• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.281-282
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• 2023

The solid-state reference electrodes made of polyaniline-coated MnO₂ (SSRE-PAM) and their electrochemical characteristics were studied in simulated concrete pore solutions (SCPS) containing 0 and 3.5% NaCl. Saturated calomel electrodes (SCE) have been used to conduct electrochemical studies on the stability behavior of SSRE-PAM. Open circuit potential (OCP) and potentiodynamic polarization techniques were used to assess the corrosion performance of steel rebar exposed in SCPS with 0 and 3.5% NaCl using SSRE-PAM. The results demonstrate that the SSRE-PAM was capable of identifying steel rebar in a concrete environment that was either passive or active. Potentiodynamic polarization parameters such as E_corr and I_corr for steel rebar in SCPS containing 0 and 3.5%)NaCl are greater than that of the passive condition (0% NaCl). All the studies validate the importance of using SSRE-PAM for corrosion monitoring applications in concrete structures.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.41.1-41.11
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• 2023

The Dengue virus M protein is a 75 amino acid polypeptide with two helical transmembranes (TM). The TM domain oligomerizes to form an ion channel, facilitating viral release from the host cells. The M protein has a critical role in the virus entry and life cycle, making it a potent drug target. The oligomerization of the monomeric protein was studied using ab initio modeling and molecular dynamics simulation in an implicit membrane environment. The representative structures obtained showed pentamer as the most stable oligomeric state, resembling an ion channel. Glutamic acid, threonine, serine, tryptophan, alanine, isoleucine form the pore-lining residues of the pentameric channel, conferring an overall negative charge to the channel with approximate length of 51.9 Å. Residue interaction analysis for M protein shows that Ala94, Leu95, Ser112, Glu124, and Phe155 are the central hub residues representing the physicochemical interactions between domains. The virtual screening with 165 different ion channel inhibitors from the ion channel library shows monovalent ion channel blockers, namely lumacaftor, glipizide, gliquidone, glisoxepide, and azelnidipine to be the inhibitors with high docking scores. Understanding the three-dimensional structure of M protein will help design therapeutics and vaccines for Dengue infection.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.346-351
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• 2024

Chemical reduction using catalysts and NaBH₄ presents a promising approach for reducing 4-nitrophenol contamination while generating valuable byproducts. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) emerge as a versatile platform for supporting catalysts due to their unique properties, such as high surface area and tunable pore structures. This study employs design of experiments (DOE) to systematically optimize the synthesis of Cu embedded COF (Cu/COF) catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Through a series of experimental designs, including definitive screening, mixture method, and central composition design, the main synthesis parameters influencing Cu/COF formation are identified and optimized: MEL:TPA:DMSO = 0.31:0.36:0.33. Furthermore, the optimal synthesis temperature and time were predicted to be 195 ℃ and 14.7 h. Statistical analyses reveal significant factors affecting Cu/COF synthesis, facilitating the development of tailored nanostructures with enhanced catalytic performance. The catalytic efficacy of the optimized Cu/COF materials is evaluated in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, demonstrating promising results in line with the predictions from DOE.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.302-307
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• 2024

This study explored the process-structure-property (PSP) relationships in Ti-6Al-4V alloys fabricated through direct energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing. A systematic investigation was conducted to clarify how process variables-specifically, manipulating the cooling rate and energy input by adjusting the laser power and scan speed during the DED process-influenced the phase fractions, pore structures, and the resultant mechanical properties of the samples under various processing conditions. Significant links were found between the controlled process parameters and the structural and mechanical characteristics of the produced alloys. The findings of this research provide foundational knowledge that will drive the development of more effective and precise control strategies in additive manufacturing, thereby improving the performance and reliability of produced materials. This, in turn, promises to make significant contributions to both the advancement of additive manufacturing technologies and their applications in critical sectors.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.367-375
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• 2010

