• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 2005

Respiratory tubes with a length of 35mm and diameters of 10, 15, and 20mm were made for experimental purpose, and both the static$(P_s)\;and\;dynamic(P_D)$ pressures were simultaneously measured for steady flow rates ranging 1-12//sec. Least squares analysis resulted successful fitting of $P_s\;and\;P_D$ data with quadratic equations with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99(P<0.0001). The spirometric measurement standards of the American Thoracic Society(ATS) were applied to $P_s$ data, which demonstrated the smallest tube diameter of 15mm to satisfy the ATS standards. The maximum $P_D$ value of the velocity type transducer(the functional single use respiratory air flow tube) with the diameter of 15mm was estimated to be approximately $75cmH_2O$, implying more than 7 times larger sensitivity than the widely used pneumotachometers. These results showed that the velocity type respiratory air flow transducer is a unique device accomplishing miniaturization with the sensitivity increased, thus would be of great advantage to develop portable medical devices.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1579-1584
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• 2003

An integrated gold microdisk electrode was constructed and modified with metal-porphyrin or metal-phthalocyanines for NO determination in biological media. Microanalysis of NO using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry in $1\;{\times}\;10^{-2}$ M $HClO_4$ was optimal when the accumulation potential was 0.1 V, frequency 100 Hz, and the scan rate was 200 mV/s. When the electrode was modified with metal-porphyrin or metal-phthalocyanines, the anodic peak currents of NO increased due to the catalytic oxidation of NO. In case of Fe(II)-phthalocyanine modified electrode, the peak currents remarkably increased and the sensitivity was high. The calibration curve had good linearity in the range from $3.6\;{\times}\;10^{-5}$ M to $7.2\;{\times}\;10^{-7}$ M, and the detection limit was $5.7\;{\times}\;10^{-7}$ M. For the structural stability and increased sensitivity, Fe(II)-phthalocyanine modified gold microdisk electrode coated with Nafion was applied to determination of NO released from cultured macrophase.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.314-320
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• 2019

Background: Sitting posture may be related to risk factors, including inadequate weight-bearing support, particularly when maintained for long periods. Considering that body weight is loaded in a closed support system composed of the seat, backrest, floor and working surface, the aims of the present study were to describe the development of an ergonomic sitting workstation to continuously record weight-bearing at the seat, chair, backrest, work surface, and floor and to test its measurement properties: reproducibility, criterion-related validity, and sensitivity. Methods: Rigid bodies (1 to 30 kg) and participant weights were recorded to evaluate the workstation measurement properties. Results: Rigid body tests showed variation values less than 0.050 kg on reproducibility test and errors below 5% of measured value on criterion validity tests. Participant tests showed no statistically significant differences between repeated measures ($p{\geq}0.40$), errors were less than 2% of participant weights an sensitivity presented statistically significant changes (p = 0.007). Conclusion: The sitting workstation proposed showed to be reliable, valid and sensitive for use in future ergonomic studies to evaluate the sitting posture.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 2002

