• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 2018

Tenofovir nanoparticles are novel therapeutic intervention in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection reaching the virus in their sanctuary sites. However, there has been no systemic toxicity testing of this formulation despite global concerns on the safety of nano drugs. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the toxicity of Tenofovir nanoparticle (NTDF) on the liver and kidney using an animal model. Fifteen adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats maintained at the animal house of the biomedical resources unit of the University of KwaZulu-Natal were weighed and divided into three groups. Control animals (A) were administered with normal saline (NS). The therapeutic doses of Tenofovir (TDF) and nanoparticles of Tenofovir (NTDF) were administered to group B and C and observed for signs of stress for four weeks after which animals were weighed and sacrificed. Liver and kidney were removed and fixed in formal saline, processed and stained using H/E, PAS and MT stains for light microscopy. Serum was obtained for renal function test (RFT) and liver function test (LFT). Cellular measurements and capturing were done using ImageJ and Leica software 2.0. Data were analysed using graph pad 6, p values < 0.05 were significant. We observed no signs of behavioural toxicity and no mortality during this study, however, in the kidneys, we reported mild morphological perturbations widening of Bowman's space, and vacuolations in glomerulus and tubules of TDF and NTDF animals. Also, there was a significant elevation of glycogen deposition in NTDF and TDF animals when compared with control. In the liver, there were mild histological changes with widening of sinusoidal spaces, vacuolations in hepatocytes and elevation of glycogen deposition in TDF and NTDF administered animals. In addition to this, there were no significant differences in stereological measurements and cell count, LFT, RFT, weight changes and organo-somatic index between treatment groups and control. In conclusion, NTDF and TDF in therapeutic doses can lead to mild hepatic and renal histological damage. Further studies are needed to understand the precise genetic mechanism.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.5673-5682
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• 2015

Purpose of this study is to examine and investigate the utilization of low-rise floor Pilotis space which is frequently selected as a major planning element in recent high-rise apartment complex and to identify the interrelationship between the placement of Pilotis space in the complex and space utilization frequency by comparing circulation related indicators of Connectivity, Control Value, Global Integration and Local Integration through Space Syntax axial analysis. Conclusions of this study are, first, Pilotis space is not used as a space to improve regional community consciousness because it is mostly used as a 'simple movement space'. Second, regarding space utilization frequency differences in Pilotis space in each apartment building, projecting entry access+pilotis addition type complex shows more significant utilization frequency than pilotis access type complex, and the vandalism phenomenon is observed more often. Third, Pilotis space utilization is related with Connectivity, Control Value, Global Integration and Local Integration which are circulation related indicators in Space Syntax, and Pilotis spaces with high indicator values over 2 tend to show higher utilization frequency and those with low indicator values over 2 tend to show low utilization frequency.

• The Journal of Sustainable Design and Educational Environment Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2016

This study aims to find a direction for desirable space organization in future Korean kindergartens by analyzing the current status of space organization in Japanese kindergartens. This study includes comparisons and analyses of Korean and Japanese curricula, facility standards on the national level and standards of national subsidy, current numbers of kindergarteners and preschoolers, and changes in kindergarten facilities over the last 5 years. Six kindergartens each in Korea and Japan, which were constructed after 2011 or are recommended as being good in space organization and kindergarten planning, are selected. The contents of space organization analysis are 'entry and placement, outdoor space', 'space program,' and 'plan design and organization of unit space'. In conclusion, in terms of space organization, Korean and Japanese kindergartens are very similar to each other. However, Japanese kindergartens have more outdoor space about $9.75m^2$ and lot area about $11.89m^2$ than Korean kindergartens. The extra space was used to educate students in various contents regarding social network and physical activity. Furthermore, in Japan, special spaces such as "atelier classes" and "PTA" were used for various types of education. Based on the results of the study will be developed, such as specific models and guidelines for the improvement of facilities Korea kindergarten.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.35-46
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• 2010

The purpose of the study was to identify the potential buyers' consciousness of single-family housing to provide useful data to help future single-family housing supplies in Ulsan. The study selected residents in Ulsan, who were over twenty and had an interest in living in a single-family housing. A survey was conducted from September 11, 2008 to September 25, 2008. The sample consisted of 364 persons who are currently live in Ulsan metropolitan area. The results are as following. About two thirds of the sample had the desire to live in a single-family housing. Moving into a single-family housing had financial preparation as the greatest issue. When moving into a single-family housing, the convenience of the residential district was the greatest consideration, whether or not it is a green environment, pollution level, etc. The potential buyers valued environment-friendly features and also had a very strong desire to own their own house. Many of them wanted to design and build their own single-family housing within a budget of 100-200 million KRW. In terms of the location, there was a higher preference for the riverside or lakeside rural areas outside the city. In terms of size, the preference was less than $330m^2$, which includes $99-132m^2$ for residential. When considering a single-family housing the direction was the most important feature, along with eco-friendly and safer materials and equipments. When building the single-family housing the potential buyers considered the community spaces first with a preference for having three bedrooms and two bathrooms. For the exterior, they wanted a unique shape of roof and there were high preferences for brown and beige colors. In terms of housing complexes, the potential buyers preferred individual unit types over complexes. If they preferred housing complexes, they wanted the cluster form complex with about 10-30 units. The complex also required a park-like setting with a guard system, which shows that convenience and safety were the most important features. In terms of complex management, they considered environmental management as the most important feature. The potential buyers were willing to pay belw 200,000 KRW, which showed their desire to minimize financial burdens.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2019

