• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.75-88
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• 2009

This paper presents a video quality assessment method based on quality degradation factors of real-time multimedia streaming services. The video quality degradation is caused by video source compression and network states. In this paper, we propose a blocky metric on an image domain to measure quality degradation by video compression. In this paper, the proposed boundary strength index for the blocky metric is defined by ratio of the variation of two pixel values adjacent to $8{\times}8$ block boundary and the average variation at several pixels adjacent to the two boundary pixels. On the other hand, unnatural image movement caused by network performance deterioration such as jitter and delay factors can be observed. In this paper, a temporal-Jerkiness measurement method is proposed by computing statistics of luminance differences between consecutive frames and play-time intervals between frames. The proposed final Perceptual Video Quality Metric (PVQM) is proposed by consolidating both blocking strength and temporal-jerkiness. To evaluate performance of the proposed algorithm, the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is compared with Difference of Mean Opinion Score (DMOS) based on human visual system.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.167-171
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• 2016

Background: TlBr is of considerable technological importance for radiation detection applications where detecting high-energy photons such as X-rays and ${\gamma}$-rays are of prime importance. However, there were few reports on investigating optical properties of TlBr itself for deeper understandings of this material and for making better radiation detection devices. Thus, in this paper, we report on the optical characterizations of TlBr single crystals. Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements at RT were performed for this work. Materials and Methods: A 2-inch TlBr single crystalline ingot was grown by using the vertical Bridgman furnace. SE measurements were performed at RT within the photon energy range from 1.1 to 6.5 eV. PL measurements were performed at RT by using a home-made PL system equipped with a 266 nm-laser and a spectrometer. Results and Discussion: Dielectric responses from SE analysis were shown to be slightly different among the different samples possibly due to the different structural/optical properties. Also from the PL measurements, it was observed that the peak intensities of the middle samples were significantly higher than those of the other two samples. With the given values for permittivity of free space (${\varepsilon}_0=8.854{\times}10^{-12}F{\cdot}m^{-1}$), thickness (d = 1 mm), and area ($A=10{\times}10mm^2$) of the TlBr sample, capacitances of TlBr were 6.9 pF (at $h{\nu}=3eV$) and 4.4 pF (at $h{\nu}=6eV$), respectively. Conclusion: SE and PL measurement and analysis were performed to characterize TlBr samples from the optical perspective. It was observed that dielectric responses of different TlBr samples were slightly different due to the different material properties. PL measurements showed that the middle sample exhibited much stronger PL emission peaks due to the better material quality. From the SE analysis, optical, dielectric constants were extracted, and calculated capacitances were in the few pF range.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2004

Mast cells (MCs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis. However, the role of MC in the development of liver fibrosis has not been fully elucidated. Stem cell factor (SCF) is known to recruit MCs to the liver following injury as it induces mast cell proliferation, survival and differentiation from resident tissue precursors. This study examines the interaction between activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and MCs in rat fibrotic liver, and SCF production by HSCs during culture in vitro. Rats were studied 4, 7, 14 and 21 days after bile duct ligation (BDL). Fibrogenesis was assessed by a measurement of collagen stained with sirius red F3B. Activated HSCs and MCs were identified by ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}-SMA$) immunohistochemical and alcian blue staining and measured by a computerized image analysis system. SCF production was determined in rat HSC cultures using Western blotting. Mild fibrotic changes were noted in BDL rat livers as early as 4 days after induction of cholestasis. Significant expansion and organization of fibrous tissue has occurred in day 14 BDL rats which progressed to bridging fibrosis by day 21. In BDL rats, both a large number of activated HSCs and MCs were detected in portal tracts and fibrous septa. Both area of activated HSCs infiltration and density of MCs were significantly higher in all BDL group compared with Shams. In BDL rats, both areas of activated HSCs infiltration and density of MCs were no significant difference between day 4 and 7 and were significantly higher in day 14. However, the areas of activated HSCs infiltration were significantly lesser in day 21 and the densities of MCs were significantly higher in day 21 compared with day14 BDL. In BDL rats, both areas of activated HSCs infiltration and density of MCs were highly correlated with areas of fibrosis. Western blotting showed that SCF protein was consistently produced in activated HSCs by culture on plastic and freshly isolated HSCs expressed relatively little 30kD SCF compared to late primary culture activated HSCs (day 14) and passaged HSCs. These results suggest that HSCs activated in vitro produce SCF, and may play an important role in recruiting mast cells to the liver during injury and fibrosis.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.138-147
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• 2001

