• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2008

Purpose: The most concerning issue in children with urinary tract infection(UTI) is the probability of underlying genitourinary anomalies and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), which is frequently associated with renal scarring and eventually end-stage renal disease. Therefore, voiding cystourethrography(VCUG) is usually recommended at the earliest convenient time for children with UTI. However, VCUG is an invasive procedure that requires catheterization and exposure to X-ray. In this study, we aimed to determine the predictability of clinical, laboratory and imaging parameters for VUR in children with UTI. Methods: Data of children with bacteriologically proven UTI who underwent VCUG were evaluated retrospectively for clinical(age, gender, fever), laboratory(leukocytosis, ESR, CRP, pyuria, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine) and imaging(renal ultrasound and DMSA renal scan) findings. First, children with UTI were divided into two groups according to the presence of VUR as non-VUR group and with VUR group, and clinical, laboratory variables were compared between these groups. Second, patients who had VUR were reclassified as low-grade VUR(grade I-II) group and high-grade(grade III-V) VUR group according to grading of VUR, and clinical, laboratory and imaging variables were compared between these groups. Results: Among 410 children with UTI, 137 had VUR and 78 high-grade VUR. Fever, leukocytosis, ESR, CRP, pyuria were associated with VUR. In addition, abnormal findings of ultrasonography and DMSA renal scan were closely related to VUR. However, these clinical and laboratory variable in patients with high grade VUR were not different significantly, compared to those with low-grade VUR group. Conclusion: Fever, leukocytosis, ESR, CRP seems to be potentially useful predictors of VUR in pediatric patients with UTI. In addition, renal ultrasonography and DMSA renal scan findings supported the presence of VUR. Further study of these findings could limit unnecessary VCUG in patients with UTI.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.20 no.3 s.71
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• pp.14-18
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• 2005

The ultrasonic handy scanner to be developed in this research is a nondestructive inspection equipment with various facility. The ultrasonic inspection is the technique area which apply range is increasing greatly with IT. The purpose of this research is development of a ultrasonic handy scan inspection device with the utility in a work spot. The ultrasonic handy scanner to be developed with portability in this research is able to carry out the spot inspection. It can contribute to the quality improvement, cost reduction and safety design.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.222-227
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• 2010

Purpose : To evaluate the significance of clinical signs and laboratory findings as predictors of renal parenchymal lesions and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in childhood urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods : From July 2005 to July 2008, 180 patients admitted with a first febrile UTI at the Pediatric Department of Konkuk University Hospital were included in this study. The following were the clinical variables: leukocytosis, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), positive urine nitrite, positive urine culture, and fever duration both before and after treatment. We evaluated the relationships between clinical variables and dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) results. Results : VCUG was performed in 148 patients; of them, 37 (25.0%) had VUR: 18 (12.2%) had low-grade (I-II) VUR, and 19 (10.5%) had high-grade (III-V) VUR. Of the 95 patients who underwent DMSA scanning, 29 (30.5%) had cortical defects, of which 21 (63.6%) had VUR: 10 (30.3%), low-grade (I-II) VUR; and 11 (33.3%), high-grade VUR. Of the 57 patients who were normal on DMSA scan, 8 (14.0%) had low-grade VUR and 6 (10.5%) had high-grade VUR. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the DMSA scan in predicting high-grade VUR were 64.7%, 69.9%, 33.3%, and 89.5%, respectively. Leukocytosis, elevated CRP, and prolonged fever ($36{\geq}$ hours) after treatment were significantly correlated with the cortical defects on DMSA scans and high-grade VUR. Conclusion : Clinical signs, including prolonged fever after treatment, elevated CRP, and leukocytosis, are positive predictors of acute pyelonephritis and high-grade VUR.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.1709-1718
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• 2002

It is well recognized that improving capacity of positive grid in battery is one of key factors for controlling the expected long lift-time of Battery Energy Storage System(B.E.S.S). Thus it is really important to characterized material properties of positive grid which are mainly affected by fabrication process. In this study, two kinds of positive grids, which were fabricated by gravity casting and die-casting technique were used. Micro-structural observation and tensile test were conducted to investigate the effect of fabrication process of positive grid. Ultrasonic measurement based on pulse-echo method and ultrasonic C-scan technique also performed to correlate ultrasonic velocity with porosity ratio in positive grid. It was found that the porosity ratio of grid fabricated by gravity casting technique increased significantly compared to the grid fabricated by die-casting technique. It was also shown that ulrasonic technique is effective to evaluate the porosity ratio in positive grid.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1332-1336
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• 2005

It could make the LIghtweight Piezoelectric Composite Actuator (LIPCA) damageable by the cyclic large deformation. If the progressive microvoid coalescence of LIPCA interlaminar took place, the decrease of the stiffness and the weakness of stress transmission and fiber bridging effect would make the fatigue characteristics worse suddenly. Therefore, it is required to study the variation of fatigue behavior and interlaminar condition in LIPCA under resonant frequencies. These studies such as the changeable fatigue phase and interlaminar behavior of LIPCA affected by the resonant frequencies should be carried out due to the strong anisotropy of CFRP layer. Hence, these studies are as follows. 1) The residual stresses distribution of interlaminar in LIPCA using the Classical Lamination Theory (CLT). 2) Comparative analysis of interlaminar behavior for the intact LIPCA versus LIPCA containing an artificial delamination during resonant frequency.

