• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2002.05b
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• pp.1034-1040
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• 2002

A rainwater recharge model, which is combined with the quasi-three dimensional unconfined groundwater flow, is proposed in the present paper. The water budget in the catchments of the planned new campus of Kyushu University is evaluated by the present method that calculates both the surface runoff and groundwater flow simultaneously. The results obtained in the present study reveal that the calculated monthly and annual runoff discharges agree reasonably well with the observed discharge. Combining the rainwater recharge model, the two-phase groundwater flow equation is numerically solved f3r the entire area including the low land where the salt water intrusion is observed. The calculated depth of the salt-fresh interface agrees reasonably well with the observed ones at several cross sections. On the other hand, however, it is found that the calculated water budget remains uncertain because of lack of information on the accurate potential evapotranspiration including rainfall interception. In conclusion, however, it is found that the proposed method is applicable for the areas where the horizontal flow is dominant and the interface is assumed to be sharp.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.497-508
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• 2023

Manual estimation of rebar quantities by contractors often yields discrepancies between projected and actual amounts used in the construction phase, leading to cost inaccuracies and potential logistical challenges. To address these issues, there is a clear need for a method that allows precise estimation of rebar quantities during the design phase. Such a method would enhance contractor competitiveness during project bids, promote accurate cost calculations, and avert superfluous rebar purchases on-site. Given that columns are the primary structural components in reinforced concrete(RC) buildings and necessitate considerable amounts of rebar, this study focuses on creating an automated algorithm for estimating column rebar quantities. An analysis of the accurate quantities obtained via the study and those derived from manual estimation reveals a discrepancy of 0.346 tons or 2.056%. This comparison affirms the proposed algorithm's efficacy in eliminating errors from overestimation or underestimation of rebar quantities. The practical implications of this study are significant for construction companies as it fosters efficient and precise estimation of rebar quantities, ensuring compliance with related specifications and governing regulations.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.387-397
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• 2023

Tooth surface shape error is an important parameter in gear accuracy evaluation. When tooth surface shape error is measured by laser interferometry, the gear interferogram is highly distorted and the gray level distribution is not uniform. Therefore, it is important for gear interferometry to extract the foreground region from the gear interference fringe image directly and accurately. This paper presents an approach for foreground extraction in gear interference images by leveraging the sinusoidal variation characteristics shown by the interference fringes. A gray level mask with an adaptive threshold is established to capture the relevant features, while a local variance evaluation function is employed to analyze the fluctuation state of the interference image and derive a repair mask. By combining these masks, the foreground region is directly extracted. Comparative evaluations using qualitative and quantitative assessment methods are performed to compare the proposed algorithm with both reference results and traditional approaches. The experimental findings reveal a remarkable degree of matching between the algorithm and the reference results. As a result, this method shows great potential for widespread application in the foreground extraction of gear interference images.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.728-735
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• 2022

Roofers get exposed to increased risk of knee musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at different phases of a sloped shingle installation task. As different phases are associated with different risk levels, this study explored the application of machine learning for automated classification of seven phases in a shingle installation task using knee kinematics and roof slope information. An optical motion capture system was used to collect knee kinematics data from nine subjects who mimicked shingle installation on a slope-adjustable wooden platform. Four features were used in building a phase classification model. They were three knee joint rotation angles (i.e., flexion, abduction-adduction, and internal-external rotation) of the subjects, and the roof slope at which they operated. Three ensemble machine learning algorithms (i.e., random forests, decision trees, and k-nearest neighbors) were used for training and prediction. The simulations indicate that the k-nearest neighbor classifier provided the best performance, with an overall accuracy of 92.62%, demonstrating the considerable potential of machine learning methods in detecting shingle installation phases from workers knee joint rotation and roof slope information. This knowledge, with further investigation, may facilitate knee MSD risk identification among roofers and intervention development.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.445-458
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• 2023

This study aims to develop and implement a coaching program in the metaverse space to address issues faced by university students during their life stage and verify their effectiveness. The overall program consists of four sessions: "Opening," "Metaverse-based Coaching Clinic (2 sessions)," and "Coaching Clinic Reflection and Feedback." A total of 20 participants were selected through S University's extracurricular program system. To assess the effectiveness of the program, surveys, as well as focus group interviews (FGIs) were conducted. Using SPSS 26.0, significant differences were observed in the participants' career decision self-efficacy and resilience. The FGIs were conducted with a total of four participants divided into two groups, with each group lasting for one hour. The analysis revealed key phases, including the introductory phase comprising participants' motivation and expectations, the main phases consisting of program operation, coaching perception and outcomes, metaverse environment, and metaverse coaching perception and outcomes, as well as the concluding phase in which recommendations are suggested for subsequent programs. The study confirmed the significant impact of coaching in the metaverse space and highlighted the maximization of coaching effectiveness through mutual anonymity facilitated by avatars. This research holds significance as an exploratory study that practically verifies the potential expansion of the metaverse environment in the coaching field.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.281-290
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• 2023