The stochiometric mixtures mixture of evaporating materials for the $ZnIn_{2}S_{4}$ single crystal thin film was prepared from horizontal furnace. To obtain the $ZnIn_{2}S_{4}$ single crystal thin film, $ZnIn_{2}S_{4}$ mixed crystal was deposited on throughly etched semi-insulting GaAs(100) in the Hot Wall Epitaxy(HWE) system. The sourceand substrate temperature were $610^{\circ}C$ and $450^{\circ}C$, respectively and the growth rate of the $ZnIn_{2}S_{4}$ single crystal thin film was about 0.5$\mu\textrm{m}$/hr. The crystalline structure of $ZnIn_{2}S_{4}$ single crystal thin film was investigated by photoluminescence and double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXD) measurement. The carrier density and mobility of $ZnIn_{2}S_{4}$ single crystal thin film measured from Hal effect by van der Pauw method are $8.51{\times}10^{17}{\textrm}{cm}^{-3}$, 291$\textrm{cm}^2$/V.s at $293^{\circ}$K, respectively. From the photocurrent spectrum by illumination of perpendicular light on the c-axis of the $ZnIn_{2}S_{4}$ single crystal thin film, we have found that the values of spin orbit splitting $\Delta$So and the crystal filed splitting DCr were 0.0148eV and 0.1678 eV at $10^{\circ}$K, respectively. From the photoluminescence measurement of $ZnIn_{2}S_{4}$ single crystal thin film, we observed free excition($E_{X}$) typically observed only in high quality crystal and neutral donor bound exicton ($D^{\circ}$, X) having very strong peak intensity. The full width at half maximum and binding energy of neutral donor bound excition were 9meV and 26meV, respectively. The activation energy of impurity measured by Haynes rule was 130meV.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 1996

Purpose : Multileaf collimator(MLC) is very suitable tool for conformal radio-therapy and commissioning measurements for a multileaf collimator installed on a dual energy accelerator with 6 and 10MV photons are required, For modeling the collimator with treament planning software, detailed dosimetric characterization of the multileaf collimator including the penumbra width, leaf transmission between leaf leakage and localization of the leaf ends and sides is an essential requirement. materials and Methods : Measurement of characteristic data of the MLC with 26 pair block leaves installed on CLINAC 2100C linear accelerator was performed. Low sensitive radiographic film(X-omatV) was used for the penumbra measurement and separate experiments using radiographic film and thermoluminescent dosimeters were performed to verify the dose distribution, Measured films were analized with a photodensitometer of WP700i scanner. Results : For 6 & 10 MV x-ray energies, approximately $2.0\%$ of photons incident on the multileaf collimator were transmitted and an additional $0.5\%$ leakage occurs between the leaves. Localizing the physical end of the leaves showed less than 1mm deviation from the $50\%$ decrement line and this difference is attributed to the curved shaped end on the leaves One side of a sin히e leaf corresponded to the $50\%$ decrement line, but the opposite face was aligned with a lower value. This difference is due to the tongue and groove used to decrease between leaf leakage. Alignment of the leaves to form a straight edge resulted larger penumbra at far position from isocenter as compare with divergent alloy blocks. When the MLC edge is stepped by sloping field, the isodose lines follow the leaf pattern and Produce scalloping isodose curves in tissue. The effective penumbra by 45 degree stepped MLC is about 10mm at 10cm depth for 6MV x-ray. The difference of effective penumbra in deep tissue between MLC and divergent alloy blocks is small (5mm). Conclusion : Using the characteristic data of MLC, the MLC has the clinlical acceptability and suitability for 3-D conformal radiotherapy except small field size.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.113-145
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• 2009

