• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.375-379
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• 2016

Increasing fat tissue of obese people, increases the rate of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndromes and dyslipidemia. An increase in the focal tissue of pancreas is a known risk factor of these diseases. Although there exists sufficient research on the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer, studies have been done on fatty pancreas. In this study, based on ultrasound imaging and using a texture characteristic of GLCM, fatty pancreas was divided into three categories: mild, moderate and severe. We compared and analyzed the three groups was by Pancreatic ultrasonography and body characteristics, serological tests, pressure and the degree of arteriosclerosis, against normal control group. The following parameters of control and test groups were measured: WC (waist circumference),BMI (body mass index), TC (total cholesterol), TG (triglyceride), HDL-C (High-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and LDL-C (Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), SBP (systolic blood pressure), BST (Blood Sugar Test) and aortic PWV (pulse wave velocity). We observed the values correspondingly increasing fat deposition. However, ABI (Ankle Brachial pressure index) stenosis and HDL-C levels decreased with increasing fat deposit (p <0.05); a drop in these parameters are known to be harmful to the human body. The difference in texture characteristics between normal control group and pancreatic fatty group (mild, moderate, and severe) was statistically confirmed. Ultrasound imaging of pancreatic steatosis categorized the disease as mild, moderate and severe based on the characteristic texture. In conclusion, we observed on increase in metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, and arteriosclerosis, proportional to the degree of pancreatic fat deposition. The escalation of these diseases was confirmed and was directly related with predictors of cardiovascular diseases.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.784-790
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• 2009

A forward-looking automotive radar typically utilizes the frequency modulated continuous wave(FMCW) or pulsed-Doppler waveform for the Information acquisition of the target range and velocity. In order to obtain the high resolution target information, however, a narrow pulse width and wide bandwidth are inherently required, thus resulting in high peak power and high speed digital converter processing. In this paper, a stepped-frequency pulsed-Doppler(SFPD) waveform algorithm is proposed for high resolution forward looking automotive radar application. The performance of the proposed SFPD waveform technique is analyzed and compared with the conventional FMCW and PD method. Since this technique can be used for the high resolution target imaging with arbitrary range and Doppler resolution, it is expected to be useful In automotive radar target classification for the precision collision avoidance applications in the future.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2018

Background: Pulsatility of cerebral arteries and aortic stiffness have been associated with white matter hyperintensities (WMH). We explored which is better correlated with the severity of WMH in a population with acute lacunar infarct. Methods: We included patients with acute small subcortical infarcts who underwent transcranial Doppler (TCD) and brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Exclusion criteria were any stenosis or occlusion on major cerebral arteries on magnetic resonance angiography; poor temporal insonation windows; ankle brachial index < 0.9; and atrial fibrillation. We assessed the performance of the pulsatility index of bilateral middle cerebral arteries (PI-MCA) and baPWV for predicting moderate-to-severe WMH, defined as an Age Related White Matter Changes score > 5, and then sought to find independent predictors using binary logistic regression analysis. Results: Eighty-three patients (56 males, mean age $61.5{\pm}11.4$) participated in the study. Uni-variate analysis showed old age and high PI-MCA were significantly correlated with moderate-to-severe WMH. However, baPWV was not associated with the severity of WMH. Multivariate analysis revealed old age (odds ratio per 1-year increase, 1.068; p = 0.044) and upper tertile of PI-MCA (odds ratio, 5.138; p = 0.049) were independently associated with moderate-to-severe WMH. Receiver-operating characteristics showed PI-MCA differentiated those with and without moderate-to-severe WMH with an area under the curve of 0.719. Conclusions: PI-MCA derived from TCD was better correlated with the severity of WMH than baPWV in a population with lacunar infarction. Pulsatility of cerebral arteries may better predict cerebral small vessel disease than the aortic stiffness index.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.71-82
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• 2013

