• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1996 no.05
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• pp.240-242
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• 1996

In this paper, we proposed a method of a hearing aid suitable for the sensorineural hearing impaired. Generally as the sensorineural hearing impaired have narrow audible ranges between threshold and discomfortable level, the speech spectrum may easily go beyond their audible range. Therefore speech spectrum must be optimally amplified and compressed into the impaired's audible range. The level and frequency of input speech signal are varied continuously. So we have to make compensation input signal for frequency-gain loss of the impaired, specially in the frequency band which includes much information. The input sigaal is divided into short time block and spectrum within the block is calculated. The frequency-gain characteristic is determined using the calculated spectrum. The number of frequency band and the target gain which will be added input signal are estimated. The input signal within the block is processed by a single digital filter with the calculated frequency-gain characteristics. From the results of monosyllabic speech tests to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, the scores of test were improved.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.336-341
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• 2010

One mechanism of inner ear damage by noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because Korean red ginseng (KRG) has an anti-ROS effect in various tissues, KRG may have a role in preventing NIHL. A window period exists in which ROS formations continue after noise exposure, and further damage can be prevented by antioxidants. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of KRG after exposure to noise. KRG (200 mg/kg) was fed to mice for 3 days after noise exposure. The change in hearing level was analyzed by measuring the auditory brainstem response. To induce a temporary threshold shift (TTS) of hearing, mice were exposed to 110 dB white noise for 3 hours. Fast recovery of hearing was observed in mice fed KRG 1 hour and 1 day after noise exposure for 3 days. The expression of 8-oxoguanine was not observed in the inner ears of mice fed KRG 1 hour after noise exposure, but was evident in the stria vascularis of mice in the control group (noise exposure only). From this study, we conclude that KRG acted as an effective inhibitor of NIHL in TTS cases.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.184-190
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• 2010

Lowering of auditory caused by noise is increased, these days. Especially, people who have noise induced hearing loss by permanent exposure to noise are increased according to spread out of multimedia and improvement of information equipment. The pure tone audiometry used in the hospital presently inspect auditory manually up to 8,000 Hz bandwidth. So the case of noise induced hearing loss which suffered from extended high frequency over 8,000 Hz, there is a problem to prevent hearing loss by precognition. In this paper, we proposed a method to prevent noise induced hearing loss by using extended high frequency bandwidth from 12,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz. We have got a experimental result to fifty of twenties who are often used to earphones through portable equipment. As a result, 36% of twenties show lowering of auditory caused by noise and 2% of them shows severe loss of hearing.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2017

It is difficult to detect the adult hearing loss after the language acquisition because of its slow progression, which can be evaluated voluntarily and actively when the appropriate tools are provided. Smartphones are one of useful tools, and they can utilize surveys and/or applications for hearing screening. This study aims to verify the possibility as a tool discovering delayed acquired hearing losses by comparing the pure tone screening application (app_PTS) which was recently developed by our research team and hearing handciap inventory (HHI). The subjects were 22 people whose age ranges from 10s to 80s. For pure tone averages (PTAs), hearing threshold level was selected the best one in same frequency, in both ears. Sensitivity and specificity of HHI were confirmed based on self awareness of hearing loss and PTAs at 1, 2, 4 kHz. Comparisons of two tests were measured by analyzing simple regression of correlation between PTAs of App_PTS and HHI scores. Sensitivity and specificity were 1.000 in both criteria. There was a statistically significant relationship between the PTAs_4 kHz and HHI (R-square = .951, p = .000). Hearing screening by questionnaire showed high correlation with smart phones based on application. Therefore, it can be useful as a hearing screening tool for individual life cycle using an user-friendly tool.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.353-357
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• 2005

Declining auditory performance with advanced age is a well known and common problem that is becoming more Prevalent due to the increasing number of elderly people in our society. We introduce a novel ARCISM (Audiogram Result Computer Input. Save & Management software) data management program which enables the assessment of the risk of past history of hearing impairment on the basis of known risk factors. This study investigates the reference levels of pure tone hearing threshold of normal aging in Korean and the difference between fenders. The subjects were carefully selected by questionnaire and absence of any history of otologic infection, noise exposure. and ototoxic drug among 1603 subjects. who visited Health Promotion Center in Daegu Fatima Hospital for one year. The results show (1) hearing sensitivity declines with age. (2) higher frequency shows steeper slope of hearing declines than lower frequency. and (3) there were more hearing loss at 4 and 8 kHz in men than in women. Due to the ARCISM program. it was possible to manage huge data of hearing results and to obtain the reference level of a9e-related hearing declines. Furthermore, we expect that the results of this study can be the fundamental data for hearing rehabilitation for the elderly and for developing suitable hearing aids for Korean.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.15 no.8 s.101
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• pp.980-987
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• 2005

