• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.419-427
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• 2024

The objective of this study is to analyze and evaluate the diagnostic performance and utility of elastography and artificial intelligence program in distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid nodule. In a hospital outpatient clinic, we performed thyroid ultrasound from January 2023 to June 2024, and retrospectively analyzed 126 patients who performed elastography, S-detect, and fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) because nodules were found. The analysis of differences based on cytology results showed statistically significant differences in age, nodule size, echogenicity, nodule orientation, margins, shape, presence of calcification, posterior shadowing, K-TIRADS ultrasound interpretation, S-detect results and elasticity contrast index. The ROC curve analysis determined a cut off value for the elasticity contrast index at 2.32, with diagnostic concordance rates of 0.66 for expert interpretation, 0.49 for S-detect, and 0.67 for the elasticity contrast index, indicating superior diagnostic performance with elastography. Thus, elastography may ge used as an adjunct tool to minimize unnecessary repeat examinations and the frequency of tissue biopsies in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.403-411
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• 2023

Functional ultrasound imaging, such as elasticity imaging and micro-blood flow Doppler imaging, enhances diagnostic capability by providing useful mechanical and functional information about tissues. However, the implementation of functional ultrasound imaging poses limitations such as the storage of vast amounts of data in Radio Frequency (RF) data acquisition and processing. In this paper, we propose a sub-Nyquist approach that reduces the amount of acquired axial samples for efficient shear-wave elasticity imaging. The proposed method acquires data at a sampling rate one-third lower than the conventional Nyquist sampling rate and tracks shear-wave signals through RF signals reconstructed using band-pass filtering-based interpolation. In this approach, the RF signal is assumed to have a fractional bandwidth of 67 %. To validate the approach, we reconstruct the shear-wave velocity images using shear-wave tracking data obtained by conventional and proposed approaches, and compare the group velocity, contrast-to-noise ratio, and structural similarity index measurement. We qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate the potential of sub-Nyquist sampling-based shear-wave elasticity imaging, indicating that our approach could be practically useful in three-dimensional shear-wave elasticity imaging, where a massive amount of ultrasound data is required.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.293-309
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• 2022

Accurate design models for predicting the shear resistance of headed studs in solid concrete slabs are essential for obtaining economical and safe steel-concrete composite structures. In this study, symbolic regression with genetic programming (GPSR) was applied to experimental data to formulate new descriptive equations for predicting the shear resistance of studs in solid slabs using both normal and lightweight concrete. The obtained GPSR-based nominal resistance equations demonstrated good agreement with the test results. The equations indicate that the stud shear resistance is insensitive to the secant modulus of elasticity of concrete, which has been included in many international standards following the pioneering work of Ollgaard et al. In contrast, it increases when the stud height-to-diameter ratio increases, which is not reflected by the design models in the current international standards. The nominal resistance equations were subsequently refined for use in design from reliability analyses to ensure that the target reliability index required by the Eurocodes was achieved. Resistance factors for the developed equations were also determined following US design practice. The stud shear resistance predicted by the proposed models was compared with the predictions from 13 existing models. The accuracy of the developed models exceeds the accuracy of the existing equations. The proposed models produce predictions that can be used with confidence in design, while providing significantly higher stud resistances for certain combinations of variables than those computed with the existing equations given by many standards.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.102-113
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• 2017

A new index for the buckling strength of non-structured plates is proposed. The external work or the deformation energy caused by the external loads or the boundary displacement controled by a load parameter is calculated along an equilibrium path of the member under consideration. If the second variation of the energy with respect to the parameter loses its positiveness, it defined as the limit of the stability. In contrast to the current method given in codes where the stability limit is evaluated by using only representative internal forces, the evaluation of the stability limit is always consistent even with the change of the distribution of the internal forces on the boundary. If the elasticity is concerned, the result from this proposed approach becomes identical to that from the classical methods.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.4
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• pp.455-461
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• 2007

This research was processed on morphological and physical characteristics of 'Yongdong' cultivar nuts. (1)Morphological properties of 'Yongdong' cultivar nuts were significantly different from the control, native species, in respect of all properties. (2) 'Yongdong' cultivar nuts showed higher figures than the native species on 9 items of morphological properties (kernel weight, size, length and width of pad on suture and etc.), whereas other 6 items (height of pad on suture, thickness of shell and septem, fragment numbers of isolated kernel, roundness index, and etc.) showed lower figures than those of the control. (3) In physical properties of the nut shells, 'Yongdong' cultivar was superior to the control at all items with the exception of compressive prove distance. Accordingly, it was also verified as effective cultivar of shelled walnut with suture line direction applied the minimum strength. (4) 'Yongdong' cultivar, 21.9 kg, was approximately twice lower than the control, 42.6 kg, on maximum compressive weight. It was demonstrated that the 'Yongdong' cultivar characterized by easily crushing shell by small strength was great in cracking properties. (5) On the study of yield strength, the native species being twice higher than 'Yongdong' cultivar showed the properties of the small elasticity and the shell hardness. While, the suture line of 'Yongdong' cultivar having the lowest yield strength 15.6 kg and 16.0 kg was identified the shell crushed easily. (6) The movement distance of the compressive prove of 'Yongdong' cultivar, 4.2 mm, was longer than that of the control, 2.7 mm. Subsequently, it means that the amount of loss possibly occurring to distribution process was not great, whereby productive value was high. (7) The compressive strength of the suture line of 'Yongdong' cultivar, $9.1kg/cm^2$, was much lower than total average of that $12.4kg/cm^2$. It was also statistically different with other properties. (8)The hardness examination by the compressive position revealed that the suture line of 'Yongdong' cultivar, $149.8kg/cm^2$, was lowest in contrast with the control, $300.9kg/cm^2$.