• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 1999

Throughout this thesis, I describe the design, fabrication, and evaluation of the 3 DOF farce-reflecting haptic interface using USMs(ultrasonic motors). This haptic interface allows a htmlaIl "observer" to explore and interact with a virtual environrrent for the sense of touch. To effectively display the mechanical impedance of the htmlaIl hand we need a haptic device with specific characteristics, such as low inertia, alrmst zero friction and very high stiffness. USMs have attracted considerable attention as the actuator satisfied these conditions. An observer may grasp the end effector of revice and interact with surfaces and objects created within a virtual environment The revice provires force feedback, allowing users to "feel" objects within the environment. The device works very well, as users are able to detect the edge of the wall, the stiffness of the button and the puncture. TIle force-reflecting haptic interface could be suitable as a master for micro-surgery or as an interface to virtual reality training systems.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1861-1864
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• 2016

Although early diagnosis of thyroid nodule type is very important, the diagnostic accuracy of standard tests is a challenging issue. We here aimed to find an optimal combination of factors to improve diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules before surgery. In a prospective study from 2008 to 2012, 345 patients referred for thyroidectomy were enrolled. The sample size was split into a training set and testing set as a ratio of 7:3. The former was used for estimation and variable selection and obtaining a linear combination of factors. We utilized smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) logistic regression to achieve the sparse optimal combination of factors. To evaluate the performance of the estimated model in the testing set, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized. The mean age of the examined patients (66 male and 279 female) was $40.9{\pm}13.4years$ (range 15- 90 years). Some 54.8% of the patients (24.3% male and 75.7% female) had benign and 45.2% (14% male and 86% female) malignant thyroid nodules. In addition to maximum diameters of nodules and lobes, their volumes were considered as related factors for malignancy prediction (a total of 16 factors). However, the SCAD method estimated the coefficients of 8 factors to be zero and eliminated them from the model. Hence a sparse model which combined the effects of 8 factors to distinguish malignant from benign thyroid nodules was generated. An optimal cut off point of the ROC curve for our estimated model was obtained (p=0.44) and the area under the curve (AUC) was equal to 77% (95% CI: 68%-85%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values for this model were 70%, 72%, 71% and 76%, respectively. An increase of 10 percent and a greater accuracy rate in early diagnosis of thyroid nodule type by statistical methods (SCAD and ANN methods) compared with the results of FNA testing revealed that the statistical modeling methods are helpful in disease diagnosis. In addition, the factor ranking offered by these methods is valuable in the clinical context.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2013

Persons with sensorineural hearing impairment have troubles in hearing at noisy environments because of their deteriorated hearing levels and low-spectral resolution of the auditory system and therefore, they use hearing aids to compensate weakened hearing abilities. Various algorithms for hearing loss compensation and environmental noise reduction have been implemented in the hearing aid; however, the performance of these algorithms vary in accordance with external sound situations and therefore, it is important to tune the operation of the hearing aid appropriately in accordance with a wide variety of sound situations. In this study, a sound classification algorithm that can be applied to the hearing aid was suggested. The proposed algorithm can classify the different types of speech situations into four categories: 1) speech-only, 2) noise-only, 3) speech-in-noise, and 4) music-only. The proposed classification algorithm consists of two sub-parts: a feature extractor and a speech situation classifier. The former extracts seven characteristic features - short time energy and zero crossing rate in the time domain; spectral centroid, spectral flux and spectral roll-off in the frequency domain; mel frequency cepstral coefficients and power values of mel bands - from the recent input signals of two microphones, and the latter classifies the current speech situation. The experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm could classify the kinds of speech situations with an accuracy of over 94.4%. Based on these results, we believe that the proposed algorithm can be applied to the hearing aid to improve speech intelligibility in noisy environments.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2004

