• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.329-336
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• 2010

The paper describes the electrical and optical properties of underwater discharges in highly inhomogeneous electric fields caused by 1.2/50 ${\mu}s$ impulse voltages as functions of the polarity and amplitude of the applied voltage, and various water conductivities. The electric fields are formed by a point-to-plane electrode system. The formation of air bubbles is associated with a thermal process of the water located at the tip of the needle electrode, and streamer coronas can be initiated in the air bubbles and propagated through the test gap with stepped leaders. The fastest streamer channel experiences the final jump across the test gap. The negative streamer channels not only have more branches but are also more widely spread out than the positive streamer channels. The propagation velocity of the positive streamer is much faster than that of the negative one and, in fact, both these velocities are independent of the water conductivity; in addition the time-lag to breakdown is insensitive to water conductivity. The higher the water conductivity the larger the pre-breakdown energy, therefore, the ionic currents do not contribute to the initiation and propagation of the underwater discharges in the test conditions considered.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• v.2
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• pp.317-320
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• 2006

Ships and their cargos have been managed safely by positioning report system. However, little attention has been paid to safety of crew's works with danger. The attempt that used PHS inboard was before by the present authors. However, the functions were just voice call and mail exchange. The data acquisition from the terminal by proper control was not possible. Thus the position of the terminal was not available. As for the cell phone of next generation, GPS receiver and wireless LAN are installed by manufacturers. Therefore, we propose a system which uses a cell-phone with GPS receiver on a ship in order to promote the safety of ship's crew. We checked the availability of cell-phone GPS receiver at thirty different points inboard. The positioning was not possible in the areas further than 4m from the window. Then, we proposed the system which follows the positions of the crews and confirms their safety inboard by using the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) function by wireless LAN.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.7 no.1_2
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• pp.35-38
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• 1980

Korean family planning program has been adopted as a part of the Economic Development Plan with strong national government backup. After initiation of family planning program, the increase rate of total population declined from 2.6 percent during 1955-1960, to 2.1 percent in 1960-1975, and 1.6 percent in 1979. Of course, we do not ascribe this population increase rate decline to the national family planning program alone. Other contributing factors have been changes such as growing numbers of induced absortions, a rising marriage age and economic development. Currently, 2,600 family planning workers are assigned in all myun of the country. 21 percent of the works are registered nurse, 9 percent are midwife and aid nurses occupy 70 percent (Table 1). Authorized clinics are 2,329 which composed 1,765 IUD clinics, 1,070 vasectomy clinics and 1,150 Fimale sterilization clinics (Table 2). Cumulative contraceptive services provided by government program, 1962-1974 is illustrated in Table 3. After government program in family planning has been initiated (1962-1978), estimated number of births averted by each methods was measured (Table 4). From 1962 to 1978, tendency of contraceptive acceptors is illustrated in Table 5 showed that IUD, oral pill and condom program is decreasing and in other hand, sterilization program is increasing very much. Attitude change toward family size (1965-1978), contraceptive practice and son preference are showed in Table 7, 8, respectively. Auther concluded that future program in family planning should target to the point, that smaller family size norm for maternal health should be emphasized rather than smaller size family for national development.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.267-278
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• 2016

In order to observe the internal damage of concrete in real time, we introduced acoustic emission nondestructive detecting technology into a series of fracture tests; the test results revealed the whole process that concrete undergoes when it sustains damage that leads to failure, according to the change rules of the acoustic emission parameters. The results showed that both the initiation and unstable loads can be accurately determined using the abrupt change of the acoustic emission rate curves and the turning point of the acoustic emission parameters' accumulative curves. The whole process, from damage to failure, includes five phases, beginning with damage, such as cracking, a stable crack growth process, a critical unstable stage, and unstable propagation. The brittle fracture characteristics of concrete change when steel bars are joined, because the steel bars and the concrete structure bond, which causes an increase in the acoustic emission signals within the fracture process of the reinforced concrete. The unstable propagation stage is also extended. Our research results provide a valid methodology and technical explanations, which can help researchers to monitor the cracking process of concrete structures, in real time, during actual projects.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.33-43
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• 2019

