• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• 제10권2호
• /
• pp.131-154
• /
• 2012

In this paper, it is aimed to determine the seismic behaviour of highway bridges by nondestructive testing using ambient vibration measurements. Eynel Highway Bridge which has arch type structural system with a total length of 216 m and located in the Ayvaclk county of Samsun, Turkey is selected as an application. The bridge connects the villages which are separated with Suat U$\breve{g}$urlu Dam Lake. A three dimensional finite element model is first established for a highway bridge using project drawings and an analytical modal analysis is then performed to generate natural frequencies and mode shapes in the three orthogonal directions. The ambient vibration measurements are carried out on the bridge deck under natural excitation such as traffic, human walking and wind loads using Operational Modal Analysis. Sensitive seismic accelerometers are used to collect signals obtained from the experimental tests. To obtain experimental dynamic characteristics, two output-only system identification techniques are employed namely, Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition technique in the frequency domain and Stochastic Subspace Identification technique in time domain. Analytical and experimental dynamic characteristic are compared with each other and finite element model of the bridge is updated by changing of boundary conditions to reduce the differences between the results. It is demonstrated that the ambient vibration measurements are enough to identify the most significant modes of highway bridges. After finite element model updating, maximum differences between the natural frequencies are reduced averagely from 23% to 3%. The updated finite element model reflects the dynamic characteristics of the bridge better, and it can be used to predict the dynamic response under complex external forces. It is also helpful for further damage identification and health condition monitoring. Analytical model of the bridge before and after model updating is analyzed using 1992 Erzincan earthquake record to determine the seismic behaviour. It can be seen from the analysis results that displacements increase by the height of bridge columns and along to middle point of the deck and main arches. Bending moments have an increasing trend along to first and last 50 m and have a decreasing trend long to the middle of the main arches.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• 제27권5호
• /
• pp.625-638
• /
• 2007

The damage detection process may appear difficult to be implemented for truss structures because not all degrees of freedom in the numerical model can be experimentally measured. In this context, the damage locating vector (DLV) method, introduced by Bernal (2002), is a useful approach because it is effective when operating with an arbitrary number of sensors, a truncated modal basis and multiple damage scenarios, while keeping the calculation in a low level. In addition, the present paper also evaluates the noise influence on the accuracy of the DLV method. In order to verify the DLV behavior under different damages intensities and, mainly, in presence of measurement noise, a parametric study had been carried out. Different excitations as well as damage scenarios are numerically tested in a continuous Warren truss structure subjected to five noise levels with a set of limited measurement sensors. Besides this, it is proposed another way to determine the damage locating vectors in the DLV procedure. The idea is to contribute with an alternative option to solve the problem with a more widespread algebraic method. The original formulation via singular value decomposition (SVD) is replaced by a common solution of an eigenvector-eigenvalue problem. The final results show that the DLV method, enhanced with the alternative solution proposed in this paper, was able to correctly locate the damaged bars, using an output-only system identification procedure, even considering small intensities of damage and moderate noise levels.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• 제36권4호
• /
• pp.221-236
• /
• 2023

The lateral component of turbulence and the vortices shed in the wake of a structure result in introducing dynamic wind load in the acrosswind direction and the resulting level of motion is typically larger than the corresponding alongwind motion for a dynamically sensitive structure. The underlying source mechanisms of the acrosswind load may be classified into motion-induced, buffeting, and Strouhal components. This study proposes a frequency domain framework to decompose the overall load into these components based on output-only measurements from wind tunnel experiments or full-scale measurements. First, the total acrosswind load is identified based on measured acceleration response by solving the inverse problem using the Kalman filter technique. The decomposition of the combined load is then performed by modeling each load component in terms of a Bayesian filtering scheme. More specifically, the decomposition and the estimation of the model parameters are accomplished using the unscented Kalman filter in the frequency domain. An aeroelastic wind tunnel experiment involving a tall circular cylinder was carried out for the validation of the proposed framework. The contribution of each load component to the acrosswind response is assessed by re-analyzing the system with the decomposed components. Through comparison of the measured and the re-analyzed response, it is demonstrated that the proposed framework effectively decomposes the total acrosswind load into components and sheds light on the overall underlying mechanism of the acrosswind load and attendant structural response. The delineation of these load components and their subsequent modeling and control may become increasingly important as tall slender buildings of the prismatic cross-section that are highly sensitive to the acrosswind load effects are increasingly being built in major metropolises.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제11권1호
• /
• pp.123-127
• /
• 1978

