• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.398-404
• /
• 2017

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a non-elastic fixation belt on the balance ability and fall prevention in elderly women. Elderly women experience reduced balance ability and an increased risk of falls due to a weakening of the surrounding sacroiliac joint and pelvic muscles during childbirth and menopause. On the other hand, specific studies are still needed. The subjects were allocated randomly to two groups: control (n=20) and experimental (n=20). The experimental group used a non-elastic fixation belt, whereas the control group had no fixation belt. The balance ability and the fall index were measured in all subjects using a balance measurement device, and the low abdominal muscle thickness was determined in the experimental group using ultrasound imaging for the exact application of the non-elastic fixation belt. The following statistical analysis was performed: an independent t-test for the general characteristics of the subjects, $2{\times}2$ analysis of variance with repeated measures for the balance and fall index score, and a paired t-test for the abdominal muscle thickness. The group ${\times}$ time interaction effect showed significant improvement in the General Stability Index (F1,38=47.24, p=0.001), Fourier Harmony Index (F1,38=88.83, p=0.001), Weight Distribution Index (F1,38=50.21, p=0.001), and Fall Index (F1,38=21.59, p=0.001). The thicknesses of the transverse abdominal (p=0.001) and internal oblique (p=0.001) muscles were increased significantly in the experimental group after using the non-elastic fixation belt. Overall, the application of a non-elastic fixation belt could be effective in improving the balance ability and fall prevention in elderly women.

• 재활복지
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.147-163
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine how horse-riding exercise would be effective on the stroke patients' muscle thickness of lower extremity. The 30 stroke patients who were hospitalized in a hospital located in G metropolitan city were selected for this study. These subjects were randomly placed in a horse-riding exercise group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). The horse-riding exercise group received three 20-minute exercises a week for a total of 6 weeks. An ultrasound imaging equipment was used to measured The thicknesses of the rectus femoris (RF), tibialis anterior (TA), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and gluteus medius (GM). After the completion of a 6-week exercise program, same measurement was conducted for all study subjects. The data were analyzed using a paired t-test and independent t-test to determine the statistical significance. As a result, muscle thickness was significantly differentiated before and after the intervention in each group. The thicknesses of all the four muscles significantly increased after exercise in the horse-riding exercise group. The thicknesses of the RF, GM, and TA significantly increased after exercise in the control group. In conclusion, horse-riding exercise increased the thickness of the lower extremity skeletal muscles by stabilizing the knees and activating the extensor muscles of the lower extremities.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.50-56
• /
• 2023

The hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide anion radical (·O₂^- ) generated by the shock wave generated during ultrasonic cavitation collapse in TiO₂ suspension are highly useful because they can sterilize and disinfect. For practical use as a sterilization method without any chemicals, in this study, we proposed a method for evaluating the generation of radicals generated by high-intensity ultrasound emitted to titanium dioxide suspension. In the proposed method, the sonoluminescence phenomenon, which emits light by ultrasonic cavitation decay energy, was utilized, and the degree of radical generation was evaluated through the amount of light energy by sonoluminescence. As a result, even at a low concentration of titanium dioxide of 0.02 wt%, light energy 5 times higher than in the absence of titanium dioxide was received. After that, as the concentration increased by 0.1 wt%, the luminous intensity of sonoluminescence increased linearly by about 14.8 × 10^-12 lm. Therefore, it was confirmed that the radicals generated by radiating high-intensity ultrasound to the titanium dioxide suspension increased linearly as the concentration of titanium dioxide increased within a given concentration range.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.128-136
• /
• 2023

Background: The authors aimed to compare the effects of a one-time ultrasound (US)-guided subacromial corticosteroid injection and three-time ozone (O₂-O₃) injection in patients with chronic supraspinatus tendinopathy. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the corticosteroid group (n = 22) or ozone group (n = 22). Injections in both groups were administered into subacromial bursa with an US-guided in-plane posterolateral approach. Primary outcome measure was the change in the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) score between baseline and 12-weeks post-injection. Secondary outcome measures included visual analog scale and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index scores. Assessments were recorded at baseline, and 4-weeks and 12-weeks post-injection. Results: Forty participants completed this study. Based on repeated measurement analysis of variance, a significant effect of time was found for all outcome measures in both groups. Both the groups showed clinically significant improvements in shoulder pain, quality of life, and function. Baseline, 4-week post-injection, and 12-week post-injection WORC scores (mean ± standard deviation) were 57.91 ± 18.97, 39.10 ± 20.50 and 37.22 ± 27.31 in the corticosteroid group, respectively and 69.03 ± 15.89, 39.11 ± 24.36, and 32.26 ± 24.58 in the ozone group, respectively. However, no significant group × time interaction was identified regarding all outcome measures. Conclusions: Three-time ozone injection was not superior to a one-time corticosteroid injection in patients with chronic supraspinatus tendinopathy. It might be as effective as corticosteroid injection at 4-weeks and 12-weeks post-injection in terms of relieving pain and improving quality of life and function.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.22 no.7
• /
• pp.1077-1086
• /
• 2021

