• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.247-255
• /
• 1995

This paper describes a personal computer(PC) based color fish finder to improve some problem of the commercial one. The commercial fish finder has no function of the echo data logging and replaying. The authors developed two types of the PC based color fish finder. One is a master type composed of a PC, a digital input-output board, and analog to digital converting (A/D) board and an ultrasonic transceiver unit, the other is a slave type composed of a PC and an A/D board. To test the performances of the master type experiments were carried out in air and in a water tank. It is found that the designed master type fish finder displays very well an eight-colored echogram by one dot resolution to the left side of the PC monitor. Also, the depth of echo signal was corresponds very well to the range from the transducer to a target. The sampling interval of echo signal is about 0.1m and the time of A/D conversion is 30 $\mu$sec. On the other hand, to test the performances of the slave type a raw data of echo signals from a data logger was supplied directly or via RF transceivers to the slave type one. From this experiment, it is confirmed the slave type is useful to replay the echo signal from the data logger or a telesounder.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.210-217
• /
• 2006

Many types of interspinous distraction devices (IDDs) have been recently developed as an alternative surgical treatment to laminectomy and fusion with pedicle screws for the treatment of the lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). They are intended to keep the lumbar spine in a slightly flexed posture to relieve pain caused by narrowing of the spinal canal and vertebral foramen. However, their biomechanical efficacies are not well known. In this study, we evaluated the kinematic behaviors and changes in intradiscal pressure (IDP) of the porcine lumbar spine implanted with IDD. For kinematics analysis, five porcine lumbar spines (L2-L6) were used and the IDD was inserted at L4-L5. Three markers (${\phi}{\le}0.8mm$) were attached on each vertebra to define a rigid body motion for stereophotogrammetric assessment of the spinal motion in 3-D. A moment of 7.5Nm in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation were imparted with a compressive force of 700N. Then, IDD was implanted at L3-L4. IDPs were measured using pressure transducer under compression (700N) and additional extension moment (700N+7.5Nm). In kinematic behaviors, insertion of IDD resulted in statistically significant decrease 42.8% at the implanted level in extension. There were considerable changes in ROM at the adjacent levels, but statistically insignificant. In other motions, there were no significant changes in ROM as well regardless of levels. IDPs at the surgical level (L3-L4) under compression and extension moment decreased by 12.9% and 18.8% respectively after surgery (p<0.05). At the superiorly adjacent levels, IDPs increased by 19.4% and 12.9% under compression and extension, respectively (p<0.05). Corresponding changes at the inferiorly adjacent levels were 29.4% and 6.9%, but they were statistically insignificant (p>0.05). The magnitude of pressure changes due to IDD, both at the operated and adjacent levels, were far less than the previously reported values with conventional fusion techniques. Our experimental results demonstrated the IDDs can be very effective in limiting the extension motion that may cause narrowing of the spinal canal and vertebral foramens while maintaining kinematic behaviors and disc pressures at the adjacent levels.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.236-240
• /
• 2017

In this paper, we investigate the thermal response of skin tissue to high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) by means of infrared (IR) thermal imaging. For skin tightening, a 7-MHz ultrasound transducer is used to induce irreversible tissue coagulation in porcine skin. An IR camera is employed to monitor spatiotemporal changes of the temperature in the tissue. The maximum temperature in the tissue increased linearly with applied energy, up to $90^{\circ}C$. The extent of irreversible tissue coagulation (up to 3.2 mm in width) corresponds well to the spatial distribution of the temperature during HIFU sonication. Histological analysis confirms that the temperature beyond the coagulation threshold (${\sim}65^{\circ}C$) delineates the margin of collagen denaturation in the tissue. IR thermal imaging can be a feasible method for quantifying the degree of thermal coagulation in HIFU-induced skin treatment.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.25-32
• /
• 2021

