• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.355-360
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• 2023

Epoxy-based carbon fibers reinforced plastic (CFRP) exhibit limitations in their suitability for industrial applications due to high brittleness characteristics. To address this challenge, extensive investigations are underway to enhance their toughness properties. This research focuses on evaluating the toughening mechanisms achieved by Polyamide 6 particles(p-PA6) and Carboxyl-Terminated Butadiene-Acrylonitrile (CTBN) elastomer, with a specific emphasis on utilizing minimal additive quantities. The study explores the impact of varying concentrations of p-PA6 and CTBN additives, namely 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 5 phr, through comprehensive Mode I fracture toughness and tensile strength analyses. The inclusion of p-PA6 demonstrated improvements in toughness when introduced at a relatively low content of 1phr. This improvement manifested as a sustained fracture behavior, contributing to enhanced toughness, while simultaneously maintaining the material's tensile strength. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the incorporation of p-PA6 affected in particle aggregation, thus influencing the overall toughening mechanism. Incorporation of CTBN, an elastomeric modifier, exhibited a pronounced increase in fracture toughness at higher concentrations of 2.5 phr and beyond. However, this increase in toughness was accompanied by a reduction in tensile strength, resulting in fracture behavior similar to conventional CFRP exhibiting brittleness. The synergy between pPA6, CTBN and CFRP appeared to marginally enhance tensile strength under specific content conditions. As a result of this study, optimized conditions for the application of the p-PA6, CTBN toughening technology have been identified and established.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.483-490
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• 2022

Floating LiDAR is a system that provides a new paradigm for wind condition observation, which is essential when creating an offshore wind farm. As it can save time and money, minimize environmental impact, and even reduce backlash from local communities, it is emerging as the industry standard. However, the design and verification of a stable platform is very important, as disturbance factors caused by fluctuations of the buoy affect the reliability of observation data. In Korea, due to the nation's late entry into the technology, a number of foreign equipment manufacturers are dominating the domestic market. The west coast of Korea is a shallow sea environment with a very large tidal difference, so strong currents repeatedly appear depending on the region, and waves of strong energy that differ by season are formed. This paper conducted a study examining buoys suitable for LiDAR operation in the waters of Korea, which have such complex environmental characteristics. In this paper, we will introduce examples of optimized design and verification of ship-type buoys, which were applied first, and derive important concepts that will serve as the basis for the development of various platforms in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.288-293
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• 2023

To optimize the process parameters of laser powder bed fusion process to fabricate the high density STS316L alloy, the effect of laser power, scanning speed and hatching distance on the relative density was studied. Tensile properties of additively manufactured STS316L alloy using optimized parameters was also evaluated according to the build direction. As a result of additive manufacturing process under the energy density of 55.6 J/mm³, 83.3 J/mm³ and 111.1 J/mm³, high density STS316L specimens was suitably fabricated when the energy density, power and scan speed were 83.3 J/mm³, 225 W and 1000 mm/s, respectively. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation of STS316L specimens in direction perpendicular to the build direction, show the most competitive values. Anisotropic shape of the pores and the lack of fusion defects probably caused strain localization which result in deterioration of tensile properties.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.522-535
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• 2024

