• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.16-21
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• 2022

Background: Epidemiological observations such as mental retardation, physical deformities, etc., in children besides different types of cancer in the adult population of the Malwa region have been reported. The present study is designed to get insight into the role of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in causing detrimental health effects observed in the general population of this region. Materials and Methods: Deep soil samples were collected from different locations in the Malwa region. Their activity concentrations were determined using low-level background gammaray spectrometry. High efficiency and high purity germanium detector capped in a lead-shielded chamber having a resolution of 1.8 keV at 1,173 keV and 2.0 keV at the 1,332 keV line of ⁶⁰Co was used in the present work. Data were evaluated with Genie-2000 software. Results and Discussion: Mean activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K in deep soil were found to be 101.3 Bq/kg, 65.8 Bq/kg, and 688.6 Bq/kg, respectively. The mean activity concentration of ²³⁸U was found to be three and half times higher than the global average prescribed by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). It was further observed that the activity concentration of ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K has a magnitude that is nearly one and half times higher than the global average prescribed by UNSCEAR. In addition, the radioisotope ¹³⁷Cs which is likely to have its origin in radiation fallout was also observed. It is postulated that the NORM present in high quantity in deep soil somehow get mobilized into the water aquifers used by the general population and thereby causing harmful health problems. Conclusion: It can be stated that the present work has been able to demonstrate the use of low background gamma-ray spectrometry to understand the role of NORM in causing health-related effects in a general population of the Malwa region of Punjab, India.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.268-271
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• 2016

In video sequences, foreground object detection being composed of a background model and a background subtraction is an important part of diverse computer vision applications. However, object detection might fail in sudden illumination changes. In this letter, an illumination-robust background detection is proposed to address this problem. The method can provide quick adaption to current illumination condition using two background models with different adaption rates. Since the proposed method is a non-parametric approach, experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms several state-of-art non-parametric approaches and provides low computational cost.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• 제21권11호
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• pp.989-995
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• 2015

Due to the recent increase of the importance and demand of security services, the importance of a surveillance monitor system that makes an automatic security system possible is increasing. As the market for surveillance monitor systems is growing, price competitiveness is becoming important. As a result of this trend, surveillance monitor systems based on an embedded system are widely used. In this paper, an object detection algorithm based on an embedded system for a surveillance monitor system is introduced. To apply the object detection algorithm to the embedded system, the most important issue is the efficient use of resources, such as memory and processors. Therefore, designing an appropriate algorithm considering the limit of resources is required. The proposed algorithm uses two background models; therefore, the embedded system is designed to have two independent processors. One processor checks the sub-background models for if there are any changes with high update frequency, and another processor makes the main background model, which is used for object detection. In this way, a background model will be made with images that have no objects to detect and improve the object detection performance. The object detection algorithm utilizes one-dimensional histogram distribution, which makes the detection faster. The proposed object detection algorithm works fast and accurately even in a low-priced embedded system.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.325-337
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• 2014

To assess the functional structure of prepro-melanin-concentrating hormone (pMCH), we isolated and cloned pMCH (of-pMCH) mRNA from the brain of the olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, and compared its amino acid sequence with those from other animals. In addition, to examine whether activation of the brain of-pMCH gene is influenced by background color, density, and feeding, we compared pMCH mRNA activities against different background colors (bright and dark) and at different densities (100% PCA and 200% PCA). To examine whether the pMCH gene is related with malpigmentation of blind-side skin and appetite, we compared pMCH gene expression between ordinary and hypermelanic flounders, and between feeding and fasting flounders. The of-pMCH cDNA was 405 bp in the open reading frame [ORF] and encoded a protein of 135 amino acids; MCH was 51 bp in length and encoded a protein of 17 amino acids. An obvious single band of the expected size was obtained from the brain and pituitary by RT-PCR. In addition, of-pMCH gene activity was significantly higher in the bright background only at low density (< 100% PCA) making the ocular skin of fish whitening, and in ordinary fish. However, the gene activity was significantly decreased in dark background, at high density (>200% PCA), and in hypermelano fish. These results suggest that skin whitening camouflage of the flounder is induced by high MCH gene activity, and the density disturbs the function of background color in the physiological color change. Moreover, our data suggest that a low level of MCH gene activity may be related to malpigmentation of the blind-side skin. In feeding, although pMCH gene activity was significantly increased by feeding in the white background, the pMCH gene activity in the dark background was not influenced by feeding, indicating that the MCH gene activity increased by feeding can be offset by dark background color, or is unaffected by appetite. In conclusion, this study showed that MCH gene expression is related to ocular-skin whitening camouflage and blind-skin hypermelanosis, and is influenced by background color and density.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.653-660
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• 2017

