• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.198-206
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• 2010

The aim of this work was to investigate the synergically bactericidal effects and cellular responses of tea polyphenols (TPP) and imipenem on imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Imipenem-resistant Ps. aeruginosa was isolated from patient in hospital. The bactericidal effects of TPP and imipenem were evaluated on the basis of its minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). The combined use of TPP and imipenem resulted in 16-fold and 8-fold reductions in the MICs of imipenem for the imipenem-susceptible and imipenem-resistant Ps. aeruginosa, respectively. The bactericidal effects of the imipenem and TPP against the Ps. aeruginosa was evaluated using the time-kill assay. The synergetic effects of the combinations of TPP and imipenem against Ps. aeruginosa were confirmed. Western blot using anti-DnaK and anti-GroEL monoclonal antibodies was performed to investigate the expression of stress shock proteins (SSPs) in imipenem-susceptible and imipenem-resistant strains exposed to TPP. The amount of SSPs were induced as the exposure time increased and decreased. The molecular weights of DnaK and GroEL were 70 kDa and 60 kDa, respectively. SDS-PAGE with silver staining revealed that the amount of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) increased or decreased in the strain treated to different concentrations and exposing periods of TPP. Scanning electron microscopic analysis demonstrated the presence of umblicated and wrinkled surfaces for cells treated with TPP or imipenem.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.436-444
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• 2013

This article presents the dynamic response of nano-scale plates using the nonlocal continuum theory and higher-order shear deformation theory. The nonlocal elasticity of Eringen has ability to capture the small scale effects and the higher-order shear deformation theory has ability to capture the quadratic variation of shear strain and consequently shear stress through the plate thickness. The solutions of transient dynamic analysis of nano-scale plate are presented using these theories to illustrate the effect of nonlocal theory on dynamic response of the nano-scale plates. The relations between nonlocal and local theories are discussed by numerical results. Also, the effects of nonlocal parameters, aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio, size of nano-scale plate and time step on dynamic response are investigated and discussed. The amplitude and cycle increase when nonlocal parameter increase. In order to validate the present solutions, the reference solutions are used and discussed. The theoretical development as well as numerical solutions presented herein should serve as reference for nonlocal theories as applied to the transient dynamic analysis of nano-scale structures.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2003

In this work, the effect of PMR-15 content on the variation of surface free energy of the DGEBA/PMR-15 blend system was investigated in terms of contact angles and mechanical interfacial tests. Based on FT-IR result of the blend system. C=O (1,772, $1,778cm^{-1}$) and C-N ($1,372cm^{-1}$) peaks appeared with imidization of PMR-15 and -OH ($3,500cm^{-1}$) peak showed broadly at 10 phr of PMR-15 by ring-opening of epoxy. Contact angle measurements were performed by using deionized water and diiodomethane as testing liquids. As a result, the surface free energy of the blends gave a maximum value at 10 phr of PMR-15, due to the significant increasing of specific component. The mechanical interfacial properties measured from the critical stress intensity factor ($K_{IC}$) and the critical strain energy release rate ($G_{IC}$) showed a similar behavior with the results of surface energetics. This behavior was probably attributed to The improving of the interfacial adhesion between intermolecules, resulting from increasing the hydrogen bondings of the blends.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.45-59
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• 2006

The successful performance of any numerical geotechnical simulation depends on the accuracy and efficiency of the numerical implementation of constitutive model used to simulate the stress-strain (constitutive) response of the soil. The corner stone of the numerical implementation of constitutive models is the numerical integration of the incremental form of soil-plasticity constitutive equations over a discrete sequence of time steps. In this paper a well known two-surface soil plasticity model is implemented using a generalized implicit return mapping algorithm to arbitrary convex yield surfaces referred to as the Closest-Point-Projection method (CPPM). The two-surface model describes the nonlinear behavior of coarse-grained materials by incorporating a bounding surface concept together with isotropic and kinematic hardening as well as fabric formulation to account for the effect of fabric formation on the unloading response. In the course of investigating the performance of the CPPM integration method, it is proven that the algorithm is an accurate, robust, and efficient integration technique useful in finite element contexts. It is also shown that the algorithm produces a consistent tangent operator $\frac{d\sigma}{d\varepsilon}$ during the iterative process with quadratic convergence rate of the global iteration process.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.23-32
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• 2010

