• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.13-19
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• 2013

In this study, the target ground was selected for the assessment of liquefaction, for which energy-based Arias intensity liquefaction assessment method was applied, The results of evaluation by simplified method using conventional in-situ test were compared. The result of the assessment of liquefaction revealed that the safety factor of the Arias Intensity using the actual records of the Hachinohe and Ofunato earthquake showed generally similar trends with the simplified method, However, the Arias Intensity factor of safety for the artificial earthquake created from the design response spectrum showed some difference from the factors of safety of the simplified method. The shear stress ratio and the occurrence strength of the Arias Intensity are differently calculated between stress and energy, but the resistance stress ratio of the simplified method and the resistance strength of the Arias Intensity use the empirical chart of the results of the standard penetration test for the actual liquefaction areas by the earthquake, which seems the reason for the similar results between Arias Intensity assessment and stress concept simplified method for Hachinohe and Ofunato earthquakes. Therefore, it was found that the energy-based Arias Intensity liquefaction assessment could represent the dynamic changes of the ground caused by seismic characteristics such as acceleration, magnitude, duration and amplitude.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.44 no.4 s.316
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• pp.55-60
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• 2007

In high field (> 3 T) MR imaging, the magnetic field inhomogeneity in the target object increases due to the nonuniform electro-magnetic characteristics of the relatively high RF frequency. Especially in the body imaging, the effect causes more serious problems resulting in locally high SAR(Specific Absorption Ratio). In this paper, we propose an optimized parallel-transmission RF coil and show the utility of the coil by FDTD simulations to overcome the unwanted effects. Three types of TX coil elements are tested to maximize the efficiency and their driving patterns(amplitude and phase) optimized to have adequate field homogeneity, proper SAR level, and sufficient field strength. For the proposed coil element of $25cm{\times}8cm$ loop structure with 12 channels for a 3.0 T body coil, the field non-uniformity of more than 70% without optimization was reduced to about 26 % after the optimization of driving patterns. The experimental as well as simulation results show that the proposed parallel driving scheme is clinically useful for (ultra) high field MRI.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.220-229
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• 2013

Respiratory-induced dynamic tumors render free-breathing cone-beam computed tomography (FBCBCT) images with motion artifacts complicating the task of quantifying the internal target volume (ITV). The purpose of this paper is to study the visibility of the revealed ITV when the imaging dose parameters, such as the kVp and mAs, are varied. The $Trilogy^{TM}$ linear accelerator with an On-Board Imaging ($OBI^{TM}$) system was used to acquire low-imaging-dose-mode (LIDM: 110 kVp, 20 mA, 20 ms/frame) and high-imaging-dose-mode (HIDM: 125 kVp, 80 mA, 25 ms/frame) FBCBCT images of a 3-cm diameter sphere (density=0.855 $g/cm^3$) moving in accordance to various sinusoidal breathing patterns, each with an unique inhalation-to-exhalation (I/E) ratio, amplitude, and period. In terms of image ITV contrast, there was a small overall average change of the ITV contrast when going from HIDM to LIDM of $6.5{\pm}5.1%$ for all breathing patterns. As for the ITV visible volume measurements, there was an insignificant difference between the ITV of both the LIDM- and HIDM-FBCBCT images with an average difference of $0.5{\pm}0.5%$, for all cases, despite the large difference in the imaging dose (approximately five-fold difference of ~0.8 and 4 cGy/scan). That indicates that the ITV visibility is not very sensitive to changes in imaging dose. However, both of the FBCBCT consistently underestimated the true ITV dimensions by up to 34.8% irrespective of the imaging dose mode due to significant motion artifacts, and thus, this imaging technique is not adequate to accurately visualize the ITV for image guidance. Due to the insignificant impact of imaging dose on ITV visibility, a plausible, alternative strategy would be to acquire more X-ray projections at the LIDM setting to allow 4DCBCT imaging to better define the ITV, and at the same time, maintain a reasonable imaging dose, i.e., comparable to a single HIDM-FBCBCT scan.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea TC
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.42-48
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• 2008

