• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.752-762
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• 2022

Objective: To compare a deep learning-based reconstruction (DLR) algorithm for pediatric abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) with filtered back projection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms. Materials and Methods: Post-contrast abdominopelvic CT scans obtained from 120 pediatric patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 8.7 ± 5.2 years; 60 males) between May 2020 and October 2020 were evaluated in this retrospective study. Images were reconstructed using FBP, a hybrid IR algorithm (ASiR-V) with blending factors of 50% and 100% (AV50 and AV100, respectively), and a DLR algorithm (TrueFidelity) with three strength levels (low, medium, and high). Noise power spectrum (NPS) and edge rise distance (ERD) were used to evaluate noise characteristics and spatial resolution, respectively. Image noise, edge definition, overall image quality, lesion detectability and conspicuity, and artifacts were qualitatively scored by two pediatric radiologists, and the scores of the two reviewers were averaged. A repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test was used to compare NPS and ERD among the six reconstruction methods. The Friedman rank sum test followed by the Nemenyi-Wilcoxon-Wilcox all-pairs test was used to compare the results of the qualitative visual analysis among the six reconstruction methods. Results: The NPS noise magnitude of AV100 was significantly lower than that of the DLR, whereas the NPS peak of AV100 was significantly higher than that of the high- and medium-strength DLR (p < 0.001). The NPS average spatial frequencies were higher for DLR than for ASiR-V (p < 0.001). ERD was shorter with DLR than with ASiR-V and FBP (p < 0.001). Qualitative visual analysis revealed better overall image quality with high-strength DLR than with ASiR-V (p < 0.001). Conclusion: For pediatric abdominopelvic CT, the DLR algorithm may provide improved noise characteristics and better spatial resolution than the hybrid IR algorithm.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.643-662
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand an individuals' COVID-19 vaccine acceptance intention during the peak of the pandemic by utilizing the coping theory and technology threat avoidance theory (TTAT) as a framework. Specifically, we focused on understanding how inward and outward emotion-focused coping (EFC), such as psychological distancing and emotional support seeking, affect problem-focused behavior (PFC), which is vaccine acceptance. Furthermore, we investigate how the individuals' cognitive appraisal to- ward COVID-19, consisted of perceived threat and perceived avoidability act as an antecedent of EFC. Methods: A PLS-SEM analysis was conducted to find the causal relation between the variables. An online survey was conducted targeting vaccination recipients on April, 2021. Participants were asked about their perception toward the virus, their coping strategy, and vaccine acceptance intention. A total of 186 valid samples were collected and used for the analysis. Furthermore, to analyze the out-of-sample predictive power of the research model and ensure the generalizability of the results, a PLSpredict analysis was conducted. Results: The results of the PLS-SEM analysis show that perceived threat toward COVID-19 significantly affect an individuals' EFC strategy. Furthermore, both types of inward EFC (psychological distancing, wishful thinking) negatively affected vaccine acceptance intention. On the other hand, emotional support seeking, which is a type of outward EFC, positively affected vaccine acceptance. The result of the PLSpredict analysis confirms the generalizability of the PLS-SEM result. Conclusion: The results of our study could be utilized to decrease vaccine hesitancy and prevent global pandemics by accelerating and increasing vaccination. Our study provides several meaningful implications to researchers and practitioners regarding vaccine acceptance and threat coping behavior.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 2024

There are growing concerns that the recently implemented Earthquake Early Warning service is overestimating the rapidly provided earthquake magnitudes (M). As a result, the predicted damages unnecessarily activate earthquake protection systems for critical facilities and lifeline infrastructures that are far away. This study is conducted to improve the estimation accuracy of M by incorporating the observed S-wave seismograms in the near source region after removing the site effects of the seismograms in real time by filtering in the time domain. The ensemble of horizontal S-wave spectra from at least five seismograms without site effects is calculated and normalized to a hypocentric target distance (21.54 km) by using the distance attenuation model of Q(f)=348f^0.52 and a cross-over distance of 50 km. The natural logarithmic mean of the S-wave ensemble spectra is then fitted to Brune's source spectrum to obtain the best estimates for M and stress drop (SD) with the fitting weight of 1/standard deviation. The proposed methodology was tested on the 18 recent inland earthquakes in South Korea, and the condition of at least five records for the near-source region is sufficiently fulfilled at an epicentral distance of 30 km. The natural logarithmic standard deviation of the observed S-wave spectra of the ensemble was calculated to be 0.53 using records near the source for 1~10 Hz, compared to 0.42 using whole records. The result shows that the root-mean-square error of M and ln(SD) is approximately 0.17 and 0.6, respectively. This accuracy can provide a confidence interval of 0.4~2.3 of Peak Ground Acceleration values in the distant range.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.880-886
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• 2007

