• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.253-259
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• 2024

This paper proposes a new speech enhancement model based on a complex nested U-Net with a dual-branch decoder. The proposed model consists of a complex nested U-Net to simultaneously estimate the magnitude and phase components of the speech signal, and the decoder has a dual-branch decoder structure that performs spectral mapping and time-frequency masking in each branch. At this time, compared to the single-branch decoder structure, the dual-branch decoder structure allows noise to be effectively removed while minimizing the loss of speech information. The experiment was conducted on the VoiceBank + DEMAND database, commonly used for speech enhancement model training, and was evaluated through various objective evaluation metrics. As a result of the experiment, the complex nested U-Net-based speech enhancement model using a dual-branch decoder increased the Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ) score by about 0.13 compared to the baseline, and showed a higher objective evaluation score than recently proposed speech enhancement models.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.190-201
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• 2024

Background: Deposition of immune complexes drives podocyte injury acting in the initial phase of lupus nephritis (LN), a process mediated by B cell involvement. Accordingly, targeting B cell subsets represents a potential therapeutic approach for LN. Ginsenoside compound K (CK), a bioavailable component of ginseng, possesses nephritis benefits in lupus-prone mice; however, the underlying mechanisms involving B cell subpopulations remain elusive. Methods: Female MRL/lpr mice were administered CK (40 mg/kg) intragastrically for 10 weeks, followed by measurements of anti-dsDNA antibodies, inflammatory chemokines, and metabolite profiles on renal samples. Podocyte function and ultrastructure were detected. Publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing data and flow cytometry analysis were employed to investigate B cell subpopulations. Metabolomics analysis was adopted. SIRT1 and AMPK expression were analyzed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence assays. Results: CK reduced proteinuria and protected podocyte ultrastructure in MRL/lpr mice by suppressing circulating anti-dsDNA antibodies and mitigating systemic inflammation. It activated B cell-specific SIRT1 and AMPK with Rhamnose accumulation, hindering the conversion of renal B cells into plasma cells. This cascade facilitated the resolution of local renal inflammation. CK facilitated the clearance of deposited immune complexes, thus reinstating podocyte morphology and mobility by normalizing the expression of nephrin and SYNPO. Conclusions: Our study reveals the synergistic interplay between SIRT1 and AMPK, orchestrating the restoration of renal B cell subsets. This process effectively mitigates immune complex deposition and preserves podocyte function. Accordingly, CK emerges as a promising therapeutic agent, potentially alleviating the hyperactivity of renal B cell subsets during LN.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.55-77
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• 2024

Objectives This study aimed to analyze the registration status and characteristics of clinical trials on herbal medicine (HM) and medication interventions for simple obesity in children and adolescents. Methods All interventional clinical trials registered in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform of the World Health Organization until December 12, 2024, were collected. The study design, interventions, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and outcome measures were extracted. Results A total of 24 clinical trials (23 medications and 1 HM) were analyzed. The most common study designs were single-center, randomized controlled, parallel, and phase 2. Placebo controls were used in 87.5% of the studies, blinding was used in 79.1%, and quadruple blinding was the most common. Informed consent was obtained from 70.8% of the participants. Among the oral medications (66.6%), metformin was the most common (25%). Among the non-oral medications (29.1%), exenatide (Bydureon) was the most common intervention (42.8%). Body mass index was the most commonly reported primary outcome measure (79.1%), with most assessments performed at 6 months. Conclusions Based on the characteristics of the medication interventional clinical trial design analyzed in this study, additional high-quality multicenter traditional Korean medicine trials need to be designed in the future.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.80-86
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• 2007

We have investigated on the development of 2-2 type piezocomposites that have better piezoelectric activity and lower acoustic impedance than those of conventional piezoceramics. In this study, we have investigated the piezoelectric and acoustic properties of 2-2 type piezocomposites sensor which was fabricated using dice-and-fill technique for the different volume fraction of PZT. The specific acoustic impedance of 2-2 type piezocomposites decreased linearly when PZT volume fraction was decreased. The resonance characteristics measured by an impedance analyzer(HP4194A) were similar to the analysis of finite element method (FEM). The resonance characteristics and the electromechanical coupling factor were the best when the volume fraction PZT was 0.6. It also showed the highest result from the standpoint of sensitivity, bandwidth and ring-down property and so on at the same condition. The specific characteristics show that the 2-2 type piezocomposites turned out to be superior to the ultrasonic sensor composed by single phase PZT.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.161-171
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• 2024