Nitric oxide (NO) system has been implicated in a wide range of physiological functions in the nervous system. However, the role of NO in regulating the neural activity in the gustatory zone of nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) has not been established. The present study was aimed to investigate the role of NO in the gustatory NTS neurons. Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing about 50 g, were used. Whole cell patch recording and immunohistochemistry were done to determine the electrophysiological characteristics of the rostral gustatory nucleus of the tractus solitaries and distribution of NO synthases (NOS). Neuronal NOS (nNOS) immunoreactivity was strongly detected along the solitary tract extending from rostral to caudal medulla. Resting membrane potentials of NTS neurons were $-49.2{\pm}2\;mV$ and action potential amplitudes were $68.5{\pm}2\;mV$ with a mean duration measured at half amplitude of $1.7{\pm}0.3\;ms$. Input resistance, determined from the response to a 150 ms, -100 pA hyperpolarizing current pulse, was $385{\pm}15\;M{\Omega}$, Superfusion of SNAP or SNP, NO donors, produced either hyperpolarization (68%), depolarization (5%), or no effect (27%). The hyperpolarization was mostly accompanied by a decrease in input resistance. The hyperpolarization caused by SNAP or SNP increased the time to initiate the first action potential, and decreased the number of action potentials elicited by current injection. SNP or SNAP also markedly decreased the number of firing neural discharges of the spontaneous NTS neural activity under zero current. Superfusion of L-NAME, a NOS inhibitor, slightly depolarized the membrane potential and increased the firing rate of NTS neurons induced by current injection. ODQ, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, ameliorated the SNAP-induced changes in membrane potential, input resistance and firing rates. 8-Br-cGMP, a non-degradable cell-permeable cGMP, hyperpolarized the membrane potential and decreased the number of action potentials. It is suggested that NO in the gustatory NTS has an inhibitory role on the neural activity of NTS through activating soluble guanylate cyclase.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.37-47
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• 2024

Purpose : Cancer survivors often suffer from postoperative sequelae. the diagnosing and provision of manual therapy using spiral taping significantly improves the quality of life of cancer patients. The aim of this case study is to investigate the immediate effects of spiral taping on pain, range of motion (ROM), chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), and lymphedema following breast cancer surgery. Methods : The taping techniques were performed as follows by spiral taping. The measurements were taken before, in the middle, and after taping using a mobile phone camera, tape measure, and a numerical rating score (NRS). The evaluation employed a single-group pre-post design based on a primitive experimental design. Results : Out of four patients, all four exhibited Reverse circle flow energy (RCFE), Passive cervical right (Rt) rotation test, anterior-posterior movement pattern, nerve type (+), cold energy (CE), sangcho acupuncture point, blood clot, hwal point. Comparing before and after treatment, almost all values were reduced to zero after treatment in terms of pain complaints. The lack of range of motion (ROM) caused by the shortened tissue after surgery did not increase. The range of motion (ROM) lost due to pain returned to normal. The circumference of lymphedema did not show a tendency. The symptoms of CIPN improved. Conclusion : There was a significant change in joint range of motion, with pain decreasing, but there were structural limitations in the tissue due to total resection, and the chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy scale. It was effectively treated surgical site pain, axillary membrane syndrome-induced pain, and unexplained pain. While there was a treatment effect for lymphedema in the evaluation of circumference values, there was no significant change in circumference. There was a significant effect on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, particularly in treating numbness in the feet, which is a side effect of TC anticancer drugs. This case study found that spiral balance taping provides a rapid therapeutic effect for most side effects in patients who have undergone total breast cancer resection. However, the generalization is limited due to the small sample size, and further research is needed to determine the extent to which the effects of one treatment are maintained.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.267-272
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• 2006

Objective : There have been recent reports that mesenchymal stromal cells that are harvested from adipose tissue are able to differentiate into neurons. In the present study, we administered adipose tissue derived stem cells in rats with cerebral infarction in order to determine whether those stem cells could enhance the recovery of motor function. Methods : Cerebral infarction was induced by intraluminal occlusion of middle cerebral artery in rats. The adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells were harvested from inguinal fat pad and proliferated for 2 weeks in DMEM media. Approximately $1{\times}10^6$ cells were injected intravenously or into subdural space of the peri-lesional area. The rotor rod test was performed at preoperative state[before MCA occlusion], and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after the cell therapy. Results : The motor functions that were assessed by rotor rod test at 1 week of the cell therapy were nearly zero among the experimental groups. However, there was apparent motor function recovery after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of cell injection in intravenously treated rats and peri-lesionaly treated rats, respectively, while there was no significant improvement till 8 weeks in vehicle treated rats. Conclusion : These results demonstrate that the adipose derived stem cell treatment improves motor function recovery in rats with cerebral infarction.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.508-514
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• 2024

