• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.399-407
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• 2010

The horizontal response spectra using the observed ground motions from the recent more than 19 macro earthquakes were analysed and then were compared to both the seismic design response spectra (Reg Guide 1.60), applied to the domestic nuclear power plants, and the Korean Standard Design Response Spectrum for general structures and buildings (1997). 130 horizontal ground motions, without considering soil types, were used for normalization with respect to the peak acceleration value of each ground motion. The results showed that response spectrum have strong dependency on epicentral distance. The results also showed that the horizontal response spectra revealed much higher values for frequency bands above 5 Hz than Reg. Guide (1.60). The results were also compared to the Korean Standard Response Spectrum for the 3 different soil types and showed that the vertical response spectra revealed much higher values for the frequency bands below 0.3 second than the Korean Standard Response Spectrum (SD soil condition). These spectral values dependent on frequency could be related to characteristics of the domestic crustal attenuation and the effect of each site amplification. However, through the qualitative improvements and quantitative enhancement of the observed ground motions, the conservation of horizontal seismic design response spectrum should be considered more significantly for the frequency bands above 5 Hz.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.15-15
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• 2011

The radar observation system in Japan is operated by two governmental groups: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan. The JMA radar observation network is comprised of 20 C-band radars (with a wavelength of 5.6 cm), which cover most of the Japan Islands and observe rainfall intensity and distribution. And the MLIT's radar observation system is composed of 26 C-band radars throughout Japan. The observed radar echo from each radar unit is first modified, and then sent to the National Bureau of Synthesis Process within the MLIT. Through several steps for homogenizing observation accuracy, including distance and elevation correction, synthesized rainfall intensity maps for the entire nation of Japan are generated every 5 minutes. The MLIT has recently launched a new radar observation network system designed for flash flood observation and forecasting in small river basins within urban areas. It is called the X-band multi parameter radar network, and is distinguished by its dual polarimetric wave pulses of short length (3cm). Attenuation problems resulting from the short wave length of radar echo are strengthened by polarimetric wavelengths and very dense radar networks. Currently, the network is established within four areas. Each area is observed using 3-4 X-band radars with very fine resolution in spatial (250 m) and temporal (1 minute intervals). This study provides a series of utilization procedures for the new input data into a real-time forecasting system. First of all, the accuracy of the X-band radar observation was determined by comparing its results with the rainfall intensities as observed by ground gauge stations. It was also compared with conventional C-band radar observation. The rainfall information from the new radar network was then provided to a distributed hydrologic model to simulate river discharges. The simulated river discharges were evaluated again using the observed river discharge to estimate the applicability of the new observation network in the context of operations regarding flood forecasting. It was able to determine that the newly equipped X-band polarimetric radar network shows somewhat improved observation accuracy compared to conventional C-band radar observation. However, it has a tendency to underestimate the rainfall, and the accuracy is not always superior to that of the C-band radar. The accuracy evaluation of the X-band radar observation in this study was conducted using only limited rainfall events, and more cases should be examined for developing a broader understanding of the general behavior of the X-band radar and for improving observation accuracy.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.34-39
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• 2018

In this paper, the architecture of a safe stove with an automatic fire suppression function using a sound wave fire extinguisher has been proposed and developed for the first time. A microcontroller connected to a fire sensor detects and suppresses a fire by driving a fire extinguisher. The sound wave fire extinguisher is composed of a speaker and collimator, and is driven by a driver module including an audio amplifier. The attenuation of the sound wave is reduced by preventing the sound diffusion with an enclosure surrounding a stove. The frequency of the sound wave is set to 50 Hz, and the sound pressure of 93 dBA is measured at the distance of 0.5 m. It takes maximum 8 and 15 seconds to suppress the flame from 7-cc and 14-cc flammable liquid, respectively, which corresponds to 24% and 42% of the natural extinguishing time. Since the proposed safe stove is non-toxic and leaves no residues over the conventional ones, it would combine with various home appliances to suppress early-stage fires and prevent fire expansion.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.647-657
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• 2020

