• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.231-241
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• 2021

Although the deterioration of bridges may occur due to various causes, one of the representative causes is that the chloride used for deicing in the winter penetrates bridge members and results in corrosion. This study aims to quantify the ageing degree resulting from the corrosion of a bridge, apply it to the inelastic dynamic analysis model of the bridge, perform a seismic fragility analysis, and evaluate the relationship between the ageing degree and the seismic fragility curve. It is important to appropriately define the threshold values for each damage state in seismic fragility analyses considering the ageing degree. The damage state was defined using the results of existing experimental studies on the characteristics of the deterioration in the displacement ductility capacity of the pier, according to the ageing degree. Based on the seismic fragility analyses of six types of bridges divided by three types of bearing devices and two pier heights, it was found that the seismic vulnerability tends to increase with the ageing degree. The difference in seismic vulnerability with respect to the ageing degree exhibits a tendency to increase as the damage state progresses from slight to moderate, severe, and collapse.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.751-760
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• 2021

Most bridges in Korea are over 20 years old, and many problems linked to their deterioration are being reported. The current practice for bridge inspection mainly depends on expert evaluation, which can be subjective. Recent studies have introduced data-driven methods using building information modeling, which can be more efficient and objective, but these methods require manual procedures that consume time and money. To overcome this, this study developed an image-based automaticbridge component classification network to reduce the time and cost required for converting the visual information of bridges to a digital model. The proposed method comprises two convolutional neural networks. The first network estimates the type of the bridge based on the superstructure, and the second network classifies the bridge components. In avalidation test, the proposed system automatically classified the components of 461 bridge images with 96.6 % of accuracy. The proposed approach is expected to contribute toward current bridge maintenance practice.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2022

In order to solve the problem of urban traffic congestion, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concept using Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft has been gaining popularity, and many domestic and international studies are underway. However, since these aircraft inevitably fly over densely populated areas, it is essential to ensure safety, which starts with accurately analyzing the crash risk. In this paper, the locations and impact speeds of crash are computed using six degree-of-freedom simulations of an eVTOL aircraft in a fixed-wing mode. System malfunction was modeled by a sudden loss of thrust with control surfaces being stuck during cruise. Because most of these eVTOL aircraft are still under development, a methodology of constructing a six degree-of-freedom dynamics model from generic specification is also developed. The results show that the crash locations are highly concentrated right under the aircraft within a square that has an edge length similar to the cruise altitude. Speed distribution is more complicated because almost identical crash locations can be achieved by two very different paths resulting in a large variation in the speeds.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.424-433
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• 2021

Recent climate change has caused abnormal weather phenomena all over the world and a lot of damage in many fields of society. Particularly, a lot of recent damages were due to extreme precipitation, such as torrential downpour or drought. The objective of this study was to analyze the temporal and spatial changes in the precipitation pattern in South Korea. To achieve this objective, this study selected some of the precipitation indices suggested in previous studies to compare the temporal characteristics of precipitation induced by climate change. This study selected ten ASOS observatories of the Korea Meteorological Administration to understand the change over time for each location with considering regional distribution. This study also collected daily cumulative precipitation from 1951 to 2020 for each point. Additionally, this study generated high-resolution national daily precipitation distribution maps using an orographic precipitation model from 1981 to 2020 and analyzed them. Temporal analysis showed that although annual cumulative precipitation revealed an increasing trend from the past to the present. The number of precipitation days showed a decreasing trend at most observation points, but the number of torrential downpour days revealed an increasing trend. Spatially, the number of precipitation days and the number of torrential downpour days decreased in many areas over time, and this pattern was prominent in the central region. The precipitation pattern of South Korea can be summarized as the fewer precipitation days and larger daily precipitation over time.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.65-75
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• 2022

On 11 June 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the judgment of the lower court was justified for the subject case, that the plaintiff could assert the defendant's liability for default due to incomplete performance even though the warranty period for defects which stipulated in the particular condition of the contract has expired. In Korean civil law, the concurrent between the exclusion period for defect warranty and the extinctive prescription for default liability is conceded, since the exclusion period and the extinctive prescription have their respective purposes in law, therefore these two should be judged by harmonizing them based on that they are mutually related. If the subject judgment is generalized, there is no reason to exist for the provisions of defect liability in the construction contract any longer. This study examines the subject judgments through the general theory and precedent case studies on the defect liability and default liability, then derived any problems that may arise if the subject judgment is generalized. In addition, based on a realistic model, it was suggested for a practical improvement method that both the provisions of the warranty period shall be changed realistic and to stipulate the character of its nature as written provisions in the contract.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.283-294
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• 2021

Solar radiation is an important meteorological factor in the agricultural sector. The ground exposed to sunlight is highly influenced by the surrounding terrains especially in South Korea where the topology is complex. The solar radiation on an inclined surface is estimated using a solar irradiance correction factor for the slope of the terrain along with the solar radiation on a horizontal surface. However, such an estimation method assumes that there is no barrier in surroundings, which blocks sunlight from the sky. This would result in errors in estimation of solar radiation because the effect of shading caused by the surrounding terrain has not been taken into account sufficiently. In this study, the shading effect was simulated to obtain the brightness value (BV), which was used as a correction factor. The shaded relief images, which were generated using a 30m-resolution digital elevation model (DEM), were used to derive the BVs. These images were also prepared using the position of the sun and the relief of the terrain as inputs. The gridded data where the variation of direct solar radiation was quantified as brightness were obtained. The value of cells in the gridded data ranged from 0 (the darkest value) to 255 (the brightest value). The BV analysis was performed using meteorological observation data at 22 stations installed in study area. The observed insolation was compared with the BV of each point under clear and cloudless condition. It was found that brightness values were significantly correlated with the solar radiation, which confirmed that shading due to terrain could explain the variation in direct solar radiation. Further studies are needed to accurately estimate detailed solar radiation using shaded relief images and brightness values.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.165-178
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• 2022

