In this study, the SBC system, a new mechanical joint method, was developed to improve the constructability of precast concrete (PC) beam-column connections. The reliability of the finite element analysis model was verified through the comparison of experimental results and FEM analysis results. Recently, the intermediate moment frame, a seismic force resistance system, has served as a ramen structure that resists seismic force through beams and columns and has few load-bearing walls, so it is increasingly being applied to PC warehouses and PC factories with high loads and long spans. However, looking at the existing PC beam-column anchorage details, the wire, strand, and lower main bar are overlapped with the anchorage rebar at the end, so they do not satisfy the joint and anchorage requirements for reinforcing bars (KDS 41 17 00 9.3). Therefore, a mechanical joint method (SBC) was developed to meet the relevant standards and improve constructability. Tensile and bending experiments were conducted to examine structural performance, and a finite element analysis model was created. The load-displacement curve and failure pattern confirmed that both the experimental and analysis results were similar, and it was verified that a reliable finite element analysis model was built. In addition, bending tests showed that the larger the thickness of the bolt joint surface of the SBC, the better its structural performance. It was also determined that the system could improve energy dissipation ability and ductility through buckling and yielding occurring in the SBC.

Scabies, caused by an infestation of the skin with the itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei), is highly contagious and classified as a prevalent neglected tropical diseases. The current diagnostic approach relies solely on clinical judgment based on symptoms, history, and microscopic observation by an experienced dermatologist. To enhance sensitivity and specificity, we developed an alternative method based on mite-derived DNA. Our method involves a quick DNA release from skin scraping samples and Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) targeting the scabies mite-specific DNA sequences, enabling diagnosis within 30 minutes. Importantly, no cross-reactivity was observed when the sample was contaminated by two house dust mite species, and false positives were barely detected. Currently, we are in the process of developing a Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) kit for a scabies survey targeting school-age children in Timor-Leste as a global health project.

기존 교량을 일체식 교대 교량과 같이 거동할 수 있도록 교대 흉벽과 상부슬래브를 일체화하는 흉 벽 일체식 교대 교량 공법에 관한 것으로, 교대 흉벽은 뒤채움 토사의 토압을 주요 하중으로 설계되기 때문에 배면부에는 휨보강 철근이 배치되지만 흉벽 일체화에 따른 흉벽 전면부에 온도팽창에 저항하 기에 부족한 철근량을 가지게 된다. 본 실험 연구는 일체화된 흉벽 구조체의 단차부 전면에 부착-정 착방식으로 제작된 FRP 보강체를 사용하여 휨 실험을 수행하고 이를 비교 분석하였다.

Background: The small intestine plays a crucial role in animals in maintaining homeostasis as well as a series of physiological events such as nutrient uptake and immune function to improve productivity. Research on intestinal organoids has recently garnered interest, aiming to study various functions of the intestinal epithelium as a potential alternative to an in vivo system. These technologies have created new possibilities and opportunities for substituting animals for testing with an in vitro model. Methods: Here, we report the establishment and characterisation of intestinal organoids derived from jejunum tissues of adult pigs. Intestinal crypts, including intestinal stem cells from the jejunum tissue of adult pigs (10 months old), were sequentially isolated and cultivated over several passages without losing their proliferation and differentiation using the scaffold-based and three-dimensional method, which indicated the recapitulating capacity. Results: Porcine jejunum-derived intestinal organoids showed the specific expression of several genes related to intestinal stem cells and the epithelium. Furthermore, they showed high permeability when exposed to FITC-dextran 4 kDa, representing a barrier function similar to that of in vivo tissues. Collectively, these results demonstrate the efficient cultivation and characteristics of porcine jejunum-derived intestinal organoids. Conclusions: In this study, using a 3D culture system, we successfully established porcine jejunum-derived intestinal organoids. They show potential for various applications, such as for nutrient absorption as an in vitro model of the intestinal epithelium fused with organ-on-a-chip technology to improve productivity in animal biotechnology in future studies.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of damage to cultural assets resulting from vibrations generated by construction vehicle traffic. The cultural heritage's natural vibration frequency was determined to be 150Hz by measurement. The damping ratios were calculated as 4.7% using the logarithmic decrement approach and 4.3% using the half-power method. The vibration measurements obtained during vehicle operation indicated that, despite an increase in vehicle velocity of up to 15 km/h, the vibrations remained below the detectable level of 0.13 mm/sec. When the road is curved and the terrain is sloped, a suitable speed for vehicle operation was found to be around 17 km/h, at which point vibrations were seen. The highest recorded vibration amplitude at this velocity was 0.217 mm/sec, which remains below the stringent regulation limit of 2 mm/sec. Thus, it can be concluded that there is no actual harm caused by vibrations.

