• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.431-449
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• 2022

As many tunnels generally have been constructed, various experiences and techniques have been accumulated for tunnel design as well as tunnel construction. Hence, there are not a few cases that, for some usual tunnel design works, it is sufficient to perform the design by only modifying or supplementing previous similar design cases unless a tunnel has a unique structure or in geological conditions. In particular, for a tunnel blast design, it is reasonable to refer to previous similar design cases because the blast design in the stage of design is a preliminary design, considering that it is general to perform additional blast design through test blasts prior to the start of tunnel excavation. Meanwhile, entering the industry 4.0 era, artificial intelligence (AI) of which availability is surging across whole industry sector is broadly utilized to tunnel and blasting. For a drill and blast tunnel, AI is mainly applied for the estimation of blast vibration and rock mass classification, etc. however, there are few cases where it is applied to blast pattern design. Thus, this study attempts to automate tunnel blast design by means of machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence. For this, the data related to a blast design was collected from 25 tunnel design reports for learning as well as 2 additional reports for the test, and from which 4 design parameters, i.e., rock mass class, road type and cross sectional area of upper section as well as bench section as input data as well as16 design elements, i.e., blast cut type, specific charge, the number of drill holes, and spacing and burden for each blast hole group, etc. as output. Based on this design data, three machine learning models, i.e., XGBoost, ANN, SVM, were tested and XGBoost was chosen as the best model and the results show a generally similar trend to an actual design when assumed design parameters were input. It is not enough yet to perform the whole blast design using the results from this study, however, it is planned that additional studies will be carried out to make it possible to put it to practical use after collecting more sufficient blast design data and supplementing detailed machine learning processes.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.49-62
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• 2022

The hollow modular concrete block reinforced foundation method is one of the ground reinforcement foundation methods that uses hexagonal honeycomb-shaped concrete blocks with mixed crushed rock to reinforce soft grounds. It then forms an artificial layered ground that increases bearing capacity and reduces settlement. The hollow modular honeycomb-shaped concrete block is a geometrically economical, stable structure that distributes forces in a balanced way. However, the behavioral characteristics of hollow modular concrete block reinforced foundations are not yet fully understood. In this study, a bearing capacity test is performed to analyze the reinforcement effectiveness of the hollow modular concrete block through the laboratory model tests. From the load-settlement curve, punching shear failure occurs under the unfilled sand condition (A-1-N). However, the filled sand condition (A-1-F) shows a linear curve without yielding, confirming the reinforcement effect is three times higher than that of unreinforced ground. The bearing capacity equation is proposed for the parts that have contact pressure under concrete, vertical stress of hollow blocks, and the inner skin friction force from horizontal stress by confining effect based on the schematic diagram of confining effect inside a hollow modular concrete block. As a result of calculating the bearing capacity, the percentage of load distribution for contact force on the area of concrete is about 65%, vertical force on the area of hollow is 16.5% and inner skin friction force of area of the inner wall is about 18.5%. When the surcharge load is applied to the concrete part, the vertical stress occurs on the area of the hollow part by confining effect first. Then, in the filled sand in the hollow where the horizontal direction is constrained, the inner skin friction force occurs by the horizontal stress on the inner wall of the hollow modular concrete block. The inner skin friction force suppresses the punching of the concrete part and reduces contact pressure.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2014

