Random Parameter Negative Binomial Model of Signalized Intersections

Factors affecting accident frequencies at 72 signalized intersections in the Gyeonggi-Do (province) over a four-year period (2007~2010) were explored using the random parameters negative binomial model. The empirical results from the comparison with fixed parameters binomial model show that the random parameters model outperforms its fixed parameters counterpart and provides a fuller understanding of the factors which determine accident frequencies at signalized intersections. In addition, elasticity and marginal effect were estimated to gain more insight into the effects of one-percent and one-unit changes in the dependent variable from changes in the independent variables

Superaerophobic hydrogels for enhanced electrochemical and photoelectrochemical hydrogen production

The efficient removal of gas bubbles in (photo)electrochemical gas evolution reactions is an important but underexplored issue. Conventionally, researchers have attempted to impart bubble-repellent properties (so-called superaerophobicity) to electrodes by controlling their microstructures. However, conventional approaches have limitations, as they are material specific, difficult to scale up, possibly detrimental to the electrodes' catalytic activity and stability, and incompatible with photoelectrochemical applications. To address these issues, we report a simple strategy for the realization of superaerophobic (photo)electrodes via the deposition of hydrogels on a desired electrode surface. For a proof-of-concept demonstration, we deposited a transparent hydrogel assembled from M13 virus onto (photo)electrodes for a hydrogen evolution reaction. The hydrogel overlayer facilitated the elimination of hydrogen bubbles and substantially improved the (photo)electrodes' performances by maintaining high catalytic activity and minimizing the concentration overpotential. This study can contribute to the practical application of various types of (photo)electrochemical gas evolution reactions

HEAT SHOCK TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR B2b acts as a transcriptional repressor of VIN3, a gene induced by long-term cold for flowering

Vernalization, an acceleration of flowering after long-term winter cold, is an intensively studied flowering mechanism in winter annual plants. In Arabidopsis, Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2)-mediated suppression of the strong floral repressor, FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), is critical for vernalization and a PHD finger domain protein, VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE 3 (VIN3), recruits PRC2 on FLC chromatin. The level of VIN3 was found to gradually increase in proportion to the length of cold period during vernalization. However, how plants finely regulate VIN3 expression according to the cold environment has not been completely elucidated. As a result, we performed EMS mutagenesis using a transgenic line with a minimal promoter of VIN3 fused to the GUS reporter gene, and isolated a mutant, hyperactivation of VIN3 1 (hov1), which showed increased GUS signal and endogenous VIN3 transcript levels. Using positional cloning combined with whole-genome resequencing, we found that hov1 carries a nonsense mutation, leading to a premature stop codon on the HEAT SHOCK TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR B2b (HsfB2b), which encodes a repressive heat shock transcription factor. HsfB2b directly binds to the VIN3 promoter, and HsfB2b overexpression leads to reduced acceleration of flowering after vernalization. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel fine-tuning mechanism to regulate VIN3 for proper vernalization response.N

Identifying Vital Factors for Enhancing Safety Communication among Foreign Construction Field Workers

Enhancing safety communication within the construction industry is of paramount importance due to its potential in curtailing occupational injuries and improving the overall well-being of construction field workers. While the importance of improved communication is apparent, few studies have been focused on identifying the factors that positively influence communication, particularly in the context of safety. Especially in the case of foreign construction field workers (FCFWs), who often face communication challenges stemming from language and cultural differences, performing labor tasks in harsh and constantly changing environments is contributing significantly to the increasing rate of industrial accidents. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the vital factors that impact safety communication among FCFWs. A phenomenological qualitative method was applied to determine the vital factors influencing the safety communication among FCFWs. On applying the analytical hierarchy process, the factors and their importance were determined, and the vital factors were identified. Quantitative assessment through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) established that extrinsic motivation (weight: 0.513), management communication style (0.264), and visible safety information (0.127) significantly overshadow other factors in safety communication effectiveness, validating their pivotal roles. However, a major limitation is that interview data were collected from workers of only four nationalities. Future studies should address this by expanding the range of nationalities included to enhance the diversity of experiences and perspectives from a broader variety of foreign construction field workers

Controlling Wettability of Electrodes for Enhanced Multi-Phase Electrochemical Reactions

Multi-phase electrochemical reactions are academically and practically interesting subjects. Examples include hydrogen evolution and CO2 reduction reactions, which can be utilized for the efficient storage and utilization of excess renewable electricity. In these reactions, the interface between solid, liquid, and gas phases play a critical role in the efficiency and stability of electrodes/catalysts. However, most conventional studies have been focused on the development of efficient electrocatalysts, whereas less attention has been paid to the engineering of electrode wettability. In this talk, I will present our recent achievements in the development of extremely bubble-repellent (superaerophobic) electrodes using porous hydrogels for enhanced hydrogen evolution reactions. The porous and hydrophilic nature of hydrogels can impart extremely bubble-repellent properties to the underlying electrodes, regardless of their types and morphologies, and minimize the blocking of catalytically active electrode surfaces. As a result, hydrogel-coated electrodes exhibit significantly enhanced performance for hydrogen evolution reactions by facilitating the removal of gas bubbles from the electrode surface. Lastly, I will also briefly review recent promising results on the engineering of electrode wettability for CO2 reduction reactions

Superaerophobic hydrogels for gas-evolving reactions

The efficient formation and removal of gas bubbles are important for the practical application of water electrolysis for hydrogen production. However, less attention has been made to the latter whereas huge effort has been devoted to the former. A few researchers have attempted to impart bubble-repellent properties (so-called superhydrophobicity) to electrodes by controlling their microstructures. However, these approaches have many limitations, as they are material-specific and difficult to scale up. In addition, they are incompatible with photoelectrochemical water-splitting. To address these issues, we report a simple strategy for the realization of superoleophobic electrodes via the simple deposition of hydrogels on the desired electrode surface. We found that porous hydrogels can impart superoleophobic properties to the underlying electrode, thereby considerably enhancing the efficiency of water electrolysis by facilitating the elimination of gas bubbles from the electrode. This study can contribute to the practical application of various types of electrochemical gas-evolving reactions