Infrasound signals associated with the 29 May 2004 offshore Uljin earthquake (Mw 5.1) were recorded at infrasound arrays of CHNAR (epicentral distance of 321 km) and TJNAR (256 km). Back-azimuths, indicating the directions to source locations, varied more than 28° broadly for the long-lasting signals over several minutes. From the analysis of the back-projecting location method and attenuation correction for infrasound propagation, the infrasound waves were to be generated by the interaction (diffraction) between seismic waves and topography in an area of ~4,600 ㎢ connecting the Samcheok-Uljin-Pohang regions. The maximum sound source pressure (BSP) was estimated to be 11.1 Pa. This result was consistent with the peak sound pressure (PSP) calculated by the Rayleigh integral approximation to the peak ground acceleration (PGA) dataset. In addition, the minimum PGA that was detectable at the two arrays was estimated to be ~3.0 cm s-2. Although the earthquake occurred offshore, diffracted infrasound signals were effectively generated by ground motions when seismic surface waves passed through high-topographic regions in the eastern Korean Peninsula. The relationship between infrasound source pressure and PGA can be applicable to characterize the ground motions in areas with insufficient seismological observatories.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.371-385
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Soy isoflavone (SIF) and soy lecithin (SL) have beneficial effects on many chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. Regretfully, there is little evidence to show the combined effects of these soy extractives on the impairment of cognition and abnormal cerebral blood flow (CBF). This study examined the optimal combination dose of SIF + SL to provide evidence for improving CBF and protecting cerebrovascular endothelial cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: In vivo study, SIF50 + SL40, SIF50 + SL80 and SIF50 + SL160 groups were obtained. Morris water maze, laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), and hematoxylin-eosin staining were used to detect learning and memory impairment, CBF, and damage to the cerebrovascular tissue in rat. The 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were detected. The anti-oxidative damage index of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in the serum of an animal model was also tested. In vitro study, an immortalized mouse brain endothelial cell line (bEND.3 cells) was used to confirm the cerebrovascular endothelial cell protection of SIF + SL. In this study, 50 µM of Gen were used, while the 25, 50, or 100 µM of SL for different incubation times were selected first. The intracellular levels of 8-OHdG, SOD, GSH, and GSSG were also detected in the cells. RESULTS: In vivo study, SIF + SL could increase the target crossing times significantly and shorten the total swimming distance of rats. The CBF in the rats of the SIF50 + SL40 group and SIF50 + SL160 group was enhanced. Pathological changes, such as attenuation of the endothelium in cerebral vessels were much less in the SIF50 + SL40 group and SIF50 + SL160 group. The 8-OHdG was reduced in the SIF50 + SL40 group. The GSSG showed a significant decrease in all SIF + SL pretreatment groups, but the GSH showed an opposite result. SOD was upregulated by SIF + SL pretreatment. Different combinations of Genistein (Gen)+SL, the secondary proof of health benefits found in vivo study, showed they have effective anti-oxidation and less side reaction on protecting cerebrovascular endothelial cell. SIF50 + SL40 in rats experiment and Gen50 + SL25 in cell test were the optimum joint doses on alleviating cognitive impairment and regulating CBF through protecting cerebrovascular tissue by its antioxidant activity. CONCLUSIONS: SIF+SL could significantly prevent cognitive defect induced by β-Amyloid through regulating CBF. This kind of effect might be attributed to its antioxidant activity on protecting cerebral vessels.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2024

Ultrasonography examination has limitations in quantifying hepatic fat quantification. Therefore, this study aimed to experimentally demonstrate whether changes in signal attenuation during ultrasound imaging can be quantified using simulated hepatic phantoms to assess hepatic fat content. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate the potential of ultrasound imaging for diagnosing hepatic fatty liver by analyzing the relationship between hepatic fat content and signal intensity in ultrasound images. In this study, we developed a total of five stimulated hepatic phantoms by homogeneously mixing water and oil. We confirmed the fat content of the phantoms using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound imaging, and measured signal intensity according to distance in ultrasound images to analyze the correlation and mean comparison between fat content and signal intensity. We observed that as the fat content increased, the ultrasound penetration intensity decreased, confirming the potential for quantifying hepatic fat content using ultrasound. Additionally, the analysis of the correlation between the measured fat content using MRI and the signal intensity measured in ultrasound images showed a high correlation. Statistical analysis in our study confirmed that as the fat content increased, the slope representing signal during ultrasound imaging (US-GRE) decreased. In this study, it was statistically confirmed that the US-GRE value of ultrasound images gradually decreases as the fat content increases, and it is believed that US-GRE can serve as a biomarker expressing fatty liver content.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1165-1177
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• 2020

Objective: To assess the feasibility of applying a deep learning-based denoising technique to coronary CT angiography (CCTA) along with iterative reconstruction for additional noise reduction. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 82 consecutive patients (male:female = 60:22; mean age, 67.0 ± 10.8 years) who had undergone both CCTA and invasive coronary artery angiography from March 2017 to June 2018. All included patients underwent CCTA with iterative reconstruction (ADMIRE level 3, Siemens Healthineers). We developed a deep learning based denoising technique (ClariCT.AI, ClariPI), which was based on a modified U-net type convolutional neural net model designed to predict the possible occurrence of low-dose noise in the originals. Denoised images were obtained by subtracting the predicted noise from the originals. Image noise, CT attenuation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were objectively calculated. The edge rise distance (ERD) was measured as an indicator of image sharpness. Two blinded readers subjectively graded the image quality using a 5-point scale. Diagnostic performance of the CCTA was evaluated based on the presence or absence of significant stenosis (≥ 50% lumen reduction). Results: Objective image qualities (original vs. denoised: image noise, 67.22 ± 25.74 vs. 52.64 ± 27.40; SNR [left main], 21.91 ± 6.38 vs. 30.35 ± 10.46; CNR [left main], 23.24 ± 6.52 vs. 31.93 ± 10.72; all p < 0.001) and subjective image quality (2.45 ± 0.62 vs. 3.65 ± 0.60, p < 0.001) improved significantly in the denoised images. The average ERDs of the denoised images were significantly smaller than those of originals (0.98 ± 0.08 vs. 0.09 ± 0.08, p < 0.001). With regard to diagnostic accuracy, no significant differences were observed among paired comparisons. Conclusion: Application of the deep learning technique along with iterative reconstruction can enhance the noise reduction performance with a significant improvement in objective and subjective image qualities of CCTA images.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.603-620
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• 2021

