• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.963-970
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• 2016

This research deals with design and performance validation of eco-pedals that generate tactile pedal force to guide fuel saving driving behavior. For eco-pedal control logic, allowable fuel consumption at given driving speed is calculated based on pre-defined "allowable acceleration", and if the actual fuel consumption exceeds the allowable fuel consumption, then pedal force is activated. Pedal force should be recognizable to driver while not causing unpleasantness, and should not interfere with normal operation of pedal. Reaction forces that increase pedal stiffness abruptly, such as step and ramp shape, turn out to be not suitable due to pedal overshoot after release of reaction force. With this regards, vibration type reaction force is adopted, and its optimal frequency, magnitude and duration is determined through subjective evaluation with consideration to effect to fuel efficiency. Though highway and city driving test, it is demonstrated that fuel efficiency increase of 13% for highway and 15% for city is achieved.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.355-361
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• 2017

Objective : The aim of this study to investigate the normal values of erythropoietin (EPO) and neuroprotective effects of quercetin and mannitol on EPO and hematocrit levels after acute severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rat model. Methods : A weight-drop impact acceleration model of TBI was used on 40 male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into sham (group I), TBI (group II), TBI+quercetin (50 mg/kg intravenously) (group III), and TBI+mannitol (1 mg/kg intravenously) (group IV) groups. The malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, EPO, and hematocrit levels were measured 1 and 4 hour after injury. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and Tukey's test were used for statistical analysis. Results : The malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly after administration of quercetin and mannitol compared with those in group II. Catalase and glutathione peroxidase levels increased significantly in groups III and IV. Serum EPO levels decreased significantly after mannitol but not after quercetin administration. Serum hematocrit levels did not change significantly after quercetin and mannitol administration 1 hour after trauma. However, mannitol administration decreased serum hematocrit levels significantly after 4 hour. Conclusion : This study suggests that quercetin may be a good alternative treatment for TBI, as it did not decrease the EPO levels.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.344-351
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• 2016

In the point of view of a train operator, the main concern with a train operation is not only to maintain a time schedule, but also to decrease the energy consumption as much as possible. Generally for a manual drive, a train conductor controls the train acceleration and deceleration by controlling the notches not to exceed the regulation velocity by considering the given maximum velocity profile for an operation route. For this case, the guideline for a conductor is needed to choose the proper notches by applying the notch optimization so as to drive at the regulation velocity and minimize energy consumption simultaneously. In this paper, the real-time notch optimization plan is suggested using a genetic algorithm that optimizes the notches for the remaining route in real time when the event occurs that track information or regulation velocity profile of the remaining route changes during train operation as well as a normal operation situation. An energy saving effect and the convergence behavior of the optimal solution obtained was analyzed in a genetic algorithm.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1241-1246
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• 2014

Take-out robots used for handling of the plastic parts manufactured with the injection mold are usually the gantry type that consists of long and thin links. In this study, we want to evaluate the safety of the take-out Robot structure through finite element analysis. The take-out Robot is automated robot to transport from one location to another in the molded article. The take-out Robot structure has a 380 kilogram weight, a 1300mm width, a 670.5mm depth and a 670mm height. It confirms the equivalent stress and the deformation of the load and its own weight through weight analysis. It looks for the natural frequency of the take-out robot through modal analysis. It confirms the acceleration, the normal stress and the deformation about the natural frequency of the take-out robot through response analysis. Also It repeats the analysis by changing the structure of the take-out robot, to confirm the results and it is determined whether the safety of the structure. These analysis results are effectively used to reduce the vibration of the take-out robot.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.85-94
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• 2010

In vitro shoot regeneration of gladiolus in three different culture systems, viz., semi-solid agar (AS), membrane raft (MR), and duroplast foam liquid (DF) cultures was evaluated following the kinetics of shoot multiplication and hyperhydricity at optimized growth regulator combinations. Compared to the AS system, matrixsupported liquid cultures enhanced shoot multiplication. The peak of shoot multiplication rate was attained at 18 days of incubation in the MR and DF systems, whereas the maximum rate in the AS system was attained at 21 days. An early decline in acceleration trend was observed in liquid cultures than the AS culture. The hyperhydric status of the regenerated shoots in the different culture systems was assessed in terms of stomatal attributes and antioxidative status. Stomatal behavior appeared to be normal in the AS and MR systems. However, structural anomaly of stomata such as large, round shaped guard cells with damage in bordering regions of stomatal pores was pronounced in the DF system along with a relatively higher $K^+$ ion concentration than in the AS and MR systems. Antioxidative status of regenerated shoots was comparable in the AS and MR systems, while a higher incidence of oxidative damages of lipid membrane as evidenced from malondialdehyde and ascorbate content was observed in the DF system. Higher oxidative stress in the DF system was also apparent by elevated activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase. Among the three culture systems, liquid culture with MR resulted in maximum shoot multiplication with little or no symptoms of hyperhydricity. Shoots in the DF system were more prone to hyperhydricity than those in the AS and MR systems. The use of matrix support such as membrane raft as an interface between liquid medium and propagating tissue could be an effective means for rapid and efficient mass propagation with little or no symptoms of hyperhydricity.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.1363-1386
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• 2015

