Background: During postural control, older adults are more dependent on proprioception than are young adults. Ankle proprioception, which plays an important role in maintaining postural balance, decreases with age. Published studies are insufficient to establish a significant age difference in postural sway resulting from the known age-related decrease in ankle proprioception and do not examine various detailed test conditions. Objects: The present study aimed to compare ankle proprioception between older and younger groups along dimensions of position vs. force proprioception and dorsiflexion vs. plantarflexion. The present study also aimed to compare postural sway between young and older women during quiet standing under two sensory conditions. Methods: We recruited seven young women aged 21–24 and seven older women aged 60–63. Ankle proprioception was assessed as the accuracy of the joint position sense (JPS) and the force sense (FS). Postural sway was assessed using center-of-pressure measurements recorded during quiet standing under two sensory positions: eyes open and eyes closed with head tilted back. Results: Older women had lower JPS in dorsiflexion and lower FS in plantarflexion than did younger women. We found no significant age differences in JPS in plantarflexion or in FS in dorsiflexion. We observed a main effect of group on postural sway in two sway parameters out of three. We observed significant differences in JPS with dorsiflexion, and in FS with plantarflexion. Conclusion: Proprioception for ankle plantar flexor decreased more significantly with aging than did that for ankle dorsiflexor, accounting for the impaired postural balance observed in older women.

Background: Push-up are effective exercises for shoulder stability. Previous studies have documented the effects of support plane and hand position and width on muscle activities during a push-up. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the changes in muscle activities in the upper extremity when performing the standard and the knee-flexed push-up with different hand shapes. Methods: A total of twenty-six healthy males participated in this study. Three different hand shapes (finger abduction, finger adduction, and fists) and two types of push-up posture (standard and knee-flexed push-up) were set as the independent variables. Electrograms were used to measure the muscle activity of the upper trapezius (UT), triceps brachii (TB), pectoralis major (PM), and serratus anterior (SA). Each participant performed the randomly assigned push-up to the sound of the metronome. The mixed-effect linear regression model was used to detect the changes in muscle activities after changing the hand shape and push-up posture. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: The UT muscle activity was statistically significantly higher when performing push-up with fists than finger abduction (p = 0.035) or finger adduction (p = 0.044). During the standard push-up, the muscle activity in all muscles was that the push-up with fists showed the highest muscle activity compared to the finger abduction (p < 0.01) and finger adduction (p < 0.01). Regardless of the shape of the hand, UT had the lowest muscle activity compared to other muscles (p < 0.001). In contrast, the SA muscle had the highest muscle activity among four muscles during the standard push-up. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we suggest hand shape is related to the difficulty level of push-up either in the standard or the knee-flexed push-up, especially in the push-up with fists. In addition, knee push-up can be recommended as shoulder musclestrengthening exercises for individuals with low shoulder muscle strength.

Background: Shoulder external rotation exercises are commonly used to improve the stabilizing ability of the infraspinatus. However, during exercise, excessive activation of the posterior deltoid compared to the infraspinatus causes the humeral head to move anteriorly in an abnormal position. Many researchers have emphasized selective activation of the infraspinatus during shoulder external rotation exercise. Objects: This study aims to delineate the optimal exercise method for selective activation of infraspinatus by investigating the muscle activities of the infraspinatus and posterior deltoid according to the four shoulder exercise methods and two forearm positions. Methods: Thirty healthy individuals participated in this study. The participants were instructed to perform shoulder external rotation exercises following four exercise methods: sitting external rotation (SIER); standing external rotation at 90° abduction (STER); prone external rotation at 90° abduction (PRER); side-lying external rotation (SLER), and two forearm positions (neutral, supinated). The electromyography (EMG) signal amplitude was measured during each exercise. Surface EMG signals were recorded from the posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, and biceps brachii. Results: EMG results of the infraspinatus and posterior deltoid in PRER, were significantly higher than that of the other exercises (p < 0.01). The EMG ratio (infraspinatus/posterior deltoid) in SIER was significantly higher than that of the other exercises. EMG activation of the posterior deltoid in SIER, PRER, and SLER was significantly higher in neutral than in supinated (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the EMG of the infraspinatus in SIER was significantly higher in neutral than in supinated (p < 0.01). The EMG ratio (infraspinatus/ posterior deltoid) in SIER was significantly higher in neutral than in supinated (p < 0.05.) Contrarily EMG ratios in PRER and SLER were significantly higher in supinated than in neutral (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results show that clinicians should consider these exercise methods and forearm positions when planning shoulder external rotation exercises for optimal shoulder rehabilitation.

