• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.56.1-56.13
• /
• 2023

Background: Cold atmospheric plasma is a novel innovative approach for wound care, and it is currently underrepresented in veterinary medicine. Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of using cold atmospheric microwave plasma (CAMP) as an adjunct therapy for wound healing in dogs and cats. Methods: Wound healing outcomes were retrospectively analyzed using clinical records of client-owned dogs and cats who were first managed through standard wound care alone (pre-CAMP period) and subsequently via CAMP therapy (CAMP period). The degree of wound healing was estimated based on wound size and a modified wound scoring system. Results: Of the 27 acute and chronic wounds included in the analysis, 81.48% showed complete healing after the administration of CAMP as an adjunct therapy to standard care. Most wounds achieved complete healing in < 5 weeks. Compared with the pre-CAMP period, the rate of wound healing significantly increased every week in the CAMP period in terms of in wound size (first week, p < 0.001; second week, p = 0.012; third week, p < 0.001) and wound score (first week, p < 0.001; second week, p < 0.001; third week, p = 0.001). No adverse events were noted except for mild discomfort and transient erythema. Conclusions: CAMP is a well-tolerated therapeutic option with immense potential to support the treatment of wounds of diverse etiology in small animal practice. Further research is warranted to establish specific criteria for CAMP treatment according to wound characteristics.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.48.1-48.13
• /
• 2022

With the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, which are randomly mutated, the dominant strains in regions are changing globally. The development of preclinical animal models is imperative to validate vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The objective of this study was to develop a non-human primate (NHP) model for SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infection. Cynomolgus macaques infected with Delta variants showed infectious viruses and viral RNA in the upper (nasal and throat) and lower respiratory (lung) tracts during the acute phase of infection. After 3 days of infection, lesions consistent with diffuse alveolar damage were observed in the lungs. For cellular immune responses, all macaques displayed transient lymphopenia and neutrophilia in the early stages of infection. SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spike protein-specific IgM, IgG, and IgA levels were significantly increased in the plasma of these animals 14 days after infection. This new NHP Delta variant infection model can be used for comparative analysis of the difference in severity between SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and may be useful in the efficacy evaluation of vaccines and universal therapeutic drugs for mutations.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.900-907
• /
• 2020

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) for cardiovascular outcomes. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 217 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (158 men; mean age, 68 ± 10 years) with a maximal carotid plaque thickness ≥ 1.5 mm for the presence of IPN using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. We compared patients with (n = 116) and without (n = 101) IPN during the follow-up period and investigated the predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, coronary artery revascularization, and transient ischemic accident/stroke. Results: During the mean follow-up period of 995 ± 610 days, the MACE rate was 6% (13/217). Patients with IPN had a higher maximal thickness than those without IPN (2.86 ± 1.01 vs. 2.61 ± 0.84 mm, p = 0.046). Common carotid artery-peak systolic velocity, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and ventricular-vascular coupling index were significantly correlated with MACE. However, on multivariate Cox regression analysis, increased LVMI was independently related to MACE (p < 0.05). The presence of IPN could not predict MACE. Conclusion: The presence of IPN was related to a higher plaque thickness but could not predict cardiovascular outcomes better than conventional clinical factors in patients with CAD.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.215-223
• /
• 2024

Purpose: Patients who receive frequent blood transfusions are at an elevated risk of developing hepatic fibrosis due to iron overload in the liver. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of transient elastography (TE) (FibroScan^®) for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with pediatric cancer. Methods: We enrolled 106 consecutive cases of acute leukemia in individuals under 21 years of age. The participants were followed for 2 years. Based on their serum ferritin (SF) levels, the patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (SF≥300 ng/mL) and group 2 (SF<300 ng/mL). A liver FibroScan^® was performed, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the various parameters in the liver function test (LFT), alkaline phosphatase was significantly higher in a subgroup of patients aged 5-8 years in group 2 compared to those in group 1. The indices of liver fibrosis determined by TE, including the FibroScan score, controlled attenuation parameter score, steatosis percentage, and meta-analysis of histological data in viral hepatitis score, as well as indirect serum markers of liver fibrosis such as the aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, Fibrosis 4 score, and AST to platelet ratio index, did not differ significantly between the two groups. The association between the TE results and LFT parameters was only significant for ALT. Conclusion: Transfusion-associated iron overload does not have a significant correlation with severe liver fibrosis. FibroScan^® is not a sensitive tool for detecting early stages of fibrosis in survivors of pediatric leukemia.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.2011-2018
• /
• 2024

Since RF breakdown is one of the primary limitations to improving the performances of RF accelerators, extensive efforts have been dedicated to locating the breakdowns. However, most existing methods rely on specialized techniques, resulting in high financial burdens. Although the method based on transient response of transmission line (TL) is suitable for facilities with sporadic recoverable breakdowns, practical operations are susceptible to notable errors. This study revisits the fundamental theories of lossless TL and investigates the wave process to understand the characteristics of the reversed pulse induced by the breakdowns. By utilizing steadystate response of the TL and employing phasor method, we derive analytical formulas to determine the exact location of breakdowns within the faulty cell for constant-gradient TW accelerator. Furthermore, the derived formulas demonstrate their independence from RF phase, thereby distinguishing them from traditional phasebased methods. Additionally, experimental validations are conducted at the HUST injector, and the results confirm the consistency of the analysis. Thus, the proposed method represents a promising improvement over the TL-based approaches and serves as a valuable complement to current techniques. Importantly, this method demonstrates particular advantages for constructed TW accelerators seeking to achieve a balance among high performance, low costs, and compact layouts.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.164-172
• /
• 2008

