• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.1
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• pp.147-156
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• 2020

Purpose The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value and threshold levels of cytokeratin fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) washouts for detection of lymph node (LN) recurrence in postoperative breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods FNA cytological assessments and CYFRA 21-1 measurement in FNA washouts were performed for 64 axillary LNs suspicious for recurrence in 64 post-operative breast cancer patients. Final diagnosis was made on the basis of FNA cytology and follow-up data over at least 2 years. The concentration of CYFRA 21-1 was compared between recurrent LNs and benign LNs. Diagnostic performance and cut-off value were evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Results Regardless of the non-diagnostic results, the median concentration of CYFRA 21-1 in recurrent LNs was significantly higher than that in benign LNs (p < 0.001). The optimal diagnostic cut-off value was 1.6 ng/mL. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of CYFRA 21-1 for LN recurrence were 90.9%, 100%, 100%, 98.1%, and 98.4%, respectively. Conclusion Measurement of CYFRA 21-1 concentration from ultrasound-guided FNA biopsy aspirates showed excellent diagnostic performance with a cut-off value of 1.6 ng/mL. These results indicate that measurement of CYFRA 21-1 concentration in FNA washouts is useful for the diagnosis of axillary LN recurrence in post-operative breast cancer patients.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.3-4
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• 2004

Results will be presented from two field studies that evaluated the in-situ treatment of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) using aerobic cometabolism. In the first study, a cometabolic air sparging (CAS) demonstration was conducted at McClellan Air Force Base (AFB), California, to treat chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) in groundwater using propane as the cometabolic substrate. A propane-biostimulated zone was sparged with a propane/air mixture and a control zone was sparged with air alone. Propane-utilizers were effectively stimulated in the saturated zone with repeated intermediate sparging of propane and air. Propane delivery, however, was not uniform, with propane mainly observed in down-gradient observation wells. Trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1, 2-dichloroethene (c-DCE), and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration levels decreased in proportion with propane usage, with c-DCE decreasing more rapidly than TCE. The more rapid removal of c-DCE indicated biotransformation and not just physical removal by stripping. Propane utilization rates and rates of CAH removal slowed after three to four months of repeated propane additions, which coincided with tile depletion of nitrogen (as nitrate). Ammonia was then added to the propane/air mixture as a nitrogen source. After a six-month period between propane additions, rapid propane-utilization was observed. Nitrate was present due to groundwater flow into the treatment zone and/or by the oxidation of tile previously injected ammonia. In the propane-stimulated zone, c-DCE concentrations decreased below tile detection limit (1 $\mu$g/L), and TCE concentrations ranged from less than 5 $\mu$g/L to 30 $\mu$g/L, representing removals of 90 to 97%. In the air sparged control zone, TCE was removed at only two monitoring locations nearest the sparge-well, to concentrations of 15 $\mu$g/L and 60 $\mu$g/L. The responses indicate that stripping as well as biological treatment were responsible for the removal of contaminants in the biostimulated zone, with biostimulation enhancing removals to lower contaminant levels. As part of that study bacterial population shifts that occurred in the groundwater during CAS and air sparging control were evaluated by length heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) fragment analysis. The results showed that an organism(5) that had a fragment size of 385 base pairs (385 bp) was positively correlated with propane removal rates. The 385 bp fragment consisted of up to 83% of the total fragments in the analysis when propane removal rates peaked. A 16S rRNA clone library made from the bacteria sampled in propane sparged groundwater included clones of a TM7 division bacterium that had a 385bp LH-PCR fragment; no other bacterial species with this fragment size were detected. Both propane removal rates and the 385bp LH-PCR fragment decreased as nitrate levels in the groundwater decreased. In the second study the potential for bioaugmentation of a butane culture was evaluated in a series of field tests conducted at the Moffett Field Air Station in California. A butane-utilizing mixed culture that was effective in transforming 1, 1-dichloroethene (1, 1-DCE), 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane (1, 1, 1-TCA), and 1, 1-dichloroethane (1, 1-DCA) was added to the saturated zone at the test site. This mixture of contaminants was evaluated since they are often present as together as the result of 1, 1, 1-TCA contamination and the abiotic and biotic transformation of 1, 1, 1-TCA to 1, 1-DCE and 1, 1-DCA. Model simulations were performed prior to the initiation of the field study. The simulations were performed with a transport code that included processes for in-situ cometabolism, including microbial growth and decay, substrate and oxygen utilization, and the cometabolism of dual contaminants (1, 1-DCE and 1, 1, 1-TCA). Based on the results of detailed kinetic studies with the culture, cometabolic transformation kinetics were incorporated that butane mixed-inhibition on 1, 1-DCE and 1, 1, 1-TCA transformation, and competitive inhibition of 1, 1-DCE and 1, 1, 1-TCA on butane utilization. A transformation capacity term was also included in the model formation that results in cell loss due to contaminant transformation. Parameters for the model simulations were determined independently in kinetic studies with the butane-utilizing culture and through batch microcosm tests with groundwater and aquifer solids from the field test zone with the butane-utilizing culture added. In microcosm tests, the model simulated well the repetitive utilization of butane and cometabolism of 1.1, 1-TCA and 1, 1-DCE, as well as the transformation of 1, 1-DCE as it was repeatedly transformed at increased aqueous concentrations. Model simulations were then performed under the transport conditions of the field test to explore the effects of the bioaugmentation dose and the response of the system to tile biostimulation with alternating pulses of dissolved butane and oxygen in the presence of 1, 1-DCE (50 $\mu$g/L) and 1, 1, 1-TCA (250 $\mu$g/L). A uniform aquifer bioaugmentation dose of 0.5 mg/L of cells resulted in complete utilization of the butane 2-meters downgradient of the injection well within 200-hrs of bioaugmentation and butane addition. 1, 1-DCE was much more rapidly transformed than 1, 1, 1-TCA, and efficient 1, 1, 1-TCA removal occurred only after 1, 1-DCE and butane were decreased in concentration. The simulations demonstrated the strong inhibition of both 1, 1-DCE and butane on 1, 1, 1-TCA transformation, and the more rapid 1, 1-DCE transformation kinetics. Results of tile field demonstration indicated that bioaugmentation was successfully implemented; however it was difficult to maintain effective treatment for long periods of time (50 days or more). The demonstration showed that the bioaugmented experimental leg effectively transformed 1, 1-DCE and 1, 1-DCA, and was somewhat effective in transforming 1, 1, 1-TCA. The indigenous experimental leg treated in the same way as the bioaugmented leg was much less effective in treating the contaminant mixture. The best operating performance was achieved in the bioaugmented leg with about over 90%, 80%, 60 % removal for 1, 1-DCE, 1, 1-DCA, and 1, 1, 1-TCA, respectively. Molecular methods were used to track and enumerate the bioaugmented culture in the test zone. Real Time PCR analysis was used to on enumerate the bioaugmented culture. The results show higher numbers of the bioaugmented microorganisms were present in the treatment zone groundwater when the contaminants were being effective transformed. A decrease in these numbers was associated with a reduction in treatment performance. The results of the field tests indicated that although bioaugmentation can be successfully implemented, competition for the growth substrate (butane) by the indigenous microorganisms likely lead to the decrease in long-term performance.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.161-177
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• 2014

