• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1043-1052
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• 2018

Study Design: Level III retrospective cross-sectional study. Purpose: To define and characterize the presentation, symptom duration, and patient/surgical risk factors associated with 'post-decompressive neuropathy (PDN).' Overview of Literature: PDN is characterized by lower extremity radicular pain that is 'different' from pre-surgical radiculopathy or claudication pain. Although it is a common constellation of postoperative symptoms, PDN is incompletely characterized and poorly understood. We hypothesize that PDN is caused by an intraoperative neuropraxic event and may develop early (within 30 days following the procedure) or late (after 30 days following the procedure) within the postoperative period. Methods: Patients who consented to undergo lumbar laminectomy with or without an instrumented fusion for degenerative lumbar spine disease were followed up prospectively from July 2013 to December 2014. Relevant data were extracted from the charts of the eligible patients. Patient demographics and surgical factors were identified. Patients completed postoperative questionnaires 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Questions were designed to characterize the postoperative pain that differed from preoperative pain. A diagnosis of PDN was established if the patient exhibited the following characteristics: pain different from preoperative pain, leg pain worse than back pain, a non-dermatomal pain pattern, and nocturnal pain that often disrupted sleep. A Visual Analog Scale was used to monitor the pain, and patients documented the effectiveness of the prescribed pain management modalities. Patients for whom more than one follow-up survey was missed were excluded from analysis. Results: Of the 164 eligible patients, 118 (72.0%) completed at least one follow-up survey at each time interval. Of these eligible patients, 91 (77.1%) described symptoms consistent with PDN. Additionally, 75 patients (82.4%) described early-onset symptoms, whereas 16 reported symptoms consistent with late-onset PDN. Significantly more female patients reported PDN symptoms (87% vs. 69%, p=0.03). Patients with both early and late development of PDN described their leg pain as an intermittent, constant, burning, sharp/stabbing, or dull ache. Early PDN was categorized more commonly as a dull ache than late-onset PDN (60% vs. 31%, p=0.052); however, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Opioids were significantly more effective for patients with early-onset PDN than for those with late-onset PDN (85% vs. 44%, p=0.001). Gabapentin was most commonly prescribed to patients who cited no resolution of symptoms (70% vs. 31%, p=0.003). Time to symptom resolution ranged from within 1 month to 1 year. Patients' symptoms were considered unresolved if symptoms persisted for more than 1 year postoperatively. In total, 81% of the patients with early-onset PDN reported complete symptom resolution 1 year postoperatively compared with 63% of patients with late-onset PDN (p=0.11). Conclusions: PDN is a discrete postoperative pain phenomenon that occurred in 77% of the patients who underwent lumbar laminectomy with or without instrumented fusion. Attention must be paid to the constellation and natural history of symptoms unique to PDN to effectively manage a self-limiting postoperative issue.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.334-351
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• 2018

Teacher's gaze empathy for students in science class is considered to be effective in enhancing the learning effect. Thus, studies on gaze empathy have been conducted, but most of the studies are just to reveal the characteristics of gaze. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with a research to raise the level of science teacher's gaze empathy. The purpose of this study is to develop an instruction consulting strategy based on eye tracking for improving science teachers' gaze empathy. In this study, we selected and analyzed relevant literature on teacher's gaze empathy. We also designed a consulting strategy and then revised the design through expert reviews on validity and reliability. The developed consulting strategy was aimed to improve science teacher's gaze empathy and set quantitative goal based on eye tracking. The consulting strategy consisted of six steps: preparation for consulting, measurement and analysis of teacher's gaze empathy, instruction and feedback of gaze empathy, training for improving gaze empathy, evaluation of consulting result, and completion of the consulting. In addition, the consultation was completed or repeated again through the measurement and evaluation of gaze empathy using eye tracking. The developed consulting strategy has a value in that it provides an alternative with quantitative diagnosis and prescription for improving gaze empathy. The strategy can contribute to enhance teacher professional competency through the analysis of teaching behavior.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.65-89
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the science concepts and teaching and learning methods presented in the science education-related activities of the Nuri Curriculum teacher guidebooks for ages 3-5. Methods: The research data included 772 activities related to science education in the teachers' guidebook. The analysis of science concepts was based on physical science (force and motion, physical structure, electricity and magnetism, light and shadow, sound properties), chemistry (material properties, material reaction), life science (organizational structure, growth and change, heredity and evolution, animal plant and human relationships), earth science (earth system interaction, earth system structure, and universe), engineering (designed world, engineering design, engineering, technology and society) and ecology (environment preservation). Teaching and learning methods were analyzed according to the types of small and large group activities and of free play activities. Results: Science concepts were mainly presented in the fields of engineering, chemistry, and life science commonly among children aged 3-5, whereas the concepts of physical science were lowly presented in all ages. Science concepts appeared mainly in the daily subjects of 'animal plant and nature', 'life tools', 'environment and life', and 'spring, summer, autumn and winter'. As the teaching and learning method, free paly activities (science area, free outdoor selection activity, math and manipulative activity) were mostly used for the ages of 3 and 4, and small and large group activities (cooking, story sharing, music activity) were for the age of 5. Conclusion/Implications: It is necessary to select the level of science area and concept that can be taught according to the age of children and the timing of the teaching.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.875-883
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• 2018

