• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.350-363
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• 2024

Background/Aims: To overcome the technical limitations of classic endoscopic resection for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), various methods have been developed. In this study, we examined the role and feasibility of clip-and-cut procedures (clip-and-cut endoscopic full-thickness resection [cc-EFTR]) for gastric GISTs. Methods: Medical records of 83 patients diagnosed with GISTs after endoscopic resection between 2005 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Moreover, clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed. Results: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and cc-EFTR were performed in 51 and 32 patients, respectively. The GISTs were detected in the upper third of the stomach for ESD (52.9%) and cc-EFTR (90.6%). Within the cc-EFTR group, a majority of GISTs were located in the deep muscularis propria or serosal layer, accounting for 96.9%, as opposed to those in the ESD group (45.1%). The R0 resection rates were 51.0% and 84.4% in the ESD and cc-EFTR groups, respectively. Seven (8.4%) patients required surgical treatment (six patients underwent ESD and one underwent cc-EFTR,) due to residual tumor (n=5) and post-procedure adverse events (n=2). Patients undergoing R0 or R1 resection did not experience recurrence during a median 14-month follow-up period, except for one patient in the ESD group. Conclusions: cc-EFTR displayed a high R0 resection rate; therefore, it is a safe and effective therapeutic option for small gastric GISTs.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.288-293
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• 2024

The temporal fascia is a double lamina sandwiching a thick fat layer above the zygomatic bony arch. To characterize each lamina, their developmental processes were examined in fetuses. We observed histological sections from 22 half-heads of 10 mid-term fetuses at 14-18 weeks (crown-rump length, 95-150 mm) and 12 near-term fetuses at 26-40 weeks (crown-rump length, 215-334 mm). The superficial lamina of the temporal fascia was not evident at mid-term. Instead, a loose subcutaneous tissue was attached to the thin, deep lamina of the temporal fascia covering the temporalis muscle. At near-term, the deep lamina became thick, while the superficial lamina appeared and exhibited several variations: i) a mono-layered thick membrane (5 specimens); ii) a multi-layered membranous structure (6) and; iii) a cluster of independent thick fasciae each of which were separated by fatty tissues (1). In the second and third patterns, fatty tissue between the two laminae was likely to contain longitudinal fibrous bands in parallel with the deep lamina. Varying proportions of the multi-layered superficial lamina were not attached to the zygomatic arch, but extended below the bony arch. Whether or not lobulation or septation of fatty tissues was evident was not dependent on age. The deep lamina seemed to develop from the temporalis muscle depending on the muscle contraction. In contrast, the superficial lamina developed from subcutaneous collagenous bundles continuous to the cheek. Therein, a difference in development was clearly seen between two categories of the fasciae.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.14-20
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• 2024

Traffic sign recognition is an essential feature of intelligent transportation systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which are necessary for improving road safety and advancing the development of autonomous cars. This research investigates the incorporation of the YOLOv9 model into traffic sign recognition systems, utilizing its sophisticated functionalities such as Programmable Gradient Information (PGI) and Generalized Efficient Layer Aggregation Network (GELAN) to tackle enduring difficulties in object detection. We employed a publically accessible dataset obtained from Roboflow, which consisted of 3130 images classified into five distinct categories: speed_40, speed_60, stop, green, and red. The dataset was separated into training (68%), validation (21%), and testing (12%) subsets in a methodical manner to ensure a thorough examination. Our comprehensive trials have shown that YOLOv9 obtains a mean Average Precision (mAP@0.5) of 0.959, suggesting exceptional precision and recall for the majority of traffic sign classes. However, there is still potential for improvement specifically in the red traffic sign class. An analysis was conducted on the distribution of instances among different traffic sign categories and the differences in size within the dataset. This analysis aimed to guarantee that the model would perform well in real-world circumstances. The findings validate that YOLOv9 substantially improves the precision and dependability of traffic sign identification, establishing it as a dependable option for implementation in intelligent transportation systems and ADAS. The incorporation of YOLOv9 in real-world traffic sign recognition and classification tasks demonstrates its promise in making roadways safer and more efficient.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.2131-2140
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• 2024

The chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) is one of the major integrity concerns in dry storage canisters made of austenitic stainless steels (ASSs). In this study, an advanced duplex stainless steel (DSS) with a composition of Fe-19Cr-4Ni-2.5Mo-4.5Mn (ADCS) was developed and its performance was compared with that of commercial ASS and DSS alloys. The chemical composition of ADCS was determined to obtain greater pitting and CISCC resistance as well as a proper combination of strength and ductility. Then, the thermomechanical processing (TMP) condition was applied, which resulted in higher strength than ASSs (304L SS and 316L SS) and better ductility than DSSs (2101 LDSS and 2205 DSS). The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) results represented the better pitting corrosion resistance of ADCS compared to 304L SS and 316L SS by forming a better passive layer. The CISCC tests using four-point loaded specimens showed that cracks were initiated at 24 h for 304L SS and 144 h for 316L SS, while crack was not found until 1008 h for ADCS. Overall, the developed alloy, ADCS, showed better combination of CISCC resistance and mechanical properties as dry storage canister materials than commercial alloys.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant surge in glove usage, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Despite efforts to ensure the quality and safety of gloves, glove-associated skin diseases such as hand dermatitis have become ubiquitous, particularly among health care workers. This review discusses the prevalence, causes, and risk factors of hand dermatitis, as well as research efforts in medical gloves in the past decade to overcome glove-related hand dermatitis. Research papers from 2013 to 2022 were reviewed, selecting only 49 relevant papers from the Ovid, PubMed, and Scopus databases. The average prevalence of hand dermatitis among health care workers increased from 21.08% to 37.24% upon the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cases are likely due to allergies to latex proteins, rubber additives, and accelerators commonly found in gloves. Using alternatives to latex gloves, such as accelerator-free and latex-free glove options, can help reduce allergy-induced hand dermatitis. Strict hand hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing and the use of sanitizers, are also contributing factors in contracting hand dermatitis. Over the past decade, glove research advancements have focused mainly on reducing or immobilizing latex proteins. These include the use of biodegradable dialdehyde, sodium alginate, arctigenin, bromelain, papain, UV-LED, prototype photoreactors, and structure-modified nanosilica with silane A174. Two effective hand dermatitis preventive measures, i.e. an additional layer of glove liners and the use of gentle alcohol-based hand sanitizer, were recommended. These advancements represent promising steps towards mitigating hand dermatitis risks associated with glove usage.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.33-49
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• 2024

Using the mechanical treatments for mechanical properties improvement was rarely in the development scope before. This research approves through analytical ways that surface impacts can improve the quality of the surface significantly. This fact is approved for deposited titanium on silicone substrate. The new algorithm called minimum resultant error method (MREM) which is a direct combination of nanoindentation, FEM and dimensional analysis through a reverse method is utilized to extract the mechanical characteristics of the coating surface before and after impact. This method is extended to the time dependent behavior of the material to obtain strain rate coefficient. To implement this new approach, a new analysis technic is developed to define the residual stress field caused by surface impact as initial condition for nanoindentation. Analyzing the model in micro and macro scale at the same time was one of the main resolved challenges in this study. The result was obtaining of the constants of Johnson-Cook constitutive equation. Comparing the characteristics of the coating surface before and after impact shows high improvement in yield stress (34%), Elastic modulus (7.75%) and strain hardening coefficient (2.8%). The main achievement is that the strength improvement in titanium thin layer is much higher than bulk titanium. The yield strength shows 41.7% improvement for coated titanium comparing with 24% for bulk material. The rate of enhancement is about 6 times when it comes to the Young's modulus.

• Archives of Metallurgy and Materials
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.571-578
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• 2019

