• Analyses & Alternatives
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-69
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• 2018

This study examines the role of science in resolving trade disputes. After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011 that not only jeopardized the people of Japan, but also put the safety of an entire region at risk, the Republic of Korea (Korea) has imposed import bans as well as increased testing and certification requirements for radioactive material on Japanese food products. Japan has challenged these restrictions at the World Trade Organizations Dispute Settlement Body (DSB). This study aims to explain how international trade agreements and previous DSB rulings have dealt with different scientific viewpoints provided by confronting parties. In doing so, it will contrast the viewpoints espoused by Korean and Japanese representatives, and then analyzes the most similar case studies previously ruled on by the DSB, including the case of beef hormones and the case of genetically modified crops including biotech corn, both between the United States and the European Communities (EC). This study finds that science is largely subordinate to national interests in the case of state decision-making within the dispute settlement processes, and science has largely been relegated to a supportive role. Due to the ambiguity and lack of truly decisive decisions in the Appellate Body in science-based trade disputes, this study concludes that the Appellate Body avoids taking a firm scientific position in cases where science is still inconclusive in any capacity. Due to the panel's unwillingness to establish expert review boards as it has the power to do, instead favoring an individual-based system so that all viewpoints can be heard, it has also developed a system with its own unique weaknesses. Similar to any court of law in which each opposing party defends its own interests, each side brings whatever scientific evidence it can to defend its position, incentivizing them to disregard scientific conclusions unfavorable to their position. With so many questions that can arise, combined with the problems of evolving science, questions of risk, and social concerns in democratic society, it is no wonder that the panel views scientific information provided by the experts as secondary to the legal and procedural issues. Despite being ruled against the EC on legal issues in two previous cases, the EC essentially won both times because the panel did not address whether its science was correct or not. This failure to conclusively resolve a debate over whose science is more scientific enabled the EC to simply fix the procedural issues, while continuing to enforce trade restrictions based on their scientific evidence. Based on the analysis of the two cases of disputes, Korea may also find itself guilty of imposing an unwarranted moratorium on Japan's fish exports, only to subsequently pass new restrictions on labelling and certification requirements because Japan may have much scientific evidence at its disposal. However, Korea might be able to create enough uncertainty in the panel to force them to rule exclusively on the legal issues of the case. This will then equip Korea, like the EC in the past, with a way of working around the ruling, by changing whatever legal procedure they need to while maintaining some, if not most, of its restrictions when the panel fails to address its case on scientific grounds.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.150-168
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• 2023

The anisotropic behavior of rocks is primarily attributed to the directional arrangement of rock-forming minerals and the distribution characteristics of microcracks. Notably, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks often exhibit distinct transverse isotropy in terms of their strength and deformation characteristics. Consequently, it is crucial to gain accurate insights into the deformation and failure characteristics of transversely isotropic rocks during rock mechanics design processes. The deformation of such rocks is described by five independent elastic constants, which are determined through laboratory testing. In this study, the characteristics of the directional variation of apparent elastic constants in transversely isotropic rocks were investigated using experimental data reported in the literature. To achieve this, the constitutive equation proposed by Mehrabadi & Cowin was introduced to calculate the apparent elastic constants more efficiently and systematically in a rotated Cartesian coordinate system. Four transversely isotropic rock types from the literature were selected, and the influence of changes in the orientation of the weak plane on the variations of the apparent elastic modulus, apparent shear modulus, and apparent Poisson's ratio was analyzed. Based on the investigation, a new constraint on the elastic constants has been proposed. If the proposed constraint is satisfied, the directional variation of the apparent elastic constants in transversely isotropic rocks aligns with intuitive predictions of their tendencies.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.5
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• pp.607-619
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• 2023