This study examined overall effect of STEAM programs on student learning through meta-analysis of journal articles published for the past six years. We examined the areas of effects that the research tested and analyzed overall effect across the research. We first identified academic journal articles that utilized quasi-experimental design in examining STEAM effects on student learning and presented appropriate data for meta-analysis such as effect size. A total of 63 articles were identified to be appropriate for meta-analysis. Using R packages, we first identified outliers and eliminated them in the analysis of mean effect size. Thus, 172 effect sizes from 60 studies were analyzed. The results showed that the mean effect was medium (effect size = 0.52). Analysis showed that moderators of the effect were affective measures, thinking skills, character measures, and career aspirations, which meant the studies that measured these variables had more effect than achievement measures. On the other hand, the school level (elementary, middle, and high school), the absence or presence of student products as program requirements, hours of intervention, and sample size did not moderate the effect. Thus, regardless of these variables STEAM programs produced medium effect in general. Based on these results, further research areas and topics are suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.11-20
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• 2019

In this study, a novel virtual reality (VR) experience environment is proposed for enabling walking adaptation of visually impaired people. The core of proposed VR environment is based on immersive walking interactions and deep learning based braille blocks recognition. To provide a realistic walking experience from the perspective of visually impaired people, a tracker-based walking process is designed for determining the walking state by detecting marching in place, and a controller-based VR white cane is developed that serves as the walking assistance tool for visually impaired people. Additionally, a learning model is developed for conducting comprehensive decision-making by recognizing and responding to braille blocks situated on roads that are followed during the course of directions provided by the VR white cane. Based on the same, a VR application comprising an outdoor urban environment is designed for analyzing the VR walking environment experience. An experimental survey and performance analysis were also conducted for the participants. Obtained results corroborate that the proposed VR walking environment provides a presence of high-level walking experience from the perspective of visually impaired people. Furthermore, the results verify that the proposed learning algorithm and process can recognize braille blocks situated on sidewalks and roadways with high accuracy.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.137-151
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• 2019

Geophysical exploration techniques are effective for monitoring changes in the ground condition around the excavation project to prevent subsidence risks during excavation work, therefore, improving analysis techniques is required for applying and supplementing various geophysical exploration technologies. In this study, a field-scale on-site test was conducted to detect possible ground subsidence hazards and areas of relaxation zone that may occur during excavation work and due to underground water level changes. In order to carry out the field test, a real-scale excavation test bed was constructed and the geophysical exploration methods, such as electrical resistivity survey and multi-channel analysis of surface wave (MASW) survey for urban sites condition, have researched for optimal geophysical exploration parameter, design and correlation analysis between the results by reviewing the validity of each individual geophysical exploration and modeling. The results of this study showed the impact of each geophysical exploration on the relaxation zone and, in particular, the location of the underground water surface and the effects of excavation were identified using electrical resistivity survey. Further research on modeling will be required, taking into account the effects of excavation and groundwater.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.48-63
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• 2015