Objectives: Depression, sleep complaints and cognitive impairments are commonly observed in the elderly. Elderly subjects with depressive symptoms have been found to show both poor cognitive performances and sleep disturbances. However, the relationship between sleep complaints and cognitive dysfunction in elderly depression is not clear. The aim of this study is to identify the association between sleep disturbances and cognitive decline in late-life depression. Methods: A total of 282 elderly people who underwent nocturnal polysomnography in a sleep laboratory were enrolled in the study. The Korean version of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery developed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) was applied to evaluate cognitive function. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and subjective sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI). Results: The control group ($GDS{\leq}9$) when compared with mild ($10{\leq}GDS{\leq}16$) and severe ($17{\leq}GDS$) depression groups, had significantly different scores in the Trail making test part B (TMT-B), Benton visual retention test part A (BVRT-A), and Stroop color and word test (SCWT)(all tests p<0.05). The PSQI score, REM sleep duration, apnea-hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index were significantly different across the three groups (all indices, p<0.05). A stepwise multiple regression model showed that educational level, age and GDS score were predictive for both TMT-B time (adjusted $R^2$=35.6%, p<0.001) and BVRT-A score (adjusted $R^2$=28.3%, p<0.001). SCWT score was predicted by educational level, age, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and GDS score (adjusted $R^2$=20.6%, p<0.001). Poor sleep quality and sleep structure alterations observed in depression did not have any significant effects on cognitive deterioration. Conclusion: Older adults with depressive symptoms showed mild sleep alterations and poor cognitive performances. However, we found no association between sleep disturbances (except sleep apnea) and cognitive difficulties in elderly subjects with depressive symptoms. It is possible that the impact of sleep disruptions on cognitive abilities was hindered by the confounding effect of age, education and depressive symptoms.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.141-170
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• 2010

User created content (UCC) is created and shared by common users on line. From the user's perspective, the increase of UCCs has led to an expansion of alternative means of communications, while from the business perspective UCCs have formed an environment in which an abundant amount of new contents can be produced. Despite outward quantitative growth, however, many aspects of UCCs do not meet the expectations of general users in terms of quality, and this can be observed through pirated contents and user-copied contents. The purpose of this research is to investigate effective methods for fostering production of creative user-generated content. This study proposes two core elements, namely, reward and motivation, which are believed to enhance content creativity as well as the mediating factor and users' committement, which will be effective for bridging the increasing motivation and content creativity. Based on this perspective, this research takes an in-depth look at issues related to constructing the dimensions of reward and motivation in UCC services for creative content product, which are identified in three phases. First, three dimensions of rewards have been proposed: task dimension, social dimension, and organizational dimention. The task dimension rewards are related to the inherent characteristics of a task such as writing blog articles and pasting photos. Four concrete ways of providing task-related rewards in UCC environments are suggested in this study, which include skill variety, task significance, task identity, and autonomy. The social dimensioni rewards are related to the connected relationships among users. The organizational dimension consists of monetary payoff and recognition from others. Second, the two types of motivations are suggested to be affected by the diverse rewards schemes: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation occurs when people create new UCC contents for its' own sake, whereas extrinsic motivation occurs when people create new contents for other purposes such as fame and money. Third, commitments are suggested to work as important mediating variables between motivation and content creativity. We believe commitments are especially important in online environments because they have been found to exert stronger impacts on the Internet users than other relevant factors do. Two types of commitments are suggested in this study: emotional commitment and continuity commitment. Finally, content creativity is proposed as the final dependent variable in this study. We provide a systematic method to measure the creativity of UCC content based on the prior studies in creativity measurement. The method includes expert evaluation of blog pages posted by the Internet users. In order to test the theoretical model of our study, 133 active blog users were recruited to participate in a group discussion as well as a survey. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire on their commitment, motivation and rewards of creating UCC contents. At the same time, their creativity was measured by independent experts using Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Finally, two independent users visited the study participants' blog pages and evaluated their content creativity using the Creative Products Semantic Scale. All the data were compiled and analyzed through structural equation modeling. We first conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to validate the measurement model of our research. It was found that measures used in our study satisfied the requirement of reliability, convergent validity as well as discriminant validity. Given the fact that our measurement model is valid and reliable, we proceeded to conduct a structural model analysis. The results indicated that all the variables in our model had higher than necessary explanatory powers in terms of R-square values. The study results identified several important reward shemes. First of all, skill variety, task importance, task identity, and automony were all found to have significant influences on the intrinsic motivation of creating UCC contents. Also, the relationship with other users was found to have strong influences upon both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Finally, the opportunity to get recognition for their UCC work was found to have a significant impact on the extrinsic motivation of UCC users. However, different from our expectation, monetary compensation was found not to have a significant impact on the extrinsic motivation. It was also found that commitment was an important mediating factor in UCC environment between motivation and content creativity. A more fully mediating model was found to have the highest explanation power compared to no-mediation or partially mediated models. This paper ends with implications of the study results. First, from the theoretical perspective this study proposes and empirically validates the commitment as an important mediating factor between motivation and content creativity. This result reflects the characteristics of online environment in which the UCC creation activities occur voluntarily. Second, from the practical perspective this study proposes several concrete reward factors that are germane to the UCC environment, and their effectiveness to the content creativity is estimated. In addition to the quantitive results of relative importance of the reward factrs, this study also proposes concrete ways to provide the rewards in the UCC environment based on the FGI data that are collected after our participants finish asnwering survey questions. Finally, from the methodological perspective, this study suggests and implements a way to measure the UCC content creativity independently from the content generators' creativity, which can be used later by future research on UCC creativity. In sum, this study proposes and validates important reward features and their relations to the motivation, commitment, and the content creativity in UCC environment, which is believed to be one of the most important factors for the success of UCC and Web 2.0. As such, this study can provide significant theoretical as well as practical bases for fostering creativity in UCC contents.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2008

