• ETRI Journal
• /
• 제36권3호
• /
• pp.479-489
• /
• 2014

This paper presents a model-based image steganography method based on Watson's visual model. Model-based steganography assumes a model for cover image statistics. This approach, however, has some weaknesses, including perceptual detectability. We propose to use Watson's visual model to improve perceptual undetectability of model-based steganography. The proposed method prevents visually perceptible changes during embedding. First, the maximum acceptable change in each discrete cosine transform coefficient is extracted based on Watson's visual model. Then, a model is fitted to a low-precision histogram of such coefficients and the message bits are encoded to this model. Finally, the encoded message bits are embedded in those coefficients whose maximum possible changes are visually imperceptible. Experimental results show that changes resulting from the proposed method are perceptually undetectable, whereas model-based steganography retains perceptually detectable changes. This perceptual undetectability is achieved while the perceptual quality - based on the structural similarity measure - and the security - based on two steganalysis methods - do not show any significant changes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• 제25권1호
• /
• pp.20-23
• /
• 2014

Age-related changes in larynx can have a direct impact on voice quality and general comfort level. Observations of vocal aging have spanned perceptual, acoustic, aerodynamic, physical, electromyographic (EMG) and histological levels. Evidence of differential vocal aging in relation to gender and physical condition has been reported. Perceptual, acoustic, aerodynamic, kinematic, EMG and histological data document age-related changes in laryngeal structure and function with advancing age. These changes contribute to a functional age-related impact of vocal hypofunction or compensatory hyperfunction. This review will focus on the current understanding of the clinical and cellular changes in the larynx that lead to presbyphonia.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
• /
• 제27권2호
• /
• pp.81-90
• /
• 2024

In this study, we aimed to determine the effect on cerebral blood vessels of various stimulus intensities using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). In particular, we wanted to monitor changes in blood flow and structural changes in the blood vessels in the common carotid artery (CCA) through low-intensity electrical stimulation that can cause non-perceptual sensory stimulation. Twenty-four healthy adults in their 20s participated in this study. Three stimulus intensities (below the sensory threshold, at the sensory threshold, and above the sensory threshold) were applied in random order. Changes in blood flow velocity according to the intensity of TENS stimulus were measured by placing the Doppler ultrasound transducer 1 cm below the CCA bifurcation, and the vascular structure was measured using B-mode imaging. C-mode Doppler and B-mode images were acquired before, during, and after the intervention for each stimulus, and changes in blood pressure were measured in each session. As a result, it was confirmed that peak systolic velocity (PSV) decreased significantly after the intervention in non-perceived sensory stimulation below the threshold, compared to other thresholds (p = .008). In particular, the PSV decreased by 3.04% on average compared to before stimulation (p = .011). However, there was no significant change in the CCA diameters before and after stimulation at all intensities. It was found that short-term, non-perceptual sensory stimulation was effective in reducing the blood flow rate without causing significant changes in either the blood vessel diameter or blood pressure. This change appears to be caused by a decrease in blood flow due to the effect of subtle vasodilation at non-perceptual sensory stimulation, and at stimulation intensity higher than that, the sympathetic nerves in the blood vessels are stimulated excessively and the blood vessels constrict. Therefore, this study can be rated as an important attempt to control blood flow through stimulation without such a psychological burden and sensory discomfort in the carotid area.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• 제33권3호
• /
• pp.183-187
• /
• 2022

Dysphonia is well known as one of the otolaryngological symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The vocal changes of the COVID-19 condition have been reported in terms of parameters of multi-dimensional voice assessment, including acoustic analysis, auditory-perceptual evaluation, and psychometric assessment. However, there has not been a daily followup study in patients with acute COVID-19 infection. In this study, a 41-year-old male performed daily voice recordings of vowel phonation and passage-reading tasks during the self-quarantine period of one week. Compared to the normal voice status of the prepandemic period, voice abnormalities peaked on day two after the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and recovered after one week.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• 제9권2호
• /
• pp.17-26
• /
• 2002

This study is aimed to compare the effect of visuo-perceptual biofeedback sitting balance training and conventional sitting balance training using Balance Master on stroke patients with that of program in order to analyze the effect it has on dynamic postural balance. The subjects are twenty-four stroke patients who are receiving physical therapy in Ilsan Paik Hospital and can maintain sitting posture by themselves. These patients were divided to control group and experimental group randomly. In order to compare to control and experimental group before and after the balance training, they were tested with Mann-Whitney U test and in order to compared the changes before and after the balance training, they were tested with Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. The results are as follows: we measured the ability of dynamic posture balance control with limit of stability(LOS) test and rhythmic weight shift test. There was an increasing improvement in the ability of dynamic posture balance control of the experimental group that had visuo-perceptual biofeedback sitting balance control training using the Balance Master(p<0.05, p<0.01). According to the results from above, compared to conventional sitting balance training programs, visuo-perceptual biofeedback sitting balance control training using the Balance Master is considered to be a more valuable therapy in balance control improvement and physical function improvement. It is considered that if the weak points are made up, the training with Balance Master will give help to stroke patients and to patients with balance control disabilities and will further more contribute to successful rehabilitation therapy.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• 제4권2호
• /
• pp.95-104
• /
• 2012

