• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.4
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• pp.544-552
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• 2020

This study investigated the effectiveness of "Healing Stay in Forest," a long-term stay forest therapy program implemented by National Center for Forest Therapy in 2019 with 49 participants by measuring pre- and post-questionnaire responses and physical changes, such as blood pressure, body composition, and HRV. Results confirmed statistically significant reduction in negative emotions and enhancement of autonomic nerve balance in the participants. Regarding the changes in the evaluation of physical fitness based on medical history, some significant differences were observed in grip strength and standing high jump, in which participants with no medical history showed better results than those with medical history. These findings are important for verifying the effectiveness of long-term stay forest therapy (6 nights and 7 days).

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.513-521
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• 2020

In this paper, due to the need for cutting cement-soil group pile composite foundation under the 7-story masonry structure of Zhenghe District and the shield tunnel of Zhengzhou Metro Line 5, a field test was conducted to directly cut cement-soil single pile composite foundation with diameter Ф=500 mm. Research results showed that the load transfer mechanism of composite foundation was not changed before and after shield tunnel cut the pile, and pile body and the soil between piles was still responsible for overburden load. The construction disturbance of shield cutting pile is a complicated mechanical process. The load carried by the original pile body was affected by the disturbance effect of pile cutting construction. Also, the fraction of the load carried by the original pile body was transferred to the soil between the piles and therefore, the bearing capacity of composite foundation was not decreased. Only the fractions of the load carried by pile and the soil between piles were distributed. On-site monitoring results showed that the settlement of pressure-bearing plates produced during shield cutting stage accounted for about 7% of total settlement. After the completion of pile cutting, the settlements of bearing plates generated by shield machine during residual pile composite foundation stage and shield machine tail were far away from residual pile composite foundation stage which accounted for about 15% and 74% of total settlement, respectively. In order to reduce the impact of shield cutting pile construction on the settlement of upper composite foundation, it was recommended to take measures such as optimization of shield construction parameters, radial grouting reinforcement and "clay shock" grouting within the disturbance range of shield cutting pile construction. Before pile cutting, the pile-soil stress ratio n of composite foundation was 2.437. After the shield cut pile is completed, the soil around the lining structure is gradually consolidated and reshaped, and residual pile composite foundation reaches a new state of force balance. This was because the condensation of grouting layer could increase the resistance of remaining pile end and friction resistance of the side of the pile.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.177-191
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• 2019

Global trade protectionism has increased further and U.S. priorities and protectionism have strengthened since Trump took office in 2017. Trump administration is actively implementing tariff measures based on U.S. domestic trade laws rather than the WTO rules and regulations. In particular, the American government has recently been imposing high tariffs due to national security and imposing economic sanctions on other countries' imports. According to the U.S. Trade Expansion Act Section 232, the American government imposed additional tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to WTO member countries such as China, India, and EU etc. on march 15, 2018. Thus, this study aims to investigate whether the U.S. Trade Expansion Act Section 232 is consistent with GATT/WTO rules by comparing the legal basis of US / China / WTO regulations related to Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act, and gives some suggestions for responding to the Section 232 measure. As the Section 232 measure exceeded the scope of GATT's Security Exceptions regulation and is very likely to be understood as a safeguard measure. If so, the American government is deemed to be in breach of WTO's regulations, such as the most-favored-nation treatment obligations and the duty reduction obligations. In addition, American government is deemed to be failed to meet the conditions of initiation of safeguard measure and violated the procedural requirements such as notification and consultation. In order to respond to these U.S. protection trade measures, all affected countries should actively use the WTO multilateral system to prevent unfair measures. Also, it is necessary to revise the standard jurisdiction of the dispute settlement body and to explore the balance of the WTO Exception clause so that it can be applied strictly. Finally, it would be necessary for Chinese exporters to take a counter-strategy under such trade pressure.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.243-248
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• 2014

