• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.293-301
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• 2017

A Sub-kWe small-scale experimental test loop was manufactured to investigate characteristics of the supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle. A high-speed turbo-generator was also designed and manufactured. The designed rotational speed of this turbo-generator was 200,000 rpm. Because of the low expansion ratio through the turbine and low mass flowrate, the rotational speed of the turbo-generator was high. Therefore, it was difficult to select the rotating parts and design the turbine wheel, axial force balance and rotor dynamics in the lab-scale experimental test loop. Using only one channel of the nozzle, the partial admission method was adapted to reduce the rotational speed of the rotor. This was the world's first approach to the supercritical carbon dioxide turbo-generator. A cold-run test using nitrogen gas under an atmospheric condition was conducted to observe the effect of the partial admission nozzle on the rotor dynamics. The vibration level of the rotor was obtained using a gap sensor, and the results showed that the effect of the partial admission nozzle on the rotor dynamics was allowable.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2002

The forming conditions of X-ray storage phosrhors $BaFBr_{1-x}I_x:Eu^{2+}$, $Na^+$ have been investigated, and measured the PSL emission spectra and its intensity, fading characteristics and does dependence of the prepared phosphors. These characteristics were compared with those of commercial image plate (ST-III) obtained from Fuji Photo Film Co. The optimal preparing conditions of $BaFBr_{1-x}I_x:Eu^{2+}$, $Na^+$ Phosphor were 0.5 mol% of $EuF_3$, 4.0 mol% of NaF and composition ratio x=0.3, and the sintering temperature were $950^{\circ}C$ in $H_2$ atmosphere. When the composition ratio x was equal to 0, the spectral range of the luminescence of $BaFBr_{1-x}I_x:Eu^{2+}$, $Na^+$ phosphor was $365{\sim}420\;nm$, and its maximum luminescence intensity appeared at 390 nm. When composition ratio x was not equal to 0, the wavelength ranges and peak of the spectra were shifted to the longer wavelength with the growth of composition ratio x. A good linearity was shown between the PSL intensity and X-ray irradiation dose. The phosphor sample with x=0.3 exhibited better fading characteristics than that of other $BaFBr_{1-x}I_x:Eu^{2+}$ phosphor samples, and the fading characteristics of the PSL intensity at room temperature were shown poorer with increasing $I^-$ ion concentration. The lattice constant of the phosphor becomes larger with increasing the $I^-$ ion concentration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.484-489
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• 2004

Artificial joint replacement is one of the major surgical advances of the 21th century. The primary purpose of a TKA (Total Knee Arthroplasty) is to restore normal knee Auction. Therefore, ideally, a TKA should: (a) maintain the natural leverage of the knee joint muscles to ensure generating adequate knee muscle moments to accomplish daily tasks such as rising from a chair or climbing stairs;(b) allow the same range of motion as an complete knee; and (c) provide adequate knee joint stability. Four individuals (2 peoples after surgery one year and 2 peoples after surgery three years) participated in this study. All they were prescreened for health and functional status by the same surgeon who performed the operations. Two days of accommodation practice occurred prior to the actual strength testing. The isometric strength (KIN-COM III) of the quadriceps and hamstring were measured at 60$^\circ$ and 30$^\circ$ of knee flexion, respectively. During isokinetic concentric testing, the range of motion was between 10$^\circ$ to 80$^\circ$ of knee flexion (stand-to-sit) and extension (sit-to-stand). for a given test, the trial exhibiting maximum torque was analyzed. A 16-channel MYOPACTM EMG system (Run Technologies, Inc.) was used to collect the differential input surface electromyographic (EMG) signals of the vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis(VL), rectus femoris (RF) during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit tests. Disposable electrodes (Blue SensorTM, Medicotest, Inc.) were used to collect the EMG signals. The results were as follows; 1. Less maximum concentric (16% and 21% less for 1 yew man and 3 years mm, respectively) and isometric (12% and 29%, respectively) quadriceps torque for both participants. 2.14% less maximum hamstrings concentric torque for 1 year man but 16% greater torque for 3 years mm. However, 1 year man had similar hamstring isometric peak torque for both knees. 3. Less quadriceps co-contraction by 1 year man except for the VM at 10$^\circ$-20$^\circ$ and 30$^\circ$-50$^\circ$ range of knee flexion.

• International Journal of Vascular Biomedical Engineering
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.19-24
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• 2006

