• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 1999

An earlier study of the effect of rain found that the capacity of freeway systems was reduced, but did not address the effects of rain on the nature of traffic flows. Indeed, the substantial variation due to the intensity of adverse weather conditions is entirely rational so that its effects must be considered in freeway facility design. However, all of the data in Highway Capacity Manual(HCM) have come from ideal conditions. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effect of rain on urban freeway traffic flows in Seoul. To do so, the relations between three key traffic variables(flow rates, speed, occupancy), their threshold values between congested and uncontested traffic flow regimes, and speed distribution were investigated. The traffic data from Olympic Expressway in Seoul were obtained from Imagine Detection System (Autoscope) with 30 seconds and 1 minute time periods. The slope of the regression line relating flow to occupancy in the uncongested regime decreases when it is raining. In essence, this result indicates that the average service flow rate (it may be interpreted as a capacity of freeway) is reduced as weather conditions deteriorate. The reduction is in the range between 10 and 20%, which agrees with the range proposed by 1994 US HCM. It is noteworthy that the service flow rates of inner lanes are relatively higher than those of other lanes. The average speed is also reduced in rainy day, but the flow-speed relationship and the threshold values of speed and occupancy (these are called critical speed and critical occupancy) are not very sensitive to the weather conditions.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.524-535
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• 2021

Rapid climate change and oceanic warming have increased the variability of oceanic wave heights over the past several decades. In addition, the extreme wave heights, such as the upper 1% (or 5%) wave heights, have increased more than the heights of the normal waves. This is true for waves both in global oceans as well as in local seas. Satellite altimeters have consistently observed significant wave heights (SWHs) since 1991, and sufficient SWH data have been accumulated to investigate 100-year return period SWH values based on statistical approaches. Satellite altimeter data were used to estimate the extreme SWHs at the Ieodo Ocean Research Station (IORS) for the period from 2005 to 2016. Two representative extreme value analysis (EVA) methods, the Initial Distribution Method (IDM) and Peak over Threshold (PoT) analysis, were applied for SWH measurements from satellite altimeter data and compared with the in situ measurements observed at the IORS. The 100-year return period SWH values estimated by IDM and PoT analysis using IORS measurements were 8.17 and 14.11 m, respectively, and those using satellite altimeter data were 9.21 and 16.49 m, respectively. When compared with the maximum value, the IDM method tended to underestimate the extreme SWH. This result suggests that the extreme SWHs could be reasonably estimated by the PoT method better than by the IDM method. The superiority of the PoT method was supported by the results of the in situ measurements at the IORS, which is affected by typhoons with extreme SWH events. It was also confirmed that the stability of the extreme SWH estimated using the PoT method may decline with a decrease in the quantity of the altimeter data used. Furthermore, this study discusses potential limitations in estimating extreme SWHs using satellite altimeter data, and emphasizes the importance of SWH measurements from the IORS as reference data in the East China Sea to verify satellite altimeter data.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.35 no.4 s.111
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• pp.320-329
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• 2005

The three-dimensional (3D) changes of bone, soft tissue and the ratio of soft tissue to bony movement was investigated in 8 skeletal Class III patients treated by mandibular setback surgery. CT scans of each patient at pre- and post-operative states were taken. Each scan was segmented by a threshold value and registered to a universal three-dimensional coordinate system, consisting of an FH plane, a mid-sagittal plane, and a coronal plane defined by PNS. In the study, the grid parallel to the coronal plane was proposed for the comparison of the changes. The bone or soft tissue was intersected by the projected line from each point on the gird. The coordinate values of intersected point were measured and compared between the pre- and post-operative models. The facial surface changes after setback surgery occurred not only in the mandible, but also in the mouth corner region. The soft tissue changes of the mandibular area were measured relatively by the proportional ratios to the bone changes. The ratios at the mid-sagittal plane were $77\~102\%(p<0.05)$. The ratios at all other sagittal planes had similar patterns to the mid-sagittal plane, but with decreased values. And, the changes in the maxillary region were calculated as a ratio, relative to the movement of a point representing a mandibular movement. When B point was used as a representative point, the ratios were $14\~29\%$, and when Pog was used, the ratios were $17\~37\%(9<0.05)$. In case of the 83rd point of the grid, the ratios were $11\~22\%(p<0.05)$.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.245-253
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• 2015