Background: As South Korea enters an aged society, the government has emphasized the need for a soft landing of the older adults into the community after the acute and recovery periods under a national policy of “community care.” However, the institutionalization of community rehabilitation services to implement this is insufficient. Japan had already entered an aged society when the Long-Term Care Insurance System was introduced in 2000. Thus, the case of Japan’s institutionalization of the system is expected to have implications for us in supplementing a suitable system for the aged society. Objects: This study compared the institutionalization process of the Long-Term Care Insurance System in South Korea and Japan and the services currently being implemented in each country. Methods: To examine the institutionalization process and services of the system, related legal rules and regulations, government reports, and articles were reviewed. To examine the operation status of the system, statistical data provided by each country’s government were analyzed. Results: Japan recognized the importance of community rehabilitation even before the enactment of Long-Term Care Insurance. Thus, community rehabilitation services, such as homevisit rehabilitation and health facilities, were already stipulated in the law. Under such institutional legacy, Long-Term Care Insurance was able to establish a service system, which balanced welfare and health-related services, including various types of services with enhanced rehabilitation functions. In South Korea, rehabilitation policies were not much considered in the process of institutionalizing the system; thus, it was composed mainly of services focusing on care and recuperation. Conclusion: In order to realize community care, rehabilitation services need to be developed in Long-Term Care Insurance System in various forms such as home-visit services, daily services, short stay, and facility services.

To solve the pathological problems of the musculoskeletal system based on evidence, a sophisticated analysis of human motion is required. Traditional optical motion capture systems with high validity and reliability have been utilized in clinical practice for a long time. However, expensive equipment and professional technicians are required to construct optical motion capture systems, hence they are used at a limited capacity in clinical settings despite their advantages. The development of information technology has overcome the existing limit and paved the way for constructing a motion capture system that can be operated at a low cost. Recently, with the development of computer vision-based technology and optical markerless tracking technology, webcam-based 3D human motion analysis has become possible, in which the intuitive interface increases the user-friendliness to non-specialists. In addition, unlike conventional optical motion capture, with this approach, it is possible to analyze motions of multiple people at simultaneously. In a non-optical motion capture system, an inertial measurement unit is typically used, which is not significantly different from a conventional optical motion capture system in terms of its validity and reliability. With the development of markerless technology and advent of non-optical motion capture systems, it is a great advantage that human motion analysis is no longer limited to laboratories.

The formation behavior of a passive state film on the surface of STS304 in electrolytic solution was analyzed to determine its metallic ion composition. The properties of passive state films vary depending on the Fe and Cr ions in the electrolytic solution. It was observed that the passive state film surface became flat and glossy as the concentration of Fe and Cr ions in the electrolytic solution increased. The corrosion resistance property of the passive state film was proportional to the amount of Fe and Cr in the electrolytic solution. An initial passive state film with high Fe concentration was formed on the surface of STS304 during early electrolytic polishing. Osmotic pressure of Fe ions occurs between the passive state film and electrolytic solution due to the Fe ion concentration gradient. The Fe in the passive state film is dissolved into the electrolyte, and Cr fills up the Fe ion vacancies. As a result, a good corrosion-resistant floating film was formed. The more Fe ions in the electrolytic solution, the faster the film is formed, and as a result, a flat passive state film containing a large amount of Cr can be formed.

A porous photocatalyst concrete filter was successfully produced to remove NOx, by mixing TiO2 photocatalyst with lightweight aerated concrete. Ultra Fine Bubbles were used to form continuous pores inside the porous photocatalytic concrete filter, which was mixed via a bubble generation experiment. The optimal mixing condition was determined to be with 4% of the bubble generation agent B. NO removal specimens were prepared for various photocatalytic loading conditions, and the specimen containing 3% P-25 removed NO at a concentration of 1.03 μmol in 1 h. The NO removal rate of the porous photocatalytic concrete filter prepared in this study was 10.99%. This photocatalytic filter performance was more than 9 times the amount of NO removed by a general photocatalytic filter. The porous photocatalyst concrete filter for removing NOx developed in this study can be applied to various construction sites and the air quality can be solved by reducing NOx contributing to the formation of fine particles.

