• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 2001

A triblock copolymer based on $poly(\varepsilon-caprolactone)$ (PCL) as the hydrophobic part and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the hydrophilic portion was synthesized by a ring-opening mechanism of ${\varepsilon}-caprolactone$ with PEG containing a hydroxyl group at bot h ends as an initiator. The synthesized block copolymers of PCL/PEG/PCL (CEC) were confirmed and characterized using various analysis equipment such as 1H NMR, DSC, FT-IR, and WAXD. Core-shell type nanoparticles of CEC triblock copolymers were prepared using a dialysis technique to estimate their potential as a colloidal drug carrier using a hydrophobic drug. From the results of particle size analysis and transmission electron microscopy, the particle size of CEC core-shell type nanoparticles was determined to be about 20-60 nm with a spherical shape. Since CEC block copolymer nanoparticles have a core-shell type micellar structure and small particle size similar to polymeric micelles, CEC block copolymer can self-associate at certain concentrations and the critical association concentration (CAC) was able to be determined by fluorescence probe techniques. The CAC values of the CEC block copolymers were dependent on the PCL block length. In addition, drug loading contents were dependent on the PCL block length: the larger the PCL block length, the higher the drug loading content. Drug release from CEC core-shell type nanoparticles showed an initial burst release for the first 12 hrs followed by pseudo-zero order release kinetics for 2 or 3 days. CEC-2 block copolymer core-shell type nanoparticles were degraded very slowly, suggesting that the drug release kinetics were governed by a diffusion mechanism rather than a degradation mechanism irrelevant to the CEC block copolymer composition.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.320-331
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• 2019

Background: Dioecious plant species having both male and female plants have been investigated regarding sex-related characteristics such as sex ratio, sex-differential resource requirements, and spatial segregation of the sexes. Habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to the survival of plant populations, but dioecious species are particularly more prone to such habitat degradation than non-dioecious species because of their dimorphic sexual system. We examined the sex-related demographics of two Ilex cornuta populations being different regarding land use history. Methods: During 2016-2017, we examined I. cornuta trees with a basal diameter ${\geq}1.5cm$ in the Yongsu-ri population (YS population) and the Gotjawal Provincial Park population (GP population). Plant sex (male, female, or unsexed) was identified. The tree size (basal diameter and height of the main stem), clonal production (the ramet numbers per genet), and vitality for each clone were measured. The associations between population, sex, tree size, clonal production, and vitality were examined using ANOVAs and contingency table analyses. Finally, point pattern analyses using O-ring statistics were conducted to assess spatial patterns. Results: Upon excluding unsexed trees, the YS population with 74 trees was significantly male-biased (0.66), while the GP population with only 26 trees had a 1:1 sex ratio. In both populations, males and females did not differ in tree size. Although the mean number of ramets differed significantly between populations, females tended to produce more ramets than males. The proportion of weak trees was significantly higher in the YS than in the GP population. Neither population showed evidence of spatial segregation of the sexes. Conclusions: The two populations of dioecious I. cornuta are characterized by the small number of trees and relatively high frequencies of non-reproductive trees. Both indicate that these populations are quite susceptible to environmental and genetic stochasticity. On the other hand, the differences between populations in sex ratio, clonal production, and vitality suggest that conservation efforts for I. cornuta need to be population-specific. In order to help recover and enable this vulnerable species to persist, it is necessary to find ways to enhance their sexual reproduction and simultaneously reduce habitat disturbances due to anthropogenic activities.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.432-438
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• 2019

In the study of nuclear structure, the fast timing technique can be used to measure the lifetime of excited states. In the paper, we have developed a new fast timing system, which is made up of two $LaBr_3:Ce$ detectors and a set of waveform sampling system. The sampling system based on domino ring sampler version 4 chip (DRS4) can digitize and store the waveform information of detector signal, with a smaller volume and higher timing accuracy, and the waveform data are performed by means of digital waveform analysis methods. The coincidence time resolution of the fast timing system for two annihilation 511 keV ${\gamma}$ photon is 200ps (FWHM), the energy resolution is 3.5%@511 keV, and the energy linear response in the large dynamic range is perfect. Meanwhile, to verify the fast timing performance of the system, the $^{152}Gd-2_1^+$ state form ${\beta}^+$ decay of $^{152}Eu$ source is measured. The measured lifetime is $45.3({\pm}5.0)ps$, very close to the value of the National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC: $46.2({\pm}3.9)ps$). The experimental results indicate that the fast timing system is capable of measuring the lifetime of dozens of ps. Therefore, the system can be widely used in the research of the fast timing technology.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.771-779
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• 2022

