• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.371-377
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• 2006

The purposes of this study were to assess the accuracy of measurements in pre-enlarged canals with small instruments and to compare the accuracies, in enlarged canal, with small size instruments and instruments that match the actual canal diameter using Root ZX, Bingo1020, SmarPex, and e-Magic Finder. Ten extracted teeth were embedded in an alginate model made for testing apex locators. A size 10 file was placed into the root canal until the tip of the file reached the plane of the major diameter of the foramen under a dental operating microscope at the 25 x magnification. The measurement was done with digital caliper and defined as actual length. Electronic length measurement with a size 10 file in pre-enlarged canal was done by reading the index indicating Apex of each device to gain a definite value After completion of canal enlargement to a size 45 file, each difference between actual length and electric measurement value with a size 10 and 40 files in enlarged canal was recorded as L10 and L40. The one-way ANOVA and Scheffe's multiple range tests were computed for analyze the differences among the four apex locators in the same group. The Student's t-test between L10 and L40 of each locator was done. The accuracies of electronic measurements were significantly different among the 4 devices. The file size made no difference on the accuracy of electronic measurement in enlarged canal with same device. The e-Magic Finder was the most accurate device among the 4 apex locators used in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics S
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• v.36S no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 1999

In this paper, a quadratic sigmoid neural equalizer(QSNE) is proposed to improve the performance of conventional neural equalizer in terms of bit error probability by using a quadratic sigmoid function as the activation function of neural networks. Conventional neural equalizers which have been used to compensate for nonlinear distortions adopt the sigmoid function. In the case of sigmoid neural equalizer, each neuron has one linear decision boundary. So many neurons are required when the neural equalizer has to separate complicated structure. But in case of the proposed QSNF and quadratic sigmoid neural decision feedback equalizer(QSNDFE), each neuron separates decision region with two parallel lines. Therefore, QSNE and QSNDFE have better performance and simpler structure than the conventional neural equalizers in terms of bit error probability. When the proposed QSNDFE is applied to communication systems and digital magnetic recording systems, it is an improvement of approximately 1.5dB~8.3dB in signal to moise ratio(SNR) over the conventional decision feedback equalizer(DEF) and neural decision feedback equalizer(NDFE). As intersymbol interference(ISI) and nonlinear distortions become severer, QSNDFE shows astounding SNR shows astounding SNR performance gain over the conventional equalizers in the same bit error probability.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
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• v.16B no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2009

Motion estimation (ME) plays an important role in digital video compression. But it limits the performance of image quality and encoding speed and is computational demanding part of the encoder. To reduce computational time and maintain the image quality, integer pel and fractional pel ME methods are proposed in this paper. The proposed method for integer pel ME uses a hierarchical search strategy. This strategy method consists of symmetrical cross-X pattern, multi square grid pattern, diamond patterns. These search patterns places search points symmetrically and evenly that can cover the overall search area not to fall into the local minimum and to reduce the computational time. The proposed method for fractional pel uses full search pattern, center biased fractional pel search pattern and the proposed search pattern. According to block sizes, the proposed method for fractional pel decides the search pattern adaptively. Experiment results show that the speedup improvement of the proposed method over Unsymmetrical cross Multi Hexagon grid Search (UMHexagonS) and Full Search (FS) can be up to around $1.2{\sim}5.2$ times faster. Compared to image quality of FS, the proposed method shows an average PSNR drop of 0.01 dB while showing an average PSNR gain of 0.02 dB in comparison to that of UMHexagonS.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.77-85
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• 2008

This work proposes a 12b 130MS/s 108mW $1.8mm^2$ 0.18um CMOS ADC for high-quality video systems such as TFT-LCD displays and digital TVs requiring simultaneously high resolution, low power, and small size at high speed. The proposed ADC optimizes power consumption and chip area at the target resolution and sampling rate based on a three-step pipeline architecture. The input SHA with gate-bootstrapped sampling switches and a properly controlled trans-conductance ratio of two amplifier stages achieves a high gain and phase margin for 12b input accuracy at the Nyquist frequency. A signal-insensitive 3D-fully symmetric layout reduces a capacitor and device mismatch of two MDACs. The proposed supply- and temperature- insensitive current and voltage references are implemented on chip with a small number of transistors. The prototype ADC in a 0.18um 1P6M CMOS technology demonstrates a measured DNL and INL within 0.69LSB and 2.12LSB, respectively. The ADC shows a maximum SNDR of 53dB and 51dB and a maximum SFDR of 68dB and 66dB at 120MS/s and 130MS/s, respectively. The ADC with an active die area of $1.8mm^2$ consumes 108mW at 130MS/s and 1.8V.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.329-329
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• 2007

