• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 2022

Tetanus is a potentially fatal public health illness resulted from the neurotoxins generated by Clostridium tetani. C. tetani is not easily culturable and culturing the relevant bacteria from infected wounds has rarely been useful in diagnosis; PCR-based assays can only be conducted at highly sophisticated laboratories. Therefore, a real-time recombinase polymerase amplification assay (Exo-RPA) was constructed to identify the fragments of the neurotoxin gene of C. tetani. Primers and the exo probe targeting the conserved region were designed, and the resulting amplicons could be detected in less than 20 min, with a detection limit of 20 copies/reaction. The RPA assay displayed good selectivity, and there were no cross-reactions with other infectious bacteria common in penetrating wounds. Tests of target-spiked serum and pus extract revealed that RPA is robust to interfering factors and has great potential for further development for biological sample analysis. This method has been confirmed to be reliable for discriminating between toxic and nontoxic C. tetani strains. The RPA assay dramatically improves the diagnostic efficacy with simplified device architecture and is a promising alternative to real-time PCR for tetanus detection.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.131-137
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• 2022

Osteomyelitis typically occurs because of the direct inoculation of bacteria or fungi after penetrating trauma or surgical contamination or, by extension, from soft tissue infection. Osteomyelitis is rarely reported in wildlife animals, though severe chronic osteomyelitis cases do exist in wildlife owing to the scarcity of medical support in the wild environment. This report describes three cases of chronic osteomyelitis in wild raccoon dogs related to trauma. The typical symptoms of three reported cases were ataxia, stiffness, muscle atrophy, and lethargy. All three cases were relevant to traumatic or severe external injury, and skin infestation caused by ectoparasites was apparent on an ocular inspection. In the radiographic examination, diffuse sites of osteolytic lesions and remarkable periosteal responses were demonstrated around the injured limb in all three cases. Apparent neutrophilia with a left shift, lymphocytosis, and monocytosis in hematological examinations generally indicated chronic infection as shown in case 1 and 3. Treatment was attempted with broad-spectrum antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, enrofloxacin, clindamycin, and meloxicam. These treatment options helped improve the overall prognosis of chronic osteomyelitis, but the outcomes did not meet the treatment goal entirely. Osteomyelitis can be extremely challenging to treat, particularly in wild animals, because of their distinctive traits, such as masking phenomenon and uncontrolled exposure to ectoparasites. Earlier diagnosis with a radiographic examination, hematological examinations, and careful patient monitoring, followed by prolonged antibiotic therapy and restricted exercise, are the key factors leading to a better prognosis.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.215-218
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• 2022

The rectum is the least frequently injured organ in trauma, with an incidence of about 1% to 3% in trauma cases involving civilians. Most rectal injuries are caused by gunshot wounds, blunt force trauma, and stab wounds. A 46-year-old male patient was crushed between two vehicles while he was working. He was hemodynamically unstable, and the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma showed hemoperitoneum and hemoretroperitoneum; therefore, damage control surgery with pelvic packing was performed. A subsequent whole-body computed tomography scan showed a displaced pelvic bone and sacrum fracture. There was evidence of an anorectal full-thickness laceration and urethral laceration. In second-look surgery performed 48 hours later, the pelvis was stabilized with external fixators, and it was decided to proceed with loop sigmoid colostomy. A tractioned rectal probe with an internal balloon was positioned in order to approach the flaps of the rectal wall laceration. On postoperative day 13, a radiological examination with endoluminal contrast injected from the stoma after removal of the balloon was performed and showed no evidence of extraluminal leak. Rectosigmoidoscopy, rectal manometry, anal sphincter electromyography, and trans-stomic transit examinations showed normal findings, indicating that it was appropriate to proceed with the closure of the colostomy. The postoperative course was uneventful. The optimal management for extraperitoneal penetrating rectal injuries continues to evolve. Primary repair with fecal diversion is the mainstay of treatment, and a conservative approach to rectal lacerations with an internal balloon in a rectal probe could provide a possibility for healing with a lower risk of complications.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2022

