• Title/Summary/Keyword: Z-Index

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Safety of a New Synbiotic Starter Formula

  • Vandenplas, Yvan;Analitis, Antonis;Tziouvara, Chara;Kountzoglou, Athina;Drakou, Anastasia;Tsouvalas, Manos;Mavroudi, Antigoni;Xinias, Ioannis
    • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.167-177
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    • 2017
  • Purpose: Breastfeeding is the best way to feed all infants, but not all infants can be (exclusively) breastfed. Cow's milk based infant formula is the second choice infant feeding. Methods: The safety of a new synbiotic infant formula, supplemented with Bifidobacterium lactis and fructo-oligosaccharides, with lactose and a whey/casein 60/40 protein ratio was tested in 280 infants during 3 months. Results: The median age of the infants at inclusion was 0.89 months. Weight evolution was in accordance with the World Health Organization growth charts for exclusive breastfed infants. The evolution of all anthropometric parameters (weight-for-length z score and body mass index-for-age z score) was within the normal range. The incidence of functional constipation (3.2%), daily regurgitation (10.9%), infantile crying and colic (10.5%) were all significantly lower than the reported median prevalence for a similar age according to literature (median value of 7.8% for functional constipation, 26.7% for regurgitation, 17.7% for infantile colic). Conclusion: The new synbiotic infant starter formula was safe, resulted in normal growth and was well tolerated. Functional gastro-intestinal manifestations (functional constipation, regurgitation and colic) were significantly lower than reported in literature. Synbiotics (Bifidobacterium lactis and fructo-oligosaccharides) in cow's milk based infant formula bring the second choice infant feeding, formula, closer to the golden standard, exclusive breastfeeding.

Mid-latitude Geomagnetic Field Analysis Using BOH Magnetometer: Preliminary Results

  • Hwang, Jun-Ga;Choi, Kyu-Cheol;Lee, Jae-Jin;Park, Young-Deuk;Ha, Dong-Hun
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.173-181
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    • 2011
  • Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute researchers have installed and operated magnetometers at Mt. Bohyun Observatory to measure the Earth's magnetic field variations in South Korea. We, in 2007, installed a fluxgate magnetometer (RFP-523C) to measure H, D, and Z components of the geomagnetic field. In addition, in 2009, we installed a Overhauser proton sensor to measure the absolute total magnetic field F and a three-axis magneto-impedance sensor for spectrum analysis. Currently three types of magnetometer data have been accumulated. In this paper, we provide the preliminary and the first statistical analysis using the BOH magnetometer installed at Mt. Bohyun Observatory. By superposed analysis, we find that daily variations of H, D, and Z shows similar tendency, that is, about 30 minutes before the meridian (11:28) a minimum appears and the time after about 3 hours and 30 minutes (15:28) a maximum appears. Also, a quiet interval start time (19:06) is near the sunset time, and a quiet interval end time (06:40) is near the sunrise time. From the sunset to the sunrise, the value of H has a nearly constant interval, that is, the sun affects the changes in H values. Seasonal variations show similar dependences to the sun. Local time variations show that noon region has the biggest variations and midnight region has the smallest variations. We compare the correlations between geomagnetic variations and activity indices as we expect the geomagnetic variation would contain the effects of geomagnetic activity variations. As a result, the correlation coefficient between H and Dst is the highest (r = 0.947), and other AL, AE, AU index and showed a high correlation. Therefore, the effects of geomagnetic storms and geomagnetic substorms might contribute to the geomagnetic changes significantly.

Extraction of Information on Road Surface Using Digital Video Camera (디지털 비디오카메라를 이용한 도로노면정보 추출)

  • Jang Ho Sik
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.9-17
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    • 2005
  • The objective of the study is to extract information about the road surfaces to be studied by analyzing asphalt concrete-paved road surface images photographed with a digital video camera. To analyze the accuracy of road surface information gained using a digital imagery processing method, it was compared and analyzed with the outcomes of control surveying. As a result, an average error of 0.0427 m in the X-axis direction, that of 0.0527 m in the Y-axis direction, and that of 0.1539 m in the Z-axis direction were found, good enough for mapping at a scale of 1:1,000 or less and GIS data. Besides, information on road surface assessment factors such as crack ratio, the amount of rutting and profile index was gained by analyzing processed digital imagery. This information made it possible to conduct road surface assessment by generating PSI and MCI. As quality digital image information has been gathered from roads and stored, important fundamental data on PMS (Pavement Management System) will become available in the future.

