• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.189-206
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• 2012

This paper focuses on the actuation system combined with a piezoelectric transducer and an electric circuit, which leads to a new insight; the electric actuation system is equivalent to mechanical variable-stiffness actuation systems. By controlling the switch in the circuit, the electric status of the piezoelectric transducer is changed, and consequently a variable-stiffness mechanism is achieved on the electric actuator. This proposed actuator features a shift in the equilibrium point of force, while conventional electrically-induced variable-stiffness actuators feature the variation of the stiffness value. We intensively focus on the equilibrium shift in the actuation system, which has been neglected. The stiffness of the variable-stiffness actuator is periodically modulated by controlling the switch, to suppress the vibration of the system in an open-loop way. It is proved that this electric actuator is equivalent to its mechanical counterpart, and that the electrical version has some practical advantages over the mechanical one. Furthermore, another kind of electrically-induced variable-stiffness actuator, using an energy-recycling mechanism is also discussed from the viewpoint of open-loop vibration control. Extensive numerical simulations provide comprehensive assessment on both electrically-induced variable-stiffness actuators employed for open-loop vibration control.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.466-473
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• 2013

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique method using a resonance frequency mode was carried out for heat-treated wood under different conditions. The effect of heat treatment on the bending strength and NDE technique using the resonance frequency by impact hammer and force transducer mode for Korean paulownia, Pinus densiflora, Lidiodendron tulipifera and Betula costata were measured. The heat treatment temperature has been investigated at $175^{\circ}C$ and $200^{\circ}C$, respectively. There were a close relationship of dynamic modulus of elasticity and static bending modulus of elasticity to MOR. In all conditions, It was found that there were a high correlation at 1% level between dynamic modulus of elasticity and MOR, and static modulus of elasticity and MOR. However, the result indicated that correlation coefficient is higher in dynamic modulus of elasticity to MOR than that in static modulus of elasticity to MOR. Therefore, the dynamic modulus of elasticity using resonance frequency by impact hammer mode is more useful as a nondestructive evaluation method for predicting the MOR of heat-treated wood under different temperature and species conditions.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.2A
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• pp.161-168
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• 2010

The bonded tendon was adopted to the reactor building of some operating nuclear power plants in Korea and the assessment of the effective prestress force on the bonded tendon is being issued as an important pending problem for continuous operation beyond their design life. The sensitivity analysis of various parameters was carried out to evaluate the effective prestress force using the system identification technique and the optimal parameters were determined for SI technique in this study. The 1/5 scaled post-tensioned concrete beams with the bonded tendon type were manufactured and in order to investigate the relationship of the natural frequency and the displacement to the effective prestress force, impact test, SIMO sine sweep test and bending test using the optical fiber sensor and the compact displacement transducer were carried out. As a result of tests, both the natural frequency and the displacement show the good relationship with the effective prestress force and both parameters are available for the SI technique to estimate the effective prestress force.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.19-26
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• 2022

In droplet microfluidics, precise droplet manipulation is required in numerous applications. This study presents ultrasonic surface acoustic wave (USAW)-based microfluidic device for label-free droplet separation based on size. The proposed device is composed of a slanted-finger interdigital transducer on a piezoelectric substrate and a polydimethylsiloxane microchannel placed on the substrate. The microchannel is aligned in the cross-type configuration where the USAWs propagate in a perpendicular direction to the flow in the microchannel. When droplets are exposed to an acoustic field, they experience the USAW-induced acoustic radiation force (ARF), whose magnitude varies depending on the droplet size. We modeled the USAW-induced ARF based on ray acoustics and conducted a series of experiments to separate different-sized droplets. We found that the experimental results were in good agreement with the theoretical estimation. We believe that the proposed method will serve as a promising tool for size-based droplet separation in a label-free manner.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.61-71
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• 2012

PURPOSE. To compare the changes in the occlusal vertical dimension, activity of masseter muscles and biting force after insertion of immediate denture constructed with conventional, tooth-supported and Implant-supported immediate mandibular complete denture. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Patients were selected and treatment was carried out with all the three different concepts i.e, immediate denture constructed with conventional (Group A), tooth-supported (Group B) and Implant-supported (Group C) immediate mandibular complete dentures. Parameters of evaluation and comparison were occlusal vertical dimension measured by radiograph (at three different time intervals), Masseter muscle electromyographic (EMG) measurement by EMG analysis (at three different positions of jaws) and bite force measured by force transducer (at two different time intervals). The obtained data were statistically analyzed by using ANOVA-F test at 5% level of significance. If the F test was significant, Least Significant Difference test was performed to test further significant differences between variables. RESULTS. Comparison between mean differences in occlusal vertical dimension for tested groups showed that it was only statistically significant at 1 year after immediate dentures insertion. Comparison between mean differences in wavelet packet coefficients of the electromyographic signals of masseter muscles for tested groups was not significant at rest position, but significant at initial contact position and maximum voluntary clench position. Comparison between mean differences in maximum biting force for tested groups was not statistically significant at 5% level of significance. CONCLUSION. Immediate complete overdentures whether tooth or implant supported prosthesis is recommended than totally mucosal supported prosthesis.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.467-475
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• 2019

