• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2012

Honeycombs are dense structures that small cysts, which generally have about 2~10 mm in diameter, are surrounded by the wall of fibrosis. When honeycomb is found in the patients, the incidence of acute exacerbation is generally very high. Thus, the observation and quantitative measurement of honeycomb are considered as a significant marker for clinical diagnosis. In this point of view, we propose an automatic segmentation method using morphological image processing and assessment of the degree of clustering techniques. Firstly, image noises were removed by the Gaussian filtering and then a morphological dilation method was applied to segment lung regions. Secondly, honeycomb cyst candidates were detected through the 8-neighborhood pixel exploration, and then non-cyst regions were removed using the region growing method and wall pattern testing. Lastly, final honeycomb regions were segmented through the extraction of dense regions which are consisted of two or more cysts using cluster analysis. The proposed method applied to 80 High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images and achieved a sensitivity of 89.4% and PPV (Positive Predictive Value) of 72.2%.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.4 no.10
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• pp.465-472
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• 2015

We propose a novel plane detection in disparity space and evaluate its performance. Our method simplifies and makes scenes in disparity space easily dealt with by approximating various surfaces as planes. Moreover, the approximated planes can be represented in the same size as in the real world, and can be employed for obstacle detection and camera pose estimation. Using a stereo matching technique, our method first creates a disparity image which consists of binocular disparity values at xy-coordinates in the image. Slants of disparity values are estimated by exploiting a line simplification algorithm which allows our method to reflect global changes against x or y axis. According to pairs of x and y slants, we label the disparity image. 4-connected disparities with the same label are grouped, on which least squared model estimates plane parameters. N plane models with the largest group of disparity values which satisfy their plane parameters are chosen. We quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate our plane detection. The result shows 97.9%와 86.6% of quality in our experiment respectively on cones and cylinders. Proposed method excellently extracts planes from Middlebury and KITTI dataset which are typically used for evaluation of stereo matching algorithms.

• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.436-449
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• 2002

This paper describes on our experience of developing the Database Connector as an interconnection method between multimedia database, and the streaming framework. It is possible to support diverse and mature multimedia database services such as retrieval and join operation during the streaming if an interconnection method is provided in between streaming system and multimedia databases. The currently available interconnection schemes, however have mainly used the file systems or the relational databases that are Implemented with separated form of meta data, which deafs with information of multimedia contents, and streaming data which deals with multimedia data itself. Consequently, existing interconnection mechanisms could not come up with many virtues of multimedia database services during the streaming operation. In order to resolve these drawbacks, we propose a novel scheme for an interconnection between streaming framework and multimedia database, called the Inter-Process Communication (IPC) based Database connector, under the assumption that two systems are located in a same host. We define four transaction primitives; Read, Write, Find, Play, as well as define the interface for transactions that are implemented based on the plug-in, which in consequence can extend to other multimedia databases that will come for some later years. Our simulation study show that performance of the proposed IPC based interconnection scheme is not much far behind compared with that of file systems.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.376-381
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• 2019