The aeration of an overtopping wave on a vertical structure generated by a plunging wave was investigated through laboratory measurements of void fraction. The overtopping wave occurring after wave breaking becomes multi-phased and turbulent with significant aeration, so that the void fraction of the flow is of importance. In this study, fiber optic reflectometer and bubble image velocimetry were employed to measure the void fraction, velocity, and layer thickness of the overtopping flow. Mean properties were obtained by ensembleand time-averaging the repeated instantaneous void fractions and velocities. The mean void fractions show that the overtopping wave is very high-aerated near the overtopping wave front and relatively low-aerated near the deck surface and rear free surface of the wave. The flow rate and momentum of the overtopping flow estimated using the measured data show that the void ratio is an important parameter to consider in the multiphase flow. From the similarity profiles of the depth-averaged void fraction, velocity, and layer thickness, one-dimensional empirical equations were obtained and used to estimate the flow rate and momentum of the overtopping flow.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.185-199
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• 2009

Using a strain-controlled rheometer [Advanced Rheometric Expansion System (ARES)], the steady shear flow properties and the dynamic viscoelastic properties of $Antiphlamine-S^{(R)}$ lotion have been measured at $20^{\circ}C$ (storage temperature) and $37^{\circ}C$ (body temperature). In this article, the temperature dependence of the linear viscoelastic behavior was firstly reported from the experimental data obtained from a temperature-sweep test. The steady shear flow behavior was secondly reported and then the effect of shear rate on this behavior was discussed in detail. In addition, several inelastic-viscoplastic flow models including a yield stress parameter were employed to make a quantitative evaluation of the steady shear flow behavior, and then the applicability of these models was examined by calculating the various material parameters. The angular frequency dependence of the linear viscoelastic behavior was nextly explained and quantitatively predicted using a fractional derivative model. Finally, the strain amplitude dependence of the dynamic viscoelastic behavior was discussed in full to elucidate a nonlinear rheological behavior in large amplitude oscillatory shear flow fields. Main findings obtained from this study can be summarized as follows : (1) The linear viscoelastic behavior is almostly independent of temperature over a temperature range of $15{\sim}40^{circ}C$. (2) The steady shear viscosity is sharply decreased as an increase in shear rate, demonstrating a pronounced Non-Newtonian shear-thinning flow behavior. (3) The shear stress tends to approach a limiting constant value as a decrease in shear rate, exhibiting an existence of a yield stress. (4) The Herschel-Bulkley, Mizrahi-Berk and Heinz-Casson models are all applicable and have an equivalent validity to quantitatively describe the steady shear flow behavior of $Antiphlamine-S^{(R)}$ lotion whereas both the Bingham and Casson models do not give a good applicability. (5) In small amplitude oscillatory shear flow fields, the storage modulus is always greater than the loss modulus over an entire range of angular frequencies tested and both moduli show a slight dependence on angular frequency. This means that the linear viscoelastic behavior of $Antiphlamine-S^{(R)}$ lotion is dominated by an elastic nature rather than a viscous feature and that a gel-like structure is present in this system. (6) In large amplitude oscillatory shear flow fields, the storage modulus shows a nonlinear strain-thinning behavior at strain amplitude range larger than 10 % while the loss modulus exhibits a weak strain-overshoot behavior up to a strain amplitude of 50 % beyond which followed by a decrease in loss modulus with an increase in strain amplitude. (7) At sufficiently large strain amplitude range (${\gamma}_0$>100 %), the loss modulus is found to be greater than the storage modulus, indicating that a viscous property becomes superior to an elastic character in large shear deformations.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.61-68
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• 2012