A high-intensity ultrasound wave generates acoustic streaming and acoustic radiation forces when propagating through a medium. An acoustic radiation force generated in a three-dimensional space can produce a solid tactile sensation, delivering spatial information directly to the human skin. We placed 154 ultrasound transmit elements with a frequency of 40 kHz on a concave circular dish, and generated an acoustic radiation force at the focal point by transmitting the ultrasound wave. To feel the tactile sensation better, the transmit elements were excited by sine waves whose amplitude was modulated by a 60 Hz square wave. As an application of ultrasonic tactile sensing, a region where tactile sense is formed in the air is used as an indicator for the position of the hand. We confirmed the utility of ultrasonic tactile feedback by implementing a system that provides the number of fingers to a machine by receiving the shape of the hand at the focal point where the tactile sense is detected.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.357-364
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• 2008

For the purpose of possibility study on development of an acoustic tweezer using standing waves and very high frequency ultrasound focused beams, a system which can manipulate the position of particles in water has been constructed. It can move the particles to near focal point of a focused beam by the radiation force of standing waves, and then the particles would be trapped by the radiating force of the focused beam. The results show that micro sphere particles were trapped well at nodes of the standing waves and their position can be easily manipulated by frequency control. And, even though the radiation force by single focused beam pushes a particle away from the transducer, two focused confronted beams can trap it at near center.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.419-425
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• 2015

In this study, a new idea for developing a space scale for measuring mass in a microgravity environment was proposed by using the inertial force properties of an object to measure its mass. The space scale detected the momentum change of the specimen and reference masses by using a load-cell sensor as the force transducer based on Newton's laws of motion. In addition, the space scale calculated the specimen mass by comparing the inertial forces of the specimen and reference masses in the same acceleration field. By using this concept, a space scale with a capacity of 3 kg based on the law of momentum conservation was implemented and demonstrated under microgravity conditions onboard International Space Station (ISS) with an accuracy of ${\pm}1g$. By the performance analysis on the space scale, it was verified that an instrument with a compact size could be implemented and be quickly measured with a reasonable accuracy under microgravity conditions.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1036-1040
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• 2004

The purpose of the present study is to measure the effect of Tuber Pinelliae on EP(epinephrine) induced contraction of isolated rat thoracic aorta. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducer under 1.5g loading tension. The mean percent increasing of rCBF was 11.4% (p<0.05) after 10㎎/㎏ Tuber Pinelliae. Contractions evoked by EP (ED50) and KCI 65.4mM were decreased significantly by Tuber Pinelliae. L-NNA, ODQ and atropine significantly altered the effect of Tuber Pinelliae, but propranolol and indomethacin did not change the relaxation of Tuber Pinelliae. These results indicate that Tuber Pinelliae can relax EP and KCI induced contraction of isolated rat thoracic aorta and that this decreasing contraction related to epithelium, nitric oxide, and parasympathetics.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1078-1082
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of medicinal plants application as an edible functional food resources. We carried out to develop a traditional functional beverage by using hot-water extraction of 4 medicinal plants(Polygonatun sibiricum, Ophiopogonis radix, Lycii fructus, Schizandriae fructus) and we examined the effects of drink on physiological function in aorta relaxation. Thus, the effect of developed beverage on phenylephrine induced contraction of isolated rat thoracic aorta. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducer under 1.5g loading tension. Brix, pH and titratable acidity of developed drink were 9.5%, 3.3 and 0.22%. The approximate nutritional composition of beverage was carbohydrate, 5.98%, crude protein, 0.70%, crude fat, 0.20% and crude ash, 0.20%. Developed beverage contained K(4.00 ㎎%), Na(3.68 ㎎%), Ca(2.54 ㎎%), Mg(1.60 ㎎%) and Fe(0.29㎎%). The contraction forces by injection of phenylephrine in isolated thoracic aorta were significantly low in each experimental groups compared with control groups, These results that developed drink with medicinal plants can be used as a functional material to decrease aorta contraction.