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In this study, we successfully fabricated vertically aligned Zn 2 SnO 4 (ZTO)-Fe 3 O 4 core-shell microsphere (MS)-based thermal interface material (TIM) formed by an external magnetic field. The thermal conductivity of the randomly distributed ZTO-Fe 3 O 4 core-shell/PDMS-based TIMs was enhanced with increasing loading fraction of fillers and TIM with 25 vol % fillers 2.5 times effectively reduced GPU temperature compared to bare PDMS sample. Moreover, the vertically-aligned 25 vol% ZTO-Fe 3 O 4 core-shell filler embedded TIM additionally reduced temperature by 5.1 % and 24.1 % compared to randomly dispersed ZTO-Fe 3 O 4 MS TIMs and bare PDMS, respectively. Experimental results showed that the ZTO-Fe 3 O 4 TIMs can be used as high thermal conductivity TIM filler, and vertically aligned core-shell filler can maximize thermal conductivity by forming an effective thermal path from bottom to top. The theoretical analysis results obtained using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 simulation corresponded well with experimental ones. Our suggested vertically aligned ZTO-Fe 3 O 4 core-shell-based TIM can provide an effective heat dissipation path for advanced semiconductor devices with a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Economic growth and urbanization have reduced urban land resources to the point that such resources are now, in some cases severely, limited. In order to support sustainable development and to solve the problem of land shortages in urban areas, one practical solution is the shifting of land usage from above the surface to underground. However, in most countries, including Korea, the cadastral system cannot adequately handle the legal, administrative, and technical aspects of the registration and maintenance of underground parcels. The main purpose of this research, therefore, was to propose a conceptual registration framework for 3D underground parcels. In order to do that, issues of unregistered underground space were summarized, and the legal, administrative, and technical limitations were revealed. In consideration of these limitations, the registration framework for 3D underground parcels is herein proposed. This framework consists of four steps: 1) preparation of 3D underground parcel data with consideration for information regarding 3D underground cadastral surveying and building-components; 2) definition of 3D underground parcels, based on deep underground regulation in Korea and the registration extent, registration unit, absolute height and relative height of systems; 3) 3D underground cadastral registration according to the three types of cadastral maps and land registration; 4) registration of 3D underground rights, such as ownership and sectional superficies of the 3D underground parcel. Finally, in order to implement the proposed registration framework for a 3D underground parcel, legal, administrative, and technical improvements are proposed. Highlights • The exiting cadastral system cannot fully support land administration related to 3D underground space in most countries. • A registration framework for 3D underground parcel is required to efficiently manage underground properties in urban area. • The proposed registration framework for the 3D underground parcel establishes the workflow of the 3D underground cadastral system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Since aluminum responds to various oxidizers and has a high energy density, there are high expectations for its usefulness as a fuel. However, it is covered with an aluminum oxide film, which has a high melting point, and thus, its ignition is difficult. One method suggested to solve this problem is nickel coating; however, in contrast to the extensive amount of research conducted on the overall phenomenon of aluminum combustion, research regarding Ni-coated aluminum is still in nascent stages. This study was carried out to further elucidate the ignition mechanism; thus, millimeter-sized (∼2.38 mm) aluminum particles were used to observe the surface where ignition occurs in air. The spatial and temporal resolutions were heightened by prolonging the heating period. The aluminum particles were nickel coated using electro/electroless methods, and surface analysis by SEM, thermal analysis by TGA/DSC, and species analysis by XRD and EDS were carried out. In addition, two-wavelength pyrometry was used to measure the ignition temperature. The results show that regardless of the nickel content in the coating of the aluminum particles, the ignition temperature was approximately 2400 K, similar to the melting point of aluminum oxide. The thermodynamic and thermophysical characteristics of nickel, aluminum, aluminum oxide, and nickel (II) oxide, and the surface/cross-sectional analysis, thermal and species analysis, and high-speed cinematography of the quenched samples provided a detailed explanation of the ignition process. Through this ignition mechanism, the emitted spectrum