• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.201-209
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• 2022

In order for the military to review the introduction of virtual reality technology into various education and training systems and fully utilize it, it is important to reflect the characteristics of the technology and education system and to accurately identify and selectively apply the characteristics of commercialization. In this study, the evaluation criteria were selected through the Analitic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method for factors to be considered when commercializing a virtual reality-based education and training system, and the priorities of the projects were determined. Based on previous studies, an initial AHP model was constructed and the relative importance of six factors, including reality, was analyzed as the level 1 evaluation criteria. Next, for Level 2, each evaluation criterion was evaluated to confirm the importance of each of the 11 tasks in the six evaluation criteria, and priorities were selected for each task. As a result of the analysis, level 1 showed that reality and ripple had higher importance than other factors. As a result of evaluating the final relative importance, the priority was shown in the order of ① flight training, ② disaster training, ③ shooting Training, and ④ driving a vehicle. Based on the relative priorities determined in Levels 1 and 2 of the model presented in this study, the importance of each project necessary for final decision-making of the research priorities for the defense virtual reality project was presented. It is expected that this study can be used as a reference material for prioritizing the commercialization of education and training systems in the defense sector.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.5
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• pp.607-619
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• 2023

This study, it was tried to evaluate the asphalt behavior under tensile loading conditions through indirect Brazilian and direct tensile tests, experimentally and numerically. This paper is important from two points of view. The first one, a new test method was developed for the determination of the direct tensile strength of asphalt and its difference was obtained from the indirect test method. The second one, the effects of particle size and loading rate have been cleared on the tensile fracture mechanism. The experimental direct tensile strength of the asphalt specimens was measured in the laboratory using the compression-to-tensile load converting (CTLC) device. Some special types of asphalt specimens were prepared in the form of slabs with a central hole. The CTLC device is then equipped with this specimen and placed in the universal testing machine. Then, the direct tensile strength of asphalt specimens with different sizes of ingredients can be measured at different loading rates in the laboratory. The particle flow code (PFC) was used to numerically simulate the direct tensile strength test of asphalt samples. This numerical modeling technique is based on the versatile discrete element method (DEM). Three different particle diameters were chosen and were tested under three different loading rates. The results show that when the loading rate was 0.016 mm/sec, two tensile cracks were initiated from the left and right of the hole and propagated perpendicular to the loading axis till coalescence to the model boundary. When the loading rate was 0.032 mm/sec, two tensile cracks were initiated from the left and right of the hole and propagated perpendicular to the loading axis. The branching occurs in these cracks. This shows that the crack propagation is under quasi-static conditions. When the loading rate was 0.064 mm/sec, mixed tensile and shear cracks were initiated below the loading walls and branching occurred in these cracks. This shows that the crack propagation is under dynamic conditions. The loading rate increases and the tensile strength increases. Because all defects mobilized under a low loading rate and this led to decreasing the tensile strength. The experimental results for the direct tensile strengths of asphalt specimens of different ingredients were in good accordance with their corresponding results approximated by DEM software.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.4A
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• pp.565-571
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• 2008

Recently, the evaluation technique using NDT (Nondestructive Technique : NDT) is widely utilized because it makes little damage on RC (Reinforced Concrete : RC) structures. The techniques using electromagnetic properties (EM properties) are also attempted for the evaluation of the performance of concrete which is nonmetallic. For the economic manufacturing of concrete material, sea-sand is often used as aggregate, however, chloride ion in concrete has direct effects on steel corrosion and EM properties. In this study, OPC mortar specimens with 5 different chloride amount (0.0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, and $3.6kg/m^3$) and 3 different water-cement ratios (45%, 55%, and 65%) are prepared in order to investigate the EM properties corresponding to concrete properties. The EM properties of conductivity and dielectric constant are measured in the frequency range over 0.2~20 GHz. To facilitate the comparison of EM properties with chloride content, average values are taken respectively for the conductivity and dielectric constant measured over the 5~20 GHz frequency range. According to the results of this experiment, dielectric constant and conductivity are increased with lower W/C ratio and larger amount of chloride content.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.5A
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• pp.737-746
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• 2008

