• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.22-29
• /
• 2007

1. Objectives Sasang Contitutional Medicine, a part of the traditional Korean medical lore, treats illness through a constitutional typing system that categorizespeople into four constitutional types. A few of the important criteria for differentiating the constitutional types are external appearances, inner state of mind, and pathological patterns. We had been developing a 3D Automatic Face Recognition Apparatus (3D-AFRA) in order to evaluate the external appearances with more objectivity. This apparatus provides a 3D image and numerical data on facial configuration, and this study aims to evaluate the mechanical accuracy of the 3D-AFRA hardware. 2. Methods Several objects of different shapes (cube, cylinder, cone, pyramid) were each scanned 10 times using the 3D Automatic Face Recognition Apparatus (3D-AFRA). The results were then compared and analyzed with data retrieved through a laser scanner known for its high accuracy. The error rates were analyzed for each grid point of facial contour scanned with Rapidform2006 (Rapidform2006 is a 3D scanning software that collects grid point data for contours of various products and products and product parts through 3D scanners and other 3D measuring devices; the grid point data thusly acquired is then used to reconstruct highly precise polygon and curvature models). 3. Results and Conclusions The average error rate was 0.22mm for the cube, 0.22mm for the cylinder, 0.125mm for the cone, and 0.172mm for the pyramid. The visual data comparing error rates for measurement figures retrieved with Rapidform2006 is shown in $Fig.3{\sim}Fig.6$. Blue tendency indicates smaller error rates, while red indicates greater error rates The protruding corners of the cube display red, indicating greater error rates. The cylinder shows greater error rates on the edges. The pyramid displays greater error rates on the base surface and around the vertex. The cone also shows greater error around the protruding edge.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.33-39
• /
• 2014

Objectives : This study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of further acupuncture research as an effective and safe treatment for reducing cancer-related upper abdominal pain in patients treated with Neurolytic celiac plexus block(NCPB). Methods : This study is a randomized controlled pilot clinical trial of 3-week duration. Fourteen patients will be recruited and randomly allocated to 2 groups: an acupuncture plus NCPB group(experimental group) and a NCPB group(control group). All patients will undergo one session of NCPB, but only the experimental group will receive three acupuncture sessions a week for 2 weeks(6 in total). The primary outcome will be measured using the visual analogue scale, and the secondary outcome will be measured using the Painvision system and the consumption of additional analgesics. Assessments will be made at baseline and at 1, 2, and 3 weeks thereafter(that is, the 3-week assessment will be made 1 week after treatment cessation). Conclusions : This clinical trial will inform the design of a full-scale trial. The outcomes will provide information to facilitate the incorporation of acupuncture into existing pain management methods such as NCPB in the treatment of cancer-related upper abdominal pain patients.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2012

Purpose : We aim at presenting the optimum radiologic factor through the evaluation of dose variation and of image quality through the use of a grid in Humerus examination and the change of dose because of the change of radiologic factor. Materials and Methods : We divided it in 3 cases: when using a grid or not and when using IP(Image Plate) in a digital system. Also, as fixing kVp to 70kVp it changed mAs, and fixing mAs to 10 it changed kVp, we put up resolution chart and Burger rose phantom on the acrylic phantom of 7cm (the same level of Humerus) to evaluate the dose and image. We used Image J program to evaluate the quantitative resolution of the obtained image, and made the qualitative evaluation and statistical analysis of the image saved in PACS for 20 radiologic technologist with more than 10 years of experience in order of evaluate its contrast. We used SPSS10(SPSS Inc. Chicago, Illinois) for statistical analysis. Results : We observed the analytic result of resolution by the change of kVp that it was $4.539dGycm^2$ in 60kVp and $757.472dGycm^2$ in 75kVp, which increased about 64.6% of dose, while for the resolution it had the pixel value 30.7% better with 851 in 60kVp than 651 in 75kVp. Also, we analyzed the result of resolution by the change of mAs that it was $3.106dGycm^2$ in 5mAs, and $12.470dGycm^2$ in 20mAs, which increased about 400% of dose, while for the resolution DR had 678 in 5mAs, and 724 in 20mAs that increased about 6.8% of resolution. We made the qualitative evaluation of contrast by the change of kVp that DR showed the higher quality than CR, but the contrast by the change of kVp had no special different at the moment of visual evaluation, nor statistically significant difference(P>0.05). We observed the qualitative evaluation of contraste by the change of mAs that the contrast increased as DR increased mAs, and had statistically significant difference(P<0.05). On the other hand, CR had no significant difference for more than 10mAs nor statistically significant difference(P>0.05). Conclusion : In case of some patients with radiographic exposure by the repeated examination such as emergent patient or Follow up patient, they are considered to try to limit the use of a grid, to set kVp under 65kVp in fixed mode, to select less than 10mAs and to reduce the possibility of patient being bombed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.132-138
• /
• 2009