This study, it was tried to evaluate the asphalt behavior under tensile loading conditions through indirect Brazilian and direct tensile tests, experimentally and numerically. This paper is important from two points of view. The first one, a new test method was developed for the determination of the direct tensile strength of asphalt and its difference was obtained from the indirect test method. The second one, the effects of particle size and loading rate have been cleared on the tensile fracture mechanism. The experimental direct tensile strength of the asphalt specimens was measured in the laboratory using the compression-to-tensile load converting (CTLC) device. Some special types of asphalt specimens were prepared in the form of slabs with a central hole. The CTLC device is then equipped with this specimen and placed in the universal testing machine. Then, the direct tensile strength of asphalt specimens with different sizes of ingredients can be measured at different loading rates in the laboratory. The particle flow code (PFC) was used to numerically simulate the direct tensile strength test of asphalt samples. This numerical modeling technique is based on the versatile discrete element method (DEM). Three different particle diameters were chosen and were tested under three different loading rates. The results show that when the loading rate was 0.016 mm/sec, two tensile cracks were initiated from the left and right of the hole and propagated perpendicular to the loading axis till coalescence to the model boundary. When the loading rate was 0.032 mm/sec, two tensile cracks were initiated from the left and right of the hole and propagated perpendicular to the loading axis. The branching occurs in these cracks. This shows that the crack propagation is under quasi-static conditions. When the loading rate was 0.064 mm/sec, mixed tensile and shear cracks were initiated below the loading walls and branching occurred in these cracks. This shows that the crack propagation is under dynamic conditions. The loading rate increases and the tensile strength increases. Because all defects mobilized under a low loading rate and this led to decreasing the tensile strength. The experimental results for the direct tensile strengths of asphalt specimens of different ingredients were in good accordance with their corresponding results approximated by DEM software.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.163-177
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• 2023

Complex and intricate preparation techniques, the imperative for utmost precision and sensitivity in instrumentation, premature sample failure, and fragile specimens collectively contribute to the arduous task of measuring the fracture toughness of concrete in the laboratory. The objective of this research is to introduce and refine an equation based on the gene expression programming (GEP) method to calculate the fracture toughness of reinforced concrete, thereby minimizing the need for costly and time-consuming laboratory experiments. To accomplish this, various types of reinforced concrete, each incorporating distinct ratios of fibers and additives, were subjected to diverse loading angles relative to the initial crack (α) in order to ascertain the effective fracture toughness (Keff) of 660 samples utilizing the central straight notched Brazilian disc (CSNBD) test. Within the datasets, six pivotal input factors influencing the Keff of concrete, namely sample type (ST), diameter (D), thickness (t), length (L), force (F), and α, were taken into account. The ST and α parameters represent crucial inputs in the model presented in this study, marking the first instance that their influence has been examined via the CSNBD test. Of the 660 datasets, 460 were utilized for training purposes, while 100 each were allotted for testing and validation of the model. The GEP model was fine-tuned based on the training datasets, and its efficacy was evaluated using the separate test and validation datasets. In subsequent stages, the GEP model was optimized, yielding the most robust models. Ultimately, an equation was derived by averaging the most exemplary models, providing a means to predict the Keff parameter. This averaged equation exhibited exceptional proficiency in predicting the Keff of concrete. The significance of this work lies in the possibility of obtaining the Keff parameter without investing copious amounts of time and resources into the CSNBD test, simply by inputting the relevant parameters into the equation derived for diverse samples of reinforced concrete subject to varied loading angles.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.709-719
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• 2023

In general, most of the electrical equipment responsible for control within power plants is housed in self-standing cabinets. These cabinets are typically fixed to a slab using post-installed anchors. Although the fixation method of using post-installed anchors provides stability, there is a risk of conductor failure due to external forces, including moments. However, the performance assessment of current anchors is only evaluated through uniaxial material tests. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to compare the static performance of post-installed anchors, considering on-site installation conditions, with their performance in material tests and to analyze the behavioral characteristics of the anchors. While conducting experiments using actual cabinets would be ideal, practical and spatial constraints make this approach difficult. As an alternative, experiments were conducted using a test specimen consisting of a steel column and a support. As a result, the pull-out performance of anchors reflecting on-site installation conditions was measured to be about 10% higher than that observed in material tests. The trends in load reduction and the point of maximum performance for the anchors also differed. To verify the reliability of the experimental study, a 3D FEM analysis was performed, which will provide predictive information on the loads transferred to the post-installed anchors for structural performance evaluations of electrical cabinets using shaking table test in the future.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.497-507
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• 2024

