• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.634-643
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and safety of low-contrast-dose, dual-source dual-energy CT before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with compromised renal function. Materials and Methods: A total of 54 consecutive patients (female:male, 26:38; 81.9 ± 7.3 years) with reduced renal function underwent pre-TAVR dual-energy CT with a 30-mL contrast agent between June 2022 and March 2023. Monochromatic (40- and 50-keV) and conventional (120-kVp) images were reconstructed and analyzed. The subjective quality score, vascular attenuation, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were compared among the imaging techniques using the Friedman test and post-hoc analysis. Interobserver reliability for aortic annular measurement was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis. The procedural outcomes and incidence of post-contrast acute kidney injury (AKI) were assessed. Results: Monochromatic images achieved diagnostic quality in all patients. The 50-keV images achieved superior vascular attenuation and CNR (P < 0.001 in all) while maintaining a similar SNR compared to conventional CT. For aortic annular measurement, the 50-keV images showed higher interobserver reliability compared to conventional CT: ICC, 0.98 vs. 0.90 for area and 0.97 vs. 0.95 for perimeter; 95% limits of agreement width, 0.63 cm² vs. 0.92 cm² for area and 5.78 mm vs. 8.50 mm for perimeter. The size of the implanted device matched CT-measured values in all patients, achieving a procedural success rate of 92.6%. No patient experienced a serum creatinine increase of ≥ 1.5 times baseline in the 48-72 hours following CT. However, one patient had a procedural delay due to gradual renal function deterioration. Conclusion: Low-contrast-dose imaging with 50-keV reconstruction enables precise pre-TAVR evaluation with improved image quality and minimal risk of post-contrast AKI. This approach may be an effective and safe option for pre-TAVR evaluation in patients with compromised renal function.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2015

$^3He$ gas has been used for neutron monitors as the neutron converter owing to its advantages such as high sensitivity, good ${\gamma}$-discrimination capability, and long-term stability. However, $^3He$ is becoming more difficult to obtain in last few years due to a global shortage of $^3He$ gas. Accordingly, the cost of a neutron monitor using $^3He$ gas as a neutron converter is becoming more expensive. Demand on a neutron monitor using an alternative neutron conversion material is widely increased. $^{10}B$ has many advantages among various $^3He$ alternative materials, as a neutron converter. In order to develop a neutron converter using $^{10}B$ (actually $B_4C$), we calculated the optimal thickness of a neutron converter with a Monte Carlo simulation using MCNP6. In addition, a neutron converter was fabricated by the Ar sputtering method and the neutron signal detection efficiencies were measured with respect to various thicknesses of fabricated a neutron converter. Also, we developed a 2-dimensional multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC) for neutron beam profile monitoring using the fabricated a neutron converter, and performed experiments for neutron response of the neutron monitor at the 30 MW research reactor HANARO at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The 2-dimensional MWPC with boron ($B_4C$) neutron converter was proved to be useful for neutron beam monitoring, and can be applied to other types of neutron imaging.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.625-628
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• 2015

POLARBEAR is a ground-based experiment located in the Atacama desert of northern Chile. The experiment is designed to measure the Cosmic Microwave Background B-mode polarization at several arcminute resolution. The CMB B-mode polarization on degree angular scales is a unique signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation and B-mode signal on sub-degree scales is induced by the gravitational lensing from large-scale structure. Science observations began in early 2012 with an array of 1.274 polarization sensitive antenna-couple Transition Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers at 150 GHz. We published the first CMB-only measurement of the B-mode polarization on sub-degree scales induced by gravitational lensing in December 2013 followed by the first measurement of the B-mode power spectrum on those scales in March 2014. In this proceedings, we review the physics of CMB B-modes and then describe the Polarbear experiment, observations, and recent results.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.52-61
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• 2023