In this study, the effects of Zn additions on the mechanical properties of Al-Si-Mg-Cu alloys were investigated by increasing the amount of Zn up to 8wt.%. As the Zn content was increased up to 6 wt.%, the yield strength and elongation changed linearly without any significant changes in the size and shape of the main reinforcement phase. However, it was confirmed by SEM observation that the Mg-Zn phase formed between the reinforcement phases when the amount of Zn added exceeded 7wt.%. A Mg-Zn intermetallic compound formed between the $Mg_2Si$ phase, becoming a crack initiation point under stress. Thus, the formation of the Mg-Zn phase may cause a sharp decrease in the elongation when Zn at levels exceeding 7 wt.%. It was also found that the matrix became more brittle with increasing the Zn content. From these results, it can be concluded that the formation of the Mg-Zn intermetallic compound and the brittle characteristics of the matrix are the main causes of the remarkable changes in the mechanical properties of this alloy system

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.5
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• pp.637-650
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• 2021

The paper presents an investigation of the widely varying mechanical performance and behaviour of steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete beams using non-destructive techniques of Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) under four-point bending. Laboratory experiments are performed on both differently reinforced concrete beams with 0.33%, 0.52% and 1.11% of tension reinforcement against balanced section. The results show that the ultimate load-carrying capacity increases with an increase in tensile reinforcement in both cases. In addition to that, AE waveform parameters of amplitude and number of AE hits successfully correlates and picks up the divergent mechanism of cracking initiation and progression of failure in steel reinforced and GFRP reinforced concrete beams. AE activity is about 20-30% more in GFRP-RC beams as compared to steel-RC beams. It was primarily due to the lower modulus of elasticity of GFRP bars leading to much larger ductility and deflections as compared to steel-RC beams. Furthermore, AE XY event plots and longitudinal strain profiles using DIC gives an online and real-time visual display of progressive AE activity and strains respectively to efficaciously depict the crack evolution and their advancement in steel-RC and GFRP-RC beams which show a close matching with the micro-and macro-cracks visually observed in the actual beams at various stages of loading.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.256-269
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• 2020

The objective of this study is to evaluate the stress thresholds in crack development and the corrected fracture toughness of KURT granite under dry and saturated conditions. The stress thresholds were identified by calculation of inelastic volumetric strain from an uniaxial compression test. The corrected fracture toughness was estimated by using the Level II method (Chevron Bend specimen), suggested by ISRM (1988), in which non-linear behaviors of rock was taken into account. Average crack initiation stress(σ_ci) and crack damage stress(σ_cd) under a dry condition were 91.1 MPa and 128.7 MPa. While, average crack initiation stress(σ_ci) and crack damage stress(σ_cd) under a saturated condition were 58.2 MPa and 68.2 MPa. The crack initiation stress and crack damage stress of saturated ones decreased 36% and 47% respectively compared to those of dry specimens. A decrease in crack damage stress is relatively larger than that of crack initiation stress under a saturated condition. This indicates that the unstable crack growth can be more easily generated because of the saturation effect of water compared to the dry condition. The average corrected fracture toughness of KURT granite was 0.811 MPa·m^0.5. While, the fracture toughness of saturated KURT granite(K_CB) was 0.620 MPa·m^0.5. The corrected fracture toughness of rock in saturated condition decreases by 23.5% compared to that in dry condition. It is found that the resistance to crack propagation decreases under the saturated geological condition.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2010

