• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.51-59
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• 1993

This paper develops practical and realistic reliability models and methods for the evaluation of system-reliability and system reliability-based rating of various types of box-girder bridge superstructures. The strength limit state model for box-girder bridges suggested in the paper are based on not only the basic flexural strength but also the strength interaction equations which simultaneously take into account flexure, shear and torsion. And the system reliability problem of box-girder superstructure is formulated as parallel-series models obtained from the FMA(Failure Mode Approach) based on major failure mechanisms or critical failure states of each girder. In the paper, an improved IST(Importance Sampling Technique) simulation algorithm is used for the system reliability analysis of the proposed models. This paper proposes a practical but rational approach for the evaluation of capacity rating in terms of the equivalent system-capacity rating corresponding to the estimated system-reliability index which is derived based on the concept of the equivalent FOSM(First Order Second Moment) form of system reliability index. The results of the reliability evaluation and rating of existing bridges indicate that the reserved reliability and capacity rating at system level are significantly different from those of element reliability or conventional methods especially in the case of highly redundant box-girder bridges.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.299-308
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• 2011

In this study, we develop a pressure observer to measure the cylinder length of a harbor-construction robot. For the robot control, sensors are required to measure the length of a hydraulic cylinder. The cylinder-position sensor is relatively expensive when the operating environment prohibits external approaches for the measurement of the cylinder position. LVDT or linear scales are usually mounted on the outside of the cylinder, which causes poor durability on a construction site. We use a pressure sensor to indirectly estimate the length of the cylinder. The pressure sensor is mounted inside a hydraulic valve box so that it is protected by the box and easy to waterproof for an underwater robot. By treating oil as a compressible fluid, we derive the nonlinear pressure dynamics as a function of the cylinder position, velocity, and pressure. The recursive least squares (RLS) algorithm is applied to identify the dynamic parameters, and the pressure observer estimates the cylinder position through the pressure acting on the head and the rod of the hydraulic cylinder. The position accuracy is relatively low, but it is acceptable for a construction robot that handles large armor stones.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.505-510
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• 2004

In this article, we present an automated system for adjusting the 6 degree of freedom (D.O.F.) circular fixator. The system includes a scheduling software to adjust the Hexapod Circular Fixator (HCF) and an automated strut with the ability of the multiple synchronized motion and independent motion. The HCF was designed to control a 6 D.O.F. Ilizarov fixator and it's mechanism. The HCF adjustment software evaluates each value of altered length of the HCF struts to correct the complex skeletal deformity by using the X-ray data of the patient. The data of HCF adjustment software feed into the automated strut system which provides the scheduled adjustment. Then, the automated strut is synchronized by input data. Also the data of HCF adjustment software can be used to adjust HCF without automated struts. The proposed HCF system was verified by experiments.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.222-230
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• 2013

Retinal bipolar cells according to the light stimulus respond to potential slowly, emit neurotransmitter release(glutamine acid) to depend on membrane potential. In this paper, the several physiological information on neurotransmitter release mechanism in the presynaptic terminal of the ON-type bipolar cells are incorporated into the formula model. The source of fast components and slow components of neurotransmitter release was arranged in parallel, this model was able to reproduce the membrane potential and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration dependence of neurotransmitter release faithfully. In addition, because the fast releasable components of neurotransmitter was represented by the membrane potential dependence of trapezoid type, whereas the slow releasable components was represented by the membrane potential dependence of a bell type, $Ca^{2+}$ concentration rise in intracellular is suppressed by $Ca^{2+}$ buffer to reduce slow releasable components, it was confirmed that the membrane potential dependence of neurotransmitter release was characteristics of a trapezoid type. And, in the light response of ON type bipolar cell, the result of the simulation of the neurotransmitter release caused by the components of transient and persistent was that the start of light response occurred the fast release of neurotransmitter, it was confirmed that the transient component and persistent component of the light response occurred the slow release. It was confirmed that the later of persistent component of the light response occurred due to the continuous release by synaptic vesicle supplemented from the storage pool.