• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2004.03a
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• pp.327-334
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• 2004

Spectroscopic and electrostatic probe measurements were made to examine plasma characteristics with or without a metal plate for a 10-㎾-class direct-current arcjet Heat fluxes into the plate from the plasma were also evaluated with a Nickel slug and thermocouple arrangement. Ammonia and mixtures of nitrogen and hydrogen were used. The NH$_3$ and $N_2$+3H$_2$ plasmas in the nozzle and in the downstream plume without a plate were in thermodynamical nonequilibrium states. As a result, the H-atom electronic excitation temperature and the $N_2$ molecule-rotational excitation temperature intensively decreased downstream in the nozzle although the NH molecule-rotational excitation temperature did not show an axial decrease. Each temperature was kept in a small range in the plume without a plate except for the NH rotational temperature for NH$_3$ gas. On the other hand, as approaching the plate, the thermodynamical nonequilibrium plasma came to be a temperature-equilibrium one because the plasma flow tended to stagnate in front of the plate. The electron temperature had a small radial variation near the plate. Both the electron number density and the heat flux decreased radially outward, and an increase in H$_2$ mole fraction raised them at a constant radial position. In cases with NH$_3$ and $N_2$+3H$_2$ a large number of NH radical with a radially wide distribution was considered to cause a large amount of energy loss, i.e., frozen flow loss, for arcjet thrusters.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4776-4797
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• 2022

In the one-dimensional thermal-hydraulic (TH) codes, a subcooled boiling model to predict the void fraction profiles in a vertical channel consists of wall heat flux partitioning, the vapor condensation rate, the bubbly-to-slug flow transition criterion, and drift-flux models. Model performance has been investigated in detail, and necessary refinements have been incorporated into the Safety and Performance Analysis Code (SPACE) developed by the Korean nuclear industry for the safety analysis of pressurized water reactors (PWRs). The necessary refinements to models related to pumping factor, net vapor generation (NVG), vapor condensation, and drift-flux velocity were investigated in this study. In particular, a new NVG empirical correlation was also developed using artificial neural network (ANN) techniques. Simulations of a series of subcooled flow boiling experiments at pressures ranging from 1 to 149.9 bar were performed with the refined SPACE code, and reasonable agreement with the experimental data for the void fraction in the vertical channel was obtained. From the root-mean-square (RMS) error analysis for the predicted void fraction in the subcooled boiling region, the results with the refined SPACE code produce the best predictions for the entire pressure range compared to those using the original SPACE and RELAP5 codes.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06e
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• pp.229-234
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• 2001

An adiabatic counter-current vertical two-phase flow of air and water in narrow rectangular channels with offset strip fm was investigated experimentally. Tests were systematically performed with downward liquid superficial velocities and upward gas velocities covering 0 to 0.06 m/s and 0 to 2.5 m/s ranges, respectively. Two-phase flow regimes were classified by examining the video images of flow patterns in transparent test sections of 760 mm long and 100 mm wide channel with gaps of 3.0 and 5.0 mm. The channel average void fraction was measured by the quick-closing valve method. Unlike the flow regimes in the channels without fin, where bubbly, slug, chum, and annular flow were identified, only bubbly and chum flow regimes were found for the channels with offset strip fin. However the existence of fin in the channels showed negligible effects on the void fraction. Instead counter-current flow limitations were found to happen at lower air superficial velocity once offset strip fin was introduced in narrow rectangular channels.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.57-58
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• 2018

An accurate diagnostic marker for detecting early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (eHCC) is clinically important, since early detection of HCC remarkably improves patient survival. From the integrative analysis of the transcriptome and clinicopathologic data of human multi-stage HCC tissues, we were able to identify barrier-to-autointegration factor 1 (BANF1), procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 3 (PLOD3) and splicing factor 3b subunit 4 (SF3B4) as early HCC biomarkers which could be detected in precancerous lesions of HCC, with superior capabilities to diagnose eHCC compared to the currently popular HCC diagnostic biomarkers: GPC3, GS, and HSP70. We then showed that SF3B4 knockdown caused G1/S cell cycle arrest by recovering $p27^{kip1}$ and simultaneously suppressing cyclins, and CDKs in liver cancer cells. Notably, we demonstrated that aberrant SF3B4 overexpression altered the progress of splicing progress of the tumor suppressor gene, kruppel like factor 4 (KLF4), and resulted in non-functional skipped exon transcripts. This contributes to liver tumorigenesis via transcriptional inactivation of $p27^{kip1}$ and simultaneous activation of Slug genes. Our results suggest that SF3B4 indicates early-stage HCC in precancerous lesions, and also functions as an early-stage driver in the development of liver cancer.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.245-252
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• 2010

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex process in which epithelial cells acquire the characteristics of invasive mesenchymal cells. EMT has been implicated in cancer progression and metastasis as well as the formation of many tissues and organs during development. Epithelial cells undergoing EMT lose cell-cell adhesion structures and polarity, and rearrange their cytoskeletons. Several oncogenic pathways such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-$\beta$, Wnt, and Notch signaling pathways, have been shown to induce EMT. These pathways have activated transcription factors including Snail, Slug, and the ZEB family which work as transcriptional repressors of E-cadherin, thereby making epithelial cells motile and resistant to apoptosis. Mounting evidence shows that EMT is associated with cell invasion and tumor progression. In this review, we summarize the characteristic features of EMT, pathways leading to EMT, and the role of EMT in cell invasion. Three topics are addressed in this review: (1) Definition of EMT, (2) Signaling pathways leading to EMT, (3) Role of EMT in cell invasion. Understanding the role of EMT in cell invasion will provide valuable information for establishing strategies to develop anti-metastatic therapeutics which modulate malignant cellular processes mediated by EMT.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.336-347
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• 1997