of AlO (as an intermediate combustion material) was traced to explain the decrease in ignition delay with increase in nickel content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Modified OpenFOAM accurately predicts large-scale 2-phase flow, conjugate heat transfer & boiling in CE-PECS using temp-dependent properties. The PECS (Passive Ex-vessel corium retaining and Cooling System) is installed inside the EU (European Union)-APR (Advanced Power Reactor) 1400 to prevent CCI (corium-concrete interaction) and to cool down the corium under an ex-vessel severe accident. The main phenomenon in the PECS is the natural convection of the cooling water generated by the heat from the corium. A verification experiment on the cooling capability of the PECS has been conducted in the CE (Cooling Experiment)-PECS. A benchmark CFD analysis of the CE-PECS (Cooling Experiment-PECS) was performed using the modified OpenFOAM solver. In this study, the physical properties such as specific heat, dynamic viscosity, and density of water were modified to provide inputs as a function of temperature. Since the modified solver was developed to analyze PECS, the mesh was made as simple as and the number of cells is also optimized to reduce the computational load. As a result of a simulation using the improved solver, the prediction of both the mass flow rate and the temperature change of the cooling water showed good accuracy compared to the case of inputting the existing constant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power gating circuit suffers from large amount of rush current during wakeup, especially when all switch cells are turned on simultaneously. If each switch cell is turned on at a different time, rush current can be reduced. It is shown in this paper that rush current can be reduced even more if signal transition time (or signal slew) to each switch cell is adjusted. We define wakeup scheduling as to determine turn-on time and signal slew of each switch cell; the goal is to minimize wakeup delay while keeping rush current below the maximum value that is allowed. The determined turn-on time and signal slew are implemented using a buffered tree. The wakeup scheduling and buffered tree construction are integrated into a design flow. To adapt to process variation, we use adjustable delay buffers in the wakeup network. We also apply grid-based design flow and use Schmitt triggers to implement large designs. Experiments in an industrial 1.1 V, 32-nm technology demonstrate that the wakeup delay is reduced by 12% on average of example circuits compared with turn-on scheduling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The volume of point cloud data obtained by 3-dimensional terrestrial laser scanners has grown very large as a result of scanner enhancements and application extensions. Quick point querying is therefore essential for efficient point cloud processing, and several data structures are applicable for that purpose. Octree, for example, is utilized in similar approaches and is considered a good candidate. This paper introduces hashing-based virtual grid (HVG), both as a competitor for octree and an improvement on the 3-dimensional virtual grid (3DVG). Whereas 3DVG is defined as a 3-dimensional array, HVG substitutes hashes for 3DVG''s vertical indices. The performance of HVG was evaluated against those of octree and 3DVG by a point-querying operation. The selected operation finds neighboring points residing within a given radius for every individual point in the point cloud. HVG proved its balancing aspects throughout the operation, showing reasonable performance and memory efficiency. 3DVG, while its performance was excellent, required a significantly larger amount of memory. In summary, HVG is a suitable alternative to octree, and is expected to be effectively utilized as a base data structure for any application dealing with a massive amount of 3-dimensional point cloud data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although it has been suggested that smad7 blocks downstream signaling of TGF-β, the role of smad7 in the EGF signaling pathway has not been fully elucidated. We determined the effect of smad7 on EGF-induced MMP-9 expression in SKBR3 breast cancer cells. The expression of smad7 and MMP-9 was increased by EGF or TGF-β1, respectively, and further increased by EGF and TGF-β1 co-treatment. EGF induced the phosphorylation of EGFR, smad3, ERK, and JNK, and MMP-9 expression was decreased by the EGFR inhibitor, AG1478. In addition, EGF-induced MMP-9 expression was inhibited by UO126 (a MEK1/2 inhibitor) or SIS3 (a smad3 inhibitor), but not by SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor). Interestingly, EGF-induced smad3 phosphorylation was completely blocked by smad7 over-expression, but not the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK. EGF- or TGF-β1-induced MMP-9 expression was completely decreased by adenoviral-smad7 (Ad-smad7) over-expression. We also investigated the role of smad3 on EGF-induced