Recently, consumers' evaluation and purchase of online design has been increasing due to the popularization of designing through personal computers, but there has not been enough studies on consumers' brain wave responses depending on the change of PC monitor's color. Therefore, this study investigated how brain waves changed when different background colors with gray patterns were presented through PC monitors. Six background colors with same tone of slightly low saturation were selected, including ivory, yellow, pink, green, blue and pure white as a base color. The brightness and characteristics of color used were analyzed using the luminance meter and color scales. Brain wave was measured by EEG measurement equipment. Brain wave measurement was carried out with 9 subjects at 6 points: F3, F4, T3, T4, O1, and O2. Stimuli were shown for 15 seconds each and black screens were displayed for 15 seconds between each stimulus. As results, the brain waves at O1 responded sensitively by different background colors, followed by F4 and T4. Brain index such as 'RT', 'RA', 'RG', 'RSA', and 'RAHB' showed significant differences depending on the background color at O1, whereas 'RST' differed at F4. Yellow and blue backgrounds pair was the only stimuli that showed significant differences in six brain indices mentioned. Yellow background had higher value of 'RG' at O1 and higher 'RST' at F4, indicating yellow background enhanced concentration. Blue background activated 'RT', 'RA', 'RSA', 'RAHB' at O1, meaning blue background induced calm and stable state.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.27-34
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• 2013

Background subtraction is one of the key techniques for automatic video content analysis, especially in the tasks of visual detection and tracking of moving object. In this paper, we present a new sample-based technique for background extraction that provides background image as well as background model. To handle both high-frequency and low-frequency events at the same time, multiple interval background models are adopted. The main innovation concerns the use of a confidence factor to select the best model from the multiple interval background models. To our knowledge, it is the first time that a confidence factor is used for merging several background models in the field of background extraction. Experimental results revealed that our approach based on multiple interval sampling works well in complicated situations containing various speed moving objects with environmental changes.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.165-171
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• 2018

Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM) is a recently proposed computational imaging method that achieves both high resolution (HR) and wide field of view. In the FPM framework, a series of low-resolution (LR) images at different illumination angles is used for high-resolution image reconstruction. On the basis of previous research, image noise can significantly degrade the FPM reconstruction result. Since the captured LR images contain a lot of dark-field images with low signal-to-noise ratio, it is very important to apply a noise-reduction process to the FPM raw dataset. However, the thresholding method commonly used for the FPM data preprocessing cannot separate signals from background noise effectively. In this work, we propose an improved thresholding method that provides a reliable background-noise threshold for noise reduction. Experimental results show that the proposed method is more efficient and robust than the conventional thresholding method.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.179-187
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• 1996

Sampling of precipitation occurred at Woongchon in Choongnam from the period between May 1994 and April 1995 was made, and analysis on the data was carried out on observed pH values of the precipitations. It was found that weighted mean pH values were .sim. 4.8 and that acid rain occurred at the site of the Yellow Sea's coastal area. The results agree well with the earlier observations made at other sites of a background monitoring network. The annual values observed at the background monitoring sites were too low in comparison with the mean pH values (5.3 .sim. 5.9) obtained from urban stations of the Ministry of Environment. It was observed that values of pH in rain water often changed with time during the event of precipitation, and the low values usually depended on an airflow and a cyclone that originated in the source region.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.462-469
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• 2018

The background spectrum of a $3^{{\prime}{\prime}}{\times}3^{{\prime}{\prime}}$ NaI(Tl) well-type scintillation SILENA detector was measured without shielding, in 6 cm thick lead shielding, and with 2 mm thick electrolytic copper covering the detector inside the lead shielding. The relative remaining background of the lead shield lined with copper was found to be ideal for low-level environmental radioactive spectroscopy. The background total count rate in the (20-2160 KeV) was reduced 28.7 times by the lead and 29 times by the Cu + Pb shielding. The effective reduction of background (1.04) by the copper mainly appeared in the energy range from X-ray up to 500 KeV, while for the total energy range the ratio is 1.01 relative to the lead only. In addition, a strong relation between the full-energy peak absolute efficiency and the detector well height was found using gamma-ray isotropic radiation point sources placed inside the detector well. The full-energy peak efficiency at a midpoint of the well (at 2.5 cm) is three times greater than that on the detector surface. The energy calibrations and the resolution of any single energy line are independent of the locations of the gamma source inside or outside of the well.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• 제18권5호
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• pp.49-56
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• 2016

PURPOSES : In this study, noise reduction effect of a two-layer porous asphalt pavement was investigated through site measurement and computer simulation. METHODS : To examine noise reduction effect, a 3 km long quiet pavement was installed by removing previous normal pavement, which had a rather low porosity. The studied site was a high-rise apartment building surrounded by the quiet pavement and Seoul ring road with heavy traffic volume, indicating relatively high background noise. RESULTS : The measurement result before and after installing the quiet pavement showed a noise reduction effect of 4.3 dB(A) at a distance of 7.5 m from the road. After validating the accuracy of simulation using SoundPLAN, the reduction in SPL(sound pressure level) at the facades by the quiet pavement was predicted by considering five different road conditions generating traffic noise from each road or in the combination of the quiet pavement and Seoul ring road. In the case of no noise from Seoul ring road, noise reduction at the facades was 4.2 dB(A) on average for 702 housing units. With background noise from Seoul ring road, however, the average SPL decreased to 2.0 dB(A). Regarding subjective response of noise, the number of housing units with a noise reduction of over 3 dB(A) was 229 out of 706 units (approximately 32%). For 77 housing units, the noise reduction was between 1~3 dB(A), while it was less than 1 dB(A) for 400 housing units. CONCLUSIONS : The overall result indicates that the quiet pavement is useful to reduce noise evenly at low and high floors compared to noise barriers, especially in the urban situation where background noise is low.