• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.313-322
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• 2001

The effects of Zr/Ti concentration ratio in PLZT (10/y/z) thin films prepared by sol-gel method are investigated for the NVFRAM application. Rosette and pyrochlore phase are observed in PLZT (10/40/60) thin film and the (100) orientation, the grain size, and the surface roughness of PLZT thin films increase due to the increase of Ti amount in Zr/Ti concentration ratio. As Ti amount of Zr/Ti concentration ratio increases, the dielectric constants at 10KHz decrease from 600 to 400, while the loss tangents increase from 0.028 to 0.053 and the leakage current densities at 170 kY/cm decrease from 1.64$\times$10$^{-6}$ to 1.26$\times$10$^{-7}$ A/$\textrm{cm}^2$. In the results of hysteresis loops measured at $\pm$ 170 ㎸/cm, the remanent polarization and the coercive field increase from 6.62 to 12.86 $\mu$C/$\textrm{cm}^2$ and from 32.15 to 56.45 ㎸/cm, respectively, according to the change from 40/60 to 0/100 in Zr/Ti concentration ratio. Fatigue and retention properties also improve much as the Zr/Ti concentration ratio change from 40/60 to 0/100. After applying 10$^{9}$ square pulses with $\pm$5V, the remanent polarization of the PLZT (10/40/60) thin film decreases 50％ from the initial state while that of the PLZT (10/0/100) thin film decreases 30％. In the results of retention measurements of 10$^{5}$ s, the remanent polarization of the PLZT (10/0/100) thin film decreases only 11％ from the initial state, while that of the PLZT (10/40/60) thin film decreases 40%.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.185-197
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• 2001

Recently, the design method by VHDL coding and synthesis has been used widely. As the integration ratio increases, the amount design by VHDL at a time also increases so many coding errors occur in a design. Thus, lots of time and effort is dissipated to detect those coding errors. This paper proposed a method to verify the coding errors in VHDL behavioral-level designs. As the methodology, we chose the method to detect the coding error by applying the generated set of verifying patterns and comparing the responses from the error-free case(gold unit) and the real design. Thus, we proposed an algorithm to generate the verifying pattern set for the coding errors. Verifying pattern generation is peformed for each code and the coding errors are classified as two kind: condition errors and assignment errors. To generate the patterns, VHDL design is first converted into the corresponding CDFG(Control & Data Flow Graph) and the necessary information is extracted by searching the paths in CDFG. Path searching method consists of forward searching and backward searching from the site where it is assumed that coding error occurred. The proposed algorithm was implemented with C-language. We have applied the proposed algorithm to several example VHDL behavioral-level designs. From the results, all the patterns for all the considered coding errors in each design could be generated and all the coding errors were detectable. For the time to generate the verifying patterns, all the considered designed took less than 1 ［sec］ of CPU time in Pentium-II 400MHz environments. Consequently, the verification method proposed in this paper is expected to reduce the time and effort to verify the VHDL behavioral-level designs very much.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.49-59
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• 2008

SIFT(Scale Invariant Feature Transform) is an algorithm to extract vectors at pixels around keypoints, in which the pixel colors are very different from neighbors, such as vortices and edges of an object. The SIFT algorithm is being actively researched for various image processing applications including 3-D image constructions, and its most computation-intensive stage is a keypoint localization. In this paper, we develope a fixed-point model of the keypoint localization and propose its efficient hardware architecture for embedded applications. The bit-length of key variables are determined based on two performance measures: localization accuracy and error rate. Comparing with the original algorithm (implemented in Matlab), the accuracy and error rate of the proposed fixed point model are 93.57% and 2.72% respectively. In addition, we found that most of missing keypoints appeared at the edges of an object which are not very important in the case of keypoints matching. We estimate that the hardware implementation will give processing speed of $10{\sim}15\;frame/sec$, while its fixed point implementation on Pentium Core2Duo (2.13 GHz) and ARM9 (400 MHz) takes 10 seconds and one hour each to process a frame.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.32-36
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• 2008

