• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1998 no.11
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• pp.169-170
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• 1998

In this study, regional variation in vertebral bone density due to osteoporosis were investigated using a method that employs images from QCT. QCT images(1mm thick slices) of the first lumbar vertebra from a normal person (23/M, BMD=139.8mg/ml) and from an osteoporotic patient (54/F, BMD=82.0mg/ml) were obtained. Uniform settings (140kVp, 204mA) were used and images of 300 Hounsfield Unit or greater were selectied to filler out soft tissue interference. To assess the regional variation of the area fraction the vertebral body was divided into 3 layers and each layer contained 9 regions. Area faction was calculated based on image analysis data. Our results showed that the area fraction at the middle of the vertebra was quite lower than the endplate and peripheral regions, but the area fraction values from the osteoporotic patient were uniform throughout the entire height of the vertebral body, which indicates the significant drop of BMD had occurred near both end-plates due to the osteoporosis, especially at the peripheral regions. Our results suggest the susceptability of the vertebrae to compression fracture types in osteoporotic spine.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.1 s.144
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• pp.16-20
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• 2006

The protective effects of the aqueous MeOH extracts of stem and root Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai against oxidative stress were investigated. Anti-oxidant activity of the stem extract of A. koreanum was observed in the DPPH free radical scavenging $(IC_{50}=58.7\;{\mu}g/ml)$ and the SOD test $(IC_{50}=17.52\;{\mu}g/ml)$. According to data analysis of cell survival ratio of normal fibroblasts, the skin irritation by both extracts from A. koreanum was concerned. However, in the skin primary parch test, both extracts obtained Grade I, which means that there was no skin irritation. After induction of oxidative irritation, cell survival ratio of normal fibroblasts was also monitored and it turned out that stress-inducing group with both extracts had more increased cell survival ratio. The cell extension of the stress-inducing group treated with the stem extract was most dominant in morphological study. Based on these results, the stem extract of A. koreanum showed the protective effect against oxidative stress on normal fibroblast.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.15-21
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• 2015

Waste plastic differs in its speed of combustion owing to its variety in composition as well as kinds of plastic. This study is aimed at examining the thermal weight analysis and determination of its kinetics in order to derive the design element in pyrolysis of RPF (Refused Plastic Fuel) as the plastic solid fuel. Based on the result of TGA (Thermogravimetric analysis), kinetic characteristics were analyzed by using Kissinger method which are the most common method for obtaining activation energy, and experimental conditions of TGA were set as follows: in a nitrogen atmosphere, gas flow rate of 20 ml/min, heating rate of $5{\sim}50^{\circ}C/min$, and maximum hottest temperature of $800^{\circ}C$. The method used for determining the property of waste plastic when thermally decomposed was thought feasible as the basic data in deciding the performance, design, and optimal operating condition of the reactor in the actual reactor.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.68-80
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• 2012

Purpose : More recently, combined PET/MR scanners have been developed in which the MR data can be used for both anatometabolic image formation and attenuation correction of the PET data. For quantitative PET information, correction of tissue photon attenuation is mandatory. The attenuation map is obtained from the CT scan in the PET/CT. In the case of PET/MR, the attenuation map can be calculated from the MR image. The purpose of this study was to assess the quantitative differences between MR-based and CT-based attenuation corrected PET images. Materials and Methods : Using the uniform cylinder phantom of distilled water which has 199.8 MBq of $^{18}F$-FDG put into the phantom, we studied the effect of MR-based and CT-based attenuation corrected PET images, of the PET-CT using time of flight (TOF) and non-TOF iterative reconstruction. The images were acquired from 60 minutes at 15-minute intervals. Region of interests were drawn over 70% from the center of the image, and the Scanners' analysis software tools calculated both maximum and mean SUV. These data were analyzed by one way-anova test and Bland-Altman analysis. MR images are segmented into three classes(not including bone), and each class is assigned to each region based on the expected average attenuation of each region. For clinical diagnostic purpose, PET/MR and PET/CT images were acquired in 23 patients (Ingenuity TF PET/MR, Gemini TF64). PET/CT scans were performed approximately 33.8 minutes after the beginnig of the PET/MR scans. Region of interests were drawn over 9 regions of interest(lung, liver, spleen, bone), and the Scanners' analysis software tools calculated both maximum and mean SUV. The SUVs from 9 regions of interest in MR-based PET images and in CT-based PET images were compared. These data were analyzed by paired t test and Bland-Altman analysis. Results : In phantom study, MR-based attenuation corrected PET images generally showed slightly lower -0.36~-0.15 SUVs than CT-based attenuation corrected PET images (p<0.05). In clinical study, MR-based attenuation corrected PET images generally showed slightly lower SUVs than CT-based attenuation corrected PET images (excepting left middle lung and transverse Lumbar) (p<0.05). And percent differences were -8.01.79% lower for the PET/MR images than for the PET/CT images. (excepting lung) Based on the Bland-Altman method, the agreement between the two methods was considered good. Conclusion : PET/MR confirms generally lower SUVs than PET/CT. But, there were no difference in the clinical interpretations made by the quantitative comparisons with both type of attenuation map.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.1041-1050
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• 2001