The use of ultra-high-resolution (UHR) seismic surveys to preceisly characterize coastal and shallow structures have increased recently. UHR surveys derive a spatial resolution of 3.125 m using a high-frequency source (80 Hz to 1 kHz). A digital streamer system is an essential module for acquiring high-quality UHR seismic data. Localization studies have focused on reducing purchase costs and decreasing maintenance periods. Basic performance verification and application tests of the developed streamer have been successfully carried out; however, a comparative analysis with the existing benchmark model was not conducted. In this study, we characterized data obtained by using a developed streamer and a benchmark model simultaneously. Tamhae 2 and auxiliary equipment of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources were used to acquire 2D seismic data, which were analyzed from different perspectives. The data obtained using the developed streamer differed in sensitivity from that obtained using benchmark model by frequency band.However, both type of data had a very high level of similarity in the range corresponding to the central frequency band of the seismic source. However, in the low frequency band below 60 Hz, data obtained using the developed streamer showed a lower signal-to-noise ratio than that obtained using the benchmark model.This lower ratio can hinder the quality in data acquisition using low-frequency sound sources such as cluster air guns. Three causes for this difference were, and streamers developed in future will attempt to reflect on these improvements.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea TC
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2009

This paper presents the method of measuring the feedback interference channel, which is developed between the transmit and receive antennas of a wireless repeater by receiving the transmit signal at the receive antenna of the identical repeater, and experiment results obtained by analyzing the measurements. This experiment uses 2 GHz WCDMA signal and is carried out near a highway. The high-speed mobiles on highways cause reflected signals with high Doppler frequencies and large energy. In order to characterize the feedback channel, the power delay profile and the scattering function are estimated by identifying the delay spread, the Doppler spread, the number of fingers, and the attenuation with delay. Since the feedback interference channel is constructed between the fixed TX and RX antennas, which is dependent upon the multipaths developed by moving or fixed objects around the antennas, the channel shows different properties comparing to the conventional channels between the base station and the mobile station. Therefore, the results presented in the paper are expected to provide guidelines for designing and evaluating wireless repeater systems.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.105-118
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• 2008

Shotcrete is one of the main support materials in tunnelling. Its bonding state on excavated rock surfaces controls the safety of the tunnel: De-bonding of shotcrete from an excavated surface decreases the safety of the tunnel. Meanwhile, the bonding state of shotcrete is affected by blasting during excavation at tunnel face as well as bench cut. Generally, the bonding state of shotcrete can be classified as void, de-bonded, or fully bonded. In this study, the state of the back-surface of shotcrete is investigated using impact-echo (IE) techniques. Numerical simulation of IE technique is performed with ABAQUS. Signals obtained from the IE simulations were analyzed at time, frequency, and time-frequency domains, respectively. Using an integrated active signal processing technique coupled with a Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) analysis, the bonding state of the shotcrete can be evaluated accurately. As the bonding state worsens, the amplitude of the first peak past the maximum amplitude in the time domain waveform and the maximum energy of the autospectral density are increasing. The resonance frequency becomes detectable and calculable and the contour in time-frequency domain has a long tail parallel to the time axis. Signal characteristics with respect to ground condition were obtained in case of fully bonded condition. As the ground condition worsens, the length of a long tail parallel to the time axis is lengthened and the contour is located in low frequency range under 10 kHz.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2011

Rhodopsin is a membrane protein with seven transmembrane region which contains a retinal as its chromophore. Although there have been recently reports on various photo-biochemical features of rhodopsins by a wide range of purifying and measurement methods, there was no actual comparison related to the difference of biochemical characteristics according to their physical environment of rhodopsins. First, proteorhodopsin (PR) was found in marine proteobacteria whose function is known for pumping proton using light energy. Second one is Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (Nostoc sp.) PCC7120 (ASR) which belongs to eubacteria acts as sensory regulator since it is co-expressed with transducer 14 kDa in an operon. In this study, we applied two types of rhodopsins (PR and ASR) to various environmental conditions such as in Escherichia coli membranes, membrane in acrylamide gel, in DDM (n-dodecyl-${\beta}$-D-maltopyranoside), OG (octyl-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside), and reconstituted with DOPC (1,2-didecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine). According to the light-induced difference spectroscopy, rhodopsins in 0.02% DDM clearly showed photointermediates like M, and O states which respond to the different wavelengths, respectively and showed the best signal/noise ratio. The laser-induced difference spectra showed the fast formation and decay rate of photointermediates in the DDM solubilized samples than gel encapsulated rhodopsin. Each of rhodopsins seemed to be adapted to its surrounding environment.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.286-294
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• 2010

