• Title/Summary/Keyword: Alternative methods

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Recent Progress in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Research - A Review of Papers Published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering in 2004 and 2005 - (공기조화, 냉동 분야의 최근 연구 동향 -2004년 및 2005년 학회지 논문에 대한 종합적 고찰-)

  • Choi, Yong-Don;Kang, Yong-Tae;Kim, Nae-Hyun;Kim, Man-Hoe;Park, Kyoung-Kuhn;Park, Byung-Yoon;Park, Jin-Chul;Hong, Hi-Ki
    • Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.94-131
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    • 2007
  • A review on the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineering in 2004 and 2005 has been done. Focus has been put on current status of research in the aspect of heating, cooling, air-conditioning, ventilation, sanitation and building environment. The conclusions are as follows. (1) Most of fundamental studies on fluid flow were related with heat transportation of facilities. Drop formation and rivulet flow on solid surfaces were interesting topics related with condensation augmentation. Research on micro environment considering flow, heat, humidity was also interesting for comfortable living environment. It can be extended considering biological aspects. Development of fans and blowers of high performance and low noise were continuing topics. Well developed CFD and flow visualization(PIV, PTV and LDV methods) technologies were widely applied for developing facilities and their systems. (2) The research trends of the previous two yews are surveyed as groups of natural convection, forced convection, electronic cooling, heat transfer enhancement, frosting and defrosting, thermal properties, etc. New research topics introduced include natural convection heat transfer enhancement using nanofluid, supercritical cooling performance or oil miscibility of $CO_2$, enthalpy heat exchanger for heat recovery, heat transfer enhancement in a plate heat exchanger using fluid resonance. (3) The literature for the last two years($2004{\sim}2005$) is reviewed in the areas of heat pump, ice and water storage, cycle analysis and reused energy including geothermal, solar and unused energy). The research on cycle analysis and experiments for $CO_2$ was extensively carried out to replace the Ozone depleting and global warming refrigerants such as HFC and HCFC refrigerants. From the year of 2005, the Gas Engine Heat Pump(GHP) has been paid attention from the viewpoint of the gas cooling application. The heat pipe was focused on the performance improvement by the parametric analysis and the heat recovery applications. The storage systems were studied on the performance enhancement of the storage tank and cost analysis for heating and cooling applications. In the area of unused energy, the hybrid systems were extensively introduced and the life cycle cost analysis(LCCA) for the unused energy systems was also intensively carried out. (4) Recent studies of various refrigeration and air-conditioning systems have focused on the system performance and efficiency enhancement. Heat transfer characteristics during evaporation and condensation are investigated for several tube shapes and of alternative refrigerants including carbon dioxide. Efficiency of various compressors and expansion devices are also dealt with for better modeling and, in particular, performance improvement. Thermoelectric module and cooling systems are analyzed theoretically and experimentally. (5) According to the review of recent studies on ventilation systems, an appropriate ventilation systems including machenical and natural are required to satisfied the level of IAQ. Also, an recent studies on air-conditioning and absorption refrigeration systems, it has mainly focused on distribution and dehumidification of indoor air to improve the performance were carried out. (6) Based on a review of recent studies on indoor environment and building service systems, it is noticed that research issues have mainly focused on optimal thermal comfort, improvement of indoor air Quality and many innovative systems such as air-barrier type perimeter-less system with UFAC, radiant floor heating and cooling system and etc. New approaches are highlighted for improving indoor environmental condition as well as minimizing energy consumption, various activities of building control and operation strategy and energy performance analysis for economic evaluation.

