• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.13
• /
• pp.5159-5162
• /
• 2015

Background: Chronic myeloproliferative diseases are clonal stem cell diseases which occur as a result of uncontrollable growth and reproduction of hematopoietic stem cells, which are the myeloid series source in bone marrow. Recent studies have suggested that chronic inflammation can be a triggering factor in the clonal change in chronic myeloproliferative neoplasia (CMPN). In our study, we evaluated the existence of a chronic inflammation process in our Philadelphia negative (Ph-)CMPN patients using inflammation parameters in combination with demographic, laboratory and clinical characteristics of the patients. Materials and Methods: Demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratorial data, and thrombosis histories of 99 Ph-CMPN patients, who were diagnosed at our outpatient clinic of hematology in accordance with WHO 2008 criteria, were analyzed retrospectively,with 80 healthy individuals of matching gender and age included as controls. Complete blood counts, sedimentation, C reactive protein (CRP), JAK V617F gene mutations, abdomen ultrasound images and previous thrombosis histories of these patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Ph-CMPN and healthy control groups included 99 and 80 cases, respectively. PV, ET and MF diagnoses of patients were 43 (%43.4), 44 (44.4%) and 12 (12.1%), respectively. JAK V617F gene mutation was found to be positive in 64 (71.1%) of all cases and in 27(65.8%), 32 (82%), 5 (50%) of the cases in PV, ET and PMF groups, respectively. Thrombosis was determined as 12 (12%) in the entire group, 12.5% in the JAK V617F negative and 15.3% in the positive patients, with no statistical significance (p=0.758). No significant difference was observed between patients with and without previous thrombosis history in respect to hemogram parameters, sedimentation and CRP (p>0.05), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), erythrocyte distribution width (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV) and sedimentation levels of the patient.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.25 no.2_spc
• /
• pp.16-27
• /
• 2020

Nitrate contamination has received much attention at local as well as regional scales. The domestic situation is not out of exception, and it has been reported to be very serious, particularly within agricultural areas as a result of excessive usage of nitrogen fertilizers. Meanwhile, nitrate can be naturally attenuated by denitrification in subsurface environments. The denitrification occurs through biotic (biological) and abiotic processes, and numerous previous studies preferentially focused the former. However, abiotic denitrification seems to be significant in specific environments. For this reason, this study reviewed the previous studies that focused on abiotic denitrification processes. Firstly, the current status of nitrate contamination in global and domestic scales is presented, and then the effect of geological media on denitrification is discussed while emphasizing the significance of abiotic processes. Finally, the implications of the literature review are presented, along with future research directions that warrant further investigations. The results of previous studies demonstrated that several geological agents could play a vital role in reducing nitrate. Iron-containing minerals such as pyrite, green rust, magnetite, and dissolved ferrous ion are known to be powerful electron donors triggering denitrification. In particular, it was proven that the rate of denitrification by green rust was comparative to that of biological denitrification. The results indicate that abiotic denitrification should be taken into account for more accurate evaluation of denitrification in subsurface environments.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.12-29
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to develop the scenario for implementation of the rule-based counseling chatbot and to verify its usefulness. For this purpose, counseling scenario for exploring problems triggering depression and establishing early counseling relationships was built and user evaluations for the rule-base counseling chatbot were conducted on 10 counseling psychologists. As a result, clear counseling structuring, appropriate use of selective and narrative responses, and active listening were identified as important components of counseling chatbot. To the next step, the usefulness of counseling chatbot developed in the previous step was examined with 78 college students. As a result, active listening was found to be an important factor in improving user satisfaction and positive mood change. In addition, through qualitative analysis of user evaluation, the unique advantages of counseling chatbot were identified and the limitations of counseling chatbot that should be overcome were identified. Based on the results of the study, the implications of the study and suggestions for future research were discussed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.407-418
• /
• 2021

Due to the complexity of the causes of the sliding mass instabilities, landslide susceptibility and hazard evaluation are difficult, but they can be more carefully considered and regionally evaluated by using new programming technologies to minimize the hazard. This study aims to evaluate the landslide hazard zonation in the Tabriz region, Iran. A fuzzy logic-based multi-criteria decision-making method was proposed for susceptibility analysis and preparing the hazard zonation maps implemented in MATLAB programming language and Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. In this study, five main factors have been identified as triggering including climate (i.e., precipitation, temperature), geomorphology (i.e., slope gradient, slope aspect, land cover), tectonic and seismic parameters (i.e., tectonic lineament congestion, distribution of earthquakes, the unsafe radius of main faults, seismicity), geological and hydrological conditions (i.e., drainage patterns, hydraulic gradient, groundwater table depth, weathered geo-materials), and human activities (i.e., distance to roads, distance to the municipal areas) in the study area. The results of analyses are presented as a landslide hazard map which is classified into 5 different sensitive categories (i.e., insignificant to very high potential). Then, landslide susceptibility maps were prepared for the Tabriz region, which is categorized in a high-sensitive area located in the northern parts of the area. Based on these maps, the Bozgoosh-Sahand mountainous belt, Misho-Miro Mountains and western highlands of Jolfa have been delineated as risk-able zones.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.25-34
• /
• 2006

In this study an effective stress numerical procedure is used to assess the results of dynamic centrifuge tests under high effective stress. The centrifuge models consist of loose Nevada sand with an initial vertical effective stress of 380kPa at depth, and they are modeled as a one-dimentional soil column. Liquefaction occurred up to 37m or 22m at depth, and the onset of liquefaction triggering was opposite to the conventional liquefaction evaluation procedure. In other words, liquefaction occurs first at the top and propagates downward as shaking continues. The results observed in centrifuge tests are reasonably predicted by the effective stress model. It is noted that the degree of initial saturation and additional densification at depth arising from the application of the high acceleration field play a key role in capturing the results of dynamic centrifuge tests.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.276-289
• /
• 1998