MMP-9 expression and showed that EGF-induced MMP-9 expression was decreased by smad3 siRNA transfection, whereas EGF-induced MMP-9 expression was further increased by smad3 over-expression, as expected. This study showed that EGF-induced smad3 phosphorylation mediates the induction of MMP-9, whereas smad7 inhibits TGF-β1 as well as the EGF signaling pathway in SKBR3 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a matricellular glycoprotein and recognized as an inhibitor of angiogenesis and an activator of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Although TSP-1 expression has been shown to be regulated by various stimuli including UV in some types of cell, more work need to be done to understand the regulation of TSP-1 expression and its functional significances in many other types of cell. Objective: In this study, we investigated the effect of UV on TSP-1 expression in human skin dermis and dermal fibroblasts and the role of TSP-1 on the type I procollagen expression after UV exposure. Methods: Human buttock skin and human dermal fibroblasts were irradiated with UV. The mRNA and the protein levels of TSP-1 or type I procollagen were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Results: We found that UV irradiation increased TSP-1 expression at the mRNA and protein levels in human skin dermis and dermal fibroblasts. UV-induced TSP-1 expression was greatly suppressed by inhibition of the PI3K, Akt, or mTOR pathways. The inhibition of TSP-1 activity by a blocking peptide or suppression of TSP-1 expression by specific TSP-1 small interfering RNA augmented the UV-induced decrease of type I procollagen expression. Conclusion: Our results suggest that UV-induced TSP-1 plays an important role on alleviating and/or recovering the type I procollagen expression downregulated by UV in human dermal fibroblasts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are pivotal steps in breast cancer pathogenesis. In a previous study, we reported that silibinin suppresses TPA-induced MMP-9 expression through the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway. Aims of the study: Herein we determined the co-relationship between MMP-9 and COX-2, as well as the effect of silibinin on 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced MMP-9 and COX-2 expression in the human breast cancer cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB231. Methods: The toxicity of silibinin was evaluated by Quick Cell Proliferation Assay Kit II. MMP-9 and COX-2 expression were analyzed by Zymography and Western blotting, respectively. Adenoviral constitutively active (CA)-MEK was used to activate MEK/ERK pathway. Results: The expression of MMP-9 and COX-2 in response to TPA was increased, whereas TPA-induced MMP-9 and COX-2 expression was decreased by silibinin. Our results showed that TPA-induced MMP-9 expression was inhibited by celecoxib in a dose-dependent fashion, but not MMP-1-expression. Both MMP-9 and COX-2 expression were significantly increased by CA-MEK overexpression. In contrast, TPA-induced MMP-9 and COX-2 expression was decreased by UO126 (MEK1/2 inhibitor). Conclusion: Silibinin down-regulates TPA-induced MMP-9 expression through inhibition of COX-2 expression in breast cancer cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The number of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) and their ligands are highly expressed in malignant tumor cells. The EGF signaling pathway is also activated in up to one-third of patients with breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the novel function of the JAK3 inhibitor, WHI-P131, on EGF-induced MMP-9 expression and the regulatory mechanism of EGF-induced MMP-9 expression in SKBR3 cells. We observed that EGF increased MMP-9 mRNA and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. EGF also induced the phosphorylation of EGFR, ERK, and STAT-3, and these effects were inhibited by the EGFR inhibitor, AG1478. To investigate the involvement of the STAT-3 pathway on EGF-induced MMP-9 expression, we pretreated SKBR3 cells with JAK1, JAK2, and JAK3 inhibitors prior to EGF treatment. The results showed that the JAK3 inhibitor, WHI-P131, as well as JAK3 siRNA transfection, but not the JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitors, significantly decreased EGF-induced MMP-9 expression. In addition, EGF-induced STAT-3 phosphorylation was only inhibited by WHI-P131. We then transfected cells with adenoviral STAT-3 (Ad-STAT-3), followed by treatment with EGF. Interestingly, EGF-induced MMP-9 expression was decreased by Ad-STAT-3 overexpression in a dose-dependent manner, while it was significantly increased by STAT-3 siRNA transfection. Our results also showed that basal levels of MMP-9 expression were significantly increased by constitutive active-MEK (CA-MEK) overexpression. EGF-induced ERK phosphorylation was prevented by WHI-P131, but not by JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitors. On the other hand, EGF-induced MMP-9 expression