Efficacy and Safety of Miniscalpel Acupuncture in Knee Degenerative Osteoarthritis Patients: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial (퇴행성 슬관절염 환자에 대한 도침요법의 효능 및 안전성 연구: 임상예비연구)

  • Jun, Seungah;Park, Mu Seob;Oh, Se Jung;Lee, Jung Hee;Gong, Han Mi;Choi, Seong Hun;Hwangbo, Min;Lee, Hyun-Jong;Kim, Jae Soo
    • Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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    • v.33 no.2
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    • pp.67-74
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    • 2016
  • Objectives : The Knee degenerative osteoarthritis patients are not satisfied with the conventional therapies of KDOA, which results in the use of alternative therapies. The miniscalpel acupuncture is effective in treating chronic soft tissue, releasing contractures. However, there is little scientific evidence supporting the use of miniscalpel acupuncture in knee degenerative osteoarthritis. This study was designed to obtain basic data for a further large-scale trial as well as provide information about the feasibility of miniscalpel acupuncture in knee degenerative osteoarthritis patients. Methods : We describe the protocol for a randomized controlled pilot clinical trial of 5 weeks duration. Twenty patients will be recruited and randomly allocated to two treatment groups: miniscalpel acupuncture treatment(experimental group); and acupuncture and electro-acupuncture treatment(control group). Miniscalpel acupuncture will be performed once with a 1-week interval for 3 weeks. Electro-acupuncture will be administered twice per week for a period of 3 weeks. The primary outcomes will be measured by visual analogue scale and range of motion. The secondary outcomes will be short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Both primary and secondary outcomes will be measured at baseline and at 1, 2, 3 and 5 weeks(i.e. 2 weeks after treatment completion). Conclusions : This pilot study will provide a basic foundation for a future large-scale trial as well as information about the feasibility of miniscalpel acupuncture in knee degenerative osteoarthritis.

Trial for Drug Susceptibility Testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with Live and Dead Cell Differentiation (세포 염색 방법을 이용한 결핵균 감수성 검사법)

  • Ryu, Sung-Weon;Kim, Hyun-Ho;Bang, Mun-Nam;Park, Young-Kil;Park, Sue-Nie;Shim, Young-Soo;Kang, Seongman;Bai, Gill-Han
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.56 no.3
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    • pp.261-268
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    • 2004
  • Background : The resurgence of tuberculosis and outbreaks of multidrug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis have increased the emphasis for the development of new susceptibility testing of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis for the effective treatment and control of the disease. Conventional drug susceptibility testings, such as those using egg-based or agar-based media have some limits, such as the time required and difficulties in determining critical inhibitory concentrations, but these are still being used in many diagnostic laboratories because of no better lternatives, considering cost and accuracy. To overcome these limits, a rapid and simple method for new susceptibility testing, using live and dead assays, was applied for a bacterial cell viability assay to distinguish dead from live bacterial cells based on two-color fluorescence. Materials and Methods Strains : Forty strains were used in this study, 20 susceptible to all antituberculosis drugs and the other 20 resistant to the four first line antituberculosis drugs isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin and ethambutol. Antibiotics : The four antibiotics were dissolved in 7H9 broth to make the following solutions: $0.1{\mu}g\;isoniazid(INH)/m{\ell}$, $0.4{\mu}g\;rifampicin(RMP)/m{\ell}$, $4.0{\mu}g\;streptomycin(SM)/m{\ell}$ and $4.0{\mu}g\;ethambutol(EMB)/m{\ell}$. Results : Live and dead Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells fluoresced green and red with the acridin (Syto 9) and propidium treatments, respectively. These results are very well accorded with conventional drug susceptibility testing by proportional method on Lowensen-Jensen media (L-J) containing 4 drugs (INH, RMP, EMB and SM), showing a 93.7 % accordance rate in susceptible strains and 95% in resistant strains. Conclusion : The results of the drug susceptibility testing using the live and dead bacterial cell assay showed high accordance rates compared with the conventional proportion method on L-J. This finding suggests that the live and dead bacterial cell assay can be used as an alternative to conventional drug susceptibility testing for M. tuberculosis strains.

