• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.111-118
• /
• 2019

Chest digital tomosynthesis has become a practical imaging modality because it can solve the problem of anatomy overlapping in conventional chest radiography. However, because of both limited scan angle and finite-size detector, a portion of chest cannot be represented in some or all of the projection. These bring a discontinuity in intensity across the field of view boundaries in the reconstructed slices, which we refer to as the truncation artifacts. The purpose of this study was to reduce truncation artifacts using a weighted normalization approach and to investigate the performance of this approach for our prototype chest digital tomosynthesis system. The system source-to-image distance was 1100 mm, and the center of rotation of X-ray source was located on 100 mm above the detector surface. After obtaining 41 projection views with ${\pm}20^{\circ}$ degrees, tomosynthesis slices were reconstructed with the filtered back projection algorithm. For quantitative evaluation, peak signal to noise ratio and structure similarity index values were evaluated after reconstructing reference image using simulation, and mean value of specific direction values was evaluated using real data. Simulation results showed that the peak signal to noise ratio and structure similarity index was improved respectively. In the case of the experimental results showed that the effect of artifact in the mean value of specific direction of the reconstructed image was reduced. In conclusion, the weighted normalization method improves the quality of image by reducing truncation artifacts. These results suggested that weighted normalization method could improve the image quality of chest digital tomosynthesis.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.525-538
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study was to analyze the habitat status and species diversity of benthic diatoms and estimate the applicability of TDI (Trophic Diatom Index) to obtain the basic data for the identification and management of created wetlands in the Nakdong River. We observed a total of 38 families and 173 species of benthic diatom during the survey period, and spring and autumn showed a similar number of species of 156 and 154, respectively. The result of the SOM (Self-Organizing Map) analysis showed that the distribution of benthic diatom was sensitive to environmental factors such as nutrient concentration and rainfall in each wetland. The cluster 1 was characterized by the survey sites of autumn mostly and consisted of points of high TDI, although the nutrients such as total phosphorus and total nitrogen were low, and the species number and abundance of diatoms were low. Conversely, cluster 4 was characterized by the survey sites of spring mostly and consisted of points of low TDI, even though total nitrogen was high. Considering that most of the created wetlands had the reduced inflow and outflow, the increased flow rate in the summer lowers nutrient values in autumn, and the species number and abundance of benthic diatom decreases due to the increase of turbidity, which reduces the light penetrations to the substrates. On the contrary, the TDI value is low in spring because the low water level causes insufficient substrate surface to the benthic diatoms, and it is too early for the establishment and development of saprophilous species. Although various studies have used TDI as an indicator for evaluating the habitat environment and water quality, it is not a good evaluation indicator in this study since the nutrient concentration in the wetlands mostly high as they have a low flow rate and are close to the stagnant area. Nevertheless, additional periodic surveys that comprehensively reflect the fact that the summer rainfall and inflow/outflow regulating function might affect the species diversity and distribution of benthic diatoms are necessary.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.21-25
• /
• 2011

In this study, anatase/brookite hybrid $TiO_2$ was prepared using different acid catalysts and microwave to improve photodegradation of organic pollutants. The methylene blue photodegradation properties of the prepared photocatalysts with different particle/crystal size and brookite fractions were investigated. Surface characteristics and particle sizes of anatase/brookite hybrid $TiO_2$ were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser diffraction particle size analyzer, respectively and crystal structures were investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Methylene blue photodegradation properties were evaluated with UV-vis spectrophotometer. Anatase and anatase/brookite hybrid $TiO_2$ had less than 500 nm size of clusters and the average particle size of $6.66{\sim}6.85{\mu}m$, suggesting that types of acid catalysts did not affect the size. XRD of the prepared $TiO_2$ showed that the photocatalysts had anatase/brookite hybrid crystal structure and applying microwave did not change their crystal structure. Photodegradation of methylene blue with the prepared photocatalyst did not increased proportionally to the fraction of brookite and the crystal size and decreased when brookite fraction and the crystal size increased further. Anatase/brookite hybrid $TiO_2$ with brookite fraction of 9.4% and crystal size of 4.53 nm shows the best photodegradation activity of methylene blue.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.79-93
• /
• 2022

In this study, an electronics industrial wastewater activated sludge model (e-ASM) to be used as a Water Digital Twin was calibrated based on real high-tech electronics industrial wastewater treatment measurements from lab-scale and pilot-scale reactors, and examined for its treatment performance, effluent quality prediction, and optimal process selection. For specialized modeling of a high-tech electronics industrial wastewater treatment system, the kinetic parameters of the e-ASM were identified by a sensitivity analysis and calibrated by the multiple response surface method (MRS). The calibrated e-ASM showed a high compatibility of more than 90% with the experimental data from the lab-scale and pilot-scale processes. Four electronics industrial wastewater treatment processes-MLE, A2/O, 4-stage MLE-MBR, and Bardenpo-MBR-were implemented with the proposed Water Digital Twin to compare their removal efficiencies according to various electronics industrial wastewater characteristics. Bardenpo-MBR stably removed more than 90% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and showed the highest nitrogen removal efficiency. Furthermore, a high concentration of 1,800 mg L^-1 T MAH influent could be 98% removed when the HRT of the Bardenpho-MBR process was more than 3 days. Hence, it is expected that the e-ASM in this study can be used as a Water Digital Twin platform with high compatibility in a variety of situations, including plant optimization, Water AI, and the selection of best available technology (BAT) for a sustainable high-tech electronics industry.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.60 no.2
• /
• pp.243-248
• /
• 2022