was decreased by the MEK1/2 inhibitor, UO126. Therefore, for the first time, we suggest that the JAK3 inhibitor, WHI-P131, inhibits EGF-induced STAT-3 phosphorylation as well as ERK phosphorylation. The JAK3/ERK pathway may play an important role in EGF-induced MMP-9 expression in SKBR3 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a major structural protein of caveolae and plays an important role as a negative regulator of various signaling pathways such as the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/smad pathway. In this study, we investigated the role of cav-1 on basal and TGF-β1-induced expression of type I procollagen in human dermal fibroblasts. Our results demonstrated that basal and TGF-β1-induced expression of type I procollagen were significantly increased by adenoviral cav-1 (Ad-cav-1) overexpression, while the basal level of type I procollagen was decreased by cav-1 siRNA. Overexpression of cav-1 inhibited TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of smad3 and transcription of 3TP-Lux and SBE luciferase reporters, suggesting that cav-1 may inhibit the TGF-β1/smad signaling pathway. We observed that TGF-β1-induced type I procollagen expression was decreased by smad3 siRNA transfection. However, the reduction of TGF-β1-induced type I procollagen expression by smad3 siRNA was reversed by cav-1 overexpression. In addition, our results also showed that TGF-β1 treatment increased the phosphorylation of Akt, and Ad-cav-1 infection augmented this TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of Akt. Ad-myr-Akt infection significantly increased the basal expression of type I procollagen. In contrast, TGF-β1-induced type I procollagen expression was decreased by Akt siRNA transfection and the PI3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, inhibited the TGF-β1-induced type I procollagen expression and also inhibited the cav-1-induced expression of type I procollagen. In conclusion, our results suggest that cav-1 increases the basal and TGF-β1-induced expression of type I procollagen by regulating two opposite signaling pathways: inhibiting TGF-β1/smad signaling and activating a PI-3 kinase/Akt/mTOR-dependent pathway in human dermal fibroblasts, ultimately resulting in increased type I procollagen expression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Complex of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) isoforms and PDGF receptors have important functions in the regulation of growth and survival of various cell types. Herein, it was found that aberrant PDGFC expression is closely associated with survival rates in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. In addition, PDGFC expression was identified to be significantly increased in TNBC cells unlike other subtypes such as PDGFA, PDGFB, and PDGFD. Apparently, the effects of specific PDGF receptor (PDGFR) inhibitors such as sunitinib and ponatinib on HCC1806 and Hs578T TNBC cells were investigated. Both inhibitors decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the inhibitors completely inhibited cell growth in both the cell lines and decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), one of the metastasis-related genes. Cell migration was also decreased by the inhibitors. Finally, the combined effects of the inhibitors with doxorubicin (DOX) were investigated. The results showed that the combination of two PDGFR inhibitors with DOX inhibited the growth of cells and enhanced the apoptotic cell death more uniformly than DOX. Consequently, it is demonstrated that PDGFR inhibitors, sunitinib and ponatinib hold the potential for effective treatment of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Simulating IR signatures and flow structure of plume at the rear of solid rocket motor. • Using HTPB (weak afterburning) and NEPE (strong afterburning) propellants. • Confirming the effect of altitude, flight Mach number, and motor size. In this study, radiation signatures of rocket plumes based on HTPB and NEPE propellants are simulated under varying altitudes, flight Mach numbers, and motor size. The flow field of plume is calculated by computational fluid dynamics, and the infrared signature is predicted using a Ludwig model. To verify the numerical method, experiments were conducted using small rocket motors and radiometric FTIR. The acceptable agreement between numerical calculation and the experiment was obtained in 2 – 5 μm wavelength region. The total radiance decreases with increasing altitude whether afterburning exists or not. A decreasing rate in the radiance of the plume with strong afterburning is larger than that of the plume with weak afterburning. The change in total intensity according to altitude depends on the afterburning and is directly affected by the radiating area. As the flight Mach number increases, total radiance, total intensity, and radiating area decrease. The motor size makes radiation intensity increase exponentially; exponent value is from 2.6 to 2.7. As the motor size increases, the