In this study, $In_2O_3-ZnO$ thin films are prepared on quartz substrates by the pulsed laser deposition and their optical and electrical properties are investigated as the function of substrate temperatures ($200{\sim}600^{\circ}C$) at the fixed oxygen pressure of 200 mTorr. The XRD measurement shows that polycrystalline $In_2O_3-ZnO$ thin films are formed. In the XRD measurement, the intensity of the (400) $In_2O_3$ peak at $35.5^{\circ}$ decreases and that of the (222) $In_2O_3$ peak at $30.6^{\circ}$ increases with the increase substrate temperature up to $500^{\circ}C$. From the result of AFM measurement, the morphology of $In_2O_3-ZnO$ thin films are observed as round-type grains. The lowest surface roughness (6.15 nm) is obtained for the $In_2O_3-ZnO$ thin film fabricated at $500^{\circ}C$. The optical transmittance of $In_2O_3-ZnO$ thin films are higher than 82% in the visible region. The maximum carrier concentration of $2.46{\times}10^{20}cm^{-3}$ and the minimum resistivity of $1.36{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}cm$ are obtained also for the $In_2O_3-ZnO$ thin film fabricated at $500^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.101-111
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• 2008

This paper introduces a high-speed Reed-Solomon(RS) decoder, which reduces the hardware complexity, and presents an RS decoder based FEC architecture which is used for 40Gb/s optical communication systems. We introduce new pipelined degree computationless modified Euclidean(pDCME) algorithm architecture, which has high throughput and low hardware complexity. The proposed 16 channel RS FEC architecture has two 8 channel RS FEC architectures, which has 8 syndrome computation block and shared single KES block. It can reduce the hardware complexity about 30% compared to the conventional 16 channel 3-parallel FEC architecture, which is 4 syndrome computation block and shared single KES block. The proposed RS FEC architecture has been designed and implemented with the $0.18-{\mu}m$ CMOS technology in a supply voltage of 1.8 V. The result show that total number of gate is 250K and it has a data processing rate of 5.1Gb/s at a clock frequency of 400MHz. The proposed area-efficient architecture can be readily applied to the next generation FEC devices for high-speed optical communications as well as wireless communications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.649-661
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• 2020

This study examined the laxative effects of hot-water extracts of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (HD), Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel (PM), and a 2:8 mixture of both (HP) in two chronic constipation models. For the loperamide-induced constipation model, animals were divided into an untreated group, negative control group (loperamide 4 mg/kg), positive control group (bisacodyl 4 mg/kg) group, and six treatment groups (HP 100 or 400, HD 50 or 100, and PM 100 or 400 mg/kg). For the low-fiber diet-induced constipation model, animals were divided into an untreated group (normal diet), negative control group (low-fiber diet), positive control group (Agio granule, 620 mg/kg), and the same treatment groups. Fecal number, weight, fecal water content, and intestinal transit ratio were higher in the groups treated with HP, HD, and PM than in the groups treated with loperamide or low-fiber diet. Thickness of colon mucosa and muscle layers were increased in the treated groups. Colon tension increased in the HP groups, and [Ca²⁺]i measurements using fura-2 as an indicator showed that HP inhibits ATP-mediated Ca²⁺ influx in IEC-18 cells. These results showed that the HP mixture has laxative activity by increased mucin secretion and inducing contractile activity and relaxation. It may be a useful therapeutic strategy for ameliorating in chronic constipation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.433-439
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of rifampin with or without streptomycin in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats experimentally inoculated with Brucella abortus. Thirty rats were intraperitoneally inoculated with $1.0{\times}10^9$colony-forming units of B. abortus. They were divided into 3 groups by treatment with antibiotic. 10 rats in Group A were orally administrated with rifampin, 10 rats in Group B with rifampin orally and with streptomycin intramuscularly over 12 weeks starting at 1 week post infection (PI). A placebo recipient in Group C was inoculated with sterile saline without antibiotics. All animals were monitored by tube agglutination test (TAT) and AMOS-PCR to evaluate the efficiency of the antibiotics to B. abortus infection. The antibody titers in Groups A, B and C were 1:400, 1:400 and 1:800 as measured by TAT at the first week PI, respectively. The antibody titer in Group A decreased to 1:100 by the 13th week PI. That in the control group was observed as high antibody titer until 13th weeks PI, but the antibody response in Group B was low(1:50) from the 5th week to the 13th week PI. AMOS-PCR there was evidence of relapse of B. abortus in group A in liver and spleen specimens at the 13th week PI. B. abortus DNA was detected in Group C in liver and spleen specimens from the 1st week to 13th week PI by AMOS-PCR. However AMOS-PCR could not detect any organism in Group B from the 3rd week PI until the end of the study. This study demonstrated that administration of a combination of rifampin and streptomycin was more efficacious than administration of rifampin alone. A significant reduction in antibody titer was observed when a combination of 15 mg/kg/day of rifampin per os and 15 mg/kg/day streptomycin intramuscularly was used in comparison with the antibody of control group.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.371-381
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the relationship of family function, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and general characteristics to loneliness in community dwelling Korean elders and identify factors affecting loneliness. Method: With a cross-sectional causal-relationship design and a convenience sample, 205 elders residing in three districts of the city of Seoul, S. Korea were recruited. Participants were assessed using the Family APGAR Score, Self-Esteem Scale, Life-Satisfaction Scale, and Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results: The mean score for degree of loneliness (Mean=39.61, SD=10.09) was just below the mean for the scale (Possible range 20-80). Loneliness had significant negative correlations with family function (r= -.400, p<.001), self-esteem (r= -.399, p<.001), and life satisfaction (r= -.644, p<.001). Other general characteristics that had significant or nearly significant relationships with loneliness were perceived current financial and health status, whether doing any exercise or physical activities, degree of close relationship with family members, and length of living in current residence. Among variables, life satisfaction (Standardized ${\beta}\;=\;-.589$, p<.001) and length of living in current residence (Standardized ${\beta}\;=\;-.136$, p<.05) significantly predicted degree of loneliness. Conclusion: Findings of this study allow a comprehensive understanding of loneliness and related factors among community dwelling elders in Korea. However, further studies with a larger random sample from various living environments are necessary.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.351-364
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• 2009