Zidovudine is an antiretroviral agent prescribed for the prevention and treatment of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). It is typically recommended to be used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. Zidovudine has the potential to generate N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in the presence of dimethylamine and nitrite salt under acidic reaction conditions during the drug manufacturing process. NDMA is a potent human carcinogen that may be detected in drug substances or drug products. An analytical method was developed to determine NDMA in pharmaceuticals including zidovudine using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The analysis involved reversed-phase chromatography on a Kinetex F5 column with a mobile phase comprising water-acetonitrile mixtures. The detection of positively charged ions was conducted using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). The calibration curve demonstrated excellent linearity (r = 0.9997) across the range of 1-50 ng/mL with a highly sensitive limit of detection (LOD) at 0.3 ng/mL. The developed method underwent thorough validation for specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness, and system suitability. This sensitive and specific analytical method was applied for detecting NDMA in zidovudine drug substance and its formulation currently available in the market, indicating its suitability for drug quality management purposes.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.582-585
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• 2011

During disaster response, prioritization of limited resources is one of the most important bust challenging tasks. At the same time, it is imperative to timely provide the rescuers with the adequate equipment to facilitate lifesaving operations. However, supply of high demand equipment was insufficient during the initial phase of disaster response, challenging lifesaving operations in the case of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. In respond to the Haiti Earthquake, spatial information of the geographic area was not sufficient to support the search and rescue operations in the early phase of disaster response. However, with the help of civilians, information such as road names, infrastructure damage, and victim locations were updated into the spatial data repository. At the same time, resource outside of the disaster affected zone converges into the area to assist the response efforts, which is the effect of convergence that often made resource coordination challenging in large scale disasters. To efficiently collect information and utilize the converging resources, this paper proposes a flexible data repository for information update for equipment utilization in large scale disaster response scenarios.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.205-215
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• 2023

In the present study, an analytical method was proposed for detecting trifluralin in aquatic products at trace concentrations. The method employed QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) as the sample preparation and measurement, respectively. The effect of the aqueous phase volume used in the QuEChERS was demonstrated, and the ratio of 10:10 (mL) between water and acetonitrile phase was used for 5 g of sample. Besides, dSPE using C18 and primary-secondary amine (PSA) was applied to remove the potential interferences from the food matrices, indicating no remarkable analyte loss. The linear range was built up from 0.50 ㎍ L^-1 to 3.0 ㎍ L^-1 (R² = 0.9993). Other criteria, i.e., repeatability (RSD_r = 0.86-1.96 %), reproducibility (RSD_R = 1.09-2.01 %), and recovery (over 90 %), were in accordance with Appendix F of AOAC (2016) for method performance. Although no trifluralin was detected for the commercial samples (fish, shrimp, and breaded shrimp), the spiked samples performed favorable recoveries and precision.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2767-2774
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• 2024

In this study, investment casting shell waste successfully utilized to produce cordierite/mullite/zircon composites. Green pellets, consisting of investment casting shell waste, alumina, and magnesia, were prepared and sintered at temperatures between 1250 and 1350 ℃. The influence of the sintering temperature on the crystalline phase composition, densification behavior, flexural strength, microstructure, and radiation shielding properties of the cordierite/mullite/zircon composites is investigated. Phase analysis showed that characteristic cordierite peaks appear at 1250 ℃, but the complete conversation of silica from investment casting shell waste into cordierite requires a sintering temperature of at least 1300 ℃. Notably, the cordierite/mullite/zircon composite sintered at 1350 ℃ exhibited a sixfold increase in flexural strength compared to the ceramic composite directly fabricated from investment casting shell waste at the same sintering temperature. Furthermore, the effect of Y₂O₃ addition on composites' radiation shielding properties is investigated. The results show that the Y₂O₃ addition improves densification behavior, enhancing the shielding capabilities of the composites against fast neutron and gamma radiation. Our findings suggest that the developed ceramic composites show significant potential for gamma-ray and neutron shielding applications.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.451-457
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• 2024

This study focused on the development of a dequalinium-containing oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion (DQE) system for delivering the mitochondria-targeted anticancer agent, curcumin. Dequalinium is a mitochondria-targeting agent with known antibacterial and anticancer properties, and its efficacy in treating malaria has been previously recognized. Structurally, dequalinium is amphiphilic, comprising hydrophobic methylene and hydrophilic quinaldinium groups. In this study, curcumin, a well-documented anticancer and antioxidant compound, was incorporated into the oil phase of an emulsion using dequalinium as the emulsifier. Castor oil, chosen for its biodegradability and high stability in the body, was used as the oil phase in this study. The curcumin-loaded DQE was prepared using ultrasonic sonication followed by homogenization. The morphology and size distribution of the emulsion particles, as assessed using nanoparticle analysis, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, ranged from 100-200 nm. Confocal microscopy confirmed the efficient mitochondrial targeting ability of DQE in HeLa cells. These findings establish the DQE system as a promising drug delivery platform with efficient mitochondrial targeting capabilities and the potential to encapsulate water-insoluble drugs.