• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2021

In this paper, a multi-scale finite element (FE) modeling methodology for three-dimensional (3D) needle-punched (NP) C/SiC with a complex microstructure is presented. The variations of the material properties induced by the needle-punching process and complex geometrical features could pose challenges when estimating the material behavior. For considering these features of composites, a 3D microscopic FE approach is introduced based on micro-CT technology to produce a 3D high fidelity FE model. The image processing techniques of micro-CT are utilized to generate discrete-gray images and reconstruct the high fidelity model. Furthermore, a subcell modeling technique is developed for the 3D NP C/SiC based on the high fidelity FE model to expand to the macro-scale structural problem. A numerical homogenization approach under periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) is employed to estimate the equivalent behavior of the high fidelity model and effective properties of subcell components, considering geometry continuity effects. For verification, proposed models compare excellently with experimental results for the mechanical behavior of tensile, shear, and bending under static loading conditions.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.54 no.8
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• pp.553-566
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• 2021

River confluence is often characterized by shear layer and the associated strong mixing. In natural rivers, the main channel and its tributary can be separated by the shear layer using contrasting colors. The shear layer can be easily observed using aerial images from satellite or unmanned aerial vehicles. This study proposes a low-cost identification method extracting geographic features of the shear layer using RGB aerial image. The method consists of three stages. At first, in order to identify the shear layer, it performs image segmentation using a Gaussian mixture model and extracts the water bodies of the main channel and tributary. Next, the self-organizing map simplifies the flow line of the water bodies into the 1-dimensional curve grid. After that, the curvilinear coordinate transformation is performed using the water body pixels and the curve grid. As a result, the shear layer identification method was successfully applied to the confluence between Nakdong River and Nam River to extract geometric shear layer features (confluence angle, upstream- and downstream- channel widths, shear layer length, maximum shear layer thickness).

• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.63-71
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• 2021

Among drone autonomous flight technologies, obstacle avoidance is a very important technology that can prevent damage to drones or surrounding environments and prevent danger. Although the LiDAR sensor-based obstacle avoidance method shows relatively high accuracy and is widely used in recent studies, it has disadvantages of high unit price and limited processing capacity for visual information. Therefore, this paper proposes an obstacle avoidance algorithm for drones using camera-based PPO(Proximal Policy Optimization) reinforcement learning, which is relatively inexpensive and highly scalable using visual information. Drone, obstacles, target points, etc. are randomly located in a learning environment in the three-dimensional space, stereo images are obtained using a Unity camera, and then YOLov4Tiny object detection is performed. Next, the distance between the drone and the detected object is measured through triangulation of the stereo camera. Based on this distance, the presence or absence of obstacles is determined. Penalties are set if they are obstacles and rewards are given if they are target points. The experimennt of this method shows that a camera-based obstacle avoidance algorithm can be a sufficiently similar level of accuracy and average target point arrival time compared to a LiDAR-based obstacle avoidance algorithm, so it is highly likely to be used.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2023

A multi-view display is regarded as the most practical technology to provide a three-dimensional effect to a viewer because it can provide an appropriate viewpoint according to the observer's position. But, most multi-view displays with flat shapes have a disadvantage in that a viewer watches 3D images only within a limited front viewing angle. In this paper, we proposed a spherical display using a ball lens with spherical symmetry that provides perfect parallax by extending the viewing zone to 360 degrees. In the proposed system, each projection lens is designed to be packaged into a small modular array, and the module array is arranged in a spherical shape around a ball lens to provide vertical and horizontal parallax. Through the applied optical module, the image is formed in the center of the ball lens, and 3D contents are clearly imaged with the size of about 0.65 times the diameter of the ball lens when the viewer watches them within the viewing window. Therefore, the feasibility of a 360-degree full parallax display that overcomes the spherical aberration of a ball lens and provides a wide field of view is confirmed experimentally.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.275-284
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• 2023