Background: Pulse wave velocity (PWV), which is inversely related to the distensibility of an arterial wall, offers a simple and potentially useful approach for an evaluation of cardiovascular diseases. In spite of the clinical importance and widespread use of PWV, there exist no standard either for pulse sensors or for system requirements for accurate pulse wave measurement. Objective of this study was to assess the reproducibility of PWV values using a newly developed PWV measurement system in healthy subjects prior to a large-scale clinical study. Methods: System used for the study was the PP-1000 (Hanbyul Meditech Co., Korea), which provides regional PWV values based on the measurements of electrocardiography (ECG), phonocardiography (PCG), and pulse waves from four different sites of arteries (carotid, femoral, radial, and dorsalis pedis) simultaneously. Seventeen healthy male subjects with a mean age of 33 years (ranges 22 to 52 years) without any cardiovascular disease were participated for the experiment. Two observers (observer A and B) performed two consecutive measurements from the same subject in a random order. For an evaluation of system reproducibility, two analyses (within-observer and between-observer) were performed, and expressed in terms of mean difference ${\pm}2SD$, as described by Bland and Altman plots. Results: Mean and SD of PWVs for aorta, arm, and leg were $7.07{\pm}1.48m/sec,\;8.43{\pm}1.14m/sec,\;and\;8.09{\pm}0.98m/sec$ measured from observer A and $6.76{\pm}1.00m/sec,\;7.97{\pm}0.80m/sec,\;and\;\7.97{\pm}0.72m/sec$ from observer B, respectively. Between-observer differences ($mean{\pm}2SD$) for aorta, arm, and leg were $0.14{\pm\}0.62m/sec,\;0.18{\pm\}0.84m/sec,\;and\;0.07{\pm}0.86m/sec$, and the correlation coefficients were high especially 0.93 for aortic PWV. Within-observer differences ($mean{\pm}2SD$) for aorta, arm, and leg were $0.01{\pm}0.26m/sec,\;0.02{\pm}0.26m/sec,\;and\;0.08{\pm}0.32m/sec$ from observer A and $0.01{\pm}0.24m/sec,\;0.04{\pm}0.28m/sec,\;and\;0.01{\pm}0.20m/sec$ from observer B, respectively. All the measurements showed significantly high correlation coefficients ranges from 0.94 to 0.99. Conclusion: PWV measurement system used for the study offers comfortable and simple operation and provides accurate analysis results with high reproducibility. Since the reproducibility of the measurement is critical for the diagnosis in clinical use, it is necessary to provide an accurate algorithm for the detection of additional features such as flow wave, reflection wave, and dicrotic notch from a pulse waveform. This study will be extended for the comparison of PWV values from patients with various vascular risks for clinical application. Data acquired from the study could be used for the determination of the appropriate sample size for further studies relating various types of arteriosclerosis-related vascular disease.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2002

Purpose : 3D conformal radiotherapy, the optimum dose delivered to the tumor and provided the risk of normal tissue unless marginal miss, was restricted by organ motion. For tumors in the thorax and abdomen, the planning target volume (PTV) is decided including the margin for movement of tumor volumes during treatment due to patients breathing. We designed the respiratory gating radiotherapy device (RGRD) for using during CT simulation, dose planning and beam delivery at identical breathing period conditions. Using RGRD, reducing the treatment margin for organ (thorax or abdomen) motion due to breathing and improve dose distribution for 3D conformal radiotherapy. Materials and Methods : The internal organ motion data for lung cancer patients were obtained by examining the diaphragm in the supine position to find the position dependency. We made a respiratory gating radiotherapy device (RGRD) that is composed of a strip band, drug sensor, micro switch, and a connected on-off switch in a LINAC control box. During same breathing period by RGRD, spiral CT scan, virtual simulation, and 3D dose planing for lung cancer patients were peformed, without an extended PTV margin for free breathing, and then the dose was delivered at the same positions. We calculated effective volumes and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) using dose volume histograms for normal lung, and analyzed changes in doses associated with selected NTCP levels and tumor control probabilities (TCP) at these new dose levels. The effects of 3D conformal radiotherapy by RGRD were evaluated with DVH (Dose Volume Histogram), TCP, NTCP and dose statistics. Results : The average movement of a diaphragm was 1.5 cm in the supine position when patients breathed freely. Depending on the location of the tumor, the magnitude of the PTV margin needs to be extended from 1 cm to 3 cm, which can greatly increase normal tissue irradiation, and hence, results in increase of the normal tissue complications probabiliy. Simple and precise RGRD is very easy to setup on patients and is sensitive to length variation (+2 mm), it also delivers on-off information to patients and the LINAC machine. We evaluated the treatment plans of patients who had received conformal partial organ lung irradiation for the treatment of thorax malignancies. Using RGRD, the PTV margin by free breathing can be reduced about 2 cm for moving organs by breathing. TCP values are almost the same values $(4\~5\%\;increased)$ for lung cancer regardless of increasing the PTV margin to 2.0 cm but NTCP values are rapidly increased $(50\~70\%\;increased)$ for upon extending PTV margins by 2.0 cm. Conclusion : Internal organ motion due to breathing can be reduced effectively using our simple RGRD. This method can be used in clinical treatments to reduce organ motion induced margin, thereby reducing normal tissue irradiation. Using treatment planning software, the dose to normal tissues was analyzed by comparing dose statistics with and without RGRD. Potential benefits of radiotherapy derived from reduction or elimination of planning target volume (PTV) margins associated with patient breathing through the evaluation of the lung cancer patients treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.656-663
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• 2012

After the construction of waterworks automatic meter reading with 15 mm diameter digital water mater with magnetoresistance sensor developed in this study at 96 households of apartment complexes located in Incheon-City B-Gu S-Dong, the feasibility of field application of waterworks automatic meter reading was evaluated. The field application of waterworks automatic meter reading was performed from July to December in 2011, and average reception rate was as low as 84.6% due to the instable wibro networks, the existence of communication blackout and temporary malfunction of router. After the extraction of 10 households with one to five residents out of 96 households by using stratified random sampling method and analysis of domestic water use, it was found that domestic water use was significant at August and showed a decreasing trend at September, followed by increase in domestic water use at November and decrease in domestic water use at December. This phenomenon should be attributed to weather factors (temperature, humidity, etc.), which significantly affected domestic water use. Similar trend in domestic water use in terms of weather factors was obtained in case of Liter per capita day of water use after the extraction of 30 households out of 96 households by using stratified random sampling method. After analysis of Liter per capita day for 96 households, single residents increases resulted in reduction of domestic water usage by about 14% of Liter per capita day. These results might be due to the fact that domestic water usage such as laundry, beverages, catering, cleaning, etc. should be required for even the household with one resident, whereas domestic water usage for those common utilization can be significantly saved for the household with more than one resident.