• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2008

Retinal prosthesis is regarded as the most feasible method for the blind caused by retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or age related macular degeneration (AMD). Recently Korean consortium launched for developing retinal prosthesis. One of the prerequisites for the success of retinal prosthesis is the optimization of the electrical stimuli applied through the prosthesis. Since electrical characteristics of degenerate retina are expected to differ from those of normal retina, we performed voltage stimulation experiment both in normal and degenerate retina to provide a guideline for the optimization of electrical stimulation for the upcoming prosthesis. After isolation of retina, retinal patch was attached with the ganglion cell side facing the surface of microelectrode arrays (MEA). $8{\times}8$ grid layout MEA (electrode diameter: $30{\mu}m$, electrode spacing: $200{\mu}m$, and impedance: $50k{\Omega}$ at 1 kHz) was used to record in-vitro retinal ganglion cell activity. Mono-polar electrical stimulation was applied through one of the 60 MEA channel, and the remaining channels were used for recording. The electrical stimulus was a constant voltage, charge-balanced biphasic, anodic-first square wave pulse without interphase delay, and 50 trains of pulse was applied with a period of 2 sec. Different electrical stimuli were applied. First, pulse amplitude was varied (voltage: $0.5{\sim}3.0V$). Second, pulse duration was varied $(100{\sim}1,200{\mu}s)$. Evoked responses were analyzed by PSTH from averaged data with 50 trials. Charge density was calculated with Ohm's and Coulomb's law. In normal retina, by varying the pulse amplitude from 0.5 to 3V with fixed duration of $500{\mu}s$, the threshold level for reliable ganglion cell response was found at 1.5V. The calculated threshold of charge density was $2.123mC/cm^2$. By varying the pulse duration from 100 to $1,200{\mu}s$ with fixed amplitude of 2V, the threshold level was found at $300{\mu}s$. The calculated threhold of charge density was $1.698mC/cm^2$. Even after the block of ON-pathway with L-(1)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB), electrical stimulus evoked ganglion cell activities. In this APB-induced degenerate retina, by varying the pulse duration from 100 to $1200{\mu}s$ with fixed voltage of 2 V, the threshold level was found at $300{\mu}s$, which is the same with normal retina. More experiment with APB-induced degenerate retina is needed to make a clear comparison of threshold of charge density between normal and degenerate retina.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2005

The objective of this study was to construct multi-element ultrasound applicators for the treatment of gynecologic cancer with high dose rate brachytherapy. For the treatment of uterus, piezo-ceramic crystal transducer (PZT -5A) with outer diameter of 4 mm, wall thickness of 1.3 mm, and length of 24.5 mm was selected. For the treatment of cervix or vagina, it should be possible to insert the applicator into the vagina. Thus, a cylindrical PZT -8 material with outer diameter of 24.5 mm, wall thickness of 1.3 mm, and length of 15.2 mm was selected. The operating frequencies determined by vector impedance measurement were 3.2 MHz for the PZT 5A cylinder (OD=4 mm) and 1.7 MHz for the PZT -8 cylinder (OD: 24.5 mm). The ratios of generated acoustic output power to applied electric power were 33% and 61% for the tandem type crystal and the cylinder type crystal, respectively. The radiated acoustic pressure fields from both transducers were calculated using a Matlab code and measured in water using hydrophone. There was good agreement between measured and calculated acoustic pressure field distribution. For a tandem type transducer, the calculated acoustic pressure field decreased from 0.023 MPa at 10 mm to 0.010 Mpa at 30 mm, the reduction of 57%. For the cylinder type transducer which will be used for the treatment of vagina showed 78% reduction at 15 mm and 66% at 25 mm as compared to values at 5 mm from the surface. Based on the characteristics of the transducers, this study demonstrated the possibility of using the crystals as a heating source. Finally, a 3-element and 4-element prototype applicators were constructed. The 3-element applicator is 75 mm long and 4 mm thick and will be used for the treatment of uterus. The 4-element applicator is 61 mm long and 24.5 mm thick and will be used for the treatment of vagina. Using these applicators, it is possible to generate enough power to increase temperature to therapeutic level.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 2007