Purpose: The transverse abdominis and themultifidus muscle are located in the core. They surround one's trunk and help in body stabilization. Specifically, they control spine articulation to maintain posture and balance. Therefore, weakened deep muscle in the trunk may cause spinal malalignment. This study aims to compare the correlation between the thickness of the transverse abdominis and the multifidus muscle and the spine alignment among college students in their 20s. Methods: This study measured the thickness of the transverse abdominis and the multifidus muscle of 42 healthy college students in their 20s using ultrasonic waves. The thickness of the muscle was measured for the length of the cross-section except for fascia. The thickness of the left and right muscles was measured, and the mean value was calculated. As the thickness of the transverse abdominis can increase because of pressure during exhalation, it was measured at the last moment of exhalation. Spinal alignment was measured by the kyphosis angle, lordosis angle, pelvic tilt, trunk inclination, lateral deviation, trunk imbalance, and surface rotation using Formetric III, which is a three-dimensional imaging equipment. They were measured for three times, and the mean values were calculated. The general characteristics of the subjects were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The correlations between each factor were analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: The transverse abdominis showed asignificant correlation with trunk inclination (p<.05). The multifidus muscle showed a significant positive correlation with pelvic tilt and a negative correlation with surface rotation (p<.05). Conclusion: The thickness of transverse abdominis and the multifidus muscle appears to influence spinal alignment. Specifically, the multifidus muscle, which plays an important role on the sagittal plane, influences surface rotation, thus making it an important muscle for scoliosis patients. Therefore, a strengthening training program for the transverse abdominis and the multifidus muscle is necessary according to specific purposes among adults with spinal malalignment.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.200-207
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• 2021

Background: Postural control deficit is a major characteristic in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Elastic ankle tapings are commonly used to facilitate postural control in patients with CAI as well as prevent relapse of a lateral ankle sprain. However, equivocal evidence exists concerning the effect of elastic ankle taping on postural control. Objects: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of elastic ankle tapings using kinesio taping (KT) and dynamic taping (DT) on static and dynamic postural control in patients with CAI. Methods: Fifteen subjects with CAI were participated in this study. The participants performed tests under three conditions (barefoot, KT, and DT). Static postural control was evaluated using the one-leg standing test (OLST) and dynamic postural control using the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT). One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare center of pressure (CoP) data and normalized mSEBT reach distances among the three conditions (with α = 0.05). Results: The CoP parameters (path length, ellipse area, and mean velocity) of the OLST significantly decreased on applying KT and DT compared with those when barefoot. The normalized reach distances in the anteromedial (AM), medial (M), and posteromedial (PM) directions of the mSEBT significantly increased with DT compared to that in the control condition. Further, the higher reach distances with KT compared with those in the control condition were obtained in the M and PM directions of the mSEBT. No significant differences were identified in any of the OLST and SEBT parameters between the two different taping applications. Conclusion: KT and DT improved static postural control during the OLST compared with the control condition. Moreover, these tapes improved dynamic postural control during the mSEBT compared to the control. Therefore, elastic ankle tapings are useful prophylactic devices for the prevention and treatment of ankle sprain in people with CAI.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2003

The size distribution of the free water paths between earlywood and latewood for six species in the heartwood of softwoods was estimated from the amount of dehydrated free water under various centrifugal fields, such as 2,200, 3,300, 4,800 and 6,900 rpm. The centrifugal method is based on the concept that water movement occurs by the balance of centrifugal force and water potential by meniscus. Water stops where the pressure differential is zero. In the centrifugal field, only two factors affect water movement in wood, that is, centrifugal force and water potential. Also, the water permeability was evaluated from the relationship between the water saturation ratio after the centrifugal treatment and the measure of water potential in specimen. The results showed that Cryptpmeria japonica had clear peaks at 0.70 ㎛ in earlywood and at 0.50 ㎛ in latewood. Tsuga sieboldii and Larix kaemferi had peaks at 0.50 and 0.30 ㎛ in both earlywood and latewood, respectively. Abies firma showed peaks at 0.70 ㎛ in earlywood and at 0.30 ㎛ in latewood. The water permeability of earlywood was higer than that of latewood for all softwoods except Pseudotsuga menziesii.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.379-386
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• 2023