• Composites Research
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.30-38
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• 2000

In this paper, a system of falling weight impact tester was built up to evaluate the impact energy absorbing characteristics and impact strength of CFRP laminate plates in consideration of stress wave propagation theory. Delamination area of impacted specimens for the different ply orientation was measured with ultrasonic C-scanner to find correlation between impact energy and delamination area. Absorbed energy of quasi-isotropic specimen having four interfaces was higher than that of orthotropic laminates with two interfaces. The more interfaces, the more absorbed energy. Hybrid specimen containing GFRP layer was higher than that of normal specimens.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2006

Reactor core and internal structures of a liquid metal reactor (LMR) can not be visually examined due to an opaque liquid sodium. The under-sodium viewing technique by using an ultrasonic wave should be applied far the visual inspection of reactor internals. In this study, an ultrasonic waveguide sensor with a strip plate has been developed for an application to the under-sodium viewing technique. The Lamb wave propagation of a waveguide sensor has been analyzed and the zero-order antisymmetric $A_0$ plate wave was selected as the application mode of the sensor. The $A_0$ plate wave can be propagated in the dispersive low frequency range by using a liquid wedge clamped to the waveguide. A new technique is presented which is capable of steering the radiation beam angle of a waveguide sensor without a mechanical movement of the sensor assembly The steering function of the ultrasonic radiation beam can be achieved by a frequency tuning method of the excitation pulse in the dispersive range of the $A_0$ mode. The technique provides an opportunity to overcome the scanning limitation of a waveguide sensor. The beam steering function has been evaluated by an experimental verification. The ultrasonic C-scanning experiments are performed in water and the feasibility of the ultrasonic waveguide sensor has been verified.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.82-85
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• 1992

To evaluate the role of hepatobiliary (DISIDA) scan in the diagnosis of biliary obstruction, we studied the clinical characteristics of 9 cases with biliary obstructuon, whose hepatobiliary scans and ultrasonography were not concordant (normal ultrasonography and abnormal hepatobiliary scan). The results were as follows; 1) The main chief complaints (89%) were abdominal pain, especially in RUQ area. The levels of serum bilirubin were elevated in 67% of patients $(normal\sim5.9mg/dl)$ and those of alkaline phosphatase were elevated in 78% of patients $(normal\sim724U/L)$. 2) The final diagnoses were CBD stones (67%), tumor (22%) and 3 cases were associated with C. sinensis. 3) The major obstruction sites were in distal CBD (89%). From the above results we concluded that hepatobiliary scan is a useful diagnostic method of biliary obstruction, especially in distal CBD lesion and early stage, in spite of normal ultrasonography.

• Composites Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2003

Utilizing a thermo-acoustic emission (AE) technique, a study on detection and evaluation of microfractures in cross-ply laminate composites was performed. Fiber breakages and matrix fractures formed by a cryogenic cooling at $-191^{\circ}C$ were observed with ultrasonic C-scan, optical and scanning electron microscopy. Those microfractures were monitored in a non-destructive in-situ state as three different types of thermo-AE signals classified on the basis of Fast-Fourier Transform and Short-Time Fourier Transform. Thus, it was concluded that real-time estimation of microfracture processes being formed during cryogenic cooling could be accomplished by monitoring such different types of thermo-AEs in each time-stage and then by analyzing thermo-AE behaviors for the respective AE types on the basis of the AE signal analysis results obtained during thermal heating and cooling load cycles.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2001

An investigation on nondestructive evaluation of thermal stress-nduced damage in the composite laminates (3mm in thickness and $[+45_6/-45_6]_s$ lay-up angles) has been performed using the thermo-acoustic emission technique. Reduction of thermo-AE events due to repetitive thermal load cycles showed a Kaiser effect. An analysis of the thermo-AE behavior determined the stress free temperature of composite laminates. Fiber fracture and matrix cracks were observed using the optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and ultrasonic C-sean. Short-Time Fourier Transform of thermo-AE signals offered the time-frequency characteristics which might classily the thermo-AE as three different types to estimate the damage processes of the composites.