To construct useful yeast strain for bioethanol production, we improved yeast harboring various phenotypes by using yeast protoplast fusion method. In this study, S. cerevisiae BYK-F11 strain which have ethanol tolerance, thermotolerance and ${\beta}-glucanase$ activity and P. $stipitis{\Delta}ura$ strain which has xylose metabolism pathway were fused by genome shuffling. P. $stipitis{\Delta}ura$ strain was constructed for protoplast fusion by URA3 gene disruption, resulting in uracil auxotroph. By protoplast fusion, several fused cells were selected and BYKPS-F8 strain (fused cell) showing both karyotypes from two parent strains (S. cerevisiae BYK-F11 and P. $stipitis{\Delta}ura$ strain) among 22 fused cells was finally selected. Sequentially, various phenotypes such as ${\beta}-glucanase$ activity, xylose utility, ethanol tolerance, thermotolerance and ethanol productivity were analyzed. The BYKPS-F8 strain obtained ${\beta}-glucanase$ activity from BYK-F11 strain and 1.2 fold increased xylose utility from P. $stipitis{\Delta}ura$ strain. Also, the BYKPS-F8 strain showed thermotolerance at $40^{\circ}C$ and increased ethanol tolerance in medium containing 8% ethanol. In this fused cell, 7.5 g/l ethanol from 20 g/l xylose was produced and the multiple phenotypes were stably remained during long term cultivation (260 hr). It was proved that novel biological system (yeast strains) is easily and efficiently bred by protoplast fusion among yeasts having different genus.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.384-395
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a novel formulation of an herbal extracts has an inhibitory effect on obesity. To determine its anti-obesity effects, we performed anti-obesity-related experiments in vitro and in vivo. Thus, our present study was carried out to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of herbal extracts using a high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model and 3T3-L1 adipose cells. The effects of each herbal extracts on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells were examined using Oil Red O staining. Results showed that treatment with each herbal extracts at $10{\sim}100{\mu}g/ml$ had no effect on cell morphology and viability. Without evidence of toxicity, herbal extracts treatment decreased lipid accumulation compared with the untreated adipocytes controls as shown by the lower absorbance of Oil Red O stain. Futhermore, compared with control-differentiated mature adipocytes, each herbal extracts significantly inhibited lipid accumulation in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In the HFD-fed obese mice, body weight, liver weight and white adipose tissue weights were significantly reduced by mixture of herbal extracts administration in mouse skin. Futhermore, we found that mixture of herbal extracts administration suppressed serum triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TCHO) in HFD-induced obese mouse model. The mixture of herbal extracts of permeability was estimated by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) value in pig skin. The optimized formulations of herbal extracts (Test 3 formulation) showed skin permeation. However, test 1 formulation containing essential oil as enhancer showed maximum skin permeation. After confirming the enhanced skin permeability, in vivo studies were performed to assess whether skin irritation potential on the basis of a primary irritation index (PII) in rabbit skin. Reactions were scored for erythema/edema reactions at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h post-application. It was concluded that the test 1 formulation was not irritation (PII = 0). The present study suggests that the test 1 formulation might be of therapeutic interest with respect to the treatment of obesity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.596-606
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• 2019

N-acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing (AHL-QS) has been shown to regulate many physiological behaviors in Serratia marcescens MG1. In the current study, the effects of AHL-QS on the biosynthesis of acid and neutral products by S. marcescens MG1 and its isogenic ${\Delta}swrI$ with or without supplementing exogenous N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone ($C_6-HSL$) were systematically investigated. The results showed that swrI disruption resulted in rapid pH drops from 7.0 to 4.8, which could be restored to wild type by supplementing $C_6-HSL$. Furthermore, fermentation product analysis indicated that ${\Delta}swrI$ could lead to obvious accumulation for acidogenesis products such as lactic acid and succinic acid, especially excess acetic acid (2.27 g/l) produced at the early stage of fermentation, whereas solventogenesis products by ${\Delta}swrI$ appeared to noticeably decrease by an approximate 30% for acetoin during 32-48 h and by an approximate 20% for 2,3-butanediol during 24-40 h, when compared to those by wild type. Interestingly, the excess acetic acid produced could be removed in an AHL-QS-independent manner. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of genes responsible for acidogenesis and solventogenesis and showed consistent results with those of product synthesis. Finally, by close examination of promoter regions of the analyzed genes, four putative luxI box-like motifs were found upstream of genes encoding acetyl-CoA synthase, lactate dehydrogenase, ${\alpha}$-acetolactate decarboxylase, and Lys-like regulator. The information from this study provides a novel insight into the roles played by AHL-QS in switching from acidogenesis to solventogenesis in S. marcescens MG1.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.596-608
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• 2018