In this study, to explore the psychological and biosocial characteristics of the temperament and character's latent profile group, first, the latent group was identified with the seven variables of the Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI), and second, the difference between the psychological and biosocial characteristics of three identified latent groups. A total of 287 university students participated, and the latent groups was identified through latent profile analysis, a human-centeted statistical method, using Cloninger's TCI, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire(CERQ), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule(PANAS), Composite Scale of Moriningness(CSM), Pittsburgh Sleep Qulity Index(PSQI), and Satisfaction With Life Scale(SWLS). As result, first, three latent groups were identified through latent profile analysis using the seven variables of TCI. second, significant differences were identified in CERQ, PANAS, which are psychological variables, CSM, PSQI, and SWLS, which are biosocial variables among the latent groups. In conclusion, the importance of Self-Directedness(SD), a character factor that can be developed rather than Harm-Avoidance(HA), a temperament factor from nature, was confirmed. And the necessity of follow-up studies on psychological and biosocial variables for adaptive and mature personality was discussed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.156-166
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• 2022

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer (P. ginseng), a herb distributed in Korea, China and Japan, exerts benefits on diverse inflammatory conditions. However, the underlying mechanism and active ingredients remains largely unclear. Herein, we aimed to explore the active ingredients of P. ginseng against inflammation and elucidate underlying mechanisms. Methods: Inflammation model was constructed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in C57BL/6 mice and RAW264.7 macrophages. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics, surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) and immunofluorescence were utilized to predict active component. Results: P. ginseng significantly inhibited LPS-induced lung injury and the expression of proinflammatory factors, including TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. Additionally, P. ginseng blocked fluorescencelabeled LPS (LPS488) binding to the membranes of RAW264.7 macrophages, the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Furthermore, molecular docking demonstrated that ginsenoside Ro (GRo) docked into the LPS binding site of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) complex. Molecular dynamic simulations showed that the MD2-GRo binding conformation was stable. SPRi demonstrated an excellent interaction between TLR4/ MD2 complex and GRo (K_D value of 1.16 × 10^-9 M). GRo significantly inhibited LPS488 binding to cell membranes. Further studies showed that GRo markedly suppressed LPS-triggered lung injury, the transcription and secretion levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. Moreover, the phosphorylation of NF-κB and MAPKs as well as the p65 subunit nuclear translocation were inhibited by GRo dose-dependently. Conclusion: Our results suggest that GRo exerts anti-inflammation actions by direct inhibition of TLR4 signaling pathway.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.418-425
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• 2022

Background: Sorafenib is effective in treating hepatoma, but most patients develop resistance to it. STAT3 signaling has been implicated in sorafenib resistance. Artesunate (ART) and 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) have anti-hepatoma effects and can inhibit STAT3 signaling in cancer cells. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Rg3 in combination with ART (Rg3-plus-ART) in overcoming sorafenib resistance, and to examine the involvement of STAT3 signaling in these effects. Methods: Sorafenib-resistant HepG2 cells (HepG2-SR) were used to evaluate the in vitro anti-hepatoma effects of Rg3-plus-ART. A HepG2-SR hepatoma-bearing BALB/c-nu/nu mouse model was used to assess the in vivo anti-hepatoma effects of Rg3-plus-ART. CCK-8 assays and Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining were used to examine cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Immunoblotting was employed to examine protein levels. ROS generation was examined by measuring DCF-DA fluorescence. Results: Rg3-plus-ART synergistically reduced viability of, and evoked apoptosis in HepG2-SR cells, and suppressed HepG2-SR tumor growth in mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that Rg3-plus-ART inhibited activation/phosphorylation of Src and STAT3 in HepG2-SR cultures and tumors. The combination also decreased the STAT3 nuclear level and induced ROS production in HepG2-SR cultures. Furthermore, overactivation of STAT3 or removal of ROS diminished the anti-proliferative effects of Rg3-plus-ART, and removal of ROS diminished Rg3-plus-ART's inhibitory effects on STAT3 activation in HepG2-SR cells. Conclusions: Rg3-plus-ART overcomes sorafenib resistance in experimental models, and inhibition of Src/STAT3 signaling and modulation of ROS/STAT3 signaling contribute to the underlying mechanisms. This study provides a pharmacological basis for developing Rg3-plus-ART into a novel modality for treating sorafenib-resistant hepatoma.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.193-198
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• 2021

Recently, interests in the 4th industry have increased the level of demand for pest control by farmers in the field of rice farming, and the interests and use of agricultural pest control drones. Therefore, the diversification of agricultural control drones that spray high-concentration pesticides and the increase of agricultural exterminators due to the acquisition of national drone certifications are rapidly developing the agricultural sector in the drone industry. In addition, as detailed projects, an effective platform is required to construct large-scale big data due to pesticide management, exterminator management, precise spraying, pest control work volume classification, settlement, soil management, prediction and monitoring of damages by pests, etc. and to process the data. However, studies in South Korea and other countries on development of models and programs to integrate and process the big data such as data analysis algorithms, image analysis algorithms, growth management algorithms, AI algorithms, etc. are insufficient. This paper proposed an online drone pest control management information platform to meet the needs of managers and farmers in the agricultural field and to realize precise AI pest control based on the agricultural drone pest control processor using drones and presented foundation for development of a comprehensive management system through empirical experiments.