Objectives: The pandemic of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus has required decision-makers to act in the face of the substantial uncertainties. In this study, we evaluated the potential impact of the pandemic response strategies in the Republic of Korea using a mathematical model. Methods: We developed a deterministic model of a pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in a structured population using the demographic data from the Korean population and the epidemiological feature of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009. To estimate the parameter values for the deterministic model, we used the available data from the previous studies on pandemic influenza. The pandemic response strategies of the Republic of Korea for novel influenza A (H1N1) virus such as school closure, mass vaccination (70% of population in 30 days), and a policy for anti-viral drug (treatment or prophylaxis) were applied to the deterministic model. Results: The effect of two-week school closure on the attack rate was low regardless of the timing of the intervention. The earlier vaccination showed the effect of greater delays in reaching the peak of outbreaks. When it was no vaccination, vaccination at initiation of outbreak, vaccination 90 days after the initiation of outbreak and vaccination at the epidemic peak point, the total number of clinical cases for 400 days were 20.8 million, 4.4 million, 4.7 million and 12.6 million, respectively. The pandemic response strategies of the Republic of Korea delayed the peak of outbreaks (about 40 days) and decreased the number of cumulative clinical cases (8 million). Conclusions: Rapid vaccination was the most important factor to control the spread of pandemic influenza, and the response strategies of the Republic of Korea were shown to delay the spread of pandemic influenza in this deterministic model.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.394-405
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• 2016

Objectives: The survival outcomes of antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs have not been systematically evaluated at the state level in India. This retrospective study assessed the survival rates and factors associated with survival among adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods: The present study used data from 139 679 HIV patients aged ${\geq}15$ years on ART who were registered from 2007 to 2011 and were followed up through December 2013. The primary end point was death of the patient. Mortality densities (per 1000 person-years) were calculated. Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression models were used to estimate survival and explore the factors associated with survival. Results: The overall median follow-up time was 16.0 months (2.0 months for the deceased and 14.0 months for those lost to follow-up). Approximately 13.2% of those newly initiated on ART died during follow-up. Of those deaths, 56% occurred in the first three months. The crude mortality rate was 80.9 per 1000 person-years at risk. The CD4 count (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR],4.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.36 to 5.46 for < $100cells/mm^3$ vs. > $350cells/mm^3$), functional status (aHR, 3.05; 95% CI, 2.82 to 3.30 for bedridden vs. normal), and body weight (aHR, 3.69; 95% CI, 3.42 to 3.97 for <45 kg vs. >60 kg) were strongly associated with the survival of HIV patients. Conclusions: The study findings revealed that high mortality was observed within the first three months of ART initiation. Patients with poor baseline clinical characteristics had a higher risk of mortality. Expanded testing and counseling should be encouraged, with the goal of ensuring early enrollment into the program followed by the initiation of ART in HIV-infected patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.50-57
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• 2021

Objectives Clozapine is the most effective atypical antipsychotic agent for the treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), however, only 40%-70% of TRS patients respond to clozapine. Moreover, TRS encompasses various symptom dimensions. Therefore, augmentation with other medications for clozapine is frequently applied. However, the prescription pattern of clozapine and combined medications in Korea is yet to be examined. This study aims to investigate the maintenance treatment pattern of clozapine and augmentation agents in one Korean tertiary hospital. Methods The patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders under clozapine maintenance, defined as one-year clozapine continuation, were subjected for analysis. Medication data at one-year time-point after clozapine initiation was extracted and analyzed. Results Among total 2897 patients having clozapine prescription experience from January 2000 to December 2018, 1011 patients were on clozapine maintenance. The mean age of clozapine initiation was 30.2 ± 11.3 years, and the maintenance dose of clozapine was 217.8 ± 124.3 mg/day. Combination rate of antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants were 43.5%, 25.3%, 38.6%, respectively. Most frequently prescribed drugs in each category were aripiprazole, valproate, and sertraline. Olanzapine equivalent dose of combined antipsychotics was 10.4 ± 7.7 mg/day. Male patients were prescribed higher dose of combined antipsychotics and higher rate of antidepressants. Female patients had later onset of clozapine prescription. Patients with two or more combined antipsychotics were prescribed higher dose of clozapine and higher rate of antidepressants compared to patients with one combined antipsychotic. Conclusions Taken together, among the patients taking clozapine, a substantial rate of patients were under polypharmacy. The present findings based on the real-world prescription pattern could provide the valuable clinical information on the treatment of TRS-related conditions.