• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.173-182
• /
• 2007

Cracks in concrete structures should be measured to periodically assess potential problems in durability and serviceability. Conventional crack measurement systems depend on visual inspections and manual measurements of the crack features such as width, length, and direction using microscope and crack gage. However, conventional methods take long time as well as manpower, and lack quantitative objectivity resulted by inspectors. In this study, an evaluation technique for concrete surface cracks is developed using image processing and artificial neural network. Developed technique consists of three major parts: (1) crack detection (2) crack analysis and (3) pattern recognition. To examine validity of the technique developed in this study, crack analyzing tests were performed on the images obtained from various types of concrete surface cracks. The test results revealed that the system is highly effective in automatically analyzing concrete surface cracks in terms of features and patterns of cracks.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.61 no.6
• /
• pp.371-378
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of group combined intervention that combined animal-assisted therapy and integrated elderly play therapy on the depression, self-esteem, and emotional expression of geriatric patients residing in nursing homes. This was achieved by providing cognitive, physical, and emotional activities and social interaction at the same time. The group combined intervention method was applied to twelve elderly patients (six in the control group, six in the experimental group) aged 65 or older who live in a nursing home for the elderly in C province, from May 3, 2019 to June 21, 2019, for a total of 8 times (once a week, 50 minutes at a time). The quantitative evaluation was analyzed through SPSS 21.0 for comparison before and after the program was implemented, using the Korean version of the depression and the self-esteem scale. The qualitative evaluation compared emotional expression pre-test and post-test. The major results of the study were as follows: First, the group combined intervention was effective in reducing depression levels of the experimental group among the elderly patients. Second, it was effective in improving the self-esteem of the experimental group among the elderly patients. Third, it showed a significant difference in the emotional expression of the experimental group among the elderly patients. Therefore, it was found that group combined intervention reduces depression and improves self-esteem and emotional expression of the elderly. Based on these results, it is hoped that this study will be a cornerstone in the development of concrete programs for the benefit of elderly patients living in facilities.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.20 no.9
• /
• pp.1205-1212
• /
• 2011

As serving people's activities, pedestrian road systems are basic and necessary facilities in urban structure. To provide and utilize these pedestrian road systems in residential area would enhance urban environment as well as quality of life. For this reason, pedestrian road should be planned by consideration of people's activity in residential area. Evaluation of existing pedestrian road should be also oriented how people use it and what people do in it. This study amis to investigate functions of pedestrian road system throughout evaluation of user's satisfaction in order to improve better pedestrian road system in residential area. The purposes of this study are to analyze components of factors affecting on user's satisfaction, and to find the relationship among affecting factors. For this study, the on-site questionnaire method was applied to 267 individuals who were collected as the study areas where locate Toyogaoka and Kaidori, Japan. The collected data were clarified exploratory factors, and analyzed relationship between the factors and satisfaction by applying quantitative statistical techniques for the mapping investigation, Mann-Whitney u-test, and correlation. The results of this study are follows. The pedestrian road system is more preferred than surroundings of vehicle roads in residential district area where maintains pedestrian road as open space. In addition, satisfactions of the pedestrian road for each purpose were highly evaluated, because of conformability and convenience for usage. Consequently, the pedestrian road which is secure and greening as an open space is well carried out for the living circulation of residents. It would suggest that pedestrian road have to be managed and planned not a function of circulation but an open space system.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.757-764
• /
• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to find the optimal values of sliding factors which influence the mechanical emotion of users when they use sliding type mobile phones. Background: There are various researches that study the emotion of using mobile phones. They focus the correlation between emotion words and design factors and use the commercial products by the subjects in the experiment. However, it has a limit in finding the optimal point of emotional factors because we can search the restricted values in the mass production of the products. Therefore, we will find the optimal points by realizing the full range of the user's mechanical emotion. Method: First, we need to get the detailed factors which can describe the mechanical emotion in sliding up and down the mobile phone. Next, we find the control factors by considering the correlation between the factors of the sliding emotion and the possibility of quantitative design. To find the optimal points on the control factors, we make a sliding evaluation system which can help users feel the sliding mechanical emotion by realizing control factors. Finally, we find the optimal points by doing the experiment the system being used. Results: The critical values of the factors which are the main variables of this study are Open Max Force and Dead point Ratio. The optimal point of the Open Max Force is 200~250g/f, and the Dead point Ratio is 40~50%. Conclusion: In this study we develop the sliding evaluation system to realize the control factors of the sliding type phone and find the optimal values of the critical factors. Application: The results can be used as the criteria for designing sliding type phone.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.234-239
• /
• 2011