We have proposed a new "hybrid" envelope elimination and restoration(EER) transmitter architecture using an efficiency optimized power amplifier(PA) and modified bias modulator. The efficiency of the PA at the average drain voltage is very important for the overall transmitter efficiency because the PA operates mostly at the average power region of the modulation signal. Accordingly, the efficiency of the PA has been optimized at the region. Besides, the bias modulator has been accompanied with the emitter follower for the minimization of memory effect. A saturation amplifier, class $F^{-1}$ is built using a 5-W PEP LDMOSFET for forward-link single-carrier wideband code-division multiple-access(WCDMA) at 1-GHz. For the interlock experiment, the bias modulator has been built with the efficiency of 64.16% and peak output voltage of 31.8 V. The transmitter with the proposed PA and bias modulator has been achieved an efficiency of 44.19%, an improvement of 8.11%. Besides, the output power is enhanced to 32.33 dBm due to the class F operation and the PAE is 38.28% with ACLRs of -35.9 dBc at 5-MHz offset. These results show that the proposed architecture is a very good candidate for the linear and efficient high power transmitter.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.288-295
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• 2009

We report the etch characteristics of GaAs and AlGaAs in the diffusion pump-based capacitively coupled $BCl_3$ plasma. Process variables were chamber pressure ($50{\sim}180$ mTorr), CCP power ($50{\sim}200\;W$) and $BCl_3$ gas flow rate ($2.5{\sim}10$ sccm). Surface profilometry was used for etch rate and surface roughness measurement after etching. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the etched sidewall and surface morphology. Optical emission spectroscopy was used in order to characterize the emission peaks of the $BCl_3$ plasma during etching. We have achieved $0.25{\mu}m$/min of GaAs etch rate with only 5 sccm $BCl_3$ flow rate when the chamber pressure was in the range of 50{\sim}130 mTorr. The etch rates of AlGaAs were a little lower than those of GaAs at the conditions. However, the etch rates of GaAs and AlGaAs decreased significantly when the chamber pressure increased to 180 mTorr. GaAs and AlGaAs were not etched with 50 W CCP power. With $100{\sim}200\;W$ CCP power, etch rates of the materials increased over $0.3{\mu}m$/min. It was found that the etch rates of GaAs and AlGaAs were not always proportional to the increase of CCP power. We also found the interesting result that AlGaAs did not etched at 2.5 sccm $BCl_3$ flow rate at 75 mTorr and 100 W CCP power even though it was etched fast like GaAs with more $BCl_3$ gas flow rates. By contrast, GaAs was etched at ${{\sim}}0.3{\mu}m$/min at the 2.5 sccm $BCl_3$ flow rate condition. A broad molecular peak was noticed in the range of $500{\sim}700\;mm$ wavelength during the $BCl_3$ plasma etching. SEM photos showed that 10 sccm $BCl_3$ plama produced more undercutting on GaAs sidewall than 5 sccm $BCl_3$ plasma.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.100-112
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• 2005

Soil temperature was measured from the surface to 40 cm depth at three stations with different heights in tidal flat of Gomso Bay, west coast of Korea, for one month in every season 2004 to examine the thermal structure and the variation. Mean temperature in surface layer was higher in summer and lower in winter than in lower layer, reflecting the seasonal variation of vertically propagating structure of temperature by heating and cooling from the tidal flat surface. Standard deviation of temperature decreased from the surface to lower layer. Periodic variations of solar radiation energy and tide mainly caused short term variation of soil temperature, which was also intermittently influenced by precipitation and wind. Time series analysis showed the power spectral energy peaks at the periods of 24, 12 and 8 hours, and the strongest peak appeared at 24 hour period. These peaks can be interpreted as temperature waves forced by variations of solar radiation, diurnal tide and interaction of both variations, respectively. EOF analysis showed that the first and the second modes resolved 96% of variation of vertical temperature structure. The first mode was interpreted as the heating antl cooling from tidal flat surface and the second mode as the effect of phase lag produced by temperature wave propagation in the soil. The phase of heat transfer by 24 hour period wave, analyzed by cross spectrum, showed that mean phase difference of the temperature wave increased almost linearly with the soil depth. The time lags by the phase difference from surface to 10, 20 and 40cm were 3.2,6.5 and 9.8 hours, respectively. Vertical thermal diffusivity of temperature wave of 24 hour period was estimated using one dimensional thermal diffusion model. Average diffusivity over the soil depths and seasons resulted in $0.70{\times}10^{-6}m^2/s$ at the middle station and $0.57{\times}10^{-6}m^2/s$ at the lowest station. The depth-averaged diffusivity was large in spring and small in summer and the seasonal mean diffusivity vertically increased from 2 cm to 10 cm and decreased from 10 cm to 40 cm. Thermal propagation speeds were estimated by $8.75{\times}10^{-4}cm/s,\;3.8{\times}10{-4}cm/s,\;and\;1.7{\times}10^{-4}cm/s$ from 2 cm to 10 cm, 20 cm and 40 cm, respectively, indicating the speed reduction with depth increasing from the surface.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.39-46
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• 2016

