• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.74-80
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• 2009

Purpose: To assess the value of first-trimester pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), nuchal translucency (NT) and second-trimester alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and inhibin-A in predicting pregnancy complications other than fetal aneuploidy. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study in 3,121 singleton pregnancies with integrated testing was performed at Kangnam CHA hospital between January 2005 and December 2006. Baseline characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, and serum marker levels were obtained by review of the medical records. We analyzed the data to identify associations between the integrated screening markers and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed with the SPSS program. Results: In preterm labor and preeclampsia, high AFP, hCG, and inhibin-A levels and low PAPP-A and NT levels were found to be significantly correlated (P<0.05). Elevated second-trimester inhibin-A levels were associated with preeclampsia (odds ratio 2.843), low birth weight (odds ratio 1.446), and preterm labor (odds ratio 1.287), and while decreased first-trimester PAPP-A levels were associated with preeclampsia (odds ratio 0.51) and preterm labor (odds ratio 0.75). Conclusion: First- and second-trimester maternal serum markers screening can be used for predicting high-risk pregnancies.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea TC
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.6-13
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• 2009

For X-band phased array systems, a power amplifier, a 6-bit phase shifter, a 6-bit digital attenuator, and a SPDT transmit/receive (T/R) switch are fabricated and measured. All circuits are demonstrated by using CMOS 0.18 um technology. The power amplifier has 2-stage differential and cascade structures. It provides 1-dB gain-compressed output power ($P_{1dB}$) of 20 dBm and power-added-efficiency (PAE) of 19 % at 8-11 GHz frequencies. The 6-bit phase shifter utilizes embedded switched filter structure which consists of nMOS transistors as a switch and meandered microstrip lines for desired inductances. It has $360^{\circ}$ phase-control range and $5.6^{\circ}$ phase resolution. At 8-11 GHz frequencies, it has RMS phase and amplitude errors are below $5^{\circ}$ and 0.8 dB, and insertion loss of $-15.7\;{\pm}\;1,1\;dB$. The 6-bit digital attenuator is comprised of embedded switched Pi-and T-type attenuators resistive networks and nMOS switches and employes compensation circuits for low insertion phase variation. It has max. attenuation of 31.5 dB and 0.5 dB amplitude resolution. Its RMS amplitude and phase errors are below 0.4 dB and $2^{\circ}$ at 8-11 GHz frequencies, and insertion loss is $-10.5\;{\pm}\;0.8\;dB$. The SPDT T/R switch has series and shunt transistor pairs on transmit and receive path, and only one inductance to reduce chip area. It shows insertion loss of -1.5 dB, return loss below -15 dB, and isolation about -30 dB. The fabricated chip areas are $1.28\;mm^2$, $1.9mm^2$, $0.34\;mm^2$, $0.02mm^2$, respectively.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.68-78
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• 2020

According to the new climate change agreement, technology development to reduce greenhouse gases is actively conducted worldwide, and research on energy efficiency improvement in the field of power generation and transmission and distribution is underway [1,2]. Economic analysis of the operation method of storing and supplying surplus electricity using energy storage devices, and using energy storage devices as a frequency adjustment reserve power in regional cogeneration plants has been reported as the most profitable operation method [3-7]. Therefore, this study conducted an economic analysis for the installation of energy storage devices in the combined heat and power plant in the Czech Republic. The most important factor in evaluating the economics of battery energy storage devices is the lifespan, and the warranty life is generally 10 to 15 years, based on charging and discharging once a day. For the simulation, the ratio of battery and PCS was designed as 1: 1 and 1: 2. In general, the primary frequency control is designed as 1: 4, but considering the characteristics of the cogeneration plant, it is set at a ratio of up to 1: 2, and the capacity is simulated at 1MW to 10MW and 2MWh to 20MWh according to each ratio. Therefore, life was evaluated based on the number of cycles per year. In the case of installing a battery energy storage system in a combined heat and power plant in the Czech Republic, the payback period of 3MW / 3MWh is more favorable than 5MW / 5MWh, considering the local infrastructure and power market. It is estimated to be about 3 years or 5 years from the simple payback period considering the estimated purchase price without subsidies. If you lower the purchase price by 50%, the purchase cost is an important part of the cost for the entire lifetime, so the payback period is about half as short. It can be, but it is impossible to secure profitability through the economy at the scale of 3MWh and 5MWh. If the price of the electricity market falls by 50%, the payback period will be three years longer in P1 mode and two years longer in P2 and P3 modes.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.217-229
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• 2010