effect of altitude increases, while the effect of flight Mach number decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cation substitution technique in halide perovskites (HPs) is one of the famous schemes to enhance the characteristics of HPs-based electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, we fabricated rubidium (Rb) substituted inorganic double halide perovskites (HPs) Cs 2−x Rb x AgBiBr 6 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) film-based resistive switching (RS) devices and investigated effects of Rb cation substitution on characteristics of RS devices. Grain sizes of the formed Cs 2−x Rb x AgBiBr 6 films gradually increased as increase of Rb contents in the precursor. All of the fabricated RS devices demonstrated non-volatile bipolar RS behavior, device with the Rb content x = 0.1 showed a particularly high on/off ratio (9.29 × 102) of about 30 times greater than pristine Cs 2 AgBiBr 6 -based ones (3.09 × 10). In addition, it has been shown that an appropriate amount of Rb substitution at the level of x = 0.1 can effectively prevent the appearance of other crystalline phases at high humidity condition of > 80 %. Through various analytical techniques including SEM, XPS, and SCLC measurement, it was confirmed that an enlargement in grain size resulting in a decrease in defects such as Br vacancies in the fabricated film can lead to an increase in resistance at a high resistance state (HRS) and high on/off resistance ratio. This study provides a facile and feasible way to enhance performances of HPs-based RS devices for practical electronic memory applications. [Display omitted] • We fabricated rubidium (Rb) substituted inorganic double halide perovskites (HPs) Cs 2−x Rb x AgBiBr 6 film-based resistive switching (RS) devices • Grain sizes of Cs 2−x Rb x AgBiBr 6 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) films gradually increased as increase of Rb contents. • Cs 2−x Rb x AgBiBr 6 -based RS devices with x = 0.1 showed a particularly high on/off ratio (9.29 × 102) of about 30 times greater than pristine one. • An appropriate amount of Rb substitution at the level of x = 0.1 can prevent the appearance of other phases at high humidity condition of > 80 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of multi-dimensional grains of solid rocket motor propellant was carried out using the partial interface tracking method. This method applies the Lagrangian approach to the axisymmetric area of the X – Y plane and the fin area of the Y – Z plane to analyze the multi-dimensional grain burnback. The Lagrangian approach is an effective way to simulate the axisymmetric or 2D shape of a grain, but it is difficult to determine the 3D shape using this method. Therefore, the partial interface tracking method was designed to solve this problem and to get solutions quickly. The grid data resulting from this method is generated in a standard file format, which makes it easy to check the grid shape through commercial modeling software. This method showed good agreement with previous literature and was effective for numerous different grains. Also, it was confirmed that the code can be applicable to the 0D flow field model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual or seasonal fluctuation of glacier calving fronts has been carefully mapped and measured, due to this property's close correlation with overall glacier behavior. For that purpose, remote sensing data is the most useful tool; however, LANDSAT-7 ETM+ images, a popular dataset, has been losing parts of its data since May 2003, due to a scan line corrector (SLC) failure of the ETM+ sensor. Therefore, calving front mapping with later LANDSAT-7 ETM+ data requires interpolation or pre-processing. To overcome these issues, we present a novel approach based on line-buffering in a GIS (Geographic Information System) environment. In applying this method to a time-series of the Jakobshavn Isbræ's glacier front position in West Greenland, we proved this approach to be more objective and robust than alternative methodologies; its shape similarity measure, moreover, was shown to be highly useful. Additionally, a simulation series was carried out, which established that the buffering-based method successfully estimated, with high objectivity, both mean displacement and shape similarity from a pair of calving fronts delineated from the SLC-off data without any modification. Further analyses of Jakobshavn Isbræ based on the buffering-based approach revealed that the frontal advance during a winter season preceding a period of high rates of retreat fails to balance the recession of the previous summer. Moreover, based on analyses of the shape similarity of sequential calving fronts, it was determined that a rapid retreat is likely accompanied by a significant change in calving front shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A full-scale WWTP treating PRW was monitored to evaluate pollutant removal. • Removal efficiencies of SCOD and benzene in