Control of bone cement volume (PMMA) may be critical for preventing complications in vertebroplasty, the percutaneous injection of PMMA into vertebra. The purpose of this study was to predict the optimal volume of PMMA injection based on CT images. For this, correlation between PMMA volume and textural features of CT images was examined before and after surgery to evaluate the appropriate PMMA amount. The gray level run length analysis was used to determine the textural features of the trabecular bone. Extimation of PMMA volume was done using 3D visualization with semi-automatic segmentation on postoperative CT images. Then, finite element (FE) models were constructed based on the CT image data of patients and PMMA volume. Appropriate material properties for the trabecular bone were assigned by converting BMD to elastic modulus. Structural reinforcement due to the changes in PMMA volume and BMD was assessed in terms of axial displacement of the superior endplate. A strong correlation was found between the injected PMMA volume and the area of the intertrabecular space and that of trabecular bone calculated from the CT images (r=0.90 and -0.90, respectively). FE results suggested that vertebroplasty could effectively reinforce the osteoporotic vertebra regardless of BMD or PMMA volume. Effectiveness of additional PMMA injection tended to decrease. For patients with BMD well lower than 50mg/ml, injection of up to 30% volume of the vertebral body is recommended. However, less than 30% is recommended otherwise to avoid any complications from excessive PMMA because the strength has already reached the normal level.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.394-398
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• 2000

A methanol extract of the root of Peucedanum japonicum, used as a medicinal herb, showed an inhibitory effect on mammalian topoisomerase I activity. The methanol extract was suspended in ethyl acetate, and a topoisomerase I inhibitor in the organic soluble fraction was then isolated by silica gel and thin layer chromatography. The topoisomerase I inhibitory compound was indentified as falcarindiol based on the analysis of EI-MS, $^1$H and \ulcornerC NMR spectroscopy. This inhibitory showed cytotoxicity against human leukemia Jurkat T and HL60 cells with an IC\ulcorner value of 7 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml. These results suggest the possibility of falcarindiol as a new anticancer agent which can be expected to have a synergistic effect on other anticancer drugs. In addition, the present data show that falcarindiol has antifungal, yet not antibacterial, activity.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.515-523
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• 2009

To infer the monophyletic origin and phylogenetic relationships of the order Desmoscolecida, a unique and puzzling group of mainly free-living marine nematodes, we newly determined nearly complete 18S rDNA sequences for six marine desmoscolecid nematodes belonging to four genera (Desmoscolex, Greeffiella, Tricoma and Paratricoma). Based on the present data and those of 72 nematode species previously reported, the first molecular phylogenetic analysis focusing on Desmoscolecida was done by using neighbor joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. All four resultant trees consistently and strongly supported that the family Desmoscolecidae forms a monophyletic group with very high node confidence values. The monophyletic clade of desmocolecid nematodes was placed as a sister group of the clade including some members of Monhysterida and Araeolaimida, Cyartonema elegans (Cyartonematidae) and Terschellingia Iongicaudata (Linhomoeidae) in all the analyses. However, the present phylogenetic trees do not show any direct attraction between the families Desmoscolecidae and Cyartonematidae. Within the monophyletic clade of the family Desmoscolecidae in all of the present phylogenetic trees, there were consistently observed two distinct subgroups which correspond to the subfamilies Desmoscolecinae [Greeffiella sp. + Desmoscolex sp.] and Tricominae [Paratricoma sp. + Tricoma sp].

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.853-858
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• 2003

Helicobacter pylori specifically adhere to host cells through a number of putative receptors and ligands, mainly based on carbohydrate-protein interactions. Polysaccharide fractions isolated from the leaves of Artemisia capillaris showed different inhibitory activities against H. pylori adhesion by using hemagglutination assay. Among these fractions, an acidic polysaccharide fraction FlA showed highly effective inhibitory activity, and its minimum inhibition concentration was 0.63 mg/ml. The inhibition results by the hemagglutination assay were consistent with those obtained by the enzymelinked glycosorbent assay, which was developed by the conjugation of horseradish peroxidase with fetuin, a sialic acid-containing glycoprotein which was specific to H. pylori adhesion. FlA contained the highest carbohydrate content among polysaccharide fractions, and no protein was detectable when further purified by gel filtration FPLC. Sugar composition analysis using GC revealed the highest amount of galacturonic acid among sugars, which suggests that FlA contains essentially acidic polysaccharides. Our data suggest that acidic polysaccharides may play an important role in the inhibition of H. pylori adhesion to host cells.

• Korean Journal of Artificial Intelligence
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2022

As the need for eco-friendly transportation increases due to the deepening climate crisis, many local governments in Korea are introducing shared bicycles. Due to anxiety about public transportation after COVID-19, bicycles have firmly established themselves as the axis of daily transportation. The use of shared bicycles is spread, and the demand for bicycles is increasing by rental offices, but there are operational and management difficulties because the demand is managed under a limited budget. And unfortunately, user behavior results in a spatial imbalance of the bike inventory over time. So, in order to easily operate the maintenance of shared bicycles in Seoul, bicycles should be prepared in large quantities at a time of high demand and withdrawn at a low time. Therefore, in this study, by using machine learning, the linear regression algorithm and MS Azure ML are used to predict and analyze when demand is high. As a result of the analysis, the demand for bicycles in 2018 is on the rise compared to 2017, and the demand is lower in winter than in spring, summer, and fall. It can be judged that this linear regression-based prediction can reduce maintenance and management costs in a shared society and increase user convenience. In a further study, we will focus on shared bike routes by using GPS tracking systems. Through the data found, the route used by most people will be analyzed to derive the optimal route when installing a bicycle-only road.

• The Transactions of the Korea Information Processing Society
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.217-220
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• 2024

Predicting earthquake occurrences accurately is challenging, and preparing all buildings with seismic design for such random events is a difficult task. Analyzing building features to predict potential damage and reinforcing vulnerabilities based on this analysis can minimize damages even in buildings without seismic design. Therefore, research analyzing the efficiency of building damage prediction models is essential. In this paper, we compare the accuracy of earthquake damage prediction models using machine learning classification algorithms, including Random Forest, Extreme Gradient Boosting, LightGBM, and CatBoost, utilizing data from buildings damaged during the 2015 Nepal earthquake.