• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.53 no.1
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 2023

Purpose: A fully digital approach to oral prosthodontic rehabilitation requires the possibility of combining (i.e., registering) digital documentation from different sources. This becomes more complex in an edentulous jaw, as fixed dental markers to perform reliable registration are lacking. This validation study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of 1) intraoral scanning and 2) soft tissue-based registration of an intraoral scan with a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan for a fully edentulous upper jaw. Materials and Methods: Two observers independently performed intraoral scans of the upper jaw in 14 fully edentulous patients. The palatal vault of both surface models was aligned, and the inter-observer variability was assessed by calculating the mean inter-surface distance at the level of the alveolar crest. Additionally, a CBCT scan of all patients was obtained and a soft tissue surface model was generated using patient-specific gray values. This CBCT soft tissue model was registered with the intraoral scans of both observers, and the intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC) was calculated to evaluate the reproducibility of the registration method. Results: The mean inter-observer deviation when performing an intraoral scan of the fully edentulous upper jaw was 0.10±0.09 mm. The inter-observer agreement for the soft tissue-based registration method was excellent(ICC=0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.98). Conclusion: Even when teeth are lacking, intraoral scanning of the jaw and soft tissue-based registration of an intraoral scan with a CBCT scan can be performed with a high degree of precision.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.245-261
• /
• 2022

Key questions to researchers interested in nonlinear analysis of skeletal structures are whether the distributed plasticity approach - albeit computationally demanding - is more reliable than the concentrated plasticity to adequately capture the extent and severity of the inelastic response, and whether force-based formulation is more efficient than displacement-based formulation without compromising accuracy. The present research focusing on performance-based seismic response of mid-span concrete bridges provides a pilot holistic investigation opting for some hands-on answers. OpenSees software is considered adopting different modeling techniques, viz. distributed plasticity (through either displacement-based or force-based elements) and concentrated plasticity via beam-with-hinges elements. The pros and cons of each are discussed based on nonlinear pushover analysis results, and fragility curves generated for various performance levels relying on incremental dynamic analyses under real earthquake records. Among prime conclusions, distributed plasticity modeling albeit inherently not relying on prior knowledge of plastic hinge length still somewhat depends on such information to ensure accurate results. For instance, displacement-based and force-based approaches secure optimal accuracy when dividing, for the former, the member into sub-elements, and satisfying, for the latter, a distance between any two consecutive integration points, close to the expected plastic hinge length. On the other hand, using beam-with-hinges elements is computationally more efficient relative to the distributed plasticity, yet with acceptable accuracy provided the user has prior reasonable estimate of the anticipated plastic hinge length. Furthermore, when intrusive performance levels (viz. life safety or collapse) are of concern, concentrated plasticity via beam-with-hinges ensures conservative predicted capacity of investigated bridge systems.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.1339-1355
• /
• 2023

Localization is a hot research spot for many areas, especially in the mobile robot field. Due to the weak signal of the global positioning system (GPS), the alternative schemes in an indoor environment include wireless signal transmitting and receiving solutions, laser rangefinder to build a map followed by a re-localization stage and visual positioning methods, etc. Among all wireless signal positioning techniques, Wi-Fi is the most common one. Wi-Fi access points are installed in most indoor areas of human activities, and smart devices equipped with Wi-Fi modules can be seen everywhere. However, the localization of a mobile robot using a Wi-Fi scheme usually lacks orientation information. Besides, the distance error is large because of indoor signal interference. Another research direction that mainly refers to laser sensors is to actively detect the environment and achieve positioning. An occupancy grid map is built by using the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) method when the mobile robot enters the indoor environment for the first time. When the robot enters the environment again, it can localize itself according to the known map. Nevertheless, this scheme only works effectively based on the prerequisite that those areas have salient geometrical features. If the areas have similar scanning structures, such as a long corridor or similar rooms, the traditional methods always fail. To address the weakness of the above two methods, this work proposes a coarse-to-fine paradigm and an improved localization algorithm that utilizes Wi-Fi to assist the robot localization in a geometrically similar environment. Firstly, a grid map is built by using laser SLAM. Secondly, a fingerprint database is built in the offline phase. Then, the RSSI values are achieved in the localization stage to get a coarse localization. Finally, an improved particle filter method based on the Wi-Fi signal values is proposed to realize a fine localization. Experimental results show that our approach is effective and robust for both global localization and the kidnapped robot problem. The localization success rate reaches 97.33%, while the traditional method always fails.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.176-186
• /
• 2023