The site effects of seismic stations were evaluated by conducting a simultaneous inversion of the stochastic point-source ground-motion model (STGM model; Boore, 2003) parameters based on the accumulated dataset of horizontal shear-wave Fourier spectra. A model parameter $K_0$ and frequency-dependent site amplification function A(f) were used to express the site effects. Once after a H/V ratio of the Fourier spectra was used as an initial estimate of A(f) for the inversion, the final A(f) which is considered to be the result of combined effect of the crustal amplification and loca lsite effects was calculated by averaging the log residuals at the site from the inversion and adding the mean log residual to the H/V ratio. The seismic stations were classified into five classes according to $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f), the maximum level of the site amplification function in the range of 1 Hz < f < 10 Hz, i.e., A: $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.2, B: 0.2 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.4, C: 0.4 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.6, D: 0.6 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.8, E: 0.8 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f). Implication of the classified result was supported by observing a shift of the dominant frequency of average A(f) for each classified stations as the class changes. Change of site classes after moving seismic stations to a better site condition was successfully described by the result of the station classification. In addition, the observed PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration)-values for two recent moderate earthquakes were well classified according to the proposed station classes.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.599-609
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• 2021

A novel grounding system, which is presented in IEC 60364, has been adopted since 2021. A safety evaluation for the human body on the grounding system is required due to the various characteristics of the touch voltage and current passing when the human body experiences an electric shock. The Korea Electrical Safety Corporation (KESCO) and Korea Electric Association (KEA) have been conducting a safety technical education on the grounding system. On the other hand, it is difficult to instruct the electrical safety manager because of a lack of safety evaluations for the test equipment on the grounding system. Therefore, this paper modeled and implemented a test device for a safety evaluation depending on the grounding system of IEC 60364. Namely, this paper presents the modeling of the test device for a safety evaluation using PSCAD/EMTDC S/W, which is composed of an AC grid section, s test device section on the grounding system, and a sub-device section. This paper implemented a test device for safety evaluation, which consisted of an AC grid section, TT grounding system section, TN-S grounding system section, and monitoring section. From the simulation and test results with the safety characteristics of the human body in the TT and TN-S grounding system, when the fault impedances are 0[Ω], 10[Ω], and 100[Ω], the currents passing through the human body in the TT grounding system are 104[mA], 87.4[mA], and 35.5[mA], respectively. The corresponding currents in the TN-S grounding system are 54.9[mA], 4.1[mA], and 0.4[mA], respectively. Based on the results, the protection performance for an electric shock to the human body in the TN-S system is better than the TT system. This can be improved when the existing grounding system is changed from the TT system to the TN-S system.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.588-593
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• 2022

Terephthalaldehyde (TPA) is introduced as a cross liker to enhance electron transfer of hemin-based cathodic catalyst consisting of polyethyleneimine (PEI), carbon nanotube (CNT) for hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction (HPRR). In the cyclic voltammetry (CV) test with 10 mM H₂O₂ in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4), the current density for HPRR of the suggested catalyst (CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI/TPA) shows 0.2813 mA cm^-2 (at 0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl), which is 2.43 and 1.87 times of non-cross-linked (CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI) and conventional cross liker (glutaraldehyde, GA) used catalyst (CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI/GA), respectively. In the case of onset potential for HPRR, that of CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI/TPA is observed at 0.544 V, while those of CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI and CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI/GA are 0.511 and 0.471 V, respectively. These results indicate that TPA plays a role in facilitating electron transfer between the electrodes and substrates due to the π-conjugated cross-linking bonds, whereas conventional GA cross-linker increases the overpotential by interrupting electron and mass transfer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results also display the same tendency. The charge transfer resistance (R_ct) of CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI/TPA decreases about 6.2% from that of CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI, while CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI/GA shows the highest R_ct. The polarization curve using each catalyst also supports the superiority of TPA cross liker. The maximum power density of CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI/TPA (36.34±1.41 μWcm^-2) is significantly higher than those of CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI (27.87±0.95 μWcm^-2) and CNT/PEI/hemin/PEI/GA (25.57±1.32 μWcm^-2), demonstrating again that the cathode using TPA has the best performance in HPRR.