• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.549-554
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• 2008

Proton conducting crosslinked membranes were prepared using polymer blends of polystyrene-b-poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate)-b-poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PS-b-PHEA-b-PSSA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). PS-b-PHEA-b-PSSA triblock copolymer at 28:21:51 wt% was synthesized sequentially using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). FT-IR spectroscopy showed that after thermal ($120^{\circ}C$, 2 h) and chemical (sulfosuccinic acid, SA) treatments of the membranes, the middle PHEA block of the triblock copolymer was crosslinked with PVA through an esterification reaction between the -OH group of the membrane and the -COOH group of SA. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) decreased from 1.56 to 0.61 meq/g with increasing amount of PVA. Therefore, the proton conductivity at room temperature decreased from 0.044 to 0.018 S/cm. However, the introduction of PVA resulted in a decrease in water uptake from 87.0 to 44.3%, providing good mechanical properties applicable to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of fuel cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the membrane was microphase-separated with a nanometer range with good connectivity of the $SO_3H$ ionic aggregates. The power density of a single $H_2/O_2$ fuel cell system using the membrane with 50 wt% PVA was $230\;mW/cm^2$ at $70^{\circ}C$ with a relative humidity of 100%. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) also showed a decrease in the thermal stability of the membranes with increasing PVA concentration.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2016

Background: Prolonged sitting leads to low back discomfort and lumbopelvic muscle fatigue. This study examined the characteristics of body perceived discomfort and trunk muscle fatigue during 1 hour of sitting in three postures in office workers. Methods: Thirty workers sat for 1 hour in one of three sitting postures (i.e., upright, slumped, and forward leaning postures). Body discomfort was assessed using the Body Perceived Discomfort scale at the beginning and after 1 hour of sitting. Electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from superficial lumbar multifidus, iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracis, internal oblique (IO)/transversus abdominis (TrA), and rectus abdominis muscles during 1 hour of sitting. The median frequency (MDF) of the EMG power spectrum was calculated. Results: Regardless of the sitting posture, the Body Perceived Discomfort scores in the neck, shoulder, upper back, low back, and buttock significantly increased after 1 hour of sitting compared with baseline values ($t_{(9)}=-11.97$ to -2.69, p < 0.05). The MDF value of the EMG signal of rectus abdominis, iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracis, and multifidus muscles was unchanged over time in all three sitting postures. Only the right and left IO/TrA in the slumped sitting posture was significantly associated with decreased MDF over time (p = 0.019 to 0.041). Conclusion: Prolonged sitting led to increased body discomfort in the neck, shoulder, upper back, low back, and buttock. No sign of trunk muscle fatigue was detected over 1 hour of sitting in the upright and forward leaning postures. Prolonged slumped sitting may relate to IO/TrA muscle fatigue, which may compromise the stability of the spine, making it susceptible to injury.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.330-336
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• 2014

Sintered metallic brake pads and low alloy heat resistance steel disks are applied to mechanical brake systems in high energy moving machines that are associated with recently developed 200km/h trains. This has led to the speed-up of conventional urban rapid transit. In this study, we use a lab-scale dynamometer to investigate the effects of the composition of friction materials on the tribological characteristics of sintered metallic brake pads and low alloy heat resistance steel under dry sliding conditions. We conduct test under a continuous pressure of 5.5 MPa at various speeds. To determine the optimal composition of friction materials for 200 km/h train, we test and the evaluate frictional characteristics such as friction coefficients, friction stability, wear rate, and the temperature of friction material, which depend on the relative composition of the Cu-Sn and Fe components. The results clearly demonstrate that the average friction coefficient is lower for all speed conditions, when a large quantity of iron power is added. The specimen of 25 wt% iron powder that was added decreased the wear of the friction materials and the roughness of the disc surface. However when 35 wt% iron powder was added, the disc roughness and the wear rate of friction materials increased By increasing the amount of iron powder, the surface roughness, and temperature of the friction materials increased, so the average friction coefficients decreased. An oxidation layer of $Fe_2O_3$ was formed on both friction surfaces.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.77.2-77.2
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• 2013

In this talk, I will briefly review recent results of my group related to application of atomic layer deposition (ALD) for fabricating environmental catalysts and organic solar cells. ALD was used for preparing thin films of TiO2 and NiO on mesporous silica with a mean pore size of 15 nm. Upon depositing TiO2 thin films of TiO2 using ALD, the mesoporous structure of the silica substrate was preserved to some extent. We show that efficiency for removing toluene by adsorption and catalytic oxidation is dependent of mean thickness of TiO2 deposited on silica, i.e., fine tuning of the thickness of thin film using ALD can be beneficial for preparing high-performing adsorbents and oxidation catalysts of volatile organic compound. NiO/silica system prepared by ALD was used for catalysts of chemical conversion of CO2. Here, NiO nanoparticles are well dispersed on silica and confiend in the pore, showing high catalytic activity and stability at 800oC for CO2 reforming of methane reaction. We also used ALD for surface modulation of buffer layers of organic solar cell. TiO2 and ZnO thin films were deposited on wet-chemically prepared ZnO ripple structures, and thin films with mean thickness of ~2 nm showed highest power conversion efficiency of organic solar cell. Moreover, performance of ALD-prepared organic solar cells were shown to be more stable than those without ALD. Thin films of oxides deposited on ZnO ripple buffer layer could heal defect sites of ZnO, which can act as recombination center of electrons and holes.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.138-143
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• 2015

