• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.314-318
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• 2018

Perforator flaps become a reliable option for coverage of various defects and the interest is change from survival of perforator flaps to make thin flaps for better aesthetic and functional outcomes. Multiple flap thinning methods have been demonstrated but it has not been widely attempted because of concerns about compromising circulation of flap thinning. This article will demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of flap thinning technique: defatting after conventional flap elevation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.947-957
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• 2023

Curved cylindrical structures such as elbows have a non-uniform thickness distribution due to their fabrication process, and as a result have a number of complex mode shapes, including circumferential and axial nodal patterns. In nuclear power plants, material degradation is induced in pipes by flow accelerated erosion and corrosion, causing the wall thickness of carbon steel elbows to gradually thin. The corresponding frequencies of each mode shape vary according to the wall thinning state. Therefore, the thinning state can be estimated by monitoring the varying modal characteristics of the elbow. This study investigated the varying modal characteristics of artificially thinned carbon steel elbows for each thinning state using numerical simulation and experimental methods (MRIT, Multiple Reference Impact Test). The natural frequencies of specified mode shapes were extracted, and results confirmed they linearly decreased with increasing thinning. In addition, by comparing single FRF (Frequency Response Function) data with the results of MRIT, a concise and cost effective thinning estimation method was suggested.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.81-95
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• 2023

Due to the multiple ecosystem benefits that iconic large, old growth trees provide, forest managers are applying thinning treatments around these legacy trees to improve their vigor and reduce mortality, especially in the face of climate change and other forest health threats. One objectives of this study was to analyze sub-hourly stem fluctuations of legacy ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. Ex P. & C. Laws) and sugar pines (Pinus lambertiana Dougl.) in the mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada in multiple different radius thinning treatments to assess the short-term effects of these treatments. Thinning treatments applied were: R30C0 (9.1 m radius), R30C2 (9.1 m radius leaving 2 competitors), and RD1.2 (radius equaling DBH multiplied by 1 ft/in multiplied by 1.25). The other objective was to assess climatic drivers of hourly stem fluctuations. Using the dendrometeR package, we gathered daily statistics (i.e. daily amplitude) of the stem fluctuations, as well as stem cycle statistics such as duration and magnitude of contraction, expansion, and stem radial increment. We then performed correlation analyses to assess the climatic drivers of stem fluctuations and to determine which radial thinning treatment was most effective at improving growth. We found an important role that mean solar radiation, air temperature, and relative humidity play in stem variations of both species. One of the main findings from a management perspective was that the RD1.2 treatment group allowed both species to contract less on warmer and higher solar radiation days. Furthermore, sugar pine put on more stem radial increment on higher solar radiation days. These findings suggest that the extended radius RD1.2 thinning treatment may be the most effective at releasing legacy sugar and ponderosa pine trees compared to the other forest management treatments applied.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.173-178
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• 2012

To manage the wall thinning of carbon steel piping in nuclear power plants, the utility of Korea has performed thickness inspection for some quantity of pipe components during refueling outages and determined whether repair or replacement after evaluating UT (Ultrasonic Test) data. When the existing UT data evaluation methods, such as Band, Blanket, PTP (Point to Point) Methods, are applied to a certain pipe component, unnecessary re-inspecting situations may be generated even though the component does not thinned. In those cases, economical loss caused by repeated inspection and problems of maintaining the pipe integrity followed by decreasing of newly inspected components may be generated. EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) in USA has suggested several statistical methods, TPM (Total Point Method), LSS (Least Square Slope) Method, etc. to distinguish whether multiple inspecting components have thinned or not. This paper presents the analysis results for multiple inspecting components over three times based on both NAM (Near Area of Minimum) Method developed by KEPCO-E&C and the other methods suggested by EPRI.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 1997.03a
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• pp.50-54
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• 1997

An expert drawbead model is developed to model a cranky drawbead in the finite element analysis of stamping processes. The expert model calculates the drawbead restraining forces (DBRF's) and bead-exit thinning, which are boundary conditions. DBRF's are calculated by considering bending force, unbending force, and friction force in order. Bead-exit thinning are due to the bending and tension during the deformation. The DBFR's and thinning computed form the mathematical model for the basic beads are compared with measurements and correction factors compensating for the differences are found using the multiple linear regression method. The composition beads are assumed to be a combination of basic beads so that the DBRF's and bead-exit thinning are computed to the sum of those of basic beads.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2015

Pipe wall-thinning by flow-accelerated corrosion and various types of erosion is significant damage in secondary system piping of nuclear power plants(NPPs). All NPPs in Korea have management programs to ensure pipe integrity from degradation mechanisms. Ultrasonic test(UT) is widely used for pipe wall thickness measurement. Numerous UT measurements have been performed during scheduled outages. Wall-thinning rates are determined conservatively according to several evaluation methods developed by Electric Power Research Institute(EPRI). The issue of reliability caused by measurement error should be considered in the process of evaluation. The reliability analysis method was developed for single and multiple measurement data in the previous researches. This paper describes the application results of reliability analysis method to real measurement data during scheduled outage and proved its benefits.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.445-451
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• 2012