Next generation wireless communication systems require RF transceivers that enable multiband/multimode operations. Polar transmitters are known as good candidates for high data rate systems such as EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), and WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) because they can obtain high efficiency by using efficient switched-mode RF power amplifiers. In this paper, we investigate the performance of a simple peak windowing scheme for the OFDM (Orthogonal frequency Division Multiplexing) polar transmitter, which requires no change of a receiver structure or no additional information transmission. The approach we employed is to apply the peak windowing scheme to the amplitude modulated signals of the polar transmitter to reduce the PAPR (Peak-to-Average Power Ratio). The BER (Bit Error Rate) and EVM (Error Vector Magnitude) performances are measured for various window types and lengths. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm mitigates out-of-band distortion introduced by clipping along with PAPR reduction.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.166-170
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• 2019

Objectives: Attentional and memory functions are important aspects of neural plasticity that, theoretically, should be amenable to pharmacopuncture treatments. A previous study from our laboratory suggested that quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) measurements of theta/beta ratio (TBR), an index of attentional control, may be indicative of academic performance in a first-semester medical school course. The present study expands our prior report by extracting and analyzing data on frontal theta and beta asymmetries. We test the hypothesis that the amount of frontal theta and beta asymmetries (fTA, fBA), are correlated with TBR and academic performance, thereby providing novel targets for pharmacopuncture treatments to improve cognitive performance. Methods: Ten healthy male volunteers were subjected to 5-10 min of qEEG measurements under eyes-closed conditions. The qEEG measurements were performed 3 days before each of first two block examinations in anatomy-physiology, separated by five weeks. Amplitudes of the theta and beta waveforms, expressed in ${\mu}V$, were used to compute TBR, fTA and fBA. Significance of changes in theta and beta EEG wave amplitude was assessed by ANOVA with post-hoc t-testing. Correlations between TBR, fTA, fBA and the raw examination scores were evaluated by Pearson's product-moment coefficients and linear regression analysis. Results: fTA and fBA were found to be negatively correlated with TBR (P<0.03, P<0.05, respectively) and were positively correlated with the second examination score (P<0.03, P=0.1, respectively). Conclusion: Smaller fTA and fBA were associated with lower academic performance in the second of two first-semester medical school anatomy-physiology block examination. Future studies should determine whether these qEEG metrics are useful for monitoring changes associated with the brain's cognitive adaptations to academic challenges, for predicting academic performance and for targeting phamacopuncture treatments to improve cognitive performance.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.210-218
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• 2012

The morphological characteristics, carbon and nitrogen concentrations, stable isotope values and photosynthetic rates of Porphyra yezoensis were studied at the main purple lavers production areas on southwestern coast of Korea. The morphological characteristics of leaf length, leaf width and weight of Porphyra blades were between 11.6~16.3 (average 13.8) cm, 4.6~6.3 (average 5.4) cm, $1.1{\sim}2.6(average\;1.86)g\;DW\;m^{-2}$, respectively. Photosynthetic pigment of Chl a concentration of Porphyra blades was between $2.18{\sim}17.77(average\;9.65)mg\;DW\;Chl\;a\;m^{-2}$. Carbon and nitrogen concentrations of Porphyra blades was between $201{\sim}317(average\;240)mg\;DW\;g^{-1}$, $39.8{\sim}50.0(average\;43.5)mg\;DW\;g^{-1}$ and C/N ratio 5.0~6.7 (average 5.5). The range of average ${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$ values of Porphyra blades was between - 25.6 to - 24.0 (average - 24.7)‰ for ${\delta}^{13}C$, and 1.3 to 4.1 (average 2.1)‰ for ${\delta}^{15}N$. Photosynthetic characteristics of seaweeds measured by pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorometry was used as an indicator of photosynthetic activity. We use Diving-PAM fluorometry to examine photosynthetic rates of the seaweeds Porphyra yezoensis at each station. Maximum quantum yield of Porphyra blades was between 0.46~0.55 (average 0.52), the variance of the effective PS II maximum quantum yield of the station was broadly similar. Maximum relative electron transport rate (rETRmax) of Porphyra blades was between $4.71{\sim}5.84(average\;5.33){\mu}mol\;electrons\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1}$, the changes of maximum relative electron transport rate (rETRmax) of Porphyra yezoensis were similar to those of PS II maximum quantum yield. Photosynthetic efficiency (${\alpha}$) was between 0.027~0.045 (average 0.036). Minimum saturating irradiance ($E_k$) range was $139{\sim}180(average\;156){\mu}mol\;photons\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1}$. Minimum saturating irradiance ($E_k$) made a difference by station within the area on southwestern coast. Carbon and nitrogen concentrations and photosynthetic rates of Porphyra blades production areas on southwestern coast were broadly similar. The photosynthetic characteristics showed low photosynthetic rates because the low maximum quantum yields and low maximum relative electron transport rate.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.774-783
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• 2004