Most widely methods for reinforcement of soil utilized in Korea are anchor method, soil nail method and micro pile method. These methods are classified by the intended use of the structure to be constructed, but the reinforcement of the ground is accomplished contains in common the process of grouting work after inserting the reinforcements. Domestically, gravity grouting has been used mostly so far, but there has always been the risk of insufficient restoration of the loose ground area from the drill holes because the grouting is conducted only by gravity. On the other hand, pressure reinjection grouting may enhance the grouting quality by solving the problem of the existing grouting method considerably since it additionally reinjects grouting through pre-installed tube a certain time after the first grouting. Accordingly, this study evaluated the pullout characteristics by the grouting methods by performing model test on decomposed granite soil, and investigated the support increasing characteristics of reinforcements depending on the curing time, reinjection pressure, and uplift force variation of the pressure reinjection grouting. The result of this research shows that the pressure reinjection grouting demonstrated 1.1~1.3 times of performance of the gravity grouting, and suggests some analysis on optimal water content, reinjection pressure and curing time of the pressure reinjection grouting.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.584-591
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• 2020

Reliability is an important factor in weapons systems. Low reliability causes the weapons system to fail to function properly, which directly leads to the weakening of combat capability. This paper classifies the structure of the 5.56 mm rifle, which is currently used by the Korean army, into a total of seven assemblies and describes the eight functions necessary for the rifle to operate normally. In addition, the concept of reliability was defined as the MRBF, and the Poisson process model and TTT plot were explained as a reliability analysis theory for the repair function system. Next, the field-data obtained by defining failure as the replacement of parts other than periodic exchange of parts were refined, and the reliability was analyzed by entering the refined field operation specifications into the Minitab program. As a result, the reliability of the rifle was determined to be 251.73. The assembly parts that required improvement was identified as the barrel, lower body, and butt stock assembly, and 10 detailed parts needed to be improved. Finally, the limits of the reliability analysis using the field-data currently available for small caliber firearms were considered.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.10-21
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• 2015

For the safe design of steel-concrete composite structure, usable yield strength of steels are limited in most of design standard. However, this limitation sometimes cause the uneconomical design for some kind of members such as slender columns which was affected by elastic buckling load. For the economical design for slender columns, parametric study of RCFT (Rectangular CFT) with high-strength steel is conducted, especially investigating the limitation of yield strength of high-strength steels. Using ABAQUS, finite element analysis program, the finite element model was constructed and calibrated with experimental study for RCFT with high strength steel which have yield strength up to 680MPa. Investigated design parameters are yield strength of steel, compressive strength of concrete, steel thickness and slenderness ratio. The effect of design parameters were compared with design standard, KBC-09. From the parametric study with 54 models and previous test specimens, RCFT can be safely design with higher yield strength of steels than currently limited by KBC for large range of slenderness ratio.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.131-177
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• 2006

This paper examines a simultaneous determination of corporate control mechanisms, and its effects on firm performance. The corporate control mechanisms considered include the following; insider shareholding, institutional shareholding, the board of directors, dividend policy, and capital structure. This paper applies a simultaneous equation methodology and investigates the interdependence among the corporate control mechanisms. In the first part, the paper finds that firm-level variations of control mechanisms are large across time although average variations are relatively small. These variations are related to one another, which is confirmed by Granger causality test based on dynamic panel autoregression model. More specifically insider shareholding, institutional shareholding and outside director ratio cause each other. With regard to interdependence among the control mechanisms, 2SLS(two stage least squares) regression results show that insider shareholding and institutional shareholding are substitutes while institutional shareholding acts as complements to the ratio of outside members in the board of directors. Then in the second part, the paper examines the relationship between firm performance and corporate governance. Firm performance, measured by Tobin's Q, has a positive association with leverage ratio while that has a negative relation to outside director ratio. This suggests that there may be a room for reforming corporate governance in Korea. Specifically it is necessary to enhance the independence of the outside directors.