• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.22 no.12
• /
• pp.1011-1020
• /
• 2016

This paper introduces a tactilely transparent soft glove composed of soft materials and flexible structures. Although it is hard to achieve a high grasping force with conventional grip-assist gloves made from soft material, the proposed glove can exert a high force by using a novel structure. This structure has a triangular shape composed of flexible structural frames, soft fabric, and belts. It can produce grip-assist moment compliantly without harmful force or misalignment with the human fingers. The whole finger part that comes into contact with objects is made of thin and soft fabric in order to facilitate sensation transference. The proposed tactilely transparent soft glove enables the user to manipulate various objects owing to both the softness and high grasping force; it helps lifting heavy weight objects as well as permitting delicate tactile feeling on the palm and fingers. The proposed concept was applied to a two-finger grip-assist device for validation. In addition, the experimental results regarding grasping objects, fingertip force, and grasping force are presented.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.8-14
• /
• 2009

Purpose: to apply lymph massage to the patients that contracted lymphedema after mastectomy to resolve blood congestion, stimulate circulation, and control swelling long-term. Methods: The subjects include 20 female patients that were diagnosed with breast cancer histologically and contracted lymphedema within one to two years after mastectomy. They received lymph massage from March to August, 2008. Using a measuring tape(capable of measuring mm), the arm circumference was measured in both the sick and normal arm. Only the data from the sick arm were compared before and after the treatment. The measuring points were five; the back of the hand(a certain distance[about 10cm] was set between the end of the middle finger to the center of the palm), the wrist(the smallest section), the lower arm(at a certain distance[about 10cm] from the internal bending part of the elbow), the elbow(the bending part), and the upper arm(at a certain distance[about 10cm] from the internal bending part of the elbow). Collected data were analyzed using the SPSS/WINDOWS Version 12.0 program. Results: There was a reduction of lymphedema observed in all the points including 10cm in the upper arm, the elbow, 10cm in the lower arm, the wrist and the back of the hand after lymph massage, and the reduction had statistically significant differences(p<.05). Conclusion: Those results indicate that lymph massage has effects on the reduction of lymphedema in the early patients that contracted it after mastectomy.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.183-197
• /
• 2006

Combinations of visible and near-infrared (NIR) bands in an image are widely used for estimating vegetation vigor and productivity. Using this approach to understand within-field grain crop variability could allow pre-harvest estimates of yield, and might enable mapping of yield variations without use of a combine yield monitor. The objective of this study was to estimate within-field variations in crop yield using vegetation indices derived from hyperspectral images. Hyperspectral images were acquired using an aerial sensor on multiple dates during the 2003 and 2004 cropping seasons for corn and soybean fields in central Missouri. Vegetation indices, including intensity normalized red (NR), intensity normalized green (NG), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), green NDVI (gNDVI), and soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), were derived from the images using wavelengths from 440 nm to 850 nm, with bands selected using an iterative procedure. Accuracy of yield estimation models based on these vegetation indices was assessed by comparison with combine yield monitor data. In 2003, late-season NG provided the best estimation of both corn $(r^2\;=\;0.632)$ and soybean $(r^2\;=\;0.467)$ yields. Stepwise multiple linear regression using multiple hyperspectral bands was also used to estimate yield, and explained similar amounts of yield variation. Corn yield variability was better modeled than was soybean yield variability. Remote sensing was better able to estimate yields in the 2003 season when crop growth was limited by water availability, especially on drought-prone portions of the fields. In 2004, when timely rains during the growing season provided adequate moisture across entire fields and yield variability was less, remote sensing estimates of yield were much poorer $(r^2<0.3)$.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.175-188
• /
• 2004

The objectives of this study were to estimate leaf area index (LAI) as a function of image-derived vegetation indices, and to compare measured and estimated LAI to the results of crop model simulation. Soil moisture, crop phenology, and LAI data were obtained several times during the 2001 growing season at monitoring sites established in two central Missouri experimental fields, one planted to com (Zea mays L.) and the other planted to soybean (Glycine max L.). Hyper- and multi-spectral images at varying spatial. and spectral resolutions were acquired from both airborne and satellite platforms, and data were extracted to calculate standard vegetative indices (normalized difference vegetative index, NDVI; ratio vegetative index, RVI; and soil-adjusted vegetative index, SAVI). When comparing these three indices, regressions for measured LAI were of similar quality $(r^2$ =0.59 to 0.61 for com; $r^2$ =0.66 to 0.68 for soybean) in this single-year dataset. CERES(Crop Environment Resource Synthesis)-Maize and CROPGRO-Soybean models were calibrated to measured soil moisture and yield data and used to simulate LAI over the growing season. The CERES-Maize model over-predicted LAI at all corn monitoring sites. Simulated LAI from CROPGRO-Soybean was similar to observed and image-estimated LA! for most soybean monitoring sites. These results suggest crop growth model predictions might be improved by incorporating image-estimated LAI. Greater improvements might be expected with com than with soybean.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.361-365
• /
• 2018

