• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.275-281
• /
• 2009

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of oxytocin antagonist on the outcome of IVF/ICSI cycles in infertile patients with repeated failure of IVF/ICSI treatment. Method: Forty patients who had experienced two or more failures of IVF/ICSI treatment without low ovarian reserve, were recruited for this prospective randomized study. All patients received controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) using GnRH antagonist multidose protocol (MDP). For the intervention group, intravenous administration of atosiban (mixed vasopressin $V_{1A}$/oxytocin antagonist) started with a bolus dose 6.75 mg one hour before embryo transfer (ET) and continued at an infusion rate of 18 mg/hour. After ET, administered atosiban was reduced to 6 mg/hour and continued for 2 hours. The main efficacy endpoints were clinical pregnancy rate and implantation rate. Results: Patients' characteristics were comparable in the intervention and control groups. COS parameters and IVF results were also similar. The number of uterine contractions for 3 minutes measured just before ET was significantly lower in the intervention group than control group ($3.5{\pm}1.4$ vs $8.7{\pm}2.2$, p<0.001). While there was no statistically significant difference in the clinical pregnancy rate between control group and intervention group (20.0% and 40.0%, p=0.168), the implantation rate was significantly higher in the intervention group, with 16.9% (11/65) compared with 6.0% (4/67) in the control group (p=0.047). There were no differences in ectopic pregnancy rate and miscarriage rate between the two groups. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that administration of oxytocin antagonist during ET can improve the implantation rate probably by decreasing the frequency of uterine contractions in infertile patients undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
• /
• v.15B no.5
• /
• pp.477-486
• /
• 2008

Facial expression, which changes face geometry, usually has an adverse effect on the performance of a face recognition system. To improve the face recognition rate, we propose a normalization method of facial expression to diminish the difference of facial expression between probe and gallery faces. Two approaches are used to facial expression modeling and normalization from single still images using a generic facial muscle model without the need of large image databases. The first approach estimates the geometry parameters of linear muscle models to obtain a biologically inspired model of the facial expression which may be changed intuitively afterwards. The second approach uses RBF(Radial Basis Function) based interpolation and warping to normalize the facial muscle model as unexpressed face according to the given expression. As a preprocessing stage for face recognition, these approach could achieve significantly higher recognition rates than in the un-normalized case based on the eigenface approach, local binary patterns and a grey-scale correlation measure.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.59-65
• /
• 1996

This paper proposes a 4 kbps PSI-VSELP(Pitch Synchronous Innovation-Vector Sum Excited Linear Prediction) speech coder which produces speech equivalent to that of the conventional 4.8 kbps VSELP. Since the 'half-rate' is differently defined from country to country, there may be a need to reduce the bit rate of conventional half-rate coder. To minimize the degradation of speech quality caused by bit-rate reduction, it is desirable to perform bit-allocation based on the carefull consideration of the effect of various transmission parameters. This paper adopts this analytical approach for bit-allocation at 4 kbps. To improve the quality of the VSELP coder at 4 kbps, basis vectors which play the most important role in the performance, are optimized by an iterative closed-loop training process and the PSI technique is employed in the VSELP performance, are optimized by an iterative closed-loop training process and the PSI technique is employed in the VSELP coder. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed speech coder, we peformed experiments under the noiseless and error free conditions. From experimental results, even though the proposed 4 kbps PSI-VSELP coder showed lower scores in the objective measure, higher scores in subjective measure was obtained compared with those of the conventional 4.8 kbps VSELp.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.3A
• /
• pp.321-327
• /
• 2006

In this paper, when a H-polarized plane wave is incident on the grating consisting of uniform resistive strips, electromagnetic scattering is analyzed using the moment of methods (MoM). The current density of each resistive strip on a grounded dielectric plane is fixed by zero at both edges. To satisfy the condition at both ends of each resistive strip, the induced surface current density is expanded in a series of cosine and sine functions. The scattered electromagnetic fields are expanded in a series of floquet mode functions. The boundary conditions are applied to obtain the unknown current coefficients. According to the variation of the involving parameters such as strip width and spacing and angle of the incident field, numerical simulations are performed by applying the Fourier-Galerkin moment method. The numerical results of the normalized reflected power for resistive strips case for zero and several resistivities are obtained.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.114-119
• /
• 2007

The single crystal $Nd_3Se_4$ with the $bcc-Th_3P_4$ type structure is grown and the temperature dependent magnetic susceptibilities are measured between 4 K and 300 K. The experimental data are compared with the theoretically calculated susceptibilities which depend on the splitting energies of the $Nd^{3+}$ ground state under the crystal field effect. We find that the magnetic susceptibility of the $Nd^{3+}$ ion in $Nd_3Se_4$ is not affected by the crystal field effect. The spontaneous magnetization curve below $T_c\;=\;53\;K$ of $Nd_3Se_4$ corresponds to the Brillouin function of $Nd_3Se_4$ with J=9/2.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.541-550
• /
• 2010

