• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.367-379
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to understand and describe the caring experiences of spouses of elderly people with dementia. Methods: The hermeneutic phenomenological method was used and participants were 12 spouses aged 65 and over who were taking care of their husbands or wives with dementia at home. Data were collected from individual in-depth interviews on participants' actual caring experiences. Additionally, novels, movies, and memoirs on elderly couples with partner who had dementia were included as data for the analysis. The qualitative data analysis software program was used to manage and process the collected qualitative data. Data were analyzed using hermeneutic phenomenological analysis based on four fundamental existentials including lived body, lived space, lived time, and lived others. Results: Five essential themes emerged from the analysis: 1) body moving like an old machine, 2) swamp of despair filling with hope, 3) sweet time after bitterness, 4) disappointed elderly couple in the empty nest, and 5) unappreciation vs. empathetic feelings. These essential themes were comprehensively summarized as "the road leading to the maturation of life with dedication and hope while bearing the weight of caring based on the couple's relationship." Conclusion: The findings indicate that the nature of the caring experience of spouses of elderly individuals with dementia is filled with many dynamic and paradoxical dimensions. Thus, results of the study would help with developing interventions tailored specifically for elderly spouse caregivers to support their role adaptation and ultimately improving their quality of life.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.83-100
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• 2022

Timber is one of the few natural, renewable building materials and glulam is a type of engineering wood product. In the present work, timber-based braces are applied for retrofitting midrise Special Moment Resisting Frame (SMRF) using two types of timber base braces (Timber base glulam, and hybrid Timber-Steel-BRB) as alternatives for retrofitting by traditional steel bracings. The improving effects of adding the bracings to the SMRF on seismic characteristics of the frame are evaluated using load-bearing capacity, energy dissipation, and story drifts of the frame. For evaluating the retrofitting effects on the seismic performance of SMRF, a five-story SMRF is considered unretofitted and retrofitted with steel-hollow structural section (HSS) brace, Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam) brace, and hybrid Timber-Steel BRB. Using OpenSees structural analyzer, the performance are investigated under pushover, cyclic, and incremental loading. Results showed that steel-HSS, timber base Glulam, and hybrid timber-steel BRB braces have more significant roles in energy dissipation, increasing stiffness, changing capacity curves, reducing inter-story drifts, and reducing the weight of the frames, compared by steel bracing. Results showed that Hybrid BRB counteract the negative post-yield stiffness, so their use is more beneficial on buildings where P-Delta effects are more critical. It is found that the repair costs of the buildings with hybrid BRB will be less due to lower residual drifts. As a result, timber steel-BRB has the best energy dissipation and seismic performance due to symmetrical and stable hysteresis curves of buckling restrained braces that can experience the same capacities in tension and compression.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.155-165
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• 2012

This study was performed to offer the data for design of the seedling bed transfer equipment to make the automation of working process in a plant factory. The seedling bed transfer equipment pushing the seedling bed with bearing wheels on the rail for interconnecting each working process by a pneumatic cylinder was made and examined. The examined transfer force to push the seedling bed with a weight of 178.9 N by the pneumatic cylinder with length of 60 cm and section area of 5 $cm^2$ was measured by experiments. The examined transfer forces was compared with theoretical ones calculated by the theoretical formula derived from dynamic system analysis according to the number of the seedling bed and pushing speed of the pneumatic cylinder head at no load. The transfer function of the equipment with the input variable as the pushing speed $V_{h0}$(m/s) and the output variable as the transfer force f(t)(N) was represented as $F(s)=(V_{h0}/k)(s+B/M)/(s(s^2+Bs/M+1/(kM))$ where M(kg), k(m/N) and B(Ns/m) are the mass of the bed, the compression coefficient of the pneumatic cylinder and the dynamic friction coefficient between the seedling bed and the rail, respectively. The examined transfer force curves and the theoretical ones were represented similar wave forms as to use the theoretical formular to design the device for the seedling bed transfer. The condition of no vibration of the transfer force curve was $kB^2>4M$. The condition of transferring the bed by the repeatable impact and vibration force according to difference of transfer distance of the pneumatic cylinder head from that of the bed was as $Ce^{-\frac{3{\pi}D}{2\omega}}<-1$, where ${\omega}=\sqrt{\frac{1}{kM}-\frac{B^2}{4M^2}}$, $C=\{\frac{\frac{B}{2M}-\frac{1}{kB}}{\omega}\}$, $D=\frac{B}{2M}$. The examined mean peak transfer force represented 4 times of the stead state transfer force. Therefore it seemed that the transfer force of the pneumatic cylinder required for design of the push device was 4Bv where v is the pushing speed.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate 1) the difference in static lower extremity alignment (SLEA) according to a history of lateral ankle sprain (LAS), 2) to identify SLEA factors affecting LAS, and 3) to present the cut-off value and 4) the usefulness and limitations of the SLEA measurement. Method: This case-control study recruited 88 men (age: 27.78±4.69 yrs) and 39 women (age: 24.62±4.20 yrs) subjects with and without LAS. SLEA measurement protocol included Q angle, tibiofemoral angle, genu recurvatum, rear foot (RF) angle, tibal varum and torsion, navicular drop, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM). Independent t-test, logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used for statistical analysis. Results: Men with a history of LAS had significantly smaller Q angles both in standing and in supine position, while women with a history of LAS had significantly greater DF ROM in non-weight bearing (NWB; p < 0.05). Logistic regression model suggests tibial varum (OR = 0.779, p = 0.021) and WB DF ROM (OR = 1.067, p = 0.045) were associated with LAS in men. In case of women, there were no significant SLEA factors for LAS, however, ROC curve analysis revealed standing RF angle (AUC = 0.647, p = 0.028) and NWB DF ROM (AUC = 0.648, p = 0.026) could be affecting factors for LAS. Conclusion: There are differences in SLEA according to the history of LAS, furthermore, the identified items were different by sex. In case of men, tibial varum and WB DF ROM affect LAS occurrence. Standing RF angle and NWB DF ROM of women could be a predictor for LAS. However, since the sensitivity and specificity in most of the SLEA measurements are low, kinematic in dynamic tasks should be considered together for a more accurate evaluation of LAS risk.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.115-123
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• 1990

The purpose of this study was to examine the uses of coal ash as a type of construction material. The methods of examination were chemical anlysis, soil laboratory test and the soil vibration test. Materials used were coal ash obtained as a by-product from 5 thermal power plants in Yongdong, Yongwol, Sochon(anthracite coal) and in Samchonpo and Honam (bituminous coal). Over 70% of the coal ash consisted of silica and alumina. The fly ash grain size showed a uniform distribution from fine-sand to silt, and that of the bottom ash showed from sand to gravel. The specific gravity and density of the coal ash were low. The long term strength increased gradually due to the self-setting property resulting from pozzolanic activity. The shear strength was higher than that of general soil. Cohesion and optimum moisture content of anthracite coal ash were higher than bituminous coal ash, whereas the maximum dry density was higher in bituminous coal ash. The coal ash dynamic Young's modulous curve range was similar to that of general soil. Of the results from the soil vibration test by car-running, the size relative acceleration level in the ash pond was higher than that of natural ground, but the damping ratio was lower than that of natural ground near the ash pond. The coal ash has more advantageous engineering properties than general soil with particles of the same size. For example, the California Bearing Ratio of the bottom ash at both Yongdong and Yongwol was 77~137%. Therefore we expect that if further study is done, coal ash can be used as a construction material when reclaiming seashore, construction embankments, road construction, making right-weight aggregate, or as a general construction material.