Background: Recently, we examined the effects of 2% lidocaine gel on the tactile sensory and pain thresholds of the face, tongue and hands of symptom-free individuals using quantitative sensory testing (QST); its effect was less on the skin of the face and hands than on the tongue. Consequently, instead of 2% lidocaine gel, we examined the effect of 8% lidocaine spray on the tactile sensory and pain thresholds of the skin of the face and hands of healthy volunteers. Methods: Using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments, QST of the skin of the cheek and palm (thenar skin) was performed in 20 healthy volunteers. In each participant, two topical sprays were applied. On one side, 0.2 mL of 8% lidocaine pump spray was applied, and on the other side, 0.2 mL of saline pump spray was applied as control. In each participant, QST was performed before and 15 min after each application. Pain intensity was measured using a numeric rating scale (NRS). Results: Both the tactile detection threshold and filament-prick pain detection threshold of the cheek and thenar skin increased significantly after lidocaine application. A significant difference between the effect of lidocaine and saline applications was found on the filament-prick pain detection threshold only. NRS of the cheek skin and thenar skin decreased after application of lidocaine, and not after application of saline. Conclusion: The significant effect of applying an 8% lidocaine spray on the sensory and pain thresholds of the skin of the face and hands can be objectively scored using QST.

• Food Engineering Progress
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.353-357
• /
• 2018

Previous studies have suggested that rice bran oil (RBO), an edible oil from the byproducts of rice milling, has anti-inflammatory effects in inflammation inducing macrophages, known as M1 subsets. Yet the effects of RBO on the counterpart M2 subsets, the "healing" macrophages, were poorly investigated to date. In this regard, recent studies on the molecular/cellular anti-inflammatory mechanisms of dietary components have demonstrated that mitochondrial respiration contributes to macrophage functioning. Therefore, the current study examined whether RBO regulates cytokine secretion by modulating mitochondrial metabolism in wound healing M2 subsets. Palm oil (PO), enriched with medium-chain fatty acids, served as a positive control. C57BL/6 mice were fed a diet containing either corn oil (CO), PO or RBO for 4 weeks, followed by purification of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) from their tibias and femurs. Cells were further polarized to M2-BMDM, and the expression of M2 marker (CD206) on cellular surfaces were not affected by dietary intervention. In addition, the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) in the culture supernatant was not affected by dietary lipids. Oxygen consumption rate, the indicator of mitochondrial respiration in M2-BMDM was not regulated by RBO intervention and PO treatment. Taken together, this study imply that RBO did not intervene both the regulation of inflammatory responses and mitochondrial respiration in M2 macrophages.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.274-281
• /
• 2022

Background: In the present study, the age- and sex-adjusted Constant score (CS) in a normal Indian population was calculated and any differences with other population cohorts assessed. Methods: The study participants were patients who visited the outpatient department for problems other than shoulder and healthy volunteers from the local population. Patients without shoulder pain/discomfort during activity were included in the study. Subjects with any problem that might affect shoulder function (e.g., cervical, thoracic spine, rib cage deformity, inflammatory arthritis) were excluded. Constant scoring of all participants was performed by trained senior residents under the supervision of the senior faculty. Shoulder range of movement and strength were measured following recommendations given by the research and Development Committee of the European Society for Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (2008). A fixed spring balance was used for strength measurement; one end was fixed on the floor and the other end tied with a strap to the wrist of the participant, arm in 90° abduction in scapular plane with palm facing down. Results: Among the 248 subjects (496 shoulders), the average age was 37 years (range, 18-78 years), 65.7% were males (326 shoulders) and 34.3% females (170 shoulders). The mean CS was 84.6±2.9 (males, 86.1±3.0; females, 81.8±2.9). CS decreased significantly after 50 years of age in males and 40 years of age in females (p<0.05). The mean CS was lower than in previous studies for both males and females. Heavy occupation workers had higher mean CS (p<0.05). A linear standardized equation was estimated for calculating the adjusted CS for any age. Conclusions: Mean CS and its change with age differed from previous studies among various population cohorts.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
• /
• v.9 no.8
• /
• pp.1067-1075
• /
• 2006

