• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.717-724
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• 2023

An essential step in evaluating and comparing the performance of two passive radiation dosimeter types, thermosluminescent (TLD) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), used by workers in environments with ionizing radiation for individual radiological monitoring and control of external exposure at various times (cumulative dose for 1 month), is to compare the measured dose accuracy, energy response, and coefficient of variation. In fact this performance study consists in determining the accuracy of both R(10) and R(0.07) which are considered as the ratios of the measured dose (Hp(10) or Hp(0.07)) to the delivered dose (Hp(10) or Hp(0.07)) for each photon energy. The validity of the results of this test is based on the acceptance limits of the ICRP and the international standard IEC-62387. The relative energy response used is normalized to the ¹³⁷Cs 662 keV energy to find which energy response is closest to the ideal case, and the coefficient of variation that allows to determine the statistical fluctuation of the Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) doses. The results of the accuracy test for the OSL and TLD dosimeters are acceptable because they fall within the ICRP limits. For the energy response, the OSL performs better than the TLD for Hp(10) and Hp(0.07), and for the coefficient of variation, the OSL satisfies the requirements of ISO 62387 for both Hp(10) and Hp(0.07), while the TLD satisfies these requirements only for the measurement of Hp (0.07).

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.10-26
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether various saliva collection methods affect the observed salivary microbiome and whether microbiomes of stimulated and unstimulated saliva and plaque differ in richness and diversity. Methods: Seven sampling methods for unstimulated saliva, stimulated saliva, and plaque samples were applied to six orally and systemically healthy participants. Bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA genes of 10 major oral bacterial species, namely, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus sobrinus, and Lactobacillus casei, were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. We comprehensively examined the dependence of the amount of bacterial ribosomal DNA (rDNA), bacterial-community composition, and relative abundance of each species on sample collection methods. Results: There were significant differences in the bacterial rDNA copy number depending on the collection method in three species: F. nucleatum, P. nigrescens, and S. mitis. The species with the highest richness was S. mitis, with the range from 89.31% to 100.00%, followed by F. nucleatum, P. nigrescens, T. denticola, T. forsythia, and P. intermedia, and the sum of the proportions of the remaining five species was less than 1%. The species with the lowest observed richness was P. gingivalis (<0.1%). The Shannon diversity index was the highest in unstimulated saliva collected with a funnel (4.449). The Shannon diversity index was higher in plaque samples (3.623) than in unstimulated (3.171) and stimulated (3.129) saliva and in mouthwash saliva samples (2.061). Conclusions: The oral microbial profile of saliva samples can be affected by sample collection methods, and saliva differs from plaque in the microbiome. An easy and rapid technique for saliva collection is desirable; however, observed microbial-community composition may more accurately reflect the actual microbiome when unstimulated saliva is assayed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.103-114
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• 2024

Objective : Decompressive craniectomy (DC) with duroplasty is one of the common surgical treatments for life-threatening increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Once ICP is controlled, cranioplasty (CP) with reinsertion of the cryopreserved autologous bone flap or a synthetic implant is considered for protection and esthetics. Although with the risk of autologous bone flap resorption (BFR), cryopreserved autologous bone flap for CP is one of the important material due to its cost effectiveness. In this article, we performed conventional statistical analysis and the machine learning technique understand the risk factors for BFR. Methods : Patients aged >18 years who underwent autologous bone CP between January 2015 and December 2021 were reviewed. Demographic data, medical records, and volumetric measurements of the autologous bone flap volume from 94 patients were collected. BFR was defined with absolute quantitative method (BFR-A) and relative quantitative method (BFR%). Conventional statistical analysis and random forest with hyper-ensemble approach (RF with HEA) was performed. And overlapped partial dependence plots (PDP) were generated. Results : Conventional statistical analysis showed that only the initial autologous bone flap volume was statistically significant on BFR-A. RF with HEA showed that the initial autologous bone flap volume, interval between DC and CP, and bone quality were the factors with most contribution to BFR-A, while, trauma, bone quality, and initial autologous bone flap volume were the factors with most contribution to BFR%. Overlapped PDPs of the initial autologous bone flap volume on the BRF-A crossed at approximately 60 mL, and a relatively clear separation was found between the non-BFR and BFR groups. Therefore, the initial autologous bone flap of over 60 mL could be a possible risk factor for BFR. Conclusion : From the present study, BFR in patients who underwent CP with autologous bone flap might be inevitable. However, the degree of BFR may differ from one to another. Therefore, considering artificial bone flaps as implants for patients with large DC could be reasonable. Still, the risk factors for BFR are not clearly understood. Therefore, chronological analysis and pathophysiologic studies are needed.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 1982

