• Composites Research
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.39-43
• /
• 2020

Recently, fabrication process of thermoplastic polyamide-based composites with recyclability as well as impact, chemical, and abrasion resistance have been widely studied. In particular, thermoplastic reactive resin transfer molding (TRTM) in which monomer with low viscosity is injected and in-situ polymerized inside mold has received a great attention, because thermoplastic melts are hard to impregnate fiber preform due to their very high viscosity. However, it is difficult to optimize the processing conditions because of high reactivity and sensitivity to external environments of the used monomer, ε-caprolactam. In this study, viscosity as an important process parameter in TRTM was measured during in-situ anionic polymerization of ε-caprolactam and the solutions for problems caused by high polymerization rate and sensitivity to moisture and oxygen were suggested. Reliability of the improved measurement technique was verified by comparing the viscosity behavior at various environmental conditions including humidity and atmosphere, and it is expected to be helpful for optimization of TRTM process.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.159-166
• /
• 2022

Background: A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was adopted in the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH, EU) regulations as well as the Act on Registration, Evaluation, etc. of Chemicals (AREC, Republic of Korea). It has been previously used in the registration of chemicals. Objectives: In this study, we investigated the correlation between the predicted data provided by three prediction programs using a QSAR model and actual experimental results (acute fish, daphnia magna toxicity). Through this approach, we aimed to effectively conjecture on the performance and determine the most applicable programs when designating toxic substances through the AREC. Methods: Chemicals that had been registered and evaluated in the Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TCCA, Republic of Korea) were selected for this study. Two prediction programs developed and operated by the U.S. EPA - the Ecological Structure-Activity Relationship (ECOSAR) and Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (T.E.S.T.) models - were utilized along with the TOPKAT (Toxicity Prediction by Komputer Assisted Technology) commercial program. The applicability of these three programs was evaluated according to three parameters: accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results: The prediction analysis on fish and daphnia magna in the three programs showed that the TOPKAT program had better sensitivity than the others. Conclusions: Although the predictive performance of the TOPKAT program when using a single predictive program was found to perform well in toxic substance designation, using a single program involves many restrictions. It is necessary to validate the reliability of predictions by utilizing multiple methods when applying the prediction program to the regulation of chemicals.

• Advances in nano research
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.375-394
• /
• 2024

The extensive utilization of concrete has given rise to environmental concerns, specifically concerning the depletion of river sand. To address this issue, waste deposits can provide manufactured-sand (MS) as a substitute for river sand. The objective of this study is to explore the application of machine learning techniques to facilitate the production of manufactured-sand concrete (MSC) containing stone nano-powder through estimating the splitting tensile strength (STS) containing compressive strength of cement (CSC), tensile strength of cement (TSC), curing age (CA), maximum size of the crushed stone (Dmax), stone nano-powder content (SNC), fineness modulus of sand (FMS), water to cement ratio (W/C), sand ratio (SR), and slump (S). To achieve this goal, a total of 310 data points, encompassing nine influential factors affecting the mechanical properties of MSC, are collected through laboratory tests. Subsequently, the gathered dataset is divided into two subsets, one for training and the other for testing; comprising 90% (280 samples) and 10% (30 samples) of the total data, respectively. By employing the generated dataset, novel models were developed for evaluating the STS of MSC in relation to the nine input features. The analysis results revealed significant correlations between the CSC and the curing age CA with STS. Moreover, when delving into sensitivity analysis using an empirical model, it becomes apparent that parameters such as the FMS and the W/C exert minimal influence on the STS. We employed various loss functions to gauge the effectiveness and precision of our methodologies. Impressively, the outcomes of our devised models exhibited commendable accuracy and reliability, with all models displaying an R-squared value surpassing 0.75 and loss function values approaching insignificance. To further refine the estimation of STS for engineering endeavors, we also developed a user-friendly graphical interface for our machine learning models. These proposed models present a practical alternative to laborious, expensive, and complex laboratory techniques, thereby simplifying the production of mortar specimens.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.351-362
• /
• 2024

