• Title/Summary/Keyword: Gap block

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Glial Mechanisms of Neuropathic Pain and Emerging Interventions

  • Jo, Daehyun;Chapman, C. Richard;Light, Alan R.
    • The Korean Journal of Pain
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    • v.22 no.1
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    • pp.1-15
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    • 2009
  • Neuropathic pain is often refractory to intervention because of the complex etiology and an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms behind this type of pain. Glial cells, specifically microglia and astrocytes, are powerful modulators of pain and new targets of drug development for neuropathic pain. Glial activation could be the driving force behind chronic pain, maintaining the noxious signal transmission even after the original injury has healed. Glia express chemokine, purinergic, toll-like, glutaminergic and other receptors that enable them to respond to neural signals, and they can modulate neuronal synaptic function and neuronal excitability. Nerve injury upregulates multiple receptors in spinal microglia and astrocytes. Microglia influence neuronal communication by producing inflammatory products at the synapse, as do astrocytes because they completely encapsulate synapses and are in close contact with neuronal somas through gap junctions. Glia are the main source of inflammatory mediators in the central nervous system. New therapeutic strategies for neuropathic pain are emerging such as targeting the glial cells, novel pharmacologic approaches and gene therapy. Drugs targeting microglia and astrocytes, cytokine production, and neural structures including dorsal root ganglion are now under study, as is gene therapy. Isoform-specific inhibition will minimize the side effects produced by blocking all glia with a general inhibitor. Enhancing the anti-inflammatory cytokines could prove more beneficial than administering proinflammatory cytokine antagonists that block glial activation systemically. Research on therapeutic gene transfer to the central nervous system is underway, although obstacles prevent immediate clinical application.

Comparison the fit of three-unit metal framework fabricated by wax milling method and digital light projection method (왁스 밀링 방법 및 디지털 광 프로젝션 방법으로 제작된 3본 금속 구조물의 적합도 비교)

  • Lee, Jung-Hwan;Ahn, Jae-Seok
    • Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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    • v.41 no.1
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    • pp.9-19
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: This study was conducted to comparative evaluate the marginal and internal gap of three-unit metal frameworks(Co-Cr) fabricated by wax milling method and digital light projection method of CAD/CAM systems. Methods: All the specimens were fabricated by three different fabrication methods: conventional wax up with casting(CWC), milled wax block with casting(MWC), digital light projection with casting(DLPC) (n=10 each). The marginal and internal fits of specimens were examined using a replica technique. The light-body silicone thickness was measured at 8 reference points(each abutment: 16 measurements). All measurements were conducted by a stereomicroscope. Digital photo were taken at $150{\times}$ magnification and then analyzed using a measurement software. The Mann-Whitney test was used for analyzing the results. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the fabrication methods(p<0.001). The mean(SD) is ${\mu}m$ for fabrication methods, the mean marginal fit were recorded respectively, CWC 63(38), MWC group 50(33), DLPC 103(54) and the mean internal fit CWC 96(47), MWC group 116(41), DLPC 138(66). Conclusion : The marginal and internal fit were statistically different according to the fabrication methods(p<0.001). In all fabrication methods, the greatest misfit was found the occlusal area of all specimens.

Harmonic-Mean-Based Dual-Antenna Selection with Distributed Concatenated Alamouti Codes in Two-Way Relaying Networks

  • Li, Guo;Gong, Feng-Kui;Chen, Xiang
    • KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.1961-1974
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    • 2019
  • In this letter, a harmonic-mean-based dual-antenna selection scheme at relay node is proposed in two-way relaying networks (TWRNs). With well-designed distributed orthogonal concatenated Alamouti space-time block code (STBC), a dual-antenna selection problem based on the instantaneous achievable sum-rate criterion is formulated. We propose a low-complexity selection algorithm based on the harmonic-mean criterion with linearly complexity $O(N_R)$ rather than the directly exhaustive search with complexity $O(N^2_R)$. From the analysis of network outage performance, we show that the asymptotic diversity gain function of the proposed scheme achieves as $1/{\rho}{^{N_R-1}}$, which demonstrates one degree loss of diversity order compared with the full diversity. This slight performance gap is mainly caused by sacrificing some dual-antenna selection freedom to reduce the algorithm complexity. In addition, our proposed scheme can obtain an extra coding gain because of the combination of the well-designed orthogonal concatenated Alamouti STBC and the corresponding dual-antenna selection algorithm. Compared with the common-used selection algorithms in the state of the art, the proposed scheme can achieve the best performance, which is validated by numerical simulations.