Recently, due to the globalization of the IT(Information Technology) market, devices and systems designed in one country are used in other countries as well. This phenomenon is becoming the key factor for increased interest on cross-cultural, or cross-national, research within the IT area. However, as the IT market is becoming bigger and more globalized, a great number of IT practitioners are having difficulty in designing and developing devices or systems which can provide optimal experience. This is because not only tangible factors such as language and a country's economic or industrial power affect the user experience of a certain device or system but also invisible and intangible factors as well. Among such invisible and intangible factors, the cultural characteristics of users from different countries may affect the user experience of certain devices or systems because cultural characteristics affect how they understand and interpret the devices or systems. In other words, when users evaluate the quality of overall user experience, the cultural characteristics of each user act as a perceptual lens that leads the user to focus on a certain elements of experience. Therefore, there is a need within the IT field to consider cultural characteristics when designing or developing certain devices or systems and plan a strategy for localization. In such an environment, existing IS studies identify the culture with the country, emphasize the importance of culture in a national level perspective, and hypothesize that users within the same country have same cultural characteristics. Under such assumptions, these studies focus on the moderating effects of cultural characteristics on a national level within a certain theoretical framework. This has already been suggested by cross-cultural studies conducted by scholars such as Hofstede(1980) in providing numerical research results and measurement items for cultural characteristics and using such results or items as they increase the efficiency of studies. However, such national level culture has its limitations in forecasting and explaining individual-level behaviors such as voluntary device or system usage. This is because individual cultural characteristics are the outcome of not only the national culture but also the culture of a race, company, local area, family, and other groups that are formulated through interaction within the group. Therefore, national or nationally dominant cultural characteristics may have its limitations in forecasting and explaining the cultural characteristics of an individual. Moreover, past studies in psychology suggest a possibility that there exist different cultural characteristics within a single individual depending on the subject being measured or its context. For example, in relation to individual vs. collective characteristics, which is one of the major cultural characteristics, an individual may show collectivistic characteristics when he or she is with family or friends but show individualistic characteristics in his or her workplace. Therefore, this study acknowledged such limitations of past studies and conducted a research within the framework of 'theoretically integrated model of user satisfaction and emotional attachment', which was developed through a former study, on how the effects of different experience elements on emotional attachment or user satisfaction are differentiated depending on the individual cultural characteristics related to a system or device usage. In order to do this, this study hypothesized the moderating effects of four cultural dimensions (uncertainty avoidance, individualism vs, collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, and power distance) as suggested by Hofstede(1980) within the theoretically integrated model of emotional attachment and user satisfaction. Statistical tests were then implemented on these moderating effects through conducting surveys with users of four digital devices (mobile phone, MP3 player, LCD TV, and refrigerator) in three countries (US, Germany, and Russia). In order to explain and forecast the behavior of personal device or system users, individual cultural characteristics must be measured, and depending on the target device or system, measurements must be measured independently. Through this suggestion, this study hopes to provide new and useful perspectives for future IS research.

• Archives of design research
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• v.18 no.4 s.62
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• pp.95-104
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to estimate the determinants of product design and analyze the impacts of product design on quality competitiveness, product reliability, and consumer satisfaction in an attempt to provide a foundation for the theory of design management. For this empirical analysis, this study has derived the relevant measurement variables from a survey on 400 Korean manufacturing firms during the period of $August{\sim}October$ 2003. The empirical findings are summarized as follows: First, the determinants of product design are very significantly (at p<0.001) estimated to be the R&D capability, the level of R&D expenditure, the level of innovative activities(5S, TQM, 6Sigma, QC, etc.). This empirical result can support Pawar and Driva(1999)'s two principles by which the performance of product design and product development can be simultaneously evaluated in the context of CE(concurrent engineering) of NPD(newly product development) activities. Second, the hypothesis on the causality: product design${\rightarrow}$quality competitiveness${\rightarrow}$customer satisfaction${\rightarrow}$customer loyalty is very significantly (at p<0.001) accepted. This implies that product design positively affects consumer satisfaction, not directly but indirectly, by influencing quality competitiveness. This empirical result of this study can also support the studies of for example Flynn et al.(1994), Ahire et at.(1996), Afire and Dreyfus(2000) which conclude that design management is a significant determinant of product quality. The aforementioned empirical results are important in the following sense: the empirical result that quality competitiveness plays a bridging role between product design and consumer satisfaction can reconcile the traditional debate between QFD(quality function development) approach asserted by product developers and conjoint analysis maintained by marketers. The first empirical result is related to QFD approach whereas the second empirical result is related to conjoint analysis. At the same time, the empirical results of this study can support the rationale of design integration(DI) of Ettlie(1997), i.e., the coordination of the timing and substance of product development activities performed by the various disciplines and organizational functions of a product's life cycle. Finally, the policy implication (at the corporate level) from the empirical results is that successful design management(DM) requires not only the support of top management but also the removal of communication barriers, (i.e. the adoption of cross-functional teams) so that concurrent engineering(CE), the simultaneous development of product and process designs can assure product development speed, design quality, and market success.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.419-426
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• 2001