The capacity of high nickel Li(NixCoyMn1-x-y)O2 (NCM, x ≥ 0.8) cathodes is known to rapidly decline, a serious problem that needs to be solved in a timely manner. It was reported that cathode materials with the {010} plane exposed toward the outside, i.e., a radial structure, can provide facile Li+ diffusion paths and stress buffer during repeated cycles. In addition, cathodes with a core-shell composition gradient are of great interest. For example, a stable surface structure can be achieved using relatively low nickel content on the surface. In this study, precursors of the high-nickel NCM were synthesized by coprecipitation in ambient atmosphere. Then, a transition metal solution for coprecipitation was replaced with a low nickel content and the coprecipitation reaction proceeded for the desired time. The electrochemical analysis of the core-shell cathode showed a capacity retention of 94 % after 100 cycles, compared to the initial discharge capacity of 184.74 mA h/g. The rate capability test also confirmed that the core-shell cathode had enhanced kinetics during charging and discharging at 1 A/g.

Extensive research is being carried out on Ni-rich Li(NixCoyMn1-x-y)O2 (NCM) due to the growing demand for electric vehicles and reduced cost. In particular, Ni-rich Li(NixCoyMn1-x-y-zAlz)O2 (NCMA) is attracting great attention as a promising candidate for the rapid development of Co-free but electrochemically more stable cathodes. Al, an inactive element in the structure, helps to improve structural stability and is also used as a doping element to improve cycle capability in Ni-rich NCM. In this study, NCMA was successfully synthesized with the desired composition by direct coprecipitation. Boron and tin were also used as dopants to improve the battery performance. Macro- and microstructures in the cathodes were examined by microscopy and X-ray diffraction. While Sn was not successfully doped into NCMA, boron could be doped into NCMA, leading to changes in its physicochemical properties. NCMA doped with boron revealed substantially improved electrochemical properties in terms of capacity retention and rate capability compared to the undoped NCMA.

In this study, defects generated in the YSZ coating layer of the IN738LC turbine blade are investigated using an optical microscope and SEM/EDS. The blade YSZ coating layer is composed of a Y-Zr component top coat layer and a Co component bond coat layer. A large amount of Cr/Ni component that diffused from the base is also measured in the bond coat. The blade hot corrosion is concentrated on the surface of the concave part, accompanied by separation of the coating layer due to the concentration of combustion gas collisions here. In the top coating layer of the blade, cracks occur in the vertical and horizontal directions, along with pits in the top coating layer. Combustion gas components such as Na and S are contained inside the pits and cracks, so it is considered that the pits/cracks are caused by the corrosion of the combustion gases. Also, a thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer of several μm thick composed of Al oxide is observed between the top coat and the bond coat, and a similar inner TGO with a thickness of several μm is also observed between the bond coat and the matrix. A PFZ (precipitate free zone) deficient in γ' (Ni3Al) forms as a band around the TGO, in which the Al component is integrated. Although TGO can resist high temperature corrosion of the top coat, it should also be considered that if its shape is irregular and contains pore defects, it may degrade the blade high temperature creep properties. Compositional and microstructural analysis results for hightemperature corrosion and TGO defects in the blade coating layer used at high temperatures are expected to be applied to sound YSZ coating and blade design technology.

In this study, lenses are fabricated using various nanomaterials as additives to a silicone polymer made with an optimum mixing ratio and short polymerization time. In addition, PVP is added at a ratio of 1% to investigate the physical properties according to the degree of dispersion, and the compatibility with hydrophobic silicone and the possibility of application as a functional lens material are confirmed. The main materials are SIU as a silicone monomer, DMA, a hydrophilic copolymer, EGDMA as a crosslinking agent, and 2H2M as a photoinitiator. Holmium (III) oxide, Europium (III) oxide, aluminum oxide, and PVP are used. When Holmium (III) oxide and Europium (III) oxide are added based on the Ref sample, the characteristics of the lens tend to be similar overall, and the aluminum oxide shows a tendency slightly different from the previous two oxides. This material can be used as a silicone lens material with various nano oxides and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) acting as a dispersant.

Collagen is one of the most widely used biological materials in medical design. Collagen extracted from marine organisms can be a good biomaterial for tissue engineering applications due to its suitable properties. In this study, collagen is extracted from fish skin of Ctenopharyngodon Idella; then, the freeze drying method is used to design a porous scaffold. The scaffolds are modified with the chemical crosslinker N-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethyl carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) to improve some of the overall properties. The extracted collagen samples are evaluated by various analyzes including cytotoxicity test, SDS-PAGE, FTIR, DSC, SEM, biodegradability and cell culture. The results of the SDS-PAGE study demonstrate well the protein patterns of the extracted collagen. The results show that cross-linking of collagen scaffold increases denaturation temperature and degradation time. The results of cytotoxicity show that the modified scaffolds have no toxicity. The cell adhesion study also shows that epithelial cells adhere well to the scaffold. Therefore, this method of chemical modification of collagen scaffold can improve the physical and biological properties. Overall, the modified collagen scaffold can be a promising candidate for tissue engineering applications.

