• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.834-840
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• 2022

Objective : C-reactive protein (CRP) level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell (WBC) count are inflammatory markers used to evaluate postoperative infections. Although these markers are non-specific, understanding their normal kinetics after surgery may be helpful in the early detection of postoperative infections. To compliment the recent trend of reducing the duration of antibiotic use, this retrospective study investigated the inflammatory markers of patients who had received antibiotics within 24 hours after surgery according to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service guidelines and compared them with those of patients who had received antibiotics for 5 days, which was proven to be non-infectious. Methods : We enrolled 74 patients, divided into two groups. Patients underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) at a single institution between 2019 and 2020. Group A included 37 patients who received antibiotics within 24 hours after the PLIF procedure, and group B comprised 37 patients who had used antibiotics for 5 days. A 1 : 1 nearest-neighbor propensity-matched analysis was used. The clinical variables included age, sex, medical history, body mass index, estimated blood loss, and operation time. Laboratory data included CRP, ESR, and WBC, which were measured preoperatively and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, 5, and 7. Results : CRP dynamics tended to decrease after peaking on POD 3, with a similar trend in both groups. The average CRP level in group B was slightly higher than that in group A; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed operation time, number of fused levels, and estimated blood loss as significant predictors of a greater CRP peak value (r²=0.473, p<0.001) in patients. No trend (a tendency to decrease from the peak value) could be determined for ESR and WBC count on POD 7. Conclusion : Although slight differences were observed in numerical values and kinetics, sequential changes in inflammatory markers according to the duration of antibiotic administration showed similar patterns. Knowledge of CRP kinetics allows the assessment of the degree of difference between the clinical and expected values.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2022

In this paper, the floor acceleration for the seismic design of non-structural elements was evaluated using the core shape as a planar variable. Linear time history analysis using 20 models with 5 different planes and 4 different floors on each plane depending on the change in the shape (position and specific gravity) of the core in the square biaxially symmetric plane was performed. The analysis confirmed that the torsional amplification of the floor acceleration was up to 1.7 times in the plane subjected to eccentricity depending on the position of the core, and the effect of torsion was the greatest in the middle floor of the structure. In a plane where only the specific gravity of the core was changed without eccentricity, when the period was less than 0.4694 s, the maximum floor acceleration decreased in the lower floors and increased in the upper floors as the period increased. Conversely, when the period was 0.4694 s or more, it was confirmed that the floor acceleration increased in the lower part and decreased in the upper part as the period increased.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.417-429
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• 2010

Though background subtraction has been widely studied for last decades, it is still a poorly solved problem especially when it meets real environments. In this paper, we first address some common problems for background subtraction that occur in real environments and then those problems are resolved by improving an existing GMM-based background modeling method. First, to achieve low computations, fixed point operations are used. Because background model usually does not require high precision of variables, we can reduce the computation time while maintaining its accuracy by adopting fixed point operations rather than floating point operations. Secondly, to avoid erroneous backgrounds that are induced by high pedestrian traffic, static levels of pixels are examined using shot-time statistics of pixel history. By using a lower learning rate for non-static pixels, we can preserve valid backgrounds even for busy scenes where foregrounds dominate. Finally, to adapt rapid illumination changes, we estimated the intensity change between two consecutive frames as a linear transform and compensated learned background models according to the estimated transform. By applying the fixed point operation to existing GMM-based method, it was able to reduce the computation time to about 30% of the original processing time. Also, experiments on a real video with high pedestrian traffic showed that our proposed method improves the previous background modeling methods by 20% in detection rate and 5~10% in false alarm rate.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.57-69
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• 2023

