• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.206-217
• /
• 1995

Background: In patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS), there are several factors increasing upper airway resistance and there is a predisposition to compromised respiratory function during waking and sleep related to constitutional factors including a tendency to obesity. Several recent studies have suggested a possible relationship between sleep apnea(SA) and systemic hypertension. But the possible pathophysiologic link between SA and hypertension is still unclear. In this study, we have examined the relationship among age, body mass index(BMI), pulmonary function parameters and polysomnographic data in patients with OSAS. And also we tried to know the difference among these parameters between hypertensive OSAS and normotensive OSAS patients. Methods: Patients underwent a full night of polysomnography and measured pulmonary function during waking. OSAS was diagnosed if patients had more than 5 apneas per hour(apnea index, AI). A careful history of previously known or present hypertension was obtained from each patient, and patients with systolic blood pressure $\geq$ 160mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure $\geq$ 95mmHg were classified as hypertensives. Results: The noctural nadir of arterial oxygen saturation($SaO_2$ nadir) was negatively related to AI and respiratory disturbance index(RDI), and the degree of noctural oxygen desaturation(DOD) was positively related to AI and RDI. BMI contributed to AI, RDI, $SaO_2$ nadir and DOD values. And also BMI contributed to $FEV_1,\;FEV_1/FVC$ and DLco values. There was a correlation between airway resistance(Raw) and AI, and there was a inverse correlation between DLco and DOD. But there was no difference among these parameters between hypertensive OSAS and normotensive OSAS patients. Conclusion: The obesity contributed to the compromised respiratory function and the severity of OSAS. AI and RDI were important factors in the severity of hypoxia during sleep. The measurement of pulmonary function parameters including Raw and DLco may be helpful in the prediction and assessment of OSAS patients. But we could not find clear difference between hypertensive and normotensive OSAS patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.386-391
• /
• 1992

Background: Recently, bronchial provocation of the airway of atopic asthmatic subjects with inhaled allergen has been shown to produce an initial peripheral blood eosinopenia followed by an eosinophilia occurring approximately 12 to 18 hrs after the challenge. However there are few studies about the change of peripheral eosinophil count (PEC) after bronchial provocation with nonspecific stimuli such as histamine or methacholine. Interestingly our preliminary study demonstrated a notable change of PEC during bronhial provocation with inhaled histamine in some asthmatic subjects. This study was designed to reevaluate our preliminary data and to further investigate the change of PEC during as well as after bronchial provocation with inhaled histamine in bronchial asthma tics. Methods: Sixteen asthmatic subjects participated in this study. Bronchial provocation with inhaled histamine was done between 9 AM and 12 MD. Blood samplings for PEC were done with 5 minutes intervals during the procedure, and repeated at 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after the procedure. Results: The results were as follows; 1) The patients were divided into two groups characterized by each pattern in the change of PEC during the procedure. A group (11 of sixten, group I) showed an increasing pattern of PEC and another group (5 of sixteen, group II) showed a decreasing pattern of PEC during the procedure. 2) Group I demonstrated a tendency to maintain continuously higher level of PEC than the baseline value until 48 hours after the procedure. 3) Group II demonstrated a tendency to maintain continuously lower level of PEC than the baseline value until 48 hours after the procedure. 4) There were no significant differences in their clinical parameters including baseline eosinophil count, baseline $FEV_1$, $PC_{20}$ of histamine, and serum IgE level between group I and group II. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the change of PEC produced by inhaled histamine in asthmatic subjects is much different from that produced by inhaled allergen, and that each patient may have their individual characteristics in the change of PEC in response to bronchial provocation with inhaled histamine. Alternatively these findings suggest that eosinophils may be partially involved in the early asthmatic reaction.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.106-113
• /
• 2005

This study was carried out to develop a novel hydroponic medium far fruit vegetable crops by using waste synthetic fibers. In physical analysis of the synthetic fiber medium (SFM), the bulk density and percent solid phase were lower, while the porosity and water content were greater in comparison with the rockwool slab. The SFM had pH of 6.5 and EC of $0.03dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ both of which are similar to those of the rockwool slab. The CEC of 0.39me/100mL of the SFM was lower than compared with 3.29me/100mL of the rockwool slab. However, concentrations K, Ca, Mg and Na were slightly higher in the SFM than those in the rockwool slab. The 'Momotaro' tomato crop in the SFM gave comparable plant height, stem diameter, days to first flowering, fruit weight and percent marketable yield as the rockwool slab. In the SFM and in the rockwool slab, mean fiuit weight were 182g and 181g, percent marketable yield were $93.8\%$ and $92.0\%$, respectively. The marketable yield per 10a in the SFM was 12,799 kg, which was $97\%$ of that in the rockwool slab. Growth parameters such as leaf length and width, leaf number, stem diameter and chlorophyll content of an exportable cucumber crop grown in the SFM and the rockwool slab were not different. Fruit weight was greater in the rockwool slab, while percent marketable yield was greater in the SFM. The marketable fruit yield per 10a of 5,062kg in the SFM was $2\%$ greater than that in the rockwool slab. $NO_3$ concentration in nutrient solution during the crop cultivation was higher in the SFM than in the rockwool slab, while concentrations $NH_4$, K, Ca, Mg and $SO_4$ were not different between the two media.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.38 no.6_1
• /
• pp.1125-1139
• /
• 2022