The characteristic thermoluminescence responses of Teflon thermoluminescent dosimeters to radiations have been studied by the variation of radiation qualities as well as the high dose radiations. The change in the sensitivity of TLDs for different radiation qualities were studied through not only the photon energy dependence but also the change of supralinearity on the photon energy dependence, by exposing $^{60}Co$ gamma rays, the effective X-rays of 44keV, 69keV, 108keV, and thermal neutron of 0.04 eV. The results were as the following: The TL response of $T-CaSO_4$: Dy as a function of absorbed dose was linear up to about 5 Gy, and the response beyond 5Gy was supralinear for $^{60}Co$ gamma rays. The supralinearity of T-LiF-7 became noticeably apparent more than that of $T-CaSO_4$:Dy and also the lower the LET of radiation became the higher the supralinear effects were. No supralinearity appeared for the thermal neutron irradiations equivalent to 10Gy of $^{60}Co$ gamma rays. The relative sensitivities (Rs), which depended on the doses of $^{60}Co$ gamma rays to the TLDs of T-LiF-7 and T-$CaSO_4$:Dy could be, respectively, approximated to the following empirical formula fitted by the least square method: $$R_{LiF}=1.021-0.04581\;logD+0.402(logD)^2-0.405(logD)^3,\;\;5{\times}10^3{\geq}D{\geq}1(Gy)$$ $$R_{CaSO_4}=0.976-0.3241\;logD+0.262(logD)^2-0.298(logD)^3,\;5{\times}10^3{\geq}D{\geq}1(Gy)$$.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.156-172
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• 2007

The high-tech industry is the economic lifeline for Taiwan. Its characteristics are short product life cycle, rapid changes in the market, and a high obsolescence rate for new products. Under globalization, the high-tech industry has adopted Information Technology (IT) to shorten the manufacturing process, reduce costs and conduct product research and development (R&D) to increase the core competence of enterprises and achieve the goal of sustainable operations. Enterprises should actively strengthen their integration with internal and external resources and lead in R&D management to increase industrial operating performance. Effectively managing operations and R&D management evaluation in Taiwan's High-tech Industry has become a critical subject. This study adopted 4 major Balanced Scorecard (BSC) perspectives to establish the Total Performance Evaluation Indicators for the R&D management department in Taiwan's High-tech Industry. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) was applied to evaluate the overall performance of the R&D management department. The research framework is divided into 2 phases. The first phase is combined with the 4 major perspectives, Financial, Customer, Internal Business Process and Learning and Growth, as the related indicators for each measurement perspective. The Key Performance Indicators (KPI) were selected using Factor Analysis to identify the key factor from the complicated indicators. The relationship between the characteristics of each BSC's evaluation perspective is dependence and feedback. This study applied ANP to conduct the calculation and adjustment of correlation between each KPI, and determine on their relative weights for the objective KPI. The "Financial Perspective" for R&D management department in Taiwan's High-tech Industry focused on the budget achievement rate of R&D management. The weight indicator value is (0.05863). The "Customer Perspective" focused on problem-solving satisfaction. The weight value of this indicator is (0.17549). The "Internal Business Process Perspective" focused on the quantity and quality of R&D. The weight value of this indicator is (0.13506). The "Learning and Growth Perspective" focused on improving competence in the research personnel's professional techniques. The weight value of this indicator is (0.02789). From the total weighting indicators, the order of the Performance Indicators for the R&D management department in Taiwan's High-tech Industry is: (1) Customer Perspective; (2) Internal Business Process Perspective; (3) Financial Perspective; and (4) Learning and Growth Perspective.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.129-133
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• 2010

