• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.4603-4624
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• 2016

In this paper, a new reversible watermarking algorithm with adaptive embedding threshold matrix is proposed. Firstly, to avoid the overflow and underflow, two flexible thresholds, TL and TR, are applied to preprocess the image histogram with least histogram shift cost. Secondly, for achieving an optimal or near optimal tradeoff between the embedding capacity and imperceptibility, the embedding threshold matrix, composed of the embedding thresholds of all blocks, is determined adaptively by the combination between the composite chaos and the average energy of Integer Wavelet Transform (IWT) block. As a non-liner system with good randomness, the composite chaos is suitable to search the optimal embedding thresholds. Meanwhile, the average energy of IWT block is calculated to adjust the block embedding capacity, and more data are embedded into those IWT blocks with larger average energy. The experimental results demonstrate that compared with the state-of-the-art reversible watermarking schemes, the proposed scheme has better performance for the tradeoff between the embedding capacity and imperceptibility.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.601-606
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• 2016

In this study, in order to analyze the low-temperature sintering process of silver and copper nanoparticles, we calculate their melting temperatures and surface melting temperatures with respect to particle size. For this calculation, we introduce the concept of mean-squared displacement of the atom proposed by Shi (1994). Using a parameter defined by the vibrational component of melting entropy, we readily obtained the surface and bulk melting temperatures of copper and silver nanoparticles. We also calculated the absorption cross-section of nanoparticles for variation in the wavelength of light. By using the calculated absorption cross-section of the nanoparticles at the melting temperature, we obtained the laser threshold energy for the sintering process with respect to particle size and wavelength of laser. We found that the absorption cross-section of silver nanoparticles has a resonant peak at a wavelength of close to 350 nm, yielding the lowest threshold energy. We calculated the intensity distribution around the nanoparticles using the finite-difference time-domain method and confirmed the resonant excitation of silver nanoparticles near the wavelength of the resonant peak.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.217-231
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• 2016

The present work aims to develop piezoresistive sensors of excellent piezoresistive response attributable to change in nanoscale structures of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) embedded in cement. MWNT was distributed in a cement matrix by means of polymer wrapping method in tandem with the ultrasonication process. DC conductivity of the prepared samples exhibited the electrical percolation behavior and therefore the dispersion method adopted in this study was deemed effective. The integrity of piezoresistive response of the sensors was assessed in terms of stability, the maximum electrical resistance change rate, and sensitivity. A composite sensor with MWNT 0.2 wt.% showed the lowest stability and sensitivity, while the maximum electrical resistance change rate exhibited by this sample was the highest (96 %) among others and even higher than those found in the literature. This observation was presumably attributed by the percolation threshold and the tunneling effect. As a result of the MWNT content (0.2 wt.%) of the sensor being near the percolation threshold (0.25 wt.%), MWNTs were close to each other to trigger tunneling in response of external loading. The sensor with MWNT 0.2 wt.% was able to maintain the repeatable sensing capability while sustaining a vehicular loading on road, demonstrating the feasibility in traffic flow sensing application.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.504-510
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• 2015

This paper presents a power and area efficient SAR ADC for multi-channel near threshold-voltage (NTV) applications such as neural recording systems. This work proposes a split dual-capacitive-array (S-DCA) structure with shifted input range for ultra low-switching energy and architecture of multi-channel single-ended SAR ADC which employs only one comparator. In addition, the proposed ADC has the same amount of equivalent capacitance at two comparator inputs, which minimizes the kickback noise. Compared with conventional SAR ADC, this work reduces the total capacitance and switching energy by 84.8% and 91.3%, respectively.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.736-742
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• 2000

Mass removed from crystalline silicon samples during high power single-pulse laser ablation was studied by measuring the resulting crater morphology with a white light interferometric microscope. The volume and depth of the craters show a strong nonlinear change as the laser irradiance increases across a threshold value, that is, approximately $2.2{\times}10^{10}\;W/cm^2$. Time-resolved shadowgraph images of the ablation plume show the ejection of large particulates from the sample for laser irradiance above the threshold, with a time delay of about 300-400 nsec. The thickness of superheated liquid layer near the critical temperature was numerically estimated, considering the transformation of liquid metal into liquid dielectric near the critical state (i.e., induced transparency). The estimated thickness of the superheated layer at a delay time of 200 nsec agreed with the measured crater depths, suggesting that induced transparency promotes the formation of a deep superheated liquid layer which leads to an explosive boiling responsible for the sudden increase of crater volume and depth.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.66.2-66.2
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• 2013

In this study, we present a pore-selection technique to estimate the size of pore. The estimation of the size of pore is important to examine the temporal evolution of size itself and corresponding intensity. The size of pore is typically estimated by applying the intensity threshold technique to the fixed box which contains the entire pore. The typical method has disadvantages in the following circumstances; there are small features near the pore or the image has low spatial resolution. In the former, it is difficult to define a box containing the pore only, excluding the small features near the pore. In the latter, the background and threshold intensity are insignificant due to the insufficient number of pixel in the box. To avoid these difficulties, we use a pore-selection technique which is simply based on the measurement of distances from the pore center. In addition, we will discuss the advantage of the technique for the imaging spectrograph data like the NST FISS.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.129-142
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• 2008

