• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.403-415
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to isolate and identify L-(+)-lactic acid-producing bacteria from tree barks collected in Thailand and evaluate the potential strain as probiotics. Twelve strains were isolated and characterized phenotypically and genotypically. The strains exhibited a rod-shaped morphology, high-temperature tolerance, and the ability to ferment different sugars into lactic acid. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis, all strains were identified as belonging to Weizmannia coagulans. Among the isolated strains, BKMTCR2-2 demonstrated exceptional lactic acid production, with 96.41% optical purity, 2.33 g/l of lactic acid production, 1.44 g/g of lactic acid yield (per gram of glucose consumption), and 0.0049 g/l/h of lactic acid productivity. This strain also displayed a wide range of pH tolerance, suggesting suitability for the human gastrointestinal tract and potential probiotic applications. The whole-genome sequence of BKMTCR2-2 was assembled using a hybridization approach that combined long and short reads. The genomic analysis confirmed its identification as W. coagulans and safety assessments revealed its non-pathogenic attribute compared to type strains and commercial probiotic strains. Furthermore, this strain exhibited resilience to acidic and bile conditions, along with the presence of potential probiotic-related genes and metabolic capabilities. These findings suggest that BKMTCR2-2 holds promise as a safe and effective probiotic strain with significant lactic acid production capabilities.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2024

We aimed to assess the evolution of small-strain stiffness and relative density in non-compacted embankment layers. We developed embedded type in-situ soil stiffness measurement devices for monitoring small-strain stiffness occurring after filling at a test site and conducted comprehensive laboratory compaction tests using an oedometer cell with a bender element. However, direct comparison is extremely difficult because the shear wave velocity measured in the field and laboratory depend on depth and effective stress, respectively. Therefore, we propose a method for establishing a relationship between effective stress and depth using a compressibility model. In this study, the shear wave velocity measured in the field was compared to the estimated shear wave velocity-depth profiles for completely dry and saturated conditions with different relative densities. The relative density under saturated soil conditions may vary between 50% and 90% and tends to be closer to 95%. Under dry soil conditions, the relative density of the embankment can vary from 30% to 70% and tends to approach 76%. For model validation, the relative density estimated from shear wave velocity-depth profiles was compared to that estimated from DCPI data. In other words, the results analyzed in the context of an effective stress-depth model enable the prediction of engineering properties such as the small-strain stiffness and relative density of embankment layers. This study demonstrates that physics-based data analyses successfully capture the relative density of non-compacted embankment layers.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.213-233
• /
• 2015

A nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) model is presented for simulating the behaviour of recycled aggregate concrete-filled steel tube (RACFST) beam-columns subjected to constant axial compressive load and cyclically increasing flexural loading. The FEA model was developed based on ABAQUS software package and a displacement-based approach was used. The proposed engineering stress versus engineering strain relationship of core concrete with the effect of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) replacement ratio was adopted in the FEA model. The predicted results of the FEA model were compared with the experimental results of several RACFST as well as the corresponding concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) beam-columns under cyclic loading reported in the literature. The comparison results indicated that the proposed FEA model was capable of predicting the load versus deformation relationship, lateral bearing capacity and failure pattern of RACFST beam-columns with an acceptable accuracy. A parametric study was further carried out to investigate the effect of typical parameters on the mechanism of RACFST beam-columns subjected to cyclic loading.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.62 no.1
• /
• pp.43-54
• /
• 2017

In this study, the failure behavior of composite material in the biaxial and off-axis loading is studied based on a computational micromechanical model. The model is developed so that the combination of mechanical and thermal loading conditions can be considered in the analysis. The modified generalized plane strain assumption of the theory of elasticity is used for formulation of the micromechanical modeling of the problem. A truly meshless method is employed to solve the governing equation and predict the distribution of micro-stresses in the selected RVE of composite. The fiber matrix interface is assumed to be perfect until the interface failure occurs. The biaxial and off-axis loading of the SiC/Ti and Kevlar/Epoxy composite is studied. The failure envelopes of SiC/Ti and Kevlar/Epoxy composite in off-axis loading, biaxial transverse-transverse and axial-transverse loading are predicted based on the micromechanical approach. Various failure criteria are considered for fiber, matrix and fiber-matrix interface. Comparison of results with the available results in the litreture shows excellent agreement with experimental studies.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2007.05a
• /
• pp.1830-1835
• /
• 2007