Photoconductive poly crystalline lead oxide coated on amorphous thin film transistor (TFT) arrays is the best candidate for direct digital x-ray detector for medical imaging. Thicker films with lessening density often show lower x-ray induced charge generation and collection becomes less efficient. In this work, we present a new methodology used for the high density deposition of PbO. We investigate the structural properties of the films using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy experiments. The film coatings of approximately $200\;{\mu}m$ thickness were deposited on $2"{\times}2"$ conductive-coated glass substrates for measurements of dark current and x-ray sensitivity. The lead oxide (PbO) films of $200\;{\mu}m$ thickness were deposited on glass substrates using a wet coating process in room temperature. The influence of post-deposition annealing on the characteristics of the lead oxide films was investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy have been employed to obtain information on the morphology and crystallization of the films. Also we measured dark current, x-ray sensitivity and linearity for investigation of the electrical characteristics of films. It was found that the annealing conditions strongly affect the electrical properties of the films. The x-ray induced output charges of films annealed in oxygen gas increases dramatically with increasing annealing temperatures up to $500^{\circ}C$ but then drops for higher temperature anneals. Consequently, the more we increase the annealing temperatures, the better density and film quality of the lead oxide. Analysis of this data suggests that incorporation and decomposition reactions of oxygen can be controlled to change the detection properties of the lead oxide film significantly. Post-deposition thermal annealing is also used for densely film. The PbO films that are grown by new methodology exhibit good morphology of high density structure and provide less than $10\;pA/mm^2$ dark currents as they show saturation in gain (at approximate fields of $4\;V/{\mu}m$). The ability to operate at low voltage gives adequate dark currents for most applications and allows voltage electronics designs.

• Journal of the HCI Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2016

Three Dimensional Printing (herein, 3D printing) not only gives novelty and interests to modern people but is also a spotlighted technology that could herald a new industrial revolution. The introduction of various 3D printing service platforms has enabled individuals to easily possess products designed through 3D printing. However, there are still many issues to consider until the era of new manufacturing, when 3D printing becomes available to the general public so that anyone can make and design products with 3D printing. For instance, there needs to be sufficient consideration and research on whether the current 3D printing services can prove their higher capability to produce products conventionally done by machines and hands through 3D printing, and on the meaning of selling a wide range of product families like those of most 3D printing service platforms to the consumers. This study, which was initiated in this context, aimed to gain insight on the directions that 3D printing services need to advance going forward by letting consumers have first-hand experience on 3D printing online service platforms with a wide range of product families and those with relatively limited services, and then asking them to answer multiple-choice and short-answer survey questions on the websites they wish to purchase from, diversity of designs, design satisfaction, perceived technical skills, perceived purchase satisfaction, perceived after-sales service(A/S). As a result, we were able to witness that consumers generally had a strong preference for services with a wide range of product families (e.g. Shapeways) compared to services with a narrow range (e.g. Digital Forming). We also verified that design diversity and the possibility of realizing the designs were the crucial aspects that need to be considered with 3D printing services. Moreover, we also carried out discussions on carrying out design consulting by securing a pool of designers from diverse fields, on providing web-based designing software that can be utilized even by beginners, and on operating shops both online and offline in order to provide more competitive 3D printing services.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.24-45
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• 2002

For the last several decades, high-resolution shallow marine seismic technique has been used for various resources, engineering and geological surveys. Even though the multichannel method is powerful to image subsurface structures, single channel analog survey has been more frequently employed in shallow water exploration, because it is more expedient and economical. To improve the quality of the high-resolution seismic data economically, we acquired digital seismic data using a small air gun, 6 channel streamer and PC-based system, performed data processing and produced high-resolution seismic sections. For many years, such test acquisitions were performed with other studies which have different purposes in the area of off Pohang, Yellow Sea and Gyeonggi-bay. Basic data processing was applied to the acquired data and the processing sequence included gain recovery, deconvolution, filtering, normal moveout, static corrections, CMP gathering and stacking. Examples of digitally processed sections were shown and compared with analog sections. Digital seismic sections have a much higher resolution after data processing. The results of acquisition and processing show that the high-resolution shallow marine seismic surveys using a small air gun, 6 channel streamer and PC-based system may be an effective way to image shallow subsurface structures precisely.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2010

