• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.463-468
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• 2010

An obstacle avoidance method for a mobile robot is proposed in this paper. Our research was focused on the obstacles that can be found indoors since a robot is usually used within a building. It is necessary that the robot maintain the desired direction after successfully avoiding the obstacles to achieve a good autonomous navigation performance for the specified project mission. Sensors such as laser, ultrasound, and PSD (Position Sensitive Detector) can be used to detect and analyze the obstacles. A PSD sensor was used to detect and measure the height and width of the obstacles on the floor. The PSD sensor was carefully calibrated before measuring the obstacles to achieve better accuracy. Data obtained from the repeated experiments were used to plot an error graph which was fitted to a polynomial curve. The polynomial equation was used to navigate the robot. We also obtained a direction-error model of the robot after avoiding the obstacles. The prototypes for the obstacle and direction-error were modeled using a neural network whose inputs are the obstacle height, robot speed, direction of the wheels, and the error in direction. A mobile robot operated by a notebook computer was setup and the proposed algorithm was used to navigate the robot and avoid the obstacles. The results showed that our algorithm performed very well during the experiments.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.585-592
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• 2013

This study was done to investigate the effects of cinema therapy on schizophrenia patients' depression and self esteem. The research design was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Participants were recruited from two mental health facilities in J city(20 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group). The research was carried out from March to April, 2010. The cinema therapy was conducted seven times. After the cinema therapy, depression of schizophrenia patients in experimental group was lowered compared with that of patients in control group, and the difference was statistically significant (t=-4.17, p<.001). After the cinema therapy, self esteem of schizophrenia patients in experimental group was improved compared with that of patients in control group, and the difference was statistically significant(t=5.77, p<.001). The results indicate that the cinema therapy was a useful program leading positive effects on depression and self esteem in schizophrenia patients.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.3617-3622
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• 2010

The reaction of stoichiometric amount of $FeCl_2{\cdot}4H_2O$, (2-pyridylmethyl, 3-pyridylmethyl)amine (2,3-pyma) and sodium azide/sodium thiocyanate in methanol under aerobic conditions affords the dinuclear Fe(III) complexes, [(2,3-pyma) $(N_3)_2Fe({\mu}-OCH_3)_2Fe(N_3)_2$(2,3-pyma)]${\cdot}CH_3OH$ (1) and [(2,3-pyma)$(NCS)_2Fe({\mu}-OCH_3)_2Fe(NCS)_2$(2,3-pyma)] (2) in good yield. Two bis-methoxy-bridged diiron(III) complexes are isolated and characterized. The coordination geometries around iron(III) ions in 1 and 2 are the same tetragonally distorted octahedron. The iron(III) ions are coordinated by two nitrogens of a 2,3-pyma, two nitrogens of two azide/thiocyanate ions, and two oxygens of two methoxy groups. Both compounds are isomorphous. The structures of 1 and 2 display the C-$H{\cdots}\pi$ and/or $\pi-\pi$ stacking interactions as well as hydrogen bonding interactions, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 show significant antiferromagnetic couplings through the bridged methoxy groups between the iron(III) ions in the temperature range from 5 to 300 K ($H=-2JS_1{\cdot}S_2$, J=-19.1 and $-13.9\;cm^{-1}$ for 1 and 2).

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.204-208
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• 2010

A scanning imaging spectrograph system was used in this study to retrieve readings of the 2-D distribution of $SO_2$ and BrO around the crater of the Sakurajima volcano in Japan. The measurement was carried out during the daytime on November 2, 2005. Measurements were made at the surface of the site, located 5 km from the Sakurajima crater. One hundred horizontal scans were performed. Each column scanned by the system consists of 64 vertical pixels in order to retrieve the spatial distributions of BrO and $SO_2$ in the plume in terms of slant column densities (SCDs). Measured spectra were analyzed to identify and quantify $SO_2$ and BrO in the volcanic plume utilizing the plume's specific absorption features in the ultra violet region. Two-dimensional BrO and $SO_2$ distributions in SCD were retrieved horizontally covering the upwind, crater and downwind areas, and vertically, including the plume in the center of the scanned image. Both horizontal and vertical dispersions of $SO_2$ SCD from the crater were successfully measured to be from $10^{17}$ to $4.5{\times}10^{18}$ molecules $cm^{-2}$. However, BrO was measured below $10^{15}$ molecules $cm^{-2}$, which is considered its background level.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1113-1120
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• 2010

This study investigated the efficacy of macelignan and hot water with Chinese traditional herb (CTH) extract on altering severe diabetic conditions in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice. Previously, the anti-diabetic effects of macelignan were partly reported as a PPAR $\alpha/\gamma$-dual agonist. Here, we futher studied whether a combination of macelignan and CTH had more beneficial effects or not. The macelignan and CTH compound significantly decreased fasting blood glucose and HbA1c compared to macelignan-treated mice, and also significantly improved postprandial glucose, insulin sensitivity, and plasma lipid profiles (FFA, and TG). On the other hand, insulin levels were not significantly changed compared to the diabetic control group. There were no significant changes in the concentrations of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol, but there were changes in HTR and AI. These results suggest that the macelignan and CTH compound ameliorates hyperglycemia and efficiently improves postprandial glucose, insulin sensitivity, and hyperlipidemia compared with macelignan in db/db mice. Moreover, the macelignan and CTH compound seems to be more potent in affecting diabetic complications than macelignan.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2010