The major objective of this research is to identify those hospital characteristics that best explain cost variation among hospitals and to formulate linear models that can predict hospital costs. Specific emphasis is placed on hospital output, that is, the identification of diagnosis related patient groups (DRGs) which are medically meaningful and demonstrate similar patterns of hospital resource consumption. A casemix index is developed based on the DRGs identified. Considering the common problems encountered in previous hospital cost research, the following study requirements are estab-lished for fulfilling the objectives of this research: 1. Selection of hospitals that exercise similar medical and fiscal practices. 2. Identification of an appropriate data collection mechanism in which demographic and medical characteristics of individual patients as well as accurate and comparable cost information can be derived. 3. Development of a patient classification system in which all the patients treated in hospitals are able to be split into mutually exclusive categories with consistent and stable patterns of resource consumption. 4. Development of a cost finding mechanism through which patient groups' costs can be made comparable across hospitals. A data set of Medicare patients prepared by the Social Security Administration was selected for the study analysis. The data set contained 27,229 record abstracts of Medicare patients discharged from all but one short-term general hospital in Connecticut during the period from January 1, 1971, to December 31, 1972. Each record abstract contained demographic and diagnostic information, as well as charges for specific medical services received. The 'AUT-OGRP System' was used to generate 198 DRGs in which the entire range of Medicare patients were split into mutually exclusive categories, each of which shows a consistent and stable pattern of resource consumption. The 'Departmental Method' was used to generate cost information for the groups of Medicare patients that would be comparable across hospitals. To fulfill the study objectives, an extensive analysis was conducted in the following areas: 1. Analysis of DRGs: in which the level of resource use of each DRG was determined, the length of stay or death rate of each DRG in relation to resource use was characterized, and underlying patterns of the relationships among DRG costs were explained. 2. Exploration of resource use profiles of hospitals; in which the magnitude of differences in the resource uses or death rates incurred in the treatment of Medicare patients among the study hospitals was explored. 3. Casemix analysis; in which four types of casemix-related indices were generated, and the significance of these indices in the explanation of hospital costs was examined. 4. Formulation of linear models to predict hospital costs of Medicare patients; in which nine independent variables (i. e., casemix index, hospital size, complexity of service, teaching activity, location, casemix-adjusted death. rate index, occupancy rate, and casemix-adjusted length of stay index) were used for determining factors in hospital costs. Results from the study analysis indicated that: 1. The system of 198 DRGs for Medicare patient classification was demonstrated not only as a strong tool for determining the pattern of hospital resource utilization of Medicare patients, but also for categorizing patients by their severity of illness. 2. The wei틴fed mean total case cost (TOTC) of the study hospitals for Medicare patients during the study years was $11,27.02 with a standard deviation of $117.20. The hospital with the highest average TOTC ($1538.15) was 2.08 times more expensive than the hospital with the lowest average TOTC ($743.45). The weighted mean per diem total cost (DTOC) of the study hospitals for Medicare patients during the sutdy years was $107.98 with a standard deviation of $15.18. The hospital with the highest average DTOC ($147.23) was 1.87 times more expensive than the hospital with the lowest average DTOC ($78.49). 3. The linear models for each of the six types of hospital costs were formulated using the casemix index and the eight other hospital variables as the determinants. These models explained variance to the extent of 68.7 percent of total case cost (TOTC), 63.5 percent of room and board cost (RMC), 66.2 percent of total ancillary service cost (TANC), 66.3 percent of per diem total cost (DTOC), 56.9 percent of per diem room and board cost (DRMC), and 65.5 percent of per diem ancillary service cost (DTANC). The casemix index alone explained approximately one half of interhospital cost variation: 59.1 percent for TOTC and 44.3 percent for DTOC. Thsee results demonstrate that the casemix index is the most importand determinant of interhospital cost variation Future research and policy implications in regard to the results of this study is envisioned in the following three areas: 1. Utilization of casemix related indices in the Medicare data systems. 2. Refinement of data for hospital cost evaluation. 3. Development of a system for reimbursement and cost control in hospitals.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
• /
• 제8권4호
• /
• pp.270-279
• /
• 2005

