• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.289-300
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• 2016

Non-genotoxic carcinogens are substances that induce tumorigenesis by non-mutagenic mechanisms and long term rodent bioassays are required to identify them. Recent studies have shown that transcription profiling can be applied to develop early identifiers for long term phenotypes. In this study, we used rat liver expression profiles from the NTP (National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, USA) DrugMatrix Database to construct a gene classifier that can distinguish between non-genotoxic carcinogens and other chemicals. The model was based on short term exposure assays (3 days) and the training was limited to oxidative stressors, peroxisome proliferators and hormone modulators. Validation of the predictor was performed on independent toxicogenomic data (TG-GATEs, Toxicogenomics Project-Genomics Assisted Toxicity Evaluation System, Osaka, Japan). To build our model we performed Random Forests together with a recursive elimination algorithm (VarSelRF). Gene set enrichment analysis was employed for functional interpretation. A total of 770 microarrays comprising 96 different compounds were analyzed and a predictor of 54 genes was built. Prediction accuracy was 0.85 in the training set, 0.87 in the test set and increased with increasing concentration in the validation set: 0.6 at low dose, 0.7 at medium doses and 0.81 at high doses. Pathway analysis revealed gene prominence of cellular respiration, energy production and lipoprotein metabolism. The biggest target of toxicogenomics is accurately predict the toxicity of unknown drugs. In this analysis, we presented a classifier that can predict non-genotoxic carcinogenicity by using short term exposure assays. In this approach, dose level is critical when evaluating chemicals at early time points.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.1003-1009
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• 2023

Objective: The objective was to compare (pedigree-based) best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP), genomic BLUP (GBLUP), and single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP) methods for genomic evaluation of growth traits in a Mexican Braunvieh cattle population. Methods: Birth (BW), weaning (WW), and yearling weight (YW) data of a Mexican Braunvieh cattle population were analyzed with BLUP, GBLUP, and ssGBLUP methods. These methods are differentiated by the additive genetic relationship matrix included in the model and the animals under evaluation. The predictive ability of the model was evaluated using random partitions of the data in training and testing sets, consistently predicting about 20% of genotyped animals on all occasions. For each partition, the Pearson correlation coefficient between adjusted phenotypes for fixed effects and non-genetic random effects and the estimated breeding values (EBV) were computed. Results: The random contemporary group (CG) effect explained about 50%, 45%, and 35% of the phenotypic variance in BW, WW, and YW, respectively. For the three methods, the CG effect explained the highest proportion of the phenotypic variances (except for YW-GBLUP). The heritability estimate obtained with GBLUP was the lowest for BW, while the highest heritability was obtained with BLUP. For WW, the highest heritability estimate was obtained with BLUP, the estimates obtained with GBLUP and ssGBLUP were similar. For YW, the heritability estimates obtained with GBLUP and BLUP were similar, and the lowest heritability was obtained with ssGBLUP. Pearson correlation coefficients between adjusted phenotypes for non-genetic effects and EBVs were the highest for BLUP, followed by ssBLUP and GBLUP. Conclusion: The successful implementation of genetic evaluations that include genotyped and non-genotyped animals in our study indicate a promising method for use in genetic improvement programs of Braunvieh cattle. Our findings showed that simultaneous evaluation of genotyped and non-genotyped animals improved prediction accuracy for growth traits even with a limited number of genotyped animals.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.587-614
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• 2014

In recent years the interest in online monitoring of lightweight structures with ultrasonic guided waves is steadily growing. Especially the aircraft industry is a driving force in the development of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. In order to optimally design SHM systems powerful and efficient numerical simulation tools to predict the behaviour of ultrasonic elastic waves in thin-walled structures are required. It has been shown that in real industrial applications, such as airplane wings or fuselages, conventional linear and quadratic pure displacement finite elements commonly used to model ultrasonic elastic waves quickly reach their limits. The required mesh density, to obtain good quality solutions, results in enormous computational costs when solving the wave propagation problem in the time domain. To resolve this problem different possibilities are available. Analytical methods and higher order finite element method approaches (HO-FEM), like p-FEM, spectral elements, spectral analysis and isogeometric analysis, are among them. Although analytical approaches offer fast and accurate results, they are limited to rather simple geometries. On the other hand, the application of higher order finite element schemes is a computationally demanding task. The drawbacks of both methods can be circumvented if regions of complex geometry are modelled using a HO-FEM approach while the response of the remaining structure is computed utilizing an analytical approach. The objective of the paper is to present an efficient method to couple different HO-FEM schemes with an analytical description of an undisturbed region. Using this hybrid formulation the numerical effort can be drastically reduced. The functionality of the proposed scheme is demonstrated by studying the propagation of ultrasonic guided waves in plates, excited by a piezoelectric patch actuator. The actuator is modelled utilizing higher order coupled field finite elements, whereas the homogenous, isotropic plate is described analytically. The results of this "semi-analytical" approach highlight the opportunities to reduce the numerical effort if closed-form solutions are partially available.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2013