Estimation of optimal ecological flowrates for fish habitats in a nature-like fishway of a large river

  • Kim, Jeong-Hui;Yoon, Ju-Duk;Baek, Seung-Ho;Jang, Min-Ho
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.39 no.1
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    • pp.43-49
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    • 2016
  • Fishways are constructed to provide longitudinal connectivity of streams or rivers where their flow has been altered by in-stream structures such as dams or weirs. Nature-like fishways have an additional function of providing fish habitats. In the study, we estimated the role of a nature-like fishway (length: 700 m, slope: 1/100) for fish habitat by using two dominant species in the Sangju Weir, Nakdong River, to calculate the optimal ecological flow rate using Physical HABitat SIMulation (PHABSIM). To identify the dominant species that used the fishway, we conducted trap monitoring from August to November 2012 at the fishway exit. The dominant species were Zacco platypus and Opsariichthys uncirostric amurensis with a relative abundance of 62.1% and 35.9%, respectively. Optimal habitat suitability indices (HSIs) for Z. platypus and O. u. amurensis were calculated as 0.6-0.8 m/s (water velocity) and 0.2-0.4 m (water depth), and 0.5-0.7 m/s (water velocity) and 0.1-0.3 m (water depth), respectively. The optimal ecological flow rates (OEFs) for Z. platypus and O. u. amurensis were 1.6 and 1.7 cubic meter per second (CMS), respectively. The results of the study can be used in a management plan to increase the habitat function of nature-like fishways in the Sangju Weir. This methodology can be utilized as an appropriate tool that can determine the habitat function of all nature-like fishways.

Design and Analysis of 3D Isotropic Metamaterial Bulk Structure Using Thin Wire and SRR (Thin Wire와 SRR을 이용한 3D 등방성 Metamaterial Bulk 구조 설계 및 분석)

  • Kim, Chung-Ju;Lee, Bom-Son
    • The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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    • v.22 no.9
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    • pp.919-925
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    • 2011
  • In this paper, we designed and analyzed a 3D isotropic bulk structure consisting of thin wires and SRR's(Split Ring Resonator) with which the permittivity and permeability can be controlled at the same time. For the 3D isotropic bulk structure, first of all, the geometry seen by three main axes must look alike. Thus, we adopted the orthogonal thin wires and symmetrical SRR's. As a result, we constructed metamaterial bulk structures of which effective relative permittivity and permiability are about -0.6 and -1.5, respectively. Its refractive index is about -0.95 in each direction(x, y and z direction). The computed Brillouin dispersion diagram also showed that the proposed structure is almost near isotropic.

Effects of Biocom as a Replacement of Glutamine on Performance and Blood Biochemical Indexes of Early Weaned Piglets

  • Zhou, R.Y.;Peng, J.;Liu, Z.L.;Fang, Z.F.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.19 no.6
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    • pp.872-876
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    • 2006
  • The objective of this study was to evaluate Biocom (a protein source containing a high level of glutamine and alanyl-glutamine) as a replacement for glutamine (Gln) in nursery pig diets. Forty-two pigs (fourteen pigs per treatment) weaned at 28 d of age were used in a 28-d performance trial using three dietary treatments: control (no Gln), control supplemented with Gln or Biocom. The control diet was composed of corn, soybean meal, whey and fish meal. Individual body weight, pen feed disappearance and diarrhea were monitored. On d 0, 2, 7 and 14 postweaning, respectively, five pigs per treatment were selected and bled from the anterior vena cava to obtain five replicate samples of blood on each dietary treatment for determination of blood biochemical index. Dietary supplementation of Gln and Biocom did not influence performance, plasma Gln and total serum protein concentration (p>0.05). However, the addition of Gln and Biocom could prevent serum urea nitrogen and serum cortisol from increasing on d 2 postweaning (p<0.05). There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in any of the examined parameters between Gln- and Biocom-supplemented diets. In conclusion, dietary Gln did not influence the performance of early-weaned piglets owing to the complex diet containing whey, but could prevent the increase of serum urea and cortisol. Biocom could be used as a replacement for free pure Gln without any negative effect on early-weaned piglets.

Recurrence after Anatomic Resection Versus Nonanatomic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-analysis

  • Ye, J.Z.;Miao, Z.G.;Wu, F.X.;Zhao, Y.N.;Ye, H.H.;Li, L.Q.
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.13 no.5
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    • pp.1771-1777
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    • 2012
  • The impact of anatomic resection (AR) as compared to non-anatomic resection (NAR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a factor for preventing intra-hepatic and local recurrence after the initial surgical procedure remains controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis of nonrandomized trials comparing anatomic resection with non-anatomic resection for HCC published from 1990 to 2010 in PubMed and Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Science Citation Index were therefore performed. Intra-hepatic recurrence, including early and late, and local recurrence were considered as primary outcomes. As secondary outcomes, 5 year survival and 5 year disease-free survival were considered. Pooled effects were calculated utilizing either fixed effects or random effects models. Eleven non-randomized studies including 1,576 patients were identified and analyzed, with 810 patients in the AR group and 766 in the NAR group. Patients in the AR group were characterized by lower prevalence of cirrhosis, more favorable hepatic function, and larger tumor size and higher prevalence of macrovascular invasion compared with patients in the NAR group. Anatomic resection significantly reduced the risks of local recurrence and achieved a better 5 years disease-free survival. Also, anatomic resection was marginally effective for decreasing the early intra-hepatic recurrence. However, it was not advantageous in preventing late intra-hepatic recurrence compared with non-anatomic resection. No differences were found between AR and NAR with respect to postoperative morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization. Anatomic resection can be recommended as superior to non-anatomic resection in terms of reducing the risks of local recurrence, early intra-hepatic recurrence and achieving a better 5 year disease-free survival in HCC patients.