In an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) system, a physical offset can be existed between the global positioning system/inertial measurement unit (GPS/IMU) sensor and the observation sensor such as a hyperspectral sensor, and a lidar sensor. As a result of the physical offset, a misalignment between each image can be occurred along with a flight direction. In particular, in a case of multi-sensor system, an observation sensor has to be replaced regularly to equip another observation sensor, and then, a high cost should be paid to acquire a calibration parameter. In this study, we establish a precise sensor model equation to apply for a multiple sensor in common and propose an independent physical offset estimation method. The proposed method consists of 3 steps. Firstly, we define an appropriate rotation matrix for our system, and an initial sensor model equation for direct-georeferencing. Next, an observation equation for the physical offset estimation is established by extracting a corresponding point between a ground control point and the observed data from a sensor. Finally, the physical offset is estimated based on the observed data, and the precise sensor model equation is established by applying the estimated parameters to the initial sensor model equation. 4 region's datasets(Jeon-ju, Incheon, Alaska, Norway) with a different latitude, longitude were compared to analyze the effects of the calibration parameter. We confirmed that a misalignment between images were adjusted after applying for the physical offset in the sensor model equation. An absolute position accuracy was analyzed in the Incheon dataset, compared to a ground control point. For the hyperspectral image, root mean square error (RMSE) for X, Y direction was calculated for 0.12 m, and for the point cloud, RMSE was calculated for 0.03 m. Furthermore, a relative position accuracy for a specific point between the adjusted point cloud and the hyperspectral images were also analyzed for 0.07 m, so we confirmed that a precise data mapping is available for an observation without a ground control point through the proposed estimation method, and we also confirmed a possibility of multi-sensor fusion. From this study, we expect that a flexible multi-sensor platform system can be operated through the independent parameter estimation method with an economic cost saving.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.111 no.1
• /
• pp.136-149
• /
• 2022

In this study, the performance of a nonlinear mixed-effects (NLME) model used to estimate the stem taper of Pinus densiflora in Gangwon Province was compared with that of a nonlinear fixed-effects (NLFE) model using several performance measures. For the diameters of whole tree stems, the NLME model improved on the performance of the NLFE model by 26.4%, 42.9%, 43.1%, and 0.9% in terms of BIAS, MAB, RMSE, and FI, respectively. For the cross-section areas of whole tree stems, the NLME model improved on the performance of the NLFE model by 67.7%, 44.7%, 45.8%, and 1.0% in terms of BIAS, MAB, RMSE, and FI, respectively. Based on the analysis of 12 relative height classes of tree stems, stem taper estimation performance was also reasonably improved by the NLME model, which showed better MAB, RMSE, and FI at every relative height class compared with those of the NLFE model. In some classes, the NLFE model had better BIAS than the NLME model (stem diameter: 0.05, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.8; stem cross-section area: 0.05, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, and 1.0). However, the NLME model enhanced the performance of stem diameter and cross-section area estimations at the lowest stem part (0.2 m from the ground). Improvements for stem diameter in terms of BIAS, MAB, RMSE, and FI were 84.2%, 69.8%, 68.7%, and 3.1%, respectively. For stem cross-section areas, the improvements in BIAS, MAB, RMSE, and FI were 98.5%, 70.1%, 68.7%, and 3.1%, respectively. The cross-section area at 0.2 m from the ground occupied 22.7% of total cross-section area. Improvements in estimation of cross-section area at the lowest stem part indicate that stem volume estimation performance could also be enhanced. Although NLME models are more difficult to fit than NLFE models, the use of NLME models as a standard method for the estimating the parameters of stem taper equations should be considered.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.113-124
• /
• 2001

