• Title/Summary/Keyword: Functionality evaluation

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Development and Evaluation of Rollator for Elderly Farmers

  • Lee, Kyung Suk;Kim, Kyung Ran;Kim, Hyo Cher;Chae, Hye Seon;Kim, Sung Woo;Seo, Min Tae
    • Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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    • v.33 no.6
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    • pp.487-497
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    • 2014
  • Objective: This study aims to develop and evaluate a multi-purpose rollator, which may be used as a seat, as a traditional walker, or as a storage basket for elderly farmers. Background: The rollators on the market are not user-friendly designed and seen inconvenient for elderly farmers to use, although they are sold at considerably high price. Since they lack enough space to load stuffs and are not durable or stable enough, they do not seem to be suitable for elderly farmers to use in rural areas. Method: Two types of methods were used in this study. First, the survey consisted of 19 questions was conducted among elderly farmers in rural areas, after using the developed rollator, to evaluate the usability of the rollator developed in this study. Second, EMG experiment was conducted to compare the existing rollator and developed rollator quantitatively. Through this experiment, we tried to verify the differences of muscle responses, when using the traditional and the developed ones, which have their own brake system, in the ramp. Results: The developed rollator was highly evaluated in most of the questions in the usability survey, except for the 'Weight' category in which the opinions were divided into three different types (Worse: 31%, Similar: 30%, Better: 36%). The result of EMG experiment showed that the existing rollator (7.4%MVC) demands more muscle strength than the developed rollator (5.5%MVC) does. By statistically analyzing the results of upper limb and lower limb respectively, we found out that all the muscles except deltoid in upper limb showed statistically significant differences in muscle activity when using the existing and the developed rollator. However, there was no statistical difference in lower limb muscles. Conclusion: The developed rollator in this study has maximized the functionality of the brake system, the storage and the chair, which were pointed out as the weaknesses of existing rollators. Furthermore, the developed rollator is designed to be more user-friendly, safe, durable, and effective for elderly farmers to use in rural areas, where roads are rough and bumpy. Application: We expect that the emergency brake system developed in this study would be utilized for other convenience equipment, such as strollers and carts, and that it would be able to develop and produce more secure and reliable equipment in the future.

A Study on the Statistical GIS for Regional Analysis (지역분석을 위한 웹 기반 통계GIS 연구)

  • 박기호;이양원
    • Spatial Information Research
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    • v.9 no.2
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    • pp.239-261
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    • 2001
  • A large suite of official statistical data sets has been compiled for geographical units under the national directives, and it is the quantitative regional analysis procedures that could add values to them. This paper reports our attempts at prototyping a statistical GIS which is capable of serving over the Web a variety of regional analysis routines as well as value-added statistics and maps. A pilot database of some major statistical data was ingested for the city of Seoul. The baseline subset of regional analysis methods of practical usage was selected and accommodated into the business logic of the target system, which ranges from descriptive statistics, regional structure/inequality measures, spatial ANOVA, spatial (auto) correlation to regression and residual analysis. The leading-edge information technologies including the application server were adopted in the system design and implementation so that the database, analysis modules and analytic mapping components may cooperate seamlessly behind the Web front-end. The prototyped system supports tables, maps, and files of downloadable format for input and output of the analyses. One of the most salient features of out proposed system is that both the database and analysis modules are extensible via the bi-directional interface for end users; The system provides users with operators and parsers for algebraic formulae such that the stored statistical variables may be transformed and combined into the newly-derived set of variables. This functionality eventually leads to on-the-fly fabrication of user-defined regional analysis algorithms. The stored dataset may also be temporarily augmented by user-uploaded dataset; The extension of this form, in essence, results in a virtual database which awaits for users commands as usual. An initial evaluation of the proposed system confirms that the issues involving the usage and dissemination of information can be addressed with success.

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Physicochemical properties of acorn (Quercus acutissima Carr.) tea depending on steaming and hot-air drying treatments (증숙 및 열풍 건조 공정에 따른 도토리차의 품질특성)

  • Nam, San;Kwon, Yu-ri;Youn, Kwang-Sup
    • Food Science and Preservation
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    • v.24 no.1
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    • pp.21-26
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    • 2017
  • This study was performed to determine the effects of preconditioning process (Con, roasting; SR, steaming and roasting; HDR, hot air drying and roasting; SHDR, steaming hot air drying and roasting) and roasting on the antioxidant and physicochemical properties of acorn (Quercus species) tea. Each sample was extracted in $95^{\circ}C$ hot water for 5 min. The color values of lightness and yellowness were the highest in HDR, and redness were the highest in the control. The total sugar content was the highest in SHDR. Total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents of HDR tea were higher than those of teas prepared by the different processes. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging abilities of HDR were 75.66% and 98.16%, respectively, which were higher than those of other teas. In the sensory evaluation, HDR tea was ranked significantly higher than other teas in terms of flavor, taste and overall acceptability. Finally, acorn tea treated with drying was superior to other treatments in antioxidant and quality properties. The result suggests that HDR can be applied to acorn tea to achieve better quality and functionality.