A clinical trial was performed to assess clinical efficacy and/or reduction in relapses by gold-bead implantation into acupuncture points in dogs with canine chronic recurrent otitis externa (CCROE). Forty dog-patients randomly divided into two groups were diagnosed as suffering CCROE, having intact tympanic membranes and a history of recurrences. Treatments were: control group (CG), treated with commercially available antimicrobial otic droplets, dosed twice daily for 7 days; and experimental group (GBI- gold bead implants), treated as for CG plus the insertion of 13 gold-bead implants under light anesthesia. Overall per cent assessment of composite clinical progression and progression of individual clinical signs were recorded. Bilateral chronic external otitis was diagnosed in 60% of the cases and left or right otitis in 20% of the cases each. Logistic model for repeated measures analysis showed that GBI induced a better clinical recovery as far as lesion score of some clinical signs is concerned. The overall percent cures of each group showed statistically significant difference. A McNemar analysis revealed that higher number of relapses was observed in CG patients as compared to the GBI (P < 0.05). In particular during these days, lesion on the pinna showed in odd ratios analysis a 7:1 ratio (recurrence CG:GBI) and ear wax/pus (4:1) from D42 to D365. It is concluded that gold-bead implantation into acupuncture points improves resolution of some clinical signs and greatly reduce relapses in CCROE affected dogs after 1 year follow-up (98.75%).

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.49.1-49.1
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• 2011

집광채광 설비는 건축물의 조명에너지 절감 및 자연광의 실내 유입을 위해 적용 가능한 태양에너지설비로써 다른 신 재생 에너지 설비와 다르게 연간에너지생산에 대한 정량적 데이터가 아직까지 부재하다. 집광채광 설비의 설치효과를 판단하기 위해서는 집광채광 설비 설치에 따른 연간 에너지생산량 산출이 필요하며, 이를 위해서는 각 구성부분(집광부, 전송부 및 산광부)의 광전송 효율에 대한 데이터가 구축되어야 한다. 본 연구는 집광채광 설비의 효율 분석에 관한 첫 번째 단계로써 외부광속에 대한 집광부 통과 직후의 내부광속의 비율을 예측하였다. 국내에 보급된 집광채광 설비는 대부분 프리즘형과 광덕트형이며, 우선적으로 집광부 입사면의 경사각과 방위각이 다양하여 내부광속 산출방법론이 매우 복잡한 프리즘형을 분석대상으로 삼았다. 전일사량, 외부조도 및 집광부 내부조도가 측정되었으며, 외부광속으로부터 내부광속을 산출하는 공식을 유도하기 위해 천공상태에 따라 전일사량 측정치가 직산분리 되었다. Perez model과 Liu and Jordon에 의해 제시된 계산식과 입사면 및 집광부 면적을 고려하여 수평면 외부조도 측정치로부터 외부광속이 그리고 내부조도로부터 내부광속이 산출되었다. 입사면의 투과율이 동일하다는 전제 하에 천공상태에 따른 태양광 투과 비율을 도출한 결과, 담천공(Kt ${\leq}$ 0.3)에서 0.39, 부분담천공(0.3${\geq}$ 0.78)에서 1.0으로 나타났다. 도출된 투과비율을 외부광속에 적용하여 내부광속을 계산한 결과치와 측정치는 약 ${\pm}9%$ 정도의 차이를 보였다. 연간 기상데이터에 위와 같은 방법론이 적용되면 프리즘형 집광부의 연간 내부광속이 산출될 수 있다. 또한 기존 연구에서 제시된 발광효율 산출식과 일사 파장에 따른 시감도를 고려하면 매 시간별 외부조도도 산출이 가능하다. 일사량 측정치와 외부조도 측정치 사이의 상관관계를 분석한 결과 결정계수 $R^2$이 0.99인데 반해 일사량 측정치와 외부조도 계산치 사이의 상관관계 결정계수는 0.95로 측정치 보다 약간 작은 값을 갖는다. 이렇게 산출된 외부조도는 각 입사면의 면적을 반영하여 외부광속으로 변환되고, 앞서 산출된 천공상태별 투과비율이 적용됨으로써 내부광속이 도출될 수 있다. 이와 같은 집광부에 대한 연구를 바탕으로 향후 전송부와 산광부 효율을 도출하고 궁극적으로 집광채광 설비를 통해 실내에 전달되는 연간 빛에너지를 예측할 수 있을 것이다. 또한 본 연구의 방법론은 다른 형태의 집광채광 설비에도 적용이 가능할 것으로 판단되며, 국내 집광채광 설비의 연간 에너지생산량에 대한 폭 넓은 데이터 구축이 가능할 것으로 기대된다.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2014

Purpose : To efficiently evaluate phased array coil performance using a software tool box with which we can make visual comparison of the sensitivity of every coil element between the real experiment and EM simulation. Materials and Methods: We have developed a $C^{{+}{+}}$- and MATLAB-based software tool called Phased Array Coil Evaluator (PACE). PACE has the following functions: Building 3D models of the coil elements, importing the FDTD simulation results, and visualizing the coil sensitivity of each coil element on the ordinary Cartesian coordinate and the relative coil position coordinate. To build a 3D model of the phased array coil, we used an electromagnetic 3D tracker in a stylus form. After making the 3D model, we imported the 3D model into the FDTD electromagnetic field simulation tool. Results: An accurate comparison between the coil sensitivity simulation and real experiment on the tool box platform has been made through fine matching of the simulation and real experiment with aids of the 3D tracker. In the simulation and experiment, we used a 36-channel helmet-style phased array coil. At the 3D MRI data acquisition using the spoiled gradient echo sequence, we used the uniform cylindrical phantom that had the same geometry as the one in the FDTD simulation. In the tool box, we can conveniently choose the coil element of interest and we can compare the coil sensitivities element-by-element of the phased array coil. Conclusion: We expect the tool box can be greatly used for developing phased array coils of new geometry or for periodic maintenance of phased array coils in a more accurate and consistent manner.