• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.135-141
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• 2013

Mechanical alloying was carried out to produce $CrSi_2$ thermoelectric compound using a mixture of elemental $Cr_{33}Si_{67}$ powders. An optimal milling and heat treatment conditions to obtain the single phase of $CrSi_2$ compound with fine microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry measurement. $CrSi_2$ intermetallic compound with a grain size of 70 nm could be obtained by MA of $Cr_{33}Si_{67}$ powders for 70 hours and subsequently annealed at $650^{\circ}C$. Consolidation of the MA powders was performed in a spark plasma sintering (SPS) machine using graphite dies at $600{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$ under 60 MPa. The shrinkage of MA samples during SPS consolidation process increased gradually with increasing temperature up to $1000^{\circ}C$ and relatively significant at about $600^{\circ}C$. We tend to believe that these behaviors are deeply related to form a $CrSi_2$ compound during heating process, as can be realized from the DSC measurement. Electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of sintered bodies were measured up to $900^{\circ}C$. Seebeck coefficient and power factor of $Cr_{33}Si_{67}$ compact prepared by MA and SPS at $1000^{\circ}C$ showed the maximum value of $125{\mu}V/K$ at $400^{\circ}C$ and $4.3{\times}10^{-4}W/mK^2$ at $350^{\circ}C$, respectively.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.593-599
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• 2007

Background: The correlation between levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the effect of pulmonary resection on the right ventricle of the heart is not yet widely known. This study aims to assess the relationship between the change in hemodynamic values of the right ventricle and increased BNP levels as a compensatory mechanism for right heart failure following pulmonary resection and to evaluate the role of the BNP level as an index of right heart failure after pulmonary resection. Material and Method: In 12 non small cell lung cancer patients that had received a lobectomy or pnemonectomy, the level of NT-proBNP was measured using the immunochemical method (Elecsys $1010^{(R)}$, Roche, Germany) which was compared with hemodynamic variables determined through the use of a Swan-Garz catheter prior to and following the surgery. Echocardiography was performed prior to and following the surgery, to measure changes in right ventricular and left ventricular pressures. For statistical analysis, the Wilcoxon rank sum test and linear regression analysis were conducted using SPSSWIN (version, 11.5). Result: The level of postoperative NT-proBNP (pg/mL) significantly increased for 6 hours, then for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days and 7 days after the surgery (p=0.003, 0.002, 0.002, 0.006, 0.004). Of the hemodynamic variables measured using the Swan-Ganz catheter, the mean pulmonary artery pressure after the surgery when compared with the pressure prior to surgery significantly increased at 0 hours, 6 hours, then 1 day, 2 days, and 3 days after the surgery (p=0.002, 0,002, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008). The right ventricular pressure significantly increased at 0 hours, 6 hours, then 1 day, and 3 days after the surgery (p=0.000, 0.009, 0.044, 0.032). The pulmonary vascular resistance index [pulmonary vascular resistance index=(mean pulmonary artery pressure-mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure)/cardiac output index] significantly increased at 6 hours, then 2 days after the surgery (p=0.008, 0.028). When a regression analysis was conducted for changes in the mean pulmonary artery pressure and NT-proBNP levels after the surgery, significance was evident after 6 hours (r=0.602, p=0.038) and there was no significance thereafter. Echocardiography displayed no significant changes after the surgery. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between changes in the mean pulmonary artery pressure and the NT-proBNP level 6 hours after a pulmonary resection. Therefore, it can be concluded that changes in NT-proBNP level after a pulmonary resection can serve as an index that reflects early hemodynamic changes in the right ventricle after a pulmonary resection.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2017

We, for the first time, estimated daily and monthly surface nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$) volume mixing ratio (VMR) using three regression models with $NO_2$ tropospheric vertical column density (OMIT-rop $NO_2$ VCD) data obtained from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) in Seoul in South Korea at OMI overpass time (13:45 local time). First linear regression model (M1) is a linear regression equation between OMI-Trop $NO_2$ VCD and in situ $NO_2$ VMR, whereas second linear regression model (M2) incorporates boundary layer height (BLH), temperature, and pressure obtained from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and OMI-Trop $NO_2$ VCD. Last models (M3M & M3D) are a multiple linear regression equations which include OMI-Trop $NO_2$ VCD, BLH and various meteorological data. In this study, we determined three types of regression models for the training period between 2009 and 2011, and the performance of those regression models was evaluated via comparison with the surface $NO_2$ VMR data obtained from in situ measurements (in situ $NO_2$ VMR) in 2012. The monthly mean surface $NO_2$ VMRs estimated by M3M showed good agreements with those of in situ measurements(avg. R = 0.77). In terms of the daily (13:45LT) $NO_2$ estimation, the highest correlations were found between the daily surface $NO_2$ VMRs estimated by M3D and in-situ $NO_2$ VMRs (avg. R = 0.55). The estimated surface $NO_2$ VMRs by three modelstend to be underestimated. We also discussed the performance of these empirical modelsfor surface $NO_2$ VMR estimation with respect to otherstatistical data such asroot mean square error (RMSE), mean bias, mean absolute error (MAE), and percent difference. This present study shows a possibility of estimating surface $NO_2$ VMR using the satellite measurement.