Arterial stiffness(AS) is an important pathologic state of vascular injury. This study was carried out to elucidate the effect of physiological variables on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity(BAPWV), index of AS. Four hundred adults(volunteers) participated in this study. Body indices, biochemical, cardiac and inflammatory markers, and right(Rt)- and left(Lt)-BAPWV were measured. Body mass index(BMI), Rt- and Lt-BAPWV, glucose, triglyceride, alkaline phosphatase(ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT), creatinine, uric acid, troponin-I(TNI), NT-proBNP and high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) levels were higher than the reference value of each variable. Rt- and Lt-BAPWV were directly correlated with age, body weight, BMI, glucose, ketone, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, ALP, GGT, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a), apolipoprotein-B, blood urea nitrogen, heart rate, TNI, creatine kinase, CK-MB, lactic dehydrogenase, myoglobin, hs-CRP, lipase, reumatoid factor, fibrinogen and D-dimer (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001 or P<0.000, respectively), but inversely associated with total bilirubin, uric acid, apolipoprotein-A1 and GFR (P<0.05). These observations suggest that a variety of physiological variables may influence BAPWV, resulting in increased risk or prevention of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular attacks. Therefore, physiological variables affecting BAPWV should be regularly controlled.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2017

In order to evaluate a stress state of concrete according to the change of tensile force of prestressed beam, improved nonlinear resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy(NRUS) method is proposed. This technique is advantageous to evaluate the stress state in initial state because the method shows much higher sensitivity than existing linear ultrasonic methods. The NRUS technique measure a nonlinearity parameter, which is calculated from the resonant frequency shift of ultrasonic wave related to the medium state, and the result is also closely related to the stress state of concrete. In this study, the nonlinearity parameter was measured with the change of tensile force to verify the close relationship between the two factors, and the effect of repetitive load cycle on the change of nonlinearity parameter was analyzed. In addition, sensitivity comparison with the linear ultrasonic pulse velocity method was performed. Through the experimental results, the possibility of NRUS technique for the evaluation of stress state in prestressed beam was confirmed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2010

Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been shown to enhance endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in experimental animals; however, little is known about its pharmacological effects on vascular stiffness in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial was carried out to determine whether KRG has beneficial effects on arterial stiffness, cardiovascular risk factors such as plasma lipid profiles and blood pressure (BP), and Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) activity. Twenty patients (mean age, 62.5 years) with stable angina pectoris were given KRG (2.7 g/day) and a placebo alternatively for 10 weeks. Blood biochemical analysis and pulse wave velocity (PWV) recording were performed on day 0 and after the completion of each treatment. ROCK activity was assessed based on the level of phospho-$Thr^{853}$ in the myosin-binding subunit of myosin light chain phosphatase, determined by Western blot analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. KRG significantly decreased the systolic BP, brachial ankle PWV, and heart femoral PWV in the patients (all p<0.05), but did not significantly alter the serum lipid profiles, including triglycerides and total, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The ROCK activity tended to decrease (p=0.068) following KRG treatment. The placebo did not significantly alter any of the variables. In conclusion, KRG decreased systolic BP and arterial stiffness, probably via the inhibition of ROCK activity, in patients with CAD, but had a neutral effect on serum lipid profiles. Our data suggest that KRG has a therapeutic effect on CAD.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.496-502
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the association between the dietary intake of fish and shellfish, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in the middle-aged Korean female patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2D). SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed with 356 female patients (means age: 55.5 years), who were recruited from the Huh's Diabetes Clinic in Seoul, Korea between 2005 and 2011. The dietary intake was assessed by a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and analyzed using the Computer Aided Nutritional Analysis program (CAN-Pro) version 4.0 software. RESULTS: In a multiple regression analysis after the adjustment for confounding factors such as age, BMI, duration of diagnosed T2D, alcohol consumption, fiber intake, sodium intake, and total energy intake, fish and shellfish intake of the subjects was negatively associated with triglyceride and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Omega-3 PUFAs intake was negatively associated with triglyceride, systolic blood pressures, diastolic blood pressures, and PWV. The multiple logistic regression analysis with the covariates showed a significant inverse relationship between the omega-3 PUFAs consumption and prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia [OR (95% CI) for greater than the median compared to less than the median: 0.395 (0.207-0.753)]. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the consumption of fish and shellfish, good sources of omega-3 PUFAs, may reduce the risk factors for CVD in the middle-aged female patients with T2D.