As urban infrastructure is aging, the possibility of accidents due to the failures or breakdowns of infrastructure increases. Especially, aging underground infrastructures like sewer pipes, waterworks, and subway have a potential to cause an urban ground sink. Urban ground sink is defined just as a local and erratic collapse occurred by underground cavity due to soil erosion or soil loss, which is separated from a sinkhole in soluble bedrock such as limestone. The conventional measurements such as differential settlement gauge, inclinometer or earth pressure gauge have a shortcoming just to provide point measurements with short coverage. Therefore, these methods are not adequate for monitoring of an erratic subsidence caused by underground cavity due to soil erosion or soil loss which occurring at unspecified time and location. Therefore, an alternative technology is required to detect a change of underground physical condition in real time. In this study, the feasibility of a novel magnetic resonance based monitoring method is investigated through laboratory tests, where the changes of path loss (S21) were measured under various testing conditions: media including air, water, and soil, resonant frequency, impedance, and distances between transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX). Theoretically, the transfer characteristic of magnetic field is known to be independent of the density of the medium. However, the results of the test showed the meaningful differences in the path loss (S21) under the different conditions of medium. And it is found that the reflection coefficient showed the more distinct differences over the testing conditions than the path loss. In particular, input reflection coefficient (S11) is more distinguishable than output reflection coefficient (S22).

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.768-779
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• 2018

In this paper, we propose a novel video quality function for video processing based on MSSSIM to select an appropriate video processing filter and to accommodate multiple processing filters to each pixel block in a picture frame by a mathematical selection law so as to maintain video quality and to reduce the bitrate of compressed video. In viewpoint of video compression, since the properties of video quality and bitrate is different for each picture of video frames and for each areas in the same frame, it is difficult for the video filter with single property to satisfy the object of increasing video quality and decreasing bitrate. Consequently, to maintain the subjective video quality in spite of decreasing bitrate, we propose the methodology about the MSSSIM as the measure of subjective video quality, the KL-Divergence as the measure of bitrate, and the combination method of those two measurements. Moreover, using the proposed combinatorial measurement, when we use the multiple image filters with mutually different properties as a pre-processing filter for video, we can verify that it is possible to compress video with maintaining the video quality under decreasing the bitrate, as possible.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.11-20
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• 2019

In this study, a novel virtual reality (VR) experience environment is proposed for enabling walking adaptation of visually impaired people. The core of proposed VR environment is based on immersive walking interactions and deep learning based braille blocks recognition. To provide a realistic walking experience from the perspective of visually impaired people, a tracker-based walking process is designed for determining the walking state by detecting marching in place, and a controller-based VR white cane is developed that serves as the walking assistance tool for visually impaired people. Additionally, a learning model is developed for conducting comprehensive decision-making by recognizing and responding to braille blocks situated on roads that are followed during the course of directions provided by the VR white cane. Based on the same, a VR application comprising an outdoor urban environment is designed for analyzing the VR walking environment experience. An experimental survey and performance analysis were also conducted for the participants. Obtained results corroborate that the proposed VR walking environment provides a presence of high-level walking experience from the perspective of visually impaired people. Furthermore, the results verify that the proposed learning algorithm and process can recognize braille blocks situated on sidewalks and roadways with high accuracy.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.279-298
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• 2019

This study comprehensively addresses recent progress at KAERI in waste treatment technology to cope with waste produced by pyroprocessing, which is used to effectively manage spent fuel. The goal of pyroprocessing waste treatment is to reduce final waste volume, fabricate durable waste forms suitable for disposal, and ensure safe packaging and storage. KAERI employs grouping of fission products recovered from process streams and immobilizes them in separate waste forms, resulting in product recycling and waste volume minimization. Novel aspects of KAERI approach include high temperature treatment of spent oxide fuel for the fabrication of feed materials for the oxide reduction process, and fission product concentration or separation from LiCl or LiCl-KCl salt streams for salt recycling and higher fission-product loading in the final waste form. Based on laboratory-scale tests, an engineering-scale process test is in progress to obtain information on the performance of scale-up processes at KAERI.