• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.70-79
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• 2020

The main objective of this research to develop an IoT based wireless contactless ultrasonic system (ICUS) and its application to concrete structure. The developed system consists of 16 mems, 2Mhz digitizer, amplifying circuit, FPGA, and wifi module, enabling to measure leaky surface waves from concrete specimens without physical coupling process and wires. Multi-channel analysis is performed to improve the accuracy of data analysis, and the velocity of leaky surface waves and acoustics are derived. Field inspection of railroad concrete sleepers is conducted to evaluate the performance of the system and to compare the results with conventional ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). As a result of the field inspection, UPV was limited to evaluate damages. This is because crack pattern of railroad sleepers is parallel to ultrasonic ray path and accessibility of the railroad at the field is disadvantageous to contact-based UPV. On the other hand, ICUS possibly detect the damages as reduction of dynamic modulus by up to 59% compared to non-damaged specimen.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.12-21
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• 2017

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the transfer of As and cationic heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd and Pb) from soil to rice plant in soil condition with submerged and drained. During the ninety-day monitoring period for soil solution, solubility of reducible elements such as As, Fe and Mn in submerged condition were higher than that of Zn. On the contrary, concentration of Zn in drained condition was higher than that of reducible elements. The concentration of As, Cd, Pb and Zn in rice plant (root, stem, leaf and grain) showed similar pattern with soil solution. The As concentration in each part of rice plant, which cultivated in drained condition, measured 56%~94% lower than those in submerged condition. However, the contents of cationic heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Zn) were represented the opposite result with As. These results are due to mobility of As and cationic heavy metals under different soil drainage conditions which represent oxidation and reduction. Thus soil drainage control can be used as acceptable passive treatment methods to reduce transfer of inorganic contaminants from soil to rice plant. However more detailed examination on soil condition conversion is needed, because yield of rice was decreased when it cultivated in drained condition only. It also needed when soil is contaminated by As and cationic heavy metal because single drainage condition cannot reduce transfer of both kinds of contaminants all.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.556-565
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• 2009

Automated visual grading system of lumber needs correct input image. In order to create a correct image of domestic red pine lumber 3.6 m long feeding on a conveyer, part images were captured using area sensor and template matching algorithm was applied to merge part images. Two kinds of template matching algorithms and six kinds of template sizes were adopted in this operation. Feature extracted method appeared to have more excellent image merging performance than fixed template method. Error length was attributed to a decline of similarity related by difference of partial brightness on a part image, specific pattern and template size. The mismatch part was repetitively generated at the long grain. The best size of template for image merging was $100{\times}100$ pixels. In a further study, assignment of exact template size, preprocessing of image merging for reduction of brightness difference will be needed to improve image merging.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.483-488
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• 1998

During cerebral ischemia two important factors such as hypoxia and reduction of glucose can act as modulating stressor affecting the release of amine neurotransmitters including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). This study was performed to investigate the effect of glucose deprivation on the oxygen deprivation-induced changes of [3H]-5-HT release in the rat hippocampal slices. Experimental groups were divided into 4 groups for this study: normoxic/normoglycemic group, oxygen-deprived group, glucose-deprived group, and oxygen/glucose-deprived group. The hippocampus of rat brain was sliced by 400 $\mu\textrm{m}$ thickness with manual chopper. After 30 minutes preincubation in the normal buffer, the slices were incubated for 20 min in buffer containing [3H]-5-HT (0.1 M, 74 $\mu\textrm$Ci) for uptake. To measure the release of [3H]-5-HT into the buffer, the incubation medium was drained of and refilled with fresh buffer every ten minutes through a sequence of 14 tubes. Oxygen deprivation by gassing with 95% $N_2$/5% $CO_2$ and/or glucose deprivation was done in the 6th and 7th tube. The radioactivities in each buffer and the tissue were counted using scintillation counter. The results were expressed as fractional release. When slices were exposed to oxygen-deprived media for 20 min, the diminution followed by the rebound release of [3H]-5-HT was observed during the post-oxygen deprived period. However, glucose deprivation or oxygen/glucose deprivation markedly increased the release of [3H]-5-HT. which was opposite to the pattern observed in oxygen-deprived group. These results suggested that oxygen deprivation itself inhibits [3H]-5-HT release in rat hippocampal slices during oxygen-deprived period, but additional glucose deprivation convert the inhibitory response to increase of [3H]-5-HT release.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2008

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the electro-acupuncture stimulation into the multifidus for the lumbar flexibility improvement and pain reduction. The subjects were consisted of 20 women patients with chronic low back pain. Methods : 20 women patients with chronic low back pain voluntary participated for the research. 15 minute electro-acupuncture stimulation(frequency: 4Hz, Intensity: below threshold of pain) with Infra-red therapy, 3 times a week during 6 weeks period. Acupuncture application given to the patients' trigger point of the multifidus. The Application of multifidus was L3, L4, L5 spinal vertebra levels Short form McGill pain questionnaire (SFMPQ) was used to measure patient's pain level. Lumbar flexibility measurement was trunk flexion and trunk extension. Global Perceived Effect Scale(GPES) was used to measure recovery or worse of patient's condition. Results : SFMPQ was after treatment showed significantly decreased more than before stimulation treatment (P<.05). Lumbar flexibility was after treatment showed significantly increase more than before treatment(P<.05). GPES was after treatment showed significantly increased more than before treatment(p<.05). Conclusion : This study will be used as treatment method of patient with chronic LBP. The multifidus muscle in chronic LBP patients clinical significance. Most of chronic LBP patients have multifidus contraction pattern. So chronic LBP patients necessary multifidus muscle release treatment.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.205-209
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• 2016

The influence of titania nanorods with an average diameter of 10 nm and an average length of 30 nm on the electrohydrodynamic instability of block copolymer (polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)) thin film was investigated in this article. The presence of titania nanorods increased the dielectric constant of the film, which resulted in a systematic reduction in the wavelength of the surface instability. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the migration/aggregation of titania nanorods did not occur as a result of the applied electric field. This work can provide a simple route to the pattern formation using electrohydrodynamic instability with an aid of nanoparticles.