In squat reinforced concrete walls, the displacement capacity for lateral deformation is low and the ability to resist the axial load can quickly be lost, generating collapse. This work consists of testing two squat reinforced concrete walls. One of the specimens is built with conventional detailing of reinforced concrete walls, while the second specimen is built applying an alternative design, including stirrups along the diagonal of the wall to improve its ductility. This solution differs from the detailing of beams or coupling elements that suggest building elements equivalent to columns located diagonally in the element. The dimensions of both specimens correspond to a wall with a low aspect ratio (1:1), where the height and length of the specimen are 1.4 m, with a thickness of 120 mm. The alternative wall included stirrups placed diagonally covering approximately 25% of the diagonal strut of the wall with alternative detailing. The walls were tested under a constant axial load of 0.1f'cAg and a cyclic lateral displacement was applied in the upper part of the wall. The results indicate that the lateral strength is almost identical between both specimens. On the other hand, the lateral displacement capacity increased by 25% with the alternative detailing, but it was also able to maintain the 3 complete hysteretic cycles up to a drift of 2.5%, reaching longitudinal reinforcement fracture, while the base specimen only reached the first cycle of 2% with rapid degradation due to failure of the diagonal compression strut. The alternative design also allows 46% more energy dissipation than the conventional design. A model was used to capture the global response, correctly representing the observed behavior. A parametric study with the model, varying the reinforcement amount and aspect ratio, was performed, indicating that the effectiveness of the alternative detailing can double de drift capacity for the case with a low aspect ratio (1.1) and a large longitudinal steel amount (1% in the web, 5% in the boundary), which decreases with lower amounts of longitudinal reinforcement and with the increment of aspect ratio, indicating that the alternative detailing approach is reasonable for walls with an aspect ratio up to 2, especially if the amount of longitudinal reinforcement is high.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2005

Those specifications of the CLIA analytical tolerance limits are consistent with the performance goals in Six Sigma Quality Management. Six sigma analysis determines performance quality from bias and precision statistics. It also shows if the method meets the criteria for the six sigma performance. Performance standards calculates allowable total error from several different criteria. Six sigma means six standard deviations from the target value or mean value and about 3.4 failures per million opportunities for failure. Sigma Quality Level is an indicator of process centering and process variation total error allowable. Tolerance specification is replaced by a Total Error specification, which is a common form of a quality specification for a laboratory test. The CLIA criteria for acceptable performance in proficiency testing events are given in the form of an allowable total error, TEa. Thus there is a published list of TEa specifications for regulated analytes. In terms of TEa, Six Sigma Quality Management sets a precision goal of TEa/6 and an accuracy goal of 1.5 (TEa/6). This concept is based on the proficiency testing specification of target value +/-3s, TEa from reference intervals, biological variation, and peer group median mean surveys. We have found rules to calculate as a fraction of a reference interval and peer group median mean surveys. We studied to develop total error allowable from peer group survey results and CLIA 88 rules in US on 19 items TP, ALB, T.B, ALP, AST, ALT, CL, LD, K, Na, CRE, BUN, T.C, GLU, GGT, CA, phosphorus, UA, TG tests in chematology were follows. Sigma level versus TEa from peer group median mean CV of each item by group mean were assessed by process performance, fitting within six sigma tolerance limits were TP ($6.1{\delta}$/9.3%), ALB ($6.9{\delta}$/11.3%), T.B ($3.4{\delta}$/25.6%), ALP ($6.8{\delta}$/31.5%), AST ($4.5{\delta}$/16.8%), ALT ($1.6{\delta}$/19.3%), CL ($4.6{\delta}$/8.4%), LD ($11.5{\delta}$/20.07%), K ($2.5{\delta}$/0.39mmol/L), Na ($3.6{\delta}$/6.87mmol/L), CRE ($9.9{\delta}$/21.8%), BUN ($4.3{\delta}$/13.3%), UA ($5.9{\delta}$/11.5%), T.C ($2.2{\delta}$/10.7%), GLU ($4.8{\delta}$/10.2%), GGT ($7.5{\delta}$/27.3%), CA ($5.5{\delta}$/0.87mmol/L), IP ($8.5{\delta}$/13.17%), TG ($9.6{\delta}$/17.7%). Peer group survey median CV in Korean External Assessment greater than CLIA criteria were CL (8.45%/5%), BUN (13.3%/9%), CRE (21.8%/15%), T.B (25.6%/20%), and Na (6.87mmol/L/4mmol/L). Peer group survey median CV less than it were as TP (9.3%/10%), AST (16.8%/20%), ALT (19.3%/20%), K (0.39mmol/L/0.5mmol/L), UA (11.5%/17%), Ca (0.87mg/dL1mg/L), TG (17.7%/25%). TEa in 17 items were same one in 14 items with 82.35%. We found out the truth on increasing sigma level due to increased total error allowable, and were sure that the goal of setting total error allowable would affect the evaluation of sigma metrics in the process, if sustaining the same process.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.33 no.1 s.96
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• pp.51-61
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a self-etching primer on the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets and on the failure pattern of bracket-adhesive interfaces in dry or wet condition. Brackets were bonded to extracted human teeth according to one of three experimental protocols. In the Group P, teeth were etched with $37\%$ phosphoric acid. After the Transbond XT Primer was applied onto the etched surfaces, the brackets were bonded with Transbond XT(3M, Unitek, Monrovia, Calif) and light cured for 40 seconds. In the Group SD, a self-etching primer(3M, Unitek, Monrovia, Calif) was placed on the enamel for 3 seconds and gently evaporated with air, as suggested by the manufacturer. The brackets were then bonded with Transbond XT as in the Group P In the Group SW, artificial saliva was applied to the enamel surface for 10 seconds to allow complete hydration of the surface before application self-etching primer The brackets were then bonded following the procedures of Group SD. Each group was divided into 2 sub-groups(0.5h, 24h) according to debonding time. Shear bond strengths were measured by Instron universal testing machine. After debonding, the teeth and brackets were examined under scanning electron microscope and assessed with the adhesive remnant index. The result obtained were summarized as follows ; 1. The shear bond strengths were high enough to use clinically in all testing groups, but the shear bond strengths of Group SD and SW were significantly lower than Group P(p<0.05). 2. With respect to comparison of debonding time, 24h debonding samples exhibited heigher shear bond strength than 0.5h debonding samples in Group P, SD and SW(p<0.05). 3. In the self etching primer groups(Group SD and Group SW), there was no significant difference in mean shear bond strength between under dry and wet state(p>0.05). 4. There was a greater frequency of ARI score of 0 and 1 with the Group P. On the other hand, there was a higher frequency of ARI scores of 2 and 3 with Group SD and Group SW(p<0.05).