The Effects of the Activity Program for Preventing Dementia Against Depression, Cognitive Function, and Quality of Life for the Elderly (치매예방을 위한 활동 프로그램이 지역사회 노인의 우울, 인지기능 및 삶의 질에 미치는 효과)

  • Park, Kum-Sook;Jeong, Heon-Young;So, Sun-Yoe;Park, Young-Hee;Yang, Hee-Jung;Jung, Kyoung-Ran;Moon, Soon-Joo;Kim, Hae-Kyoung;Cho, Jung-Hee;Yang, Kyung-Hee
    • Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.353-362
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    • 2013
  • Objectives: This study is conducted to identify the effects of the activity program for preventing dementia against depression, cognitive function, and quality of life for the elderly. Methods: A non-equivalent control group with pretest-posttest design was used on 50 elderly who were assigned to the experimental and control group (25 for each group). Results: Cognitive function was significantly different between the two groups of the pretest and posttest (Z=4.217, p<.001). There were significant differences between the two groups of the pretest and posttest (Z=-2.324, p=.020) for the quality of life on the EQ-5D index. Conclusions: These findings confirmed that the activity program for preventing dementia was effective for improving cognitive functions and quality of life for the elderly. Therefore, it is further encouraged to perform the activity programs for preventing dementia within other community health posts and community centers. It is necessary to study the emotional supports from community health posts in the future.

Evaluation of GPM IMERG Applicability Using SPI based Satellite Precipitation (SPI를 활용한 GPM IMERG 자료의 적용성 평가)

  • Jang, Sangmin;Rhee, Jinyoung;Yoon, Sunkwon;Lee, Taehwa;Park, Kyungwon
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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    • v.59 no.3
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    • pp.29-39
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    • 2017
  • In this study, the GPM (Global Precipitation Mission) IMERG (Integrated Multi-satellitE retrievals for GPM) rainfall data was verified and evaluated using ground AWS (Automated Weather Station) and radar in order to investigate the availability of GPM IMERG rainfall data. The SPI (Standardized Precipitation Index) was calculated based on the GPM IMERG data and also compared with the results obtained from the ground observation data for the Hoengseong Dam and Yongdam Dam areas. For the radar data, 1.5 km CAPPI rainfall data with a resolution of 10 km and 30 minutes was generated by applying the Z-R relationship ($Z=200R^{1.6}$) and used for accuracy verification. In order to calculate the SPI, PERSIANN_CDR and TRMM 3B42 were used for the period prior to the GPM IMERG data availability range. As a result of latency verification, it was confirmed that the performance is relatively higher than that of the early run mode in the late run mode. The GPM IMERG rainfall data has a high accuracy for 20 mm/h or more rainfall as a result of the comparison with the ground rainfall data. The analysis of the time scale of the SPI based on GPM IMERG and changes in normal annual precipitation adequately showed the effect of short term rainfall cases on local drought relief. In addition, the correlation coefficient and the determination coefficient were 0.83, 0.914, 0.689 and 0.835, respectively, between the SPI based GPM IMERG and the ground observation data. Therefore, it can be used as a predictive factor through the time series prediction model. We confirmed the hydrological utilization and the possibility of real time drought monitoring using SPI based on GPM IMERG rainfall, even though results presented in this study were limited to some rainfall cases.

CPW travelling-wave electrodes, Mach-Zehnder type Ti:LiNbO3 optical modulator (CPW 진행파 전극, M-Z형 Ti:LiNbO3 광 변조기)

  • Pi Joong-Ho;Jung Eun-Joo;Choi Jung-Sung;Kim Chang-Min
    • Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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    • v.15 no.5
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    • pp.475-482
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    • 2004
  • We have fabricated a LiNbO$_3$ travelling-wave optical modulator. The travelling-wave modulator consisted of M-Z(Mach-Zehnder) interferometer and CPW(Coplanar Waveguide) travelling-wave electrodes. Design of CPW electrodes were performed by SOR(Successive Over Relaxation) to obtain the conditions of Microwave effective index and impedance matching. The fabricated modulator had -3.2 dB insertion loss, and S$_{11}$ below -15 dB up to 12 GHz, S$_{21}$ better than -3 dB upto 7 GHz. It turned out that the optical response showed the 3 dB bandwidth of above 12 GHz.