• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.329-344
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• 2021

The use of structural control devices to minimize structural response to seismic/dynamic excitations has attracted increased attention in recent years. The use of magnetorheological (MR) dampers as a control device have captured the attention of researchers in this field due to its flexibility, adaptability, easy control, and low power requirement compared to other control devices. However, little attention has been paid to the effect of configuration and number of dampers installed in a structure on responses reduction. This study assesses the control of a five-story structure using one and two MR dampers at different stories to determine the optimal damper positions and configurations based on performance indices. This paper also addresses the fail-safe current value to be applied to the MR damper at each floor in the event of feedback or control failure. The model is mathematically simulated in SIMULINK/MATLAB environment. Linear control strategies for current at 0 A, 0.5 A, 1 A, 1.5 A, 2 A, and 2.5 A are implemented for MR dampers, and the response of the structure to these control strategies for different configurations of dampers is compared with the uncontrolled structure. Based on the performance indices, it was concluded that the dampers should be positioned starting from the ground floor, then the 2^nd floor followed by 1^st and rest of the floors sequentially. The failsafe value of current for MR dampers located in lower floors (G+1) should be kept at a higher value compared to dampers at top floors for effective passive control of multi-story structures.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2023

Climate change is more rapid in the Arctic than elsewhere in the world, and increased precipitation and warming are expected cause changes in biogeochemical processes due to altered microbial communities and activities. It is crucial to investigate microbial responses to climate change to understand changes in carbon and nitrogen dynamics. We investigated the effects of increased temperature and precipitation on microbial biomass and community structure in dry tundra using two depths of soil samples (organic and mineral layers) under four treatments (control, warming, increased precipitation, and warming with increased precipitation) during the growing season (June-September) in Cambridge Bay, Canada (69°N, 105°W). A phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis method was applied to detect active microorganisms and distinguish major functional groups (e.g., fungi and bacteria) with different roles in organic matter decomposition. The soil layers featured different biomass and community structure; ratios of fungal/bacterial and gram-positive/-negative bacteria were higher in the mineral layer, possibly connected to low substrate quality. Increased temperature and precipitation had no effect in either layer, possibly due to the relatively short treatment period (seven years) or the ecosystem type. Mostly, sampling times did not affect PLFAs in the organic layer, but June mineral soil samples showed higher contents of total PLFAs and PLFA biomarkers for bacteria and fungi than those in other months. Despite the lack of response found in this investigation, long-term monitoring of these communities should be maintained because of the slow response times of vegetation and other parameters in high-Arctic ecosystems.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.42.1-42.23
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• 2023

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis, one of the most deadly infections in humans. The emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant Mtb strains presents a global challenge. Mtb has shown resistance to many frontline antibiotics, including rifampicin, kanamycin, isoniazid, and capreomycin. The only licensed vaccine, Bacille Calmette-Guerin, does not efficiently protect against adult pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to develop new vaccines to prevent infections caused by these strains. We used a subtractive proteomics approach on 23 virulent Mtb strains and identified a conserved membrane protein (MmpL4, NP_214964.1) as both a potential drug target and vaccine candidate. MmpL4 is a non-homologous essential protein in the host and is involved in the pathogen-specific pathway. Furthermore, MmpL4 shows no homology with anti-targets and has limited homology to human gut microflora, potentially reducing the likelihood of adverse effects and cross-reactivity if therapeutics specific to this protein are developed. Subsequently, we constructed a highly soluble, safe, antigenic, and stable multi-subunit vaccine from the MmpL4 protein using immunoinformatics. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed the stability of the vaccine-bound Tolllike receptor-4 complex on a nanosecond scale, and immune simulations indicated strong primary and secondary immune responses in the host. Therefore, our study identifies a new target that could expedite the design of effective therapeutics, and the designed vaccine should be validated. Future directions include an extensive molecular interaction analysis, in silico cloning, wet-lab experiments, and evaluation and comparison of the designed candidate as both a DNA vaccine and protein vaccine.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.152-162
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• 2024

Background: Plant species of the alpine treeline ecotone are highly sensitive to climate change and may adjust their population dynamics, and functional traits in response to changing climate. This study examined regeneration patterns and leaf traits variations in an important treeline ecotone element Rhododendron campanulatum along the elevation gradient in western Nepal to assess its potential adaptive responses to climate change. The distribution range of R. campanulatum (3,400-3,800 m above sea level [a.s.l.]) was divided into five horizontal bands, each with a 100 m elevational range. Eight plots (10 m × 10 m) were sampled in each band, resulting into a total of 40 plots. In each plot, all R. campanulatum individuals and co-occurring tree species were counted. From each elevation, R. campanulatum leaf samples were collected to determine leaf dimensions, leaf density, specific leaf area (SLA), and stomatal density (SD). Results: The density-diameter curve indicated that R. campanulatum was regenerating well, with enhanced regeneration at higher elevation (3,800 m a.s.l.) than at lower. Tree canopy cover appeared to be the major determinant of R. campanulatum regeneration, as indicated by a higher number of seedlings in treeless stands. With increasing elevation, the leaf length, width, SLA, and stomata length decreased but leaf thickness and SD increased. Conclusions: Overall, a higher regeneration and lower SLA with the high SD in the leaves at the upper limit of the species distribution suggested that R. campanulatum is well adapted at its upper distribution range with the possibility of upslope range shift as temperature increases.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.4 s.105
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• pp.391-402
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• 2003

Last 20 years have witnessed many studies dealing with effects of elevated $CO_2$ on terrestrial ecosystems. However, fewer efforts have been made to elucidate effects on wetland ecosystems, although they play a key role in global biogeochemical cycles. This review synthesizes published data to reveal effects of elevated $CO_2$ on wetland plants. In particular, we focused on the changes in primary production, community structures, evapotranspiration, and nutrients in plants. Many studies have reported increases in primary production in individual plants, but we could not conclude that this will lead to increases in carbon sequestration in wetland ecosystems. The reasons include transport of photosynthates into belowground parts, speciesspecific responses, interaction among different species, and limitation of other nutrients. However, elevated $CO_2$ increased transpiration rates in many wetland plants, suggesting substantial influences on water budgets of wetlands. In addition, similar to terrestrial ecosystems, elevated $CO_2$ increased C/N ratio of many plants, which may impede organic matter decomposition in the long term. However, further information on dynamics of belowground carbon supplied from wetland plants is warranted to assess effects of elevated $CO_2$ on wetland carbon cycle accurately.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.356-362
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• 2002

The molecular orientational dynamics of the nonlinear optical(NLO) side-chain polymer N-(4-nitrophenyl)-(L)-prolinol-poly (pphenylene terephthalates) have been studied using nonlinear optical responses as measured by second harmonic generation (SHG). A new pulsed corona poling is used to orient the NLO chromophores and the polymer segments into the noncentrosymmetric structure required to obtain the SHG signal. By corona poling of negative high voltage pulses with variable repetition rates (between 0.5 and 10 ㎑) at temperature between 25$^{\circ}C$ and 80$^{\circ}C$, well below and about the glass transition temperature 70$^{\circ}C$, the side-chain chromophores and the polymer chain contour rearrange themselves and create the domain structure observed by atomic force microscopy(AFM). The pulsed corona voltage enhances the orientational ordering of the NLO chromophores and also significantly influences the growth of SHG signal and the improved relaxation behavior after the poling field is removed, reducing the visible damage to the polymer film dramatically. This new pulsed corona poling experiment gave direct in situ evidence that the NLO chromophore and the polymer backbone undergo anisotropic rearrangement during the poling process.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.361-370
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• 1982

The effects of climatic factors on organisms lire variable and complex, and it, however, can be interpreted in terms of those on the distribution and those on the population densities. The distribution of an organism may largely be determined by the temperatures, except some temporal organisms which are depended on the air mass movements. Population density of an organism is determined by various climatic factors, such as previous winter temperature, temperature of growing season and rainfall. The start of growing season of the rice plants has been shifted to earlier since last decade in Korea. This may mean that the overall climatic condition during the growing season might be considerably different from those in past years, and such a difference in climatic conditions might have close relation with the recent status of the diseases and insect pests through direct effects on the physiology and population dynamics of the organisms, as well as through on the biotic associations of the pest organisms. The white back planthopper and brown planthopper have become the key insect pests in Korea in recent years. They are migratory and have high reproductive pontentials and more generations than average residential insects. The synchronization of the migrants and physiological condition of the rice plants seems to be the important factors in relation to the recent outbreaks of these insects; the high reproductive rate can be obtained with the growth stage of rice being 30-50 days after transplanting. The modication of the microclimate associated with high plant density and some other introduced new cultural techniques also have some relation with the outbreak. The key diseases of the rice are the blast disease, sheath blight and the bacterial leaf blight. For the rice blast, the seedling blast and leaf blast during the early growing season and the neck blast, have become more serious, the former may be related to hotbed nursery and the later may be related to the high humidity in early August, and synchronization of the heading time which has been shifted to early part from middle or late part of August. In general, for the rice diseases, the development of the new races have been the most serious which are largely resulted from the introduction of the new varieties, but it also seems to be related with the prolonged periods of the favorable condition associated with the shifted growing seasons. In general, the diseases and insect pest problems have become much more variable and complex, and control measures should be based on the thorough knowledge of the ecology of the pest organisms, that is, effects of various environmental factors on the disease cycle; spore release, spore deposition, infection, colonization and sporulation of the disease organisms, and those on the development, reproductive potentials, dispersal, age specific responses of the insects. The well organized real-time pest management systems, such as alfalfa weevil management system developed at the Purdue University in U.S., is the prime importance for the implementation of the pest management principles.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.398-406
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• 2000