In this study, we simulated induced seismicity in the Groningen natural gas reservoir using 2D hydro-mechanical coupled discrete element modelling (DEM). The code used is PFC2D (Particle Flow Code 2D), a commercial software developed by Itasca, and in order to apply to this study we further developed 1)initialization of inhomogeneous reservoir pressure distribution, 2)a non-linear pressure-time history boundary condition, 3)local stress field monitoring logic. We generated a 2D reservoir model with a size of 40 × 50 km² and a complex fault system, and simulated years of pressure depletion with a time range between 1960 and 2020. We simulated fault system failure induced by pressure depletion and reproduced the spatiotemporal distribution of induced seismicity and assessed its failure mechanism. Also, we estimated the ground subsidence distribution and confirmed its similarity to the field measurements in the Groningen region. Through this study, we confirm the feasibility of the presented 2D hydro-mechanical coupled DEM in simulating the deformation of a complex fault system by hydro-mechanical coupled processes.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.25 no.3 s.39
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• pp.247-268
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• 1992

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of VDT work on eyes and vision among workers in a TV manufacturing plant. The study subjects consisted of 264 screen workers and 74 non-screen workers who were less than 40 years old male and had no history of opthalmic diseases such as corneal opacities, trauma, keratitis, etc and whose visual acuity on pre-employment health examination by Han's test chart was 1.0 or above. The screen workers were divided into two groups by actual time for screen work in a day : Group I, 60 workers, lesser than 4 hours a day and group II, 204 workers, more than 4 hours a day. From July to October 1992 a questionnaire was administered to all the study subjects for the general charateristics and subjective eye symptoms after which the opthalmologic tests such as visual acuity, spherical equivalent, lacrimal function, ocular pressure, slit lamp test, fundoscopy were conducted by one opthalmologist. The proportion of workers whose present visual acuity was decreased more than 0.15 in comparison with that on the pre-employment health examination by Han's test chart was 20.6% in Group II. 15.0% in Group I and 14.9% in non-screen workers. However, the differences in proportion were not statistically significant. The proportion of workers with decreased visual acuity was not associated with the age, working duration, use of magnifying glass and type of shift work (independent variables) in all of the three groups. However, screen workers working under poor illumination had a higher proportion of persons with decreased visual acuity than those working under adequate illumination (P<0.05) . The proportion of workers whose near vision was decreased was 27.5% in Group II, 18.3% in Group I, and 28.4% in non-screen workers and these differences in proportion were not statistically significant. Changes of near vision were not associated with 4 independent variables in all of the three groups. Six out of seven subjective eye symptoms except tearing were more common in Group I than in non-screen workers and more common in Group II than in Group I (P<0.01). Mean of the total scores for seven subjective symptoms of each worker(2 points for always, 1 point for sometimes, 0 point for never) was not significantly different between workers with decreased visual acuity and workers with no vision change. However, mean of the total scores for Group II was higher than those for the Group I and non-screen workers (P<0.01). Total eye symptom scores were significantly correlated with the grade of screen work, use of magnifying glass, and type of shift work. There was no independent variable which was correlated with the difference in visual acuity between the pre-employment health examination and the present state, the difference between far and near visions, lacrimal function, ocular pressure, and spherical equivalent. Multiple linear regression analysis for the subjective eye symptom scores revealed a positive linear relationship with actual time for screen work and shift work(P<0.01). In this study it was not observed that the VDT work decreased visual acuity but it induces subjective eye symptoms such as eye fatigue, blurred vision, ocular discomfort, etc. Maintenance of adequate illumination in the work place and control of excessive VDT work are recommended to prevent such eye symptoms.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.735-746
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• 2002

The task of plastic theory is twofold: first, to set up relationships between stress and strain that adequately describe the observed plastic deformation of metals, and second, to develop techniques for using these relationships in studying of the mechanics of metal forming processes, and the anlaysis and design of structures. One of the major problems in the theory of plasticity is to describe the behavior of work-hardening materials in the plastic range for complex loading histories. This can be achieved by formulating constitutive laws either in the integral or differential forms. To adequately predict the response of steel members during cyclic loading, the hardening rule must account for the features of cyclic stress-strain behavior. Neithe of the basic isotropic and kinematic hardening rules is suitable for describing cyclic streess-strain behavior, although a kinematic hardening rule describes the nearly linear portions of the stabilized hystersis loops. There is also a limited expansion of the yield surface as predicted by the isotropic hardening rule. Strong ground motions or wind gusts affect the complex and nonproportional loading histories in the inelastic behavior of structues rather than the proportional loading. Nonproportional loading is defined as externally applied forces on the structure, with variable ratios during the entire loading history. This also includes the rate of time-dependency of the loads. For nonproportional loading histories, unloading may take place along a chord instead of the radius of the load surface. In such cases, the shape of the stress-strain curve has to be determined experimentally for all non-radial loading conditions. The plasticity models including two surface models ae surveyed based on a yield surface and a bound surface that represent a state of maximum stress. This paper is concerned with the improvement of a plasticity models of the two-surface type for structural steel. This is follwed by an overview of plasticity models on structural steel. Finally the need for further research is identified.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.32-44
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• 2002