It is very difficult to reduce ambient noise level in the downtown. The best method is to improve the sound amenity of the districts, considering concept of soundscape. This study aims to survey the effect of introducing sound and masking to reduce the background noise level. We carried out the evaluating test for 18 introducing sounds varied S/N ratio(-5, 0, +5) in the city riverside. In these test, subjects evaluated the sound environment with five bipolar adjective scales. It was evaluated that introducing sounds improved the sound environment, and that S/N +5 dB was very appropriate to mask the background noise. But the hearing level was suggested to be S/N 0 dB or less.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.85-101
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of group music therapy using the traditional drum on the; social adjustment, self-image, and emotional adjustment, of children with hearing impairment. I participated in this group music therapy using the traditional drum with 7 children with hearing impairment for 3 days a week for 6 weeks(including holidays), and each session was 50 minutes long. The evaluation form of this study is a social-emotional development measurement sheet of Meadow-Kendall, which the children's teacher distributed to the children both pre- and post-examination. With these results, the researcher carried out Window SPSS 19 Version and searched for the experiment's effect of measurement cause (I am not sure what this means.) through paired t-test to identify the experiment's effects (social adjustment, self-image, emotional adjustment) as a result of group music therapy using the traditional drum for children with hearing impairment. This study arrived at the following conclusions. First, after I participated in the group music therapy using the traditional drum, the result of the comparisons of the pre-to-post average for social adjustment showed the statistical significance level of the 0.01 standard. Therefore, it was found that the group music therapy using the traditional drum had a positive effect on the social adjustment of children with hearing Impairment. Second, after I participated in the group music therapy using the traditional drum, the result of the comparisons of the pre-to-post average for self-image development showed the statistical significance level of the 0.01 standard. Therefore, the group music therapy using the traditional drum had a positive effect on the self-image of children with hearing impairment. Third, after I participated in the group music therapy using the traditional drum, the result of the comparisons of the pre-to-post average for emotional adjustment showed the statistical significance level of the 0.01 standard. Therefore, the group music therapy using the traditional drum had a positive effect on the emotional adjustment of children with hearing impairment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.4 s.36
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• pp.496-506
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• 1991

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the effect of long term noise exposure on blood pressure among steel mill workers. The workers participated in periodic medical examinations performed from August 27 to September 6 in 1990. Examined were 1,034 workers with high-level noise exposure(average $91.8{\pm}5.2dB(A)$) and 390 workers with low-level noise exposure(average $75.2{\pm}4.6dB(A)$). No significant difference was found in systolic or diastolic flood pressure between the two exposure groups. Prevalence of hypertension (${\geq}160mmHg\;systolic\;or{\geq}100mmHg\;diastolic$) was higher in a younger age group (${\leq}40$ years old) of high-level noise exposure than of low-level noise exposure. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Furthermore, in younger ages, prevalence of hypertension appeared to be higher in the hearing loss group (${\geq}25dB\;at\;1000Hz\;or{\geq}40dB$ at 4000Hz in at least one ear) than in the normal hearing group. From multiple regression analysis, hearing loss, body mass index, age, alcohol and family history of hypertension were proven to be predictors of diastolic blood Pressure (p<0.02). When regression was performed for each age group, hearing loss was a strong predictor of diastolic pressure in the younger age group (p<0.01).

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.207-214
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• 2011

Human auditory acuity decreases naturally due to aging. But recently cases of impaired hearing at a young age are increasing greatly. The biggest reason for such an increase of population with impaired hearing is popularization of various kinds of portable multimedia appliances. Many studies on impaired hearing due to noises caused by the earphone and headphone are being made, but there are few studies on noise-impaired hearing caused directly by mobile phone communication. Based on a precedent inquiry, this study proposes a technique for preventing noise-impaired hearing applying to an active noise reduction technique onto bone conduction speaker. This technique is a method for reducing noises by antiphase oscillation through bone conduction speaker with ambient noises. If the proposed system is applied, the noise level that is actually introduced to audition decreases by more than 12 dB, and such a decreased amount of sound volume fundamentally prevents the factors of noise-caused hearing difficulty due to mobile phone communication. Sensibility test results showed that adequate communication was possible even in such a situation where communication volume was decreased like this.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2009

Hearing impaired person's hearing loss has personally various shape, so existing symmetrical auditory filter of frequency band method wasn't properly simulated the hearing impaired person's various hearing loss shape. The shapes of auditory filter are asymmetrical different with each center frequency and each input level. Hearing impaired person which has hearing loss was differently changed with that of normal hearing people and it has different value for speech of quality through auditory filter. In this study, the asymmetrical auditory filter was simulated and then some tests to estimate the filter's performance objectively were performed. The experiment as simulated auditory filter's performance evaluation method used perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ) and log likelihood ratio (LLR) for speech through auditory filter. In the test, processed speech was evaluated objective speech quality and distortion using PESQ and LLR value. When hearing loss processed, PESQ and LLR value have big difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical auditory filter. It means that the difference of the shape auditory filter may affect to speech quality. Especially, when hearing loss existed, auditory filter changing according to asymmetrical shape for each center frequency affected to perceive speech quality of the hearing impaired.