Infrared Thermography in the Assessment of Temporomandibular Joint Dysorder (측두하악장애에서의 적외선 체열 촬영 검사의 유용성)

  • Nahm, Sahngun Francis;Koo, Mi Suk;Kim, Yang Hyun;Suh, Jeong Hun;Shin, Hwa Yong;Choi, Yong Min;Kim, Yong Chul;Lee, Sang Chul;Lee, Pyung Bok
    • The Korean Journal of Pain
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    • v.20 no.2
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    • pp.163-168
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    • 2007
  • Background: Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a group of musculoskeletal conditions characterized by pain in the pre-auricular area, limitation of jaw movement and palpable muscle tenderness. Thermography is a nonionizing, noninvasive diagnostic alternative for the evaluation of TMD. This study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of thermography in the assessment of TMD. Methods: Thermography was conducted on the 61 patients who had been diagnosed with TMD, and on the 34 normal symptom-free volunteers. The temperature differences between opposite sides of the temporomandibular joint (${\Delta}T_{TMJ}$) and the masseter muscle (${\Delta}T_{MST}$) were calculated. The sensitivity and specificity of thermography was calculated at the cut off values of 0.2, 0.3, and $0.4^{\circ}C$. Results: In the patient group, the ${\Delta}T_{TMJ}$ was $0.42{\pm}0.38^{\circ}C$ and the ${\Delta}T_{MST}$ was $0.38{\pm}0.33^{\circ}C$, whereas in the control group the ${\Delta}T_{TMJ}$ was $0.10{\pm}0.07^{\circ}C$ and the ${\Delta}T_{MST}\;0.15{\pm}0.10^{\circ}C$. In addition, the patient group demonstrated a significantly lower level of thermal symmetry than the control group (P < 0.001) in both the temporomandibular joints and the masseter muscles. The sensitivity of thermography at the cut off values of 0.2, 0.3 and $0.4^{\circ}C$ was 67.2, 49.2, and 42.6% in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and 60.7, 49.2 and 37.7% in the masseter muscle, respectively. The specificity of thermography at the cut off values of 0.2, 0.3 and $0.4^{\circ}C$ was 88.2, 100, and 100% in the TMJ and 61.8, 91.2 and 100% in the masseter muscles, respectively. The accuracy of thermography at the cut off values of 0.2, 0.3 and $0.4^{\circ}C$ was 74.7, 67.4, and 63.2% in TMJ and 61.1, 64.2 and 60.0% in the masseter muscles, respectively. Conclusions: Temperature differences exist between the opposite sides of the TMD and masseter muscles in patients with TMD. Although the sensitivity of thermography in the diagnosis of TMD is low, it has high specificity in the evaluation of TMD, and is therefore applicable to patients with TMD.

Is the UU Stitch Really Alternative to Modified MA (Mason-Allen) Stitch for Rotator Cuff Repair? - Biomechanical Comparative Study of UU to Modified MA Stitch - (회전근 개 파열의 봉합에서 UU 봉합법은 변형된 MA(Mason-Allen) 봉합법을 대치할 수 있는가? - UU 봉합법과 변형된 MA 봉합법의 생역학적 비교-)

  • Friedman, Darren J;Ko, Sang-Hun;Park, Ki-Bong;Jun, Hyung-Min;Kim, Tae-Won;Lim, Hyun-Woo;Yum, Young-Jin
    • Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.207-214
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    • 2009
  • Purpose: In arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs there are generally weak link in tendon suture interface, arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs can have higher retear rates than open repairs. The purpose of this study was to compare the strength of UU (Ulsan University) suture than open modified MA (Mason-Allen) suture when suture anchored into bone. Materials and Methods: The human supraspinatus tendons were harvested from the shoulder of the cadaver and split in 2 times, producing four tendons per one shoulder, for a total of 24 specimens. Two suture configurations (UU, MA) were randomized and checked on each set of tendons. Specimens were cyclically loaded under force control between 5 and 30 N at 0.25 Hz for fifty cycles. Each specimen was loaded to failure under displacement control at 1 mm/sec. Cyclic elongation, peak to peak displacement, stiffness, ultimate tensile load, mode of failure were checked. Results: No significant difference was found between two suture configuration with respect to peak to peak displacement, cyclic elongation, and stiffness. With regard to ultimate failure load, there were no significant difference statistically between the UU suture and modified MA suture (109.4 N, 110.6 N). The most common mode of failure between both sutures was suture pull-out through the tendon. Conclusion: The UU suture and modified MA suture produced similar biomechanical properties.