Virtual reality simulations are used for education and training in various fields, and are especially widely used in the medical field recently. The education/training simulator consists of tactile/force feedback generation and image/sound output hardware that provides a sense similar to a doctor's treatment of a real patient using real surgical tools, and software that produces realistic images and tactile feedback. Existing simulators are complicated and expensive because they have to use various types of hardware to simulate various surgical instruments used during surgery. In this paper, we propose a dental surgical simulation system using a force feedback device and a morphable haptic controller. Haptic hardware determines whether the surgical tool collides with the surgical site and provides a sense of resistance and vibration. In particular, haptic controllers that can be deformed, such as length changes and bending, can express various senses felt depending on the shape of various surgical tools. When the user manipulates the haptic feedback device, events such as movement of the haptic feedback device or button clicks are delivered to the simulation system, resulting in interaction between dental surgical tools and oral internal models, and thus haptic feedback is delivered to the haptic feedback device. Using these basic techniques, we provide a realistic training experience of impacted wisdom tooth extraction surgery, a representative dental surgery technique, in a virtual environment represented by sophisticated three-dimensional models.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.403-411
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• 2023

Functional ultrasound imaging, such as elasticity imaging and micro-blood flow Doppler imaging, enhances diagnostic capability by providing useful mechanical and functional information about tissues. However, the implementation of functional ultrasound imaging poses limitations such as the storage of vast amounts of data in Radio Frequency (RF) data acquisition and processing. In this paper, we propose a sub-Nyquist approach that reduces the amount of acquired axial samples for efficient shear-wave elasticity imaging. The proposed method acquires data at a sampling rate one-third lower than the conventional Nyquist sampling rate and tracks shear-wave signals through RF signals reconstructed using band-pass filtering-based interpolation. In this approach, the RF signal is assumed to have a fractional bandwidth of 67 %. To validate the approach, we reconstruct the shear-wave velocity images using shear-wave tracking data obtained by conventional and proposed approaches, and compare the group velocity, contrast-to-noise ratio, and structural similarity index measurement. We qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate the potential of sub-Nyquist sampling-based shear-wave elasticity imaging, indicating that our approach could be practically useful in three-dimensional shear-wave elasticity imaging, where a massive amount of ultrasound data is required.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.809-815
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• 2023

This study was conducted to find out the correlation between meat quality and muscle fat ratio in pork part meat (pork belly and shoulder butt) using CT (computed tomography) imaging technique. After 24 hours from slaughter, pork loin and belly were individually prepared from the left semiconductors of 26 pigs for CT measurement. The image obtained from CT scans was checked through the picture archiving and communications system (PACS). The volume of muscle and fat in the pork belly and shoulder butt of cross-sectional images taken by CT was estimated using Vitrea workstation version 7. This assemblage was further processed through Vitrea post-processing software to automatically calculate the volumes (Fig. 1). The volumes were measured in milliliters (mL). In addition to volume calculation, a three-dimensional reconstruction of the organ under consideration was generated. Pearson's correlation coefficient was analyzed to evaluate the relationship by region (pork belly, pork shoulder butt), and statistical processing was performed using GraphPad Prism 8. The muscle-fat ratios of pork belly taken by CT was 1 : 0.86, while that of pork shoulder butt was 1 : 0.37. As a result of CT analysis of the correlation coefficient between pork belly and shoulder butt compared to the muscle-fat ratio, the correlation coefficient was 0.5679 (R² = 0.3295, p < 0.01). CT imaging provided very good estimates of muscle contents in cuts and in the whole carcass.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.876-888
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• 2021

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the diameter and volume of liver metastases on CT images in relation to overall survival and tumor response in patients with gastric cancer liver metastases (GCLM) treated with chemotherapy. Materials and Methods We recruited 43 patients with GCLM who underwent chemotherapy as a first-line treatment. We performed a three-dimensional quantification of the metastases for each patient. An independent survival analysis using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) was performed and compared to volumetric measurements. Overall survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared using Cox proportional hazard ratios following univariate analyses. Results When patients were classified as responders or non-responders based on volumetric criteria, the median overall survival was 23.6 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 8.63-38.57] and 7.6 months (95% CI, 3.78-11.42), respectively (p = 0.039). The volumetric analysis and RECIST of the non-progressing and progressing groups showed similar results based on the Kaplan-Meier method (p = 0.006) and the Cox proportional hazard model (p = 0.008). Conclusion Volumetric assessment of liver metastases could be an alternative predictor of overall survival for patients with GCLM treated with chemotherapy.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2019