Understanding the interactions between earth materials and fluids is essential for studying the diverse geological processes in the Earth's surface and interior. In order to better understand the interactions between earth materials and fluids, we explore the effect of specific surface area and porosity on structural parameters of pore structures. We obtained 3D pore structures, using random packing simulations of porous media composed of single sized spheres with varying the particle size and porosity, and then we analyzed configurational entropy for 2D cross sections of porous media and cube counting fractal dimension for 3D porous networks. The results of the configurational entropy analysis show that the entropy length decreases from 0.8 to 0.2 with increasing specific surface area from 2.4 to $8.3mm^2/mm^3$, and the maximum configurational entropy increases from 0.94 to 0.99 with increasing porosity from 0.33 to 0.46. On the basis of the strong correlation between the liquid volume fraction (i.e., porosity) and configurational entropy, we suggest that elastic properties and viscosity of mantle melts can be expressed using configurational entropy. The results of the cube counting fractal dimension analysis show that cube counting fractal dimension increases with increasing porosity at constant specific surface area, and increases from 2.65 to 2.98 with increasing specific surface area from 2.4 to $8.3mm^2/mm^3$. On the basis of the strong correlation among cube counting fractal dimension, specific surface area, and porosity, we suggest that seismic wave attenuation and structural disorder in fluid-rock-melt composites can be described using cube counting fractal dimension.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-64
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• 2014

Seabed beneath and near the coastal structures may undergo large excess pore water pressure composed of oscillatory and residual components in the case of long durations of high wave loading. This excess pore water pressure may reduce effective stress and, consequently, the seabed may liquefy. If the liquefaction occurs in the seabed, the structure may sink, overturn, and eventually fail. Especially, the seabed liquefaction behavior beneath a gravity-based structure under wave loading should be evaluated and considered for design purpose. In this study, to evaluate the liquefaction potential on the seabed, numerical analysis was conducted using 2-dimensional numerical wave tank. The 2-dimensional numerical wave tank was expanded to account for irregular wave fields, and to calculate the dynamic wave pressure and water particle velocity acting on the seabed and the surface boundary of the structure. The simulation results of the wave pressure and the shear stress induced by water particle velocity were used as inputs to a FLIP(Finite element analysis LIquefaction Program). Then, the FLIP evaluated the time and spatial variations in excess pore water pressure, effective stress and liquefaction potential in the seabed. Additionally, the deformation of the seabed and the displacement of the structure as a function of time were quantitatively evaluated. From the analysis, when the shear stress was considered, the liquefaction at the seabed in front of the structure was identified. Since the liquefied seabed particles have no resistance force, scour can possibly occur on the seabed. Therefore, the strength decrease of the seabed at the front of the structure due to high wave loading for the longer period of time such as a storm can increase the structural motion and consequently influence the stability of the structure.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.129-145
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• 2019

For the design of composite breakwater as representative one of the coastal and harbor structures, it has been widely discussed by the researchers about the relation between the behavior of excess-pore-water pressure inside the rubble mound and seabed caused by the wave load and its structural failure. Recently, the researchers have tried to verify its relation through the numerical simulation technique. The above researches through numerical simulation have been mostly applied by the linear and nonlinear analytic methods, but there have been no researches through the numerical simulation by the strongly nonlinear mutiphase flow analytical method considering wave-breaking phenomena by VOF method and turbulence model by LES method yet. In the preceding research of this study, olaFlow model based on the mutiphase flow analytical method was applied to the nonlinear interaction analysis of regular wave-composite breakwater-seabed. Also, the same numerical techniques as preceding research are utilized for the analysis of irregular wave-composite breakwater-seabed in this study. Through this paper, it is investigated about the horizontal wave pressures, the time variations of excess-pore-water pressure and their frequency spectra, mean flow velocities, mean vorticities, mean turbulent kinetic energies and etc. around the caisson, rubble mound of the composite breakwater and seabed according to the changes of significant wave height and period. From these results, it was found that maximum nondimensional excess-pore water pressure, mean turbulent kinetic energy and mean vorticity come to be large equally on the horizontal plane in front of rubble mound, circulation of inflow around still water level and outflow around seabed is formed in front of rubble caisson.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.585-596
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• 2020