Decommissioning waste is generated with various types and large quantities within a short period. Concrete, a significant building material for nuclear facilities, is one of the largest decommissioning wastes, which is mixed with aggregate, sand, and cement with water by the relevant mixing ratio. Recently, the proposed treatment method for volume reduction of radioactive concrete waste was proven up to scale-up testing using unit equipment, which involved sequentially thermomechanical and chemical treatment. According to studies, the aggregate as non-radioactive material is separated from cement components with contaminated radionuclides as less than clearance criteria, so the volume of radioactive concrete waste is decreased effectively. However, some supplementation points were presented to commercialize the process. Hence, the process requires efficiency as possible to minimize the interface parts, either by integration or rearranging the equipment. In this study, feasibility testing was performed using integrated heating and grinding equipment, to supplement the possible issue of generated powder and dust during the process. Previously, heat treatment and grinding devices were configured separately for pilot-scale testing. But some problems such as leakage and pipe blockage occurred during the transportation of generated fine powder, which caused difficulties in maintaining the equipment. For that reason, we studied to reduce the interface between the equipment by integrating and rearranging the equipment. To evaluate the thermal grinding performance, the fraction of coarse and concrete fines based on 1mm particle size was measured, and the amount of residual cement in each part was analyzed by wet analysis using 4M hydrochloric acid. The result was compared with previous studies and the thermomechanical equipment could be selected to enhance the process. Therefore, it is expected that the equipment for commercialization could be optimized and composed the process compactly by this study.

Concrete structures of spent nuclear fuel interim storage facility should maintain their ability to shield and structural integrity during normal, off-normal and accident conditions. The concrete structures may deteriorate if the interim storage facility operates for more than several decades. Even if deterioration occurs, the concrete structures must maintain their own functions such as radiation shielding protection and structural integrity. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an analysis methodology that can evaluate whether the deteriorated concrete structure maintains its integrity under not only normal or off-normal condition but also accident condition. In this study, dynamic material testing was conducted on concrete cores extracted from HANARO exterior wall during seismic reinforcement construction. HANARO was constructed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in 1995, following strict nuclear quality assurance standards. In order to conduct the dynamic material testing of the extracted concrete cores, self-disposal had to be performed because the concrete cores were extracted and stored in a radiation controlled area. A self-disposal application was prepared and submitted based on the radionuclide analysis results, and it was finally approved in April 2023. Then, a test was performed by processing a specimen for dynamic property testing using a self-disposed concrete core. The concrete cores were processed to create specimens for dynamic material testing and the dynamic material testing was performed to obtain stress-strain diagrams according to the strain rate.

하구와 연안역은 조석주기에 따라 수층 혼합과 해수 유동이 활발하므로 보다 정확한 수질측정 결과를 얻기 위해서는 조 석조건을 고려해서 시료를 채취해야 한다. 우리나라 해양환경공정시험기준에서는 평균적인 상황에 대한 자료를 확보하고자 조석중간 에 시료 채취를 권장하는 반면, Kaplovsky(1957), Fortune and Mauraud(2015) 등 다수의 해외 연구에서는 간조 또는 만조와 같은 정조시 조사할 것을 권장한다. 또한 국내 해양환경정책의 수립과 평가에 활용 중인 해양환경측정망 자료의 조석효과를 파악하기 위해 2014~2020년 마산만 조사결과를 정조시와 조석중간 두 그룹으로 나누어 분석한 결과, COD, TN, TP 등 주요 해양환경지표의 두 그룹 간 수질측정값 간 차이가 있음을 확인했다. 해양환경측정망은 연안오염총량관리을 비롯한 다양한 해양환경정책의 계획수립, 목표설정 및 평가에 활용되는 만큼 정도관리가 중요하다. 이를 위해서 해양환경측정망 자료 항목으로 조석정보를 추가하고, 같은 조석조건하의 조사를 단계적으로 확대해 갈 것을 제안한다.

PURPOSES : The objectives of this study are to evaluate the condition of concrete bridge decks using the multi-channel ground penetrating radar (GPR) testing and compare the value of its dielectric constant value with actual concrete condition. METHODS : The reflection coefficient method was used to measure the dielectric properties of concrete bridge decks. Air-coupled step-frequency GPR testing was used to measure the time taken for reflection from the interfaces between the layers. Specimens of the asphalt mixture and concrete bridge-deck were collected by field coring. GPR testing was conducted on two bridges with different concrete bridge deck conditions on national highways. After the GPR tests, the actual conditions of the concrete bridge deck were investigated using specimen coring. RESULTS : GPR testing indicated that the dielectric constants of concrete bridge decks in good condition ranged from 8 to 10, whereas those corresponding to poor condition ranged from 4 to 6. The results of GPR testing can determine the actual condition and degree of distress of concrete bridge decks determined from the specimen coring data. Therefore, GPR testing is appropriate for nondestructively evaluating the condition of a concrete bridge deck. CONCLUSIONS : The analysis results of the dielectric constants of the concrete bridge deck obtained from multichannel GPR testing were consistent with the actual bridge deck conditions. In the near future, an additional verification process for this approach under different bridge conditions will be required to improve its precision and ensure reliability.