• Forest Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.160-168
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• 2018

The seeds of Elaeocarpus serratus, a tropical underutilized fruit tree are characterized by hard seed coat and consequent poor water uptake and low germination. To improve the regeneration through seeds, various parameters such as viability of seeds, water uptake, and effect of seed mass on germination and pretreatments were performed using a completely randomized design (CRD). Tetrazolium (TZ) test was conducted using fresh, mature seeds revealed $50{\pm}2.56%$ mean viability. Seeds of different weight classes showed similar pattern of water uptake and the saturation level was achieved at 60 hrs of soaking. Seeds belong to weight class 2.6-3.5g were germinated ($12.5{\pm}1.26%$) with $175{\pm}1.75days$ (d) of mean time taken for germination (MTG). Germination capacity of seeds varied significantly among different populations and Varkala population gave $12.5{\pm}1.1%$ germination with $174.6{\pm}2.5d$ MTG. Among various seed treatments, mechanical scarification was superior in germination and significant reduction in MTG ($p{\leq}0.05$). The mechanical scarification by complete removal of seed coat resulted in $49.2{\pm}1.52%$ germination within a short period of time ($9.52{\pm}0.89d$ MTG). However, the complete removal of seed coat without damaging to embryo is a difficult task. An alternate treatment (Mechanical scarification II) by making cracks on nut faces vertically followed by soaking in distilled water for 24 hrs gave $48.4{\pm}1.73%$ germination with significantly reduced MTG ($12.14{\pm}0.56d$) over unsoaked, untreated control ($6.5{\pm}1.84%$ germination and $197.18{\pm}1.79d$ MTG; $p{\leq}0.05$). This treatment (Mechanical scarification II) is therefore recommended for E. serratus seeds as it can adopt easily and can achieve 7 fold increases in germination over control. The recorded germination through mechanical scarification is in tune with realized viability percentage of the seeds.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.317-343
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• 2013

When evaluating flutter instability, it is often assumed that incident wind is normal to the longitudinal axis of a bridge and the flutter critical wind speed estimated from this direction is most unfavorable. However, the results obtained in this study via oblique sectional model tests of four typical types of bridge decks show that the lowest flutter critical wind speeds often occur in the yaw wind cases. The four types of bridge decks tested include a flat single-box deck, a flat ${\Pi}$-shaped thin-wall deck, a flat twin side-girder deck, and a truss-stiffened deck with and without a narrow central gap. The yaw wind effect could reduce the critical wind speed by about 6%, 2%, 8%, 7%, respectively, for the above four types of decks within a wind inclination angle range between $-3^{\circ}$ and $3^{\circ}$, and the yaw wind angles corresponding to the minimal critical wind speeds are between $4^{\circ}$ and $15^{\circ}$. It was also found that the flutter critical wind speed varies in an undulate manner with the increase of yaw angle, and the variation pattern is largely dependent on both deck shape and wind inclination angle. Therefore, the cosine rule based on the mean wind decomposition is generally inapplicable to the estimation of flutter critical wind speed of long-span bridges under skew winds. The unfavorable effect of yaw wind on the flutter instability of long-span bridges should be taken into consideration seriously in the future practice, especially for supper-long span bridges in strong wind regions.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2017

The laser has been regarded as the potential illumination source for the next generation of projectors. However, currently the major issues in applying the laser as an illumination source for projectors are beam shaping and laser speckle. We present a compact solution for both issues by using a vibrating diffractive optical element (DOE). The DOE is designed and fabricated, and it successfully transforms the circular Gaussian laser beam to a low speckle contrast uniform rectangular pattern. Under a vibration frequency of 150 Hz and amplitude of $200{\mu}m$, the speckle contrast value is reduced from 67.67% to 13.78%, and the ANSI uniformity is improved from 24.36% to 85.54%. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and potential of the proposed scheme, and the proposed method is a feasible approach to the miniaturization of laser projection display illumination systems.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.35-45
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• 2018

Motion Estimation(ME) has been developed to reduce the redundant data in digital video signal. ME is an important part of video encoding system, However, it requires huge computational complexity of the encoder part, and fast motion search methods have been proposed to reduce huge complexity. Multi- view video is obtained by capturing on a three-dimensional scene with many cameras at different positions and its complexity increases in proportion to the number of cameras. In this paper, we proposed an efficient motion method which chooses a search pattern adaptively by using the temporal-spatial correlation of the block and the characteristics of the block. Experiment results show that the computational complexity reduction of the proposed method over TZ search method and FS method can be up to 70~75% and 99% respectively while keeping similar image quality and bit rates.