Background: As a kind of common complication of the surgery of perianal diseases, perianal ulcer is known as a nuisance. This study aims to develop a kind of 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3)-loaded hydrogel to treat perianal ulcers in a rat model. Methods: The copolymers PLGA₁₆₀₀-PEG₁₀₀₀-PLGA₁₆₀₀ were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization process and Rg3-loaded hydrogel was then developed. The perianal ulcer rat model was established to analyze the treatment efficacy of Rg3-loaded hydrogel for ulceration healing for 15 days. The animals were divided into control group, hydrogel group, free Rg3 group, Rg3-loaded hydrogel group, and Lidocaine Gel® group. The residual wound area rate was calculated and the blood concentrations of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were recorded. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Masson's Trichrome (MT) staining, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), Ki-67, CD31, ERK1/2, and NF-κB immunohistochemical staining were performed. Results: The biodegradable and biocompatible hydrogel carries a homogenous interactive porous structure with 10 ㎛ pore size and five weeks in vivo degradation time. The loaded Rg3 can be released sustainably. The in vitro cytotoxicity study showed that the hydrogel had no effect on survival rate of murine skin fibroblasts L929. The Rg3-loaded hydrogel can facilitate perianal ulcer healing by inhibiting local and systematic inflammatory responses, swelling the proliferation of nuclear cells, collagen deposition, and vascularization, and activating ERK signal pathway. Conclusion: The Rg3-loaded hydrogel shows the best treatment efficacy of perianal ulcer and may be a candidate for perianal ulcer treatment.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.539-548
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• 2022

Steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) are one of the most important and widely used lateral load-bearing systems. The reason for this is easier execution than reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls, faster construction time, and lower final weight of the structure. However, the main drawback of SPSWs is premature buckling in low drift ratios, which affects the energy absorption capacity and global performance of the system. To address this problem, two groups of SPSWs under cyclic loading were investigated using the finite element method (FEM). In the first group, several series of circular rings have been used and in the second group, a new type of SPSW with concentric circular rings (CCRs) has been introduced. Numerous parameters include in yield stress of steel plate wall materials, steel panel thickness, and ring width were considered in nonlinear static analysis. At first, a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model was validated using three sets of laboratory SPSWs and the difference in results between numerical models and experimental specimens was less than 5% in all cases. The results of numerical models revealed that the full SPSW undergoes shear buckling at a drift ratio of 0.2% and its hysteresis behavior has a pinching in the middle part of load-drift ratio curve. Whereas, in the two categories of proposed SPSWs, the hysteresis behavior is complete and stable, and in most cases no capacity degradation of up to 6% drift ratio has been observed. Also, in most numerical models, the tangential stiffness remains almost constant in each cycle. Finally, for the innovative SPSW, a relationship was suggested to determine the shear capacity of the proposed steel wall relative to the wall slenderness coefficient.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.48.1-48.10
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• 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) encodes small envelope protein (E) that plays a major role in viral assembly, release, pathogenesis, and host inflammation. Previous studies demonstrated that pyrazine ring containing amiloride analogs inhibit this protein in different types of coronavirus including SARS-CoV-1 small envelope protein E (SARS-CoV-1 E). SARS-CoV-1 E has 93.42% sequence identity with SARS-CoV-2 E and shared a conserved domain NS3/small envelope protein (NS3_envE). Amiloride analog hexamethylene amiloride (HMA) can inhibit SARS-CoV-1 E. Therefore, we performed molecular docking and dynamics simulations to explore whether amiloride analogs are effective in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 E. To do so, SARS-CoV-1 E and SARS-CoV-2 E proteins were taken as receptors while HMA and 3-amino-5-(azepan-1-yl)-N-(diaminomethylidene)-6-pyrimidin-5-ylpyrazine-2-carboxamide (3A5NP2C) were selected as ligands. Molecular docking simulation showed higher binding affinity scores of HMA and 3A5NP2C for SARS-CoV-2 E than SARS-CoV-1 E. Moreover, HMA and 3A5NP2C engaged more amino acids in SARS-CoV-2 E. Molecular dynamics simulation for 1 ㎲ (1,000 ns) revealed that these ligands could alter the native structure of the proteins and their flexibility. Our study suggests that suitable amiloride analogs might yield a prospective drug against coronavirus disease 2019.