Two-layered ferromagnetic alloy films (NiFe, CoFe) with a Conetic (NiFeCuMo) intermediately soft magnetic layer of different thickness were investigated to correlate the coercivity values and magnetization process with the strength of saturation field of hard axis. Thickness dependence of the $H_{EC}$ (coercivity of easy axis), $H_{HS}$ (saturation field of hard axis.), and X (susceptibility) of NiFe and NiFeCuMo thin films for the glass/Ta(5 nm)/[CoFe or NiFe(5 nm-t/2)]/NiFeCuMo(t = 0, 4, 6, 8, 10 nm)/[CoFe or NiFe(5 nm-t/2)]/Ta(5 nm) films prepared by the ion beam deposition method was measured. The magnetic properties $H_{EC}$, $H_{HS}$, and X of two-layered ferromagnetic CoFe, NiFe films with a NiFeCuMo intermediately super-soft magnetic layer were strongly depended on the thickness of NiFeCuMo layer. The value of the coercivity and magnetic susceptibility of the NiFeCuMo film decreased by 25% and doubled relative to that of the NiFe film.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2000

Authors evaluated alterations of observable metabolite ratios between the cerebral lesion and the contralateral region related to the clinical symptomatic side in levodopa-treated Parkinson's disease (PD) and investigated correlation between age in patients with PD and metabolite ratios of the lesion. Patients with levodopa-treated PD (n = 54) and age-matched normal controls (n = 15) underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) examinations using a stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) pulse sequence that provided 2$\times$2$\times$2 cm3 volume of interest in the selected regions of substantia nigra (SN) and putamed-globus pallidus (PG). To evaluate dependence of metabolite ratios on age, we divided into two groups (i.e., younger and older age). We quantitatively measured N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline-containing compounds (Cho), inositols (Ins), and the sum of glutamate (Glx) and GABA levels and obtained proton metabolite ratios relative to Cr using a Marquart algorithm. Compared with the contralateral region, a significant neuronal laterality of the NAA/Cr ratio in the lesion of SN related to the clinical symptomatic side was established (P = 0.01), but was not established in the lesion of PG (P = 0.24). Also, Cho/Cr ratio tended toward significance in the lesion of SN (P = 0.07) and was statistically significant in the lesion of PG(P = 0.01). Compared with that in the younger age group, NAA/Cr ratio in the older age was decreased in the lesion of SN (P = 0.02), while NAA/Cr ratio was not statistically significant in the lesion of PG ( P = 0.21). Significant metabolic alterations of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios might be closely related with functional changes of neuropathological process in SN and PG of levodopa treated PD and could be a valuable finding for evaluation of the PD. A trend of NAA/Cr reduction, being statistically significant in older patients, could be indicative of more pronounced neuronal damage in the SN of the progressive PD.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.232-238
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• 1999

Sex differences in the induction of microsomal cytochrome P-450 (CYP) and the activities of several related enzymes of Sprague-Dawley rats treated with 1-bromopropane (1-BrP) were investigated. Male and female rats were exposed to 50, 300, and 1800 ppm of 1-BrP per kg body weight (6 h a day,S days a week, 8 weeks) by inhalation. The mean body weight of 1-BrP treated groups increased according to the day elapsed, but four and five weeks respectively after the start of the exposure, the mean body weight of male and female rats had significantly reduced in the group treated with 1800 ppm 1-BrP compared with the control group (p<0.01). While the relative weights of liver increased in both sexes, statistical significance in both sexes was found only in the group receiving 1800 ppm/kg of 1-BrP (p<0.01). The total contents of CYP, $b_5$, NADPH-P-450 reductase, NADH $b_5$ reductase, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), pentoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (PROD), and p-nitrophenol hydroxylase (pNPH) activities were examined for the possible effects of 1-BrP. No significant changes in the CYP and $b_5$ contents, NADPH-P-450 reuctase, NADH $b_5$ reductase, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), and pentoxyresorufin- O-dealkylase (PROD) were observed between the control and treated groups. The activity of pNPH increased steadily with the increase in the concentration of 1-BrP in both sexes, but was significantly increased only in the 1800 ppm-treated group of male rats (p<0.05). When Western blottings were carried out with three monoclonal antibodies (MAb 1-7-1, MAb 2-66-3, and MAb 1-98-1) which were specific against CYP1A1/2, CYP2B1/2, and CYP2E1, respectively, a strong signal corresponding to CYP2E1 was observed in microsomes obtained from rats treated with 1-BrP. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and the content of lipid peroxide significantly increased in the treated groups compared with the control group (p<0.05). These results suggest that 1-BrP can primarily induce CYP2E1 as the major form and that GST phase II enzymes play important roles in 1-BrP metabolism, showing sex-dependence in the metabolic mechanism of 1-BrP in the rat liver.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.429-438
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• 2018