influent were achieved more than 70%. • Sulfuritalea and Azoarcus were mainly responsible for degradation of benzene. • Ottowia and Thauera were possibly involved in phenol degradation as well. This research investigated the process efficiency and microbial communities and their diversity in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) fed with petroleum refining wastewater (PRW) that contained toxic hydrocarbon contaminants and carcinogens. Process parameters and bacterial community structures were monitored for six months to create a link between microbial dynamics and influent characteristics of petrochemical wastewater. The WWTP showed a stable process with efficiencies >70% for both soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and benzene removal. More than 30 genera were identified by metagenomic analysis, and the bacterial populations changed significantly during the operation period. Among them, genera Sulfuritalea (11.9 ± 3.5%) , Ottowia (4.3 ± 2.2%) , Thauera (3.1 ± 7.2%) and Hyphomicrobium (1.3 ± 0.7%) were dominant and important bacterial genera that may have been responsible for the degradation of aromatic compounds such as benzene and phenol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) expression is associated with cancer development, metastasis, and poor prognosis. Here, we have investigated the regulatory mechanism of IL-1β expression, and the inhibitory effect of zerumbone (ZER) on IL-1β expression and IL-1β-induced signatures, including cell invasion and signaling activation in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. The basal IL-1β and cell invasiveness levels were significantly higher in TNBC cells, compared with non-TNBC cells. The invasiveness of TNBC cells was also increased following IL-1β treatment. In contrast, the invasiveness of TNBC cells was decreased following IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) treatment. Additionally, the basal IL-1β level and the invasiveness of TNBC cells were decreased by Bay11-7085. In contrast, overexpression of NF-κB (p65) caused an increase in IL-1β expression in TNBC cells. Our results showed that treatment with ZER decreased the basal IL-1β expression level, and the phosphorylation level of NF-κB, in TNBC cells. Furthermore, we found that ZER completely suppressed IL-1β-induced NF-κB phosphorylation, but did not suppress IL-1β-induced Akt phosphorylation, in TNBC cells. Our results also demonstrate that IL-1β-induced cell invasion is suppressed by ZER in TNBC cells. Taken together, we demonstrated that IL-1β expression is regulated by the NF-κB-dependent pathway, and that elevated IL-1β is directly influencing the invasiveness of TNBC cells. ZER down-regulates IL-1β expression through the inhibition of NF-κB activity, and then suppresses cell invasiveness of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The as-built building information model (BIM) has a huge potential for enhancing the efficiency of building and maintenance operations. To facilitate existing-structure data acquisition for the as-built BIM, a terrestrial laser scanner, which is fast, simple to use, and yet highly accurate, is widely employed. However, as-built BIM creation of building interiors using scanned point clouds incurs critical difficulties: the complex design of indoor structures, not to mention obstacles, necessitates time-consuming manual operation and resultantly huge data sizes, which often leads to system slow-down or failure. To manage this problem, most of the recent and current research has looked to full automation; yet facility management personnel still rely on traditional field measurements because their qualitative results can only be obtained under ideal conditions or with some errors. Alternatively, in this paper, a more practical semi-automatic methodology for improved productivity of as-built BIM creation with respect to large and complex indoor environments is proposed. The proposed approach produces three-dimensional (3D) geometric drawings through three steps: segmentation for plane extraction, refinement for removal of noisy points, and boundary tracing for outline extraction. The experimental results for two test sites, a relatively simple corridor and a complex atrium, showed a high data-size reduction rate: to 3.8 and 4.3% of the original sizes, out of 51.5 and 111.5million points, respectively. Based on the automatically produced geometric drawings and the remaining points, manual as-built BIM creation was conducted. Using the extracted lines as guides, each object and its relationship were more easily identified and modeled. At the same time, the great reduction in the point clouds' data sizes enabled the modeler, using the BIM software, to efficiently manipulate the geometric drawing without system slow-down or failure. The proposed approach was shown to be a potentially effective means of improving productivity and reliability in complex indoor as-built BIM production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]