Recently, NDTs (Non-Destructive Techniques) using electromagnetic(EM) properties are applied to the performance evaluation for RC (Reinforced Concrete) structures. Since nonmetallic materials which are cement-based system have their unique dielectric constant and conductivity, they can be characterized and changed with different mixture conditions like W/C (water to cement) ratios and unit cement weight. In a room condition, cement mortar is generally dry so that porosity plays a major role in EM properties, which is determined at early-aged stage and also be affected by curing condition. In this paper, EM properties (dielectric constant and conductivity) in cement mortar specimens with 4 different W/C ratios are measured in the wide region of 0.2 GHz~20 GHz. Each specimen has different submerged curing period from 0 to 28 days and then EM measurement is performed after 4 weeks. Furthermore, porosity at the age of 28 days is measured through MIP (Mercury Intrusion Porosimeter) and saturation is also measured through amount of water loss in room condition. In order to evaluate the porosity from the initial curing stage, numerical analysis based on the modeling for the behavior in early-aged concrete is performed and the calculated results of porosity and measured EM properties are analyzed. For the convenient comparison with influencing parameters like W/C ratios and curing period, EM properties from 5 GHz to 15 GHz are averaged as one value. For 4 weeks, the averaged dielectric constant and conductivity in cement mortar are linearly decrease with higher W/C ratios and they increase in proportion to the square root of curing period regardless of W/C ratios.

• Journal of Space Technology and Applications
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.165-198
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• 2023

According to the studies recently published through advanced maui optical and space surveillance technologies (AMOS) Conference 2021, LEO conjunction assessment revolves around not on operating satellites but space debris such as rocket bodies and non-operational satellites, hence suggesting a solution through space traffic management. Against this backdrop, the issue of active debris removal (ADR) has emerged to the surface as an international challenge throughout the globe. In step with this, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution calling on nations to halt tests of direct-ascent anti-satellites, to which U.S. and twelve other nations included Republic of Korea were original signatories. ADR techniques are also actively being researched in the civil sector, and these commercial services, if successfully developed, could possibly be utilized for military use as well. As such, this paper will help readers' understanding for the current status of ADR techniques, space threat assessments, on-orbit rendezvous and proximity operations by looking at previous cases, reflecting on space-faring nations' ADR techniques and its development probability in relation to space weapons. As a conclusion, this study will propose the needs of developing space propulsion system by understanding Space Maneuver Warfare in preparation for the future space battlefield.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.151-162
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• 2009

This study proposes a new methodology for quantitative rock classification in unsampled rock zone, which occupies the most of tunnel design area. This methodology is to train an ANN (artificial neural network) by using results from a drilling investigation combined with electric resistivity survey in sampled zone, and then apply the trained ANN to making a prediction of grade of rock classification in unsampled zone. The prediction is made at the center point of a shifting window by using a number of electric resistivity values within the window as input reference information. The ANN training in this study was carried out by the RPROP (Resilient backpropagation) training algorithm and Early-Stopping method for achieving a generalized training. The proposed methodology is then applied to generate a rock grade distribution on a real tunnel site where drilling investigation and resistivity survey were undertaken. The result from the ANN based prediction is compared with one from a conventional kriging method. In the comparison, the proposed ANN method shows a better agreement with the electric resistivity distribution obtained by field survey. And it is also seen that the proposed method produces a more realistic and more understandable rock grade distribution.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.1A
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• pp.53-59
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• 2010