As the scope of use of portable and wearable electronic devices is expanding, the limitations of heavy and bulky solid-state batteries are being revealed. Given that, it is urgent to develop a small energy harvesting device that can partially share the role of a battery and the utilization of energy sources that are thrown away in daily life is becoming more important. Contact electrification, which generates electricity based on the coupling of the triboelectric effect and electrical induction when the two material surfaces are in contact and separated, can effectively harvest the physical and mechanical energy sources existing in the surrounding environment without going through a complicated intermediate process. Recently, the interest in the harvest and utilization of wind energy is growing since the wind is an infinitely ecofriendly energy source among the various environmental energy sources that exist in human surroundings. In this study, the optimization of the energy harvesting device for the effective harvest of wind energy based on the contact electrification was analyzed and then, the utilization strategy to maximize the utilization of the generated electricity was investigated. Natural wind based Fluttering TENG (NF-TENG) using fluttering film was developed, and design optimization was conducted. Moreover, the safe high voltage generation system was developed and a plan for application in the field requiring high voltage was proposed by highlighting the unique characteristics of TENG that generates low current and high voltage. In this respect, the result of this study demonstrates that a portable energy harvesting device based on the contact electrification shows great potential as a strategy to harvest wind energy thrown away in daily life and use it widely in fields requiring high voltage.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.38 no.5_2
• /
• pp.747-763
• /
• 2022

Ocean salinity affects ocean circulation on a global scale and low salinity water around coastal areas often has an impact on aquaculture and fisheries. Microwave satellite sensors (e.g., Soil Moisture Active Passive [SMAP]) have provided sea surface salinity (SSS) based on the dielectric characteristics of water associated with SSS and sea surface temperature (SST). In this study, a Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM)-based model for generating high resolution SSS from Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) data was proposed, having machine learning-based improved SMAP SSS by Jang et al. (2022) as reference data (SMAP SSS (Jang)). Three schemes with different input variables were tested, and scheme 3 with all variables including Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution SST yielded the best performance (coefficient of determination = 0.60, root mean square error = 0.91 psu). The proposed LGBM-based GOCI SSS had a similar spatiotemporal pattern with SMAP SSS (Jang), with much higher spatial resolution even in coastal areas, where SMAP SSS (Jang) was not available. In addition, when tested for the great flood occurred in Southern China in August 2020, GOCI SSS well simulated the spatial and temporal change of Changjiang Diluted Water. This research provided a potential that optical satellite data can be used to generate high resolution SSS associated with the improved microwave-based SSS especially in coastal areas.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.621-631
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study is to survey and analyze acorn production and characteristics of the Quercus acuta Thunb. according to the need for information on seed supply and seedling cultivation during the restoration of warm broad-leaved forests. For the survey, a total of 30 seed traps with a surface area of 1 m² were set up, 3 in each of 10 quadrats (8 in Wando, 1 in Haenam, and 1 in Jindo). The acorns that fell in the seed trap at the end of each month were collected from August to December each year between 2013 to 2016. The collected acorns were then classified into sound, damaged, decayed, or empty grade, and the number of acorns produced was calculated. In the case of sound acorns, acorn traits, such as length, diameter and weight of acorns without cupule, were measured. Duncan's multiple tests of acorn production and characteristics were conducted for comparative analysis of the annual average values with the values by year, stand, month, and treatment plot. The annual number of acorn dropped into the seed traps in each quadrat from 2013 to 2016 was 5-350 acorns/3 m² in 2013, 17-551 acorns/3 m² in 2014, 5-454 acorns/3 m² in 2015, and 14-705 acorns/3 m² in 2016. There was a large difference in acorn production between the quadrats, presumably attributed to the difference in the amount of light received due to the density of trees in the square. Annual acorn production per area was 335,000 acorns/ha in 2013, 932,000 acorns/ha in 2014, 556,000 acorns/ha in 2015, and 1,037,000 acorns/ha in 2016. That was a sharp variation of acorn production in the two-year cycle. As the fluctuation in the production of Q. acuta showed simultaneity between stands, it is judged that Quercus acuta Thunb. had a clear cycle of fruitfulness and fruitiness between forest objects. September showed the biggest amount of fallen acorns and largest damage from insect pests, indicating that preventing early fall of acorns could increase the fruiting period and enable mass production of sound acorns. There was no significant difference between annual average acorn length in each region. In the case of the acorn diameter and weight, the average values of acorns from Haenam were significantly higher than those from Wando and Jindo. There was no significant difference in the average annual acorn characteristics by month, and the average annual acorn length, diameter, and weight in November were 19.72mm, 12.23mm, and 1.64g, respectively, the highest between August and November.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.47-60
• /
• 2021

