• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.277-284
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• 2004

Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the sorption and desorption behaviors of PAHs (naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene) in soils. Three different soils montmorillonite KSF (foc =0.14%), masato (foc =0.08%), and diatomite (foc =0.007%) were investigated. The results of sorption-desorption experiment indicate that the sorption affinity of PAHs was in the order of montmorillonite > masato > diatomite. The Freundlich model was well fitted to the sorption and desorption data. Sorption affinity increased as loc increased. Desorption of PAHs from soils was biphasic composed of reversible and irreversible compartments. Desorption-resistance of phenanthrene in soils was also determined. The biphasic desorption model was used to explain desorption-resistance of phenanthrene in soils. The linear term represents reversible sorption fraction and Langmuinian-type term represents desorption-resistant fraction.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.177-193
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• 2006

Determining the hysteretic energy demand and dissipation capacity and level of damage of the structure to a predefined earthquake ground motion is a highly non-linear problem and is one of the questions involved in predicting the structure's response for low-performance levels (life safe, near collapse, collapse) in performance-based earthquake resistant design. Neural Network (NN) analysis offers an alternative approach for investigation of non-linear relationships in engineering problems. The results of NN yield a more realistic and accurate prediction. A NN model can help the engineer to predict the seismic performance of the structure and to design the structural elements, even when there is not adequate information at the early stages of the design process. The principal aim of this study is to develop and test multi-layered feedforward NNs trained with the back-propagation algorithm to model the non-linear relationship between the structural and ground motion parameters and the hysteretic energy demand in steel moment resisting frames. The approach adapted in this study was shown to be capable of providing accurate estimates of hysteretic energy demand by using the six design parameters.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.41-60
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• 2020

The goal of the study is to understand the role of social norm in purchase decisions where demand is revealed in the form of multiple-discreteness. Consumers are socially engaged in various activities through the expectation from others in their community. Actions or decisions are likely to reflect this influence. This implicit or explicit social norm is revealed as the rules, regulations, and standards that are understood, shared, endorsed, and expected by group members. When consumers' decisions are in distance from the norm, they come to face discomfort such as shame, guilt, embarrassment, and anxiety. These pressure act as a constraint as opposed to utility in their decision making. In this study, the effect of social norms on consumer demand is captured via multiple constraint model where constraints are not only from budget equation but also from psychological burden induced by the deviation from the norm. The posterior distributions of model parameters were estimated via conjoint study allowing for heterogeneity via hierarchical Bayesian framework. Individual characteristics such as age, gender and work experience are also used as covariates for capturing the observed heterogeneity. The empirical results show the role of social norm as constraint in consumers' utility maximization. The proposed model accounting for social constraint outperforms the standard budget constraint-only model in terms of model fit. It is found that people with longer job experience tend to be more robust and resistant to the deviation from the norm. Incorporating social norm into the utility model allows for another means to disentangle the reason for no-purchase as 'not preferred' and 'not able to buy'.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1216-1225
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• 2014

Biofilm-related infections of Candida albicans are a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, especially those with immunocompromised status. Options of the antifungal drugs available for successful treatment of drug-resistant biofilms are very few, and as such, new strategies need to be explored against them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of phenylpropanoids of plant origin against planktonic cells, important virulence factors, and biofilm forms of C. albicans. Standard susceptibility testing protocol was used to evaluate the activities of 13 phenylpropanoids against planktonic growth. Their effects on adhesion and yeast-to-hyphae morphogenesis were studied in microplate-based methodologies. An in vitro biofilm model analyzed the phenylpropanoid-mediated prevention of biofilm development and mature biofilms using XTT-metabolic assay, crystal violet assay, and light microscopy. Six molecules exhibited fungistatic activity at ${\leq}0.5mg/ml$, of which four were fungicidal at low concentrations. Seven phenylpropanoids inhibited yeast-to-hyphae transition at low concentrations (0.031-0.5 mg/ml), whereas adhesion to the solid substrate was prevented in the range of 0.5-2 mg/ml. Treatment with ${\leq}0.5mg/ml$ concentrations of at least six small molecules resulted in significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of biofilm formation by C. albicans. Mature biofilms that are highly resistant to antifungal drugs were susceptible to low concentrations of 4 of the 13 molecules. This study revealed phenylpropanoids of plant origin as promising candidates to devise preventive strategies against drug-resistant biofilms of C. albicans.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8617-8622
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• 2014

The goal of this study was to establish paclitaxel resistant MCF-7 cells, as in vitro model, to identify the molecular mechanisms leading to acquired chemoresistance in breast cancer cells. Resistant cells were developed by stepwise increasing exposure to paclitaxel. Gene expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 along with protein levels of caspase-8 and caspase-9 were evaluated in two resistant cell lines (MCF-7/Pac64 and MCF-7/Pac5 nM). Morphological modifications in paclitaxel resistance cells were examined by light microscopy and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). As an important indicator of resistance to chemotheraputic agents, the Bcl-2/Bax ratio showed a significant increase in both MCF-7/Pac5nM and MCF-7/Pac 64nM cells (p<0.001), while caspase-9 levels were decreased (p<0.001) and caspase-8 was increased (p<0.001). FACS analysis demonstrated that MCF-7/Pac64 cells were smaller than MCF-7 cells with no difference in their granularity. Our results support the idea that paclitaxel induces apoptosis in a mitochondrial-dependent manner. Identifying breast cancer patients with a higher Bcl-2/Bax ratio and caspase 9 level and then inhibiting the activity of these proteins may improve the efficacy of chemotheraputic agents.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.89-100
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• 2018