• Exercise Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2017

PURPOSE: To examine the cumulative (7 days) effect of breaking up prolonged sitting on systemic endothelial function in sedentary men. METHODS: Thirty sedentary men ($33.93{\pm}5.72years$) participated in two randomized 7 days sitting trial (Sit group (control) vs. Breaks group). The protocol of Breaks group is as follows: 4-minute of moderate-intensity marching in place (walking) every 1 hour during business hour (total: 8 breaks/day). Assessment of brachial artery endothelial function using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and arterial stiffness indices (augmentation index, arterial pressure and pulse wave velocity) were measured before and after 7 days treatment. RESULTS: Brachial artery FMD significantly increased after 7 days breaking up prolonged sitting treatment (Breaks groups, $9.65{\pm}2.61$ to $9.62{\pm}2.6%$) compared with 7 days prolonged sitting (Sit group, $8.37{\pm}3.41$ to $10.11{\pm}3.75%$) (interaction effect, p=.004). Arterial pressure (AP) significantly increased after treatment (Breaks group, $2.75{\pm}2.19$ to $2.38{\pm}1.63mmHg$, p=.002) in Sit group but there was no change (Sit group, $1.00{\pm}3.18$ to $2.50{\pm}9.23mmHg$) in Breaks groups (interaction effect, p=.008). CONCLUSIONS: These finding show that 7 days regular breaking up prolonged sitting improve in FMD, compared with prolonged sitting. Therefore, regular breaking up prolonged sitting may improve systemic endothelial function in sedentary men.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.11
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• pp.1078-1084
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• 2007

Purpose : The prevalence of childhood obesity has doubled over the last 30 years. Obesity-associated sequelae in the vasculature begins in the early stages of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate how pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle brachial index (ABI) change with height, weight and body mass index (BMI) in obese adolescents. Methods : Seventy-nine obese adolescents (group 1: $85th{\leq}BMI<95th$ percentile, n=40; group 2 ($BMI{\geq}95th$ percentile, n=39) were included. The control group(group 3) included 99 healthy adolescents. Brachial- ankle (ba) PWV and ABI were estimated with blood pressure from four extremities. Heart rate (HR), and pre-ejection period/ejection time (PEP/ET) were also estimated. BMI was calculated from individual height and weight. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the correlations between BMI and PWV. Results : Blood pressure and baPWV were significantly higher in group 2, compared to either group 1 or group 3. However, there was no significant difference in ABI, HR and PEP/ET between the groups. PWV showed linear correlation with both BMI and body weight. Conclusion : Obesity was associated with higher arterial stiffness in adolescents, which was demonstrated by an increase in PWV. There was no significant correlation between obesity and ABI.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2009

urpose : The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been demonstrated to play a major role in regulating blood pressure. Therefore, components of the RAS are likely candidate genes that may predispose an individual to essential hypertension and cardiovascular complications. Among them, the M235T polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene has been speculated to be associated with elevated circulating angiotensinogen concentrations and essential hypertension. This study aimed to analyze the angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism in hypertensive adolescents and investigate its relationship with cardiovascular risks. Methods : Forty Korean hypertensive adolescents (aged 16-17, systolic $BP{\geq}140 mmHg$ and/or diastolic $BP{\geq}90 mmHg$) and fifty seven normal adolescents were included. Obesity index (OI), body mass index (BMI) were calculated. BP was measured by oscillometric methods in resting state. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was performed on DNA from the hypertensives subjects to analyze the M235T polymorphism. Serum homocysteine, insulin, renin, aldosterone and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) were tested according to each genotype. The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid artery diameter, Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were measured according to each genotype. Results : Genotype frequencies of T/T, M/T and M/M were 62.5%, 35.0%, 2.5%, respectively in hypertensive adolescents. The results were not significantly different compared to control group. Serum insulin, renin levels, BMI and OI were significantly higher in thoses with the M/M genotype as compared to those with the T/T of M/T genotype. Conclusion : This study showed that the M235T polymorphism was not associated with essential hypertension or any cardiovascular risks. Further clinical research is required to ascertain the relationship between this polymorphism and cardiovascular complications in Korean hypertensive adolescents.