This study examines how economic and psychological characteristics affect the quality of life (QoL) of elderly individuals age 60 and older, who live in the Seoul-metropolitan area. Relationships among socio-demographic status, economic conditions, psychological characteristics, family life, health status, and QoL are examined by t-test and ANOVA(Duncan's test as post hoc multiple comparisons), and the multiple regression analysis is used to estimate QoL determinants in the elderly. The major findings of the study are as follows. First, younger age, higher education levels, better health status, harmonious family relations, higher levels of household income, lower levels of loneliness, and higher self-esteems are related to higher QoL levels. Second, the impacts of factors on QoL are differentiated according to tercile groups that divide monthly allowance of respondents into three categories: below normal (threshold amount below 21MW), near normal (threshold amount between 21MW and 35MW), and above normal (threshold amount above 35MW). For each tercile group, poor health status or higher loneliness have negative effects on QoL, while harmonious family relationship has a positive effect. For the below-normal group, years of education or self-esteem have positive effects, while age or retirement status have negative effects when controlling for other factors. For the near-normal group, being married, or perceived financial insecurity create lower QoL levels, while higher self-esteem increases QoL levels. For the above-normal group, being widowed, employed, or retired have positive effects on QoL, when controlling for other variables. Third, even among elderly with high allowances, the effects of health status and family relationship are significant determinants that explain QoL levels. This result suggests that, for te elderly, poor health status and poor family relationships severely decrease QoL in later life, regardless of economic condition.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.467-478
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to explain the factors influencing the incurrence of catastrophic health expenditure of national health insurance households using panel data observed over a long period. Methods: The study targeted 3,652 households who had no censoring during the 11-year survey period (2007-2017) and householders whose insurance type was consistently maintained as national health insurance. Generalized estimating equations were adopted to identify factors affecting the occurrence of catastrophic health expenditure at 20%, 30%, and 40% threshold levels. A subgroup analysis was conducted by categorizing groups depending on the existence of the elderly in the household. Results: For the last 11 years, the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure in the households without the elderly decreased slightly at all threshold levels, but the households with the elderly seemed to be increased. At baseline, household type showed a statistically significant relationship with all other variables. The results of generalized estimating equations analyses show that household income was not significant at all threshold levels in the households without elderly. On the other hand, in the households with the elderly, the 2nd (odds ratio [OR], 1.33-2.05) and 3rd quintile groups (OR, 1.25-2.55) were more likely to have catastrophic health expenditure compared to the 1st quintile of household income group. Conclusion: As the amount of health expenditures relative to the ability to pay is increasing in households with the elderly, the application of an intervention followed by consistent monitoring is needed. This study found that there were differences in influencing factors according to the presence of the elderly in the households. In particular, in households with the elderly, interesting results have been drawn regarding the occurrence of catastrophic health expenditure in the near-poor, so additional research is required.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.1418-1421
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• 2009

A series of new light-emitting random copolymers with fully conjugated structure was prepared, for the first time through the well-known Gilch polymerization between 1,4-bis(chloromethyl)-2-ethylhexyloxy-5-methoxybenzene and 2,5-bis(bromomethyl)thiophene monomers in different ratios. The synthesized polymers (on thin film) showed the maximum wavelength of UV-visible absorbance and photoluminescence (PL) near 500 nm and near 600 nm, respectively. A single-layer light-emitting diode device, which has a simple ITO (indium-tin oxide)/polymer/Al configuration, was fabricated by spin-coating of polymers and then vacuum evaporation of Al metal. The threshold bias of PMEHPVTVs was in the range of 3.5-10 V. As in the PL spectra, the maximum wavelength of light emission near 600 nm was also shown in electroluminescence (EL) spectra of PMEHPVTVs when the operating voltage was about 7 - 14 V.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 2005

Simultaneous observations of MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) onboard the Aqua and Terra satellites and weather station at ground near the Inchon International Airport (37.2-37.7 N, 125.7-127.2 E) during the period from December 2002 to September 2004 have been utilized in order to analyze the characteristics of satellite-observed infrared (IR) and visible data under fog and clear-sky conditions, respectively. The differences $(T_{3.7-11})$ in brightness temperature between $3.75{\mu}m\;and\;11.0{\mu}m$ were used as threshold values for remote-sensing fog (or low clouds) from satellite during day and night. The $T_{3.7-11}$ value during daytime was greater by about 21 K when it was foggy than that when it was clear, but during nighttime fog it was less by 1.5 K than during nighttime clear-sky. The value was changed due to different values of emission of fog particles at the wavelength. Since the near-IR channel at $3.7{\mu}m$ was affected by solar and IR radiations in the daytime, both IR and visible channels (or reflectance) have been used to detect fog. The reflectance during fog was higher by 0.05-0.6 than that during clear-sky, and varied seasonally. In this study, the threshold values included uncertainties when clouds existed above a layer of fog.