters were compared according to histologic features using Mann-Whitney test. Results: CEUS studies were of diagnostic quality in 88.4% (38/43) of patients. Among the CEUS parameters of gastric cancers, RT and TTP_US showed significant positive correlations with TTP_CT (rho = 0.327 and 0.374, p = 0.045 and 0.021, respectively); PI and AUC were significantly higher in well-differentiated or moderately-differentiated tumors (n = 4) than poorly-differentiated tumors (n = 18) (p = 0.026 and 0.033, respectively), whereas MTT_CT showed significant differences according to histologic types (poorly cohesive carcinoma [PCC] vs. non-PCC), T-staging (≤ T2 vs. ≥ T3), N-staging (N0 vs. N-positive), and epidermal growth factor receptor expression (≤ faint vs. ≥ moderate staining) (p values < 0.05). Conclusion: In patients with gastric cancers, CEUS is technically feasible for the quantification of tumor perfusion and may provide correlative and complementary information to that of PCT, which may allow prediction of histologic features.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.167-181
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• 2024

The soil-structure relative stiffness is a key factor affecting the seismic response of underground structures. It is of great significance to study the soil-structure relative stiffness for the soil-structure interaction and the seismic disaster reduction of subway stations. In this paper, the dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio of an inhomogeneous soft soil site under different buried depths which were obtained by a one-dimensional equivalent linearization site response analysis were used as the input parameters in a 2D finite element model. A visco-elasto-plastic constitutive model based on the Mohr-Coulomb shear failure criterion combined with stiffness degradation was used to describe the plastic behavior of soil. The damage plasticity model was used to simulate the plastic behavior of concrete. The horizontal and vertical relative stiffness ratios of soil and structure were defined to study the influence of relative stiffness on the seismic response of subway stations in inhomogeneous soft soil. It is found that the compression damage to the middle columns of a subway station with a higher relative stiffness ratio is more serious while the tensile damage is slighter under the same earthquake motion. The relative stiffness has a significant influence on ground surface deformation, ground acceleration, and station structure deformation. However, the effect of the relative stiffness on the deformation of the bottom slab of the subway station is small. The research results can provide a reference for seismic fortification of subway stations in the soft soil area.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.390-398
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• 2024

FoxO1, a member of the Forkhead transcription factor family subgroup O (FoxO), is expressed in a range of cell types and is crucial for various pathophysiological processes, such as apoptosis and inflammation. While FoxO1's roles in multiple diseases have been recognized, the target has remained largely unexplored due to the absence of cost-effective and efficient inhibitors. Therefore, there is a need for natural FoxO1 inhibitors with minimal adverse effects. In this study, docking, MMGBSA, and ADMET analyses were performed to identify natural compounds that exhibit strong binding affinity to FoxO1. The top candidates were then subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A natural product library was screened for interaction with FoxO1 (PDB ID-3CO6) using the Glide module of the Schrödinger suite. In silico ADMET profiling was conducted using SwissADME and pkCSM web servers. Binding free energies of the selected compounds were assessed with the Prime-MMGBSA module, while the dynamics of the top hits were analyzed using the Desmond module of the Schrödinger suite. Several natural products demonstrated high docking scores with FoxO1, indicating their potential as FoxO1 inhibitors. Specifically, the docking scores of neochlorogenic acid and fraxin were both below -6.0. These compounds also exhibit favorable drug-like properties, and a 25 ns MD study revealed a stable interaction between fraxin and FoxO1. Our findings highlight the potential of various natural products, particularly fraxin, as effective FoxO1 inhibitors with strong binding affinity, dynamic stability, and suitable ADMET profiles.

• Hip & pelvis
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.87-100
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• 2024

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis, and the popularity of the direct anterior approach has increased due to more rapid recovery and increased stability. Instability, commonly caused by component malposition, remains a significant concern. The dynamic relationship between the pelvis and lumbar spine, deemed spinopelvic motion, is considered an important factor in stability. Various parameters are used in evaluating spinopelvic motion. Understanding spinopelvic motion is critical, and executing a precise plan for positioning the implant can be difficult with manual instrumentation. Robotic and/or navigation systems have been developed in the effort to enhance THA outcomes and for implementing spinopelvic parameters. These systems can be classified into three categories: X-ray/fluoroscopy-based, imageless, and computed tomography (CT)-based. Each system has advantages and limitations. When using CT-based systems, preoperative CT scans are used to assist with preoperative planning and intraoperative execution, providing feedback on implant position and restoration of hip biomechanics within a functional safe zone developed according to each patient's specific spinopelvic parameters. Several studies have demonstrated the accuracy and reproducibility of robotic systems with regard to implant positioning and leg length discrepancy. Some studies have reported better radiographic and clinical outcomes with use of robotic-assisted THA. However, clinical outcomes comparable to those for manual THA have also been reported. Robotic systems offer advantages in terms of accuracy, precision, and potentially reduced rates of dislocation. Additional research, including conduct of randomized controlled trials, will be required in order to evaluate the long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness of robotic-assisted THA.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.2253-2280
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• 2024

In the upcoming era of transportation, a groundbreaking technology, known as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, is poised to redefine our driving experience and revolutionize traffic management. Real-time and secure communication plays a pivotal role in V2X networks, with the decision-making process being a key factor in establishing communication and determining malicious nodes. The proposed framework utilizes a directed acyclic graph (DAG) to facilitate real-time processing and expedite decision-making. This innovative approach ensures seamless connectivity among vehicles, the surrounding infrastructure, and various entities. To enhance communication efficiency, the entire roadside unit (RSU) region can be subdivided into various sub-regions, allowing RSUs to monitor and govern each sub-region. This strategic approach significantly reduces transaction approval time, thereby improving real-time communication. The framework incorporates a consensus mechanism to ensure robust security, even in the presence of malicious nodes. Recognizing the dynamic nature of V2X networks, the addition and removal of nodes are aligned. Communication latency is minimized through the deployment of computational resources near the data source and leveraging edge computing. This feature provides invaluable recommendations during critical situations that demand swift decision-making. The proposed architecture is further validated using the "veins" simulation tool. Simulation results demonstrate a remarkable success rate exceeding 95%, coupled with a significantly reduced consensus time compared to prevailing methodologies. This comprehensive approach not only addresses the evolving requirements of secure V2X communication but also substantiates practical success through simulation, laying the foundation for a transformative era in transportation.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.380-420
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• 2014

We increasingly see the importance of employees acquiring enough expert capability or innovation capability to prepare for ever growing uncertainties in their operation domains. However, despite the above circumstances, there have not been an enough number of researches on how operational input components for employees' innovation outcome, innovation activities such as acquisition, exercise and promotion effort of employee's innovation capability, and their resulting innovation outcome interact with each other. This trend is believed to have been resulted because most of the current researches on innovation focus on the units of country, industry and corporate entity levels but not on an individual corporation's innovation input components, innovation outcome and innovation activities themselves. Therefore, this study intends to avoid the currently prevalent study frames and views on innovation and focus more on the strategic policies required for the enhancement of an organization's innovation capabilities by quantitatively analyzing employees' innovation outcomes and their most suggested relevant innovation activities. The research model that this study deploys offers both linear and structural model on the trio of learning, innovation capability and innovation outcome, and then suggests the 4 relevant hypotheses which are quantitatively tested and analyzed as follows: Hypothesis 1] The different levels of innovation capability produce different innovation outcomes (accepted, p-value = 0.000<0.05). Hypothesis 2] The different amounts of learning time produce different innovation capabilities (rejected, p-value = 0.199, 0.220>0.05). Hypothesis 3] The different amounts of learning time produce different innovation outcomes. (accepted, p-value = 0.000<0.05). Hypothesis 4] the innovation capability acts as a significant parameter in the relationship of the amount of learning time and innovation outcome (structural modeling test). This structural model after the t-tests on Hypotheses 1 through 4 proves that irregular on-the-job training and e-learning directly affects the learning time factor while job experience level, employment period and capability level measurement also directly impacts on the innovation capability factor. Also this hypothesis gets further supported by the fact that the patent time absolutely and directly affects the innovation capability factor rather than the learning time factor. Through the 4 hypotheses, this study proposes as measures to maximize an organization's innovation outcome. firstly, frequent irregular on-the-job training that is based on an e-learning system, secondly, efficient innovation management of employment period, job skill levels, etc through active sponsorship and energization community of practice (CoP) as a form of irregular learning, and thirdly a model of Yί=f(e, i, s, t, w)+${\varepsilon}$ as an innovation outcome function that is soundly based on a smart system of capability level measurement. The innovation outcome function is what this study considers the most appropriate and important reference model.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.45
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• pp.151-186
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• 2009

This article focuses on analysing and interpreting cultural imperialism issues that have long been debated. One of issues among them is related to the characteristics of international cultural fluid. What had been debated is that cultural imperialism has been ended or not and the debates were connected to the so called 'reverse cultural imperialism'. The other issue is about this fluid is the continuation of globalization or a part of localization and this is related to the phenomena of cultural homogenization or hybrid. General trend was that simplistic cultural imperialism which had been occurred during the 1970s and 1980s was no longer effective but global dominance by transnational global media is still strong and worldwide. Therefore my research interest is centered on how they look international cultural exchanges with regard to cultural imperialism. And is the framework of cultural imperialism thesis still effective tool in researching and analysing international cultural flows? How do we look globalization relating to international exchanges? Is globalization an another aspect of imperialism? In conclusion, international cultural fluid is not so simple. Like natural phenomena or human progress, a phenomenon is not consisted of a single factor or relation. Cultural fluid is a complex one mixed with various phenomena and relations. This is related to internal and external contradictions, internal and external dynamics of a society and nation, and social and cultural life of human beings. Recent research results show that globalization and localization are closely related to many country's programming schedule, and particular cultural interpretation of specific programmes and culture are adopted to the country's culture and patterns. Cultural fluid has both-sides. One the hand it has useful and positive sides and on the other hand it has harmful and negative aspects. Imperialistic factor, globalization, cultural homogenization or hybrid are all operated and functioned together in cultual fluid. It is difficult to say that cultural imperialism thesis has been ended because American and global media's dominance is still effective. What needed at this time for us is a complex and dynamic analysis of international cultural fluid instead of simplistic cultural imperialism.