• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.375-392
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• 2021

Purpose: Regional gaps and conflicts between regions due to Korea's economic development and industrialization have become important issues, and the issue of balanced regional development at regional level has been discussed as the size of the region has increased recently. Although evaluation of regional balance was attempted through various regional balanced development indexes, it is inappropriate as a standard for determining regional balance in Seoul. Therefore, this study aims to develop objective evaluation methodologies and evaluation indicators for balanced development of administrative districts in Seoul, not existing city and national units. Methods: We looked at existing regional balanced development indexes, and suggested a new regional balanced index reflecting regional development, backwardness, and spatial characteristics in Seoul using factor analysis. Results: As a result of factor analysis, the regional balanced development index for administrative districts and administrative dongs consists of two factors (regional revitalization, financial power) and three factors (commercial density, social security demand, regional retardness), respectively. Then the regional balanced development index scores for 116 administrative districts and 423 administrative dongs are calculated by multiplying each factor by a weight obtained through experts' survey. Conclusion: The proposed regional balanced development index can be used as an objective and quantitative basis for regional balanced development within a city. Further research may include continuously adding new indicators that reflect the direction and scale of development.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.79-92
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• 2019

In this paper, we propose a method to determine whether to install the accommodation facility of the multi-utility tunnel more effectively in the basic planning phase, and to set up an evaluation system to determine the configuration and kind of accommodation facility. For the configuration of the accommodation facility, 98 alternatives were analyzed for 7 accommodation facility. For the evaluation system of the accommodation facility, index related to feasibility and economic in basic planning phase were selected. The evaluation system classified as spatial, effective, and cost evaluation was presented reflecting the selected index, and AHP analysis was performed for weight setting. The results of this study will be helpful for users including designers to shorten the time and increase the efficiency in the process of determining accommodation facility of the multi-utility tunnel in basic planning phase.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.49-60
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• 2019

Background: After stroke, in order to improve gait function, it is necessary to increase the muscle strength and to enhance the propriocetive function of the lower extremity. Objects: This study aimed to compare the effects of open kinetic chain (OKC) versus closed kinetic chain (CKC) isokinetic exercise of the hemiparetic knee using the isokinetic equipment on lower extremity sensorimotor function and gait ability in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Thirty participants with chronic hemiplegia (> 6 months post-stroke) were randomly divided into 2 equal groups: CKC group and OKC group. Patients from both groups attended conventional physiotherapy sessions 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Additionally, subjects from the CKC group performed isokinetic exercise using the CKC attachment, while those from the OKC group performed isokinetic exercise using the OKC attachment. The isokinetic knee and ankle muscles strength, position sense of the knee joint, and spatiotemporal gait parameters were measured before and after interventions. Results: The knee muscles peak torque/body weight (PT/BW) and hamstring/quadriceps (H/Q) ratio significantly increased in both groups (p<.01). In particular, ankle plantarflexors PT/BW, position sense of the knee, gait velocity, and spatial gait symmetry significantly improved in the CKC group (p<.01, p<.05, p<.01, and p<.01, respectively). Conclusion: CKC isokinetic exercise can be an effective therapeutic intervention for the improvement of sensorimotor function of the lower extremity and gait functions, such as gait velocity and symmetry. CKC position in isokinetic strength training is effective to improve functional ability in patients with chronic stroke.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1625-1631
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• 2020

With the development of IoT technology, various digital equipment is being spread, and accordingly, the importance of data processing is increasing. The importance of data processing is increasing as it greatly affects the reliability of equipment, and various studies are being conducted. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to remove AWGN according to the characteristics of the fuzzy membership function. The proposed algorithm calculates the estimated value according to the correlation between the value of the fuzzy membership function between the input image and the pixel value inside the filtering mask, and obtains the final output by adding or subtracting the output of the spatial weight filter. In order to evaluate the proposed algorithm, it was simulated with existing AWGN removal algorithms, and analyzed using difference image and PSNR comparison. The proposed algorithm minimizes the effect of noise, preserves the important characteristics of the image, and shows the performance of efficiently removing noise.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.481-487
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• 2020