Background: 'Here and now' in the 21st century, what should we be thinking about in this situation where infectious diseases like COVID-19 are penetrating deeply into our lives? At this point, this study aims to present the concept of 'Healing Humanities.' Purposes: If the Humanities as a liberal arts education have emphasized the value of 'communication and convergence,' putting it up as the slogan until now, the Humanities now should seek practical ways to realize their potentials. Methods: The research method was discussed centering on the literature. Results: This discussion centers around the medieval jewelry therapy by Hildegard von Bingen. That is, this study discusses how Hildegard presented gem therapy treatment as a pioneer in the jewelry therapy. Conclusions: It is meaningful that human health and diseases, which are focused on medical technology today, can now serve as a way of humanities practice, and that Hildegart's jewelry treatment can be triggered by a breakthrough. In that sense, this study aims to reveal the legitimacy of Hildegard's treatment to be secured as the Healing Humanities.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.156-163
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• 2022

Background: This study attempted to apply resin infiltrant (RI) as a method to maintain the effect of tooth bleaching treatment and compared it with fluoride varnish (FV) or artificial saliva to evaluate the effect. Methods: Sixty healthy lozenge specimens were classified into five groups. Group 1 was the negative control group, and discoloration was induced after artificial saliva treatment of the tooth specimen (G1_S+C). Group 2 was a positive control group, in which pigmentation was induced after bleaching treatment and artificial saliva treatment (G2 _B+S+C). Coloration was induced in group 3 (experimental group 1) after bleaching treatment and artificial saliva treatment, followed by application of fluorine varnish (G3_B+FV+S+C). Coloration was induced in Group 4 (experimental group 2) after applying RI after bleaching treatment and artificial saliva treatment (G4_B+RI+S+C). Pigmentation was induced in group 5 (experimental group 3) after bleaching treatment and artificial saliva treatment, followed by acid treatment (etching) and treatment with RI (G5_B+E+RI+S+C). Coffee and wine were used to induce discoloration. The lightness value (L^*) of the CIE L^*a^*b^* color system was obtained by image analysis. Kruskal-Wallis H analysis was performed for the mean difference in L^* values by group. Results: When coloration was induced with coffee, there was no significant difference in L^* value between artificial saliva (G2 _B+S+C), FV (G3_B+FV+S+C), and RI (G4_B+RI+S+C, G5_B+E+RI+S+C) groups. There was no significant difference in L^* values between the artificial saliva (G2 _B+S+C), FV (G3_B+FV+S+C), and RI (G4_B+RI+S+C, G5_B+E+RI+S+C) groups, even in the case of wine induced coloration. Conclusion: It was confirmed that artificial saliva or RI treatment had similar effects to the FV previously used to maintain the effect of tooth bleaching treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.84-90
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• 2022

The purpose of the cover housing component of a car door is to protect the terminals of the plug housing that connects the electric control unit on the door side to the car body. Therefore, for a smooth assembly with the plug housing and to prevent contaminants from penetrating into the gaps that occur after assembly, the warpage of the cover housing should be minimized. In this study, to minimize the warpage of the cover housing, optimization was performed for design factors related to the mold and processes based on the injection molding simulation. These design factors include gate location, gate diameter, injection time, resin temperature, mold temperature, and packing pressure. To optimize the design factors, Taguchi's approach to the design of experiments was adopted. The optimal combination of the design factors and levels that minimize warpage was predicted through L₁₈-orthogonal array experiments and main effects analysis. Moreover, the warpage under the optimal design was estimated by the additive model, and it was confirmed through the simulation experiment that the estimated result was quite consistent with the experimental result. Additionally, it was found that the warpage under the optimal design was significantly improved compared to both the warpage under the initial design and the best warpage among the orthogonal array experimental results, which numerically decreased by 36.9% and 23.4%, respectively.