Numerical simulation of propeller exciting force induced by milling-shape ice

  • Wang, C.;Li, X.;Chang, X.;Xiong, W.P.
    • International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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    • v.11 no.1
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    • pp.294-306
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    • 2019
  • On the basis of the Computational Fluid Dynamics technique (CFD) combined with the overlap grid method, this paper establishes a numerical simulation method to study the problem of ice-propeller interaction in viscous flow and carries out a simulation forecast of the hydrodynamic performance of an ice-class propeller and flow characteristics when in the proximity of milling-shape ice (i.e., an ice block with a groove cut by a high-speed revolving propeller). We use a trimmed mesh in the entire calculation domain and use the overlap grid method to transfer information between the domains of propeller rotation calculation and ice-surface computing. The grid is refined in the narrow gap between the ice and propeller to ensure the accuracy of the flow field. Comparison with the results of the experiment reveals that the error of the hydrodynamic performance is within 5%. This confirms the feasibility of the calculation method. In this paper, we calculate the exciting force of the propeller, analyze the time domain of the exciting force, and obtain the curve of the frequency domain using a Fourier transform of the time-domain curve of the exciting force. The existence of milling-shape ice before the propeller can greatly disturb the wake flow field. Unlike in open water, the propeller bearing capacity shows a downward trend in three stages, and fluctuating pressure is more disordered near the ice.

A Study on Light Weight Authentication Method of Distributed Cluster-based IoT Devices (분산 클러스터 기반 IoT 디바이스 경량 인증 방법에 대한 연구)

  • Kim, Sung-hwan;Kim, Young-gon
    • The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.103-109
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    • 2019
  • Due to the development of ICT technology, the IoT environment for connecting objects in the vicinity to networks and utilizing information about objects in various fields is getting attention, and security threats are also increasing. In order to solve the increasing security problem in IoT environment, we are studying methods that use certificate, encryption, hash calculation and block chain in the private sector. However, the security authentication method which overcomes the performance gap between devices and has compatibility with various devices It has not been proposed yet. In this paper, we propose an authentication method that can achieve wide compatibility by minimizing the influence of IoT device environment.

Estimating quantiles of extreme wind speed using generalized extreme value distribution fitted based on the order statistics

  • Liu, Y.X.;Hong, H.P.
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.34 no.6
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    • pp.469-482
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    • 2022
  • The generalized extreme value distribution (GEVD) is frequently used to fit the block maximum of environmental parameters such as the annual maximum wind speed. There are several methods for estimating the parameters of the GEV distribution, including the least-squares method (LSM). However, the application of the LSM with the expected order statistics has not been reported. This study fills this gap by proposing a fitting method based on the expected order statistics. The study also proposes a plotting position to approximate the expected order statistics; the proposed plotting position depends on the distribution shape parameter. The use of this approximation for distribution fitting is carried out. Simulation analysis results indicate that the developed fitting procedure based on the expected order statistics or its approximation for GEVD is effective for estimating the distribution parameters and quantiles. The values of the probability plotting correlation coefficient that may be used to test the distributional hypothesis are calculated and presented. The developed fitting method is applied to extreme thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm winds for several major cities in Canada. Also, the implication of using the GEVD and Gumbel distribution to model the extreme wind speed on the structural reliability is presented and elaborated.

Evaluation of along-channel sediment flux gradients in an anthropocene estuary with an estuarine dam

  • Figueroa, Steven M.;Lee, Guan-hong;Chang, Jongwi;Schieder, Nathalie W.;Kim, Kyeongman;Kim, Seok-Yun;Son, Minwoo
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2022.05a
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    • pp.86-86
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    • 2022
  • While estuarine dams can develop freshwater resources and block the salt intrusion, they can result in increased sediment deposition in the estuary. The mechanism of increased sediment deposition in an estuary with an estuary dam is not well understood. To fill this knowledge gap, 7 ADCP measurements of flow and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) were collected along-channel in an estuary with an estuarine dam over a neap-spring cycle. Flow and SSC were used to calculate the sediment flux and sediment flux gradients. The results indicated that the cumulative sediment fluxes at all stations were directed landward. The along-channel sediment flux gradient was negative, which indicated deposition along the channel. The landward mean-flow fluxes were dominant in the deep portion of the channel near the estuary mouth, whereas landward correlation fluxes were dominant in the shallow portion of the channel near the estuarine dam. The tides were the dominant forcing driving the sediment fluxes throughout the estuary.

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The design of the high efficiency DC-DC Converter with Dynamic Threshold MOS switch (Dynamic Threshold MOS 스위치를 사용한 고효율 DC-DC Converter 설계)

  • Ha, Ka-San;Koo, Yong-Seo;Son, Jung-Man;Kwon, Jong-Ki;Jung, Jun-Mo
    • Journal of IKEEE
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.176-183
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    • 2008
  • The high efficiency power management IC(PMIC) with DTMOS(Dynamic Threshold voltage MOSFET) switching device is proposed in this paper. PMIC is controlled with PWM control method in order to have high power efficiency at high current level. DTMOS with low on-resistance is designed to decrease conduction loss. The control parts in Buck converter, that is, PWM control circuits consist of a saw-tooth generator, a band-gap reference circuit, an error amplifier and a comparator circuit as a block. The Saw-tooth generator is made to have 1.2 MHz oscillation frequency and full range of output swing from ground to supply voltage(VDD:3.3V). The comparator is designed with two stage OP amplifier. And the error amplifier has 70dB DC gain and $64^{\circ}$ phase margin. DC-DC converter, based on Voltage-mode PWM control circuits and low on-resistance switching device, achieved the high efficiency near 95% at 100mA output current. And DC-DC converter is designed with LDO in stand-by mode which fewer than 1mA for high efficiency.