Radiation measurement technology has steadily improved and its usage is expanding in various industries such as nuclear medicine, security search, satellite, nondestructive testing, environmental industries and the domain of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Especially, the simultaneous measurements of gamma rays and neutrons can be even more critical for nuclear safety management of spent nuclear fuel and monitoring of the nuclear material. A semiconductor detector comprising cadmium, zinc, and tellurium (CZT) enables to detect gamma-rays due to the significant atomic weight of the elements via immediate neutron and gamma-ray detection. Semiconductor sensors might be used for nuclear safety management by monitoring nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuel with high spatial resolution as well as providing real-time measurements. We aim to introduce a portable nuclide-analysis device that enables the simultaneous measurements of neutrons and gamma rays using a CZT sensor. The detector has a high density and wide energy band gap, and thus exhibits highly sensitive physical characteristics and characteristics are required for performing neutron and gamma-ray detection. Portable nuclide-analysis device is used on NPP-decommissioning sites or the purpose of nuclear nonproliferation, it will rapidly detect the nuclear material and provide radioactive-material information. Eventually, portable nuclide-analysis device can reduce measurement time and economic costs by providing a basis for rational decision making.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2022

Objectives: Access to maternal and neonatal care services (MNCS) is an important goal of health policy in developing countries. In this study, we proposed a 3-level hierarchical location-allocation model to maximize the coverage of MNCS providers in Iran. Methods: First, the necessary criteria for designing an MNCS network were explored. Birth data, including gestational age and birth weight, were collected from the data bank of the Iranian Maternal and Neonatal Network national registry based on 3 service levels (I, II, and III). Vehicular travel times between the points of demand and MNCS providers were considered. Alternative MNCS were mapped in some cities to reduce access difficulties. Results: It was found that 130, 121, and 86 MNCS providers were needed to respond to level I, II, and III demands, respectively, in 373 cities. Service level III was not available in 39 cities within the determined travel time, which led to an increased average travel time of 173 minutes to the nearest MNCS provider. Conclusions: This study revealed inequalities in the distribution of MNCS providers. Management of the distribution of MNCS providers can be used to enhance spatial access to health services and reduce the risk of neonatal mortality and morbidity. This method may provide a sustainable healthcare solution at the policy and decision-making level for regional, or even universal, healthcare networks.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.275-291
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• 2023

This paper has focused on presenting vibration analysis of trapezoidal sandwich plates with 3D-graphene foam reinforced polymer matrix composites (GrF-PMC) core and FG wavy CNT-reinforced face sheets. The porous graphene foam possessing 3D scaffold structures has been introduced into polymers for enhancing the overall stiffness of the composite structure. Also, 3D graphene foams can distribute uniformly or non-uniformly in the plate thickness direction. The effective Young's modulus, mass density and Poisson's ratio are predicted by the rule of mixture. In this study, the classical theory concerning the mechanical efficiency of a matrix embedding finite length fibers has been modified by introducing the tube-to-tube random contact, which explicitly accounts for the progressive reduction of the tubes' effective aspect ratio as the filler content increases. The First-order shear deformation theory of plate is utilized to establish governing partial differential equations and boundary conditions for trapezoidal plate. The governing equations together with related boundary conditions are discretized using a mapping-generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) method in spatial domain. Then natural frequencies of the trapezoidal sandwich plates are obtained using GDQ method. Validity of the current study is evaluated by comparing its numerical results with those available in the literature. It is explicated that 3D-GrF skeleton type and weight fraction, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) waviness and CNT aspect ratio can significantly affect the vibrational behavior of the sandwich structure. The plate's normalized natural frequency decreased and the straight carbon nanotube (w=0) reached the highest frequency by increasing the values of the waviness index (w).