The thermal stability and elevated temperature mechanical properties of $SiC_P$/Al-11.7Fe-1.3V-1.7Si (Al-11.7Fe-1.3V-1.7Si reinforced with SiC particulates) composites sheets prepared by spray deposition (SD) $\rightarrow$ hot pressing $\rightarrow$ rolling process were investigated. The experimental results showed that the composite possessed high ${\sigma}_b$ (elevated temperature tensile strength), for instance, ${\sigma}_b$ was 315.8 MPa, which was tested at $315^{\circ}C$, meanwhile the figure was 232.6 MPa tested at $400^{\circ}C$, and the elongations were 2.5% and 1.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the composite sheets exhibited excellent thermal stability: the hardness showed no significant decline after annealing at $550^{\circ}C$ for 200 h or at $600^{\circ}C$ for 10 h. The good elevated temperature mechanical properties and excellent thermal stability should mainly be attributed to the formation of spherical ${\alpha}-Al_{12}(Fe,\;V)_3Si$ dispersed phase particulates in the aluminum matrix. Furthermore, the addition of SiC particles into the alloy is another important factor, which the following properties are responsible for. The resultant Si of the reaction between Al matrix and SiC particles diffused into Al matrix can stabilize ${\alpha}-Al_{12}(Fe,\;V)_3Si$ dispersed phase; in addition, the interface (Si layer) improved the wettability of Al/$SiC_P$, hence, elevated the bonding between them. Furthermore, the fine $Al_4C_3$ phase also strengthened the matrix as a dispersion-strengthened phase. Meanwhile, load is transferred from Al matrix to SiC particles, which increased the cooling rate of the melt droplets and improved the solution strengthening and dispersion strengthening.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.146-153
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• 2008

In this paper, a integrated phase-locked loop(PLL) as a clock multiphase generator for a high speed serial link is designed. The designed PLL keeps the same bandwidth and damping factor by using programmable current mirror in the whole operation frequency range. Also, the close-loop transfer function and VCO's phase-noise transfer function of the designed PLL are obtained with circuit netlists. The self impedance on board-mounted chip is calculated according to sizes and positions of decoupling capacitors. Especially, the detailed self-impedance analysis is carried out between frequency ranges represented the maximum gain in the close-loop transfer function and the maximum gain in the VCO's phase noise transfer function. We shows PLL's jitter characteristics by decoupling capacitor's sizes and positions from this result. The designed PLL has the wide operating range of 0.4GHz to 2GHz in operating voltage of 1.8V and it is designed 0.18-um CMOS process. The reference clock is 100MHz and PLL power consumption is 17.28mW in 1.2GHz.