Urban Heat Island (UHI) is caused by an energy imbalance in urban areas, where building design and land cover contribute to its amplification. To mitigate UHI, increasing green space is one of the well known and the most effective approach. This study aims aimed to identify specific components of green spaces that lower temperatures and demonstrate the cooling effects based on their size and composition. Forests within green spaces have had a greater impact on temperature reduction due to shading and blocking solar radiation. Although lakes also contributed to temperature reduction, the effect to cooling intensity was not significant. The cooling distance does not depended on green space size or composition. The study emphasizes that initial temperature has a strongerinfluence on cooling intensity than green space size, highlighting the importance of vegetation type within green spaces to achieve a cooling effect. These findings provide valuable insights for urban planning and the design of green spaces to mitigate the effects of the urban heat island.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2020.06a
• /
• pp.211-211
• /
• 2020

The concept of virtual water has been largely applied in the study of regional, national, and global water flows with particular emphasis on water scarcity. Despite water traditionally being managed locally, certain global forces influence the local water resource scarcity/availability and hence virtual water exchanges worldwide. It is therefore of necessity that the significant forces be examined to understand the relationship between available water in a region and the variability and trends in environmental, social, and economic factors that are of utmost importance in the formulation of water resources management policies. This study therefore reviewed recent literature from 2003 - 2019 to determine the significant indicators of virtual water trade at different spatiotemporal levels. The study examined and compared the major approaches to virtual water trade flows accounting, and also identified and discussed policy implications and future research options concerning the analysis of virtual water trade. Available information has shown that virtual water trade is significantly influenced by economic (GDP, Demand-Supply of goods and services), geographical (Distance), institutional (population) and environmental (water availability, arable land, precipitation) factors. Reports further show that the selection of a given approach for virtual water trade flows accounting will depend on the scope of the study, the available datasets, and other research preferences. Accordingly, this study suggests that the adoption of multidisciplinary approaches to virtual water trade, taking into consideration the spatial and temporal variations in water resources availability and the complexity of environmental and socioeconomic factors will be pivotal for establishing the basis for the conservation of water resources worldwide.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.762-779
• /
• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Mediterranean diet is an environmentally friendly and healthy diet model. The diet offers many vegetables, fruits, nuts, and olive oil to consumers. In addition, it provides moderate amounts of fish and chicken, smaller quantities of dairy products, red meat, and processed meat. The Mediterranean diet has a high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant content, and it causes many physiological changes that can provide a physical performance advantage. This study examined the effects of a 15-day menu, which was planned using foods with a low acid load within the Mediterranean diet rules, on the exercise performance, lactate elimination, anthropometric measurements, and body composition. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Fifteen professional male athletes between the ages of 13 and 18, who were engaged in ski running, were included in the experimental study. Dietary intervention was applied for 15 days. The athlete performances were evaluated by applying the vertical jump test, hand grip strength, 20 meters shuttle run test, and Borg fatigue scale. After the shuttle run test (every 3 min for 30 min), blood was drawn from the finger, and the lactate elimination time was calculated. Performance and lactate measurements, body analysis, and anthropometric measurements were taken before and after dietary intervention. RESULTS: The vertical jump height and hand grip strength increased after the intervention (P < 0.05). The test duration, total distance, the number of shuttles, and maximum oxygen consumption parameters of the shuttle run test increased (P < 0.05). After the intervention, the athletes' perceived fatigue scores decreased in several stages of the shuttle run test (P < 0.05). The lactate elimination time and athlete's body composition were similar in repeated measurements (P > 0.05). In the last measurements, the upper middle arm circumference decreased while the height of the athletes increased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the Mediterranean diet is a safe and feasible dietary approach for aerobic performance and strength increase.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.30 no.2D
• /
• pp.181-190
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study is to propose an effective approach of making route decisions for the large-scale national project (i.e. the KTX Gyeongbu line between Daegu and Busan) by analyzing the conflicts that had occurred in the process of selecting the routes and stations. This study investigated policy making processes and conflicts during the construction of the KTX Gyeongbu line. The five contentious issues were 1) selecting the route between Daegu~Busan line, 2) developing a new route through Gyeongju areas, 3) making decisions of the first and second phases of construction, 4) setting up an extra station in Ulsan, and 5) conflicts of the Mt. Cheonseong route in Yangsan. In terms of analyzing these issues, the current study focuses on dealing with notions of technical, economical, legal, social, and practical rationality. Based on such analyses and implications, this study proposes a relatively reasonable model of line decision making especially for long-distance intercity routes. It also turns out that the large-scale project like the development of KTX Gyeongbu line should be conducted after receiving enough quantitative evaluation by reviewing relevant technical research studies and economic analyses, and having social agreements to prevent plausible conflicts.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.267-284
• /
• 2023