This study researches the effects of common features on a no-choice option with respect to regulatory focus theory. The primary interest is in three factors and their interrelationship: common features, no-choice option, and regulatory focus. Prior studies have compiled vast body of research in these areas. First, the "common features effect" has been observed bymany noted marketing researchers. Tversky (1972) proposed the seminal theory, the EBA model: elimination by aspect. According to this theory, consumers are prone to focus only on unique features during comparison processing, thereby dismissing any common features as redundant information. Recently, however, more provocative ideas have attacked the EBA model by asserting that common features really do affect consumer judgment. Chernev (1997) first reported that adding common features mitigates the choice gap because of the increasing perception of similarity among alternatives. Later, however, Chernev (2001) published a critically developed study against his prior perspective with the proposition that common features may be a cognitive load to consumers, and thus consumers are possible that they are prone to prefer the heuristic processing to the systematic processing. This tends to bring one question to the forefront: Do "common features" affect consumer choice? If so, what are the concrete effects? This study tries to answer the question with respect to the "no-choice" option and regulatory focus. Second, some researchers hold that the no-choice option is another best alternative of consumers, who are likely to avoid having to choose in the context of knotty trade-off settings or mental conflicts. Hope for the future also may increase the no-choice option in the context of optimism or the expectancy of a more satisfactory alternative appearing later. Other issues reported in this domain are time pressure, consumer confidence, and alternative numbers (Dhar and Nowlis 1999; Lin and Wu 2005; Zakay and Tsal 1993). This study casts the no-choice option in yet another perspective: the interactive effects between common features and regulatory focus. Third, "regulatory focus theory" is a very popular theme in recent marketing research. It suggests that consumers have two focal goals facing each other: promotion vs. prevention. A promotion focus deals with the concepts of hope, inspiration, achievement, or gain, whereas prevention focus involves duty, responsibility, safety, or loss-aversion. Thus, while consumers with a promotion focus tend to take risks for gain, the same does not hold true for a prevention focus. Regulatory focus theory predicts consumers' emotions, creativity, attitudes, memory, performance, and judgment, as documented in a vast field of marketing and psychology articles. The perspective of the current study in exploring consumer choice and common features is a somewhat creative viewpoint in the area of regulatory focus. These reviews inspire this study of the interaction possibility between regulatory focus and common features with a no-choice option. Specifically, adding common features rather than omitting them may increase the no-choice option ratio in the choice setting only to prevention-focused consumers, but vice versa to promotion-focused consumers. The reasoning is that when prevention-focused consumers come in contact with common features, they may perceive higher similarity among the alternatives. This conflict among similar options would increase the no-choice ratio. Promotion-focused consumers, however, are possible that they perceive common features as a cue of confirmation bias. And thus their confirmation processing would make their prior preference more robust, then the no-choice ratio may shrink. This logic is verified in two experiments. The first is a $2{\times}2$ between-subject design (whether common features or not X regulatory focus) using a digital cameras as the relevant stimulus-a product very familiar to young subjects. Specifically, the regulatory focus variable is median split through a measure of eleven items. Common features included zoom, weight, memory, and battery, whereas the other two attributes (pixel and price) were unique features. Results supported our hypothesis that adding common features enhanced the no-choice ratio only to prevention-focus consumers, not to those with a promotion focus. These results confirm our hypothesis - the interactive effects between a regulatory focus and the common features. Prior research had suggested that including common features had a effect on consumer choice, but this study shows that common features affect choice by consumer segmentation. The second experiment was used to replicate the results of the first experiment. This experimental study is equal to the prior except only two - priming manipulation and another stimulus. For the promotion focus condition, subjects had to write an essay using words such as profit, inspiration, pleasure, achievement, development, hedonic, change, pursuit, etc. For prevention, however, they had to use the words persistence, safety, protection, aversion, loss, responsibility, stability etc. The room for rent had common features (sunshine, facility, ventilation) and unique features (distance time and building state). These attributes implied various levels and valence for replication of the prior experiment. Our hypothesis was supported repeatedly in the results, and the interaction effects were significant between regulatory focus and common features. Thus, these studies showed the dual effects of common features on consumer choice for a no-choice option. Adding common features may enhance or mitigate no-choice, contradictory as it may sound. Under a prevention focus, adding common features is likely to enhance the no-choice ratio because of increasing mental conflict; under the promotion focus, it is prone to shrink the ratio perhaps because of a "confirmation bias." The research has practical and theoretical implications for marketers, who may need to consider common features carefully in a practical display context according to consumer segmentation (i.e., promotion vs. prevention focus.) Theoretically, the results suggest some meaningful moderator variable between common features and no-choice in that the effect on no-choice option is partly dependent on a regulatory focus. This variable corresponds not only to a chronic perspective but also a situational perspective in our hypothesis domain. Finally, in light of some shortcomings in the research, such as overlooked attribute importance, low ratio of no-choice, or the external validity issue, we hope it influences future studies to explore the little-known world of the "no-choice option."