Under the research project supported by Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), we have conducted the development of GPR systems for landmine detection. Until 2005, we have finished development of two prototype GPR systems, namely ALIS (Advanced Landmine Imaging System) and SAR-GPR (Synthetic Aperture Radar-Ground Penetrating Radar). ALIS is a novel landmine detection sensor system combined with a metal detector and GPR. This is a hand-held equipment, which has a sensor position tracking system, and can visualize the sensor output in real time. In order to achieve the sensor tracking system, ALIS needs only one CCD camera attached on the sensor handle. The CCD image is superimposed with the GPR and metal detector signal, and the detection and identification of buried targets is quite easy and reliable. Field evaluation test of ALIS was conducted in December 2004 in Afghanistan, and we demonstrated that it can detect buried antipersonnel landmines, and can also discriminate metal fragments from landmines. SAR-GPR (Synthetic Aperture Radar-Ground Penetrating Radar) is a machine mounted sensor system composed of B GPR and a metal detector. The GPR employs an array antenna for advanced signal processing for better subsurface imaging. SAR-GPR combined with synthetic aperture radar algorithm, can suppress clutter and can image buried objects in strongly inhomogeneous material. SAR-GPR is a stepped frequency radar system, whose RF component is a newly developed compact vector network analyzers. The size of the system is 30cm x 30cm x 30 cm, composed from six Vivaldi antennas and three vector network analyzers. The weight of the system is 17 kg, and it can be mounted on a robotic arm on a small unmanned vehicle. The field test of this system was carried out in March 2005 in Japan.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
• /
• 제18권2호
• /
• pp.61-83
• /
• 2012

A knowledge map describes the network of related knowledge into the form of a diagram, and therefore underpins the structure of knowledge categorizing and archiving by defining the relationship of the referential navigation between knowledge. The referential navigation between knowledge means the relationship of cross-referencing exhibited when a piece of knowledge is utilized by a user. To understand the contents of the knowledge, a user usually requires additionally information or knowledge related with each other in the relation of cause and effect. This relation can be expanded as the effective connection between knowledge increases, and finally forms the network of knowledge. A network display of knowledge using nodes and links to arrange and to represent the relationship between concepts can provide a more complex knowledge structure than a hierarchical display. Moreover, it can facilitate a user to infer through the links shown on the network. For this reason, building a knowledge map based on the ontology technology has been emphasized to formally as well as objectively describe the knowledge and its relationships. As the necessity to build a knowledge map based on the structure of the ontology has been emphasized, not a few researches have been proposed to fulfill the needs. However, most of those researches to apply the ontology to build the knowledge map just focused on formally expressing knowledge and its relationships with other knowledge to promote the possibility of knowledge reuse. Although many types of knowledge maps based on the structure of the ontology were proposed, no researches have tried to design and implement the referential navigation-enabled knowledge map. This paper addresses a methodology to build the ontology-based knowledge map enabling the referential navigation between knowledge. The ontology-based knowledge map resulted from the proposed methodology can not only express the referential navigation between knowledge but also infer additional relationships among knowledge based on the referential relationships. The most highlighted benefits that can be delivered by applying the ontology technology to the knowledge map include; formal expression about knowledge and its relationships with others, automatic identification of the knowledge network based on the function of self-inference on the referential relationships, and automatic expansion of the knowledge-base designed to categorize and store knowledge according to the network between knowledge. To enable the referential navigation between knowledge included in the knowledge map, and therefore to form the knowledge map in the format of a network, the ontology must describe knowledge according to the relation with the process and task. A process is composed of component tasks, while a task is activated after any required knowledge is inputted. Since the relation of cause and effect between knowledge can be inherently determined by the sequence of tasks, the referential relationship between knowledge can be circuitously implemented if the knowledge is modeled to be one of input or output of each task. To describe the knowledge with respect to related process and task, the Protege-OWL, an editor that enables users to build ontologies for the Semantic Web, is used. An OWL ontology-based knowledge map includes descriptions of classes (process, task, and knowledge), properties (relationships between process and task, task and knowledge), and their instances. Given such an ontology, the OWL formal semantics specifies how to derive its logical consequences, i.e. facts not literally present in the ontology, but entailed by the semantics. Therefore a knowledge network can be automatically formulated based on the defined relationships, and the referential navigation between knowledge is enabled. To verify the validity of the proposed concepts, two real business process-oriented knowledge maps are exemplified: the knowledge map of the process of 'Business Trip Application' and 'Purchase Management'. By applying the 'DL-Query' provided by the Protege-OWL as a plug-in module, the performance of the implemented ontology-based knowledge map has been examined. Two kinds of queries to check whether the knowledge is networked with respect to the referential relations as well as the ontology-based knowledge network can infer further facts that are not literally described were tested. The test results show that not only the referential navigation between knowledge has been correctly realized, but also the additional inference has been accurately performed.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국균학회 2018년도 춘계학술대회 및 임시총회
• /
• pp.27-27
• /
• 2018