This study was especially conducted to find out the characteristics of the lightweight air-mixed soil (slurry density 10 kN/$m^3$) containing silt related to water. Compression strength, permeability, and capillary height of the lightweight air-mixed soil were studied, and also to support these studies, the structure of that soil was analyzed in detail. Air bubbles of various sizes are inside the lightweight air-mixed soil, and its distribution in a location is almost constant. A numerous tiny pores are inside the air bubbles so that the lightweight air-mixed soil can be saturated with water. Porosity is also estimated through the image analysis. Peak strength of the lightweight air-mixed soil is not dependent on water, but behavior of stress-strain is affected by the water. Permeability is about $4.857{\times}10^{-6}cm/sec$, which is a little bit higher than the clay's permeability. Capillary rise occurs rapidly at the beginning of the test until the lapse of 100 minutes and then its increase rate becomes slow. The capillary rise causes the increase of the density of the lightweight air-mixed soil, and thus it is required to pay attention to this phenomenon during structure design and maintenance of the lightweight air-mixed soil.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.896-907
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• 2024

Objective: The potential of aqueous extract of Christ's thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) leaves (SLAE) to reduce the negative impacts of heat stress on production performance and physiological traits was investigated in dual-purpose layers under subtropical farming. Methods: A total of 200, 25-week-old laying hens (Inshas strain) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments including SLAE at 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mL/kg, respectively. The average temperature-humidity index value was 26.69 during the experimental period. The SLAE contained saponin (0.045%), total flavonoid content of 17.9 mg of quercetin equivalent/100 g and overall antioxidant capacity concentration of 17.9 mg of ascorbic acid equivalent/100 g. Results: The maximum final body weight (BW), BW gain, egg weight, number, and mass occurred at the level of SLAE7.5 inclusion. The egg quality was significantly higher in SLAE groups than in control, and overall, SLAE7.5 had the most favorable influence at 28 and 32 weeks. Liver and kidney function, as well as lipids profile, improved significantly by SLAE inclusion; the lowest concentrations of these parameters were in SLAE7.5 hens. Treatment with SLAE7.5 increased total antioxidant capacity and endogenous antioxidant enzymes compared to control, whereas no effect on superoxide dismutase was noticed. Conclusion: The addition of SLAE at 7.5 mL/kg diet improved egg laying performance and quality, metabolic profiles, and antioxidant status during hyperthermia conditions.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.63-85
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• 2017

Recent information technology achieves remarkable progress in almost all areas where it can be applied. However, this technology also causes technostress, such as fear and pressure to individuals, due to events, such as the threat of job loss. This technostress is becoming an important factor that can affect user performance and productivity in future society where information technology will be the focus. This kind of stress should be studied considerably in academic and practical applications. The effects of technostress on individual performance remain ambiguous. Therefore, academic research is needed to prove these effects. This study aimed to clarify the direct and indirect effects of technostress on information technology end-users. We developed a research model that integrates innovation resistance and technostress theory through previous studies and analyzed the questionnaire of 317 people. The PLS structural equation model and the study results of Baron and Kenny (1986) indicated that rapid change, connectivity, reliability, and complexity are crucial factors affecting the technostress of information technology. Technostress was analyzed indirectly only through innovation resistance, which affected the performance of end-users. This study will provide new implications for the relationship between technostress and performance or productivity in the IS field.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.515-525
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• 2007

In this investigation, results of laboratory tests on four reinforced concrete flat plate interior connections with elongated rectangular column support which has been used widely in tall residential buildings are presented. The purpose of this study is to evaluate an effect of column aspect ratio (${\beta}_c={c_1}/{c_2}$=side length ratio of column section in the direction of lateral loading $(c_1)$ to the direction of perpendicular to $c_1$) on the hysteretic behavior under earthquake type loading. The aspect ratio of column section was taken as $0.5{\sim}3\;(c_1/c_2=1/2,\;1/1,\;2/1,\;3/1)$ and the column perimeter was held constant at 1200mm in order to achieve nominal vertical shear strength $(V_c)$ uniformly. Other design parameters such as flexural reinforcement ratio $(\rho)$ of the slab and concrete strength$(f_{ck})$ was kept constant as ${\rho}=1.0%$ and $f_{ck}=40MPa$, respectively. Gravity shear load $(V_g)$ was applied by 30 percent of nominal vertical shear strength $(0.3V_o)$ of the specimen. Experimental observations on punching failure pattern, peak lateral-load and story drift ratio at punching failure, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation in the hysteresis loop, and steel and concrete strain distributions near the column support were examined and discussed in accordance with different column aspect ratio. Eccentric shear stress model of ACI 318-05 was evaluated with experimental results. A fraction of transferring moment by shear and flexure in the design code was analyzed based on the test results.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.401-410
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• 2003