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Biomechanical Comparison of Inter-fragmentary Compression Pressures : Lag Screw versus Herbert Screw for Anterior Odontoid Screw Fixation

  • Park, Jin-Woo;Kim, Kyoung-Tae;Sung, Joo-Kyung;Park, Seong-Hyun;Seong, Ki-Woong;Cho, Dae-Chul
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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    • v.60 no.5
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    • pp.498-503
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    • 2017
  • Objective : The purpose of the present study was to compare inter-fragmentary compression pressures after fixation of a simulated type II odontoid fracture with the headless compression Herbert screw and a half threaded cannulated lag screw. Methods : We compared inter-fragmentary compression pressures between 40- and 45-mm long 4.5-mm Herbert screws (n=8 and n=9, respectively) and 40- and 45-mm long 4.0-mm cannulated lag screws (n=7 and n=10, respectively) after insertion into rigid polyurethane foam test blocks (Sawbones, Vashon, WA, USA). A washer load cell was placed between the two segments of test blocks to measure the compression force. Because the total length of each foam block was 42 mm, the 40-mm screws were embedded in the cancellous foam, while the 45-mm screws penetrated the denser cortical foam at the bottom. This enabled us to compare inter-fragmentary compression pressures as they are affected by the penetration of the apical dens tip by the screws. Results : The mean compression pressures of the 40- and 45-mm long cannulated lag screws were $50.48{\pm}1.20N$ and $53.88{\pm}1.02N$, respectively, which was not statistically significant (p=0.0551). The mean compression pressures of the 40-mm long Herbert screw was $52.82{\pm}2.17N$, and was not statistically significant compared with the 40-mm long cannulated lag screw (p=0.3679). However, 45-mm Herbert screw had significantly higher mean compression pressure ($60.68{\pm}2.03N$) than both the 45-mm cannulated lag screw and the 40-mm Herbert screw (p=0.0049 and p=0.0246, respectively). Conclusion : Our results showed that inter-fragmentary compression pressures of the Herbert screw were significantly increased when the screw tip penetrated the opposite dens cortical foam. This can support the generally recommended surgical technique that, in order to facilitate maximal reduction of the fracture gap using anterior odontoid screws, it is essential to penetrate the apical dens tip with the screw.

THE EFFECT OF LOCATION AND ANGLE OF DRILLING ON THE CHANGES OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO BLOCK SPECIMENS DURING SCREWING ON MINIPLATE FIXATION (소형금속판에 고정나사의 삽입시 drilling의 위치 및 각도에 따른 시편의 이동량에 대한 효과)

  • Oh, Hyun-Chul;An, Jin-Suk;Gu, Hong;Kook, Min-Suk;Park, Hong-Ju;Oh, Hee-Kyun
    • Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.213-221
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    • 2006
  • Purpose This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of the location and angle of drilling on the changes of the distance between the two block specimens. Materials and methods In experimental group 1, the screw holes were prepared by drilling in the distal portion of compression part of the plate at $90^{\circ}$. In experimental group 2, the drilling was performed at an angle of $30^{\circ}$ proximal to the miniplate, and in experimental group 3, at $30^{\circ}$ distal respectively. In control group, the drilling was performed to the center of hole at $90^{\circ}$. The fixation screw length was 5 mm, 7 mm, and 9 mm in all groups. The results were as follows. Results 1. In control group, the mean changes between two specimens were 0.01 mm, 0.02 mm, and 0.00 mm in 5 mm, 7 mm, and 9 mm screws respectively. 2. In experimental group 1, the compression part was moved toward the retention part. The range of mean changes were from -0.39 mm to -0.43 mm. 3. In experimental group 2, the compression part was moved toward the retention part. The range of mean changes were from -0.51 mm to -0.56 mm. 4. In experimental group 3, the compression part was moved apart from the retention part and the range of mean changes were from 0.55 mm to 0.56 mm. 5. The changes were significantly different between all groups(p<0.01). Conclusion These results suggest that 0.4$\sim$0.5 mm of compressive effect can be achieved by drilling on the distal area of the screw hole at an angle of $90^{\circ}$ and by the proximal angulation to the miniplate, and the gap between specimens can be increased by distal angulation to the miniplate during drilling.