Background/Aims: This study aimed to examine the synergistic effect of independent risk factors on post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP). Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 1,273 patients with native papillae who underwent ERCP for bile duct stones in Japan. Independent PEP risk factors were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses. Significant risk factors for PEP in the multivariate analysis were included in the final analysis to examine the synergistic effect of independent risk factors for PEP. Results: PEP occurred in 45 of 1,273 patients (3.5%). Three factors including difficult cannulation ≥10 minutes, pancreatic injection, and normal serum bilirubin level were included in the final analysis. The incidences of PEP in patients with zero, one, two, and three factors were 0.5% (2/388), 1.9% (9/465), 6.0% (17/285), and 12.6% (17/135), respectively. With increasing risk factors for PEP, the incidence of PEP significantly increased (1 factor vs. 2 factors, p=0.006; 2 factors vs. 3 factors, p=0.033). Conclusions: As the number of risk factors for PEP increases, the risk of PEP may not be additive; however, it may multiply. Thus, aggressive prophylaxis for PEP is strongly recommended in patients with multiple risk factors.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.36 no.1 s.114
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• pp.14-29
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• 2006

Developments in computer technology have made possible the 3-dimensional (3-D) evaluation of hard and soft tissues in orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning and post-treatment results. In this study, Korean adults with normal occlusion (male 30, female 30) were scanned by a 3-D laser scanner, then 3-D facial images formed by the Rapidform 2004 program (Inus Technology Inc., Seoul, Korea.). Reference planes in the facial soft tissue 3-D images were established and a 3-D coordinate system (X axis-left/right, Y axis-superior/inferior, Z axis-anterior/posterior) was established by using the soft tissue nasion as the zero point. Twenty-nine measurement points were established on the 3-D image and 43 linear measurements, 8 angular measurements, 29 linear distance ratios were obtained. The results are as follows; there were significant differences between males and females in the nasofrontal angle $(male:\;142^{\circ},\;female:\;147^{\circ})$ and transverse nasal prominence $(male:\;112^{\circ},\;female:\;116^{\circ})$ (p<0.05). The transverse upper lip prominence was $107^{\circ}$ in males, $106^{\circ}$ in females and the transverse mandibular prominence was $76^{\circ}$ in both males and females. Li-Me' was 0.4 times the length of Go-Me'(mandibular body length) and the mouth height was also 0.4 times the width of the mouth width. The linear distance ratio from the coronal reference plane of FT, Zy, Pn, ULPm, Li, Me' was -1/-1/1/0.5/0.5/-0.6 respectively. The 3-D facial model of Korean adults with normal occlusion were be constructed using coordinate values and linear measurement values. These data may be used as a reference in 3-D diagnosis and treatment planning for malocclusion and dentofacial deformity patients and applied for 3-D analysis of facial soft tissue changes before and after orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2019

Purpose: The usefulness of using single-electron radiation for secondary radiotherapy of breast cancer patients after surgery is assessed and the use of a combine of different energy. Methods and materials : In this study, 40 patients (group A) using energy 6 MeV and 9 MeV, and 19 patients (group B) using a combine of 9 MeV and 12 MeV were studied among 59 patients who performed secondary care using combine electronic radiation. Each patient in each group, 6 MeV, 9 MeV, Combine(6 MeV / 9 MeV) and 9 MeV, 12 MeV, Combine (9 MeV / 12 MeV) were developed in different ways, and the maximum doses delivered to the original hospital, D95, D5, and $V_3$, $V_5$, $V_{10}$ were compared. Result: The D95 mean value of Group A treatment plan was $785.33{\pm}225.37cGy$, $1121.79{\pm}87.02cGy$ at 9 MeV, and $1010.98{\pm}111.17cGy$ at 6 MeV / 9 MeV, and the mean value at 6 MeV / 9 MeV was most appropriate for the dose. The mean values of the low dose area $V_3$ and $V_5$ in the lung of the breast direction being treated were $3.24{\pm}3.49%$ and $0.72{\pm}1.55%$ at 6 MeV, the highest 9 MeV at $7.25{\pm}4.59%$, $3.07{\pm}2.64%$, the lowest at 6 MeV. Maximum and average lung dose was $727.78{\pm}137.27cGy$ at 6 MeV / 9 MeV, $49.16{\pm}24.44cGy$, highest 9 MeV at $998.97{\pm}114.35cGy$, $85.33{\pm}41.18cGy$, and lowest 6 MeV at $387.78{\pm}208.88cGy$, $9.27{\pm}6.60cGy$. The value of $V_{10}$ was all close to zero. Group B appeared in the pattern of Group A. Conclusion: Relative differences in low-dose areas of the lungs $V_3$ and $V_5$ were seen and were most effective in the dose transfer of tumor bed in the application of combined energy. It is thought that the method of using electronic energy in further radiation treatments for breast cancer is a more effective way to use the energy effect of limiting energy resources, and that if you think about it again, it could be a little more beneficial radiation treatment for patients.