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.214-225
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• 2022

Background: The conventional cerium-doped Gd₂Al₂Ga₃O₁₂ (GAGG(Ce)) scintillator-based gamma-ray imager has a bulky detector, which can lead to incorrect positioning of the gammaray source if the shielding against background radiation is not appropriately designed. In addition, portability is important in complex environments such as inside nuclear power plants, yet existing gamma-ray imager based on a tungsten mask tends to be weighty and therefore difficult to handle. Motivated by the need to develop a system that is not sensitive to background radiation and is portable, we changed the material of the scintillator and the coded aperture. Materials and Methods: The existing GAGG(Ce) was replaced with Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂ (BGO), a scintillator with high gamma-ray detection efficiency but low energy resolution, and replaced the tungsten (W) used in the existing coded aperture with lead (Pb). Each BGO scintillator is pixelated with 144 elements (12 × 12), and each pixel has an area of 4 mm × 4 mm and the scintillator thickness ranges from 5 to 20 mm (5, 10, and 20 mm). A coded aperture consisting of Pb with a thickness of 20 mm was applied to the BGO scintillators of all thicknesses. Results and Discussion: Spectroscopic characterization, imaging performance, and image quality evaluation revealed the 10 mm-thick BGO scintillators enabled the portable gamma-ray imager to deliver optimal performance. Although its performance is slightly inferior to that of existing GAGG(Ce)-based gamma-ray imager, the results confirmed that the manufacturing cost and the system's overall weight can be reduced. Conclusion: Despite the spectral characteristics, imaging system performance, and image quality is slightly lower than that of GAGG(Ce), the results show that BGO scintillators are preferable for gamma-ray imaging systems in terms of cost and ease of deployment, and the proposed design is well worth applying to systems intended for use in areas that do not require high precision.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.145-155
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• 2023

A radial combiner with high efficiency characteristics in the X-band was designed and manufactured using a waveguide and matching structure. In particular, in order to manufacture it in a small size, a dual waveguide to coaxial transition structure was applied that allows two ports to be matched to one waveguide. Applying this structure makes it possible to manufacture smaller than typical coaxial to waveguide radial combiner. As a result of measurement in the X-band band of 9.2~10GHz, the return loss was less than -18.408dB and the output insertion loss was less than 0.206dB, and the output combining efficiency was obtained as high as 95.37% or more. It is expected that it can be used in the combining part for high output transmitters in the millimeter wave band in the future. In particular, the range of use is expected to increase by reducing the size and weight.

• Atmosphere
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.531-548
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• 2023

We developed the Aviation Convective Index (ACI) for predicting deep convective area using the operational global Numerical Weather Prediction model of the Korea Meteorological Administration. Seasonally optimized ACI (ACI_SnOpt) was developed to consider seasonal variabilities on deep convections in Korea. Yearly optimized ACI (ACI_YrOpt) in Part 1 showed that seasonally averaged values of Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) and True Skill Statistics (TSS) were decreased by 0.420% and 5.797%, respectively, due to the significant degradation in winter season. In Part 2, we developed new membership function (MF) and weight combination of input variables in the ACI algorithm, which were optimized in each season. Finally, the seasonally optimized ACI (ACI_SnOpt) showed better performance skills with the significant improvements in AUC and TSS by 0.983% and 25.641% respectively, compared with those from the ACI_YrOpt. To confirm the improvements in new algorithm, we also conducted two case studies in winter and spring with observed Convectively-Induced Turbulence (CIT) events from the aircraft data. In these cases, the ACI_SnOpt predicted a better spatial distribution and intensity of deep convection. Enhancements in the forecast fields from the ACI_YrOpt to ACI_SnOpt in the selected cases explained well the changes in overall performance skills of the probability of detection for both "yes" and "no" occurrences of deep convection during 1-yr period of the data. These results imply that the ACI forecast should be optimized seasonally to take into account the variabilities in the background conditions for deep convections in Korea.