• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2004

Objectives: Sound and light (SL) stimulation has been used as a method to induce some useful mental states in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. It is believed that sound and light entrainment device (SLED) has some specific effects through synchronization of EEG in patients who use it. Theta frequency is believed to stimulate deep relaxation and short term memory processing. This study was conducted to evaluate if 4-10 Hz SL stimulation can induce relaxation and improve short term memory function. Methods: Ten medical students with no medical or psychiatric problems participated in this study. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups. One group was applied with real SLED was applied to one group (R group) and pseudo SLED to the other group (P group). The two groups were exposed to SL stimulation with SLED 15 minutes a day for 5 days, and after two days rest the two groups were switched over. The Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (K-WAIS), Academic Motivation Tests (AMT), Test Anxiety Scale (TAS), Korean Auditory Verbal Learning Test (K-AVLT), and digit span were used to evaluate short term memory. Spielberger's State-Trait anxiety inventory and heart rate variability (HRV) test were used to evaluate degree of relaxation. Results: Compared with S group, R group showed a significant improvement in K-AVLT and digit span after a single application of SL stimulation. But 5-day long application did not reveal any differences between the two groups. A significant change in HRV was observed in 5-day long application of SL stimulation after being switched over to other SLED. Conclusion: This pilot study suggests that 4-10 Hz SL stimulation has some positive influences on short term memory and relaxation.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2001

The enhancement of the refractive index structure parameter $C_n^2$ often occurs where vertical gradients of virtual potential temperature ${\theta}_v$ and mixing ratio q have their maximum values. The $C_n^2$ can be a very useful parameter for estimating the convective boundary layer(CBL) height. The behavior of $C_n^2$ peaks, often used to locate the height of mixed layer, was investigated in the present study. In addition, a new method to determine the CBL height objectively using both $C_n^2$ and vertical air velocity variance ${\sigma}_w$ data of UHF radar was also suggested. The present analysis showed that the $C_n^2$ peaks in the backscatter intensity profiles often occurred not only at the top of the CBL but also at the top of a residual layer or at a cloud layer. The $C_n^2$ peaks corresponding to the CBL heights were slightly lower than the CBL heights derived from rawinsonde sounding data when vertical mixing owing to weak solar heating was not significant and the height of strong vertical ${\theta}_v$ gradients were not consistent with that of strong vertical q gradients. However, the $C_n^2$ peaks corresponding to the CBL heights were in good agreement with the rawinsonde-estimated CBL hegiths when vertical mixing owing to solar heating was significant and the vertical gradient of both ${\theta}_v$ and q in the entrainment zone was very strong. The maximum backscatter intensity method, which determines the height of $C_n^2$ peak as the CBL height, correctly estimated the CBL height when the $C_n^2$ profile had single peak, but this method erroneously estimated the CBL height when there was a residual layer or a cloud layer over the top of the CBL. The new method distinguished when there the CBL height from the peak due a cloud layer or a residual layer using both $C_n^2$ and ${\sigma}_w$ data, and correctly estimated the CBL height. As for estimation of diurnal variation of the CBL height, the new method backscatter intensity method even if the vertical profile of backscatter intensity had two peaks from the CBL height and a residual layer or a cloud layer.