The energy efficiency and environment-friendly aspect of the railway system would be superior to other on-land transportation systems. In a preliminary feasibility study stage and selection of optimal railway corridor, the energy efficiency and problems related to environment are usually not considered. For the selection of optimal railway corridor, geographical features and facility of management are generally considered. Environment effect factors for the selection of environment-friendly railway corridor are focused and studied in this paper. In this study, various analysis of opinion of specialists (railway, environment, transport, urban planning, survey) and the guideline for construction of environment-friendly railway were accomplished. From these results of various analysis, 7 major categories (topography/geology, flora and fauna, Nature Property, air quality, water quality, noise/vibration, visual impact/cultural assets) were extracted. To select environment friendly railway corridors, many alternatives should be compared optimal corridor must be selected by a comprehensive assessment considering these 7 categories. The investment for railway systems can be encouraged by the considering of main environmental effect factor evaluated with the modified environmental weight factors for environment-friendly railway construction.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.63-70
• /
• 2010

Two feeding experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary genetically modified (GM) soya and com on growth performance, feed utilization and body composition of juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus and rockfish, Sebastes schlegelii. For each fish species, four isonitrogenous (50% crude protein) and isocaloric (4.1 kcal/g) diets (designated as nGM soya, GM soya, nGM com and GM com) were formulated to contain 20% non-GM (nGM) and GM soya and com. Thirty olive flounder (initial body weight, 15.4${\pm}$0.4 g) and fifty rockfish (initial body weight, 3.1${\pm}$0.02 g) were distributed in each 400 L tank (200 L water) in a flow through system. Each experimental diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish to visual satiation, twice a day (9:00 hand 17:00 h) for 6 weeks. Growth performance was measured every three weeks. No effects of GM feedstuffs on survival were observed. Dietary inclusion of GM feedstuffs did not affect growth performance and feed utilization of fishes, except for rockfish fed GM com. Rockfish fed the GM com diet showed higher weight gain, daily feed intake and daily protein intake than did fish fed the nGM com diet, but no significant differences were observed in final body weight between the dietary treatments. Condition factor, hepatosomatic index, visceral somatic index and body composition were not altered by the inclusion of GM feedstuffs. These results indicate that dietary inclusion of GM soya and com could have no effects on growth performance and feed utilization of juvenile flounder and rockfish. Lower weight gain and feed intake in flounder and rockfish fed the diets containing 20% soya were likely due to anti-nutritional factors, rather than transgenic factors in the feedstuffs. Dietary inclusion of GM soya and com at the level tested did not alter the body composition of fishes. Further studies to investigate the effects of GM feedstuffs on health conditions and the development of fishes, as well as those of residue of transgenic fragments in ambient environments and in animals are necessary for safe use of the ingredients in aquaculture.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics S
• /
• v.36S no.1
• /
• pp.70-80
• /
• 1999

In this paper, a new hierarchical image segmentation algorithm based on human visual system(HVS) characteristic is proposed which can efficiently reduce and control transmission information quantity without the degradation of the subjective and objective image quality. It consists of image segmentation based on mathematical morphology and region merging considering HVS characteristic for the pairs of two adjacent regions at each level of the hierarchy. Image segmentation is composed of 3-level hierarchical structure. In the region merging structure of each level, we extract the pairs of two adjacent regions which human vision can't discriminate, and then merge them. The proposed region merging method extracts pairs of two neighbor regions to be merged and performs region merging according to merging priority based on HVS characteristics. The merging priority for each adjacent pair is determined by the proposed merging priority function(MPF). First of all, the highest priority pair is merged. The information control factor is used to regulate the transmission information at each level. The proposed segmentation algorithm can efficiently improve bottleneck problem caused by excessive contour information at region-based very low bit rate coding. And it shows that it is more flexible structure than that of conventional method. In experimental results, though PSNR and the subjective image quality by the proposed algorithm is similar to that of conventional method, the contour information quantity to be transmitted is reduced considerably. Therefore it is an efficient image segmentation algorithm for region-based very low bit rate coding.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2011

In this paper, we propose the digital image enhancement method including local tone reproduction and preservation of the hue. In recent studies, an integrated multi-scale retinex (IMSR) has produced great naturalness in the resulting images through enhancement of visibility in dark area in input images. However, most methods, including IMSR, work in RGB color spaces. As such, this produces hue distortion from the perspective of the human visual system, that is, hue distortion in CIELAB color space. Accordingly, this paper proposes an tone reproduction and enhancement of saturation method in a device-independent color space, CIELAB, to preserve the hue and obtain a high contrast and naturalness. First, to achieve the desired objectives, the IMSR is then applied to only the $L^*$ values in CIELAB color space, normalization, and simple mapping function, thereby preserving the balance of the color components and enhancement of visibility. Then, saturation adjustment is performed by applying the ratio of the chroma variation at the sRGB gamut boundary according to the corrected luminance. In experiments, the proposed method is shown to improve the visibility in dark shadows and bright regions in the resulting images and reduce any color distortion then preference test are performed.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.152-157
• /
• 2016