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic performance of quantitative ultrasound (US) parameters for the assessment of hepatic steatosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as the reference standard. Materials and Methods: In this single-center prospective study, 120 patients with clinically suspected NAFLD were enrolled between March 2019 and January 2020. The participants underwent US examination for radiofrequency (RF) data acquisition and chemical shift-encoded liver MRI for PDFF measurement. Using the RF data analysis, the attenuation coefficient (AC) based on tissue attenuation imaging (TAI) (AC-TAI) and scatter-distribution coefficient (SC) based on tissue scatter-distribution imaging (TSI) (SC-TSI) were measured. The correlations between the quantitative US parameters (AC and SC) and MRI-PDFF were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients. The diagnostic performance of AC-TAI and SC-TSI for detecting hepatic fat contents of ≥ 5% (MRI-PDFF ≥ 5%) and ≥ 10% (MRI-PDFF ≥ 10%) were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The significant clinical or imaging factors associated with AC and SC were analyzed using linear regression analysis. Results: The participants were classified based on MRI-PDFF: < 5% (n = 38), 5-10% (n = 23), and ≥ 10% (n = 59). AC-TAI and SC-TSI were significantly correlated with MRI-PDFF (r = 0.659 and 0.727, p < 0.001 for both). For detecting hepatic fat contents of ≥ 5% and ≥ 10%, the areas under the ROC curves of AC-TAI were 0.861 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.786-0.918) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.757-0.897), and those of SC-TSI were 0.964 (95% CI: 0.913-0.989) and 0.935 (95% CI: 0.875-0.972), respectively. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that MRI-PDFF was an independent determinant of AC-TAI and SC-TSI. Conclusion: AC-TAI and SC-TSI derived from quantitative US RF data analysis yielded a good correlation with MRI-PDFF and provided good performance for detecting hepatic steatosis and assessing its severity in NAFLD.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.207-213
• /
• 2005

The severity of carotid Intima-media thickness (IMT) is an Independent predictor of atherosclerosis which causes transient cerebral ischemia, stroke, and coronary events such as myocardial Infarction. The IMT consists of Intima thickness (IT) and media thickness (MT). However, the Individual clinical significance of IT and MT has not been well studied. We devised a method of measuring IT, MT, and IMT using B-mode ultrasound Image processing technique for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis. To inspect the clinical significance of IT, MT, and IMT, one hundred forty-four consecutive patients (mean age; 57 years old, 72 males) were underwent common carotid artery scanning using high-resolution ultrasound. Results showed that, the IT (p<0.05), MT (p<0.05) as well as IMT (p<0.01) of patients with atherosclerotic disease were significantly thicker than that of the patients without atherosclerotic disease. Patients with hyperiension showed significantly thicker IT (p<0.01), MT (p<0.001), and IMT (p<0.001). However, only IT was thicker in patients with smoking (p<0.01). The IT (r=0.374, p=0.001), MT (r=0.433, p=0.000), and IMT (r=0.479, p=0.000) showed positive correlation with age. The coefficients of determination ($r^2$) were estimated to be $92.4\%$ for IMT and MT, $49.1\%$ for IMT and IT, and $27.4\%$ for IT and MT. This result suggests that the Intima layer of the carotid artery has a different physiology with the media layer.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.11 no.8
• /
• pp.198-203
• /
• 2011

The BMD difference depending on QCT and QUS, whose usages are recently being increased for the test of BMD, was accessed for 106 subjects of a general health examination who were aged between 24~69 year-old and results were derived as follows. The measured value of BMD by QCT and QUS showed significant correlation in general (p>0.05). In terms of the difference generated between the measurement methods depending on sexes, the female subjects showed significantly low T-score in the test made through QUS (p<0.05). Depending on ages, there was T-score difference among the subjects aged more than 40 year-old within significant range (p<0.05). When it came to the effect depending on heights and on weights, no group showed significant difference and in a group with less than 22.9 of BMI value, the T-score was measured significantly low when testing it through QCT while other groups were not affected by any testing methods. Likewise, it may require a different measurement method when it comes to the measurement of bone mineral density depending on sex, age, height, and BMI among patients. Thus, it suggests obtaining accurate data by conducting various testing methods in case of a special occasion.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.325-330
• /
• 2004