Thyroidectomy patients may have vocal paralysis or paresis, resulting in a breathy voice. The aim of this study was to investigate the aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of a breathy voice in thyroidectomy patients. Thirty-five subjects who have vocal paralysis after thyroidectomy participated in this study. According to perceptual judgements by three speech pathologists and one phonetic scholar, subjects were divided into two groups: breathy voice group (n = 21) and non-breathy voice group (n = 14). Aerodynamic analysis was conducted by three tasks (Voicing Efficiency, Maximum Sustained Phonation, Vital Capacity) and acoustic analysis was measured during Maximum Sustained Phonation task. The breathy voice group had significantly higher subglottal pressure and more pathological voice characteristics than the non breathy voice group. Showing 94.1% classification accuracy in result logistic regression of aerodynamic analysis, the predictor parameters for breathiness were maximum sound pressure level, sound pressure level range, phonation time of Maximum Sustained Phonation task and Pitch range, peak air pressure, and mean peak air pressure of Voicing Efficiency task. Classification accuracy of acoustic logistic regression was 88.6%, and five frequency perturbation parameters were shown as predictors. Vocal paralysis creates air turbulence at the glottis. It fluctuates frequency-related parameters and increases aspiration in high frequency areas. These changes determine perceptual breathiness.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• 제12권1호
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2020

The perceptual assimilation of a nonnative phonological contrast can change with linguistic experience, resulting in naïve listeners and novice second language (L2) learners potentially assimilating the members of a nonnative contrast to different native (L1) categories. While it has been shown that this sort of change can affect the discrimination of the nonnative contrast, it has not been tested whether such a change could have consequences for the production of the contrast. In this study, L1 speakers of Mandarin Chinese who were (1) naïve to Korean, (2) novice L2 learners, or (3) advanced L2 learners participated in a Korean non-word repetition task using word-initial sibilants. The initial CVs of their repetitions were then played to L1 Korean listeners who categorized the initial consonant. The naïve talkers were more likely to repeat an initial /s^ha/ as an affricate, whereas the L2 learners repeated it as a fricative, in line with how these listeners have been shown to assimilate Korean sibilants to Mandarin categories. This result suggests that errors in the production of new words presented auditorily to nonnative listeners may be driven by how they perceptually assimilate the nonnative sounds, emphasizing the need to better understand what drives changes in perceptual assimilation that accompany increased linguistic experience.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• 제18권1호
• /
• pp.83-92
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the changes of physical function, perceptual and cognitive function, emotional function, and functional independence in the institutionalized aged according to functional group activity program (self help Tai Chi exercise plus functional task). Methods: Study subjects were 20 institutionalized aged from June to October in 2010. The subjects received functional group activity program two times a week for 15 weeks. Physical function (grip strength, coordination, lower extremity strength, balance, gait, trunk flexibility), perceptual and cognitive function, emotional function(depression, social skill), and functional independence were measured before and after the program. Results: The subjects showed significantly increased physical function (coordination, lower extremity strength, gait, trunk flexibility), perceptual and cognitive function, emotional function (depression, social skill), and functional independence. The functional group activity program may be an effective strategy for institutionalized elders to enhance their functions. Conclusion: The functional group activity program may be effective on elderly institutions which have limitation in human, material, environmental resources.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
• /
• 제23권2호
• /
• pp.166-173
• /
• 2014

This study analyzed visual-perceptual centrality as a measure to solve the confusion that might occur in visitor's movement in analyzing contemporary museums that have recently expand. Also, this study proposed a new methodology to understand the relationships of the occurrence and convergence of visual-perceptual power. The existing visibility graph analysis mostly ends up in identifying nodes corresponding to the physical environment of museums while the newly proposed visibility graph analysis is a methodology that can analyze the landmark on which the visual-perceptual power occurs and converges, by setting visible space elements as analysis variables, which showed a possibility to draw more reliable results in parallel to the existing analysis, and the results of this analysis are as follows. A public museum located in downtown has a limitation that it cannot but be multi-layered as a way to enlarge for the accommodation of a variety of programs on a limited site. Also, this study found that the problem of visitor orientation occurring in the multi-layer process was solved by a major space which was visual-perceptually void. Also, its types can be summarized into two types: One is setting parameter spaces (ramps, staircases, hallways) linked visual-perceptually to the major space and the other is solving the confusion of the visitor's movement by composing a simple exhibition space. In particular, it is judged that the type solving the confusion of the visitor's movement by composing a simple exhibition space also had a relationship with changes in the characteristics of the exhibited works by period. In addition, it was found that the entrance also appeared in two types: dependent type and independent type in the major space according to the characteristics of the major space.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
• /
• 제28권6호
• /
• pp.183-199
• /
• 2007

This longitudinal study investigated developmental changes in temperament and examined social adjustment problems by early temperamental characteristics and developmental patterns of temperamental change during infancy. Subjects were 153 six-month-old infants and their mothers. Infant temperament and toddler's problem behavior were measured by the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (Garstein & Rothbart, 2003) and the Toddler Behavior Checklist (Larzelere et al., 1989), respectively. Results showed that distress to limitations, high pleasure, perceptual sensitivity, and approach increased with age, while activity level, cuddliness, and vocal reactivity decreased. Infants with high scores in activity level, fear, sadness, and approach at 6 months showed more problem behaviors at 18 months. Infants showing abrupt developmental change of high pleasure and perceptual sensitivity developed more negative behavior.