Background : The detection and early elimination of the causes for acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) at the initial stage can result in a more favorable prognosis. Miliary tuberculosis as a cause of the ARDS is quite rare. A diagnosis of miliary tuberculosis is difficult due to the diversity of radiological patterns and non-specific clinical finfings, and low sensitivity of sputum examinations for acid-fast bacilli(AFBs). An analysis of the clinical data is the first step in diagnosing these unusual, rare cases. Materials and Methods : In this study the clinical features, laboratory data, radiological findings and diagnostic methods were analyzed in 9 cases with an initial presentation of ARDS due to miliary tuberculosis. The ARDS was defined by the definition of the American-Europian consensus conference 1992. Results : The mean age of the patients was $67{\pm}18$ years (F:M=7:2). The chief complaints were dyspnea(5/9), coughing (3/9) and fever(5/9). On a physical examination, fine or coarse crackles were noted(6/9). The ARDS developed on average 6.7 days after the initial respiratory symptoms. The mean $PaO_2/FiO_2$ of the patients was $133.5{\pm}53.4$, the number of cases with a WBC<5000/$mm^3$ was 4 out of 9 cases. A platelet count<70,000/$mm^3$ was observed in 2 out of 9 cases, and the serum albumin level was $2.6{\pm}0.6$ g/dL. The initial simple chest PA showed ground glass appearances and consolidation in all cases, However, the miliary nodular densities were observed in only 4 out of the 9 cases. HRCT revealed alveolar densities and a consolidation in 5 out of 6 cases, and miliary nodules in 5 out of 6 cases, The diagnosis of tuberculosis was made by a liver biopsy (4/4, 100% sensitivity), a bone marrow biopsy (1/2, 50% sensitivity), and an open lung biopsy (1/1), the sputum AFB was positive in only 2 out of 9 cases. The patient was treated with INH, RFP, EMB, PZA, and steroids. The survival rate was 55.5%. Conclusion : Miliary tuberculosis should be considered as one of the causes for ARDS in areas where there is a high prevalence of tuberculosis. The chief complaints of the patients on admission are dyspnea, fever and coughing without any specific riskfactors. A liver biopsy is particularly useful in ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation to determine the causes of the ARDS if miliary tuberculosis is suspected as being the underlying disease.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.395-408
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• 2007

This study reports the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and membrane-stabilizing property of alcoholic extract of Ophiorrhiza nicobarica (ON), a wild herb, used as an anti-infective ethnomedicine of Nicobarese and Shompen tribes of Great Nicobar Island, India. We for the first time investigated the analgesic and antiinflammatory potential of this herb in acute, subacute and chronic model of inflammation in Swiss albino mice and Wistar albino rats, along with sheep RBC-induced sensitivity and membrane stabilization. The acetic acid induced writhing, tail flick and tail immersion tests are used as a model for evaluating analgesic activity; while the carrageenin-induced paw oedema was used as the model for acute inflammation, dextran-induced oedema as sub-acute and cotton-pellateinduced granuloma as chronic inflammatory model. The probable mode by which ON mediate its effect on inflammatory conditions was studied on sheep RBC-induced sensitivity and membrane stabilization. The in vitro results revealed that the ON extract possesses significant (P < 0.05) dose dependent analgesic and antiinflammatory activity at 200 and 300 mg/kg and its fractions at 50 mg/kg, p.o. respectively, compared to the control groups. However, the extract failed to exhibit membrane-stabilizing property as it unable to reduce the level of haemolysis of RBC exposed to hypotonic solution. The acute toxicity studies of ON extract in rats and mice revealed that the extract was nontoxic even up to 3.0 g/kg body weight of the animals, with a high safety profile. We have isolated ursolic acid, ${\beta}$-sitosterol and harmaline respectively, from the bioactive part of the extract. The results indicated that the O. nicobarica is indeed beneficial in primary health care, and suggest that its anti-inflammatory activity may not be related to membrane-stabilization.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.108-117
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• 2001

A sensor array with 10 discrete sensors integrated on a substrate w3s developed for discriminating the kinds and quantities of inflammable gases, like butane, propane, methane, LPG, carbon monoxide. The sensor array consisted of 10 metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors using the nano-sized $SnO_2$ as base material and had differentiated sensitivity patterns to specific gas. The sensor array was designed with uniform thermal distribution and had also high sensitivity and good reproductivity to low gas concentration through nano-sized sensing materials with different additives. By using the sensing patterns of the sensor array at $400^{\circ}C$, we could reliably discriminate the kinds and quantities of the tested inflammable gases under the lower explosion limit through the principal component analysis(PCA).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.197-204
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• 1993