• Composites Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.31-38
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• 2006

In this study, effects of curing temperature and autofrettage pressure on a Type 3 cryogenic propellant tank, which is composed of composite hoop/helical layers and a metal liner, were investigated by thermo elastic analysis and composite/aluminum ring specimen tests. Temperature field of a Type 3 tank was obtained from solving the heat transfer problem and, in turn, was used as nodal temperature boundary conditions during the elastic analyses for curing temperature and autofrettage pressure effects. As a result, it was shown that the higher curing temperature was, the more residual compressive stress and tensile stress were induced in composites and metal liner, respectively. On the contrary, autofrettage pressure brought the reduction of these residual thermal stresses caused by cryogenic environments to the tank structure. This tradeoff for curing temperature and autofrettage pressure must be considered in the design and manufacturing stages for a Type 3 cryogenic tank.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2007

To search the ninhydrin derivatives that have high chromogenic and fluorogenic properties, molecular holographic quantitative structure property relationship (HQSPR) models on the reactivity between glycine and ninhydrin analogues as latent fingerprint detector were derived and investigated quantitatively. The ${\varepsilon}LUMO$ (e.v.) energy of ninhydrin molecule was an important factor to reactivity of ninhydrin. And, it is suggested that the nucleophilic reaction by orbital-controlled reaction from the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) interaction between glycine and ninhydrin derivatives was more superior than that of electrophilic reaction by charged controlled reaction. The analytical results in atomic contribution maps also shows that the reactivity of ninhydrin was increased by meta-substituents as strong electron withdrawing groups on the benzo ring. Therefore, it is sugested by HQSPR and QSPR model that the 5,6-dinitroninhydrin molecule would increase the reactivity as much as three times as compared to none substituted ninhydrin molecule.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartA
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• v.11A no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2004

The performance of the multiprocessor systems is limited by the several factors. The system performance is affected by the processor speed, memory delay, and interconnection network bandwidth/latency. By the evolution of semiconductor technology, off the shelf microprocessor speed breaks beyond GHz, and the processors can be scalable up to multiprocessor system by connecting through the interconnection networks. In this situation, the system performances are bound by the latencies and the bandwidth of the interconnection networks. SCI, Myrinet, and Gigabit Ethernet are widely adopted as a high-speed interconnection network links for the high performance cluster systems. Performance improvement of the interconnection network can be achieved by the bandwidth extension and the latency minimization. Speed up of the operation clock speed is a simple way to accomplish the bandwidth and latency betterment, while its physical distance makes the difficulties to attain the high frequency clock. Hence the system performance and scalability suffered from the interconnection network limitation. Duplicating the link of the interconnection network is one of the solutions to resolve the bottleneck of the scalable systems. Dual-ring SCI link structure is an example of the interconnection network improvement. In this paper, I propose a network topology and a transaction path algorism, which optimize the latency and the efficiency under the duplicated links. By the simulation results, the proposed structure shows 1.05 to 1.11 times better latency, and exhibits 1.42 to 2.1 times faster execution compared to the dual ring systems.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2020

PET(Positron Emission Tomography) devices are used as PET/CT or PET/MRI devices fused with the devices of CT or MRI for obtaining anatomical information. Therefore, the devices are constructed in circular ring-type structure whose length of gantry(the main part of filming) becomes wider and the interior depth becomes longer in comparison to other common medical equipments. scintillator, one of the components in PET devices, is inside the gantry, and as it is consisted of crystal which is sensitive to the change of temperature and humidity, large temperature change can cause the scintillator to be damaged. Though scintillator located inside the gantry maintains temperature and humidity with a thermo-hygrostat, changes in temperature and humidity are expected due to structural reasons. The output value was measured by dividing the inside of the gantry of the PET/CT device into six zones, each of which an Adafruit BME 280 temperature and humidity sensor was placed at. A thermo-hygrostat keeps the temperature and humidity constant in the PET/CT room. As the measured value of temperature and humidity of the sensor was obtained, the measured value of temperature and humidity appeared in the thermohygrostat was taken at the same time. Comparing the average measured values of temperature and humidity measured at each six zones with the average values of the thermo-hygrostat results in a difference of 2.71℃ in temperature and 21.5% in humidity. The measured temperature and humidity of PET Gantry is out of domestic quality control range. According to the results of the study, if there is continuous change in temperature and humidity in the future, the aging of the scintillator mounted in the PET Gantry is expected to be aging, so it is necessary to find a way to properly maintain the temperature and humidity inside the Gantry structure.