Objective: To measure inter-reader agreement and identify associated factors in interpreting complete response (CR) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study involved 10 readers from seven hospitals with experience of 80-10210 cases, and 149 patients who underwent surgery after CRT for rectal cancer. Using MRI-based tumor regression grading (mrTRG) and methods employed in daily practice, the readers independently assessed mrTRG, CR on T2-weighted images (T2WI) denoted as mrCR_T2W, and CR on all images including diffusion-weighted images (DWI) denoted as mrCR_overall. The readers described their interpretation patterns and how they utilized DWI. Inter-reader agreement was measured using multi-rater kappa, and associated factors were analyzed using multivariable regression. Correlation between sensitivity and specificity of each reader was analyzed using Spearman coefficient. Results: The mrCR_T2W and mrCR_overall rates varied widely among the readers, ranging 18.8%-40.3% and 18.1%-34.9%, respectively. Nine readers used DWI as a supplement sequence, which modified interpretations on T2WI in 2.7% of cases (36/1341 [149 patients × 9 readers]) and mostly (33/36) changed mrCR_T2W to non-mrCR_overall. The kappa values for mrTRG, mrCR_T2W, and mrCR_overall were 0.56 (95% confidence interval: 0.49, 0.62), 0.55 (0.52, 0.57), and 0.54 (0.51, 0.57), respectively. No use of rectal gel, larger initial tumor size, and higher initial cT stage exhibited significant association with a higher interreader agreement for assessing mrCR_overall (P ≤ 0.042). Strong negative correlations were observed between the sensitivity and specificity of individual readers (coefficient, -0.718 to -0.963; P ≤ 0.019). Conclusion: Inter-reader agreement was moderate for assessing CR on post-CRT MRI. Readers' varying standards on MRI interpretation (i.e., threshold effect), along with the use of rectal gel, initial tumor size, and initial cT stage, were significant factors associated with inter-reader agreement.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.118-126
• /
• 2024

In this paper, the research contents and results related to the automation of the hull-form optimal design of container ships are summarized. A container ship is a ship that generally operates near Froude number of 0.26. To implement hull-form optimal design automation for ships operating at this speed, an optimization algorithm, a hull-form change algorithm, a ship performance prediction algorithm, an automation algorithm, and an iterative calculation technique were applied to develop a numerical analysis computer program that enables hull-form optimal design automation of the container ship, and it was named HOTCONTAINER. In this study, a sensitivity analysis algorithm was developed and applied to appropriately set design variables for hull-form optimal design. To understand the reliability and real ship applicability of the developed algorithm, a numerical analysis was performed on KCS(KRISO Container Ship), a container ship that has been studied in various ways worldwide. Consequently, the optimal ship was derived, and the wave resistance, wave pattern, and wave height of the target and optimal ship were compared. In conclusion, compared the target ship, the optimal ship a 47.63% decrease in wave resistance, and the displacement and wet surface area decreased by 0.50% and 0.39%, respectively.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.249-260
• /
• 2024

This paper aimed to summarize research on technologies that could efficiently reduce wave-making resistance of container ships. Tto develop wave resistance reduction technology that could be applied to container ships and use it in real ship design, hull-form optimal design was performed by applying optimization algorithms, hull-form change algorithms, ship performance prediction algorithms, automation algorithms, and iterative optimal design techniques. A computer program was also developed. To properly set design variables known to be important elements in hull-form optimal design and to efficiently set lower and upper limits of design variables, a sensitivity analysis algorithm was developed and applied to hull-form optimal design. To predict the reliability and applicability of the developed computer program for real ships, hull-form optimal design was performed for a KRISO Container Ship (KCS), a container ship with various studies conducted worldwide. Hull-form optimal design was performed at Fn=0.26, the design speed of the KCS ship. Numerical analysis was performed on the hull-form of the target ship, the KCS ship, and the hull-form of the ship derived as a result of the hull-form optimal design to determine wave resistance, wave system, and wave height. The optimal ship's wave resistance was found to be reduced by 80.60% compared to the target ship. The displacement and wetted surface area were also found to be reduced by 1.54% and 1.21%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.11 no.7
• /
• pp.33-43
• /
• 2010

