Rebalancing Growth in the Republic of Korea

The current account surplus of the Republic of Korea (henceforth Korea) increased significantly in the immediate recovery period after the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis. Since then the surplus has gradually diminished, and from 2006 to 2008, the current account was close to being balanced. Econometric analysis reveals that the effect of exchange rate changes on Korea's trade is not robust during non-crisis periods. Exchange rates only significantly affect trade when observations during crisis periods are included. This suggests that exchange rate adjustments alone will not solve the imbalance issue. Korea's external imbalances are not only caused by external factors; they also reflect internal and policy factors such as: (i) saving-investment imbalances; (ii) export-oriented policies; and (iii) the unbalanced structure of manufacturing and services. These internal imbalances result from domestic distortions and structural imbalances arising from market inefficiencies and public policies. These must be addressed to ensure balanced and sustained economic growth.korea economic growth; korea external imbalances; korea trade

The Novel Artificial Intelligence Based Sub-Surface Inclusion Detection Device and Algorithm

We design, implement, and test a novel tactile elasticity imaging sensor to detect the elastic modulus of a contacted object. Emulating a human finger, a multi-layer polydimethylsiloxane waveguide has been fabricated as the sensing probe. The light is illuminated under the critical angle to totally reflect within the flexible and transparent waveguide. When a waveguide is compressed by an object, the contact area of the waveguide deforms and causes the light to scatter. The scattered light is captured by a high resolution camera. Multiple images are taken from slightly different loading values. The distributed forces have been estimated using the integrated pixel values of diffused lights. The displacements of the contacted object deformation have been estimated by matching the series of tactile images. For this purpose, a novel pattern matching algorithm is developed. The salient feature of this sensor is that it is capable of measuring the absolute elastic modulus value of soft materials without additional measurement units. The measurements were validated by comparing the measured elasticity of the commercial rubber samples with the known elasticity. The evaluation results showed that this type of sensor can measure elasticity within ±5.38 %

Effects of Alloying Elements on High-Temperature Oxidation and Sticking Occurring During Hot Rolling of Modified Ferritic STS430J1L Stainless Steels

In the present study, mechanisms of sticking that occurs during hot rolling of modified STS430J1L ferritic stainless steels were investigated by using a pilot-plant-scale rolling machine, and the effects of alloying elements on sticking were analyzed by the high-temperature oxidation behavior. The hot-rolling test results indicated that the Cr oxide layer formed in a heating furnace was broken off and infiltrated the steel, thereby forming Cr oxides on the rolled steel surface. Because the surface region without oxides underwent a reduction in hardness rather than the surface region with oxides, the thickness of the surface oxide layer favorably affected the resistance to sticking. The addition of Zr, Cu, and Ni to the ferritic stainless steels worked in favor of the decreased sticking, but the Si addition negatively affected the resistance to sticking. In the Si-rich steel, Si oxides were continuously formed along the interfacial area between the Cr oxide layer and the base steel, and interrupted the formation and growth of the Cr oxide layer. Because the Si addition played a role in increasing sticking, the reduction in Si content was desirable for preventing sticking.X112sciescopu

The Correlation Between Electrodiagnostic Results and Ultrasonographic Findings in the Severity of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Females

Objective: To determine which ultrasonographic measurement can be used as an indicator reflecting the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), by comparing electrodiagnostic results with ultrasonographic measurements in females. Many previous studies have tried to reveal that the ultrasonography (US) can possibility be used for diagnosis and severity of CTS. However, the criteria are different by gender. Thus far, there have been many efforts towards providing patients with a CTS diagnosis and severity prediction using US, but studies’ results are still unclear due to lack of data on gender differences. Methods: We collected data from 54 female patients. We classified the severity of CTS according to electrodiagnostic results. Ultrasonographic measurements included proximal and distal cross-sectional areas of the median nerve and carpal tunnel. Results: The severity by electrodiagnostic results statistically correlated to the proximal cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve and carpal tunnel. However, there was no relationship between the proximal and distal nerve/tunnel indexes and the severity by electrodiagnostic results. Conclusion: In female patients with CTS, the proximal CSAs of the median nerve and carpal tunnel increase. They correlate with the severity by electrodiagnostic findings. The CSA of the proximal median nerve could be particularly used as a predictor of the severity of CTS in female patients. However, the nerve/tunnel index is constant, irrespective of the severity of CTS