The October 23 2011 Van Earthquake is studied from an earthquake engineering point of view. Strong ground motion processing was performed to investigate features of the earthquake source, forward directivity effects during the rupture process as well as local site effects. Strong motion characteristics were investigated in terms of peak ground motion and spectral acceleration values. Directiviy effects were discussed in detail via elastic response spectra and wide band spectograms to see the high frequency energy distributions. Source parameters and slip distribution results of the earthquake which had been proposed by different researchers were summarized. Influence of the source parameters on structural response were shown by comparing elastic response spectra of Muradiye synthetic records which were performed by broadband strong motion simulations of the earthquake. It has been emphasized that characteristics of the earthquake rupture dynamics and their effects on structural design might be investigated from a multidisciplinary point of view. Seismotectonic calculations (e.g., slip pattern, rupture velocity) may be extended relating different engineering parameters (e.g., interstorey drifts, spectral accelerations) across different disciplines while using code based seismic design approaches. Current state of the art building codes still far from fully reflecting earthquake source related parameters into design rules. Some of those deficiencies and recent efforts to overcome these problems were also mentioned. Next generation ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) may be incorporated with certain site categories for site effects. Likewise in the 2011 Van Earthquake, Reverse/Oblique earthquakes indicate that GMPEs need to be feasible to a wider range of magnitudes and distances in engineering practice. Due to the reverse faulting with large slip and dip angles, vertical displacements along with directivity and fault normal effects might significantly affect the engineering structures. Main reason of excessive damage in the town of Erciş can be attributed to these factors. Such effects should be considered in advance through the establishment of vertical design spectra and effects might be incorporated in the available GMPEs.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2018

Purpose: Smartphones, which are widely used worldwide to detect acceleration and position, have been used in the area of rehabilitation medicine in recent clinical research studies and tests. The aim of the present study was to determine the feasibility of using a smartphone application based on center of movement (COM) displacement to measure gait parameters in stroke patients in the clinical field of rehabilitation medicine. Methods: The study consisted of 30 stroke patients. The COM was measured using a smartphone application, Gait Analysis Pro, during a 6-m walk. Each patient performed three 6-m walking trials, and the smartphone application measured gait duration, gait speed, step length, cadence, and vertical and lateral displacement of the COM. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was conducted to determine the normality in gait parameters, and a repeated one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the consistency among the three trials. A p value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant in all the tests. Results: In all the measured parameters, the smartphone application showed a normal distribution, as shown by the results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. There were no significant differences among the three repetitive walking trials. Conclusion: These results suggest that the smartphone application can be used for evaluating gait in stroke patients, as well as in healthy adults. However, prior to using the smartphone application in the clinical field, further research involving three-dimensional gait analysis is needed to enhance the confidence level of the findings.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.79-86
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• 2006

The purpose of the current experiment was to describe interlimb coordination when swing limb conditions are being manipulated by constraining step length or by adding a 5 or 10 pound weight to the swing limb distally. Subjects were asked to begin walking with the right limb to land on the primary target (normal step length) that is 10 cm in diameter. However, if, during movement, the light was illuminated, then the subject had to step on one of the secondary targets (long and short step length). These three step length conditions were repeated while wearing a 5 pound ankle weight and then when wearing a 10 pound ankle weight. Ground reaction force (GRF) data indicated that there were changes in the forces and slopes of the swing and stance Fx GRFs. Long stepping subjects had to increase the propulsive force required to increase step length. Consequently, swing and stance toe-off greatly increased in the long step length condition. Short step length subjects had to adequately adjust step length, which decreased the speed of gait initiation. Loading the swing limb decreased the force and slope of the swing limb. Swing and stance toe-off was longest for the long step length condition, but there was a small difference of temporal events between no weight and weight condition. It appears that subjects modulated GRFs and temporal events differently to achieve the peak acceleration force of the swing and stance limb in response to different tasks. The findings from the current study provide preliminary data, which can be used to further investigate how we modulate forces during voluntary movement from a quiet stance. This information may be important if we are to use this or a similar task to evaluate gait patterns of the elderly and patient populations.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.209-230
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• 2016

The Canton Tower is a high-rise slender structure with a height of 610 m. A structural health monitoring system has been instrumented on the structure, by which data is continuously monitored. This paper presents an investigation on the identified modal properties of the Canton Tower using ambient vibration data collected during a whole day (24 hours). A recently developed Fast Bayesian FFT method is utilized for operational modal analysis on the basis of the measured acceleration data. The approach views modal identification as an inference problem where probability is used as a measure for the relative plausibility of outcomes given a model of the structure and measured data. Focusing on the first several modes, the modal properties of this supertall slender structure are identified on non-overlapping time windows during the whole day under normal wind speed. With the identified modal parameters and the associated posterior uncertainty, the distribution of the modal parameters in the future is predicted and assessed. By defining the modal root-mean-square value in terms of the power spectral density of modal force identified, the identified natural frequencies and damping ratios versus the vibration amplitude are investigated with the associated posterior uncertainty considered. Meanwhile, the correlations between modal parameters and temperature, modal parameters and wind speed are studied. For comparison purpose, the frequency domain decomposition (FDD) method is also utilized to identify the modal parameters. The identified results obtained by the Bayesian method, the FDD method and a finite element model are compared and discussed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.273-281
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• 2010

In this paper, a method to predict the fatigue life of an axle drive shaft by the calibrated accelerated life test (CALT) method is proposed. The CALT method is very effective for predicting lifetimes, significantly reducing test time, and quantifying reliability. The fatigue test is performed by considering two high stress and one low stress levels, and the lifetime at the normal stress level is predicted by extrapolation. In addition, in this study, the major reliability parameters such as the lifetime, accelerated power index, shape parameter, and scale parameter are determined by conducting various experiments. The lifetime prediction of the axle drive shaft is verified by comparing the experimental results with load spectrum data. The results confirm that the CALT method is effective for lifetime prediction and requires a short test time.