Determination of Petroleum Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Seawater Using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled to Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS를 이용한 해수 내 유류계 방향족탄화수소 분석법)

  • An, Joon Geon;Shim, Won Joon;Ha, Sung Yong;Yim, Un Hyuk
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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    • v.17 no.1
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    • pp.27-35
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    • 2014
  • The headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry procedure has been developed for the simultaneous determination of petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seawater. The advantages of SPME compared to traditional methods of sample preparation are ease of operation, reuse of fiber, portable system, minimal contamination and loss of the sample during transport and storage. SPME fiber, extraction time, temperature, stirring speed, and GC desorption time were key extraction parameters considered in this study. Among three kinds of SPME fibers, i.e., PDMS ($100{\mu}m$), CAR/PDMS ($75{\mu}m$), and PDMS/DVB ($65{\mu}m$), a $65{\mu}m$ PDMS/DVB fiber showed the most optimal extraction efficiencies covering molecular weight ranging from 78 to 202. Other extraction parameters were set up using $65{\mu}m$ PDMS/DVB. The final optimized extraction conditions were extraction time (60 min), extraction temperature (50), stirring speed (750 rpm) and GC desorption time (3 min). When applied to artificially contaminated seawater like water accommodated fraction, our optimized HS-SPME-GC/MS showed comparable performances with other conventional method. The proposed protocol can be an attractive alternative to analysis of BTEX and PAHs in seawater.

Weed Population and Rice Yield in Organic Rice-Green Manure Crops Rotation System (녹비작물 이용 유기벼 재배지의 논잡초 발생과 벼 수량)

  • Choi, Bong-Su;Jeon, Weon-Tai;Lee, Yong-Hwan;Kim, Min-Tae;Eum, Sun-Pyo;Oh, Gae-Jung;Cho, Hyun-Suk;Park, Tae-Seon;Seong, Ki-Yeong
    • Korean Journal of Weed Science
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.360-367
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    • 2011
  • The use of green manure crop is one of the methods for alternative of chemical fertilizer as well as maintain of soil sustainability, therefore we evaluated the effect of green manure crops on rice growth and weed occurrence in rice-green manure crop double cropping system. The treatments consisted of incorporation of hairy vetch, barley or combined hairy vetch and barley without any agrochemical or fertilizer. In hand weeding, rice yield in hairy vetch only or hairy vetch and barley incorporated fields was attained by 90% and 93% of the conventional practice, respectively, while the value in barley incorporated fields was just 79%. Although the rice yields were lower than the hand weed control, similar trends in non-weed control were observed among all treatments. At maximum tillering stage, occurred weeds in hairy vetch, barley or hairy vetch and barley incorporated fields were five, five and two species, respectively, while those in conventional practice were six species. Also, the dry weight of weeds in hairy vetch and barley incorporated fields was decreased by 33% and 53% compared to it of conventional practice, while the value in hairy vetch and barley incorporated field was increased by 34%. Among all treatments, although occurrence density of Echinochloa crus-galli was lower than another weed species, the dry weight of it significantly increased. These results suggested that although continuous incorporation of proper amount of legume green manure crops was possible to productivity insurance of crop, but to attain it was essential to the effective management of weeds.