The efficient management of pain and discomfort is essential for successful dental treatment and patient compliance. Dental professionals are commonly evaluated for their ability to perform treatment with minimal patient discomfort. Despite advancements in traditional local dental anesthesia techniques, the pain and discomfort associated with injections remain a concern. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature on novel dental anesthetics and associated devices designed to alleviate pain and discomfort during dental procedures. The Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines were used to prepare the review. Six databases and two sources of gray literature were searched. This review analyzed 107 sources from 1994 to 2023. Local anesthesia devices were grouped into computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery (CCLAD) systems, intraosseous anesthesia (IOA), vibratory stimulation devices, and electronic dental anesthesia (EDA). CCLAD systems, particularly the Wand and Single-Tooth Anesthesia, have been the most researched, with mixed results regarding their effectiveness in reducing pain during needle insertion compared to traditional syringes. However, CCLAD systems often demonstrated efficacy in reducing pain during anesthetic deposition, especially during palatal injections. Limited studies on IOA devices have reported effective pain alleviation. Vibrating devices have shown inconsistent results in terms of pain reduction, with some studies suggesting their primary benefit is during needle insertion rather than during the administration phase. EDA devices are effective in reducing discomfort but have found limited applicability. These findings suggest that the CCLAD systems reduce injection pain and discomfort. However, the evidence for other devices is limited and inconsistent. The development and research of innovative technologies for reducing dental pain and anxiety provides opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and improved patient care in dental practice.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.826-831
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• 2024

Objective: The major histocompatibility complex in chicken demonstrates a great range of variations within varities, breeds, populations and that can eventually influence their immuneresponses. The preset study was conducted to understand the major histocompatibility complex-B (MHC-B) variability in five major populations of Bangladesh native chicken: Aseel, Hilly, Junglefowl, Non-descript Deshi, and Naked Neck. Methods: These five major populations of Bangladesh native chicken were analyzed with a subset of 89 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the high-density MHC-B SNP panel and Kompetitive Allele-Specific polymerase chain reaction genotyping was applied. To explore haplotype diversity within these populations, the results were analyzed both manually and computationally using PHASE 2.1 program. The phylogenetic investigations were also performed using MrBayes program. Results: A total of 136 unique haplotypes were identified within these five Bangladesh chicken populations, and only one was shared (between Hilly and Naked Neck). Phylogenetic analysis showed no distinct haplotype clustering among the five populations, although they were shared in distinct clades; notably, the first clade lacked Naked Neck haplotypes. Conclusion: The present study discovered a set of unique MHC-B haplotypes in Bangladesh chickens that could possibly cause varied immune reponses. However, further investigations are required to evaluate their relationships with global chicken populations.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.297-307
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• 2021

Objective: To compare the performance of simulated abbreviated breast MRI (AB-MRI) and full diagnostic (FD)-MRI in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions detected by MRI and investigate the features of discrepant lesions of the two protocols. Materials and Methods: An AB-MRI set with single first postcontrast images was retrospectively obtained from an FD-MRI cohort of 111 lesions (34 malignant, 77 benign) detected by contralateral breast MRI in 111 women (mean age, 49.8. ± 9.8; range, 28-75 years) with recently diagnosed breast cancer. Five blinded readers independently classified the likelihood of malignancy using Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System assessments. McNemar tests and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analyses were performed. The imaging and pathologic features of the discrepant lesions of the two protocols were analyzed. Results: The sensitivity of AB-MRI for lesion characterization tended to be lower than that of FD-MRI for all readers (58.8-82.4% vs. 79.4-100%), although the findings of only two readers were significantly different (p < 0.05). The specificity of AB-MRI for lesion characterization was higher than that of FD-MRI for 80% of readers (39.0-74.0% vs. 19.5-45.5%, p ≤ 0.001). The AUC of AB-MRI was comparable to that of FD-MRI for all readers (p > 0.05). Fifteen percent (5/34) of the cancers were false-negatives on AB-MRI. More suspicious margins or internal enhancement on the delayed phase images were related to the discrepancies. Conclusion: The overall performance of AB-MRI was similar to that of FD-MRI in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions. AB-MRI showed lower sensitivity and higher specificity than FD-MRI, as 15% of the cancers were misclassified compared to FD-MRI.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.197-204
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• 1987