The 2017 Pohang Earthquakes occurred near a drill site in the Pohang Enhanced Geothermal System. Water injected for well stimulation was believed to have reactivated the buried near-critically stressed Miocene faults by the accumulation of the Quaternary tectonic strain. However, surface expressions of the Quaternary tectonic activity had not been reported near the epicenter of the earthquakes before the site construction. Unusual, large-scale water-escaped structures were identified 4 km away from the epicenter during a post-seismic investigation. The water-escaped structures comprise Miocene mudstones injected into overlying Pleistocene coastal sediments that formed during Marine Isotope Stage 5. This indicates the vulnerable state of the mudstones long after deposition, resulted from the combined effects of rapid tectonic uplift (before significant diagenesis) and the development of an aquifer at their unconformable interface of the mudstone. Based on the detailed field analysis and consideration of all possible endogenic triggers, we interpreted the structures to have been formed by elevated pore pressures in the mudstones (thixotropy), triggered by cyclic ground motion during the earthquakes. This interpretation is strengthened by the presence of faults 400 m from the study area, which cut unconsolidated coastal sediment deposited after Marine Isotope Stage 5. Geological context, including high rates of tectonic uplift in SE Korea, paleo-seismological research on Quaternary faults near the study area, and historical records of paleoearthquakes in SE Korea, also support the interpretation. Thus, epicenter and surrounding areas of the 2017 Pohang Earthquake are considered as a paleoseismologically active area, and the causative fault of the 2017 Pohang Earthquakes was expected to be nearly critical state.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.5-14
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• 2023

Recently, earthquakes have occurred frequently in worldwide. These earthquakes cause various forms of natural and physical damage. In particular, liquefaction in which the ground shows liquid-like behavior causes great damage to the structure. Accordingly, various liquefaction damage reduction methods are being studied and developed. Therefore, in this study, a method of reducing liquefaction damage in the event of an earthquake applicable to existing structures was studied using the sheet pile method. The 1-G Shaking table test was performed and the ground was constructed with Jumunjin standard sand. A two-story model structure was produced by applying the similitude law, and the input wave applied a sine wave with an acceleration level of 0.6 g and a frequency of 10 Hz. The effect of reducing structure damage according to various embedded depth ratio was analyzed. As a result of the study, the structure settlement when the ground is reinforced by applying the sheet pile method is decreased by about 71% compared to when the ground is not reinforced, and the EDR with minimum settlement is "1". In addition, as the embedded depth ratio is increased, the calculation of the pore water pressure in the ground tends to be delayed due to the sheet pile. Based on these results, the relationship with structural settlement according to the embedded depth ratio is proposed as a relational equation with the graph. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data in developing sheet pile methods applicable to existing structures in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.55-66
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• 2012

To investigate the hysteresis of the suction stress in unsaturated weathered mudstone soils (CL), matric suction and volumetric water content were measured in both drying and wetting processes using Automated Soil-Water Characteristics Curve Apparatus. The drying and wetting processes in unsaturated soils were reproduced in the test; the drying process means to load matric suction to spill pore water from the soils, and the wetting process means to unload matric suction to inject pore water into the soils. Based on the measured result, Soil Water Characteristic Curve(SWCC)s were estimated by van Genuchten model (1980). SWCCs have nonlinear relationship between effective degree of saturation and matric suction. The hysteresis in SWCCs between drying and wetting processes occurred. As a result of estimating Suction Stress Characteristic Curve(SSCC) using Lu and Likos model (2006), the suction stress rapidly increased in the low level of matric suction and then increased slightly. Also, the hysteresis in SSCCs between drying and wetting processes occurred. In order to design geo-structures and check its stability considering unsaturated soil mechanics, therefore, it is more reasonable that the SSCC of drying process should be applied in the condition of rainfall infiltration and the SSCC of wetting process in the condition of evaporation or drainage.