The role of radiology department has been greatly increased in the past few years as the technology in the medical imaging devices improved and the introduction of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) to the conventional film-based diagnostic structure is a truly remarkable factor to the medical history. In addition, the value of using digital information in medical imaging is highly expected to grow as the technology over the computer and the network improves. However, the current medical practice, using PACS is somewhat limited compared to the film-based conventional one due to a poor image quality. The image quality is the most important and inevitable factor in the PACS environment and it is one of the most necessary steps to more wide practice of digital imaging. The existing image quality control tools are limited in controlling images produced from the medical modalities, because they cannot display the real image changing status. Thus, the image quality is distorted and the ability to diagnosis becomes hindered compared to the one of the film-based practice. In addition, the workflow of the radiologist greatly increases; as every doctor has to perform his or her own image quality control every time they view images produced from the medical modalities. To resolve these kinds of problems and enhance current medical practice under the PACS environment, we have developed a program to display a better image quality by using the ROI optical density of the existing gray level values. When the LUT is used properly, small detailed regions, which cannot be seen by using the existing image quality controls are easily displayed and thus, greatly improves digital medical practice. The purpose of this study is to provide an easier medical practice to physicians, by applying the technology of converting the H-D curves of the analog film screen to the digital imaging technology and to preset image quality control values to each exposed body part, modality and group of physicians for a better and easier medical practice. We have asked to 5 well known professional physicians to compare image quality of the same set of exam by using the two different methods: existing image quality control and the LUT technology. As the result, the LUT technology was enormously favored over the existing image quality control method. All the physicians have pointed out the far more superiority of the LUT over the existing image quality control method and highly praised its ability to display small detailed regions, which cannot be displayed by existing image quality control tools. Two physicians expressed the necessity of presetting the LUT values for each exposed body part. Overall, the LUT technology yielded a great interest among the physicians and highly praised for its ability to overcome currently embedded problems of PACS. We strongly believe that the LUT technology can enhance the current medical practice and open a new beginning in the future medical imaging.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.1-20
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• 2021

This study was conducted to derive a model of the legal system that is the basis for realizing the service economy, political administration, and social education system. Based on the experience of mankind's legal system operation in the historical era for the past 5,000 years, a legal system model that will make the future human society sustainable has been established. The problems of the current legal system were analyzed at the fundamental level. The root cause of injustice and unfairness was analyzed and a new legal system was designed. Through the legal systems of various national societies that have been attempted in the history of mankind, the structure of the legal system that is desirable for the modern society was designed. Human society, which has experienced how much good legal system has been and is being abused by human irrationality and nonsense, needs to make an effort to change the legal system paradigm itself by learning lessons from failure. This study derives the basis for a legal system that can realize justice and a fair society in the long term. It proposed a model for improving the legal system that allows human society to be happy for a long time. To this end, the fundamental role of the legal system was analyzed at the ideological level and the problems of the current legal system were presented. In addition, the problem of fundamental assumptions about human nature was analyzed and improved assumptions were presented. The structural system of the current legal system was analyzed and a new structure was proposed. In addition, a plan for the operation of a new legal system based on a new structure was suggested. The new legal system was named servicism system. This is because it is a model centered on thorough checks and balances between all opponents, not a simple linear one-dimensional legal system, but a multidimensional legal system, and because it is a viewpoint that clearly recognizes both human reason and desire. The new system is a model that reflects the confrontation between the rule of law and the non-law rule and the confrontation between the power people and the general public. A follow-up study is needed on a concrete plan for transitioning from the current legal system to a new legal system.