This paper describes the third order feedforward delta-sigma modulator with inverter-based integrators and a 1.5bit comparator for the application of audio signal processing. The proposed 3rd-order delta-sigma modulator is multi-bit structure using 1.5 bit comparator instead of operational amplifier. This delta-sigma modulator has high SNR compared with single-bit 4th-order delta-sigma modulator in a low OSR. And it minimizes power consumes and simplified circuit structure using inverter-based integrator and using inverter-based integrator as analogue adder. The modulator was designed with 0.18um CMOS standard process and total chip area is $0.36mm^2$. The measured power cosumption is 28.8uW in a 0.8V analog supply and 66.6uW in a 1.8V digital supply. The measurement result shows that the peak SNDR of 80.7 dB, the ENOB of 13.1bit and the dynamic range of 86.1 dB with an input signal frequency of 2.5kHz, a sampling frequency of 2.56MHz and an oversampling rate of 64. The FOM (Walden) from the measurement result is 269 fJ/step, FOM (Schreier) was calculated as 169.3 dB.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.151-159
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• 2016

This paper proposes a ceramic heating element-based tankless instant electric water heater for hand/face washing that does not require a lot of hot water. The heating module, which heats the input water and outputs hot water, operates the ceramic heating element detecting input water using a flow sensor. Inside of the heating module is designed to form one flow path in order to get almost $15^{\circ}C$ increased heated water compared to the input water temperature within 2 second after 1.5 liter per minute water supply. The design validity is verified using a heat flow analysis of the water flow and temperature variations inside of the heating module also. Based on the design data, the heating module is constructed including a single rod-type ceramic heating element. After that, a prototype system having temperature setting function by three steps were constructed. The prototype system is connected to a 1.5 liter per minute water supply line, and the water output temperature and time measurement experiments confirmed that the proposed system output the heated water increased by $18.3^{\circ}C$ in case of third step setting within 2 second after water supply. And standby power is under 1 W and peak power does not exceed the permissible range for the general house usage. Several performance results verify that the proposed tankless instant electric water heater is applicable for the washstand of the house, highway rest area and factory so on as winter-time hand/face washing.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.17 no.10 s.113
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• pp.943-952
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• 2006

The OFDM system is very good for the high data rate communication system. However, OFDM system has a high PAPR problem. This makes the OFDM signal distorted through the nonlinear HPA(High Power Amplifier). To solve this problem, generally, simple PAPR reduction methods have been considered. However, in this paper, we introduce IMD reduction method instead of PAPR. PAPR is the signal property and the IMD is signal component of the HPA output, which degrades the communication quality. So, instead of PAPR we want to use the IMD reduction method. This is to transmit a signal with the smallest distortion by considering the third order nonlinearity when the data is recovered. We use the TR method that was proposed for the PAPR reduction and we find out the BER performance of two methods. As results, we show that the IMD reduction method improves better BER performance than the PAPR reduction.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.88-94
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• 2012

One of the effective ways to reduce both $NO_x$ and PM at the same time in a diesel CI engine is to operate the engine in low temperature combustion (LTC) regimes. In general, two strategies are used to realize the LTC operation-dilution controlled LTC and late injection LTC - and in this study, the former approach was used. In the dilution controlled regime, LTC is achieved by supplying a large amount of EGR to the cylinder. The significant EGR gas increases the heat capacity of in-cylinder charge mixture while decreasing oxygen concentration of the charge, activating low temperature oxidation reaction and lowering PM and $NO_x$ emissions. However, use of high EGR levels also deteriorates combustion efficiency and engine power output. Therefore, it is widely considered to use increased intake pressure as a way to resolve this issue. In this study, the effects of intake pressure variations on performance and emission characteristics of a single cylinder diesel engine operated in LTC regimes were examined. LTC operation was achieved in less than 8% $O_2$ concentration and thus a simultaneous reduction of both PM and $NO_x$ emission was confirmed. As intake pressure increased, combustion efficiency was improved so that THC and CO emissions were decreased. A shift of the peak Soot location was also observed to lower $O_2$ concentration while $NO_x$ levels were kept nearly zero. In addition, an elevation of intake pressure enhanced engine power output as well as indicated thermal efficiency in LTC regimes. All these results suggested that LTC operation range can be extended and emissions can be further reduced by adjusting intake pressure.