Recently, NDTs (Non-Destructive Techniques) using infrared camera are widely studied for detection of damage and void in RC (reinforced concrete) structures and they are also considered as an effective techniques for maintenance of infrastructures. The temperature on concrete surface depends on material and thermal properties such as specific heat, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusion coefficient. Different porosity on cement mortar due to different mixture proportions can show different heat behavior in cooling stage. The porosity can affect physical and durability properties like strength and chloride diffusion coefficient as well. In this paper, active thermography which uses flash for heat induction is utilized and thermal characteristics on surface are evaluated. Samples of cement mortar with W/C (water to cement ratio) of 0.55 and 0.65 are prepared and physical properties like porosity, compressive strength, and chloride diffusion coefficient are evaluated. Then infrared thermography technique is carried out in a constant room condition (temperature $20{\sim}22^{\circ}C$ and relative humidity 55-60%). The mortar samples with higher porosity shows higher residual temperature at the cooling stage and also shows reduced critical time which shows constant temperature due to back wall effect. Furthermore, simple equation for critical time of back wall effect is suggested with porosity and experimental constants. These characteristics indicate the applicability of infrared thermography as an NDT for quality assessment of cement based composite like concrete. Physical properties and thermal behavior in cement mortar with different porosity are analyzed in discussed in this paper.

• Journal of Practical Engineering Education
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.523-533
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• 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of video classes and real-time online education has increased, but the lack of interaction between instructors and learners remains a challenging problem to be resolved. This paper designs and implements a learning support system that utilizes a digital human to improve faculty-student interaction, which plays an important role in increasing the educational effect and satisfaction of real-time online classes. In this paper, a digital human participates in a class as a virtual learner and asks questions raised by other learners through an anonymous chat system to the instructor on behalf of the learners. In addition, as a class facilitator, the digital human analyzes the lecturer's speech in real time and provides it to the learner in the form of a summary of the class, thereby facilitating faculty-student interaction. In order to confirm that the proposed system can be used in actual online real-time classes, we apply our system to Zoom classes. Experimental results show that facilitated Q&A and real-time class summaries are successfully provided through our digital human-based learning support system.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.545-557
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• 2023

Sphingomyelinase (SMase) catalyzes ceramide production from sphingomyelin. Ceramides are critical in cellular responses such as apoptosis. They enhance mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) through self-assembly in the mitochondrial outer membrane to form channels that release cytochrome c from intermembrane space (IMS) into the cytosol, triggering caspase-9 activation. However, the SMase involved in MOMP is yet to be identified. Here, we identified a mitochondrial Mg²⁺-independent SMase (mt-iSMase) from rat brain, which was purified 6,130-fold using a Percoll gradient, pulled down with biotinylated sphingomyelin, and subjected to Mono Q anion exchange. A single peak of mt-iSMase activity was eluted at a molecular mass of approximately 65 kDa using Superose 6 gel filtration. The purified enzyme showed optimal activity at pH of 6.5 and was inhibited by dithiothreitol and Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺ ions. It was also inhibited by GW4869, which is a non-competitive inhibitor of Mg²⁺-dependent neutral SMase 2 (encoded by SMPD3), that protects against cytochrome c release-mediated cell death. Subfractionation experiments showed that mt-iSMase localizes in the IMS of the mitochondria, implying that mt-iSMase may play a critical role in generating ceramides for MOMP, cytochrome c release, and apoptosis. These data suggest that the purified enzyme in this study is a novel SMase.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.455-468
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• 2023

Purpose: Abeliophyllum distichum (A.distichum) is a plant native to Korea. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the leaf extract of A.distichum. Methods: The antioxidant capacity of the A.distichum leaf extract was determined based on the total polyphenol content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The anti-inflammatory effects of the A.distichum leaf extract were evaluated by measuring the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). In addition, the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), nuclear transcription factor-erythroid 2 related factor (Nrf2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), as well as the activation of nuclear factorkappa B (NF-ĸB) were examined using the western blot analysis. Results: The total polyphenol content of the A.distichum leaf extract was 329.89 ± 30.17 gallic acid equivalents mg/g and the DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities were 55% and 70%, respectively. Additionally, the FRAP value of the extract was 743.68 ± 116.59 mg/mL. After 12-hour treatment with the A.distichum leaf extract, there was a tendency for the Nrf2 expression to increase, and the expression of HO-1 was significantly elevated in the RAW264.7 cells. The A.distichum leaf extract treatment resulted in decreased levels of NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, as well as reduced expression of iNOS and COX-2, along with inhibition of NF-κB activation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Conclusion: These results suggest that the A.distichum leaf extract exerts antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects by upregulating the expression of HO-1 and downregulating NF-κB activation.