Total acid digestion and 1 M HCl extraction methods were used to investigate the pollution status and the degree of ecological risk of trace metals in surface sediments from the Ulsan-Onsan coast. Total concentrations of trace metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Hg) were two-fold higher in surface sediments from Onsan coast than in those from Ulsan coast. The mean labile fractions of the total concentrations of Cd and Pb were 72% and 78%, respectively, indicating a high contribution from anthropogenic sources, whereas Cr, Li, Ni, and As in the residual fraction exceeded 80%, indicating a high contribution from natural sources. According to the results of assessment of trace metal pollution using the sediment quality guidelines in Korea, the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Hg were higher than the values of the probable effects level (PEL) at some stations of Onsan coast, and the concentrations of Cr and Ni were lower than the values of the threshold effects level (TEL). The pollution level and ecological risk of the trace metals were analyzed using various indexes (EF, $I_{geo}$, m-PEL-Q, and ERI). Our results showed that the degree of pollution by trace metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Hg) on the Ulsan-Onsan coast was high, and Hg and Cd were the major potential ecological risk factors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1301-1306
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• 2012

We combined real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR (R/P) assays using a hydrolysis probe to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)-specific 16S rRNA and its rRNA gene (rDNA). The assay was applied to 28 non-respiratory and 207 respiratory specimens from 218 patients. Total nucleic acids (including RNA and DNA) were extracted from samples, and results were considered positive if the repeat RT-PCR threshold cycle was ${\leq}35$ and the ratio of real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR load was ${\geq}1.51$. The results were compared with those from existing methods, including smear, culture, and real-time PCR. Following resolution of the discrepant results between R/P assay and culture, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) of all samples (including non-respiratory and respiratory specimens) were 98.2%, 97.2%, 91.7%, and 99.4%, respectively, for R/P assay, and 83.9%, 89.9%, 72.3%, and 94.7%, respectively, for real-time PCR. Furthermore, the R/P assay of four patient samples showed a higher ratio before treatment than after several days of treatment. We conclude that the R/P assay is a rapid and accurate method for direct detection of MTBC, which can distinguish viable and nonviable MTBC, and thus may guide patient therapy and public health decisions.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.132-147
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• 2016

In this study the Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis (MIRAS) sensor onboard the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) sensor onboard the Global Change Observation Mission-Water (GCOM-W1) based soil moisture retrievals were revised to obtain better accuracy of soil moisture and higher data acquisition rate over East Asia. These satellite-based soil moisture products are revised against a reference land model data set, called Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), using Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) matching and regression approach. Since MIRAS sensor is perturbed by radio frequency interferences (RFI), the worst part of soil moisture retrieval, East Asia, constantly have been undergoing loss of data acquisition rate. To overcome this limitation, the threshold of RFI, DQX, and composite days were suggested to increase data acquisition rate while maintaining appropriate data quality through comparison of land surface model data set. The revised MIRAS and AMSR2 products were compared with in-situ soil moisture and land model data set. The results showed that the revising process increased correlation coefficient values of SMOS and AMSR2 averagely 27% 11% and decreased the root mean square deviation (RMSD) decreased 61% and 57% as compared to in-situ data set. In addition, when the revised products' correlation coefficient values are calculated with model data set, about 80% and 90% of pixels' correlation coefficients of SMOS and AMSR2 increased and all pixels' RMSD decreased. Through our CDF-based revising processes, we propose the way of mutual supplementation of MIRAS and AMSR2 soil moisture retrievals.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2018

In this study we performed risk evaluation based on parameters using the SINMAP, GIS-based extended program in order to predict ground disaster that is frequent recently. As for the risk evaluation, in order to understand the effects of parameters, we defined that the ranges of internal friction angles and T/R values as important variables had three and four patterns, respectively. The results of the interpretation were compared with those of the existing landslide in order to identify landslide flow and to evaluate the applicability of the parameters. The analysis of the geomorphologic saturated zone showed that the boundary saturated zone and the saturated zone were almost consistent with the site of avalanche of earth and rocks and the area of underground water convergence was correlated to the area where collapse started, indicating that the geomorphologic saturated zone may serve as an index for estimating possibility of landslide when used with slope distribution, colluvial soil, and structures inducing landslide in combination. When the lower limit of the internal friction angle increased more, the upper threshold decreased by 50 to 70% and the influence on the stability index was higher, but the influence was declined within the range of lower wetness index. The analysis of changes based on wetness index range showed that all the groups have similar SI distribution, except for the one in which mean altitude values are applied, indicating that the results are susceptible more by the internal friction angle than by the wetness index.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.113-122
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• 2018