Background: Cardiac atrium is an endocrine gland secreting a family of natriuretic peptides. The secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP) had been shown to be controlled by variable factors. The change in atrial dynamics have been considered as one of the most prominent stimuli for the stimulation of ANP secretion. Hypoxic stress has been shown to increase cardiac ANP secretion. However, the mechanism by which hypoxia increases ANP secretion cardiac ANP secretions. However, the mechanism by which hypoxia increases ANP secretion has not to be defined. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was tow-fold: to develop a protocol to defined the effect of hypoxia on ANP secretion in perfused beating rabbit atria and to clarify the mechanism responsible for the accentuation by hypoxia of ANP secretion. Material and Method: Experiments have been done in perfused beating rabbit atria. ANP was measured by radioimmunoassay. Result: Hypoxic stimulus with nitrogen decreased atrial stroke volume. The decrease in atrial stroke volume recovered basal level during the period of recovery with oxygen. ANP secretion and the concentration of perfusate ANP in terms of extracellular fluid(ECF) translocation which reflects the rate of myocytic release of ANP were increased by hypoxia and returned to basal levels during the recovery. Changes in ECF translocation paralleled by hypoxia and returned to basal levels during the recovery. Changes in ECF translocation paralleled to that of atrial stroke volume. At the start of recovery in atrial storke volume, ECF tranalocation incrased for several minutes. The above responses were stable and reproducible. Glibenclamide treatment prevented the recovery in atrial stroke volume. Increments by hypoxia of ANP secretion and ANP concentration were suppressed by glibenclamide. Conclusion: These results indicate that hypoxia incrased atrial myocytic ANP release and that the mechanism responsible for the accentuation is partially related to the change in K+ATP channel activity.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.134-142
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• 2012

This paper presents a study of system identification on the tilt response of the L-type retaining wall located at Tanhyun 11th ACE Apartment, Ilsan in order to understand mechanism how the structure behaves in operational conditions and to provide a reference tilt values for assessing structural abnormality. The retaining wall was extraordinarily tall (14m) in urban area so the long-term monitoring system had been installed with 3 tilts-meters and 9 temperature sensors operational from Oct 2004 upto Nov 2007. By using 5-months continuous data in which all the 12 channels were up and running, the two prediction models, 1) the linear model, and 2) the state-space equation (SSE) model, have been identified by finding the best fitness model among all possible 511 combinations of input temperatures out of the 9 temperatures. The linear model which was simple in the model structure achieved the validation fittness of 68% due to the fact that the static model wasn't able to represent thermal dynamics. The SSE model achieved the validation fitness of 90% which was quite accurate considering various unexpected noises happening in field measurements.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2000

Ships in a seaway will encounter dangerous situation, such as slamming, stranding, and capsizing. The number of capsizing is small, but the loss due to them is very large from the viewpoint of human life, property, and the environmental pollution. The number of capsizing of fishing vessels is about 62% of total number of capsizing, and the half of them is originated from the operational mistake in a seaway. So the dynamics and the capsizing phenomena are to be studied, and the guide for the safe operation of a fishing vessel in a seaway are to be specified. The hydrodynamic forces consist of radiation forces (which are due to the motion of a ship), Froude-Krylov forces (which is due to the incoming waves), and diffraction forces (which is due to the wave and ship interaction). These forces are calculated by well-known strip method. Using the calculated forces, the motion of a ship in a regular sea is obtained. In the real seaway, the waves are very irregular, therefore the statistical analysis is very helpful. In this paper, using the results of the motion in a regular seaway and the wave spectrum, the motion in a irregular seaway are obtained and analyzed.