The stochiometric $AgGaSe_2$ polycrystalline mixture of evaporating materials for the $AgGaSe_2$ single crystal thin film was prepared from horizontal furnace. To obtain the single crystal thin films, $AgGaSe_2$ mixed crystal and semi-insulating GaAs(100) wafer were used as source material and substrate for the Hot Wall Epitaxy (HWE) system, respectively. The source and substrate temperature were fixed at$ 630^{\circ}C$ and $420^{\circ}C$, respectively. The thickness of grown single crystal thin films is 2.1$\mu\textrm{m}$. The single crystal thin films were investigated by photoluminescence and double crystal X-ray diffraction(DCXD) measurement. The carrier density and mobility of AgGaSe$_2$ single crystal thin films measured from Hall effect by van der Pauw method are $4.89\Times10^{17}$ cm$^{-3}$ , 129cm2/V.s at 293K, respectively. From the Photocurrent spectrum by illumination of perpendicular light on the c-axis of the AgGaSe$_2$ single crystal thin film, we have found that the values of spin orbit splitting $$\Delta$S_{o}$ and the crystal field splitting $\Delta$C$_{r}$, were 0.1762eV and 0.2474eV at 10K, respectively. From the photoluminescence measurement of AgGaSe$_2$ single crystal thin film, we observed free excision (EX) observable only in high quality crystal and neutral bound exciton ($D^{o}$ , X) having very strong peak intensity. And, the full width at half maximum and binding energy of neutral donor bound excition were 8mev and 14.1meV, respectively. By Haynes rule, an activation energy of impurity was 141 meV.ion energy of impurity was 141 meV.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.421-430
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• 2004

Clinically, it is almost impossible for a physician to distinguish subtle changes of frequency spectrum by using a stethoscope alone especially in the early stage of thrombus formation. Considering that reliability of mechanical valve is paramount because the failure might end up with patient death, early detection of valve thrombus using noninvasive technique is important. Thus the study was designed to provide a tool for early noninvasive detection of valve thrombus by observing shift of frequency spectrum of acoustic signals with computer aid diagnosis system. A thrombus model was constructed on commercialized mechanical valves using polyurethane or silicon. Polyurethane coating was made on the valve surface, and silicon coating on the sewing ring of the valve. To simulate pannus formation, which is fibrous tissue overgrowth obstructing the valve orifice, the degree of silicone coating on the sewing ring varied from 20％, 40％, 60％ of orifice obstruction. In experiment system, acoustic signals from the valve were measured using microphone and amplifier. The microphone was attached to a coupler to remove environmental noise. Acoustic signals were sampled by an AID converter, frequency spectrum was obtained by the algorithm of spectral analysis. To quantitatively distinguish the frequency peak of the normal valve from that of the thrombosed valves, analysis using a neural network was employed. A return map was applied to evaluate continuous monitoring of valve motion cycle. The in-vivo data also obtained from animals with mechanical valves in circulatory devices as well as patients with mechanical valve replacement for 1 year or longer before. Each spectrum wave showed a primary and secondary peak. The secondary peak showed changes according to the thrombus model. In the mock as well as the animal study, both spectral analysis and 3-layer neural network could differentiate the normal valves from thrombosed valves. In the human study, one of 10 patients showed shift of frequency spectrum, however the presence of valve thrombus was yet to be determined. Conclusively, acoustic signal measurement can be of suggestive as a noninvasive diagnostic tool in early detection of mechanical valve thrombosis.