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) has installed and operated seven seismoacoustic (infrasound) arrays as well as seismic stations in Korea. The seismo-acoustic array, which consists of co-located seismometers and micro-barometers, can observe both seismic and infrasonic signals from distant explosive phenomena. The infrasound is defined as low frequency (<20 Hz) acoustic waves in atmosphere. In particular, it can be detectable at long distance due to its low energy attenuation during propagation in atmosphere. KIGAM adopted the infrasound technology to discriminate surface explosions from earthquakes only because the surface explosion generally generates infrasound following seismic signal. In addition to surface explosions, these arrays have detected diverse geophysically natural and artificial phenomena, such as infrasound signal from the North Korean nuclear test. This review introduced the state-of-the-art studies and examples of infrasonic signals in and around the Korean Peninsula. In conclusion, infrasound technology would be clearly accepted itself as a new Earth monitoring technology by expanding its detectable regime to lithosphere-Earth surface-atmosphere. In future, an advanced technology, which allows to analyze seismic and infrasonic wave fields together, will enlarge the understanding of geophysical phenomena and be used as a robust analysis method for remote explosive phenomena in the broad infrasound regime.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.1342-1347
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• 2010

Various researches have been studied on WSN(wireless sensor network) for barbed wire entanglements surveillance applications such as industry facilities, security area, prison, military area, airport, etc. Currently, barbed wire entanglements surveillance is formed wire sensor network environment. Traditional wire sensor network guarantee high data transmission rate. Therefore, wire sensor network use fast fourier transform of data of high transmission rate for extraction of feature parameter. However, wireless sensor network in comparison with wire sensor network has very low data transmission rate. Therefore, wireless sensor network doesn't use fast fourier transform of wire sensor network for extraction of feature parameter. In this paper, proposed method use 1 level approximation coefficient of DTW(dynamic time-warped) algorithms based on DWT(discrete wavelet transform) for extraction of detection feature parameter and classification feature parameter for barbed wire entanglements surveillance. l level approximation coefficient have time information and frequency information of signal. Therefore, Dynamic time-warped algorithms based on discrete wavelet transform improve detection and classification of target rather than using energy of signal.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.22-28
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• 2007

Spectrum spreading, in its general form, can be conceived as an artificial expansion of the signal bandwidth with respect to the minimum Nyquist band required to transmit the desired information. Spreading can be functional to several objectives, including resilience to interference and jammers and reduction of power spectral density levels. In the paper, signal spreading is manly used for increasing the received energy, thus satisfying link budget constraints, for terminals with low aperture antennas, without increasing the transmitted EIRP. As a matter of fact, in many mobile scenarios, even when MODCOD configurations with very low spectral efficiency (i.e. QPSK-1/4) in DVB-S2 standard, are used, the link budget cannot be closed. Spectrum spreading has been recently proposed as a technique to improve system performance without introducing additional MODCOD configurations under the constraint of fixed power spectrum density level at the transmitter side. To this aim, the design of spectrum spreading techniques shall keep into consideration requirements such as spectrum mask, physical layer performance, link budget, hardware reuse, robustness, complexity, and backward compliance with existing commercial equipments. The proposed implementation allows to fully reuse the standard DVB-S2 circuitry and is inserted as an 'inner layer' in the standard DVB-S2 chain.