To examine the potential of Terminalia chebula as a whitening agent, we measured antioxidant activity using DPPH$\cdot$, ABTS${\cdot}^+$ assays and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, and depigmenting activity using B16F10 melanoma cells. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was monitored by $H_2DCFDA$ fluorescence labeling, and melanin contents in B16F10 melanoma cells by 960 $J/m^2$ dose of UVA-induced oxidative stress. The radical-scavenging activities of T. chebula extract (TCE) were measured in terms of $EC_{50}$ values using DPPH$\cdot$, ABTS${\cdot}^+$ assays and FRAP value were 280.0 ${\mu}g/mL$, 42.2 ${\mu}g/mL$ and 113.1 ${\mu}mol$ $FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O/g$, respectively. We found that ROS and melanin concentrations were reduced by TCE treatments of 25 ${\mu}g/mL$ under UVA-induced oxidative stress. Tyrosinase activity and melanin contents in $\alpha$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-induced melanoma cells both decreased dose-dependently in the treatment groups. TCE similarly reduced melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells stimulated by $\alpha$-MSH as compared to arbutin as a positive control. T. chebula may prove to be a useful therapeutic agent for hyperpigmentation and an effective component in skin whitening and.or lightening cosmetics.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.651-657
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• 2010

Previous experimental results performed by many researchers for a couple of decades in South Korea have shown that an absorbing sheet inserted in a conventional floating slab system for thermal insulation or vibration absorption may amplify the vibration of the slab system at specific frequency ranges depending on the material properties of the sheet. The amplified vibration, consequently, results in the heavy weight floor impact noise exceeding the sound level limit for an apartment house, 50 dB. In this study, the amplification mechanism is examined through numerical analysis and a new slab system is proposed to reduce the amplification and control the noise. The new slab system consists of studs connecting the base slab and upper concrete finishing yielding the dramatically increased stiffness of the slab. The numerical simulation is performed to investigate the effect of the slab system with studs on the vibration and noise control. The results show that the performance of the slab is sensitive to the number and location of studs, and the heavy weight floor impact noise can be reduced up to 6~7 dB compared to the conventional slab system at the optimal stud location.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.104-113
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• 2010

In this study, to predict the microstructure in weld HAZ of low alloyed steel, prediction model for the phase transformation considering the influence of prior austenite grain size and cooling rate was developed. For this study, six low alloyed steels were designed and the effect of alloying elements was also investigated. In order to develop the prediction model for ferrite transformation, isothermal ferrite transformation behaviors were analyzed by dilatometer system and 'Avrami equation' which was modified to consider the effect of prior austenite grain size. After that, model for ferrite phase transformation during continuous cooling was proposed based on the isothermal ferrite transformation model through applying the 'Additivity rule'. Also, start temperatures of ferrite transformation were predicted by $A_{r3}$ considering the cooling rate. CCT diagram was calculated through this model, these results were in good agreement with the experimental results. After ferrite transformation, bainite transformation was predicted using Esaka model which corresponded most closely to the experimental results among various models. The start temperatures of bainite transformation were determined using K. J. Lee model. Phase fraction of martensite was obtained according to phase fractions of ferrite and bainite.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.615-624
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• 2010

This study is concerned with tensile and Charpy impact properties of high-strength bainitic steels fabricated by controlled rolling process. Six kinds of steels were fabricated by varying finish rolling temperature, start cooling temperature, and cooling rate, and their microstructures and tensile and Charpy impact properties were investigated. Their effective grain sizes were also characterized by the electron backscatter diffraction analysis. The microstructures of the steels rolled in the single phase region were most similar to those of the steels rolled in the two phase region. The steels cooled from $700{^{\circ}C}$ were composed mainly of granular bainites, while those cooled from $600{^{\circ}C}$ contained a number of bainitic ferrites, which resulted in the decrease in ductility and upper shelf energy in spite of the increase in strength. In the steels cooling from $600^{\circ}C$, fine acicular ferrites were well formed when the cooling rate was slow, which led to the best combination of high ductility, high upper shelf energy, and low energy transition temperature according to the decrease in the overall effective grain size due to the presence of acicular ferrites having smaller effective grain size.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.8
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• pp.705-716
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• 2010

Effects of specimen thickness and notch shape on fracture mode appearing in drop weight tear test (DWTT) specimens of API X70 and X80 linepipe steels were investigated. Detailed microstructural analysis of fractured DWTT specimens showed that the fractures were initiated in normal cleavage mode near the specimen notch, and that some separations were observed at the center of the fracture surfaces. The Chevron-notch (CN) DWTT specimens had broader normal cleavage surfaces than the pressed-notch (PN) DWTT specimens. Larger inverse fracture surfaces appeared in the PN DWTT specimens because of the higher fracture initiation energy at the notch and the higher strain hardening in the hammer-impacted region. The number and length of separations were larger in the CN DWTT specimens than in the PN DWTT specimens, and increased with increasing specimen thickness due to the plane strain condition effect. As the test temperature decreased, the tendency to separations increased, but separations were not found when the cleavage fracture prevailed at very low temperatures. The DWTT test results, such as upper shelf energy and energy transition temperature, were discussed in relation with microstructures and fracture modes including cleavage fracture, shear fracture, inverse fracture, and separations.