The thinning effects of lime sulfur either alone or combined with fish oil on two apple cultivars 'Fuji'/M.9 and 'Hongro'/M.9 were investigated during two consecutive seasons. Either 1% or 2% lime sulfur at full bloom decreased the amounts of both terminal and axillary fruits compared with unsprayed 'Fuji' control trees in the first year. However, 1% or 2% lime sulfur did not decrease terminal fruit set in the second year. Only, triple applications of 1% lime sulfur significantly reduced the number of terminal and axillary fruits in both years. Multiple application of 1% lime sulfur was the most effective in thinning of 'Hongro'. In the first year, double or triple applications of 1% lime sulfur was effective in thinning terminal or axillary fruit, but one time applications of 1% or 2% lime sulfur was not reduced axillary fruit in 'Hongro' apple trees. In the second season, all treatments reduced terminal or axillary fruit in 'Hongro' clusters, except single application of 1% lime sulfur. Fish oil did not always improve the thinning effects of lime sulfur in 'Fuji' or 'Hongro' apple trees. None of treatments caused significant russeting in the harvested fruits. Most of thinning treatments had little effect on 'Fuji' or 'Hongro' fruit quality in terms of fruit weight, firmness, soluble solids concentration or titratable acidity.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.129-134
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• 2018

Objective: In frozen and thawed embryos, the zona pellucida (ZP) can be damaged due to hardening. Laser-assisted hatching (LAH) of embryos can increase the pregnancy rate. This study compared thinning and drilling of the ZP before frozen embryo transfer (FET). Methods: Patients were randomly allocated into two groups for LAH using thinning or drilling on day 2 after thawing. Twenty-five percent of the ZP circumference and 50% of the ZP thickness was removed in the thinning group, and a hole $40{\mu}m$ in diameter was made in the drilling group. Results: A total of 171 in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection FET cycles, including 85 cycles with drilling LAH and 86 cycles with thinning LAH, were carried out. The thinning group had a similar ${\beta}$-human chorionic gonadotropin-positive rate (38.4% vs. 29.4%), implantation rate (16.5% vs. 14.4%), clinical pregnancy rate (36.0% vs. 25.9%), miscarriage rate (5.8% vs. 2.4%), ongoing pregnancy rate (30.2% vs. 23.5%), and multiple pregnancy rate (7.0% vs. 10.6%) to the drilling LAH group. There were no significant differences in pregnancy outcomes between subgroups defined based on age (older or younger than 35 years) or ZP thickness (greater or less than $17{\mu}m$) according to the LAH method. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that partial ZP thinning or drilling resulted in similar outcomes in implantation and pregnancy rates using thawed embryos, irrespective of women's age or ZP thickness.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.693-701
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• 2014

Background A thin perforator flap is one of the best methods for covering defects. This study aimed to revisit and further test the rapidly advancing field of flap thinning techniques. Methods We performed two cadaveric studies to test the known flap thinning methods, and then applied these methods to a clinical series. In the first study, five cadavers were used to observe the anatomical relation of the perforator with the subdermal plexuses and the subcutaneous fat layer by injecting a colored latex solution. The second study was done on four cadavers independently from the first study. Last, a clinical series was performed on 15 patients. Results The areolar fat lobules of 10 anterolateral thigh perforator (ALT), seven deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEAP), and six thoracodorsal artery perforator (TAP) flaps were dissected to reduce the flap thickness guided by the colored vascular pattern. On average, the ALT, DIEAP, and TAP flaps were reduced to $32.76%{\pm}9.76%$, $37.01%{\pm}9.21%$, and $35.42%{\pm}9.41%$, respectively. In the second study, the areolar fat lobules were directly dissected in six ALT, six TAP, and four MSAP flaps, and an average reduction in flap thickness of $53.41%{\pm}5.64%$, $52.30%{\pm}2.88%$, and $47.87%{\pm}6.41%$, respectively, was found. In the clinical series, 13 out of the 15 cases yielded satisfactory outcomes with an average thickness reduction of $37.91%{\pm}7.15%$. Conclusions These multiple studies showed that the deep fat layer could be safely removed to obtain a thin yet viable perforator flap. This evidence suggests that the macroscopic flap thinning technique can achieve thin flaps. Surgeons should consider this technique before embracing the latest technique of supermicrosurgery.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2018

Objective: This study conducted a preliminary examination of the effects of three-area laser-assisted zona thinning (LAZT) during the cleavage stage of embryo development on the hatching process in human in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) with subjects of advanced female age or frozen-thawed (FT) embryos. Methods: Eight-cell stage embryos were treated with LAZT in three areas of the zona pellucida at $120^{\circ}$ intervals. The control group was embryos without LAZT. Of the 72 consecutive fresh cycles and the 28 FT embryo transfer cycles, the patients in 55 fresh cycles and 17 FT cycles declined LAZT, and those cycles were defined as the control group. Results: In the fresh cycles, the pregnancy rates were similar in the LAZT and control groups. However, in the FT cycles, the pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the LAZT group than in the control group (45.5% in the LAZT group vs. 23.5% in the control group, p< 0.05). Conclusion: These results show that multi-area LAZT resulted in significantly improved pregnancy outcomes in human 8-cell embryos compared to controls.