When patients suffer from finger injuries, their finger joints can become stiff and inflexible due to decreased ability to exercise the finger tendons. This can lead to a loss of strength and difficulty using their hands. To address this, it is important to provide patients with consistent rehabilitation treatment that can help restore finger flexibility and strength simultaneously. In this study, we propose wearable gloves that use FSRs (force sensitive resistors) for finger strength training. The glove is designed to be adjustable using rubber bands and a custom PCB is designed for signal acquisition. For the evaluation of finger strength training, the result was analyzed in four cases. We suggest a vector that represents the center of five finger forces, and the result shows that the vector can indicate the level of force balance.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.210-220
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• 2023

Recently, smart wearable products, including electromyography (EMG) measurement devices and clothing, have been developed to monitor users' exercise levels, muscle activation, and muscle balance more effectively during fitness activities. However, technical and socioeconomic barriers, such as flexibility and durability, still pose challenges in terms of comfort, ease of wear, and wearability of smart clothing, which includes devices and circuits. To address these issues, this study developed a wearable EMG device integrated with clothing to collect valid EMG signals from desired muscles while maintaining comfort, functionality, and ease of wear. After deriving a combined structure that could stably position the wearable device within the clothing, a prototype was manufactured and evaluated for fit, compression, comfort, and exercise comfort test by ten participants (height = 176.2 cm, weight = 76.4 kg, chest circumference = 101.2 cm). The study found that the prototype had smaller circumferences around the chest, waist, and abdomen compared to commercial products, resulting in lower ratings for wearing comfort and ease of wear. However, the prototype received high ratings for fitting, pressure, and the exercise comfort test. Valid signals were obtained when the EMG device was combined to the prototype for the rectus femoris muscle, indicating stable positioning of the device during exercise.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2022

Background: Climate and livestock grazing are key agents in determining current Mongolian steppe vegetation communities. Together with plant coverage or biomass, palatability of steppe community is regarded as a useful indicator of grassland degradation, in particular, at grazing hotspots in arid and semi-arid grasslands. This study analyzed relationships between livestock grazing pressure and steppe vegetation palatability at three summer pastures with different aridity (dry, xeric, and mesic) and livestock numbers (1,100, 1,800, and 4,100 sheep units, respectively). At each site, it was surveyed coverage, biomass, and species composition of different palatability groups (i.e., palatable [P], impalatable [IP], and trampling-tolerant [TT]) along a 1-km transect from grazing hotspots (i.e., well) in every July from 2015 to 2018. Results: In results, total vegetation coverage increased with wetness, 7 times greater at mesic site than dry one in averages (33.1% vs. 4.5%); biomass was 3 times higher (47.1 g m^-2 vs. 15.7 g m^-2). Though P was the dominant palatability group, the importance of IP in total coverage increased with aridity from mesic (0.6%) to dry (40.2%) sites. Whereas, TT increased with livestock numbers across sites. Locally, IP was observed more frequently near the wells and its spatial range of occurrence becomes farther along the transects with aridity across sites from mesic (< 100 m) to dry (< 700 m from the well). Conclusions: Our results showed that the importance of IP and its spatial distribution are different at both local and regional scales, indicating that the palatability parameters are sensitive to discern balance between selective-grazing demand and climate-driven foraging supply in Mongolian rangelands.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.76-83
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• 2023

Squatting of agricultural work can cause musculoskeletal disorders due to excessive pressure and rotational force on the knee joint In order to improve the assistive chair used in squatting agricultural work so that it can be used in a narrow groove, it is intended to improve the musculoskeletal harm of squatting work by attaching a spring on the assistive chair. Therefore, in the presenty study, 3D drawing was done using ProEngineer (3D), and a mock-up was produced and tested. Using pro-Engineer, it was judged that it was rare for plastic to be broken by a spring, so the analysis was conducted with a focus on springs. It was found that the structure that can absorb the shock according to the rigidity of the tape spring and balance the body is that the power to withstand the load of the weight is distributed as a whole when five springs are used. Electromyography was measured using ME600 (Mega Electronics, Finland) Measuring equipment attached to the waist, thighs, calves, and shins. EMG values were measured and compared with the prototype in two ways, when the worker did not wear the product and when he wore an existing product on the market. As a result of the experiment when using the prototype, the maximum EMG value for each part is considered to be helpful in preventing musculoskeletal diseases as the amount of muscle used is reduced in the waist, thighs, calves, and shins.