The heat of hydration for early aged mass concrete induces high temperature with the hydration. Control of the temperature difference across a section is an effective strategy to minimize the hydration heat induced cracks for the structures where internal restraint is dominant. The current prevention methods for hydration cracking show some limitations for the control of thermal gradients, and these limitations could make micro and macro cracks in surface and core of concrete. Especially cooling methods can decrease the increasing hydration temperature, but it can not prevent the problem while decreasing temperature. Consequently heating pipes are added simultaneously with the cooling pipes in order to control the temperature gradients between core and surface of the concrete, followed by the finite element analysis (FEA). Based on the FEA, the proposed method using cooling pipe and heating pipes together has been found to be an effective alternative in thermal gradient control, in terms of controlling temperature induced cracks significantly.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 2002

Purpose: The urinary mass screening program in school aged population has been performed since 1981, but the consensus on the follow-up schedule and the management of isolated proteinuria has not been reached yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the cause of isolated proteinuria and to propose a guideline for the treatment and follow-up afterwards Methods: The medical records of 114 cases of isolated proteinuria detected through the analysis of urinary mass screening and evaluated at the pediatric outpatient clinic of Asan Medical Center from January 1990 to July 2001 have been reviewed. Results: The classification of isolated proteinuria was as follows. Transient proteinuria $32\%$, orthostatic proteinuria $65\%$, persistent proteinuria $3\%$, In orthostatic proteinuria group, daytime and nighttime proteinuria were $319.2{\pm}189.1\;mg/dL$ and $56.5{\pm}56.1\;mg/dL$. In persistent proteinuria group, daytime and nighttime proteinuria were $1140{\pm}540.5\;mg/dL$ and $289{\pm}58\;mg/dL$. After 30 month follow-up, 2 cases of persistent proteinuria were needed renal biopsy and 1 case revealed focal segmental glomerular sclerosis. In all cases, serum creatinine, albumin and complements levels were normal. In the orthostatic proteinuria group, no significant renal diseases were detected. Conclusion: Since most of the isolated proteinuria detected through the school urinary mass screening were orthostatic proteinuria or transient proteinuria, initially aggressive diagnostic method such as renal biopsy is not needed and regular follow- up with quantitation of proteinuria is warranted.(J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2002 ; 6 61-7)

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.200-208
• /
• 1986

The loss of coolant accident based on a double-ended cold leg break is analyzed with the discharge coefficient (Ca) of 0.4. This analysis covers the whole transient period from the start of depressurization to the complete refilling of the core by using RELAP4/MOD6-EM and RELAP4/ MOD6-HOT CHANNEL for the system thermal-hydraulics and the fuel performance during the blowdown phase respectively, and RELAP4/MOD6-FLOOD and TOODEE2 during the reflood phase. A simple analytical method has been developed to account for the lower plenum filling by approximating steam-water countercurrent flows and superheated wall effects at the downcomer during the refill period. Based on the informations. at the time of EOB (end-of-bypass), the refill duration time and the initial reflooding temperature were estimated and compared with the results from the RELAP4/MOD6, resulting in a good agreement. In addition, some parametric studies on the EOB were performed. The form loss coefficient between upper head and upper downcomer was found to be sensitive to the occurrence of the spurious EOB. Appropriate form loss coefficients should be taken into account to avoid the flow oscillations at the downcomer. The analyses with the six and three volume core nodalizations, respectively, show much similar trends in the system thermal-hydraulic performance, but the former case is recommended to obtain good results.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.801-809
• /
• 2019

NASA's lunar polar exploration mission in 2009 confirmed the presence of ice-layer in the permanently shadowed regions (PSR) of the moon. Since then, studies have been actively conducted to evaluate the ground characteristics for exploring the ice-layer in the polar regions of the Moon. In this study, transient heat transfer analysis for the lunar ground was conducted to predict the ground's temperature that varies with the time and location. As a result of the numerical analysis, it was confirmed that the temperature under the lunar ground converged to below the ice sublimation reference temperature (≒112 K) at above 86° latitude. This model enabled us to identify the regions where there is a high possibility of ice being buried. Besides, we found that the ice-layer in the shallow region, where the temperature deviation is significant, makes ground temperature distribution heterogeneous. Lastly, this study suggested the maximum allowable frictional heat of a drill bit that can preserve the phase of buried ice.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.149-165
• /
• 1993

Nowadays, the field hydraulic test is still an only method to evaluate groundwater characteristics in subsurface. The results of hydraulic test are very important for the concept model of fracture hydrogeology as well as the geometric pattern of fractures. The hydraulic tests performed in Korea are generally analysed under such assumption as steady radial flow in homogeneous aquifer or along simple geometry of fractures. Also the transmissivity measured in a fixed interval length is equivalent to a sum of individual fracture transmissivities in test legth. The boundary effects of weH hydraulics and the geometry of flow paths are hardly obtained from the test results analysed by a steady flow method. To circumvent this problem, the flow dimensional analysis was attempted from the results of constant pressure injection test carried out in a fractured granite area. A comparison of the hydraulic conductivity values from the transient and steady analysis shows that the latter is about a factor of 2~3 higher than the former. However, it was possible to analyse a flow dimension of each test interval from flow rate variation with time. The upper part of the bedrock(<10m deep) indicates an open boundary and the flow dimension shows nearly steady states, while the lower part of the bedrock(>25m deep) is characterized as sublinear flow dimension with a dosed boundary. In one of the test sections(15m deep), the flow dimension was changed from linear flow to spherical flow. From the experience of this study, one of the immediate problems to be solved is to enhance the field testing equipments, i.e., an accurate flowmeter with autorecording and a pressure detecting device to be able to install in the test section.