Objective: Apoptosis plays an important role for the maintenance of the normal pregnancy. Expression of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) is able to effectively prevent apoptosis and controls trophoblast cells death throughout placental development, but it is still unknown in the function of XIAP in trophoblast cells exposed to hypoxic condition, which is one of the factors causing preeclampsia. Therefore, we conducted to compare XIAP expression in normal and pre-eclamptic placenta tissues and analyzed the function of XIAP in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cell line exposed to hypoxic condition. Methods: The expression of XIAP was analyzed in placental tissues from the following groups of patients (none underwent labor): 1) term normal placenta (n=15); 2) term with pre-eclamptic placeneta (n=15); and 3) pre-term with pre-eclamptic placenta (n=11) using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. In order to evaluate the function of XIAP in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells under hypoxic condition, HIF-$1{\alpha}$ plasmids, and hypoxic condtion were transfected and treated into HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells for 24 hours, respectively. Results: We observed that XIAP are expressed in the syncytiotrophoblasts and syncytial knot of placental villi. The expression of XIAP was significantly decreased in preeclamptic placenta tissues than in normal placenta tissues without labor (p<0.05). Furthermore, we confirmed the XIAP expression in HTR-8/SVneo trophbolast cells exposed to hypoxia was translocated from cytoplasm into nucleus and decreased XIAP by hypoxic condition induced apoptosis in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells through up-regulation of pro-apoptotic proteins. Conclusion: These results suggest that the expression of XIAP is involved in placental development as well as decreased expression of XIAP by hypoxia is associated with pre-eclampsia through inducing trophoblast cells apoptosis.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.64-71
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• 2007

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of rapid detection of Down syndrome and Edward syndrome by Interphase Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) analysis. Methods : Aretrospective study in 309 cases of amniotic fluid samples, analysed by interphase FISH with DNA probes specific to chromosome 18 and 21, was performed. All FISH results w ere compared with conventional cytogenetic karyotypings. Results : The results were considered as informative and they were obtained within 48 hrs. A case of Down syndrome and a case of Edward syndrome were diagnosed by FISH and confirmed by subsequent cytogenetic analysis. In 12 cases with normal FISH results, the cytogenetic analysis showed a case of partial trisomy 22, three cases of sex chromosomal aneuploidy, two cases of mosaicism, two cases of microdeletion, and four cases of structural rearrangement. Conclusion : FISH is a rapid and effective diagnostic method, which can be used as an adjunctive test to cytogenetic analysis, for prenatal identification of chromosome aneuploidies. For the more genome-wide screening with variety of probes, the technique of FISH is both expensive and labor-intensive.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.38 no.6_1
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• pp.1423-1444
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• 2022

In this study, the sensitivity of the mid-infrared radiance to atmospheric and surface factors was analyzed using the radiative transfer model, MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN6)'s simulation data. The possibility of retrieving the land surface temperature (LST) using only the mid-infrared bands at night was evaluated. Based on the sensitivity results, the LST retrieval algorithm that reflects various factors for night was developed, and the level of the LST retrieval algorithm was evaluated using reference LST and observed LST. Sensitivity experiments were conducted on the atmospheric profiles, carbon dioxide, ozone, diurnal variation of LST, land surface emissivity (LSE), and satellite viewing zenith angle (VZA), which mainly affect satellite remote sensing. To evaluate the possibility of using split-window method, the mid-infrared wavelength was divided into two bands based on the transmissivity. Regardless of the band, the top of atmosphere (TOA) temperature is most affected by atmospheric profile, and is affected in order of LSE, diurnal variation of LST, and satellite VZA. In all experiments, band 1, which corresponds to the atmospheric window, has lower sensitivity, whereas band 2, which includes ozone and water vapor absorption, has higher sensitivity. The evaluation results for the LST retrieval algorithm using prescribed LST showed that the correlation coefficient (CC), the bias and the root mean squared error (RMSE) is 0.999, 0.023K and 0.437K, respectively. Also, the validation with 26 in-situ observation data in 2021 showed that the CC, bias and RMSE is 0.993, 1.875K and 2.079K, respectively. The results of this study suggest that the LST can be retrieved using different characteristics of the two bands of mid-infrared to the atmospheric and surface conditions at night. Therefore, it is necessary to retrieve the LST using satellite data equipped with sensors in the mid-infrared bands.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2021

