• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.5-17
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• 2009

In HWAW method, experimental dispersion curve is obtained through time-frequency analysis, and inversion procedure is based on the forward modeling which considers full wavefield. Therefore, it enables us to use relatively short testing setup and has advantage for two dimensional subsurface imaging compared with another surface wave methods. Numerical study was performed to verify that the HWAW method can be applied to non-horizontally layerd soil structure. The experimental dispersion curves obtained from HWAW method agreed with the theoretical dispersion curves based on full wavefield. Experimental dispersion curves are mainly more affected by the region between two receivers than by the region from source to the first receiver. Fluctuation phenomena of dispersion curve can be reduced by adequate receiver spacing setup. From numerical study, it was thought that reliable Vs distribution map can be constructed by HWAW method and finally subsurface imaging was tried in the real field.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.284-292
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• 2018

The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a cyclic hypothalamic peptide composed of 17 amino acids, was initially identified in chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) as a regulator of pigmentation. Mammalian MCHs are cyclic hypothalamic peptides composed of 19 amino acids that regulate food intake and energy homeostasis. The present study examined not only MCH expression of different tissues but also the melanohore aggregation and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ influx of fMCH and the other MCH. Real-time qPCR showed that MCH expressed specially in the brain, gonad, and ovary, and expression of MCH was observed during the developmental stages. In the application of synthetic fMCH and both types of synthetic fMCH, dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH, scale melanophore induced significant changes in aggregation activity with various concentrations of MCH. Also, compared to hMCH and sMCH, fMCH exhibited a 36~99.85% increase in relative potency (%), whereas aggregation of dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH remained in a high concentration. However, dispersion was induced rapidly according to be low concentration of dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH. We show that fMCH and its derivates were bound human MCHR1 and rat MCHR expressed in HEK293T cells with nano-molar affinity and are likely to be ligand-induced to mobilize intracellular $Ca^{2+}$. These results may provide new ligands for binding assay with MCHew ligands, as a structure similar to the mammalian MCH structure was discovered in fish. Once the fMCH receptor system is in place, it can be compared to the MCH system of mammals in terms of MCH function.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea CI
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.94-101
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• 2009

In this paper, we propose design of hardware based on a high speed digital signal processor (DSP) and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) for real-time suppression of fixed pattern noise (FPN) using hardware neural networks (HNN) in cooled infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) imaging system FPN appears a limited operation by temperature in observable images which applies to non-uniformity correction for infrared detector. These have very important problems because it happen serious problem for other applications as well as degradation for image quality in our system Signal processing architecture for our system operates reference gain and offset values using three tables for low, normal, and high temperatures. Proposed method creates virtual tables to separate for overlapping region in three offset tables. We also choose an optimum tenn of temperature which controls weighted values of HNN using mean values of pixels in three regions. This operates gain and offset tables for low, normal, and high temperatures from mean values of pixels and it recursively don't have to do an offset compensation in operation of our system Based on experimental results, proposed method showed improved quality of image which suppressed FPN by change of temperature distribution from an observational image in real-time system.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.935-940
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• 2013

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of conventional ultrasonography and real time ultrasound elastography in differentiating degenerating cystic thyroid nodules mimicking malignancy from papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed conventional ultrasonographic and elastographic characteristics of 19 degenerating cystic thyroid nodules mimicking malignancy in 19 patients, with 30 surgically confirmed PTCs as controls. Based on size, the nodules had been grouped into less than 10mm (group A) and greater than 10 mm (group B). We evaluated conventional parameters and elasticity pattern. Color-scaled elastograms were graded as to stiffness of nodules using an elasticity pattern from I (soft) to IV (stiff). Results: Degenerating cystic thyroid nodules were similar to PTCs in conventional ultrasonographic findings, but the former frequently showed oval to round in shape (group A, 69.2% vs 18.8%, P=0.017; group B, 66.7% vs 7.14%, P=0.017) and punctuate hyperechoic foci (group A, 61.5% vs 0, P<0.001; group B, 50% vs 0, P<0.001). On real time ultrasound elastography, 7 of 13 degenerating cystic thyroid nodules in group A were pattern I, 5 were pattern II, 1 was pattern III. One degenerating cystic thyroid nodule in group B was pattern II, 5 were pattern III. The area under the curve for elastography was 0.98 in group A (sensitivity 92.3%, specificity 100%, P = 0.002), and 0.88 in group B (sensitivity 16.7%, specificity 100%, P = 0.014). Conclusions: As a dependable imaging technique, elastography helps increase the performance in differential diagnosis of degenerating cystic thyroid nodule and malignancy.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.33 no.5_1
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• pp.599-605
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• 2017