Thermal stress of pigs causes decreased feed consumption and weight gain rate, immunosuppression, reproductive disorders, and increased mortality. The concept of the temperature-humidity index (THI) has been widely used to evaluate the degree of thermal stress of pigs. However, use of this concept is strongly restricted for animals living in the enclosed facilities. In this study, Building Energy Simulation (BES) technique was used to realize the energy flow among outside weather conditions, building materials, and animals. Especially, mechanisms of sensible and latent heat generation from pigs according to surrounding air temperature and their weight were designed to accurately evaluate the THI values inside the pig house. The THI values computed by the BES model were compared to those calculated by method of the report (NIAS, 2016), the model of this study predicted the start date of heat stress about 9~76 days earlier compared to the NIAS model. Results of the BES model also showed higher frequencies of the THI above the THI threshold for pigs, indicating that conventional model has a possibility of underestimating the degree of heat stress of pigs.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.218-229
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• 2011

Companding algorithms have been used to enhance speech recognition in noise for cochlea implant users. The efficiency of using companding for digital hearing aid users is not yet validated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of the companding for digital hearing aid users in the various hearing loss cases. Using HeLPS, a hearing loss simulator, two different sensorinerual hearing loss conditions were simulated; mild gently sloping hearing loss(HL1) and moderate to steeply sloping hearing loss(HL2). In addition, a non-linear compression was simulated to compensate for hearing loss using national acoustic laboratories-non-linear version 1(NAL-NL1) in HeLPS. In companding, the following four different companding strategies were used changing Q values(q1, q2) of pre-filter(F filter) and post filter(G filter). Firstly, five IEEE sentences which were presented with speech-shaped noise at different SNRs(0, 5, 10, 15 dB) were processed by the companding. Secondly, the processed signals were applied to HeLPS. For comparison, signals which were not processed by companding were also applied to HeLPS. For the processed signals, log-likelihood ratio(LLR) and cepstral distance(CEP) were measured for evaluation of speech quality. Also, fourteen normal hearing listeners performed speech reception threshold(SRT) test for evaluation of speech intelligibility. As a result of this study, the processed signals with the companding and NAL-NL1 have performed better than that with only NAL-NL1 in the sensorineural hearing loss conditions. Moreover, the higher ratio of Q values showed better scores in LLR and CEP. In the SRT test, the processed signals with companding(SRT = -13.33 dB SPL) showed significantly better speech perception in noise than those processed using only NAL-NL1(SRT = -11.56 dB SPL).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.4
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• pp.301-306
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• 2011

Background: It is well-known that cell-free nucleic acids rise in patients with many types of malignancies. Several recent experimental studies using cancer cell lines have shown that changes in cell-free RNA are predictive of the response to chemotherapy. The objective of this study was to determine whether quantification of free RNA can be used as a biomarker for clinical responses to chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Methods: Thirty-two patients with lung cancer (non-small cell lung cancer, n=24; small cell lung cancer, n=8) were divided into 2 groups according to their responses to chemotherapy (response group, n=19; non-response group, n=13). Blood samples were collected before and after two cycles of chemotherapy. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR was used for transcript quantification of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene. Results: The pre chemotherapy values (Response group $41.36{\pm}1.72$ vs. Non-response group $41.33{\pm}1.54$, p=0.78) and post chemotherapy values (Response group $39.92{\pm}1.81$ vs. Non-response group $40.41{\pm}1.47$, p=0.40) for cell free RNA concentrations, expressed as Ct GAPDH (threshold cycle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene) levels, was not different between the two groups. There was no significant relationship between changes in the cell free RNA level clinical responses after chemotherapy (p=0.43). Conclusion: We did not find a correlation between quantification of serum cell free RNA levels and clinical responses to chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Further investigations are needed to determine whether the cell free RNA level is a useful predictor of responses to chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer.