• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.343-349
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• 2004

Electroglottograph(EGG) is a signal recorded from the vocal cord vibration by measuring electrical impedance across the vocal folds through the neck skin. The purpose of this study was to develop EGG system and to evaluate possibility for the application on speech analysis and laryngeal disease diagnosis. EGG system was composed of two pairs of ring electrodes, tuned amplifier, phase sensitive detector, low pass filter, and auto-gain controller. It was designed to extract electric impedance after detecting by amplitude modulation method with 2.7MHz carrier signal. Extracted signals were transmitted through line-in of PC sound card, sampled and quantized. Closed Quotient(CQ), Speed Quotient(SQ), Speed Index(SI), fundamental frequency of vocal cord vibration(F0), pitch variability of vocal fold vibration (Jitter), and peak-to-peak amplitude variability of vocal fold vibration(Shimmer) were analyzed as EGG parameters. Experimental results were as follows: the faster vocal fold vibration, the higher values in CQ parameter and the lower values in SQ and SI parameters. EGG and speech signals had the same fundamental frequency. CQ, SQ, and SI were significantly different between normal subjects and patients with laryngeal cancer. These results suggest that it is possible to implement portable EGG system to monitor the function of vocal cord and to test functional changes of the glottis.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2009

This paper describes the non-stringed guitar composed of laser strings, frets, sound synthesis algorithm and a processor. The laser strings that can depict stroke and playing arpeggios comprise laser modules and photo diodes. Frets are implemented by voltage divider. The guitar body does not need to implement physically because commuted waveguide synthesis is used. The proposed frets enable; players to represent all of chords by the chord glove as well as guitar solo. Sliding, hammering-on and pulling-off sounds are synthesized by using parameters from the voltage divider. Because the pitch shifting corresponds to the time-varying propagation speed in the digital waveguide model, the proposed model can synthesize vibrato as well. After transformation of signals from the laser strings and frets into parameters for synthesis algorithm, the digital signal processor, TMS320F2812, performs the real-time synthesis algorithm and communicates with the DAC. The demonstration movieclip available via the Internet shows one to play a song, 'Arirang', synthesized by proposed algorithm and interfaces in real-time. Consequently, we can conclude that the proposed synthesis algorithm is efficient in guitar solo and there is no problem to play the non-stringed guitar in real-time.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.368-377
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• 2024

Background: Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory disease that leads to airway inflammation, destruction, and airflow limitation, which reflects its severity. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a non-invasive method that uses sound waves to estimate lung function and airway resistance. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of IOS in predicting the severity of bronchiectasis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the IOS parameters and clinical characteristics in 145 patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis between March 2020 and May 2021. Disease severity was evaluated using the FACED score, and patients were divided into mild and moderate/severe groups. Results: Forty-four patients (30.3%) were in the moderate/severe group, and 101 (69.7%) were in the mild group. Patients with moderate/severe bronchiectasis had a higher airway resistance at 5 Hz (R5), a higher difference between the resistance at 5 and 20 Hz (R5-R20), a higher resonant frequency (Fres), and a higher area of reactance (AX) than patients with mild bronchiectasis. R5 ≥0.43, resistance at 20 Hz (R20) ≥0.234, R5-R20 ≥28.3, AX ≥1.02, reactance at 5 Hz (X5) ≤-0.238, and Fres ≥20.88 revealed significant univariable relationships with bronchiectasis severity (p<0.05). Among these, only X5 ≤-0.238 exhibited a significant multivariable relationship with bronchiectasis severity (p=0.039). The receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting moderate-to-severe bronchiectasis of FACED score based on IOS parameters exhibited an area under the curve of 0.809. Conclusion: The IOS assessed by the disease severity of FACED score can effectively reflect airway resistance and elasticity in bronchiectasis patients and serve as valuable tools for predicting bronchiectasis severity.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.853-860
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• 2007

In this modern era, human beings lead their life in complex environment where there are lots of parameters such as temperature, light, smell, sound, visual stimulus etc. that play important role for quality life. These parameters affect physical and mental behavior of a human being immensely. To ensure quality life the demand for quality products is always associated with human emotion and sensibility. Due to human sensibility and emotion involvement with quality life, the design stages of any kind of product must include some certain features related with emotion and sensibility. The cues for optimizing artificial environment are the physiological responses of human in that environment. The conventional approach of environmental physiology is to measure the relationship between environmental physical parameters and human psychological parameters under artificial conditions. Using that approach we tried to design an artificial environment for our daily lives and activities associated with both physiological and psychological behavior. We developed the technique to present the mock environment and software to measure and evaluate sensibility physiologically or psychologically and a simulator to measure and evaluate sensibility that can be utilized for large scale industrial production and design of environment. Simulator to measure and analyze human sensibility (SMAS) was constructed, which was utilized to estimate human sensibility and to simulate living and office environment.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.165-176
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• 2011

The femoral nerve innervates the quadriceps muscles and its dermatome supplies anteromedial thigh and medial foot. Paralysis of the quadriceps muscles due to the injury of the femoral nerve results in disability of the knee joint extension and loss of sensory of the thigh. A child could walk independently even though he had injured his femoral nerve severely due to the penetrating wound in the medial thigh. We measured and analyzed his gait performance in order to find the mechanisms that enabled him to walk independently. The child was eleven-year-old boy and he could not extend his knee voluntarily at all during a month after the injury. His gait analysis was performed five times (GA1~GA5) for sixteen months. His temporal-spatial parameters were not significantly different after the GA2 or GA3 test, and significant asymmetry was not observed except the single support time in GA1 results. The Lower limb joint angles in affected side had large differences in GA1 compared with the normal normative patterns. There were little knee joint flexion and extension motion during the stance phase in GA1 The maximum ankle plantar/dorsi flexion angles and the maximum knee extension angles were different from the normal values in the sound side. Asymmetries of the joint angles were analyzed by using the peak values. Significant asymmetries were found in GA1with seven parameters (ankle: peak planter flexion angle in stance phase, range of motion; ROM, knee: peak flexion angles during both stance and swing phase, ROM, hip: peak extension angle, ROM) while only two parameters (maximum hip extension angle and ROM of hip joint) had significant differences in GA5. The mid-stance valleys were not observed in both right and left sides of vertical ground reaction force (GRF) in the GA1, GA2. The loading response peak was far larger than the terminal stance peak of vertical ground reaction curve in the affected side of the GA3, GA4, GA5. The measured joint moment curves of the GA1, GA2, GA3 had large deviations and all of kinetic results had differences with the normal patterns. EMG signals described an absence of the rectus femoris muscle activity in the GA1 and GA2 (affected side). The EMG signals were detected in the GA3 and GA4 but their patterns were not normal yet, then their normal patterns were detected in the GA5. Through these following gait analysis of a child who had selective injuries on the knee extensor muscles, we could verify the actual functions of the knee extensor muscles during gait, and we also could observe his recovery and asymmetry with quantitative data during his rehabilitation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1654-1660
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different fattening periods i.e. 25, 27 and 29 months of age (25 mo, 27 mo and 29 mo), on feed consumption, body weight gain, carcass parameters, and lipogenic gene expression in 45 Korean native steers (Hanwoo). Daily DM intake was higher in steers on 29 mo compared with those on 25 mo or 27 mo. Daily body weight gain was higher in steers on 25 mo compared with those on 27 mo or 29 mo during fattening and overall experimental periods. Therefore, feed conversion ratio was lower in 25 mo compared with 27 mo or 29 mo during the fattening and whole experimental periods. As expected, slaughter and carcass weights were higher in the order of 29 mo>27 mo>25 mo. Carcass yield grade was relatively lower in 29 mo reflecting higher back fat thickness compared with other treatments, while carcass quality grade was not largely influenced by the treatments. By investigation with an ultra-sound scanning technique, the marbling score was significantly and numerically higher in 25 mo compared with 27 mo or 29 mo. The mRNA levels of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene were gradually increased in the late fattening stages (p<0.01) and mRNA of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), ATP citrate lyase (ACL) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) gene were highly expressed in 29 mo compared with 25 mo and 27 mo (p<0.05). However, gene expressions of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were not significantly different among the treatments. Thus the present results indicated that different fattening period has no major effect on carcass characteristics, although 25 mo had a lower carcass weight compared with 27 mo or 29 mo.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.333-352
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• 2017

A comparison study is made between the dynamic properties of an argillaceous siltstone and its grouting-reinforced body. The purpose is to investigate how grout injection can help repair broken soft rocks. A slightly weathered argillaceous siltstone is selected, and part of the siltstone is mechanically crushed and cemented with Portland cement to simulate the grouting-reinforced body. Core specimens with the size of $50mm{\times}38mm$ are prepared from the original rock and the grouting-reinforced body. Impact tests on these samples are then carried out using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) apparatus. Failure patterns are analyzed and geotechnical parameters of the specimens are estimated. Based on the experimental results, for the grouting-reinforced body, its shock resistance is poorer than that of the original rock, and most cracks happen in the cementation boundaries between the cement mortar and the original rock particles. It was observed that the grouting-reinforced body ends up with more fragmented residues, most of them have larger fractal dimensions, and its dynamic strength is generally lower. The mass ratio of broken rocks to cement has a significant effect on its dynamic properties and there is an optimal ratio that the maximum dynamic peak strength can be achieved. The dynamic strain-softening behavior of the grouting-reinforced body is more significant compared with that of the original rock. Both the time dependent damage model and the modified overstress damage model are equally applicable to the original rock, but the former performs much better compared with the latter for the grouting-reinforced body. In addition, it was also shown that water content and impact velocity both have significant effect on dynamic properties of the original rock and its grouting-reinforced body. Higher water content leads to more small broken rock pieces, larger fractal dimensions, lower dynamic peak strength and smaller elastic modulus. However, the water content plays a minor role in fractal dimensions when the impact velocity is beyond a certain value. Higher impact loading rate leads to higher degree of fragmentation and larger fractal dimensions both in argillaceous siltstone and its grouting-reinforced body. These results provide a sound basis for the quantitative evaluation on how cement grouting can contribute to the repair of broken soft rocks.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.200-209
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to compare the dental health capacity of smokers and nonsmokers. This study included 9,856 adults aged 19 years or older. The data used for analysis were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey for the 6th round, 1st (2013), and 2nd round (2014). Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of complex sample survey data. The demographic characteristics and results of the comparison of the dental health capacity between smokers and nonsmokers were as follows: with regard to the tissue health (T-health) index, the sex, age, and education level were statistically significant in smokers and nonsmokers. For the functioning teeth (FS-T) index, age, income, and education levels were statistically significant in smokers, while sex, age, and education level were statistically significant in nonsmokers. In smokers, the age and education level were statistically significant for present teeth (PT), sound teeth (ST), and missing teeth (MT), while in nonsmokers, the sex, age, and education level were statistically significant for the same parameters (p<0.05). A comparison of the dental health capacity between smokers and nonsmokers yielded the following findings: the T-health index was higher in smokers, while the FS-T index was higher in nonsmokers. PT and ST were higher in nonsmokers (p<0.05). The results of this study show that the dental health capacity of nonsmokers was higher than that of smokers. Therefore, a clear difference was observed in the dental health capacity of smokers and nonsmokers. The results of this study can provide objective data for nonsmoking treatment.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2001

Up to now single large cavern was excavated for each undergroud hydraulic powerhouse in Korea. But the Yangyang underground hydraulic powerhouse consists of two large caverns; a powerhouse cavern and main transformer cavern. In this carte, the structural stability of the caverns, especially the rock pillar formed between two large caverns, should be guaranteed to be sound to make the caverns permanently sustainable. In this research, the Distinct Element Method(DEM) was used to analyze the structural stability of two caverns and the rock pillar. The Barton-Bandis joint model was used as a constitutive model. The moot significant parameters such as in-site stress, JRC of in-situ natural joints, and spatial distribution characteristics of discontinuities were acquired through field investigation. In addition, two different cases; 1) with no support system and 2) with a support system, were analysed to optimize a support system and to investigate reinforcing effects of a support system. The results of analysis horizontal displacement and joint shear displacement proved to be reduced with the support system. The relaxed zone in the rock pilar also proved to be reduced in conjunction with the support system. Having a support system in place provided the fact that the non zero minimum principal stresses were still acting in the rock pillar so that the pillar was not under uniaxial compressive condition but under triaxial compressive condition. The structural stability f an approximately 36 m wide rock pillar between two large caverns was assured with the appropriate support system.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.79-84
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• 2010

Formation of TSV (Through-Si-Via) with an Au seed layer and Cu filling to the via, simplification of bumping process for three dimensional stacking of Si dice were investigated. In order to produce the via holes, the Si wafer was etched by a DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching) process using $SF_6$ and $C_4F_8$ plasmas alternately. The vias were 40 ${\mu}m$ in diameter, 80 ${\mu}m$ in depth, and were produced by etching for 1.92 ks. On the via side wall, a dielectric layer of $SiO_2$ was formed by thermal oxidation, and an adhesion layer of Ti, and a seed layer of Au were applied by sputtering. Electroplating with pulsed DC was applied to fill the via holes with Cu. The plating condition was at a forward pulse current density of 1000 mA/$dm^2$ for 5 s and a reverse pulse current density of 190 mA/$dm^2$ for 25 s. By using these parameters, sound Cu filling was obtained in the vias with a total plating time of 57.6 ks. Sn bumping was performed on the Cu plugs without lithography process. The bumps were produced on the Si die successfully by the simplified process without serious defect.