Accurate cloud discrimination in satellite images strongly affects accuracy of remotely sensed parameter produced using it. Especially, cloud contaminated pixel over ocean is one of the major error factors such as Sea Surface Temperature (SST), ocean color, and chlorophyll-a retrievals,so accurate cloud detection is essential process and it can lead to understand ocean circulation. However, static threshold method using real-time algorithm such as Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) can't fully explained reflectance variability over ocean as a function of relative positions between the sun - sea surface - satellite. In this paper, we assembled a reflectance spectral library as a function of Solar Zenith Angle (SZA) and Viewing Zenith Angle (VZA) from ocean surface reflectance with clear sky condition of Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) identified by NOAA's cloud products and spectral library is used for applying the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) to detect cloud pixels. We compared qualitatively between AHI cloud property and our results and it showed that AHI cloud property had general tendency toward overestimation and wrongly detected clear as unknown at high SZA. We validated by visual inspection with coincident imagery and it is generally appropriate.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2013

Purpose: Replacing the film which used to be used for checking the set-up of the patient and dosimetry during radiation therapy, more and more EPID equipped devices are in use at present. Accordingly, this article tried to evaluated the accuracy of the position check-up and the usefulness of dosimetry during the use of an electronic portal imaging device. Materials and Methods: On 50 materials acquired with the search of Korea Society Radiotherapeutic Technology, The Korean Society for Radiation Oncology, and Pubmed using "EPID", "Portal dosimetry", "Portal image", "Dose verification", "Quality control", "Cine mode", "Quality - assurance", and "In vivo dosimetry" as indexes, the usefulness of EPID was analyzed by classifying them as history of EPID and dosimetry, set-up verification and characteristics of EPID. Results: EPID is developed from the first generation of Liquid-filled ionization chamber, through the second generation of Camera-based fluoroscopy, and to the third generation of Amorphous-silicon EPID imaging modes can be divided into EPID mode, Cine mode and Integrated mode. When evaluating absolute dose accuracy of films and EPID, it was found that EPID showed within 1% and EDR2 film showed within 3% errors. It was confirmed that EPID is better in error measurement accuracy than film. When gamma analyzing the dose distribution of the base exposure plane which was calculated from therapy planning system, and planes calculated by EDR2 film and EPID, both film and EPID showed less than 2% of pixels which exceeded 1 at gamma values (r%>1) with in the thresholds such as 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm respectively. For the time needed for full course QA in IMRT to compare loads, EDR2 film recorded approximately 110 minutes, and EPID recorded approximately 55 minutes. Conclusion: EPID could easily replace conventional complicated and troublesome film and ionization chamber which used to be used for dosimetry and set-up verification, and it was proved to be very efficient and accurate dosimetry device in quality assurance of IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy). As cine mode imaging using EPID allows locating tumors in real-time without additional dose in lung and liver which are mobile according to movements of diaphragm and in rectal cancer patients who have unstable position, it may help to implement the most optimal radiotherapy for patients.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.143-152
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• 2015

In this study, we aim to design the architecture of the kV imaging system for tumor tracking in the dual-head gantry system and analyze its accuracy by simulations. We established mathematical formulas and algorithms to track the tumor position with the two-pair kV imaging systems when they are in the non-orthogonal positions. The algorithms have been designed in the homogeneous coordinate framework and the position of the source and the detector coordinates are used to estimate the tumor position. 4D XCAT (4D extended cardiac-torso) software was used in the simulation to identify the influence of the angle between the two-pair kV imaging systems and the resolution of the detectors to the accuracy in the position estimation. A metal marker fiducial has been inserted in a numerical human phantom of XCAT and the kV projections were acquired at various angles and resolutions using CT projection software of the XCAT. As a result, a positional accuracy of less than about 1mm was achieved when the resolution of the detector is higher than 1.5 mm/pixel and the angle between the kV imaging systems is approximately between $90^{\circ}$ and $50^{\circ}$. When the resolution is lower than 1.5 mm/pixel, the positional errors were higher than 1mm and the error fluctuation by the angles was greater. The resolution of the detector was critical in the positional accuracy for the tumor tracking and determines the range for the acceptable angle range between the kV imaging systems. Also, we found that the positional accuracy analysis method using XCAT developed in this study is highly useful and will be a invaluable tool for further refined design of the kV imaging systems for tumor tracking systems.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.391-398
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• 2010