• Clean Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.245-253
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• 2010

Optimum conditions for UV-radiated photopolymerization of unsaturated polyester that could be used as protecting layer of large diameter pipe were investigated in this paper. UV photopolymerization method was selected to solve the problems, arising when thermal polymerization by organic peroxide was used, such as the instability of peroxide initiator, the evolution of volatile organic compound, and thermal deformation of product. Two of the photo-initiators (Irgacure 819 and Darocure 1173) well known for its penetrating ability deep into the polymer layer were selected, and the optimum conditions for photopolymerization (1.5 phr initiator content, 1:1.2 initiator ratio, Ga lamp for UV source) were found from the thermal and mechanical test results of the resultant UP polymers. In addition, composite materials containing UP polymer and glass fiber were tested for hardness, impact strength, and flexural strength to find that the impact strength of composite significantly improved.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.103-113
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• 2023

This study focused on understanding the relationship between the design of a tunnel boring machine disc cutter ring and its rock-breaking efficiency, as well as the applicable conditions of different cutter ring types. The discrete element method was used to establish a numerical model of the rock-breaking process using disc cutters with different ring types to reveal the development of rock damage cracks and variation in cutter penetration load. The calculation results indicate that a sharp-edged (V-shaped) disc cutter penetrates a rock mass to a given depth with the lowest load, resulting in more intermediate cracks and few lateral cracks, which leads to difficulty in crack combination. Furthermore, the poor wear resistance of a conventional V-shaped cutter can lead to an exponential increase in the penetration load after cutter ring wear. In contrast, constant-cross-section (CCS) disc cutters have the highest quantity of crack extensions after penetrating rock, but also require the highest penetration loads. An arch-edged (U-shaped) disc cutter is more moderate than the aforementioned types with sufficient intermediate and lateral crack propagation after cutting into rock under a suitable penetration load. Additionally, we found that the cutter ring wedge angle and edge width heavily influence cutter rock-breaking efficiency and that a disc cutter with a 16 to 22 mm edge width and 20° to 30° wedge angle exhibits high performance. Compared to V-shaped and U-shaped cutters, the CCS cutter is more suitable for soft or medium-strength rocks, where the penetration load is relatively small. Additionally, two typical case studies were selected to verify that replacing a CCS cutter with a U-shaped or optimized V-shaped disc cutter can increase cutting efficiency when encountering hard rocks.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.5C
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• pp.313-320
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• 2008

The discharge capacity testing apparatus using penetration method, being able to simulate in laboratory the condition of embedding plastic board drains in field, was developed to investigate consolidation characteristics of ground and to figure out discharge capacity of drains. The developed apparatus with a mandrel and penetrating device was designed to insert PBD into the ground prepared by previously applied pressure, being different from the conventional testing method that the drain was installed and the ground material was poured subsequently. Discharge capacity tests with the conventional apparatus as well as the newly developed one were performed to assess the applicability of the latter. As a result of tests, the conventional method showed delayed consolidation due to overall disturbance of ground and local deformation of drain caused by inhomogeneity of ground. Therefore discharge capacity of drain with the conventional apparatus was measured more or less larger than the expected values whereas discharge capacity with new one could be measured similar to the actual value in field.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.27 no.2_2
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• pp.437-443
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• 2024

The purpose of radiological Dispersal Device(RDD) is to kill people by explosives and to cause radiation exposure by dispersing radioactive materials. And It is a form of explosive that combines radioactive materials such as Co-60 and Ir-192 with improvised explosives. In this study, we tested and evaluated whether it was possible to read the internal structure of an explosive using X-rays in a radioactive explosive situation. The improvised explosive device was manufactured using 2 lb of model TNT explosives, one practice detonator, one 9V battery, and a timer switch in a leather briefcase measuring 41×35×10 cm³. The radioactive material used was the Co-60 source used in the low-level gamma ray irradiation device operated at the Advanced Radiation Research Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The radiation dose used was gamma ray energy of 1.17 MeV and 1.33 MeV from a Co-60 source of 2208 Ci. The dose rates are divided into 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 Gy/h, and the exposure time was divided into 1, 3, 5, and 10 minutes. Co-60 source was mixed with the manufactured explosive and X-ray image reading was performed. As a result of the experiment, the X-ray image appeared black in all conditions divided by dose rate and time, and it was impossible to confirm the internal structure of the explosive. This is because γ-rays emitted from radioactive explosives have higher energy and stronger penetrating power than X-rays, so it is believed that imaging using X-rays is limited By blackening the film. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for research and development of X-ray imaging that can read the internal structure of explosives in radioactive explosive situations.