• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.283-297
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• 2015

Jacket-type offshore structures are always exposed to severe environmental conditions such as salt, high speed of current, wave, and wind compared with other onshore structures. In spite of the importance of maintaining the structural integrity for an offshore structure, there are few cases to apply a structural health monitoring (SHM) system in practice. The impedance-based SHM is a kind of local SHM techniques and to date, numerous techniques and algorithms have been proposed for local SHM of real-scale structures. However, it still requires a significant challenge for practical applications to compensate unknown environmental effects and to extract only damage features from impedance signals. In this study, the impedance-based SHM was carried out on a 1/20-scaled model of an Uldolmok current power plant structure in Korea under changes in temperature and transverse loadings. Principal component analysis (PCA)-based approach was applied with a conventional damage index to eliminate environmental changes by removing principal components sensitive to them. Experimental results showed that the proposed approach is an effective tool for long-term SHM under significant environmental changes.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.50-57
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• 2016

The study presents structural integrity assessment of ductility degradation of a baffle former assembly by performing finite element analysis considering real loading conditions and stress triaxiality. Variations of fracture strain curves of type 304 austenitic stainless steel with stress triaxiality are derived based on the previous study results. Temperature distributions during normal operation such as heat-up, steady state, and cool-down are calculated via finite element temperature analysis considering gamma heating and heat convection with reactor coolant. Variations of stress and strain state during long operation period are also calculated by performing sequentially coupled temperature-stress analysis. Fracture strain is derived by using the fracture curve and the stress triaxility. Finally, variations of ductility degradation damage indicator with the fracture strain and the equivalent inelastic strain are investigated. It is found that maximum value of the ductility degradation damage index continuously increases and becomes 0.4877 at 40 EFPYs. Also, the maximum value occurs at top and middle inner parts of the baffle former assembly before and after 20 EFPYs, respectively.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.668-674
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• 2002

Structural integrity assessment is indispensable for preventing catastrophic failure of industrial structures/components/facilities. This diagnosis of operating components should be done periodically for safe maintenance and economical repair. However, conventional standard methods for mechanical properties have the problems of bulky specimen, destructive and complex procedure of specimen sampling. Especially, the mechanical properties at welded zone including weldment and heat affected zone could not be evaluated individually due to their size requirement problem. So, an advanced indentation technique has been developed as a potential method for non-destructive testing of in-field structures. This technique measures indentation load-depth curve during indentation and analyzes the mechanical properties related to deformation such as yield strength, tensile strength and work-hardening index. Also indentation technique can evaluate a residual stress based on the concept that indentation load-depth curves were shifted with the direction and the magnitude of residual stress applied to materials. In this study, we characterized the tensile properties and welding residual stress of various industrial facilities through the new techniques, and the results are introduced and discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.32-37
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• 2003

The amount of 4,500 drums of soil waste are temporarily stored in KAERI. In order to develop a technology for safe treatment of the soil waste, a number of tests were performed by applying cement and polymer as solidifier. Immobilization specimens were adequately made by mixing soil waste with cement or polymer Compressive strength and leaching tests were performed in order to see the fulfillment to standard of disposal following the storage. A compressive strength, about 5,300psi was obtained from both solidifiers of cement containing 40% of soil waste and polymer containing 60%. The obtained leaching index was larger than 11, which was satisfied with the relevant standard. It was shown that the integrity of the solidified waste much depends on homogenization in solidifying process and hardness of the specimen. Volume reduction of solidified waste with polymer was better than that of cement by 20%.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.71-79
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze the presence of ipsilesional movement deficit, with segmental performance in each proximal or distal upper extremity. The visuoperceptual complex task of the ipsilesional upper extremity was investigated in patients with unilateral brain damage and a control group of healthy sex-age-matched controls. Tracking movements were tested in the proximal and distal upper extremities. Movements were measured by the accuracy index, which was normalized to each subject's own range of motion and took into account any differences between subjects in the excursion of the tracking target. The findings revealed that stroke patients experienced difficulties with tracking movement of both proximal and distal segments in the upper extremities on the so-called "non-affected side", irrespectively of the extent of patient's age, time since onset, or severity of contralateral upper extremity. Therefore, the unilateral brain damage affected ipsilateral motor function of the proximal and distal upper limbs in the performance of complex motor tasks, requiring central processing and the higher order cognitive function in the integrity of both hemispheres.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2003

Connectivity is a quantitative indicator of landscape structure, and connectivity of urban green areas is an indicator of ecological integrity in urban landscapes. The purposes of this study are to assess the connectivity of urban green areas in Seoul, and to develop a method of siting new green areas for better connectivity. Diverse methods for connectivity assessment and indices of connectivity are reviewed and applied to the connectivity assesment of green areas in Seoul. The indices of connectivity of green areas in Seoul turned out to be higher than expected, maybe because many of them are rather evenly distributed, serving as stepping stones, and because there are many riparian corridors, including the Han River. Analysis also shows the optimum location of new green space patches or corridors will be those spots that would link the mainland, or large green areas outside the city, and existing green areas in the city. Restoration of urban streams as ecological corridors will significantly enhance connectivity. Three different scenarios with increasing numbers of new green areas in the city were then prepared. The changes of connectivity were measured and the possible success rates of animal dispersal were simulated. The results revealed that restoration of streams will increase the connectivity and success rates of animal dispersal.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2989-2993
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• 2016

