• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.197-207
• /
• 2022

Background/Aims: Endoscopic visualization of the microscopic anatomy can facilitate the real-time diagnosis of pancreatobiliary disorders and provide guidance for treatment. This study aimed to review the technique, image classification, and diagnostic performance of confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE). Methods: We conducted a systematic review of CLE in pancreatic and biliary ducts of humans, and have provided a narrative of the technique, image classification, diagnostic performance, ongoing research, and limitations. Results: Probe-based CLE differentiates malignant from benign biliary strictures (sensitivity, ≥89%; specificity, ≥61%). Needle-based CLE differentiates mucinous from non-mucinous pancreatic cysts (sensitivity, 59%; specificity, ≥94%) and identifies dysplasia. Pancreatitis may develop in 2-7% of pancreatic cyst cases. Needle-based CLE has potential applications in adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, and pancreatitis (chronic or autoimmune). Costs, catheter lifespan, endoscopist training, and interobserver variability are challenges for routine utilization. Conclusions: CLE reveals microscopic pancreatobiliary system anatomy with adequate specificity and sensitivity. Reducing costs and simplifying image interpretation will promote utilization by advanced endoscopists.

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.6-13
• /
• 2013

Recently, complaints or environmental problems caused by the noise and dust generated from crusher of the mine and quarry are emerging. Therefore mining facilities such as crushers and mills have been installed in an underground. In order to facilitate crusher equipments in the underground, excavation of large space is required and then the stability of the large space underground structure is an important issue. In this study, the blast experiments, which use a block of the limestone, are performed. Based on the blast experiments, the numerical model was prepared and simulated using dynamic fracture process analysis code(DFPA) with considering the rising time of applied borehole pressure and microscopic tensile strength variation. Comparing the non-dimensional crack length and no-dimensional tensile strength obtained from blast experiments and numerical analyses, the input parameters of DFPA code for predicting a radial tensile crack in limestone blasting were determined.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.482-490
• /
• 2018

Candida albicans infections are often problematic to treat owing to antifungal resistance, as such infections are mostly associated with biofilms. The ability of C. albicans to switch from a budding yeast to filamentous hyphae and to adhere to host cells or various surfaces supports biofilm formation. Previously, the ethanol extract from Paeonia lactiflora was reported to inhibit cell wall synthesis and cause depolarization and permeabilization of the cell membrane in C. albicans. In this study, the P. lactiflora extract was found to significantly reduce the initial stage of C. albicans biofilms from 12 clinical isolates by 38.4%. Thus, to assess the action mechanism, the effect of the P. lactiflora extract on the adhesion of C. albicans cells to polystyrene and germ tube formation was investigated using a microscopic analysis. The density of the adherent cells was diminished following incubation with the P. lactiflora extract in an acidic medium. Additionally, the P. lactiflora-treated C. albicans cells were mostly composed of less virulent pseudohyphae, and ruptured debris was found in the serum-containing medium. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that P. lactiflora downregulated the expression of C. albicans hypha-specific genes: ALS3 by 65% (p = 0.004), ECE1 by 34.9% (p = 0.001), HWP1 by 29.2% (p = 0.002), and SAP1 by 37.5% (p = 0.001), matching the microscopic analysis of the P. lactiflora action on biofilm formation. Therefore, the current findings demonstrate that the P. lactiflora ethanol extract is effective in inhibiting C. albicans biofilms in vitro, suggesting its therapeutic potential for the treatment of biofilm-associated infections.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.333-336
• /
• 2017

Avian trichomoniasis caused by Trichomonas gallinae is a serious protozoan disease worldwide. The domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) is the main host for T. gallinae and plays an important role in the spread of the disease. Based on the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA of this parasite, a pair of primers (TgF2/TgR2) was designed and used to develop a PCR assay for the diagnosis of T. gallinae infection in domestic pigeons. This approach allowed the identification of T. gallinae, and no amplicons were produced when using DNA from other common avian pathogens. The minimum amount of DNA detectable by the specific PCR assay developed in this study was 15 pg. Clinical samples from Guangzhou, China, were examined using this PCR assay and a standard microscopy method, and their molecular characteristics were determined by phylogenetic analysis. All of the T. gallinae-positive samples detected by microscopic examination were also detected as positive by the PCR assay. Most of the samples identified as negative by microscopic examination were detected as T. gallinae positive by the PCR assay and were confirmed by sequencing. The positive samples of T. gallinae collected from Guangzhou, China, were identified as T. gallinae genotype B by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, providing relevant data for studying the ecology and population genetic structures of trichomonads and for the prevention and control of the diseases they cause.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.167-175
• /
• 2013