In this study, it proposes a mode converter that is relatively easy to implement and can shorten the transmission line length of the final combining port and it was fabricated and tested by applying it to an 8-way spatial combiner. The proposed mode converter converts the signal converted from the doorknob-shaped circular disk connected to the ground into the TM₀₁ mode by opening it in the circular waveguide. The 8-way waveguide spatial combiner is designed and implemented so that 8 signals input from the H-plane are combined in a circular waveguide at the center, and the final combining mode is TM₀₁. The test results confirmed excellent performance with an insertion loss of less than 0.4dB and a combining efficiency of 95% or more. In addition, it was confirmed that it is suitable for high output by calculating the breakdown voltage and discharge threshold power of the new mode conversion structure through electric field analysis. The results confirmed through this study are expected to be applicable to high-power, high-efficiency SSPA in various fields in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.899-909
• /
• 2021

In Musculoskeletal ultrasound examination, a linear transducer (12-5 MHz) with a contact surface length of 6 cm, which is commonly distributed in medical institutions, does not contact with bent fingers and wrist depressions only by using a conventional liquid ultrasound gel, which causes image loss. In order to solve this image loss, the use of commercially available Water gel pad is increasing. However, it is a disposable medical product. Repeated use is prohibited and expensive. In this study, in order to reduce the economic burden caused by the use of the commercialized Water gel Pad, we searched for water-soluble food thickener powder that can be easily purchased around our lives and manufactured Gel pads. Among them, kappa-Carrageenan Gel Pad, iota-Carrageenan Gel Pad, and Agar-Agar Gel Pad satisfied the evaluation criteria without artifacts in image evaluation using the N-365 Multipurpose Phantom. Also, the price to purchase the food thickener powder was about 38 times cheaper than the existing commercialized Water gel pad. As a result, if you use the food thickener powder such as kappa-Carrageenan, iota-Carrageenan and Agar-Agar to make solidified elastic Gel pad without a cover instead of the commercially available expensive disposable Water gel pad, the convenience and usefulness of use are improved. It is judged that the manufactured Gel pads can contribute well to the role of efficient ultrasound propagation medium.

• Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.204-209
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Growth hormone transduction defect (GHTD) is characterized by severe short stature, impaired STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription-3) phosphorylation and overexpression of the cytokine inducible SH2 containing protein (CIS) and p21/CIP1/WAF1. To investigate the role of p21/CIP1/WAF1 in the negative regulation of the growth hormone (GH)/GH receptor and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)/EGF Receptor pathways in GHTD. Methods: Fibroblast cultures were developed from gingival biopsies of 1 GHTD patient and 1 control. The protein expression and the cellular localization of p21/CIP1/WAF1 was studied by Western immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, respectively: at the basal state and after induction with $200-{\mu}g/L$ human GH (hGH) (GH200), either with or without siRNA CIS (siCIS); at the basal state and after inductions with $200-{\mu}g/L$ hGH (GH200), $1,000-{\mu}g/L$ hGH (GH1000) or 50-ng/mL EGF. Results: After GH200/siCIS, the protein expression and nuclear localization of p21 were reduced in the patient. After successful induction of GH signaling (control, GH200; patient, GH1000), the protein expression and nuclear localization of p21 were reduced. After induction with EGF, p21 translocated to the cytoplasm in the control, whereas in the GHTD patient it remained located in the nucleus. Conclusion: In the GHTD fibroblasts, when CIS is reduced, either after siCIS or after a higher dose of hGH (GH1000), p21's antiproliferative effect (nuclear localization) is also reduced and GH signaling is activated. There also appears to be a positive relationship between the 2 inhibitors of GH signaling, CIS and p21. Finally, in GHTD, p21 seems to participate in the regulation of both the GH and EGF/EGFR pathways, depending upon its cellular location.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 2019