The Usefulness of Diagnostic Scan Using Technetium-99m Pertechnetate Scintigraphy prior to the First Ablative Radioiodine Treatment in Patients with Well Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: A Comparative Study with Iodine-131 (분화된 갑상선암 수술 후 초치료에 있어서 Tc-99m Pertechnetate을 이용한 진단 스캔의 유용성: Iodine-131 스캔과의 비교)

  • Yoon, Seok-Nam;Park, Chan-H.;Hwang, Kyung-Hoon;Kim, Su-Zy;Soh, Eui-Young;Kim, Kyung-Rae
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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    • v.34 no.4
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    • pp.285-293
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    • 2000
  • Purpose: A prospective comparison was made between imaging with Tc-99m pertechnetate (Tc-99m) and Ioine-131 (I-131) for the detection of residual and metastatic tissue after total thyroidectomy in patients with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Initially our patients had imaging with Tc-99m, followed by I-131 within 3 days. The study included 21 patients who had ablation with high dose of I-131 ranging from 100 mCi to 150 mCi. Planar and pinhole images were acquired for both Tc-99m and I-131. Diagnostic images of Tc-99m and I-131 were compared with post-therapy images. Degree of uptake on Tc-99m and I-131 images was scored by four point scale and compared. Results: The results of the Tc-99m study were: 16 of 19 studies (84%) were positive on simple planar images, but 19 of 20 studies (95%) were positive on pinhole images. Conventional I-131 diagnostic imaging on the other hand showed that all studies (100%) were positive on both planar and pinhole images. There was a significant difference in degree of uptake between Tc-99m and I-131 planar images (p<0.05). Only one case of Tc-99m scintigraphy was negative on both planar and pinhole studies (false negative). There was no distant metastasis on the therapeutic I-131 images. Conclusion: Tc-99m scan using pinhole in certain clinical situations is an alternative to the I-131 scan in detecting thyroid or lymph node metastasis prior to the first ablative treatment after thyroidectomy for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

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Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion Using Posterolateral Placement of A Single Cylindrical Threaded Cage and Two Regular Cages : A Biomechanical Study (단일 나사형 Cage를 이용한 후방 요추체간 융합술과 두개의 나사형 Cage를 이용한 PLIF의 생체 역학적 비교)

  • Park, Choon Keun;Hwang, Jang Hoe;Ji, Chul;Kwun, Sung Oh;Sung, Jae Hoon;Choi, Seung Jin;Lee, Sang Won;Kim, Moon Kyu;Park, Sung Chan;Cho, Kyeung Suok;Park, Chun Kun;Yuan, Hansen;Kang, Joon Ki
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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    • v.30 no.7
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    • pp.883-890
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    • 2001
  • Objectives : An in vitro biomechanical study of posterior lumbar interbody fusion(PLIF) with threaded cage using two different approaches was performed on eighteen functional spinal units of bovine lumbar spines. The purpose of this study was to compare the segmental stiffnesses among PLIF with one long posterolateral cage, PLIF with one long posterolateral cage and simultaneous facet joint fixation, and PLIF with two posterior cages. Methods : Eighteen bovine lumbar functional spinal units were divided into three groups. All specimens were tested intact and with cage insertion. Group 1(n=12) had a long threaded cage($15{\times}36mm$) inserted posterolaterally and oriented counter anterolaterally on the left side by posterior approach with left unilateral facetectomy. Group 2(n=6) had two regular length cages($15{\times}24mm$) inserted posteriorly with bilateral facetectomy. Six specimens from group 1 were then retested after unilateral facet joint screw fixation in neutral(group 3). Likewise, the other six specimens from group 1 were retested after fixation with a facet joint screw in an extended position(group 4). Nondestructive tests were performed in pure compression, flexion, extension, lateral bending, and torsion. Results : PLIF with a single cage, group 1, had a significantly higher stiffnesses than PLIF with two cages, group 2, in left and right torsion(p<0.05). Group 1 showed higher stiffness values than group 2 in pure compression, flexion, left and right bending but were not significantly different. Group 3 showed a significant increase in stiffness in comparison to group 1 for pure compression, extension, left bending and right torsion(p<0.05). For group 4, the stiffness significantly increased in comparison to group 1 for extension, flexion and right torsion(p<0.05). Although there was no significant difference between groups 3 and 4, group 4 had increased stiffness in extension, flexion, right bending and torsion. Conclusion : Posterior lumbar interbody fusion with a single long threaded cage inserted posterolaterally with unilateral facetectomy enables sufficient decompression while maintaining a majority of the posterior elements. In combination with a facet joint screw fixation, adequate postoperative stability can be achieved. We suggest that posterolateral insertion of a long threaded cage is biomechanically an ideal alternative to PLIF.