Landslides are one of the most dangerous phenomena and natural disasters. Landslides cause many human and financial losses in most parts of the world, especially in mountainous areas. Due to the climatic conditions and topography, people in the northern and western regions of Iran live with the risk of landslides. One of the measures that can effectively reduce the possible risks of landslides and their crisis management is to identify potential areas prone to landslides through multi-criteria modeling approach. This research aims to model landslide potential area in the Oshvand watershed using a support vector machine algorithm. For this purpose, evidence maps of seven effective factors in the occurrence of landslides namely slope, slope direction, height, distance from the fault, the density of waterways, rainfall, and geology, were prepared. The maps were generated and weighted using the continuous fuzzification method and logistic functions, resulting values in zero and one range as weights. The weighted maps were then combined using the support vector machine algorithm. For the training and testing of the machine, 81 slippery ground points and 81 non-sliding points were used. Modeling procedure was done using four linear, polynomial, Gaussian, and sigmoid kernels. The efficiency of each model was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve; the root means square error, and the correlation coefficient . Finally, the landslide potential model that was obtained using Gaussian's kernel was selected as the best one for susceptibility of landslides in the Oshvand watershed.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.203-212
• /
• 2011

The objective of this paper is to identify the present-day surficial sediment distribution patterns of the tidal river, Gongneungcheon, through the grain size and statistical analysis. Four major findings of this study are as follows; First, the composition of sediments over the study area are mainly silt in texture. Second, the surficial sediment distribution reveals that grain size becomes coarser as they approach seawards not only in summer but also in winter. It can be concluded that tidal flows play a significant role, especially in winter, in the distribution of surficial sediments in Gongneungcheon. However, samples obtained in summer were relatively small in mean size and showed better sorting compared to those obtained in winter. Third, the mean sizes of the samples on the transects decrease as the distance from the channel increases. Finally, the artificial structure such as a floodgate affects the distribution of the sediments.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.395-409
• /
• 2023

Long-span suspension bridges have tunnel anchor systems to maintain stable cables. More investigations are required to determine how closely tunnel excavation beneath the tunnel anchor impacts the stability of the tunnel anchor. In order to investigate the impact of the adjacent tunnel's excavation on the stability of the tunnel anchor, a large-span suspension bridge tunnel anchor is utilised as an example in a three-dimensional numerical simulation approach. In order to explore the deformation control mechanism, orthogonal tests are employed to pinpoint the major impacting elements. The construction of an advanced pipe shed, strengthening the primary support. Moreover, according to the findings the grouting reinforcement of the surrounding rock, have a significant control effect on the settlement of the tunnel vault and plug body. However, reducing the lag distance of the secondary lining does not have such big influence. The greatest way to control tunnel vault settling is to use the grout reinforcement, which increases the bearing capacity and strength of the surrounding rock. This greatly minimizes the size of the tunnel excavation disturbance area. Advanced pipe shed can not only increase the surrounding rock's bearing capacity at the pipe shed, but can also prevent the tunnel vault from connecting with the disturbance area at the bottom of the anchorage tunnel, reduce the range of shear failure area outside the anchorage tunnel, and have the best impact on the plug body's settlement control.