Effects of the Fermentation Periods on the Qualities and Functionalities of the Fermentation Broth of Wild Vegetables (발효기간이 산야채 발효액의 품질과 기능성에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Na-Mi;Lee, Jong-Won;Do, Jae-Ho;Yang, Jae-Won
    • Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.272-279
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    • 2003
  • To determine optimal fermentation period of wild vegetables mixed with black sugar without microorganisms during plant extract fermentation food processing, changes in chemical components, quality characteristics of the fermented broth, and physiological functionality during fermentation period were investigated. pH and $^{\circ}Bx$ of fermented broths decreased gradually during fermentation period. Except persimmon leaf, viscosity of fermented broths of wild vegetables decreased after 3 months fermentation period. Amylase activity increased to $167{\sim}800%$ of its initial level after 6 months fermentation period, and invertase activity decreased by $60{\sim}170$ units after 1 month fermentation. No significant level of cellulase activity was observed. In the sensory evaluation test, inherent flavors and tastes of the wild vegetable decreased during the fermentation period, while those of others gradually increased. Overall acceptability was the highest after 3 months fermentation. Content of total phenolic compounds and electron-donating ability were highest after 3 to 4 months fermentation period, and decreased thereafter. Except Mugwort, tyrosinase inhibitory activity was found in all fermented broths. SOD-like activities were $23.0{\sim}25.1$ and $27.0{\sim}29.2%$ in fermentation broths of acacia flower and persimmon leaf, respectively, and were maintained throughout the fermentation period. Based on these results, fermentation period of 3 to 4 months was determined to be appropriate for plant extract fermentation food processing.

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activity and Physiological Functionality of Baegilju (백일주의 항산화 활성 및 생리기능성 평가)

  • Cho, Young Ho;Byun, Tae Kang;Lee, Jong-Hwa;Lee, Gye Won
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.23 no.12
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    • pp.1525-1531
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    • 2013
  • Baegilju is a famous traditional Korean wine made over the course of 100 days. The physiological functionalities of Baegilju were evaluated using different tests. The spectrophotometric method was used to determine the total concentration of polyphenolics and flavonoids and DPPH and ABTS radicals. A nitrite scavenging assay was used to evaluate antioxidant activity. The fibrin plate method was used for fibrinolysis and to evaluate angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity; finally, the colorimetric determination method was used to evaluate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. The total polyphenolic content of non-sterilized Baegilju and sterilized Baegilju were 391.59 ${\mu}g$ and 401.33 ${\mu}g$ tannic acid equivalents/ml, respectively; and the flavonoids contents were 284.75 ${\mu}g$ and 308.35 ${\mu}g$ quercetin equivalents/ml, respectively. Baegilju exhibited more excellent antioxidant activities (DPPH and ABTS radicals, nitrite scavenging activity) than did Cheongju. In addition, the fibrinolytic activity and AChE inhibitory activity were found to be higher in Baegilju than they were in Cheongju. The ACE inhibitory activity of non-sterilized Baegilju, sterilized Baegilju, and Cheongju were 23.62%, 19.99%, and 38.91%, respectively. Therefore, these results suggest that Baegilju has potential as an antioxidant agent and anti-thrombosis agent.

Quality Characteristics, Shelf-life, and Bioactivities of the Low Salt Squid Jeot-gal with Natural Plant Extracts (천연식물추출물을 첨가한 저염 오징어젓갈의 품질특성, 유통기한 및 생리활성)

  • Hong, Won Jun;Kim, Sang Moo
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.42 no.5
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    • pp.721-729
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    • 2013
  • To improve the quality and functionality of the low salt squid Jeot-gal, extracts from three types of medicinal and edible plants (bay leaf, green tea, pine needle) were added. The quality characteristics, bioactivities, and shelf-lives of these preparations were determined at three different fermentation temperatures. The pH decreased more rapidly at higher temperatures, while the amount of volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), total viable cells, and amino nitrogen ($NH_2$-N) increased. The shelf-lives of Jeot-gal with natural plant extracts at $10^{\circ}C$ were 34~35 days, similar to the control. The major free and compositional amino acids of Jeot-gal were glutamic acid, proline, and alanine, while the major nucleotides (and related compounds) were hypoxanthine and inosine. In bioactivity assays, samples supplemented with plant extracts showed higher bioactivities than the control. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of ethanol extracts from Jeot-gal were stronger than the water extracts; in contrast, the water extracts were stronger for hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. However, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity and ${\beta}$-glucuronidase inhibitory activity were moderately low at 20 mg/mL. Based on sensory evaluation results, the quality of low salt squid Jeot-gal with natural plant extracts is similar to the control. Therefore, low salt squid Jeot-gal with natural plant extracts can be commercialized as a functional fermented food.