During postulated severe accidents in Light water Reactors, molten corium which was ejected from the reactor vessel bottom, may erode the concrete basemat of the containment and there by threaten the containment integrity. This study experimentally examines the molten core-concrete interaction (MCC) using 20kg of thermite melt (Fe + $Al_2$O$_3$) and the concrete, used in Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 (YGN 3 & 4) in Korea. The measured data are the downward heat fluxes, concrete erosion rate, gases and particle generation rates during MCCI. Transient results ore compared with those of TURCIT experiment conducted by SNL in USA. The peak downward heat flux to the concrete was measured to be about 2.1㎿/$m^2$. The initial concrete erosion rate was 175cm per hour, decreasing to 30cm per hour. It was shown from the post-test that the erosion was progressed downward up to 18mm in the concrete slug.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2003

To analyze the anisotropic characteristics of fractured aquifer, variations of streaming potential were measured during and after pumping over several wells at the two test sites. Surface electrical resistivity survey, normal resistivity logging, and slug test were performed at the wells to identify the hydrogeological structure. Applying the results to the recently suggested model, the aquifer of the two test sites showed confined characteristics. Anisotropic direction appeared in using equi-potential maps from self-potential monitoring results matched well with the results of the hydrogeological test. The self-potential monitoring method adopted in this study would be useful for providing a more reliable information on the anisotropy of aquifer in the pumping test at single well.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.29-48
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• 1999

Local two-phase flow parameters of subcooled flow boiling in inclined annulus were measured to investigate the effect of inclination on the internal flow structure. Two-conductivity probe technique was applied to measure local gas phasic parameters, including void fraction, vapor bubble frequency, chord length, vapor bubble velocity and interfacial area concentration. Local liquid velocity was measured by Pilot tube. Experiments were conducted for three angles of inclination; 0$^{\circ}$(vertical), 30$^{\circ}$, 60$^{\circ}$. The system pressure was maintained at atmospheric pressure. The range of average void fraction was up to 10% and the average liquid superficial velocities were less than 1.3 m/sec. The results of experiments showed that the distributions of two-phase How parameters were influenced by the angle of channel inclination. Especially, the void fraction and chord length distributions were strongly affected by the increase of inclination angle, and flow pattern transition to slug flow was observed depending on the How conditions. The profiles of vapor velocity, liquid velocity and interfacial area concentration were found to be affected by the non-symmetric bubble size distribution in inclined channel. Using the measured distributions of local phasic parameters, an analysis for predicting average void fraction was performed based on the drift flux model and flowing volumetric concentration. And it was demonstrated that the average void fraction can be more appropriately presented in terms of flowing volumetric concentration.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.1096-1108
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• 2016

Metal fuel is being developed for the prototype generation-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (PGSFR) to be built by 2028. U-Zr fuel is a driver for the initial core of the PGSFR, and U-transuranics (TRU)-Zr fuel will gradually replace U-Zr fuel through its qualification in the PGSFR. Based on the vast worldwide experiences of U-Zr fuel, work on U-Zr fuel is focused on fuel design, fabrication of fuel components, and fuel verification tests. U-TRU-Zr fuel uses TRU recovered through pyroelectrochemical processing of spent PWR (pressurized water reactor) fuels, which contains highly radioactive minor actinides and chemically active lanthanide or rare earth elements as carryover impurities. An advanced fuel slug casting system, which can prevent vaporization of volatile elements through a control of the atmospheric pressure of the casting chamber and also deal with chemically active lanthanide elements using protective coatings in the casting crucible, was developed. Fuel cladding of the ferritic-martensitic steel FC92, which has higher mechanical strength at a high temperature than conventional HT9 cladding, was developed and fabricated, and is being irradiated in the fast reactor.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.619-629
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• 1998

An experimental work was conducted to investigate a feasibility of simultaneous measurement of gas-liquid two-phase flowrates with double orifice plates using air and water. The tests were carried out under the atmospheric pressure and at the ambient temperature using two different tube sizes. Qualities of an air-water flow in the present study have values less than 0.1 and thus the mixed flow showed bubbly, plug, slug flow regimes. The probability density function (PDF) and the power spectral density function (PSDF) of the instantaneous pressure drop traces for the flow regimes were obtained. It is found that some distinctive features exist in the distribution of these functions, depending upon the two-phase flow pattern. The time-averaged value of the instantaneous pressure drop increases with increasing gas and liquid flowrates, showing a single-valued function for the total mass flowrate and the quality. It is also found that the two-phase discharge coefficient exhibits a consistent trend for variation of dimensionless parameters such as the superficial velocity ratio and the gas Reynolds number. The results indicate that simultaneous measurement of two-phase flowrate may be possible based upon a statistical analysis of the instantaneous pressure drop curves monitored using double orifice plates.