In order to know the growth of suspended cells by explant sources, the change of nitrogen contents of cultured cells following the growth periods, capability of micro-callus formation according to cell plating methods, growth of suspended cells on various media, and efficiency of micro-callus formation by using growth regulators and different N strengths were investigated. 1. When suspension culture was tried by using the callus induced from internode and petiole, cell fresh weight and packed cell volume increased with similar way and the growth reached at stationary phase after 12 culture days. 2. N-contents of cultured cells increased upto 3 days and decreased around 6days. But the values increased again upto 9 days, after that they showed gradual decreases. 3. Of cell plating methods, embedding method was the best for micro-callus formation. 4. Growth of suspened cells showed the rest performanoes, when they were cultured on LM medium with 1/2N strengths and BAP 0.01.2.4-D 0.1, and NAA $1.0mg/{\ell}$, after 15 cultured days(upto 76.9 folds). LM medium was better than MS or GD. The combination of auxin and cytokinin was better for cell growing than auxin-treatment only. 5. Micro-callus from single cell and small cell aggregates was formed only on MS and LM media with 2,4-D $1.0mg/{\ell}$.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.85-90
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• 2012

Oxidation of the $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ compound crystal and its effect on the coercivity of the fine $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ crystal particles were investigated. Oxidation kinetics of the $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ compound crystal was investigated using an excessively grown $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ grains in the $Nd_{15}Fe_{77}B_8$ alloy ingot. Oxidation of the $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ compound crystal occurred by dissociation of the phase into multi-phase mixture of ${\alpha}$-Fe, $Fe_3B$, and Nd oxides. Oxidation rate of the $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ compound crystal showed no dependence on the crystallographic direction. The oxidation reaction was modeled according to simple linear relationship. Activation energy for the oxidation of $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ compound crystal was calculated to be approximately 26.8 kJ/mol. Fine $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ crystal particles in near single domain size was prepared by ball milling of the HDDR-treated $Nd_{15}Fe_{77}B_8$ alloy, and these particles were used for investigating the effect of oxidation on the coercvity. The near single domain size $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ crystal particles (${\fallingdotseq}0.3\;{\mu}m$) had high coercivity over 9 kOe. However, the coercivity was radically reduced as the temperature increased in air (<2 kOe at $200^{\circ}C$). This radical coercivity reduction was attributed to the soft magnetic phases, ${\alpha}$-Fe and $Fe_3B$, which were formed on the surface of the fine particles due to the oxidation.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.247-253
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• 1992

Between August 1987 and July 1991, 22 patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia have received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) with non-T-lymphocyte-depleted marrow obtained from matched sibling donors. Of these patients, 12 patients were in first complete remission (CR) and 10 patients in second CR or greater or in relapse. All patients were treated with a preparative regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide (CTX, 60 mg/kg) or combined drugs, and 850 cGy single-dose or $150\~200$ cGy fractionated total body irradiation (TBI) administered twice daily for a total dose of $1200\~1320$ cGy. Survivors have been followed from 8 to 64.5 months (median, 24 months). The overall 2 year survival rate, relapse rate and incidence of radiation pneumonitis and graft versus host disease (GVHD) have been evaluated by age, phase of disease, initial WBC count, modality of TBI or conditioning chemotherapy. Overall 2 year survival was $58{\%}$. The median survival was 31 months and mean survival was 23.2 months. Overall survival have significant impact in patients of age >19 years old (p=0.008), patients in first CR (p=0.09). Two year survival rate is significantly correlated with age ( >19 vs $\leqq$19, $79.4\%$ vs $14.3\%$, p=0.0008), regimen of chemotherapy (CTX vs combined drug, $76.9\%\;vs\;33.3\%$, p=0.04), phase of disease (1st CR vs \geqq2nd$ CR or relapse, $83.3\%\;vs\;30\%$, p=0.01) and method of TBI (fractionated vs single dose, $70.7\%\;vs\;37.5\%$, p=0.05). The influence of French-American-British (FAB) subtypes on relapse rate is not significant, but initial WBC count > 20000/$mm^3$ is associated with increased relapse rate. There is difference in the rate of radiation pneumonitis ($14.3\%\;vs\;25\%$), GVHD ($14.3\%\;vs\;50\%$) and relapse ($21.4\%\;vs\;50\%$) according to fractionated versus single-dose TBI. As mentioned above, fractionated TBI is compatible for the preparative regimen combined with chemotherapy En allogeneic BMT of first CR patients under 41 years of age with suitable donor. Those results from a retrospective, non-randomized study clearly need additional clinical data, ideally from a randomized study.