Recently, as the occurrence frequency of sudden floods due to climate variability increased, the damage of aging chuteway slabs of spillway are on the rise. Accordingly, a wide array of field survey, hydraulic experiment and numerical simulation have been conducted to find the cause of damage on chuteway slabs. However, these studies generally reviewed the flow characteristics and distribution of pressure on chuteway slabs. Therefore the derivation of damage on chuteway slabs was relatively insufficient in the literature. In this study, the cavitation erosion and hydraulic jacking were assumed to be the causes of damage on chuteway slabs, and the phenomena were reproduced using 3D numerical models, FLOW-3D and COMSOL Multiphysics. In addition, the cavitation index was calculated and the von Mises stress by uplift pressure distribution was compared with tensile and bending strength of concrete to evaluate the possibility of cavitation erosion and hydraulic jacking. As a result of numerical simulation on cavitation erosion and hydraulic jacking under various flow conditions with complete opening gate, the cavitation index in the downstream of spillway was less than 0.3, and the von Mises stress on concrete was 4.6 to 5.0 MPa. When von Mises stress was compared with tensile and bending strength of concrete, the fatigue failure caused by continuous pressure fluctuation occurred on chuteway slabs. Therefore, the cavitation erosion and hydraulic jacking caused by high speed flow were one of the main causes of damage to the chuteway slabs in spillway. However, this study has limitations in that the various shape conditions of damage(cavity and crack) and flow conditions were not considered and Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) was not simulated. If these limitations are supplemented and reviewed, it is expected to derive more efficient utilization of the maintenance plan on spillway in the future.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.435-444
• /
• 2022

Hibiscus hamabo Sieb. et Zucc. (yellow hibiscus) is a deciduous semi-shrub plant and mainly growing in Jeju Island. This is known the unique wild hibiscus genus and classified as an 2nd grade of endangered plant for Korean Red List. In previous studies, properties of germination, ecological, genetical and salt resistance have been reported. In this study, we investigated mass-proliferated adventitious root using bioreactor, antioxidant and whitening effects to conduct functional ingredients. Yellow hibiscus were collected from Gujwa, Jeju by prior permission and they were introduced by explant type and various medium composition after surface sterilization. As a result, seed response rates were evaluated at range of 51.17~51.83%, in terms of comprehensive efficiency of shoot and root formation. In the case of adventitious root propagation condition was confirmed in half strength Murashige and Skoog medium salts, 30 mg/L sucrose, and 2 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid for 8 weeks in 5,000 mL bioreactor. We also compared between relationship with biomass and secondary metabolites accumulation by total phenolics content, the flavonoid content, DPPH free radical scavenging activity and melanin content. The results indicated that adventitious root mass proliferation, antioxidant and whitening effect could develop value of the high-quality cosmeceutical ingredient and further metabolite studies.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2023

The cathode, which is one of the four major components of a lithium secondary battery, is an important component responsible for the energy density of the battery. The mixing process of active material, conductive material, and polymer binder is very essential in the commonly used wet manufacturing process of the cathode. However, in the case of mixing conditions of the cathode, since there is no systematic method, in most cases, differences in performance occur depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) cathodes were prepared using a commonly used THINKY mixer and homogenizer to optimize the mixing method in the cathode slurry preparation step, and their characteristics were compared. Each mixing condition was performed at 2000 RPM and 7 min, and to determine only the difference in the mixing method during the manufacture of the cathode other experiment conditions (mixing time, material input order, etc.) were kept constant. Among the manufactured THINKY mixer LMO (TLMO) and homogenizer LMO (HLMO), HLMO has more uniform particle dispersion than TLMO, and thus shows higher adhesive strength. Also, the result of the electrochemical evaluation reveals that HLMO cathode showed improved performance with a more stable life cycle compared to TLMO. The initial discharge capacity retention rate of HLMO at 69 cycles was 88%, which is about 4.4 times higher than that of TLMO, and in the case of rate capability, HLMO exhibited a better capacity retention even at high C-rates of 10, 15, and 20 C and the capacity recovery at 1 C was higher than that of TLMO. It's postulated that the use of a homogenizer improves the characteristics of the slurry containing the active material, the conductive material, and the polymer binder creating an electrically conductive network formed by uniformly dispersing the conductive material suppressing its strong electrostatic properties thus avoiding aggregation. As a result, surface contact between the active material and the conductive material increases, electrons move more smoothly, changes in lattice volume during charging and discharging are more reversible and contact resistance between the active material and the conductive material is suppressed.