The masonry infill walls are one of the most popular components that are used for dividing and arranging spaces in building construction. In spite of the fact that the masonry infills have many advantages, the system needs to be used with caution when the earthquake load is to be considered. The infills tend to develop diagonal compression struts during earthquake and increase the demand in surrounding RC frames. If there are openings in the infill walls, the loading path gets even complicated and the engineering judgements are required for designing the system. In this study, a masonry infill system was investigated through finite element analysis (FEA) and the results were compared with the current design standard, ASCE 41. It is noted that the equivalent width of the compression strut estimated by ASCE 41 could be 32% less than that using detailed FEA. The global load resisting capacity was also estimated by 28% less when ASCE 41 was used compare to the FEA case. Rather than using expensive FEA, the adapting ASCE 41 for the analysis and design of the masonry infills with openings would provide a good estimation by about 25% conservatively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.571-585
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• 2021

Various studies have analyzed urban decline at a universal level using the general characteristics of declining cities. However, urban decline at the city level should be considered because this decay occurs based on the unique attributes of a particular city. In addition, since this phenomenon occurs and spreads in microspaces, studies should consider smaller spatial units continuously. This study aims to develop an urban decline measurement model that considers regional characteristics to analyze the urban decline of Ulsan Metropolitan City over time and space. The index value of Ulsan, compared to the national average, is calculated and reflected in the weight to reflect regional characteristics in the model. In addition, after analyzing urban decline by administrative dong units, we also performed analysis by counting district units using spatial hierarchical structure to demonstrate evaluation on smaller unit spaces. As a result of analyzing urban decline patterns by associating the index calculated using the model with the social phenomenon of Ulsan Metropolitan City, urban decline formed clusters and spread to adjacent regions over time. In addition, results confirmed that external factors such as new towns and urban regeneration projects affect urban decline. By illustrating the degree of urban decline proposed measurement model used in this study, it is possible to present the priority of areas required for urban regeneration projects. Results are also helpful to test the effectiveness of completed or presently-implemented urban regeneration projects.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.681-688
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• 2022

In this study, the process of drone photography, automatic volume calculation, total floor area conversion, and waste calculation was constructed as a QGIS plug-in to predict the demolition waste (DW) generated in an aged area where drawing information or building information is uncertain. Through a case study, the high consistency between the automatically calculated volume using the drone and the BIM volume based on the field measurement was confirmed. Field application was carried out for the planned demolition work site, and the consistency between the drone-based volume and the actual measurement-BIM-based volume was reconfirmed. The waste generation unit was applied and the amount of DW was calculated by setting the floor height and building type, and the entire process was completed within 6 hours. Although the difference between building information and building objects through drones occurred according to the setting of temporary structures, loads, and floor heights, it was found that the actual amount of DW was generated more than the initial estimate. It is expected that measures to improve the accuracy of volume and floor area conversion will be required through case studies in the future.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.601-610
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• 2023

The comprehension of water-level behavior in rivers is essential for effective flood and river environmental management. The objective of this study is to propose a methodology that can be used by field engineers engaged in actual practice, to readily identify the characteristics of water-level behavior during flood events. To this end, a total of 45 historical water-level records from 2010 to 2022 year, which provide flood information for the flood vulnerable districts of the Han River, were obtained. A Water-level Rise Behavior Curve (WRBC) was developed and suggested to quantify the amount of water-level rise per unit time during flood. As a result, the water-level rises by more than 80% of the total rise within the first 6.2 hours, followed by a gradual rise. The time required to achieve a particular equilibrium varied depending on the area and runoff characteristics of the upstream. Furthermore, the study revealed that the WRBC provides a statistical representation of the water-level rise trend during floods, and can be effectively utilized for flood mitigation measures in waterfront spaces and irrigation facilities.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.111-120
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• 2023

Indoor air quality has become increasingly important with the increase in time spent in residential environments, impact of external fine dust, yellow dust, and the post-COVID 19 pandemic. Residential mechanical ventilation plays a key role in addressing indoor air quality. The legal standard for residential air changes per hour in Korea is 0.5 ACH. However, there are no standards for the location of supply and return vents. This study atempts to analyze the impact of ventilation performance based on the location of supply and return vents. An experiment was conducted using the CO₂ tracer gas concentration decay method in a mock-up house set inside a large chamber to minimize external influences. The experimental results indicated that the commonly used combination of 2 supply and 2 return vents in living room spaces had a lower mean age of air than the combination of 1 supply and 2 return vents. Using multiple supply and return vents had lower mean age of air than using just 1 supply and 1 return vent.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2024

The monitoring of environmental information (e.g. noise, dust, vibration, temperature, humidity) is crucial to the safe and sustainable operation of a construction site. However, commercial sensors exhibit certain drawbacks when applied on-site. First, the installation cost is prohibitively high. Second, these sensors have been engineered without considering the rugged and harsh conditions of a construction site, resulting in error-prone sensing. Third, construction sites are compelled to allocate additional resources in terms of manpower, expenses, and physical spaces to accommodate individual sensors. This research developed an integrated sensing module to measure the environmental information in construction site. The sensing module slashes the installation cost to 3.3%, is robust enough to harsh and outdoor sites, and consolidates multiple sensors into a single unit. The sensing module also supports GPS, LTE, and real-time sensing. The evaluation showed remarkable results including 97.5% accuracy and 99.9% precision in noise measurement, an 89.7% accuracy in dust measurement, and a 93.5% reliability in data transmission. This research empowers the collection of substantial volumes and high-quality environmental data from construction sites, providing invaluable support to decision-making process. These encompass objective regulatory compliance checking, simulations of environmental data dispersion, and the development of environmental mitigation strategies.