Objective: Transition period is considered from 3 weeks prepartum to 3 weeks postpartum, characterized with dramatic events (endocrine, metabolic, and physiological) leading to occurrence of production diseases (negative energy balance/ketosis, milk fever etc). The objectives of our study were to analyze the periodic concentration of serum beta-hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA), glucose and oxidative markers along with identification, and validation of the putative markers of negative energy balance in buffaloes using in-silico and quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. Methods: Out of 20 potential markers of ketosis identified by in-silico analysis, two were selected and analyzed by qRT-PCR technique (upregulated; acetyl serotonin o-methyl transferase like and down regulated; guanylate cyclase activator 1B). Additional two sets of genes (carnitine palmotyl transferase A; upregulated and Insulin growth factor; downregulated) that have a role of hepatic fatty acid oxidation to maintain energy demands via gluconeogenesis were also validated. Extracted cDNA (complementary deoxyribonucleic acid) from the blood of the buffaloes were used for validation of selected genes via qRTPCR. Concentrations of BHBA, glucose and oxidative stress markers were identified with their respective optimized protocols. Results: The analysis of qRT-PCR gave similar trends as shown by in-silico analysis throughout the transition period. Significant changes (p<0.05) in the levels of BHBA, glucose and oxidative stress markers throughout this period were observed. This study provides validation from in-silico and qRT-PCR assays for potential markers to be used for earliest diagnosis of negative energy balance in buffaloes. Conclusion: Apart from conventional diagnostic methods, this study improves the understanding of putative biomarkers at the molecular level which helps to unfold their role in normal immune function, fat synthesis/metabolism and oxidative stress pathways. Therefore, provides an opportunity to discover more accurate and sensitive diagnostic aids.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.332-336
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• 2024

High-energy bandgap material silicon carbide (SiC) is gaining attention as a next-generation power semiconductor material, and in particular, SiC-based MOSFETs are developed as representative power semiconductors to increase the breakdown voltage (BV) of conventional planar structures. However, as the size of SJ (Super Junction) MOSFET devices decreases and the depth of pillars increases, it becomes challenging to uniformly form the doping concentration of pillars. Therefore, a structure with different doping concentrations segmented within the pillar is being researched. Using Silvaco TCAD simulation, a SJ VVD (vertical variation doping profile) MOSFET with three different doping concentrations in the pillar was studied. Simulations were conducted for the width of the pillar and the doping concentration of N-epi, revealing that as the width of the pillar increases, the depletion region widens, leading to an increase in on-specific resistance (R_on,sp) and breakdown voltage (BV). Additionally, as the doping concentration of N-epi increases, the number of carriers increases, and the depletion region narrows, resulting in a decrease in R_on,sp and BV. The optimized SJ VVD MOSFET exhibits a very high figure of merit (BFOM) of 13,400 KW/cm², indicating excellent performance characteristics and suggesting its potential as a next-generation highperformance power device suitable for practical applications.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2024

In this paper, we propose an efficient image processing system to detect and track the movement of specific objects such as patients. The proposed system extracts the outline area of an object from a binarized difference image by applying a thinning algorithm that enables more precise detection compared to previous algorithms and is advantageous for mixed-mode design. The binarization and thinning steps, which require a lot of computation, are designed based on RTL (Register Transfer Level) and replaced with optimized hardware blocks through logic circuit synthesis. The designed binarization and thinning block was synthesized into a logic circuit using the standard 180n CMOS library and its operation was verified through simulation. To compare software-based performance, performance analysis of binary and thinning operations was also performed by applying sample images with 640 × 360 resolution in a 32-bit FPGA embedded system environment. As a result of verification, it was confirmed that the mixed-mode design can improve the processing speed by 93.8% in the binary and thinning stages compared to the previous software-only processing speed. The proposed mixed-mode system for object recognition is expected to be able to efficiently monitor patient movements even in an edge computing environment where artificial intelligence networks are not applied.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2024

Composite-based piezoelectric devices are extensively studied to develop sustainable power supply and self-powered devices owing to their excellent mechanical durability and output performance. In this study, we design a lead-free piezoelectric nanocomposite utilizing (Ba_0.85 Ca_0.15)(Ti_0.9Zr_0.1)O₃ (BCTZ) nanomaterials for realizing highly flexible energy harvesters. To improve the output performance of the devices, we incorporate porous BCTZ nanowires (NWs) into the nanoparticle (NP)-based piezoelectric nanocomposite. BCTZ NPs and NWs are synthesized through the solid-state reaction and sol-gel-based electrospinning, respectively; subsequently, they are dispersed inside a polyimide matrix. The output performance of the energy harvesters is measured using an optimized measurement system during repetitive mechanical deformation by varying the composition of the NPs and NWs. A nanocomposite-based energy harvester with 4:1 weight ratio generates the maximum open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of 0.83 V and 0.28 ㎂, respectively. In this study, self-powered devices are constructed with enhanced output performance by using piezoelectric energy harvesting for application in flexible and wearable devices.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 2024

