• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.103-130
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• 2013

Fire performance and fire safety of high-rise buildings have become major concerns after the disasters of World Trade Center in the U.S. in 2001 and Windsor tower in Spain in 2005. Performance based design (PBD) approaches have been considered as a better method for fire resistance design of structures because it is capable of incorporating test results of most recent fire resistance technologies. However, there is a difficulty to evaluate fireproof performance of large structures, which have multiple structural members such as columns, slabs, and walls. The difficulty is mainly due to the limitation in the testing equipment, such as size of furnace that can be used to carry out fire tests with existing criteria like ISO 834, BS 476, and KS F 2257. In the present research, a large scale calorie meter (10 MW) was used to conduct three full scale fire tests on medical modular blocks. Average fire load of 13.99 $kg/m^2$ was used in the first test. In the second test, the weighting coefficient of 3.5 (the fire load of 50 $kg/m^2$) was used to simulate the worst fire scenario. The flashover of the medical modular block occurred at 62 minutes in the first test and 12 minutes in the second test. The heat resistance capacity of the external wall, the temperatures and deformations of the structural members satisfied the requirements of fire resistance performance of 90 minutes burning period. The total heat loads and the heat values for each test are calculated by theoretical equations. The duration of burning was predicted. The predicted results were compared with the test results, and they agree quite well.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.209-212
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• 2003

Lucigenin (Lg)- and luminol (Lm)-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) was used to compare the respiratory burst of rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) phagocytes after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). To establish which reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributes to the observed CL, the modulators of ROS metabolism, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and sodium azide $(NaN_3)$ were used. Although LgCL responses were inhibited significantly by the addition of either SOD or catalase, in comparison to the control, significantly lower LgCL responses were recorded by SOD than catalase. LmCL also showed significantly decreased responses by the addition of SOD and catalase. However, there were no statistical differences in CL responses between SOD and catalase additions. More profound and significant decrease of LmCL responses were recorded by simultaneous addition of SOD and catalase. Sodium azide markedly enhanced LgCL responses, while it significantly inhibited LmCL responses. These results indicate that LgCL and LmCL can be used to measure extracellular $O_2$ production and myeloperoxidase (MPO)-mediated ROS production in fish phagocytes, respectively. Furthermore, LmCL can be used for analyzing intracellular ROS production by simultaneous addition of both SOD and catalase.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.465-472
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• 2008

We experienced a rare case of oral squamous cell carcinoma arisen from gingival tissues overlying prolonged chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible. A 66 years old man complained of unhealed extraction sockets of left mandibular second premolar and first molar, and showed extensive leukoplakia in the gingival tissues of the same area. The inflammation of the socket granuloma became severe and extended into adjacent mandibular proper, resulted in diffuse suppurative chronic osteomyelitis of mandibular body, exhibiting irregular osteolytic changes of mandibular trabecular patterns in mottled radiolucent appearance. The leukoplakia was initially diagnosed under microscope, and the involved gingival tissues were radically removed. Thereafter, the gingival soft tissue inflammation involving the mandibular osteomyelitis was hardly healed for two years. During the period of repeated surgical treatments for the inflamed lesion, nine biopsies were taken sequentially. Until the eighth biopsy, there consistently showed the suppurative osteomyelitis with ingrowing gingival tissues into the bony inflammatory lesion. The gingival epithelium showed the features of leukoplakia but no evidence of malignant changes. However, the ninth biopsy, taken about 2 years after initial diagnosis, showed the early carcinomatous changes of the gingival epithelium. The neoplastic epithelial cells were relatively well differentiated with many keratin pearls, and infiltrated only into underlying connective tissues. So, we presumed that the present case of squamous cell carcinoma was caused by the persistent inflammatory condition of the mandibular osteomyelitis, and also suggest that the leukoplakia should be carefully removed in the beginning to prevent the neoplatic promotion of the chronic inflammation.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.440-445
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• 2013

Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorum) is a kind of mountain herbs whose roots have restorative properties and the cultivating acreage of balloon flower has been steadily increasing in Korea. More frequent rain and high amount of rainfalls as a result of climate changes predisposed balloon flower to the outbreaks of root rot at high-density cultivation area in recent years. Root crowns were usually discolored into brown to blackish brown at first and the infected plants showed slight wilting symptom at early infection stage. Severely infected roots were entirely rotted and whole plants eventually died at late infection stage. The overall disease severities of root rot of balloon flower were quite variable according to the surveyed fields in Jeonnam, Gyeongnam and Jeju Provinces, which ranged from 0.1% to 40%. The root rot occurred more severely at the paddy or clay soils than the sandy soils and their severities were much higher at lowland than upland in the same localty. The disease increased with aging of the balloon flower. The causal fungi were identified as Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum on the basis of their mycological characteristics. The optimum temperature ranges of their mycelial growths was found to be $24^{\circ}C$. The pathogenic characters of F. solani and F. oxysporum treated by artificial wounding inoculation on healthy roots of balloon flower revealed that F. solani was more virulent than F. oxysporum. This study identified the causal agents of root rot of balloon flower as Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum, probably for the first time.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2011

Background: Although considerable efforts have been made to improve the graft patency in coronary artery bypass surgery, the role of biomechanical factors remains underrecognized. The aim of this study is to investigate the influences of geometric configurations of the bypass graft on hemodynamic characteristics in relation to anastomosis. Materials and Methods: The Numerical analysis focuses on understanding the flow patterns for different values of inlet and distal diameters and graft angles. The Blood flow field is treated as a two-dimensional incompressible laminar flow. A finite volume method is adopted for discretization of the governing equations. The Carreau model is employed as a constitutive equation for blood. In an attempt to obtain the optimal aorto-coronary bypass conditions, the blood flow characteristics are analyzed using in vitro models of the end-to-side anastomotic angles of $45^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$. To find the optimal graft configurations, the mass flow rates at the outlets of the four models are compared quantitatively. Results: This study finds that Model 3, whose bypass diameter is the same as the inlet diameter of the stenosed coronary artery, delivers the largest amount of blood and the least pressure drop along the arteries. Conclusion: Biomechanical factors are speculated to contribute to the graft patency in coronary artery bypass grafting.

• Journal of Information Display
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2004

A high voltage NMOSFET is proposed to drive top emission organic light emitting device (OLED) used in the organic electroluminescent (EL) display on the single crystal silicon substrate. The high voltage NMOSFET can be fabricated by utilizing a simple layout technique with a standard CMOS logic process. It is clearly shown that the maximum supply voltage ($V_{DD}$) required for the pixel-driving transistor could reach 45 V through analytic and experimental methods. The high voltage NMOSFET was fabricated by using a standard 1.5 ${\mu}m$, 5 V CMOS logic process. From the measurements, we confirmed that the high voltage NMOSFET could sustain the excellent saturation characteristic up to 50 V without breakdown phenomena.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics S
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• v.36S no.1
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• pp.81-92
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• 1999

In this paper, we propose a new image segmentation algorithm which can be use din object-based image coding applications such as MPGA-4. Since the conventional objet segmentation methods based on mathematical morphology tend to yield oversegmented results, they normally need a postprocess which merges small regions to obtain a larger one. To solve this oversegmentation problem, in this paper, we prosed a block-based segmentation algorithm that can identify large texture regions in the image. Also, by applying the watershed algorithm to the image blocks between the homogeneous regions, we can obtain the exact pixel-based contour. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm yields larger segments, particularly in the textural area, and reduces the computational complexities.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2000