The S wave velocity and Q$s^{-1}$ structure of the uppermost part of the soil in Nakdong Delta area have been obtained to determine the characteristics of the forementioned soil. The phase and attenuation coefficients of multichannel seismic records were inverted to obtain the S wave velocity and Q$s^{-1}$ structure of the soil. The inversion results have been compared with the borehole measurements of the area. The seismic signal of the nearest geophone from a seismic source was used as the source signal to obtain the attenuation coefficients. Amplitude ratios of the signal at each geophone to the source signal wave plotted as a function of distance for the frequency range between 10 Hz and 45 Hz. The slope of a linear regression line which fits amplitude ratio-distance relationship best for a given frequency was used as the attenuation coefficients for the frequency. The dispersion curve of Rayleigh waves and the attenuation coefficients were inverted to obtain the S-wave velocity and Q$s^{-1}$, respectively, in the uppermost 8 meter of soil layer. The borehole measurements of the area show that are two distinct layers; the upper 4 meter of silty-sand and the lower 4 meter of silty-clay. The inversion results indicate that the shear wave velocity of the upper layer is 80 m/sec and 40m/sec in the lower silty-clay layer. The spacial resolution of the shear wave velocity structure is very good down to a depth of 8 meter. The Q$s^{-1}$ in the upper silty-sand layer is 0.02 and increase to 0.03 in the lower silty-sand layer. The spacial resolution of quality factor is relatively good down to a depth of 5 meter, but very poor below the depth. In this study, the S-wave velocity is higher in the silty-clay and the Q$s^{-1}$ is smaller silty-sand than in the silty-clay. However, much more data should be analyzed and accumulated before making any generalization on the shear wave velocity and Q$s^{-1}$ of the sediments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.25-39
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• 2015

$CO_2$ geological storage plays an important role in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but there is a lack of research for CCS demonstration. To achieve the goal of CCS, storing $CO_2$ safely and permanently in underground geological formations, it is essential to understand the characteristics of them, such as total storage capacity, stability, etc. and establish an injection strategy. We perform the impedance inversion for the seismic data acquired from the Ulleung Basin in 2012. To review the possibility of $CO_2$ storage, we also construct porosity models and extract attributes of the prospects from the seismic data. To improve the quality of seismic data, amplitude preserved processing methods, SWD(Shallow Water Demultiple), SRME(Surface Related Multiple Elimination) and Radon Demultiple, are applied. Three well log data are also analysed, and the log correlations of each well are 0.648, 0.574 and 0.342, respectively. All wells are used in building the low-frequency model to generate more robust initial model. Simultaneous pre-stack inversion is performed on all of the 2D profiles and inverted P-impedance, S-impedance and Vp/Vs ratio are generated from the inversion process. With the porosity profiles generated from the seismic inversion process, the porous and non-porous zones can be identified for the purpose of the $CO_2$ sequestration initiative. More detailed characterization of the geological storage and the simulation of $CO_2$ migration might be an essential for the CCS demonstration.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.452-464
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• 1990