An Empirical Analysis of Industrial Design′s Functional Role in the Causal Model of Quality Competitiveness : Korean Manufacturing Sector (품질경쟁력 인과모형 하에서 산업디자인의 기능적 역할에 관한 실증적 분석 : 한국 제조업 부문을 중심으로)

  • 임채숙;윤종영
    • Archives of design research
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    • v.17 no.3
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    • pp.111-122
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    • 2004
  • The purpose of this study are two the first is to identify the positioning of product design and analyze its functional relationship with product development, manufacturing, marketing and sales in the comprehensive competitiveness evaluation model ; and the second is to estimate the determinants of QCI(quality competitiveness index), analyze the impact of product design on QCI, and compare the aforementioned results for the seven industrial sectors and the five product patterns. For this empirical analysis, this study surveyed 400 Korean manufacturing firms during August-October 2003. The major empirical findings are summarized as follows : First, the hypothesis on the positive effect of product design on QCI is accepted at a highly significant level (p < 0.001) for all : the manufacturing sector, seven industrial sectors, and five product categories. Second, the correlation analysis and factor analysis lead to the result that the effect of product design on QCI is estimated to be relatively very low, in comparison to those of product functionality and basic performance on QCI. These findings imply that Korean manufacturing sector has been still in the prematured stage at which product design has not played an important role yet. This study concludes that product design in line with other functions (product development, manufacturing, marketing, and sales) should make a good contribution to the improvement of QCI in the future.

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Evaluation on national environmental functionality of farming on soil loss using the USLE and replacement cost method (USLE모형과 대체법을 이용한 밭농사의 토양유실 저감기능 계량화 평가)

  • Hyun, Byung-Keun;Kim, Moo-Sung;Eom, Ki-Cheol;Kang, Ki-Kyung;Yun, Hong-Bae;Seo, Myung-Cheol;Sung, Ki-Seog
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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    • v.35 no.6
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    • pp.361-371
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    • 2002
  • Multifunctionality of agriculture has been an important international issue in terms of environmental benefits and public concerns. We calculated soil loss mass in national basis using the USLE, and attempted to evaluate its economical benefits by replacement cost method. Soil loss mass ranged from 1.4 to $18MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ was fairly fitted to measured values for 13 cropping systems. In national basis, the factors in USLE were evaluated as: 429.4 for rainfall and runoff factor. R, 0.15 for soil erodibility factor, K, 1.72 for topographic factor, LS, 0.275 for cover and management factor, C, and 0.856 for support practice factor, P. The soil loss estimated from upland farming using the USLE was $26.1MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, but soil loss from the bare soil was $110.8MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, the ratio of soil loss from upland farming to bare soil was 23 percents. Function of reducing soil loss in comparison with the bare soil was $84.7MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, of which national soil loss mass was 62.6 million MT per annum in south Korea. Agriculture economic replacement cost of soil loss reduction was 497 billion Wons(398 million dollars) for the cost of upland soil dressing. For conservational purposes to increase the environmental benefits of upland farming, the agricultural practice including contour, strip cropping, terracing and division ditches should be implemented.

Evaluating Effectiveness of Lane Departure Warning System by User Perceptions (차선이탈경고장치(LDWS) 이용자 만족도 평가 연구)

  • Joo, Shin-Hye;Oh, Cheol;Lee, Jae-Wan;Lee, Eun-Deok
    • Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.43-52
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    • 2012
  • A lane departure warning system (LDWS) is an effective technology-based countermeasure for preventing traffic crashes as it provides warning information to drivers. Understanding the characteristics of perception and satisfaction levels on LDWS is fundamental for deriving better performance and functionality enhancements of the system. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the user satisfaction of LDWS. A survey to collect user perception and user preference data was conducted. Both cross-tabulation analysis and binary logistic regression technique were adopted to identify the factors affecting user satisfaction for LDWS. The results revealed that the accuracy and timeliness of warning information was significant for evaluating the effectiveness of LDWS. In particular, the warning accuracy at a curve segment on the road was the most dominant factor affecting user satisfaction. The outcome of this study would be valuable in evaluating and designing LDWS functionalities.

A Study on Condition Analysis of Revised Project Level of Gravity Port facility using Big Data (빅데이터 분석을 통한 중력식 항만시설 수정프로젝트 레벨의 상태변화 특성 분석)

  • Na, Yong Hyoun;Park, Mi Yeon;Jang, Shinwoo
    • Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.254-265
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    • 2021
  • Purpose: Inspection and diagnosis on the performance and safety through domestic port facilities have been conducted for over 20 years. However, the long-term development strategies and directions for facility renewal and performance improvement using the diagnosis history and results are not working in realistically. In particular, in the case of port structures with a long service life, there are many problems in terms of safety and functionality due to increasing of the large-sized ships, of port use frequency, and the effects of natural disasters due to climate change. Method: In this study, the maintenance history data of the gravity type quay in element level were collected, defined as big data, and a predictive approximation model was derived to estimate the pattern of deterioration and aging of the facility of project level based on the data. In particular, we compared and proposed models suitable for the use of big data by examining the validity of the state-based deterioration pattern and deterioration approximation model generated through machine learning algorithms of GP and SGP techniques. Result: As a result of reviewing the suitability of the proposed technique, it was considered that the RMSE and R2 in GP technique were 0.9854 and 0.0721, and the SGP technique was 0.7246 and 0.2518. Conclusion: This research through machine learning techniques is expected to play an important role in decision-making on investment in port facilities in the future if port facility data collection is continuously performed in the future.