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to analyze factors influencing the adherence to guidelines for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to control infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO). Method : Participants were 194 ICU nurses at 3 university hospitals. Questions for the survey inquired about attitude, subjective norms, perception of patient safety culture to carry out MDRO management guidelines, perceived behavior control (PBC), and intention, based on the theory of planned behavior. Path analysis were utilized. Results : The path analysis presented that PBC, perception of patient safety culture, and intent had a direct effect on MDRO management guidelines. Attitude towards following the manual did not have any correlation. The hypothetical model based on the theory of planned behavior was revealed as applicable; the degree of the variance in explaining adherence to the manual was 23 %, and the variance in explaining intention to fulfill the manual was 33 %. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that we should develop a program to improve PBC to increase adherence to MDRO management guidelines. ICU nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture should also be surveyed.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.445-453
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• 2021

Computational thermodynamics for various alloy systems is well known as the CALPHAD technique. Gibbs energy model parameters for each phase are obtained from experimentally measured thermodynamic properties and are mainly used to predict areas not experimentally measured and to analyze experimental results thermodynamically. In this study, the thermodynamic modeling of the Ni-Cr-Nb-C quaternary system is conducted for a thermodynamic analysis of the phenomena by which heat-resistant cast alloys (IN-657) are destroyed in certain areas after long-term use. The stable phases in the system according to the Cr content, phase fraction depending on the temperature, and long-range ordering parameters for the Ni₂Cr phase are calculated and compared to results obtained experimentally. The calculated thermodynamic properties suitably explain the experimentally reported fracture temperature range and the results of stable phases formed in the fractured areas. Thermodynamic modeling through the CALPHD method is expected to be useful for analyzing and predicting the thermodynamic behaviors of various cast alloys.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.547-552
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• 2022

Sorafenib, originally identified as an inhibitor of multiple oncogenic kinases, induces ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Several pathways that mitigate sorafenib-induced ferroptosis confer drug resistance; thus strategies that enhance ferroptosis increase sorafenib efficacy. Orphan nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) is upregulated in human HCC tissues and plays a role in cancer cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to determine whether inhibition of ERRγ with DN200434, an orally available inverse agonist, can overcome resistance to sorafenib through induction of ferroptosis. Sorafenib-resistant HCC cells were less sensitive to sorafenibinduced ferroptosis and showed significantly higher ERRγ levels than sorafenib-sensitive HCC cells. DN200434 induced lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Mechanistically, DN200434 increased mitochondrial ROS generation by reducing glutathione/glutathione disulfide levels, which subsequently reduced mTOR activity and GPX4 levels. DN200434 induced amplification of the antitumor effects of sorafenib was confirmed in a tumor xenograft model. The present results indicate that DN200434 may be a novel therapeutic strategy to re-sensitize HCC cells to sorafenib.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.76-82
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• 2023

In the 4th industrial revolution, the blockchain that distributes and manages data through a P2P network is used as a new decentralized networking paradigm in various fields such as manufacturing, culture, and public service. However, with the advent of quantum computers, quantum algorithms that are able to break existing cryptosystems such as hash function, symmetric key, and public key cryptography have been introduced. Currently, because most major blockchain systems use an elliptic curve cryptography to generate signatures for transactions, they are insecure against the quantum adversary. For this reason, the research on the quantum-resistant blockchain that utilizes lattice-based cryptography for transaction signatures is needed. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a blind signature scheme for the blockchain in which the contents of the signature can be verified later, as well as signing by hiding the contents to be signed using lattice-based cryptography with the property of quantum resistance. In addition, we prove the security of the proposed scheme using a random oracle model.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.269-287
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• 2023

The WGJ420 fire-resistant weathering (FRW) steel is developed and manufactured with standard yield strength of 420 MPa at room temperature, which is expected to significantly enhance the performance of steel structures with excellent fire and corrosion resistances, strong seismic capacity, high strength and ductility, good resilience and robustness. In this paper, the mechanical properties of FRW steel plates and buckling behavior of columns are investigated through tests at elevated temperatures. The stress-strain curves, mechanical properties of FRW steel such as modulus of elasticity, proof strength, tensile strength, as well as corresponding reduction factors are obtained and discussed. The recommended constitutive model based on the Ramberg-Osgood relationship, as well as the relevant formulas for mechanical properties are proposed, which provide fundamental mechanical parameters and references. A total of 12 FRW steel welded I-section columns with different slenderness ratios and buckling load ratios are tested under standard fire to understand the global buckling behavior in-depth. The influences of boundary conditions on the buckling failure modes as well as the critical temperatures are also investigated. In addition, the temperature distributions at different sections/locations of the columns are obtained. It is found that the buckling deformation curve can be divided into four stages: initial expansion stage, stable stage, compression stage and failure stage. The fire test results concluded that the residual buckling capacities of FRW steel columns are substantially higher than the conventional steel columns at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, the numerical results show good agreement with the fire test results in terms of the critical temperature and maximum axial elongation. Finally, the critical temperatures between the numerical results and various code/standard curves (GB 51249, Eurocode 3, AS 4100, BS 5950 and AISC) are compared and verified both in the buckling resistance domain and in the temperature domain. It is demonstrated that the FRW steel columns have sufficient safety redundancy for fire resistance when they are designed according to current codes or standards.