Purpose: To evaluate dysphagia objectively and quantitatively, and to clarify the effect of neck position and viscosity changes in patients with aspiration and laryngeal penetration. Materials and Methods: We studied 35 patients with dysphagia and 21 normal controls using videofluoroscopy and scintigraphy. Videofluoroscopy was performed with barium with three different viscosity, and scintigraphy was done with water, yogurt, and steamed egg mixed with Tc-99m tin colloid. If aspiration was found during videofluoroscopic examination, patient's neck position was changed and study repeated. Videofluoroscopy was analyzed qualitatively. We calculated 7 quantitative parameters from scintigraphy. According to the videofluoroscopic findings, we divided patients into 3 subgroups; aspiration, laryngeal penetration, and no-aspiration group. Results: The result of videofluoroscopy revealed that the most common finding was the delay in triggering pharyngeal swallow. Pharyngeal transit time (PTT) and pharyngeal swallowing efficiency(PSE) in patients with aspiration were signifi-cantly different from other groups. After neck position change, aspiration could be reduced in all of 7 patients, and laryngeal penetration reduced by about 82%. PTT and PSE were also improved after position change. Aspiration and laryngeal penetration occurred more frequently in thin liquid swallowing than in thick liquid and solid swallowing. Conclusion: PTT and PSE were useful for the evaluation of dysphagia. Aspiration and laryngeal penetration could be reduced when appropriate position assumed. We could decrease the chance of aspiration by changing the patient diet consistency. Scintigraphy might be useful tool to quantitate and follow up these changes.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.53-64
• /
• 2009

Many slope failures are induced by rainfall infiltration. A lot of recent researches are therefore focused on rainfall-induced slope instability and the rainfall infiltration is recognized as the important triggering factor. The rainfall infiltrates into the soil slope and makes the matric suction lost in the slope and even the positive pore water pressure develops near the surface of the slope. They decrease the resisting shear strength. In Korea, a few public institutions suggested conservative slope design guidelines that assume a fully saturated soil condition. However, this assumption is irrelevant and sometimes soil properties are misused in the slope design method to fulfill the requirement. In this study, a more relevant slope stability evaluation method is suggested to take into account the real rainfall infiltration phenomenon. Unsaturated soil properties such as shear strength, soil-water characteristic curve and permeability for Korean weathered soils were obtained by laboratory tests and also estimated by artificial neural network models. For real-time assessment of slope instability, failure warning criteria of slope based on deterministic and probabilistic analyses were introduced to complement uncertainties of field measurement data. The slope stability evaluation technique can be combined with field measurement data of important factors, such as matric suction and water content, to develop an early warning system for probably unstable slopes due to the rainfall.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.5-16
• /
• 2012

Geotechnical buried structures with relatively light weight have been suffering from uplift damage due to liquefaction in the past earthquakes. The factor of safety approach by Koseki et al. (1997a), which is widely used in seismic design, predicts the triggering of uplift. However, a method for "quantitative" estimates of the uplift displacement has yet to be established. Estimation of the uplift displacement may be an important factor to be considered for designing underground structures under the framework of performance-based design (ISO23469, 2005). Therefore, evaluation of the uplift displacement of buried structure in liquefied ground during earthquakes is needed for a performance-based design as a practical application. In order to predict the uplift displacement quantitatively, a simplified method is derived based on the equilibrium of vertical forces acting on buried structures in backfill during earthquakes (Tobita et al., 2012). The method is verified through comparisons with results of centrifuge model tests and damaged sewerage systems after the 2004 Niigata-ken Chuetsu, Japan, earthquake. The proposed flow diagram for performance-based design includes estimation of the uplift displacement as well as liquefaction limit of backfill.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2014.05a
• /
• pp.833-835
• /
• 2014

On this study, we have developed respiratory training system to improve stability of respiration, one of the most important factors of Respiratory Gated Radiation Therapy, RGRT. Respiratory training system that we developed was applied to personal respiratory cycle so that it could provide comfortable respiratory triggering to patients. To give sufficient time for practice, we used modular portable device to practice easily and to be undetered by time and place. We have intended to improve efficiency and accuracy by providing it to patients. We are now planning to conduct experiment of 10 peoples to find out stability, degree of durability betterment and regularity of respiration when patients are using respiratory training system. There are three kinds of breathing style. First is free breathing that Individual patients can breathe freely. Second is guide breathing that patients apply to personal respiration cycle through the guiding sight and hearing program. Third is prediction breathing that patients breathe after respiratory training without guiding sight and hearing program. By using these 3 data of respiration method, we have evaluated usability of respiratory training system by quantitatively analyzing respiration period, amplitude and area's variation.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.143-151
• /
• 2007

The factors affecting the geotechnical properties of cemented sands are known to be relative density, cementation level, stress level, and particle characteristics such as particle size, shape and surface conditions. It has been widely accepted that the friction angle of cemented sands is not affected by cementation while the cohesion of cemented sands was significantly influenced by cementation. The cementation that is a critical component of the strength of cemented sands will be broken with increasing confining pressure and great caution is required in evaluating the cohesion of cemented specimens due to their fragilities. In this study, a series of drained shear tests were performed with specimens at various cementation levels and confining stresses to evaluate the strength parameters of cemented sands. From the experiments, it was concluded that the cohesion intercept of cemented sand experiences three distinctive zone(cementation control zone, transition zone, and stress control zone), as the cementation level and the confining stress varies. In addition, for accurate evaluation of the strength parameters, the level of confining stress triggering the breakage of cementation bond should be determined. In this study, the relationship between the maximum confining stresses capable of maintaining the cementation bond intact and unconfined compression strength of the cemented sand was established.