Abstract The effects of the hole size and the specimen width on the fracture behavior of several fabric composite plates are experimentally investigated in tension. Tests are performed on plain woven glass/ epoxy, plain woven carbon/epoxy and satin woven glass/polyester specimens with a circular hole. It is shown in this paper that the characteristic length according to the point stress criterion depends on the hole size and the specimen width. An excellent agreement is found between the experimental results and the analytical predictions of the modified failure criterion. The notched strength increase with an increase in the damage ratio, which is explained by a stress relaxation due to the formation of damage zone. When the unstable fracture occurred, the critical crack length equivalent for the damage zone is about twice the characteristic length. The critical energy release rate $G_c$ is independent of hole size for the same specimen width. The variation of $G_c$ according to the material system, fiber volume fraction and specimen width relates to the notch sensitivity factor. $G_c$ increases with a decrease in the notch sensitivity factor, which can be explained by a stress relaxation due to the increase of damage zone.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 1996

ZnO thin-film sensors were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering method. The composition of the device material was 4 wt. % $Al_{2}O_{3}$, 1 wt. % $TiO_{2}$ and 0.2 wt. % $V_{2}O_{5}$ on the basis of ZnO material for developing the high sensitive TMA gas sensor which have an appropriate resistivity and the stability for practical use. They were also grown on the $SiO_{2}/Si$ substrates heated at $250^{\circ}C$ under a pure oxygen pressure of about 10 mTorr with a power of about 80 watts for 10 minutes. So as to enhance the stability of the resistivity, the thin films were annealed from $400^{\circ}C$ to $800^{\circ}C$. The sensors made with the thin film which were annealed at $700^{\circ}C$ for 60 minutes in pure oxygen gas exhibited a good sensing properties for TMA gas. The thin film grown at this condition showed the maximum sensitivity of 550 in TMA gas concentration of 160 ppm, and exhibited a good stability and excellent linearity.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 1998

The LAPS device of fast response and high sensitivity, based on electrochemical potential difference, and its system were fabricated for the precise measurement of pH changes and its characteristic were investigated. The electrostatic variation characteristics of LAPS according to the pH changes and parameters in the device were verified through a simulation using LAPS equivalent circuit model. The LAPS device and its system were fabricated on the basis of the result of simulation. The fabricated LAPS system showed linear sensitivity (about 56 mV/pH within the range of pH 2 to pH 11. In order to overcome the defect of general urea sensor (especially slow response time), urease immobilized nitrocellulose membrane was attached on the LAPS and resulted in the very fast response time, 0.29 mV/sec, 0.86 mV/sec at urea concentration of $50{\mu}g/ml,\; 500{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. And also in order to measure the uranyl ion, the uranyl ion selective sensing membrane with calix[6]arene derivative was used and its sensitivity was 25mV/concentration decade in the wide uranyl ion concentration range of $10^{-11}M\;to\;10^{-4}M$.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 1985

Oxides of nitrogen (NO$_x$) in exhaust gases was determined by absorbing the gas in alkaline peroxide solution containing 0.03${\%}$ H2O2 and 0.1N NaOH. About 100 ppm of NO$_x$ was rapidly oxidized to NO$_2$ or N$_2$O$_5$ by H$_2$O$_2$ and required a contact time of 2 minutes with the absorbing solution for complete absorption. With vigorous shaking including air or oxygen gas, high concentration of NO$_x$ (>200 ppm) can be absorbed within 30 minutes. The remaining H$_2$O$_2$ affect the absorbance of color solution strongly. However, the excess H$_2$O$_2$ was completely decomposed by zinc powder 0.5g and the sample solution should be adjusted to the pH range 6.1∼6.6 before the reduction so that conversion of nitrate to nitrite ion is possible. The absorbed NO$_x$ is determined colorimetrically by the diazotization-coupling method with sulfonilamide and NEDA as the coupling agent. The sensitivity of the new method was 4.48 ${\times}$ 10$^4$ as molar absorptivity which was high sensitive compared with that obtained for the usual zinc reduction NEDA method with O$_3$. This method was far more rapid, brief and accurate than previously published O$_3$-NEDA method in Korean industrial standard.