In this study, phase-pure titanium dioxide TiO2 ceramics are sintered using standard high-temperature solid-state reaction technique at different temperatures (1,000, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300, 1,400 oC). The effect of sintering temperature on the densification and impedance properties of TiO2 ceramics is investigated. The bulk density and average grain size increase with the increase of sintering temperature. Impedance spectroscopy analysis (complex impedance Z * and complex modulus M *), performed in a broad frequency range from 100 Hz to 10 MHz, indicates that the TiO2 ceramics are dielectrically heterogeneous, consisting of grains and grain boundaries. The complex impedance Z *-plane indicates the resistance of grains of the TiO2 ceramics increases with increasing sintering temperature, while that of grain boundaries develops in the opposing direction. The complex modulus M *-plane shows a grain capacitance that seems to be independent of the sintering temperature, while that of the grain boundaries decreases with increasing sintering temperature. These results suggest that different sintering temperatures have effects on the microstructure, leading to changes in the impedance properties of TiO2 ceramics.

Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) occurring in underground buried pipes of API 5L X65 steel was investigated. MIC is a corrosion phenomenon caused by microorganisms in soil; it affects steel materials in wet atmosphere. The microstructure and mechanical properties resulting from MIC were analyzed by OM, SEM/EDS, and mapping. Corrosion of pipe cross section was composed of ① surface film, ② iron oxide, and ③ surface/internal microbial corrosive by-product similar to surface corrosion pattern. The surface film is an area where concentrations of C/O components are on average 65 %/ 16 %; the main components of Fe Oxide were measured and found to be 48Fe-42O. The MIC area is divided into surface and inner areas, where high concentrations of N of 6 %/5 % are detected, respectively, in addition to the C/O component. The high concentration of C/O components observed on pipe surfaces and cross sections is considered to be MIC due to the various bacteria present. It is assumed that this is related to the heat-shrinkable sheet, which is a corrosion-resistant coating layer that becomes the MIC by-product component. The MIC generated on the pipe surface and cross section is inferred to have a high concentration of N components. High concentrations of N components occur frequently on surface and inner regions; these regions were investigated and Na/Mg/Ca basic substances were found to have accumulated as well. Therefore, it is presumed that the corrosion of buried pipes is due to the MIC of the NRB (nitrate reducing bacteria) reaction in the soil.

A cold roll-bonding process is applied to fabricate an AA6061/AA5052/AA6061/AA5052 layered sheet. Two AA6061 and one AA5052 sheets of 2mm thickness, 40mm width and 300mm length are alternately stacked, then reduced to a thickness of 2.0 mm by multi-pass cold rolling after surface treatment such as degreasing and wire brushing. The rolling is performed at ambient temperature without lubricant using a 2-high mill with a roll diameter of 400 mm at a rolling speed of 6.0 m/sec. The roll-bonded AA6061/AA5052/AA6061/AA5052 layered sheet is then hardened by natural aging (T4) and artificial aging (T6) treatments. The microstructure of the as-roll bonded and the age-hardened Al sheets was revealed by SEM observation; the mechanical properties were investigated by tensile testing and hardness testing. After T4 and T6 aging treatment, the specimens had a recrystallization structure consisting of coarse equiaxed grains in both AA5052 and AA6061 regions. The as-roll-bonded specimen showed a clad structure in which the hardness of AA5052 regions was higher than that of AA6061 regions. However, after T4 and T6 aging treatment, specimens exhibited different structures, with hardness of AA6061 regions higher than that of AA5052 regions. Strengths of T6 and T4 age-treated specimens were found to increase by 1.55 and 1.36 times, respectively, compared to the value of the starting material.