This paper proposes a advanced representation method of hand motion by cheremes analysis in korean sign language. The proposed method is the representation method which apply to the hand motion used in KSL(Korean Sign Language) to represent rich and united hand motion. Words or sentences in KSL are completed by combination of elements called as Cheremes, that is, a hand movement orientation, a finger shape, a hand position, etc. In this paper, Cheremes composing the KSL is divided and represented by 5 elements: the hand movement orientation(HMO), finger shape(FS), hand orientation(HO), hand position(HP) and number of using hand (HN). Each cheremes is expressed by more various characteristics. For example, The hand movement orientation means orientations which the hand move while the sign language is done and can be expressed by 17orientation components. The finger shape means various shapes which fingers can take and represented by 17 components. The Orientation of hand is expressed by 2 characteristics according to whether we use the palm of the hand or the back. The position of hand means specific regions in body which hand(s) is placed while the sign language is done and divided by 8 regions. Finally, the number of hand means whether use only one hand or both hands and is expressed by 2 characteristics. The proposed method has been tested with KSL words and sentences and the results have shown that they can be expressed completely by the proposed representation method.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.307-312
• /
• 1994

Interictal single photon emission computed tomography of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF SPECT) in 18 intractable temporal lobe epilepsy patients(8 male and 10 female patients: average 23.5 years old) were compared with 2.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). And surgical outcome was analysed with the findings, symptom duration and lateralization of temporal lobe. Preoperatively rCBF SPECT was done in all 18 patients with intravenous injection of 740 MBq 99mTc-HMPAO. MRI was also done preoperatively in 13 patients. Surgical outcome was classified by Engel's outcome classification(four-part classification recommended at the first Palm Desert conference). rCBF SPECT detected correctly lateralising abnormality of temporal lobe hypoperfusion in 13/18(72.2%), contralateral temporal lobe hypoperfusion in 2/18(11.1%) and showed no def-inite abnormality in 3/18(16.7%). The positive predictive value of unilateral temporal lobe hypoperfusion was 87%. MRI detected correct localising abnormality in 8/13(61.5%), such as hippocampal atrophy(7/13), asymmetric temporal horn(6/13), anterior temporal lobe atrophy(1/13), increased signal intensity from hippocampus(1/13) and calcific density(1/13), and no abnormal finding was noted in 5/13(38.5%). There was no false positive findings and the positive predictive value of MRI was 100%. Only 2 cases showed same lateralization findings in rCBF SPECT and MRI. There was no significant correlation between symptom duration and no abnormal findings on SPECT or MRI. Surgical outcome showed class I in 15/18(83.3%), and class II in 2/18(11.1%). One case of no abnormal finding in both SPECT and MRI showed class III surgical outcome. No class IV surgical outcome was noted. Surgical outcome, lateralization of epileptic focus in temporal lobe and abnormal findings in rCBR SPECT or MRI were not significantly correlated.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.162-167
• /
• 2018

The objective of this study was to find out a nomenclature and a code number for fruit commodities from the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) corresponding with a commodity name used in South Korea. In addition, nomenclature or classification for commodity that needs an alteration or detailed examination domestically was determined. In this study, 'Food Code (Korean and English version)' and 'Pesticide MRLs in Food' from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and 'Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds' were used. As results, regarding a nomenclature or classification used in South Korea, it appeared that alteration or further examination was needed for the following (English name of commodity, coming from an English version of Food Code). First, reconsiderations for classification of Chinese matrimony vine, fig, five-flavor magnolia vine, and pomegranate are needed as they are classified differently between Korea and Codex. Second, in any case of Korean or English language, nomenclature of commodity is different even within Korea or when it is compared with Codex. Such commodities are: Asian citron, Chinese bush cherry, Chinese matrimony vine, coconut, crimson glory vine, date palm, five-flavor magnolia vine, five-leaf chocolate vine, Japanese apricot, Japanese cornelian cherry, jujube, kiwifruit (golden kiwi), Korean black berry, Korean raspberry, kumquat, lychee, mandarin, persimmon, plum, quince, raspberry, and trifoliate orange. Third, reconsiderations for peach and raspberry nomenclatures are needed as it is currently unclear whether 'peach' includes nectarine and an English nomenclature, 'raspberry', is used in Korea for both various varieties (red, black) and one specific variety.