This study began with the purpose of awakening an interest in Korean Nu-jung and seeking application plan based on Nu-jung of Aneuisamdong. Also it intends to suggest activation plan of Nu-jung while using the culture of taste for the arts and classical scholar of ancestors with the physical place named Nu-jung as the medium. As concrete ways to activate Nu-jung, we suggested plans which use the game of go(Baduk), main material of the culture of taste for the arts and classical scholar, and increase availability by planning a program adding picturesqueness of Nu-jung. By bringing the material named the game of go(Baduk) to the place named Nu-jung, we suggested the plan capable of experiencing the culture of taste for the arts and classical scholar and also expecting local promotion and economical effect. And the plan is to design and conduct night program, 1 night 2 days program, tailored program, and so on by combining the material of the culture of taste for the arts and classical scholar with the medium named 'Dal(the moon)' in the static place named Nu-jung. The plans above are applicable to most of Nu-jung scattered all over the country, which means that we have a lot of Nu-jung in Korea and, at the same time, we have abundant contents to be used as cultural properties. Now it's important how to develop and use these contents through the connection with various academic fields in terms of managing cultural properties. By understanding the value of the original form of culture while emerging from simply using cultural properties, we can use cultural properties in a higher level. For this, preserving cultural properties should be supported by continuous interdisciplinary study.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.64-78
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• 2019

This paper explores key factors affecting taxi travel using global positioning system(GPS) data in Seoul, Korea, considering spatial dependence. We first analyzed the travel characteristics of taxis such as average travel time, average travel distance, and spatial distribution of taxi trips according to the time of the day and the day of the week. As a result, it is found that the most taxi trips were generated during the morning peak time (8 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and after the midnight (until 1 a.m.) on weekdays. The average travel distance and travel time for taxi trips were 5.9 km and 13 minutes, respectively. This implies that taxis are mainly used for short-distance travel and as an alternative to public transit after midnight in a large city. In addition, we identified that taxi trips were spatially correlated at the traffic analysis zone(TAZ) level through the Moran's I test. Thus, spatial regression models (spatial-lagged and spatial-error models) for taxi trips were developed, accounting for socio-demographics (such as the number of households, the number of elderly people, female ratio to the total population, and the number of vehicles), transportation services (such as the number of subway stations and bus stops), and land-use characteristics (such as population density, employment density, and residential areas) as explanatory variables. The model results indicate that these variables are significantly associated with taxi trips.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.329-338
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• 2019

Suction of unsaturated bentonite buffers is a very important input parameter for hydro-mechanical performance assessment and design of an engineered barrier system. This study analyzed suction measurement techniques and constitutive models of unsaturated porous media reported in the literature, and suggested suction measurement techniques and constitutive models suitable for bentonite buffer in an HLW repository. The literature review showed the suction of bentonite buffer to be much higher than that of soil, as measured by total suction including matric suction and osmotic suction. The measurement methods (RH-Cell, RH-Cell/Sensor) using a relative humidity sensor were suitable for suction measurement of the bentonite buffer; the RH-Cell /Sensor method was more preferred in consideration of the temperature change due to radioactive decay heat and measurement time. Various water retention models of bentonite buffers have been proposed through experiments, but the van Genuchten model is mainly used as a constitutive model of hydro-mechanical performance assessment of unsaturated buffers. The water characteristic curve of bentonite buffers showed different tendencies according to bentonite type, dry density, temperature, salinity, sample state and hysteresis. Selection of water retention models and determination of model input parameters should consider the effects of these controlling factors so as to improve overall reliability.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.15-28
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• 2019

Long-term allowable compressive Loads of PHC piles were analyzed based on qualification tests results by 17 small and medium PHC pile producing companies and product specifications by 6 major and 17 small and medium PHC pile producing companies. At the present stage, an average long-term allowable compressive load of PHC pile was designed at 70% level from current design data, and safety factor of 4.0 was applied to long-term allowable compressive loads of PHC pile despite of its excellent quality. Most quality standards of PHC pile are specified at KS F 4306. But compressive strength test method of spun concrete is specified at KS F 2454. As a result of analyzing quality test data supplied by each manufacturer, all quality test results showed higher performances than standard values. Therefore, it was considered that the capacity of PHC pile can be used up to the maximum allowable compressive load of PHC pile when PHC pile is designed.