In the present work, the effect of strength mismatch on plastic limit loads is quantified for strength-mismatched plates with constant-depth surface cracks under tension, via three-dimensional, small strain elastic-perfectly plastic finite element analyses. Relevant variables related to plate and crack geometries are systematically varied, in addition to the weld width. An important finding is that a parameter related to the weld width-to-ligament ratio is proposed, based on which limit loads can be uniquely quantified. The proposed limit load solutions is a valuable input to estimate nonlinear fracture mechanics parameters based on the reference stress approach.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
• /
• 2004.05a
• /
• pp.210-213
• /
• 2004

Based on plastic instability, analytical prediction of bursting failure on tube hydroforming processes under combined internal pressure and independent axial feeding is carried out. Bursting is irrecoverable phenomenon due to local instability under excessive tensile stresses. In order to predict the bursting failure, three different classical necking criteria such as diffuse necking criterion for sheet and tube, local necking criterion for sheet are introduced. The incremental theory of plasticity fur anisotropic material is adopted and then the hydroforming limit and bursting failure diagram with respect to axial feeding and hydraulic pressure are presented. In addition, the influences of the material properties such as anisotropy parameter, strain hardening exponent on bursting pressure are investigated. As results of the above approach, the hydroforming limit in view of bursting failure is verified with experimental results.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
• /
• 2003.04a
• /
• pp.95-102
• /
• 2003

To define an analytical model for a structural system or to assess damage in the system, system identification(SI) methods have been developed and widely applied. The paper presents a method of determining optimal sensor location(OSL) based on the maximum likelihood approach, which is applicable to modal SI methods. To estimate unknown parameters reliably, it is necessary that the information provided by the experiment should be maximized. By applying the Cramer-Rao inequality, a Fisher information matrix in terms of the probability density function of measurements is obtained from a lower bound of the estimation error. The paper also proposes a scheme of determining of OSL on damaged structures by using maximum strain energy factor. Simulation studies have carried out to investigate the proposed OSL algorithm for both undamaged and damaged structures.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.311-317
• /
• 2004

This paper proposes engineering estimation equations for the maximum deflection of a cylinder subject to bending under elastic-plastic and elastic-creep conditions. Being based on the reference stress approach, the proposed equations are simple to use and can accommodate general tensile and creep behaviours. Validation against detailed 3-D FE results using actual stress-strain data and realistic creep-deformation data shows excellent agreement, which provides confidence in the use of the proposed equation. Based on the proposed equations, together with information on in-service inspection data, discussion is given how to estimate future time-dependent and time-independent deflection of the CANDU pressure tube. Thus the present result would be valuable information for integrity assessment of the CANDU pressure tube.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.1 no.3
• /
• pp.309-324
• /
• 2005

This paper presents an efficient and accurate coupled beam model for piezoelectric bimorphs based on improved first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The model combines the equivalent single layer approach for the mechanical displacements and a layerwise modeling for the electric potential. General electric field function is proposed to reasonably approximate the through-the-thickness distribution of the applied and induced electric potentials. Layerwise defined shear correction factor (k) accounting for nonlinear shear strain distribution is introduced into both the shear stress resultant and the electric displacement integration. Analytical solutions for free vibrations and forced response under electromechanical loads are obtained for the simply supported piezoelectric bimorphs with series or parallel arrangement, and the numerical results for various length-to-thickness ratios are compared with the exact two-dimensional piezoelasticity solution. Excellent predictions with low error estimates of local and global responses as well as the modal frequencies are observed.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
• /
• v.1 no.3
• /
• pp.339-355
• /
• 2008

A Galerkin meshfree method is presented for analyzing shear deformable cylindrical panels. Based upon the analogy between the cylindrical panel and the curved beam a pure bending mode for cylindrical panel is rationally constructed. The meshfree approximation employed herein is characterized by an enhanced moving least square or reproducing kernel basis function that can exactly represent the pure bending mode and thus meets the requirement of Kirchhoff mode reproducing condition. The variational form is discretized using the efficient stabilized conforming nodal integration with a smoothed nodal gradient based curvature. The resulting meshfree formulation satisfies the integration constraint for bending exactness. Moreover, it is shown here that the smoothed gradient preserves several desired properties which are valid for the standard gradient obtained by direct differentiation, such as partition of nullity and reproduction of a constant strain field. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated by two benchmark cylindrical panel examples.