Installing the temporary bridge after excavating the railway requires installing movable cross beam, but as it doesn't requires isolating the catenary or cutting the rail, it's applicable to double-track with frequent operation. In this study, a displacement meter was placed on temporary bridge to monitor the displacement pattern in curve section (R400) completed using temporary bridge method, and wheel load, lateral pressure and derailment coefficient were measured to evaluate the load imposed on track and the stability in curve section (R400) for quantitative evaluation of training running safety. As a result of the measurement, when trains passing over a temporary bridge, the maximum value of Wheel load and Lateral Force is analyzed as the 51% and 81% of standard level according to foreign country's performance tests, There is no trouble with stability analysis in Wheel load and Lateral Force occurring. Additionally, Wheel load and Lateral Force considered as the safety standard are tested 49% of limiting value regardless of trains, which the norm value quite well, there is no problem with train running.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.54 no.5
• /
• pp.384-389
• /
• 2013

Objective : Use of quantitative computed tomography (CT) to evaluate bone mineral density was suggested in the 1970s. Despite its reliability and accuracy, technical shortcomings restricted its usage, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) became the gold standard evaluation method. Advances in CT technology have reduced its previous limitations, and CT evaluation of bone quality may now be applicable in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to determine if the Hounsfield unit (HU) values obtained from CT correlate with patient age and bone mineral density. Methods : A total of 128 female patients who underwent lumbar CT for back pain were enrolled in the study. Their mean age was 66.4 years. Among them, 70 patients also underwent DXA. The patients were stratified by decade of life, forming five age groups. Lumbar vertebrae L1-4 were analyzed. The HU value of each vertebra was determined by averaging three measurements of the vertebra's trabecular portion, as shown in consecutive axial CT images. The HU values were compared between age groups, and correlations of HU value with bone mineral density and T-scores were determined. Results : The HU values consistently decreased with increasing age with significant differences between age groups (p<0.001). There were significant positive correlations (p<0.001) of HU value with bone mineral density and T-score. Conclusion : The trabecular area HU value consistently decreases with age. Based on the strong positive correlation between HU value and bone mineral density, CT-based HU values might be useful in detecting bone mineral diseases, such as osteoporosis.

• KIEAE Journal
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.3-10
• /
• 2012

Recently, the increase of impervious area has been pointed out as a major cause of climate change and biotop area deterioration]. Therefore, quantitative indicators for environmental housing design and planning have been needed especially to control the impervious area. The Biotop Area Ratio(BAR) as the mostly applied environmental planning control instrument in Korea verifying the possibility of utilizing has been used effectively in various aspects. However, the fact that the space types are based on two dimension and ecological functions of spaces are simplified has shown the limitations of this planning instrument in the use as planning and evaluation indicator. In this study, classification criteria and the weighting of the space types in similar indicators Biotopflaechenfaktor (BFF, Berlin), Seattle Green Factor (SGF, Seattle), and Green Area Factor (GAF, Malmo) were analyzed. These indicators are similar in the sense that they apply weights to calculate the area and express a percentage of land area. The findings are as follows: The basic method that can estimate the vegetation volume is proposed to overcome the limitation of the BAR. It also was proven that the introduction of three-dimensional volume rate of biotops area was possible. Finally, the framework of space type classification criteria is proposed through linkages with relevant laws and regulations. With the improvement of the space types, the BAR is expected to be reasonable indicator in outdoor space evaluation in housing project.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.235-241
• /
• 2009