Since concrete is a hardened aggregates of various materials, it needs to be crushed for chemical analyses. However, the effect of sample crushing on the analytical results has not been precisely assessed till today. In this study, we prepared concrete test pieces using Portand cements and fly ashes as binding materials, and ponded ashes and sands as aggregates and analyzed the heavy metals of the test pieces using Standards for Fair Testing of Soil Contamination (SFTSC) and Wastes (SFTW). For this, each test piece was partially crushed at first and sieved for separation of grains of <0.15 mm, 0.15-0.5 mm, and 0.5-5 mm from the same crushed samples (Crushing Method I). Results of those samples using SFTSC showed a clear trend that analyzed heavy metal concentrations are higher in the finer fractions. Particularly, fractions with <0.15 mm indicated much higher concentrations than the theoretical ones, which were calculated based on the concentrations of individual materials and their mixing fractions. In contrast, the analytical results were generally comparable with the theoretical ones when the test pieces were totally pulverized such that all the crushed grains were <0.15 mm in size (Crushing Method II). These results are associated with the fact that cement materials and fly ashes, which are high in heavy metals relative to other materials, are enriched in the fine fractions. The analytical results using the SFTW derived very low concentrations in most of parameters and did not indicate the dependence of concentrations on the crushing methods due to using distilled water as leaching agent.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1620-1620
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• 2001

Forages, both grazed and conserved, provide the basis of ruminant production systems throughout the world. More than 90 per cent of the feed energy consumed by herbivorous animals world - wide were provided by forages. With such world - wide dependence on forages, the economic and nutritional necessity of been able to characterize them in a meaningful way is vital. The characterization of forages for productive animals is becoming important for several reasons. Relative to conventional laboratory procedures, Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) offers advantages of simplicity, speed, reduced chemical waste, and more cost-effective prediction of product functionality. NIR spectroscopy represents a radical departure from conventional analytical methods, in that entire sample of forage is characterized in terms of its absorption properties in the near infrared region, rather than separate subsamples being treated with various chemicals to isolate specific components. This forces the analyst to abandon his/her traditional narrow focus on the sample (one analyte at a time) and to take a broader view of the relationship between components within the sample and between the sample and the population from which it comes. forage is usually analysed by NIRS in dry and ground presentation. Initial success of NIRS analysis of coarse forages suggest a need to better understand the potential for analysis of minimally processed samples. Preparation costs and possible compositional alterations could be reduced by samples presented to the instrument in undried and unground conditions. NIRS has gained widespread acceptance for the analysis of forage quality constituents on dry material, however little attention has been given to the use of NIRS for chemical determinations on undried and unground forages. Relatively few works reported the use of NIRS to determine quality parameters on undried materials, most of them on both grass and corn silage. Only two works have been found on the determination of quality parameters on fresh forages. The objectives of this paper were (1) to evaluate the use of NIRS for determination of nitrogen and moisture on undried and unground forage samples and (2) to explore two mathematical treatments and two NIR regions to predict chemical parameters on fresh forage. Four hundred forage samples (n: 400) were analysed in a NIRS 6500 instrument (NIR Systems, PA, USA) in reflectance mode. Two mathematical treatments were applied: 1,4,4,1 and 2,5,5,2. Predictive equations were developed using modified partial least squares (MPLS) with internal cross - validation. Coefficient of determination in calibration (${R^2}_{CAL}$) and standard error in cross-validation (SECV) for moisture were 0.92 (12.4) and 0.92 (12.4) for 1,4,4,1 and 2,5,5,2 respectively, on g $kg^{-1}$ dry weight. For crude protein NIRS calibration statistics yield a (${R^2}_{CAL}$) and (SECV) of 0.85 (19.8) and 0.85 (19.6) for 1,4,4,1 and 2,5,5,2 respectively, on a dry weight. It was concluded that NIRS is a suitable method to predict moisture and nitrogen on fresh forage without samples preparation.