PURPOSES : The objective of this study is to investigate the capability of the combined model of traffic simulation, emission and air dispersion models on the impact analysis of air quality of mobile sources such as vehicles. METHODS : The improvement of the quality of life brings about the increasing interest of the public environment. Many endeavors including the travel demand management, the application of the state-of-the-art ITS technologies, the promotion of eco-friendly vehicles have been tried in transportation area to reduce the modal emissions. Especially, it is expected that the increasing number of eco-friendly vehicles in the road network would be able to reduce the pipe-tail emissions tremendously. From this perspective, we have performed a study on the impact analysis of the popularization of the eco-friendly vehicle in the place of the fossil fuel energy powered vehicles on the surrounding air quality using the combined framework of microscopic traffic simulation, emission and air dispersion model. RESULTS : The combined model successfully captured the effect of moving to the eco-friendly vehicles on the air quality, and the results showed that the increasing usage of eco-friendly vehicles can improve the surrounding air quality tremendously and that the air dispersion model plays a crucial role in the investigation of the air quality change around the main corridor. CONCLUSIONS : This study demonstrated the capability of the combined model showing the spatio-tempral change of emission concentration.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.363-374
• /
• 2008

In this paper we have examined the usefulness of IWFR (the iterative wave-function reconstruction) analysis for through-focal series of high-resolution images for a relative thick crystal. In the work we employed JEOL ARM 1300S, and observed the high-resolution images for a Si crystal at the two orientations of [01-1] and [11-2] having 30 nm and 35 nm thickness respectively. As a result of applying IWFR method on the images we found out that even for a thick crystal by the method we can retrieve the exit-surface wave function. However because of the strong dynamical scattering effect, the image pattern of the function reflects only qualitatively the atomic column structure of the crystal examined. Nevertheless it is no doubt that the pattern would give important clue for the crystal structure.

• 보존과학연구
• /
• s.27
• /
• pp.165-180
• /
• 2006

The research was conducted to understand type of iron used by those who lived at dwelling site of Yangsoo-ri in between the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. to make steel products and their technique such as steel making process and heat treatment, based on micro structure information obtained through microscopic metallographic structure analysis with SEM-EDS of six steel productsexhumed at the site. Key findings are summarized as below. In the sense that Si-Ca-Al style and less than 0.5% of Ti were found in the non-metallic inclusion, the material used for forged iron ware was magnetite resolved in that. It is, however, unclear whether magnetite was resolved at high temperature or at low temperature. Microscopic structure analysis revealed that forged steel products were made through repeated hot working, the technique of molding by hitting after heating in the process of resolving and molding iron. As a result, the iron used here for the products was not the iron ore which was produced through resolution from discarded cast iron axe, ingot iron. It is probable that to make those steel products, disposed-of cast iron was reused after being molded by decarburizing. Although a few of relics were analyzed for the research, they were of critical importance in defining the process of ironware production from the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. at the Yangsoo-ri region. Judging from the iron from A-19 dwellingsite, it is possible to conclude that the iron was manufactured from cast iron decarburized and yet more research has to be done into relics yetto be exhumed in order to ascertain the finding. All of these findings are believed to play a critical role in further studies to define the steel-manufacturing technique used on the central Korean peninsular in the ancient times.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2003.07a
• /
• pp.502-505
• /
• 2003

The accidnet of breaking insulator rod leads to inturruption of moving the subway. We investigate the analysis of analysis of breaking accident of FRP insulator rod installed in dead section for catenary feeding system. To analysis of accident reason, SEM is used to analysis microscopic struture on surface of cross section of broken FRP insulator rod. At the same time, we examine the chage of atomic amount on solace of accident insulator through EDX analysis. Also, the test for tensional breaking load is condoled to check the mechanical strength.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.471-476
• /
• 1995

Natural products used for oriental medicine often come from various geographical sources, after several different distribution channels. Therefore some form of quality control procedure is required to safeguard naturl products for prescriptions purposes. To achieve this, systematic apprroaches such as morphological examination, microscopic analysis of powdered herbs and chemical analysis can be carried out. However, to ensure absolute criteria for quality assurance of natural products, DNA fingerprinting method such as RAPD(Random amplified polymorphism DNA) analysis can be used for authentication of natural products for authenticatin of natural products. In this study, warious oligonucleotide primers will be synthesized for the detection of RAPD markers and also parameters of affecting PCR(Polymerase Chain Reaction) in the detection of RAPD markers of rare and high-priced natural products will be studied with genomic DNA of chosen samples.

• Fibers and Polymers
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.259-263
• /
• 2004

Rubber-modified epoxy resins have been employed as adhesive and matrix materials for glass and corbon-fiber composites. The behavior of fracture around a crack tip for rubber-modified epoxy resin is investigated through the acoustic emission (AE) analysis of compact tension specimens. Damage zone and rubber particles distributed around a crack tip were observed by a polarized optical microscope and an atomic force microscope (AFM). The damage zone in front of pre-crack tip in rubber-modified specimen $(15wt\%\; rubber)$ began to form at about $13\%$ level of the fracture load and grew in size until $57\%$ load level. After that, the crack propagated in a stick-slip manner. Based on time-frequency analysis of AE signals and microscopic observation of damage zone, it was thought that AE signals with frequency bands of 0.15-0.20 MHz and 0.20­0.30 MHz were generated from cavitation in the damage zone and crack propagation, respectively.