Several kinds of low voltage cables have been used in nuclear power plants for the supply of electric power, supervision, and the propagation of control signals. These low voltage tables must be inspected for safe and stable operation of nuclear power plants. In particular, the degradation diagnosis to estimate the integrity of low voltage rabies has recently been emphasized according to the long use of nuclear power plants. In order to evaluate their degradation, the surrounding temperature, hardness of insulation material, elongation at breaking point (EAB), etc. have been used. However, the measurement of temperature or hardness is not useful because of the absence of quantitative criteria; the inspection of a sample requires turning off of the power plant power; and, the electrical inspection method is not sufficiently sensitive from the initial through the middle stage of degradation. In this research, based on the theory that the ultrasonic velocity changes with relation to the degradation of the material, we measured the ultrasonic velocity as low voltage cables were degraded. To this end, an ultrasonic degradation diagnosis device was developed and used to measure the ultrasonic velocity with the clothing on the cable, and it was confirmed that the ultrasonic velocity changes according to the degradation of low voltage cables. The low voltage cables used in nuclear power plants were degraded at an accelerated rate, and EAB was measured in a tensile test conducted after the measurement of ultrasonic velocity. With the increasing degradation degree, the ultrasonic velocity decreased, whose potential as a useful parameter for the quantitative degradation evaluation was thus confirmed.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
• /
• 2009.11a
• /
• pp.67-67
• /
• 2009

알루미늄 합금 재질은 무게의 경량화와 기계적강도가 우수하며 다른 비철금속에 비하여 값이 저렴한 장점이 있다. 현재 산업현장에서 활용하는 가장 흔한 접합법으로 TIG, RSW 등과 같은 용융 용접법을 현재는 많이 사용 하고 있지만 열전도도가 높아 열 확산이 빠르고, 이에 따라 모재의 팽창이 일어나 열변형을 유발하며, 산화피막은 그 내부에 함유된 결정수가 아크용접 중 분해되어 수소를 방출함으로 기공이 발생하여 부도체로 저항용접시 전도성을 방해하는 등의 문제를 발생시킨다. 또한 철에 비해 4배정도 큰 전기전도율에 따라 저항용접시 대전류를 사용해야 하는 등의 문제점이 발생하고 있다. 이와 같은 알루미늄 합금의 용융용접 과정에서 발생하는 단점을 극복하는 기술로 고상접합 방법인 마찰교반용접법(Friction Stir Welding)이 활용되고 있다. FSW는 1991년 영국의 TWI에서 개발된 최신 용접법으로 모재를 용융점 아래에서 고상용접시키는 방법으로 용융에 따른 열변형과 흄가스(hume gas)와 스패터(spatter)를 억제시켜 주는 친환경적인 용접법이다. 이러한 마찰교반용접의 기술은 그동안 특허에 따른 로열티가 산업현장에서 사용하는데 문제가 되었으나 특허보호 기간인 20년이 1년정도의 기간밖에 남지 않은 상황에서 그 사용은 날로 증가하리라 본다. 이러한 마찰교반용접부의 결함을 평가하는 방법에는 UT, RT 등이 활용되고 있으나 얇은 박판에서의 결함검출은 용이하지 않다. 이리한 문제점을 해결하기위하여 초음파 가진을 이용한 적외선 열화상 검출 기법을 이용하여 마찰교반용접부의 결함 검출 가능성을 연구하였다. 20kHz의 주파수를 400Watt로 가진시켜 겹치기(lap joint) 마찰교반용접이된 A6061-T6의 용접부에 초음파를 입사하였을 때 발생하는 열을 적외선 열화상 카메라를 이용하여 측정함으로써 마찰교반겹치기 용접부의 결함 검출에 활용하였다. 용접부에 초음파를 입사하였을 때 부분적으로 온도차이가 발생하였고, 그에 따른 열화상을 검출 할 수 있었다. 이러한 열화상과 실제 시험편의 용접부의 강도를 평가하기 위하여 인장시험을 하였다. 그 결과 초음파 적외선 열화상 검출에서 발열부위가 나타난 부분이 인장시험에서 낮은 인장강도를 보였다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.183-190
• /
• 2003

Data from live animal real time ultrasound (RTU) measures from 127 Hanwoo steers were used to assess nutritional physiology and relationship between RTU measures and real carcass measures represented meat quality. Traits considered were longissimus muscle area, fat thickness, and marbling score imaged and scanned using RTU by month and those of carcass measures at about 24 month of age. On this study, increasing pattern for longissimus muscle area would be closely related to growth pattern (p<0.01) and it of fat thickness would be related to quadratic effect of ages. Marbling score would be related to aging, that is, individual deviates of scores were distinctly characterized after 17 mo. even though they were started at about 11 mo. Correlation estimates between RTU measures and corresponding carcass traits were over 0.6 after 17 month of age for all traits considered and these estimates were high as 0.90 after 22 month of age. From this study, Real-time ultrasound measurement would be valuable after 15-17 mo. and measures at about 22 mo. would be helpful to decide age for slaughtering. To utilize these techniques for beef cattle breeding via progeny testing program, 15 mo. RTU measures would be efficiency rather than 12 mo. of other beef breeds. Further study to find genetic variation of RTU measures was needed to utilize these technologies for beef breeding.