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2022

Purpose. This study aims to evaluate the combined effect of reduced thickness in different regions on the fracture resistance of monolithic zirconia crowns. Materials and methods. Seven nickel-chromium dies were generated from a 3D model of mandibular first molar using the digital scanner with the following geometries: 1.5 mm occlusal reduction, 1.0 mm deep chamfer. Based on the abutment model, Zirconia blocks (Luxen Zirconia) were selected to fabricate Sixty-three zirconia crowns with occlusal thicknesses of 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1.5 mm, and different axial thicknesses of 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1.0 mm. All crowns were cemented by resin cement. Next, the crowns were subjected to load-to-fracture test until fracture using an electronic universal testing machine. In addition, fracture patterns were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Two-way ANOVA and the Tuckey HSD test for post hoc analysis were used for statistical analysis (P < .05). Results. The mean values of fracture resistancerecorded was higher than the average biting force in the posterior region. The two-way ANOVA showed that the occlusal and axial thickness affected the fracture resistance significantly (P < .05). However, the effect of axial thickness on fracture resistance did not show a statistical difference when thicker than 0.5 mm. The observed failure modes were partial or complete fracture depending on the severity of crack propagation. Conclusion. Within the limitations of the present study, the CAD-CAM monolithic zirconia crown with extremely reduced thickness showed adequate fracture resistance to withstand occlusal load in molar regions. In addition, both occlusal and axial thickness affected the fracture resistance of the zirconia crown and showed different results as combined.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 1994

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of various cements on the retention of casting crown and the cement film thickness. To evaluate the retention of crown, thirty maxillary premolars were used and prepared to largely same dimension. According to the routine method, Non-precious metal crowns were made. The teeth and the metal crowns were divided into three groups and cemented under 5kg static pressure. Group I was composed of 10 teeth and 10 metal crowns and was cemented with zinc phohsphste cement. Group II was composed of 10 teeth and 10 metal crowns and was cemented with Panavia-EX cement. Group III was composed of 10 teeth and 10 metal crowns and was cemented with All-Bond & composite resin cement. After 5 days, the cemented specimens were mounted and the failure loads were measured by an Instron Universal Testing Machine. To evaluate the cement film thickness. 5 metal teeth and 5metal crowns from a prepared maxillary premolar were made. Two marks were flawed on the margin part of each surface at 4-surfaces of each specimen(one mark : crown, the other : metal tooth) and were measured the width with SEM photograph(80 sheets) before and after cementation(Panavia-EX, All-Bond cement, & ZPC) was made. Differences of the widths of marks between before and after were measured, and differences from 4-surfaces of a specimen cemented with a cement were measured and calculated. The results were as follows ; 1. There was a statistically significant difference between the failure loads of group III and the others(p<0.05). 2. There was a statistically significant difference between the cement film thickness of group III and the others(p<0.05).