This study investigates the biomechanical efficacies of various cement augmentation techniques with or without pressurization for varying degrees of osteoporotic femur. For this study, a biomechanical analysis using a finite element method (FEM) was undertaken to evaluate surgical procedures, Simulated models include the non-cemented(i.e., hip screw only, Type I), the cement-augmented(Type II), and the cemented augmented with pressurization(Type III) models. To simulate the fracture plane and other interfacial regions, 3-D contact elements were used with appropriate friction coefficients. Material properties of the cancellous bone were varied to accommodate varying degrees of osteoporosis(Singh indices, II∼V). For each model. the following items were analyzed to investigate the effect surgical procedures in relation to osteoporosis of varying degrees : (a) von Mises stress distribution within the femoral head in terms of volumetric percentages. (b) Peak von Mises stress(PVMS) within the femoral head and the surgical constructs. (c) Maximum von Mises strain(MVMS) within the femoral head, (d) micromotions at the fracture plane and at the interfacial region between surgical construct and surrounding bone. Type III showed the lowest PVMS and MVMS at the cancellous bone near the bone-construct interface regardless of bone densities. an indication of its least likelihood of construct loosening due to failure of the host bone. Particularly, its efficacy was more prominent when the bone density level was low. Micromotions at the interfacial surgical construct was lowest in Type III. followed by Type I and Type II. They were about 15-20% of other types. which suggested that pressurization was most effective in limiting the interfacial motion. Our results demonstrated the cement augmentation with hip screw could be more effective when used with pressurization technique for the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures. For patients with low bone density. its effectiveness can be more pronounced in limiting construct loosening and promoting bone union.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2009

A neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has been widely used to create animal model for Parkinson's disease (PD) due to its specific toxicity against dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Since DA signals modulate a broad spectrum of CNS physiology, one can expect profound alterations in neuroendocrine activities of both PD patients and 6-OHDA treated animals. Limited applications of 6-OHDA injection model, however, have been made on the studies of hypothalamuspituitary neuroendocrine circuits. The present study was performed to examine whether blockade of brain catecholamine (CA) biosynthesis with 6-OHDA can make any alteration in the transcriptional activities of hypothalamus-pituitary hormone genes in adult male rats. Three-month-old male rats (SD strain) were received 6-OHDA ($200{\mu}g$ in $10{\mu}\ell$ of saline/animal) by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection, and sacrificed after two weeks. To determine the mRNA levels of hypothalamuspituitary hormone genes, total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative RT-PCRs. The mRNA levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme for the catecholamine biosynthesis, were significantly lower than those from the control group (control:6-OHDA=1:0.72${\pm}$0.02AU, p<0.001), confirming the efficacy of 6-OHDA injection. The mRNA levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in the hypothalami from 6-OHDA group were significantly lower than those from the control group (GnRH, control:6-OHDA=1:0.39${\pm}$0.03AU, p<0.001; CRH, control:6-OHDA=1:0.76${\pm}$0.07AU, p<0.01). There were significant decreases in the mRNA levels of common alpha subunit of glycoprotein homones (Cg$\alpha$), LH beta subunit (LH-$\beta$), and FSH beta subunit (FSH-$\beta$) in pituitaries from 6-OHDA group compared to control values (Cg$\alpha$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.81${\pm}$0.02AU, p<0.001; LH-$\beta$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.68${\pm}$0.04AU, p<0.001; FSH-$\beta$, control:6-OHDA=1:0.84${\pm}$0.05AU, p<0.001). Similarly, the level of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) transcripts from 6-OHDA group was significantly lower than that from the control group (control: 6-OHDA=1:0.86${\pm}$0.04AU, p<0.01). The present study demonstrated that centrally injected DA neurotoxin could downregulate the transcriptional activities of the two hypothalamus-pituitary neuroendocrine circuits, i.e., GnRH-gonadotropins and CRH-ACTH systems. These results suggested that hypothalamic CA input might affect on the activities of gonad and adrenal through modulation of hypothalamus-pituitary function, providing plausible explanation for frequent occurrence of sexual dysfunction and poor stress-response in PD patients.