Objective : This study was designed to validate the cell trafficking efficiency of the in vivo bioluminescence image (BLI) study in the setting of transplantation of the luciferase expressing bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC), which were delivered at each different time after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in a mouse model. Methods : Transplanting donor BMSC were prepared by primary cell culture from transgenic mouse expressing luciferase (LUC). Transient focal infarcts were induced in 4-6-week-old male nude mice. The experiment mice were divided into five groups by the time of MSC transplantation : 1) sham-operation group, 2) 2-h group, 3) 1-day group, 4) 3-day group, and 5) 1-week group. BLI for detection of spatial distribution of transplanted MSC was performed by detecting emitted photons. Migration of the transplanted cells to the infarcted area was confirmed by histological examinations. Differences between groups were evaluated by paired t-test. Results : A focal spot of bioluminescence was observed at the injection site on the next day after transplantation by Signal intensity of bioluminescence. After 4 weeks, the mean signal intensities of 2-h, 1-day, 3-day, and 1-week group were $2.6{\times}10^7{\pm}7.4{\times}10^6$. $6.1{\times}10^6{\pm}1.2{\times}10^6$, $1.7{\times}10^6{\pm}4.4{\times}10^5$, and $8.9{\times}10^6{\pm}9.5{\times}10^5$, respectively. The 2-h group showed significantly higher signal intensity (p<0.01). The engrafted BMSC showed around the infarct border zones on immunohistochemical examination. The counts of LUC-positive cells revealed the highest number in the 2-h group, in agreement with the results of BLI experiments (p<0.01). Conclusion : In this study, the results suggested that the transplanted BMSC migrated to the infarct border zone in BLI study and the higher signal intensity of LUC-positive cells seen in 2 hrs after MSC transplantation in MCAO mouse model. In addition, noninvasive imaging in real time is an ideal method for tracking stem cell transplantation. This method can be widely applied to various research fields of cell transplantation therapy.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.379-384
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• 1998

To measure precisely the blood velocity in the skin microcirculation, we have used time domain correlation (called Cross-Correlation) based on the processing of the backscattered RF signal obtained with a wideband echographic imaging transducer, although it is difficulties of adaptation of the pulsed wave system, because of the data processing in real time and the hardware problem. This dedicated technology based on a 20MHz echographic imaging system has been developed. We present how the experimental data, i.e. the backscattered RF signal, have to be analyzed. After RF lines realignment, stationary echo canceling procedure and correlation level control, a velocity profile has been obtained. In-vitro result show that velocity measurements as low as 0.1mm/sec attainable with a 80${\mu}m$ in axial resolution. We have also validated with in-vivo experimentation on the external ear of a rabbit using B-mode sector scanning image and M-mode image of a custom made 20MHz skin image system. The flow of the "auriculares caudales" vein, a microvessel of 600 m diameter, has been detected and studied. This technique will allow a more precise exploration of circulatory troubles in cutaneous pathologies.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.923-936
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• 2014

Images can be contaminated with different types of noise, for different reasons. The neighborhood averaging and smoothing by image averaging are the classical image processing techniques for noise removal. The classical spatial filtering refers to the aggregate of pixels composing an image and operating directly on these pixels. To reduce or remove effectively noise in image sequences, it usually needs to use noise reduction filter based on space or time domain such as method of spatial or temporal filter. However, the method of spatial filter can generally cause that signals of objects as the target are also blurred. In this paper, we propose temporal filter using the piece-wise quadratic function model and enhancement algorithm of image quality for the performance improvement of target detection and tracking by heterogeneous noise reduction. Image tracking simulation that utilizes real IIR(Imaging Infra-Red) images is employed to evaluate the performance of the proposed image processing algorithm.