Objective: To compare digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and conventional full-field digital mammography (FFDM) in the detectability of breast cancers in patients with dense breast tissue, and to determine the influencing factors in the detection of breast cancers using the two techniques. Materials and Methods: Three blinded radiologists independently graded cancer detectability of 300 breast cancers (288 women with dense breasts) on DBT and conventional FFDM images, retrospectively. Hormone status, histologic grade, T stage, and breast cancer subtype were recorded to identify factors affecting cancer detectability. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare cancer detectability by DBT and conventional FFDM. Fisher's exact tests were used to determine differences in cancer characteristics between detectability groups. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine whether the detectability score differed according to cancer characteristics. Results: Forty breast cancers (13.3%) were detectable only with DBT; 191 (63.7%) breast cancers were detected with both FFDM and DBT, and 69 (23%) were not detected with either. Cancer detectability scores were significantly higher for DBT than for conventional FFDM (median score, 6; range, 0-6; p < 0.001). The DBT-only cancer group had more invasive lobular-type breast cancers (22.5%) than the other two groups (i.e., cancer detected on both types of image [both-detected group], 5.2%; cancer not detected on either type of image [both-non-detected group], 7.3%), and less detectability of ductal carcinoma in situ (5% vs. 16.8% [both-detected group] vs. 27.5% [both-non-detected group]). Low-grade cancers were more often detected in the DBT-only group than in the both-detected group (22.5% vs. 10%, p = 0.026). Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)-negative cancers were more often detected in the DBT-only group than in the both-detected group (92.3% vs. 70.5%, p = 0.004). Cancers surrounded by mostly glandular tissue were detected less often in the DBT only group than in the both-non-detected group (10% vs. 31.9%, p = 0.016). DBT cancer detectability scores were significantly associated with cancer type (p = 0.012), histologic grade (p = 0.013), T and N stage (p = 0.001, p = 0.024), proportion of glandular tissue surrounding lesions (p = 0.013), and lesion type (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Invasive lobular, low-grade, or HER-2-negative cancer is more detectable with DBT than with conventional FFDM in patients with dense breasts, but cancers surrounded by mostly glandular tissue might be missed with both techniques.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of degenerative mitral regurgitation (dMR) and preoperative planning for transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr). TEE is an invasive modality requiring anesthesia and esophageal intubation. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic has limited the number of elective invasive procedures. Multi-detector computed tomographic angiography (MDCT) provides high-resolution images and 3D reconstructions to assess complex mitral anatomy. We hypothesized that MDCT would reveal similar information to TEE relevant to TMVr, thus deferring the need for a preoperative TEE in certain situations like during a pandemic. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data on patients who underwent or were evaluated for TMVr for dMR with preoperative MDCT and TEE between 2017 and 2019. Two TEE and 2 MDCT readers, blinded to patient outcome, analyzed: leaflet pathology (flail, degenerative, mixed), leaflet location, mitral valve area (MVA), flail width/gap, anterior-posterior (AP) and commissural diameters, posterior leaflet length, leaflet thickness, presence of mitral valve cleft and degree of mitral annular calcification (MAC). RESULTS: A total of 22 (out of 87) patients had preoperative MDCT. MDCT correctly identified the leaflet pathology in 77% (17/22), flail leaflet in 91% (10/11), MAC degree in 91% (10/11) and the dysfunctional leaflet location in 95% (21/22) of patients. There were no differences in the measurements for MVA, flail width, commissural or AP diameter, posterior leaflet length, and leaflet thickness. MDCT overestimated the measurements of flail gap. CONCLUSIONS: For preoperative TMVr planning, MDCT provided similar measurements to TEE in our study.