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The Need for Paradigm Shift in Semantic Similarity and Semantic Relatedness : From Cognitive Semantics Perspective (의미간의 유사도 연구의 패러다임 변화의 필요성-인지 의미론적 관점에서의 고찰)

  • Choi, Youngseok;Park, Jinsoo
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.111-123
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    • 2013
  • Semantic similarity/relatedness measure between two concepts plays an important role in research on system integration and database integration. Moreover, current research on keyword recommendation or tag clustering strongly depends on this kind of semantic measure. For this reason, many researchers in various fields including computer science and computational linguistics have tried to improve methods to calculating semantic similarity/relatedness measure. This study of similarity between concepts is meant to discover how a computational process can model the action of a human to determine the relationship between two concepts. Most research on calculating semantic similarity usually uses ready-made reference knowledge such as semantic network and dictionary to measure concept similarity. The topological method is used to calculated relatedness or similarity between concepts based on various forms of a semantic network including a hierarchical taxonomy. This approach assumes that the semantic network reflects the human knowledge well. The nodes in a network represent concepts, and way to measure the conceptual similarity between two nodes are also regarded as ways to determine the conceptual similarity of two words(i.e,. two nodes in a network). Topological method can be categorized as node-based or edge-based, which are also called the information content approach and the conceptual distance approach, respectively. The node-based approach is used to calculate similarity between concepts based on how much information the two concepts share in terms of a semantic network or taxonomy while edge-based approach estimates the distance between the nodes that correspond to the concepts being compared. Both of two approaches have assumed that the semantic network is static. That means topological approach has not considered the change of semantic relation between concepts in semantic network. However, as information communication technologies make advantage in sharing knowledge among people, semantic relation between concepts in semantic network may change. To explain the change in semantic relation, we adopt the cognitive semantics. The basic assumption of cognitive semantics is that humans judge the semantic relation based on their cognition and understanding of concepts. This cognition and understanding is called 'World Knowledge.' World knowledge can be categorized as personal knowledge and cultural knowledge. Personal knowledge means the knowledge from personal experience. Everyone can have different Personal Knowledge of same concept. Cultural Knowledge is the knowledge shared by people who are living in the same culture or using the same language. People in the same culture have common understanding of specific concepts. Cultural knowledge can be the starting point of discussion about the change of semantic relation. If the culture shared by people changes for some reasons, the human's cultural knowledge may also change. Today's society and culture are changing at a past face, and the change of cultural knowledge is not negligible issues in the research on semantic relationship between concepts. In this paper, we propose the future directions of research on semantic similarity. In other words, we discuss that how the research on semantic similarity can reflect the change of semantic relation caused by the change of cultural knowledge. We suggest three direction of future research on semantic similarity. First, the research should include the versioning and update methodology for semantic network. Second, semantic network which is dynamically generated can be used for the calculation of semantic similarity between concepts. If the researcher can develop the methodology to extract the semantic network from given knowledge base in real time, this approach can solve many problems related to the change of semantic relation. Third, the statistical approach based on corpus analysis can be an alternative for the method using semantic network. We believe that these proposed research direction can be the milestone of the research on semantic relation.