The densification behavior of H13 tool steel powder by dual speed laser scanning strategy have been characterized for selective laser melting process, one of powder bed fusion based metal 3d printing. Under limited given laser power, the laser re-melting increases the relative density and hardness of H13 tool steel with closing pores. The single melt-pool analysis shows that the pores are located on top area of melt pool when the scanning speed is over 400 mm/s while the low scanning speed of 200 mm/s generates pores beneath the melt pool in the form of keyhole mode with the high energy input from the laser. With the second laser scanning, the pores on top area of melt pools are efficiently closed with proper dual combination of scan speed. However pores located beneath the melt pools could not be removed by second laser scanning. When each layer of 3d printing are re-melted, the relative density and hardness are improved for most dual combination of scanning. Among the scan speed combination, the 600 mm/s by 400 mm/s leads to the highest relative density, 99.94 % with hardness of 53.5 HRC. This densification characterization with H13 tool steel laser re-melting can be efficiently applied for tool steel component manufacturing via metal 3d printing.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.95-103
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: In recent years, brain organoid technologies have been the most innovative advance in neural differentiation research. In line with this, we optimized a method to establish cerebral organoids from feeder-free cultured human pluripotent stem cells. In this study, we focused on the consistent and robust production of cerebral organoids comprising neural progenitor cells and neurons. We propose an optimal protocol for cerebral organoid generation that is applicable to both human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells. Methods and Results: We investigated formation of neuroepithelium, neural tube, and neural folding by observing the morphology of embryoid bodies at each stage during the cerebral organoid differentiation process. Furthermore, we characterized the cerebral organoids via immunocytochemical staining of sectioned organoid samples, which were prepared using a Cryostat and Vibratome. Finally, we established a routine method to generate early cerebral organoids comprising a cortical layer and a neural progenitor zone. Conclusions: We developed an optimized methodology for the generation of cerebral organoids using hESCs and hiPSCs. Using this protocol, consistent and efficient cerebral organoids could be obtained from hiPSCs as well as hESCs. Further, the morphology of brain organoids could be analyzed through 2D monitoring via immunostaining and tissue sectioning, or through 3D monitoring by whole tissue staining after clarification.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.274-284
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• 2024

In this study, copper foil was electroplated under high current density conditions. We used Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), known for its thermal stability and low decomposition rate, as an inhibitor to form a stable and smooth copper layer on the titanium cathode. The electrolyte was composed of 50 g/L CuSO₄ and 100 g/L H₂SO₄, MPSA as an accelerator, JGB as a leveler, and PEG as a suppressor, and HCl was added as chloride ions for improving plating efficiency. The copper foil electroplated in the electrolyte added PEG which induced to inhibit the growth of rough crystals. As a result, the surface roughness value was reduced, and a uniform surface was formed over a large area. Moreover, the addition of PEG led to priority growth to the (111) plane and the formation of polygonal crystals through horizontal and vertical growth of crystals onto the cathode. In addition, the grains became fine when more than 30 ppm of PEG was added. As the microcrystalline structure changed, mechanical and electrical properties were altered. With the addition of PEG, the tensile strength increased due to grain refinement, and the elongation was improved due to the uniform surface. However, as the amount of PEG added increased, the corrosion rate and resistivity increased due to grain refinement. Finally, it was possible to manufacture a copper foil with excellent electrical and mechanical properties and the best surface properties when electroplating was carried out under the condition of additives with Cl-20 ppm, MPSA 10 ppm, JGB 5 ppm, and PEG 10 ppm.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.506-514
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• 2024

High-frequency soft magnetic Ni, Fe, and Co-based thin films have been developed, typically as nanocrystals and amorphous alloys. These Ni, Fe, and Co-based thin films exhibit remarkably good frequency dependence up to high frequencies of several tens of MHz. These properties arise from the moderate magnetic anisotropy and fairly high electrical resistivity that result from the microstructural characteristics of the nanocrystalline and amorphous states. In this paper, Al-Co/AlN-Co and Al-N/AlN-Co multilayer films were deposited using two-facing-target type sputtering (TFTS). Their microstructures, magnetic and electrical properties were studied with the expectation that inserting Al-Co or Al-N as an interlayer could effectively reduce the coercive force and produce films with relatively high resistivity. A new approach is presented for the fabrication of Al-Co (Al-N)/AlN-Co multilayer films, prepared with the TFTS system. The deposited films were isothermally annealed at different temperatures and investigated for microstructure, magnetic properties and resistivity. The TFTS method used in this experiment is suitable for fabricating Al-Co(Al-N)/AlN-Co multilayer films with different layer thickness ratio (LTR). The annealing conditions, thickness of the multilayer film, and LTR can control the physical properties as well as the microstructure of the manufactured film. Magnetization and resistance increased and coercivity decreased as LTR decreased. The thin film with LTR = 0.175 exhibited high resistivity values of 2,500 µΩ-cm, magnetization of 360 emu/cm³, and coercivity of 5 Oe. Results suggests that thin films with such good resistivity and magnetization would be useful as high-density recording materials.