Purpose: This study evaluated the results of dual plate fixation for periprosthetic femur fracture after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Materials and Methods: From October 2007 to February 2013, 23 cases of periprosthetic femur fracture after TKA were treated at the author's hospital. There were 13 cases of fixation using a medial and lateral dual plate when the stability of the fracture site could not be achieved by one side fixation with a follow-up of more than one year. The cases included no loosening of the femoral component in fractures that were categorized as Lewis-Rorabeck classification II and supracondylar comminuted fractures and elongation of the fracture line to the lateral epicondyle of the femur or stem in the medullary canal. The mean age was 72 years (65-82 years), and 11 cases were female. Three cases had a stem due to revision. The mean bone marrow density was -3.2 (-1.7 to -4.4), and the mean period from primary TKA to periprosthetic fractures was 28 months (1-108 months). The mean follow-up period was 23 months (12-65 months). The medial fracture site was first exposed via the subvastus approach. Second, the supplementary plate was fixed on the lateral side of the fracture using a minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis technique. The average union time, complications, and Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (HSS) at the last follow-up were evaluated. Results: The mean union time was 17.4 weeks (7-40 weeks). Two cases showed delayed bone union and nonunion occurred in one case, in whom bone union was achieved three months later after re-fixation using a dual plate with an autogenous bone graft. The mean varusvalgus angulation was 1.67 degrees (-1.2-4.9 degrees), and the mean anterior-posterior angulation was 2.86 degrees (0-4.9 degrees) at the last follow-up. The mean knee range of motion was 90 degrees, and the HSS score was 85 points (70-95 points) at the last follow-up. Conclusion: Dual plate fixation for periprosthetic femur fractures that had not achieved stability by one side plate fixation after TKA showed a good clinical result that allowed early rehabilitation.

• Atmosphere
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.223-246
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• 2023

This paper summarized the research papers on weather extremes that occurred in the Republic of Korea, which were published in the domestic and foreign journals during 1963~2022. Weather extreme is defined as a weather phenomenon that causes serious casualty and property loss; here, it includes typhoon, heavy rain, drought, heat wave, cold surge, heavy snow, and strong gust. Based on the 2011~2020 statistics in Korea, above 80% of property loss due to all natural disasters were caused by typhoons and heavy rainfalls. However, the impact of the other weather extremes can be underestimated rather than we have actually experienced; the property loss caused by the other extremes is hard to be quantitatively counted. Particularly, as global warming becomes serious, the influence of drought and heat wave has been increasing. The damages caused by cold surges, heavy snow, and strong gust occurred over relatively local areas on short-term time scales compared to other weather hazards. In particularly, strong gust accompanied with drought may result in severe forest fires over mountainous regions. We hope that the present review paper may remind us of the importance of weather extremes that directly affect our lives.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.200-211
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• 1993

Somatic hybrids of Pleurotus florida ASI 2016 and Pleurotus ostreatus ASI 2018 were obtained by protoplast fusion. The 40 fusants($P1{\sim}P40$) was examined for the yield on fermented and pasteurized rice straw in a tray. The carpophore yield of them were showed as the range of $27.0{\sim}155.2$, based on parental values of 100(ASI 2018), The pilei of fusants between orange white colored P. florida and dark grey colored P. ostreatus had mixed colors in the young stage. Other breeding programmes were performed to improve new varieties with high yield and good quality. A new oyster mushroom variety, Wonhyeongneutaribeosus(P72), was developed at the Agricultural Sciences Institute, Rural Development Administration in 1990. This P.florida-ostreatus-ostreatus hybrid P72 was selected from 38 protoplast fusion products($P41{\sim}P78$) between P.florida-ostreatus recombinant P5-M 43-arg rib and P. ostreatus ASI 2-13-0 2001-19-pro orn. The yield indexes of 38 hybrids ranged $40.5{\sim}152.7$ compared with the parental values of 100(ASI 2001). Hybrid P72 was characterized by the large fruiting bundle of semispherical shape with long stipe and by the small and circular pileus, resulting in lower harvesting cost. A significant increase in carpophore production was observed in somatic hybrids of protoplasts due to heterosis. A comparision of hybrid with parents P72 was made using isozyme analysis. The esterase banding patterns could be characterized by new bands in the hybrids. Seven fusion products of four crosses between P.florida ASI 2016 and P. ostreatus ASI 2018 were analysed with respect to the distribution of progenies and segregation of gene markers by random basidiospore analysis. Segregation of alleles should yield progeny of four genotypes in a Mendelian ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 for prototrophs, auxotrophs of one parental type, auxotrophs of the other parental type, and auxotrophic recombinants, respectively. However, five fusants of them did not detect one parental, P.ostreatus, type. Basidiospores could yield progeny of 16 genotypes in the cross of one of the recombinant P5-M43-arg $rib{\times}P. ostreatus$ ASI 2-13-pro orn but the segregants of three fusants were not detected clearly. The allele ratio of loci could be expected 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 for arg, rib, pro and orn. The ratio, however, would be changed to 4 : 1 : 1 : 1 with increasing proportion of argo In almost all the fusants, prototrophic recombinants were recovered in large numbers against auxotrophic markers. Parental genotypes were recovered with the recombinant progeny amounting to $38.68{\sim}99.56%$. The analysis provides proof of heterokaryosis and strong evidence for haploidy of vegetative nuclei, a sexual cycle consisting of nuclear fusion and meiosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 2003

Background : Previous studies have suggested that a B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) test can provide important information on diagnosis, as well as predicting the severity and prognosis of heart failure. Myocardial dysfunction is often observed in critically ill noncardiac patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, and the prognosis of the myocardial dysfunction needs to be determined. This study evaluated the predictability of BNP on the prognosis of critically ill noncardiac patients. Methods : 32 ICU patients, who were hospitalized from June to October 2002 and in whom the BNP test was evaluated, were enrolled in this study. The exclusion criteria included the conditions that could increase the BNP levels irrespective of the severity, such as congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, and renal insufficiencies. A triage B-Type Natriuretic Peptide test with a RIA-kit was used for the fluorescence immunoassay of BNP test. In addition, the acute physiology and the chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score and mortality were recorded. Results : There were 16 males and 16 females enrolled in this study. The mean age was 59 years old. The mean BNP levels between the ICU patients and control were significantly different ($186.7{\pm}274.1$ pg/mL vs. $19.9{\pm}21.3$ pg/mL, p=0.033). Among the ICU patients, there were 14(44----) patients with BNP levels above 100 pg/mL. The APACHE II score was $16.5{\pm}7.6$. In addition, there were 11 mortalities reported. The correlation between the BNP and APACHE II score, between the BNP and mortality were significant (r=0.443, p=0.011 & r=0.530, p=0.002). The mean BNP levels between the dead and alive groups were significantly different ($384.1{\pm}401.7$ pg/mL vs. $83.2{\pm}55.8$ pg/mL p=0.033). However, the $PaO_2/FiO_2$ did not significantly correlate with the BNP level. Conclusion : This study evaluated the BNP level was elevated in critically ill, noncardiac patients. The BNP level could be a useful, noninvasive tool for predicting the prognosis of the critically ill, noncardiac patients.