A land nodal seismic system was employed to acquire seismic reflection data using stand-alone cable-free receivers in a land-river area. Acquiring reliable data using this technology is very cost effective, as it avoids topographic problems in the deployment and collection of receivers. The land nodal airgun system deployed on the mouth of the Hyungsan River (in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk Province) used airgun sources in the river and receivers on the riverbank, with subparallel source and receiver lines, approximately 120 m-spaced. Seismic data collected on the riverbank are characterized by a low signal-to-noise (S/N) and inconsistent reflection events. Most of the events are represented by hyperbola in the field records, including direct waves, guided waves, air waves, and Scholte surface waves, in contrast to the straight lines in the data collected conventionally where source and receiver lines are coincident. The processing strategy included enhancing the signal behind the low-frequency large-amplitude noise with a cascaded application of bandpass and f-k filters for the attenuation of air waves. Static time delays caused by the cross-offset distance between sources and receivers are corrected, with a focus on mapping the shallow reflections obscured by guided wave and air wave noise. A new time-distance equation and curve for direct and air waves are suggested for the correction of the static time delay caused by the cross-offset between source and receiver. Investigation of the minimum cross-offset gathers shows well-aligned shallow reflections around 200 ms after time-shift correction. This time-delay static correction based on the direct wave is found essential to improving the data from parallel source and receiver lines. Data acquisition and processing strategies developed in this study for land nodal airgun seismic systems will be readily applicable to seismic data from land-sea areas when high-resolution signal data becomes available in the future for investigation of shallow gas reservoirs, faults, and engineering designs for the development of coastal areas.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.3-21
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• 1997

The remediation of contamiated sites using currently available remediation technologies requires long term treatment and huge costs, and it is uncertain to achieve the remediation goal to drop contamination level to either back-ground or health-based standards by using such technologies. Intrinsic remediation technology is the remediation technology that relies on the mechanisms of natural attenuation for the containment and elimination of contaminants in subsurface environments. Initial costs for the intrinsic remediation may be higher than conventional treatment technologies because the most comprehensive site assessment for intrinsic remediation is required. Total remediation cost, however may be the lowest among the presently employed technologies. The applicability of intrinsic remediation in the contaminated sites should be theroughly investigated to achieve the remedial goal of the technology. This paper provides the frame of the extended site assessment procedure based on knowledge of biodegradability to evaluate the applicability of intrinsic remediation. This site assessment procedure is composed of 5 steps such as preliminary site screening, assessment of the current knowledge of biodegradability, selecting the appropriate approach, analyzing the contaminant fate and transport and planning the monitoring schedule. In the step 1, followings are to be decided 1) whether to go on the the detailed assessment or not based on the rules of thumb concerning the biodegradability of organic compounds, 2) which protocol document is selected to follow for detailed site assessment according to the site characteristics, contaminants and the relative distance between the contamination and potential receptors. In the step 2, the database for biodegradability are searched and evaluated. In the step 3, the appropriate biodegradability pathways for the contaminated site is selected. In the step 4, the fate and transport of the contaminants at the site are analyzed through modeling. In the step 5, the monitoring schedule is planned according to the result of the modeling. Through this procedure, users may able to have the rational and systematic informations for the application of intrinsic remediation. Also the collected data and informations can be used as the basic to re-select the other remediation technology if it reaches a conclusion not to applicate intrinsic remediation technology at the site from the site assessment procedure.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.191-202
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• 2007

To identify the detailed attenuation structure in the southern Korean Peninsula, a numerical test was conducted for the Q tomography inversion to be applied to the accumulated dataset until 2005. In particular, the stochastic pointsource ground-motion model (STGM model; Boore, 2003) was adopted for the 2D Q tomography inversion for direct application to simulating the strong ground-motion. Simultaneous inversion of the STGM model parameters with a regional single Q model was performed to evaluate the source and site effects which were necessary to generate an artificial dataset for the numerical test. The artificial dataset consists of simulated Fourier spectra that resemble the real data in the magnitude-distance-frequency-error distribution except replacement of the regional single Q model with a checkerboard type of high and low values of laterally varying Q models. The total number of Q blocks used for the checkerboard test was 75 (grid size of $35{\times}44km^2$ for Q blocks); Q functional form of $Q_0f^{\eta}$ ($Q_0$=100 or 500, 0.0 < ${\eta}$ < 1.0) was assigned to each Q block for the checkerboard test. The checkerboard test has been implemented in three steps. At the first step, the initial values of Q-values for 75 blocks were estimated. At the second step, the site amplification function was estimated by using the initial guess of A(f) which is the mean site amplification functions (Yun and Suh, 2007) for the site class. The last step is to invert the tomographic Q-values of 75 blocks based on the results of the first and second steps. As a result of the checkerboard test, it was demonstrated that Q-values could be robustly estimated by using the 2D Q tomography inversion method even in the presence of perturbed source and site effects from the true input model.