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.139-152
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• 2011

Recommender systems have become an important research field since the emergence of the first paper on collaborative filtering in the mid-1990s. In general, recommender systems are defined as the supporting systems which help users to find information, products, or services (such as books, movies, music, digital products, web sites, and TV programs) by aggregating and analyzing suggestions from other users, which mean reviews from various authorities, and user attributes. However, as academic researches on recommender systems have increased significantly over the last ten years, more researches are required to be applicable in the real world situation. Because research field on recommender systems is still wide and less mature than other research fields. Accordingly, the existing articles on recommender systems need to be reviewed toward the next generation of recommender systems. However, it would be not easy to confine the recommender system researches to specific disciplines, considering the nature of the recommender system researches. So, we reviewed all articles on recommender systems from 37 journals which were published from 2001 to 2010. The 37 journals are selected from top 125 journals of the MIS Journal Rankings. Also, the literature search was based on the descriptors "Recommender system", "Recommendation system", "Personalization system", "Collaborative filtering" and "Contents filtering". The full text of each article was reviewed to eliminate the article that was not actually related to recommender systems. Many of articles were excluded because the articles such as Conference papers, master's and doctoral dissertations, textbook, unpublished working papers, non-English publication papers and news were unfit for our research. We classified articles by year of publication, journals, recommendation fields, and data mining techniques. The recommendation fields and data mining techniques of 187 articles are reviewed and classified into eight recommendation fields (book, document, image, movie, music, shopping, TV program, and others) and eight data mining techniques (association rule, clustering, decision tree, k-nearest neighbor, link analysis, neural network, regression, and other heuristic methods). The results represented in this paper have several significant implications. First, based on previous publication rates, the interest in the recommender system related research will grow significantly in the future. Second, 49 articles are related to movie recommendation whereas image and TV program recommendation are identified in only 6 articles. This result has been caused by the easy use of MovieLens data set. So, it is necessary to prepare data set of other fields. Third, recently social network analysis has been used in the various applications. However studies on recommender systems using social network analysis are deficient. Henceforth, we expect that new recommendation approaches using social network analysis will be developed in the recommender systems. So, it will be an interesting and further research area to evaluate the recommendation system researches using social method analysis. This result provides trend of recommender system researches by examining the published literature, and provides practitioners and researchers with insight and future direction on recommender systems. We hope that this research helps anyone who is interested in recommender systems research to gain insight for future research.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.87-97
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• 2016

This work proposes a time-shared 10b DAC based on a two-step resistor string to minimize the effective area of a DAC channel for driving each AMOLED display column. The proposed DAC shows a lower effective DAC area per unit column driver and a faster conversion speed than the conventional DACs by employing a time-shared DEMUX and a ROM-based two-step decoder of 6b and 4b in the first and second resistor string. In the second-stage 4b floating resistor string, a simple current source rather than a unity-gain buffer decreases the loading effect and chip area of a DAC channel and eliminates offset mismatch between channels caused by buffer amplifiers. The proposed 1-to-24 DEMUX enables a single DAC channel to drive 24 columns sequentially with a single-phase clock and a 5b binary counter. A 0.9pF sampling capacitor and a small-sized source follower in the input stage of each column-driving buffer amplifier decrease the effect due to channel charge injection and improve the output settling accuracy of the buffer amplifier while using the top-plate sampling scheme in the proposed DAC. The proposed DAC in a $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS shows a signal settling time of 62.5ns during code transitions from '$000_{16}$' to '$3FF_{16}$'. The prototype DAC occupies a unit channel area of $0.058mm^2$ and an effective unit channel area of $0.002mm^2$ while consuming 6.08mW with analog and digital power supplies of 3.3V and 1.8V, respectively.