• Proceedings of the Korea Association of Crystal Growth Conference
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• 1996.06a
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• pp.179-200
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• 1996

The intrinsic instabilities of fluid flow occurred in the melt of the Czochralski crystal growth system Czochralski method, asymmetric flow patterns and temperature profiles in the melt have been studied by many researchers. The idea that the non-symmetric structure of the growing equipment is responsible for the asymmetric profiles is usually accepted at the first time. However further researches revealed that some intrinsic instabilities not related to the non-symmetric equipment structure in the melt could also appear. Ristorcelli had pointed out that there are many possible causes of instabilities in the melt. The instabilities appears because of the coupling effects of fluid flow and temperature profiles in the melt. Among the instabilities, the B nard type instabilities with no or low crucible rotation rates are analyzed by the visualizing experiments using X-ray radiography and the 3-D numerical simulation in this study. The velocity profiles in the Silicon melt at different crucible rotation rates were measured using X-ray radiography method using tungsten tracers in the melt. The results showed that there exits two types of fluid flow mode. One is axisymmetric flow, the other is asymmetric flow. In the axisymmetric flow, the trajectory of the tracers show torus pattern. However, more exact measurement of the axisymmetrc case shows that this flow field has small non-axisymmetric components of the velocity. When fluid flow is asymmetric, the tracers show random motion from the fixed view point. On the other hand, when the observer rotates to the same velocity of the crucible, the trajectory of the tracer show a rotating motion, the center of the motion is not same the center of the melt. The temperature of a point in the melt were measured using thermocouples with different rotating rates. Measured temperatures oscillated. Such kind of oscillations are also measured by the other researchers. The behavior of temperature oscillations were quite different between at low rotations and at high rotations. Above experimental results means that the fluid flow and temperature profiles in the melt is not symmetric, and then the mode of the asymmetric is changed when rotation rates are changed. To compare with these experimental results, the fluid flow and temperature profiles at no rotation and 8 rpm of crucible rotation rates on the same size of crucible is calculated using a 3-dimensional numerical simulation. A finite different method is adopted for this simulation. 50×30×30 grids are used. The numerical simulation also showed that the velocity and flow profiles are changed when rotation rates change. Futhermore, the flow patterns and temperature profiles of both cases are not axisymmetric even though axisymmetric boundary conditions are used. Several cells appear at no rotation. The cells are formed by the unstable vertical temperature profiles (upper region is colder than lower part) beneath the free surface of the melt. When the temperature profile is combined with density difference (Rayleigh-B nard instability) or surface tension difference (Marangoni-B nard instability) on temperature, cell structures are naturally formed. Both sources of instabilities are coupled to the cell structures in the melt of the Czochralski process. With high rotation rates, the shape of the fluid field is changed to another type of asymmetric profile. Because of the velocity profile, isothermal lines on the plane vertical to the centerline change to elliptic. When the velocity profiles are plotted at the rotating view point, two vortices appear at the both sides of centerline. These vortices seem to be the main reason of the tracer behavior shown in the asymmetric velocity experiment. This profile is quite similar to the profiles created by the baroclinic instability on the rotating annulus. The temperature profiles obtained from the numerical calculations and Fourier transforms of it are quite similar to the results of the experiment. bove esults intend that at least two types of intrinsic instabilities can occur in the melt of Czochralski growing systems. Because the instabilities cause temperature fluctuations in the melt and near the crystal-melt interface, some defects may be generated by them. When the crucible size becomes large, the intensity of the instabilities should increase. Therefore, to produce large single crystals with good quality, the behavior of the intrinsic instabilities in the melt as well as the effects of the instabilities on the defects in the ingot should be studied. As one of the cause of the defects in the large diameter Silicon single crystal grown by the