It is well known that extracellular Calcium plays a very important role in several steps of smooth muscle excitability and contractility, and there have been many concerns about factors influencing the distribution of extracellular Ca++ and the Ca++ flux through the cell membrane of the smooth muscle. Based on the assumption that Mg++ may also play an important role in the excitation and contraction processes of the smooth muscle by taking part in affecting Ca++ distribution and flux, many researches are being performed about the exact role of Mg++, especially in the vascular smooth muscle. But yet the effect of Mg++ in the smooth muscle activity is not clarified, and moreover the mechanism of Mg++ action is almost completely unknown. Present study attempted to clarify the effect of Mg++ on the excitability and contractility in the multiunit and unitary smooth muscle, and the mechanism concerned in it. The preparations used were the guinea-pig aortic strip as the experimental material of the multiunit smooth muscle and the rat uterine strip as the one of the unitary smooth muscle. The tissues were isolated from the sacrificed animal and were prepared for recording the isometric contraction. The effects of Mg++ and Ca++ were examined on the electrically driven or spontaneous contraction of the preparations. And the effects of these ions were also studied on the K+ or norepinephrine contracture. All experiments were performed in tris-buffered Tyrode solution which was aerated with 100% 02 and kept at 35oC. The results obtained were as follows: 1] Mg++ suppressed the phasic contraction induced by electrical field stimulation dose-dependently in the guinea-pig aortic strip, while the high concentration of Ca++ never recovered the decreased tension. These phenomena were not changed by the a - or b - adrenergic blocker. 2]Mg++ played the suppressing effect on the low concentration [20 and 40 mM] of K+-contracture in the aortic muscle, but the effect was not shown in the case of 100mM K+-contracture. 3] Mg++ also suppressed the contracture induced by norepinephrine in the aortic preparation. And the effect of Mg++ was most prominent in the contracture by the lowest [10 mM] concentration of norepinephrine. 4] In both the spontaneous and electrically driven contractions of the uterine strip, Mg++ decreased the amplitude of peak tension, and by the high concentration of Ca++ the amplitude of tension was recovered unlike the aortic muscle. 5] The frequency of the uterine spontaneous contraction increased as the [Ca++] / [Mg++] ratio increased up to 2, but the frequency decreased above this level. 6] Mg++ decreased the tension of the low[20 and 40mM] K+-contracture in the uterine smooth muscle, but the effect did not appear in the 100mM K+-contracture. From the above results, the following conclusion could be made. 1] Mg++ seems to suppress the contractility directly by acting on the smooth muscle itself, besides through the indirect action on the nerve terminal, in both the aortic and uterine smooth muscles. 2] The fact that the depressant effect of Mg++ on the K+-contracture is in inverse proportion to an increase of K+ concentration appears resulted from the extent of the opening state of the Ca++ channel. 3] Mg++ may play a depressant role on both the potential dependent and the receptor-operated Ca++ channels. 4] The relationship between the actions of Mg++ and Ca++ seems to be competitive in uterine muscle and non-competitive in aortic strip.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.33-40
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• 2020

The purpose of this research was to find out the relation between Korean learners' English proficiency and the ratio of the length of the stressed vowel in a monosyllabic noun to that of the unstressed vowel in an article of the noun phrases (e.g., "a cup", "the bus", etcs.). Generally, the vowels in monosyllabic content words are phonetically more prominent than the ones in monosyllabic function words as the former have phrasal stress, making the vowels in content words longer in length, higher in pitch, and louder in amplitude. This study, based on the speech samples from Korean-Spoken English Corpus (K-SEC) and Rated Korean-Spoken English Corpus (Rated K-SEC), examined 879 English noun phrases, which are composed of an article and a monosyllabic noun, from sentences which are rated on 4 levels of proficiency. The lengths of the vowels in these 879 target NPs were measured and the ratio of the vowel lengths in nouns to those in articles was calculated. It turned out that the higher the proficiency level, the greater the mean ratio of the vowels in nouns to the vowels in articles, confirming the research's hypothesis. This research thus concluded that for the Korean English learners, the higher the English proficiency level, the better they could produce the stressed and unstressed vowels with more conspicuous length differences between them.