To mitigate the intrusion of insect pests, behavioral modifications using repellents are commonly employed. Among their active ingredients, plant essential oils have gained prominence as safer alternatives to synthetic repellents. However, the absence of rigorous scientific efficacy testing have been undermined the reliability of these essential oil based repellent products. Previous studies have highlighted that the observed repellency in bioassays are strongly influenced by the testing environment. Our research introduces three distinct laboratory-scaled repellency test methods – spatial repellency, choice repellency in a closed and opened environment – to evaluate prevalent insect repellent products. Notably, we observed significant variations in repellency percentages among products. The most effective product from each method was identified, and its active ingredients were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, by GC-MS analyses. To determine the applicability of these methods in selecting active ingredient concentrations, individual active ingredient components underwent dose-response testing. Our findings suggest that, when selected appropriately, these three methods can be applied for the development and evaluation of potent essential oil based repellent products.

This study focuses on the application of a new measurement method that quantifies the residual color of filtered water using a spectrocolorimeter after filtering the discolored substances. It was confirmed through the color and turbidity cross-test that the discolored substances cannot be measured effectively with the current legal color and turbidity test method. Therefore, the National Institute of Environmental Research's filter testing method, which involves filtering the sample through 0.45 μm filter and visually inspecting the color, was improved. A membrane filter colorimetry (MFC) method was established by measuring the color difference (ΔE*ab(65)) of the filtered filter using a spectrophotometer and expressing it as filter color unit (FCU). Using the MFC method, the FCU for reference materials such as iron and manganese, as well as field samples, was measured. The results showed a high correlation with turbidity, and the color difference patterns varied depending on the type of reference materials and field samples. This indicates that the MFC method is an effective new measurement method of discolored tap water.

Using Social Network Analysis methodology, specifically the Network of Similarity and Response Time Testing as a survey method, we measured and examined, based on conviction strength, the relationships between beliefs in various conspiracy theories. We employ Social Network Analysis (SNA) to uncover conspiracy thinking patterns. SNA facilitates the disclosure of interdependencies among variables and intricate direct and indirect relationships. The network of conspiracy convictions is mapped and scrutinized to discern the clustering of variables, which is achieved using greedy-modularity algorithms. Structural properties, such as nodal and subgroup density, are subsequently calculated to assess the quality of the clusters. A qualitative evaluation explores the semantic meanings underlying the observed patterns. Our analysis revealed strong correlations between the items, indicating that individuals who believe in one conspiracy theory are highly likely to believe in others. Furthermore, Response Time Testing allowed for measuring the level of people's conviction in these beliefs. We discuss the implications of these findings, suggesting that conspiracy theories may serve as a means for individuals to confirm their positions and feelings in society. This insight calls for a reassessment of strategies to address the spread and impact of conspiracy theories, focusing on understanding the psychological and social factors driving belief in multiple conspiracies and the strength of these convictions.

Digital technology has been increasingly applied in the traditional tourism forms, including the heritage tourism. However, the role of technology and tradition for attracting tourists in industrial heritage tourism destinations has not been clearly identified. To narrow the research gaps, this study adopted a two stage study, based on grounded theory and factor analyses. In Study 1, through the data analysis of 60 in-depth interviews, 10 stimuli factors in 3 categories were identified. In Study 2, a questionnaire was developed based on the results of Study 1, through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), we established and tested a model of on-site stimulus factors. Findings can deepen the understanding of industrial heritage tourism from a tourist perspective and offer practical implications.

Consumer brand engagement (CBE) signals propensity for brand purchase. A scale proposes three dimensions of CBE (i.e., cognitive, affective and activation dimensions) but the dimensions prominent and driving brand purchase intentions in an Instagram cosmetic purchase context need examination. In this context, this study tests Hollebeek, Glynn and Brodie’s (2014) 10-items/3 dimensions scale and examines an outcome of cosmetics brand purchase intention on Instagram. Data was quantitatively collected from 203 consumers who were students and non-students using convenience and snowballing non- probability sampling method. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. The results revealed that although the three CBE dimensions were identified in a Cosmetic Instagram purchase context, it was the affective and activation dimensions that positively predicted consumers’ intentions to purchase cosmetic brands after engaging with the brand on Instagram. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.