Objective : This study assessed ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence system based on a large language model, for its ability to pass the National Korean Occupational Therapy Licensure Examination (NKOTLE). Methods : Using NKOTLE questions from 2018 to 2022, provided by the Korea Health and Medical Personnel Examination Institute, this study employed English prompts to determine the accuracy of ChatGPT in providing correct answers. Two researchers independently conducted the entire process, and the average accuracy of both researchers was used to determine whether ChatGPT passed over the 5-year period. The degree of agreement between ChatGPT answers of the two researchers was assessed. Results : ChatGPT passed the 2020 examination but failed to pass the other 4 years' examination. Specifically, its accuracy in questions related to medical regulations ranged from 25% to 57%, whereas its accuracy in other questions exceeded 60%. ChatGPT exhibited a strong agreement between researchers, except for medical regulation questions, and this agreement was significantly correlated with accuracy. Conclusion : There are still limitations to the application of ChatGPT to answer questions influenced by language or culture. Future studies should explore its potential as an educational tool for students majoring in occupational therapy through optimized prompts and continuous learning from the data.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.57-65
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• 2008

Setting parameters of Ultrasonic scanners influence the quality of ultrasonic images. In order to obtain optimized images sonographers need to understand the effects of the setting parameters on ultrasonic images. The present study considered typical four parameters including TGC (Time Gain Control), Gain, Frequency, DR (Dynamic Range). LCS (low contrast sensitivity) was chosen to quantitatively compare the quality of the images. In the present experiment LCS targets of a standard ultrasonic test phantom (539, ATS, USA) were imaged using a clinical ultrasonic scanner (SA-9000 PRIME, Medison, Korea). Altering the settings in the parameters of the ultrasonic scanner, 6 LCS target images (+15 dB, +6 dB, +3 dB, -3 dB, -6 dB, -15 dB) to each setting were obtained, and their LCS values were calculated. The results show that the mean pixel value (LCS) is the highest at the max setting in TGC, mid to max in gain and pen mode in frequency and 40-66 dB in DR. Among all images, the image being the highest in LCS was obtained at the setting of DR 40 dB. It is expected that the results will be of use in setting the parameters when ultrasonically examining masses often clinically found In either solid lesions (similar to +15, +6, +3 dB targets) or cystic lesions (similar to -15, -6, -3 dB targets).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2024

The elbow joint is made up of three different bones. X-rays or other radiological exams are commonly used to diagnose elbow injuries or disorders caused by physical activity and external forces. Previous research on the elbow joint reported a new examination method that meets the imaging evaluation criteria in the tilt position by Z-axis elevation of the forearm. Therefore, this study aims to design an optimized instrument and develop an aid applicable to other upper extremity exams. After completing the 2D drawing and 3D modeling design, the final design divided into four parts was fabricated with a 3D printer using ABS plastic and assembled. The developed examination aid consists of a four-stage Z-axis elevation tilt angle function (0°, 5°, 10°, and 15°) and can rotate and fixate 360° in 1-degree increments. It was designed to withstand a maximum equivalent stress of 56.107 Pa and a displacement of 1.6548e-5 mm through structural analysis to address loading issues caused by cumulative frequency of use and physical utilization. In addition to X-ray exams of the elbow joint, the developed aid can be used for shoulder function tests by rotating the humerus and also be applied to MRI and CT exams as it is made of non-metallic materials. It will contribute to the accuracy and efficiency of medical imaging diagnosis through clinical applications of various devices and medical imaging exams in the future.