• International Area Studies Review
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.93-119
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• 2009

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the world rice market through structure and conduct frameworks utilizing annual data from 1970 to 2007. The world rice market has been unstable for much of the period post-World War II, with prices volatile and the availability of supplies uncertain. Therefore, analysis of the structure and conduct of the world rice market can provide information to better formulate the direction of future policies. Also, this paper will describe the effects of total production, export rice price, market concentration, and real exchange rate for exporting countries on total export rice volume. On basis of the expected results, the international rice market possesses market power with respects to static calculation and hypothesis test, and it will be demonstrated that exporting countries' currency crucially affects the exporting quantity and market power of those same exporting countries.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2019

We propose a method to search for similar images by using outline lines and viewpoints. In the first test, the three-dimensional image, which can't control the motion, has lower search accuracy than the static flat image. For the cause analysis, six specific tropical fish data were selected. We made a 3D graphics of tropical fishes of each kind, and we made 144 image outline lines with 12 stage viewpoints of top, bottom, left and right. Tropical fish by type were collected and sorted by time of search through similar search. Studies have shown that there are many unique viewpoints for each species of tropical fish. To increase the accuracy of the search, a User Interface was created to select the user's point of view. When the user selects the viewpoint of the image, a method of showing the result in consideration of the range of the related viewpoint is proposed.

• Agribusiness and Information Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2018

Many paddy cultivating farmers in the country are forced to use their limited resources to produce adequate food for their family, leading to the degradation and reduction in potential of these resources. The yield levels of paddy at the farmers' level and in the Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) conducted in the farmers' fields is not at par with potential yield of the paddy variety. The gap between potential yield of crop variety and yield realized in FLDs refers to Research gap and the yield gap between FLDs and due to farmers' practice refers to Extension gap. The earlier studies conducted in India in general and in Andhra Pradesh in particular highlighted the existence of both research and extension gaps with reference to paddy. It is essential that, the narrowing of both research and extension gaps is not static, but dynamic considering the influence of technological interventions in boosting paddy yields at FLDs level and at farmers' level and also with the improvement of the yield potential of paddy varieties. This calls for integrated and holistic approaches to address these two gaps and with this background, the researcher aimed at this in depth study. The findings revealed that, research gaps are high with reference to weed management and pest management and extension gaps are high with reference to farm mechanization followed by fertilizer management. Reliable source of seed, capital use and frequency of meetings with Scientists or Agricultural Officers significantly influence the extension gaps in paddy. Farmers also prioritized socio-economic and technical constraints and the analysis infers that, it is high time now for the farmers to adopt the planned technological interventions on scientific scale to minimize the extension gaps to the extent possible. As the enabling environment in the State of Andhra Pradesh is highly encouraging for the farmers with relevant policy instruments in the form of subsidized inputs, free power, credit at concessional rates of interest, constructing irrigation projects etc., the adoption of the proposed technological interventions significantly contribute to minimizing both research and extension gaps in paddy cultivation in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.348-352
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• 2018

BioRescue ($RMIng{\acute{e}}nierie$, Marseille, France) is able to assess dynamic and static balance when a test subject stands or sits over the platform. Although previous studies have examined the reliability of other balance measurement methods, little research has been conducted on the reliability of equipment such as BioRescue. This study examined the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of BioRescue during balance assessment. Thirty-four healthy adults participated as subjects and two physical therapists participated as examiners to determine intra- and inter-rater reliability. BioRescue was used to conduct measurements during footprint (area and pressure), Romberg, and limit of stability tests. The footprint area and limit of stability tests yielded intra- and inter-rater reliability ICC values above 0.60 in all directions. However, the footprint pressure and Romberg tests yielded values below 0.60 in all directions. BioRescue showed good inter-rater and intra-rater reliability in measurements during footprint area and limit of stability tests. However, because the values of limits of stability show the difference between experienced and unskilled, skill is required for the accuracy of the equipment.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.285-306
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• 2011

This paper analyzed the effects the regional competitiveness index on the characteristics of the regional growth. This study divides the regions in the US based on the static and dynamic standard of income for the characteristics of the regional growth. The results of the analysis are as follows. First some regions such as Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming have higher levels of SCI and both the rate of growth and per capita income than the national average. These are considered prosperous regions based on their high level of SCI. Second, in regards to the relation between the income level and regional competitiveness index for the regional growth, the variables such as human resource, science technology, business incubation, openness, safety and environmental policy are significant. Third, infrastructure, human resource, science technology and openness are the significant variables concerning the relation between the rate of income growth and regional competitiveness index for the regional growth.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.41-48
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• 2018

The most natural way to increase immersion and provide free interaction in a virtual environment is to provide a gesture interface using the user's hand. However, most studies about hand gesture recognition require specialized sensors or equipment, or show low recognition rates. This paper proposes a three-dimensional DenseNet Convolutional Neural Network that enables recognition of hand gestures with no sensors or equipment other than an RGB camera for hand gesture input and introduces a virtual reality game based on it. Experimental results on 4 static hand gestures and 6 dynamic hand gestures showed that they could be used as real-time user interfaces for virtual reality games with an average recognition rate of 94.2% at 50ms. Results of this research can be used as a hand gesture interface not only for games but also for education, medicine, and shopping.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.139-148
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• 2018