The present study examined whether the physical similarity of test stimuli affects P300 amplitude and detection accuracy for the P300-based concealed information test (P300 CIT). As the participant pretended suffering from memory impairment by an accident, own name was used as a concealed information to be probed by the P300 CIT in which the participant discriminated between a target and other (probe, irrelevant) stimuli. One group of participants was tested in the easy task condition with low physical similarity among stimuli, the other group was tested in the difficult task condition with high physical similarity among stimuli. Using the base-to-peak P300 amplitude, the interaction effect of task difficulty and stimulus type was significant at $\alpha$=.1 level (p=.052). In the easy task condition the difference of P300 amplitude between the probe and the irrelevant stimuli was significant, while in the difficult task condition the difference was not significant. Using peak-to-peak P300 amplitude, on the other hand, the interaction effect of task difficulty and stimulus type was not significant with significant differences of P300 amplitude between the probe and the irrelevant stimuli in both task difficulty conditions. The difference of detection accuracy between task conditions was not significant with both measures of P300 amplitude although the difference was much smaller when peak-to-peak P300 amplitude was used. The results suggest that the efficiency of P300 CIT would not decrease even when the perceptual similarity among test stimuli is high.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.89 no.5
• /
• pp.564-575
• /
• 2000

This study was carried out to reveal characteristics of long-term runoff by using HYCYMODEL in a small forested watershed. From May to September in 1998 and in 1999, the fitness of HYCYMODEL and runoff characteristics were estimated by HYCYMODEL using rainfall and discharge at the experimental watershed. The function of stage and discharge in the experimental watershed was determined as following equation $Q=11.148H^{2.5867}$($R^2=0.9956$). From May to September in 1998 and in 1999, the runoff rates were 57.7% in 1998 and 87.1% in 1999 at the experimental watershed. The discharge was assumed to be increased because of rainfall intensity difference and thinning. By applicability test, the HYCYMODEL showed good estimation of runoff by optimized fifteen parameters. Comparing runoff characteristics before and after thinning by calculating through HYCYMODEL, direct runoff and base runoff increased 4%, 7%, respectively as evapotranspiration decreased 11%. Parameters $D_{50}$ and $K_h$, which were related to the direct run, and a parameter $K_u$, which was related to the baseflow, were assumed to indicate that forest was changed by the effect of thinning and weathering process of bed rock.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.52 no.5
• /
• pp.453-462
• /
• 2002

Background : Matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs) are a large family of proteolytic enzymes, which are involved in the degradation of many different components of the extracellular matrix. There is increasing evidence indicating that individual MMPs have important roles in tumor invasion by inactivating the MMPs. In this study, the correlation between MMPs and TIMPs expression, and the clinical outcome was investigated. Materials and Methods : Immunohistochemical staining of MMP-2, 9 and TIMP-1,2 were performed on paraffin-embedded tumor sections from 74 resected primary non-small cell lung cancers. Results : In 74 patients, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 immunoreactivity was demonstrated in 24(34%), 19(26%) and 32(43%) of the paraffin-embedded tumors, respectively. The median survival of the MMP-2 positive cases was significantly shorter than that of the negative cases(20 vs 34 months). The median survival of the TIMP-2 positive cases was also was significantly longer than that of the negative cases (34 vs 18 months). The MMP-2, and MMP-9 expression level had a positively correlation with a more advanced stage and lymph node metastasis. There was inverse correlation between TIMP-2 expression and tumor invasion. The median survival of the MMP-2 negative/TIMP-2 positive cases was higher than that of the other cases. Conclusion : These results suggest that tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis are closely related to MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. There was an inverse correlation between TIMP-2 and MMP-9 expression, and tumor invasion.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.337-345
• /
• 2004

The objective of this study was to monitor vegetation recovery process after timber harvesting at (Mt.) Baekwoonsan Seoul National University Forests, Korea. Two monitoring plots were established in 1994 and woody plant were monitored in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. Vegetation development pattern during last ten years (1994-2003) after timber harvesting were as follows; Styrax obassia, Styrax japonica and Lindera erythrocarpa as of the existing tree were competitive species in the first year after clear-cut, Styrax japonica and Lindera erythrocarpa as of sprout tree and Aralia elata as of seedling were dominant species in the sixth year after clear-cut, and Lindera erythrocarpa, Styrax japonica and Quercus serrata were dominant species from the eighth year to the tenth year after clear-cut. Species diversity index of harvested forest interior was decreased at the southwestern slope while it was increased in the northeastern slope till 6th year and decreased after the 8th year). According to DBH distribution pattern, No. of individuals of Quercus serrata, Styrax japonica and Lindera erythrocarpa showed high frequency in the southwestern slope, and Acer pseudosieboldianum, Styrax obassia, Magnolia sieboldii, Lindera erythrocarpa, and Aralia elata showed good growth in the northeastern slope. There was a difference between slopes in Basal area. It was decreased at the southwestern slopes during the 10th year continuously and it was increased the sixth year however, was decreased after the eighth year at the northeastern slope.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.241-248
• /
• 2022

A guideline for determining the optimal catheter length according to the patient's physique during tunnel-type dialysis catheter insertion used in renal failure patients is presented, and the maintenance of the function of the dialysis catheter is evaluated. From October 1, 2015 to February 31, 2016, a total of 110 (male : female = 73 : 37) patients who underwent tunnel-type dialysis catheterization performed at our hospital were treated without using guidelines. The group was divided into A group, and the group treated using the guideline into B group. Results were analyzed statistically using SPSS 20.0. As a result of the dialysis catheter insertion procedure according to the use of guidelines, the function maintenance rate of group A was 81.8%, and the function maintenance rate of group B was 96.3%. In the case of tunnel dialysis catheter procedure, the function maintenance effect was statistically significant in the group treated using the guideline compared to the group not using it (p<0.05). It can be said that it is more effective when information on the patient's underlying disease is reflected in addition to the use of guidelines.