Ultrasound sonication along with microbubble (MB) could enhance drug delivery to promote the absorption of anticancer drugs into cancers in a noninvasive and targeted manners. In this study, we verify the acute drug delivery enhancement (within an hour) of two representative focused ultrasound driven drug delivery enhancement methods (MB and Doxorubicin-coated Nanoparticle complex (MB-NP) based). Experiments were conducted using in vivo mouse model with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Ultrasound generated by single-element 1 MHz focused ultrasound transducer was delivered in pulsed sonication consisted of 0.125 msec bursts at a pulse repetition frequency of 2 Hz for 20 seconds without a significant increase in local temperature (less than $0.1^{\circ}C$) or hemorrhage. Doxorubicin concentrations in tumors were improved by 1.97 times in the case of MB-NP, and 1.98 times by using Doxorubicin and MB separately. These results indicate anticancer drug delivery based on MB and MB-NP can significantly improve the effect of anticancer drugs delivered to tumors in a short time period by using low-intensity focused ultrasound.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.20 no.8
• /
• pp.642-648
• /
• 2019

This paper presents a fast back-type transfer device for snack food processing that uses the inertia of transferred material. A conventional conveying system is a drive system that uses a belt conveyor and mechanical crank, which generate noise and vibration and cause environmental pollution. Vibration and noise are reduced in the proposed fast back feeding device by using a counterweight. The crank drive unit was replaced with a linear servomotor, and an equilibrium device was designed to balance the force due to acceleration. This makes it is possible to adjust the forward and backward speed and acceleration through PLC control. A vibration damper device offsets the vibration force of the periodic shock form. The main cause of the vibration was identified through vibration analysis, and reduction measures were established. We verified the effectiveness of the vibration by making a prototype and performing about 10 vibration tests. Because no mechanical transducer is needed, energy loss, noise, and vibration do not occur, and the operating speed is not limited.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.459-466
• /
• 2019

When a laser pulse is irradiated on a CNT (Carbon Nanotube) and PDMS (Poly dimethylsiloxane) composite coated on a transparent PMMA (Poly methyl methacrylate) substrate, a strong ultrasonic wave is generated due to the thermoelastic effect. In this paper, the thermoacoustic theory related to the wave generation by the CNT/PDMS composite was established. The waveforms of ultrasonic waves when a laser pulse having a Gaussian waveform is irradiated on the composite with a thickness of $20{\mu}m$ were numerically simulated. From the results, it was confirmed that ultrasonic shock waves can be generated from the CNT/PDMS composite and the waveforms are changed little even if the physical properties of the composite are changed by ${\pm}20%$. It was found that the peak positive and negative pressures increase as the thermal expansion coefficient increases, or as density, heat capacity and sound speed decreased. However, those changes were not so sensitive with thermal conductivity. In addition, the physical properties of the CNT/PDMS composite fabricated in this study were estimated from the comparison of the measurement and simulation results.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.64 no.5
• /
• pp.922-936
• /
• 2022

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), a monoamine, as a local regulator in the mammary gland is a chemical signal produced by the mammary epithelium cell. In cows, studies have shown that 5-HT is associated with epithelial cell apoptosis during the degenerative phase of the mammary gland. However, studies in other tissues have shown that 5-HT can effectively promote cell viability. Whether 5-HT could have an effect on mammary cell viability in dairy cows is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine: (1) effect of 5-HT on the viability of bovine mammary epithelial cells and its related signaling pathways, (2) interaction between prolactin (PRL) and 5-HT on the cell viability. The bovine mammary alveolar cell-T (MAC-T) were cultured with different concentrations of 5-HT for 12, 24, 48 or 72 hours, and then were assayed using cell counting kit-8, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunobloting. The results suggested that 20 μM 5-HT treatment for 12 or 24 h promote cell viability, which was mainly induced by the activation of 5-HT receptor (5-HTR) 1B and 4, because the increase caused by 5-HT vanished when 5-HTR 1B and 4 was blocked by SB224289 and SB204070. And protein expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), eukaryotic translation elongation factor 2 (eEF2), janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) were decreased after blocking 5-HT 1B and 4 receptors. When MAC-T cells were treated with 5-HT and PRL simultaneously for 24 h, both the cell viability and the level of mTOR protein were significantly higher than that cultured with 5-HT or PRL alone. In conclusion, our study suggested that 5-HT promotes the viability of MAC-T cells by 5-HTR 1B and/or 4. Furthermore, there is a reciprocal relationship between PRL and 5-HT.