The physical characteristics of the marine clay in the Korean Peninsula, specifically Pusan areas of the south coast of Korea, were previously studied and reliable data from harbor construction projects were used for the relationship analysis of geotechnical strength parameters. The sample of marine clay classified to ML, MH, CL, CH and ML-CL from USCS were included for the analysis while the samples classified to SC were excluded in order to raise the degree of data analysis. Geotechnical strength properties, such as undrained shear strength, sensitivity ratio, and effective friction angle were analyzed and evaluated using the data obtained from unconfined compression test, triaxial compression test and field vane test. Abnormal values were extracted through statistical analysis. Moreover, the reliability of the results was improved by performing the evaluation of disturbance. Linear regression analysis was used for the relationship analysis, between undrained shear strength and depth. The relationship equation between undrained shear strength and depth was derived from the analysis of unconfined and triaxial compression test data of samples obtained at same location. Consequently, The relationship between depth and undrained shear strength is $S_u=0.015148D+0.04624$ and the undrained shear strength derived from the triaxial compression test was estimated to be about 1.26 of derived from the unconfined compression test.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.415-421
• /
• 2015

This paper describes the study of the design procedure for the step-by-step setup parameters and of the magnetizing method for performance and size reduction in the development of a haptic vibrator. The study of magnetization was accomplished by comparing the electromagnetic force in accordance with the horizontal and the vertical magnetization. The theoretical results indicated that the horizontal magnetization resulted in a better performance. The systematic design of a step-by-step procedure for establishing the design parameters was verified by testing the characteristics of the fabricated prototype product. The vibration response function analysis and electric field analysis were processed by decoupling of the analytical method, and these were determined to be in good agreement with the test results. The design parameters to contributing to the product reliability included the spring height, the welding position, and the coil position. The sensitivity of the electromagnetic field and the performance change were analyzed based on the design parameters. As a result, we proposed a design method to implement a reliability-based, high performance haptic vibrator.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.17 no.2 s.75
• /
• pp.227-241
• /
• 2005

This paper presents a practical and realistic Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) optimum design methodology for steel bridges considering the long-term effect of environmental stressors such as corrosion and heavy truck traffics on bridge reliability. The LCC functions considered in the LCC optimization consist of initial cost, expected life-cycle maintenance cost, and expected life-cycle rehabilitation costs including repair/replacement costs, loss of contents or fatality and injury losses, road user costs, and indirect socio-economic losses. For the assessment of the life-cycle rehabilitation costs, the annual probability of failure, which depends upon the prior and updated load and resistance histories, should be accounted for. For the purpose, Nowak live load model and a modified corrosion propagation model, which takes into consideration corrosion initiation, corrosion rate, and repainting effect, are adopted in this study. The proposed methodology is applied to the LCC optimum design problem of an actual steel box girder bridge with 3 continuous spans (40m+50m+40m=130m). Various sensitivity analyses are performed to investigate the effects of various design parameters and conditions on the LCC-effectiveness. From the numerical investigation, it has been observed that local corrosion environments and the volume of truck traffic significantly influence the LCC-effective optimum design of steel bridges. Thus, these conditions should be considered as crucial parameters for the optimum LCC-effective design.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.23
• /
• pp.10121-10128
• /
• 2015

Background: Cancers impose an increasing burden on health of the populations and individuals, but little is known about cancer patient satisfaction with care. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) In-Patsat32, as a recently developed questionnaire to assess cancer patient satisfaction with care and information provided during hospital admission. Materials and Methods: Complying with EORTC protocols, the Persian version of Inpatsat32 was translated and piloted in a small group of patients, then applied to 380 cancer patients admitted to different oncology wards in Tehran. Validity (convergent, discriminant, and divergent) and reliability of the tool was assessed through using multitrait analysis, factor analysis, intraclass correlations, Chronbach's alpha and test-retest (on a sample of 70 patients). Results: Good acceptance and high sensitivity of the questionnaire with low floor and ceiling effects were recognized, indicating power of the instrument to detect differences between groups with heterogeneous levels of satisfaction. Multitrait scaling analyses supported the convergent validity of the majority of scales (correlation coefficient >0.4) and favorable discriminant validity (item own scale correlation >0.8). There was no correlation between In-patsat32 scales and the EORTC-C30, which measures different concepts, confirming divergent validity of the tool. Internal consistency for all domains was high (${\alpha}$ >0.70) except for the hospital access score and the test-retest reliability was excellent (r=0.86-0.96). There was a weak responsiveness to change except for nurses technical skills. Principle component analysis confirmed five domains with much improved internal consistency (${\alpha}$ >0.9). Conclusions: The Persian version of the EORTC-in-patsat32 module is a reliable and valid instrument to measure cancer patient satisfaction with care received during their hospitalization period and can be utilized in clinical cancer research.