For veterinary imaging diagnosis, we obtained MR images of the canine brain, spine, kidney and pelvis from 3T MRI system which was equipped with the world first 3T active shield magnet. Spin echo (SE) and fast Spin Echo (FSE) images were obtained from the canine brain, spine, kidney and pelvis of normal and sick dogs using a homemade birdcage and transverse electromagnetic (TEM) resonators operating in quadrature and tuned to 128 MHz. In addition, we employed a homemade saddle shaped RF coil. Typical common acquisition parameters were as follows: matrix=512$\times$512, field of view (FOV)=20cm, slice thickness=3 w, number of excitations (NEX)=1. For T1-weighted MR images, we used TR=500 ms, TE=10 or 17.4 ms. For T2-weighted MR images, we used TR=4000 ms, TE=108 ms. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 3T system was measured 2.7 times greater than that of prevalent 1.57 system. The high resolution images acquired in this study represent more than a 4-fold increase in in-plane resolution relative to conventional images obtained with a 20 cm field of view and a 5 mm slice thickness. MR images obtained from 3T system revealed numerous small venous structures throughout the image plane and provided reasonable delineation between gray and white matter The present results demonstrate that the MR images from 3T system could provide better diagnostic quality of resolution and sensitivity than those of 1.5T system. The elevated SNR observed in the 3T high field magnetic resonance imaging can be utilized to acquire images with a level of resolution approaching the microscopic structural level under in vivo conditions. These images represent a significant advance in our ability to examine small anatomical features with noninvasive imaging methods. Moreover, MRI technique could begin to apply for veterinary medicine in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.822-835
• /
• 1997

Background : There have been many in vitro evidences that interleukin-4(IL-4) might be the most important cytokine inducing IgE synthesis from B-cells, and interferon-gamma(IFN-$\gamma$) might be a main cytokine antagonizing IL-4-mediated IgE synthesis. Recently some reports demonstrated that IFN-$\gamma$ might be used as a new therapeutic modality in some allergic diseases with high serum IgE level, such as atopic dermatitis or bronchial asthma. To evaluate the in vivo effect of IFN-$\gamma$ in bronchial asthma we tried a clinical study. Methods : Fifty bronchial asthmatics(serum IgE level over 200 IU/ml) who did not respond to inhaled or systemic corticosteroid treatment, and 17 healthy nonsmoking volunteers were included in this study. The CD 23 expressions of peripheral B-cells, the IL-4 activities of peripheral T-cells, the serum soluble CD23(sCD23) levels, and the superoxide anion(${O_2}^-$) generations by peripheral PMN were compared between bronchial asthmatics and normal subjects. The IL-4 activities of peripheral T-cells were analyzed by T-cell supernatant (T-sup)-induced CD23 expression from tonsil B-cells. In bronchial asthmatics the serum IgE levels and histamine $PC_{20}$ in addition to the above parameters were also compared before and after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment. IFN-$\gamma$ was administered subcutaneously with a weekly dose of 30,000 IU per kilogram of body weight for 4 weeks. Results : The ${O_2}^-$ generations by peripheral PMNs in bronchial asthmatics were higher than normal subjects($8.23{\pm}0.94$ vs $5.00{\pm}0.68\;nmol/1{\times}10^6$ cells, P<0.05), and significantly decreased after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment compared to initial values($3.69{\pm}0.88$ vs $8.61{\pm}1.53\;nmol/1{\times}10^6$ cells, P<0.05). CD23 expression of peripheral B-cells in bronchial asthmatics was higher than normal subjects($47.47{\pm}2.96%$, vs $31.62{\pm}1.92%$, P<0.05), but showed no significant change after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment. The serum sCD23 levels in bronchial asthmatics were slightly higher than normal subjects($191.04{\pm}23.3\;U/ml$ vs $162.85{\pm}4.85\;U/ml$), and 11(64.7%) of 17 patients showed a decreasing pattern in their serum sCD23 levels after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment. However the means of serum sCD23 levels were not different before and after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment. The IL-4 activities of peripheral T-cells in bronchial asthmatics were slightly higher than normal subjects($22.48{\pm}6.81%$ vs $18.90{\pm}2.43%$), and slightly increased after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment($27.90{\pm}2.56%$). Nine(60%) of 15 patients showed a decreasing pattern in their serum IgE levels after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment. And the levels of serum IgE were significantly decreased after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment compared to initial values ($658.67{\pm}120.84\;IU/ml$ vs $1394.32{\pm}314.42\;IU/ml$, P<0.05). Ten(83.3%) of 12 patients showed an improving pattern in bronchial hyperresponsiveness after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment, and the means of histamine $PC_{20}$ were significantly increased after IFN-$\gamma$ treatment compared to initial values ($1.22{\pm}0.29mg/ml$ vs $0.69{\pm}0.17mg/ml$, P<0.05). Conclusion : Our results suggest that IFN-$\gamma$ may be useful as well as safety in the treatment of bronchial asthmatics with high serum IgE level and that in vivo effects of IFN-$\gamma$ may be different from its in vitro effects on the regulations of IgE synthesis or the respiratory burst of PMN.