Objective: To elucidate the location of leptin and receptors of ovary specimens obtained from patients undergoing hysterectomy by immunohistochemical staining and to determine the effect of leptin on the steroidogenesis of cultured granulosa cells. Method: In the culturing process of the granulosa cells, FSH (1 IU/ml)and leptin (50 ng/ml), IGF-I (50 ng/ml) was administered to each study group (Group I: FSH; Group II: FSH, leptin; Group III: FSH, IGF-I; Group IV: FSH, IGF-I, leptin), and the levels of estradiol, progesterone, androstenedione in the culture media was measured by radioimmunoassay. Statistical analysis was conducted by one-way ANOVA with Scheffe test. Results: The results showed that leptin and leptin receptors were both found to be strongly stained in granulosa and theca cells, and also in some interstitial cells. Leptin receptors were also observed in cultured granulosa cells. While there was no statistically significant difference in the androstnedione concentrations between the groups, estradiol concentrations was significantly decreased in Group IV ($2202.0{\pm}151.14$ pg/ml) compared to Group III ($2859.0{\pm}122.6$ pg/ml), and progesterone concentrations were also significantly decreased in Group II($4696.3{\pm}190.6$ ng/ml) and Group IV ($4517{\pm}206.78$ ng/ml) compared to Group III($5546.0{\pm}179.5$ ng/ml). Conclustion: The study result of this study suggest that leptin is directly involved in the regulation of ovarian functions, in particular steroidogenesis.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.56-63
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• 2006

This study examined the effects of the abdominal drawing-in (ADI) maneuver using a pressure biofeedback on muscle recruitment pattern of erector spinae and hip extensors and anterior pelvic tilt during hip extension in the prone position. Fourteen able-bodied volunteers, who had no medical history of lower extremity or lumbar spine disease, were recruited for this study. The muscle onset time of erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and medial hamstring and angle of anterior pelvic tilt during hip extension in prone position were measured in two conditions: ADI maneuver condition and non-ADI maneuver condition. Muscle onset time was measured using a surface electromyography (EMG). Kinematic data for angle of anterior pelvic tilt were measured using a motion analysis system. The muscle onset time and angle of anterior pelvic tilt were compared using a paired t-test. The study showed that in ADI maneuver during hip extension in prone position, the muscle onset time for the erector spinae was delayed significantly by a mean of 43.20 ms (SD 43.12), and the onset time for the gluteus maximus preceded significantly by a mean of -4.83 ms (SD 14.10) compared to non-ADI maneuver condition (p<.05). The angle of anterior pelvic tilt was significantly lower in the ADI maneuver condition by a mean of 7.03 degrees (SD 2.59) compared to non-ADI maneuver condition (15.01 degrees) (p<.05). The findings of this study indicated that prone hip extension with the ADI maneuver was an effective method to recruit the gluteus maximus earlier than erector spinae and to decrease anterior pelvic tilting.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1999

In order to study the implantation mechanism various methods for culture of endometrial cells in vitro have been attempted. However, a disadvantage is that primary cultures of stromal and epithelial cells do not have the ability to differentiate, and therefore cannot be reproduced in the same manner as in vivo endometrium. The object of this study is to establish a three dimensional culture of endometrial cells which are both morphologically and functionally identical to in vivo endometrium. Endometrial tissues obtained after hysterectomies were cut into thin slices and treated with collagenase and trypsin-EDTA. The stromal cells and the epithelial cells were separated by centrifugation and cultured for 24 hours in DMEM media containing 10% FCS, 100 nM progesterone, and 1 nM estradiol. The cultured stromal cells were mixed with collagen gel and solidified, after which it was covered with matrigel. Epithelial cells were inoculated on the top and then cultured for 3 days. The three dimensionally cultured endometrial cells were stained for integrin ${\alpha}1,\;{\alpha}4,\;{\beta}3$, and cyclooxygenase-l, -2 by immunohistochemistry, which all showed strong expression. The cultured epithelial cells showed the formation of microvilli, tight junctions and pinopodes by electron microscopy. Studies are currently under way utilizing this three dimensional culture model to ascertain the interaction between the embryo and human endometrial cells at the time of implantation, and it is thought that further studies into a new culture environment which would allow longer periods of culture will be necessary.