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of waist mobilization technique intervention for patients with chronic back pain on balance and the low back pain disability index. Methods : The subjects were 30 patients with chronic back pain. They were sampled and divided into a manual therapy group and a spinal decompression group. 15 subjects were randomly assigned to each group. Each training in this study participated for 6 weeks, 5 times a week, once a day, 15 minutes a day. Balance ability was measured with a balance analyzer, and the low back pain disability index was measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Results : In the balance abilities, there was a significant difference in the manual therapy group compared to the spinal decompression group. In the low back pain disability index, there was a significant difference in the manual therapy group compared to the spinal decompression group. Conclusion : The analysis results of the effect of 6 weeks of waist mobilization technique intervention on the balance and low back pain disability index for patients with chronic back pain revealed that the manual therapy is more effective for static and dynamic balance ability and the low back pain disability index. In the future, we can promote independent life skills and expect a rapid recovery of patients with chronic back pain. Based on this study, further studies are needed on the effects of balance, the mechanical properties of muscle, and the low back pain disability index depending on various manual therapy techniques.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.190-198
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• 2019

Gas foil bearings (GFBs) enable small- to medium-sized turbomachinery to operate at ultra-high speeds in a compact design by using ambient air or process gas as a lubricant. When using air or process gas, which have lower viscosity than lubricant oil, the turbomachinery has the advantage of reduced power loss from bearing friction drag. However, GFBs may have high Reynolds number, which causes turbulent flows due to process gas with low viscosity and high density. This paper analyzes gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs) with high Reynolds numbers and studies the effects of turbulent flows on the static and dynamic performance of bearings. For comparison purposes, air and R-134a gas lubricants are applied to the GFJBs. For the air lubricant, turbulence is dominant only at rotor speeds higher than 200 krpm. At those speeds, the journal eccentricity decreases, but the film thickness, power loss, and direct stiffness and damping coefficients increase. On the other hand, the R-134a gas lubricant, which that has much higher density than air, causes dominant turbulence at rotor speeds greater than 10 krpm. The turbulent flow model predicts decreased journal eccentricity but increased film thickness and power loss when compared with the lamina flow model predictions. The vertical direct stiffness and damping coefficients are lower at speeds below 100 krpm, but higher beyond that speeds for the turbulent model. The present results indicate that turbulent flow effects should be considered for accurate performance predictions of GFJBs with high Reynolds number.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.40-47
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• 2019

The Half-depth precast deck is a structural system that utilizes pre-cast panels pre-built at the factory as formwork at the construction stage and as a major structural member at the same time after completion. These systems have joints between segments, and the detail and performance of the joints are factors that have a very large impact on the quality, such as the constructability and durability of the bridge decks. In this study, strength performance evaluation was performed for improved joints using connecting rebar by experimental method. Static loading tests were conducted on the test specimen with improved joint, those with existing joint and those without joint. The test results of the specimens were compared to each other, and the flexural strength required by the design was compared. The flexural strength required in the design was presented by finite element analysis. It has been shown that the flexural strength of the specimens with joints were more than twice that required by the design. But the flexural strength of the specimen with existing joint was about 84% of that without joint. The flexural strength of the specimen with improved joints was a nearly similar degree of that compared to the specimen without joint. And a comparison of the moment-deflection relationship curves of the two specimens also shows a very similar flexural behavior. It is confirmed that improved joint has sufficient flexural strength. In addition to strength, the bridge decks require serviceability, such as deflection and cracking, and in particular, fatigue resistance due to repetitive live loads is an important performance factor. Therefore, further verification studies are required.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2021

Background: Neck pain is a major public health problem among sewing machine operators working in textile factories. Even though the textile industries are growing in number in Ethiopia, but there is a dearth of published studies on the prevalence of neck pain. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of neck pain among sewing machine operators of garment factories in Mekelle city. Method: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was implemented among 297 sewing machine operators' working in garment factories in Mekelle city. A systematic random sampling technique was used. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 23. Finally, variables with 95% confidence interval (CI): p < 0.05 in the multivariate analysis were significantly declared. Results: Two hundred ninety-seven sewing machine operators were enrolled, with 98.7% response rates. In this study, the 12-month prevalence rate of neck pain was found to be 42.3% (95% CI: 36.6%-47.9%), and variables like such as break time [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 5.888, 95% CI: (2.775-12.493)], working hours per day [AOR: 6.495, 95% CI: (2.216-19.038)], static posture [AOR: 4.487, 95% CI (1.640-12.275)], and repetitive activity [AOR: 4.519, 95% CI:(2.057-9.924)] were associated with neck pain. Conclusion: In this study, neck pain is a major public health problem. Continuous work without break time, working greater than 8 hours per day, sitting in the same position for greater than 2 hours, and high repetitive activities were found significantly associated with neck pain. Owners and governmental bodies need to focus on developing preventive strategies and safety guidelines.