Composite wood materials are very sensitive to water and inspection without any coupling medium of a liquid is really needed to wood materials due to the permeation of coupling medium such as water. However, air-coupled ultrasound has obvious advantages over water-coupled experimentation compared with conventional C-scanner. In this work, it is desirable to perform contact-less nondestructive evaluation to assess wood material homogeneity. A wood material was nondestructively characterized with non-contact and contact modes to measure ultrasonic velocity using automated data acquisition software. We have utilized a proposed peak-delay measurement method. Also through transmission mode was performed because of the main limitation for air-coupled transducers, which is the acoustic impedance mismatch between most materials and air. The variation of ultrasonic velocity was found to be somewhat difference due to air-coupled limitations over conventional scan images. However, conventional C-scan images are well agreed with increasing the resin-infiltrated time as expected. Finally, we have developed a measurement system of an ultrasonic velocity based on data acquisition software for obtaining ultrasonic quantitative data for correlation with C-scan images.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.137-147
• /
• 2012

GRS is an effective urban ecology restoration technique that can manage a variety of environmental functions such as ecological restoration, rainwater spill control and island heat effect from a low-impact development standpoint that can be utilized in new construction and retrofits. Recently, quantitative evaluation studies, both domestic and abroad, in the areas related to these functions, including near-earth surface climate phenomenon, heavy rainwater regulation, thermal environment of buildings, have been actively underway, and there is a trend to standardize in the form of technological standards. In particular, centered on the advanced European countries, studies of standardizing the specific insulation capability of buildings with green system that comprehensively includes the green roof, from the perspective of replacing the exterior materials of existing buildings, are in progress. The limitation of related studies in the difficulties associated with deriving results that reflect material characteristics of continuously evolving systems due in part to not having sufficiently considered the main components of green system, mechanisms of vegetation, soils. This study attempts to derive, through EnergyPlus, the effects that the vegetation-related indicators such as vegetation height, FCV, etc. have on building energy load, by interpreting vegetation and soil mechanisms through plant canopy model and using an ecological standard indicator LAI that represent the condition of plant growth. Through this, the interpretations that assume green roof system as simple heat insulation will be complemented and a more practical building energy performance evaluation method that reflects numerical methods for heat fluxes phenomena that occur between ecology restoration systems comprised of plants and soil and the ambient space.

• Speech Sciences
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.201-219
• /
• 2003

Background: The perceptual assessment is generally performed by the voice specialist. The objective evaluation is performed in a voice laboratory. Research in voice laboratories has generated a variety of different objective tests and parameters. The perceptual evaluation is one of the most controversial topics in voice research. Review of literature reveals a wide variety of rating scales and reliability data fluctuating from study to study. Unfortunately, there is no widely accepted valid method for classifying voice disorders and assessing outcome after voice treatment. Objectives: The goals of this research were to identify important objective acoustic parameters of vocal quality, and to establish an objective and quantitative correlate of the perceived vocal quality. Materials and Methods : We evaluated the voice analyzed data from 122 dysphonic patients and 20 normal volunteers. A computerized speech lab. 4300B(CSL) was used to carry out the analysis of each voice sample. Results: Three dysphonia severity indices(DSI) were created using discriminant analysis. DSI is based on the weighted combination of the following selected set of acoustic parameters: absolute jitter(Jita in us), smoothed pitch period perturbation (sPPQ in %), amplitude perturbation quotient(APQ in %), soft phonation index(SPI), average fundamental frequency(Fo in Hz), lowest fundamental frequency(Flo in Hz), and smoothed amplitude perturbation quotient(sAPQ in %). The DSI, being the discriminating rule calculated by the logistic regression, consists of three equation based on statistically significant acoustic parameters. Three DSI were created to reflects best the degree of hoarseness as expressed by G from the GRBAS scale. The more positive this DSI is for a patient, the worse the vocal quality. The more it is negative, the better it is. The effect of sex is included implicitly in the DSI-1 and DSI-2, so that a separate DSI-1 and DSI-2 for males and females need not be used. The DSI is objective because no perceptual input is required for its calculation. Conculsion : This research demonstrates that the voice function values calculated from three different multivariate objective dysphonia severity indices are significantly associated with subjective voice assessments. These multivariate objective dysphonia severity indices may be appropriate for use in clinical trials and outcomes research on treatment effectiveness for voice disorders.