Showing papers by "Republic of Korea Army published in 2015"

Resource Welfare Based Task Allocation for UAV Team with Resource Constraints

Abstract: This paper addresses a task allocation problem for a team of UAVs that cooperatively performs a search and attack mission in an unknown region. The UAVs are heterogeneous carrying different types and amounts of munition resources, and limited in communications and sensing capabilities. The environment is highly uncertain and dynamic where no prior information is available and dynamic events such as UAV failures unpredictably occur. The objective of the mission is to maximize total reward obtained by destroying targets within a given mission horizon. A group of UAVs may need to be formed to attack a target because individual UAVs may not have sufficient resources for the execution of attack tasks. Instantaneous task allocation approaches that seek for optimal solution for current tasks cannot effectively account for the unpredictability of future tasks in the uncertain dynamic environment. In this paper, we propose a distributed task allocation scheme based on resource welfare of which concept is adopted from economics. The approach we present enables the UAV team to effectively utilize resources by balancing resource depletions and consequently be capable of smoothly responding to dynamic events by retaining more UAVs available. Simulation experiments were conducted in various conditions to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach in comparison with the instantaneous task allocation method. The results show that our approach improves the performance by up to 29.3 % with respect to the instantaneous task allocation method.

Evaluation of single nucleotide polymorphisms of pvmdr1 and microsatellite genotype in Plasmodium vivax isolates from Republic of Korea military personnel

Abstract: Chloroquine has been administered to the soldiers of the Republic of Korea as prophylaxis against vivax malaria. Recent increase in the number of chloroquine-resistant parasites has raised concern over the chemoprophylaxis and treatment of vivax malaria. To monitor the development of chloroquine-resistant parasites in the Republic of Korea, analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of pvmdr1 and microsatellite markers were performed using samples collected from 55 South Korean soldiers infected with Plasmodium vivax. Four SNPs, F1076L, T529, E1233, and S1358, were identified. Among these, S1358 was detected for the first time in Korea. The microsatellite-based study revealed higher genetic diversity in samples collected in 2012 than in 2011. Taken together, the results indicate that P. vivax with a newly identified SNP of pvmdr1 has been introduced into the Korean P. vivax population. Therefore, continuous monitoring for chloroquine-resistant parasites is required for controlling vivax malaria in the Republic of Korea.

Mottled Hypopigmentation from Laser Toning in the Treatment of Melasma: A Catastrophic or Manageable Complication?

Abstract: Melasma is a common acquired pigmentary disorder and difficult to treat with a high rate of recurrence. Conventional methods in the treatment of melasma have drawbacks and limitations. The so-called “laser toning” treatment, which uses a collimated low-fluence 1,064 nm Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser, was introduced a few years ago for the treatment of melasma. Laser toning has attracted much popularity and attention, and has become a crucial method for treatment of melasma. Laser toning is now a mainstay for treatment and management of melasma, however some dermatologists have excessive concerns about the risk of hypopigmentation. This inordinate fear may have originated from a few studies which insisted that laser toning therapy has a high risk of hypopigmentation and should be considered as a second-line treatment, not a first-line treatment for melasma. In the current study, we suggest that hypopigmentation after laser toning is a preventable and controllable complication based on our clinical experiences and reviews of various literatures.

Arthroscopic Assessment of Potential Intra-articular Ankle Injury in Treatment of Ankle Fracture

Abstract: CC This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Copyright 2015 Korean Foot and Ankle Society. All rights reserved. c Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the frequency and patterns of intra-articular lesions detected during ankle fracture surgery using ankle arthroscopy. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients (31 ankles) who underwent open reduction and internal fixation combined with ankle arthroscopy for acute ankle fracture at Inje University Busan Paik Hospital from June 2011 to September 2013 were evaluated. The ankle fractures were classified according to the AO/OTA (AO Foundation and Orthopaedic Trauma Association) classification and the intraarticular injuries were identified by ankle arthroscopy. Osteochondral lesions of the talus were divided into nine subtypes based on their locations, and the ligament injuries were classified according to avulsion fracture and rupture. Results: Using arthroscopy, abnormality in the distal tibiofibular ligament was found in 21 cases and osteochondral lesions and defects of the talus larger than 5 mm were detected in 26 cases. Among ligament injuries, anterior inferior tibio-fibular ligament injury was found in 14 cases, posterior inferior tibio-fibular ligament injury was found in two cases, deep deltoid ligament injury was found in three cases, and deep transverse tibio-fibular ligament injury was found in five cases. The locations of the osteochondral lesions were on the antero-lateral, antero-medial, centro-medial, centro-central, centro-lateral, and postero-lateral talus in 11, one, two, one, two, and nine cases, respectively. Conclusion: With early diagnosis and treatment arthroscopy performed at the time of intra-articular fracture surgery is expected to result in a good outcome.