The production scale of mushroom cultivation in Korea is approximately 600 billion won, which is 1.6% of the Korean gross agricultural output. Annually, ca. 190,000 tons of mushrooms are harvested in Korea. Although the numbers of mushroom farms and cultivators are constantly decreasing, the total mushroom yields are increasing due to the large-scale cultivation facilities and automation. The recent expansion of the well-being trend causes increase in mushroom consumption in Korea: annual per capita consumption of mushroom was 3.9kg ('13) that is a little higher than European's average. Thus the exports of mushrooms, mainly Flammulina velutipes and Pleurotus ostreatus, have been increased since the middle of 2000s. Recently, however, it is slightly reduced. However, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the United States, the Netherlands and continued to export, and the country has increased recently been exported to Australia, Canada, Southeast Asia and so on. Canned foods of Agaricus bisporus was the first exports of the Korean mushroom industry. This business has reached the peak of the sale in 1977-1978. As Korea initiated trade with China in 1980, the international prices of mushrooms were sharply fall that led to shrink the domestic markets. According to the high demand to develop new items to substitute for A. bisporus, oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) was received the attention since it seems to suit the taste of Korean consumers. Although log cultivation technique was developed in the early 1970s for oyster mushroom, this method requires a great deal of labor. Thus we developed shelf cultivation technique which is easier to manage and allows the mass production. In this technique, the growing shelf is manly made from fermented rice straw, that is the unique P. ostreatus medium in the world, was used only in South Korea. After then, the use of cotton wastes as an additional material of medium, the productivity. Currently it is developing a standard cultivation techniques and environmental control system that can stably produce mushrooms throughout the year. The increase of oyster mushroom production may activate the domestic market and contribute to the industrial development. In addition, oyster mushroom production technology has a role in forming the basis of the development of bottle cultivation. Developed mushroom cultivation technology using bottles made possible the mass production. In particular, bottle cultivation method using a liquid spawn can be an opportunity to export the F.velutipes and P.eryngii. In addition, the white varieties of F.velutipes were second developed in the world after Japan. We also developed the new A.bisporus cultivar "Sae-ah" that is easy to grown in Korea. To lead the mushroom industry, we will continue to develop the cultivars with an international competitive power and to improve the cultivation techniques. Mushroom research in Korea nowadays focuses on analysis of mushroom genetics in combination with development of new mushroom varieties, mushroom physiology and cultivation. Further studied are environmental factors for cultivation, disease control, development and utilization of mushroom substrate resources, post-harvest management and improvement of marketable traits. Finally, the RDA manages the collection, classification, identification and preservation of mushroom resources. To keep up with the increasing application of biotechnology in agricultural research the genome project of various mushrooms and the draft of the genetic map has just been completed. A broad range of future studies based on this project is anticipated. The mushroom industry in Korea continually grows and its productivity rapidly increases through the development of new mushrooms cultivars and automated plastic bottle cultivation. Consumption of medicinal mushrooms like Ganoderma lucidum and Phellinus linteus is also increasing strongly. Recently, business of edible and medicinal mushrooms was suffering under over-production and problems in distribution. Fortunately, expansion of the mushroom export helped ease the negative effects for the mushroom industry.