The commonest cancer in Egyptian females occurs in the breast cfDNA is a non-invasive marker for tumor detetion and prognostic assessment in many types of cancer including breast cancer. This study aimed to assess the role of cfDNA and its fragmentation pattern in breast cancer prognosis and treatment response. Forty female patients with malignant breast tumors and a comparable group of healthy blood donors were enrolled prospectively. cfDNA levels and fragmentation patterns were investigated after cfDNA extraction, gel electrophoresis and gel analysis. The percentage of breast cancer patients positive for cfDNA (92.5%) was significantly higher than that of controls (55%). Also, mean concentration of cfDNA was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). Most Her-2 positive patients had long cfDNA fragments, this being significant as compared to Her-2 negative patients (P<0.05). Metastasis was also positively linked to significantly higher cfDNA (P<0.05) and the mean cfDNA integrity index was significantly higher in non-responders compared to treatment responders (P<0.05). In conclusion, both qualitative and quantitative aspects of cfDNA and its different fragments in breast cancer patients could be related to prognosis, metastasis and treatment response. Long cfDNA fragments could be particularly useful for prediction purposes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.429-438
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• 2020

The emergence of multi-drug resistant, pathogenic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a threat to global health and has created a need for novel functional therapeutic agents. In this study, we evaluated the underlying mechanisms of the anti-MRSA effect of an azaphilone pigment, sclerotiorin (SCL) from Penicillium sclerotiorum. The antimicrobial activity of SCL was evaluated using agar disc diffusion, broth microdilution, time-kill assays and biophysical studies. SCL exhibits selective activity against Gram positive bacteria including MRSA (range, MIC = 128-1028 ㎍/ml) and exhibited rapid bactericidal action against MRSA with a > 4 log reduction in colony forming units within three hours of administration. Biophysical studies, using fluorescent probes and laser or electron microscopy, demonstrated a SCL dose-dependent alternation in membrane potential (62.6 ± 5.0.4% inhibition) and integrity (> 95 ± 2.3%), and the release of UV260 absorbing materials within 60 min (up to 3.2 fold increase, p < 0.01) of exposure. Further, SCL localized to the cytoplasm and hydrolyzed plasmid DNA. While in vitro checkerboard studies revealed that SCL potentiated the antimicrobial activity of topical antimicrobials such as polymixin, neomycin, and bacitracin (Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index range, 0.26-0.37). Taken together these results suggest that SCL targets the membrane and DNA of MRSA to facilitate its anti-MRSA antimicrobial effect.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.348-354
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• 2022

Recent studies have shown that probiotics have health-promoting effects, particularly intestinal immune modulation. In this study, we focused on the immunomodulatory properties of Latilactobacillus curvatus BYB3, formerly called Lactobacillus curvatus, isolated from kimchi. In a mouse model of 14-day dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, treatment with L. curvatus BYB3 significantly decreased the disease activity index, colon length, and weight loss. Moreover, histological analyses showed that L. curvatus BYB3 protected the structural integrity of the intestinal epithelial layer and mucin-secreting goblet cells from DSS-induced damage, with only slight infiltration by immune cells. To evaluate the molecular mechanisms underlying L. curvatus BYB3-driven inhibition of interleukin 6 production, possible in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of L. curvatus BYB3 were examined in the same mouse model. In addition, significantly lower levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 upregulation were seen in the DSS+BYB3 group (compared to that in the DSS group). These results indicate that L. curvatus BYB3 exhibits health-promoting effects via immune modulation; and therefore, it can be used to treat various inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.69-76
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• 2021

Printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is a compact heat exchanger with good heat transfer performance, high structure integrity, and reliability over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Instead of the traditional zigzag and straight shape channel, the sinusoidal shape channel was adopted in this study to investigate the relation of thermal-hydraulic performance and waviness factors (period and amplitude). The local flow characteristics and the heat flux distribution were compared to verify the effects of period and amplitude on heat transfer performance. As the period of channel becomes shorter, the rapid change of the flow direction can produce high flow separation around the corner leading to the disturbance of the boundary layer opposite wall. The nonuniform distribution of flow velocity appeared around the corner positions can promote fluid mixing and lead to higher thermal performance. An evaluation index was used to compare the comprehensive performance of PCHE considering the Nusselt number and Fanning factor. Based on the simulation results, the optimal design parameters of PCHE channel shape were found that the channel with an equivalent bending angle of 15° offers the highest heat flux capacity.