Aluminum nitride, a compound semiconductor, has a Wurtzite structure; good material properties such as high thermal conductivity, great electric conductivity, high dielectric breakdown strength, a wide energy band gap (6.2eV), a fast elastic wave speed; and excellent in thermal and chemical stability. Furthermore, the thermal expansion coefficient of the aluminum nitride is similar to those of Si and GaAs. Due to these characteristics, aluminum nitride can be applied to electric packaging components, dielectric materials, SAW (surface acoustic wave) devices, and photoelectric devices. In this study, we surveyed the crystallization and preferred orientation of AlN thin films with an X-ray diffractometer. To fabricate the AlN thin film, we used the magnetron sputtering method with $N_2$, NH3 and Ar. According to an increase in the partial pressures of $N_2$ and $NH_3$, Al was nitrified and deposited onto a substrate in a molecular form. When AlN was fabricated with $N_2$, it showed a c-axis orientation and tended toward a high orientation with an increase in the temperature. On the other hand, when AlN was fabricated with $NH_3$, it showed a-axis orientation. This result is coincident with the proposed mechanism. We fabricated AlN thin films with an a-axis orientation by controlling the sputtering electric power, $NH_3$ pressure, deposition speed, and substrate temperature. According to the proposed mechanism, we also fabricated AlN thin films which demonstrated high a-axis and c-axis orientations.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 2015

This study is to analyze current inadequate status of installing hazardous materials facilities, and to propose rational standards by researching validity for implementing registration for design, construction, supervision for installing fire safety facilities. By studying installation of registering designing, constructing, supervising industry on hazardous material facilities, professional and higher level of stability measures for national hazardous material facility was provided. For above reasons, necessity of institutionalizing of registering standards for construction and supervising industry became clear. Much more gradual institutionalization is needed for construction industry. Moreover, new national qualification should be reconsidered, in order to rebuttal the above and also to cultivate and acquire technical power.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.182-188
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• 2015

An analog AVR has an advantage of short time constant, time to revert again from the abnormal state to a stable one depending on the voltage fluctuations of the load. But the Analog AVR has a disadvantage of large voltage variation according to the load fluctuation. Voltage regulation for digital AVR is very stable, but the time constant is very long compared to that of an analog AVR. Therefore, it indicates that the digital AVR shows unstable output performance in a very large load variations. In this paper, a mixed form of an analog AVR and a digital AVR is proposed. An implemented hybrid AVR has fast time constant and stable voltage regulation capability. Hybrid AVR voltage variations in the load is stable within 1[%] and the voltage stability is also improved. It also showed fast time constant to the level of the analog AVR. Thus hybrid AVR developed in this paper can be used as a power supply for a variety of uses in industry.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.311-325
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• 2020

In this research work, the hygrothermal and mechanical buckling responses of simply supported FG sandwich plate seated on Winkler-Pasternak elastic foundation are investigated using a novel shear deformation theory. The current model take into consideration the shear deformation effects and ensures the zero shear stresses on the free surfaces of the FG-sandwich plate without requiring the correction factors "Ks". The material properties of the faces sheets of the FG-sandwich plate are assumed varies as power law function "P-FGM" and the core is isotropic (purely ceramic). From the virtual work principle, the stability equations are deduced and resolved via Navier model. The hygrothermal effects are considered varies as a nonlinear, linear and uniform distribution across the thickness of the FG-sandwich plate. To check and confirm the accuracy of the current model, a several comparison has been made with other models found in the literature. The effects the temperature, moisture concentration, parameters of elastic foundation, side-to-thickness ratio, aspect ratio and the inhomogeneity parameter on the critical buckling of FG sandwich plates are also investigated.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.158-163
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• 2008

Ozone monitor based on UV techniques has been widely used due to their signal stability. The high concentration ozone monitor for real time ozone monitoring from ozone generator was composed of a low pressure mercury lamp as UV source and a photo multiplier tube as UV detector. The structure could be very useful for low price high concentration ozone monitor and showed good linearity to ozone in the concentration range between 0.05 and 2wt%. For accurate ambient ozone monitoring, the system composed of a high power pulsed xenon lamp as UV source, an optical spectrometer with a high sensitivity linear CCD array as UV detector. The optical signal form the CCD array was converted to digital signal, and the digital signal was displayed on screen using PC interface. The developed system showed good linearity and sensitivity in relatively low measuring range between 10ppm and 10,000ppm, and showed some feasibility of hish resolution ozone monitor using CCD array as a photodetecor.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.71-75
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• 2019

Sleep apnea is a disease that causes various complications, and the polysomnography is expensive and difficult to measure. The purpose of this study is to develop an unrestricted wearable monitoring system so that patients can be examined in a familiar environment. We used a method to detect sleep apnea events and to determine sleep satisfaction by non-constrained method using SpO2 measurement sensor and 3-axis acceleration sensor. Heart rate and SpO2 were measured at the finger using max30100. After acquiring the SpO2 data of the user in real time, the apnea measurement algorithm was used to transmit the number of apnea events of the user to the mobile phone using Bluetooth (HC-06) on the wrist. Using the three-axis acceleration sensor (mpu6050) attached to the upper body, the number of times of tossing and turning during sleep was measured. Based on this data, this algorithm evaluates the patient's tossing and turning during sleep and transmits the data to the mobile phone via Bluetooth. The power source used 9 volts battery to operate Arduino UNO and sensors for portability and stability, and the data received from each sensor can be used to check the various degree between sleep apnea and sleep tossing and turning on the mobile phone. Through thisstudy, we have developed a wearable sleep apnea measurement system that can be easily used at home for the problem of low sleep efficiency of sleep apnea patients.