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of shortening scarf osteotomy on pain relief and range of motion (ROM) of the first metatarsophalangeal joint in hallux rigidus patients. Materials and Methods: Twenty-three cases of 19 patients who had been treated with shortening scarf osteotomy for the hallux rigidus between January 2007 and December 2013 were reviewed. The mean follow-up period was 21.4 months, and the mean age was 59.2 years. The first metatarsal bone was shortened until the ROM of the first metatarsophalangeal joint was greater than $80^{\circ}$ or $40^{\circ}$ of dorsiflexion. The length shortened by scarf osteotomy was measured. The authors also measured and compared the joint interval difference of the standing foot using an anteroposterior radiography. Moreover, the difference of ROM of the first metatarsophalangeal joint between the preoperative and final follow-up periods was also compared. The clinical results were evaluated and compared using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scoring system and visual analogue scale (VAS) score. Results: The mean shortening length was about 6.5 mm (range, 4~9 mm). The joint space has been increased to 1.8 mm, and the ROM of the first metatarsophalangeal joint has also been increased to $18.4^{\circ}$ after the operation. In three cases, the postoperative ROM has been decreased to less $10^{\circ}$. The AOFAS score has been improved from 41.7 (range, 32~55) to 86.2 (range, 65~95), and the VAS score was also decreased from 3.7 (range, 3~5) to 1.3 (range, 0~3). Two cases have shown no decrease in pain even after the operation. Conclusion: Shortening scarf osteotomy was found to decrease joint pain by decompressing the pressure of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. This osteotomy also helped improve the ROM of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Shortening scarf osteotomy can be considered one of the effective methods for joint preservation.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.763-770
• /
• 1997

The air abrasive technique is a non-mechanical method by which teeth are treated before restoration and stains and calculi are removed from tooth surfaces using the kinetic energy of small particles. The air abrasive technique in dentistry was first introduced in the 1950's with as instrument called 'Airdent'. But, as the main restorative materials of the period were amalgam and gold, and the instrument's inability to control the flow of particles caused the particles to be spread throughout the clinics, widespread use was not possible. In the 1990's, as these techincal problems were solved and more interest in new restorative materials rose in an effort to preserve sound tooth structure, new developements took place in instruments related to the air abrasive technique. The air abrasive technique produces less pressure, vibration and heat that might cause patient discomfort and facilitates the preservation of sound tooth structure. It also reduces the need for anesthesia and is less harmful to the pulp. Other advantages include increase in dentin bonding strength of composite resin, lower possibility of saliva contamination and maintenance of a dry field. But there is not direct contact between the nozzle and the tooth, the operator cannot use his or her tactile sense and must rely solely upon visual input. Other disadvantages are: the tooth preparation depends on the operator's ability; alpha-alumina particles, after bouncing off the tooth surface, cause damage to dental mirrors; the equipment is expensive and takes up a certain amount of space in the clinic. The author conducted case report using the air abrasive technique on patient visiting the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Seoul National University Dental Hospital and arrived at the following conclusions. 1. The tooth preparation capability of different air abrasive devices varied widely among manufacturers. 2. It was more effective in treating early caries lesions and stains compared to lesions where caries had already progressed to produce soft dentin. 3. The cold stream and noise caused by the evacuation system was a major cause of discomfort to pediatric patients. 4. As there is no direct contact with tooth surface when using the air abrasive technique for tooth preparation, considerable experience and skill is required for proper tooth preparation.

• Journal of the HCI Society of Korea
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.35-42
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability of the tablet PC-based Korean high-tech AAC(Augmentative Alternative Communication System) software. In order to develop an AAC software which is appropriate to Korean cultural/linguistic contexts and communication needs of the users, we examined the necessity and ease of use for the communication functions that are required in native Korean communication, such as polite expressions, tense expressions, negative expressions, subject-verb auto-matching, and automatic sentence generation functions, using a scenario-based user testing. We also investigated the users' needs, preferences, and satisfaction for the tablet PC-based Korean high tech AAC using a semi-structured and open questionnaires. The participants of this study were 9 special education teachers, 6 speech therapists, and 6 parents whose children had communication disabilities. The results of the usability testing of the tablet PC-based Korean high-tech AAC software presented positive responses in general, by indicating overall scores of above 4 out of 5 except in tense and negative expressions. The necessity and ease of use in the tense and negative expressions were evaluated relatively low, and it might be related to the inconsistent interface with the polite expressions. In terms of the user interface(UI), there were users' needs for clear visual feedback in the symbol selection and display, consistent interface for all functions, more natural subject-verb auto-matching, and spacing in the text within symbols. The results of the usability testing and users' feedback might serve as a guideline to compensate and improve the function and UI of the existing AAC software.