ZnO nanosheets have been used for many devices and antibacterial materials with wide bandgap and high crystallinity. Among the many methods for synthesizing ZnO nanostructures, we report the synthesis of ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanosheets using the ionic layer epitaxy method, which is a newly-developed bottom-up technique that allows the shape and thickness of ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanosheets to be controlled by temperature and time of synthesis. Results were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The physical and chemical information and structural characteristics of ZnO/ Zn(OH)2 nanosheets were compared by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction patterns after various posttreatment processes. The crystallinity of the ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanosheets was confirmed using scanning transmission electron microscopy. This study presents details of the control of the size and thickness of synthesized ZnO/Zn(OH)2 nanosheets with atomic layers.

One disadvantage of deep cycle flooded lead-acid batteries is increasing water loss caused by use of (+) Pb-Sb / () Pb-Sb alloy grid. Water loss is generated by the emission of hydrogen gas from the () electrode during battery charging. In this paper, we maintain cycle life aspect through the development of hybrid flooded lead-acid batteries to which a (+) Pb- Sb / () Pb-Ca grid is applied and deal with the improvement of water loss. The amount of water loss compared to that of the () Pb-Sb grid decreased when Ca was added to the () Pb grid. For the () Pb-Ca grid, it was confirmed that the time to reach 0.0 V, at which water decomposition occurs, was increased compared to that of the () Pb-Sb grid at the NPV (Negative Potential Voltage). In the cycle life test conducted with the BCI (Battery Council International) standard, compared to the (+) Pb-Ca grid, the (+) Pb-Sb grid increased the life cycle of the batteries and the (+) Pb-Ca grid showed an early end of life due to PbO corrosion layer generation, as determined through SEM / EDS and Tear Down analysis. In conclusion, by addition of Sb to (+) Pb grid and Ca to () Pb grid, we developed a hybrid flooded lead-acid battery that meets user requirements to improve water loss characteristics and preserve cycle life characteristics.

Reheat treatment process of mold is necessary when partial machining of the mold is required, such as shape correction for an existing mold. If defects such as cracks or significant deterioration of mechanical properties of the mold occur during reheat treatment, it is impossible to reuse the mold. In this study, reheat treatment was performed up to two times for STD11 tool steel, and microstructure and mechanical properties according to the reheat treatment were evaluated. Carbide fraction and grain size of prior austenite were almost unchanged after the reheat treatment. Hardness and impact toughness increased significantly after QT treatment, and these properties were maintained without significant change even after the reheat treatment. It is concluded that up to two iterations of reheat treatment does not cause deterioration of properties of STD11 tool steel. Based on these results, a mold for a face-lifted front bumper was manufactured through machining and reheat-treating of an existing mold.

Zintl phase Mg3Sb2 is a promising thermoelectric material in medium to high temperature range due to its low band gap energy and characteristic electron-crystal phonon-glass behavior. P-type Mg3Sb2 has conventionally exhibited lower thermoelectric properties compared to its n-type counterparts, which have poor electrical conductivity. To address these problems, a small amount of Sn doping was considered in this alloy system. P-type Mg3Sb2 was synthesized by controlled melting, pulverizing, and subsequent vacuum hot pressing (VHP) method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate phases and microstructure development during the process. Single phase Mg3Sb2 was successfully formed when 16 at.% of Mg was excessively added to the system. Nominal compositions of Mg3.8Sb2-xSnx (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.008) were considered in this study. Thermoelectric properties were evaluated in terms of Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity. A peak ZT value ≈ 0.32 was found for the specimen Mg3.8Sb1.994Sn0.006 at 873 K, showing an improved ZT value compared to intrinsic one. Transport properties were also evaluated and discussed.

Effect of sulfation processes on the physicochemical properties of ZrO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles were thoroughly investigated. SO4/ZrO2 and SO4/TiO2 catalysts were synthesized to identify the acidity character of each. The wet impregnation method of ZrO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles was employed using H2SO4 with various concentrations of 0.5, 0.75, and 1 M, followed by calcination at 400, 500, and 600 °C to obtain optimum conditions of the catalyst synthesis process. The highest total acidity was found when using 1 M SO4/ZrO2-500 and 1 M SO4/TiO2-500 catalysts, with total acidity values of 2.642 and 6.920 mmol/ g, respectively. Sulfation increases titania particles via agglomeration. In contrast, sulfation did not practically change the size of zirconia particles. The sulfation process causes color of both catalyst particles to brighten due to the presence of sulfate. There was a decrease in surface area and pore volume of catalysts after sulfation; the materials’ mesoporous structural properties were confirmed. The 1 M SO4/ZrO2 and 1 M SO4/TiO2 catalysts calcined at 500 °C are the best candidate heterogeneous acid catalysts synthesized in thus work.