Corporate credit rating assessment consists of complicated processes in which various factors describing a company are taken into consideration. Such assessment is known to be very expensive since domain experts should be employed to assess the ratings. As a result, the data-driven corporate credit rating prediction using statistical and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques has received considerable attention from researchers and practitioners. In particular, statistical methods such as multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) and multinomial logistic regression analysis (MLOGIT), and AI methods including case-based reasoning (CBR), artificial neural network (ANN), and multiclass support vector machine (MSVM) have been applied to corporate credit rating.2) Among them, MSVM has recently become popular because of its robustness and high prediction accuracy. In this study, we propose a novel optimized MSVM model, and appy it to corporate credit rating prediction in order to enhance the accuracy. Our model, named 'GAMSVM (Genetic Algorithm-optimized Multiclass Support Vector Machine),' is designed to simultaneously optimize the kernel parameters and the feature subset selection. Prior studies like Lorena and de Carvalho (2008), and Chatterjee (2013) show that proper kernel parameters may improve the performance of MSVMs. Also, the results from the studies such as Shieh and Yang (2008) and Chatterjee (2013) imply that appropriate feature selection may lead to higher prediction accuracy. Based on these prior studies, we propose to apply GAMSVM to corporate credit rating prediction. As a tool for optimizing the kernel parameters and the feature subset selection, we suggest genetic algorithm (GA). GA is known as an efficient and effective search method that attempts to simulate the biological evolution phenomenon. By applying genetic operations such as selection, crossover, and mutation, it is designed to gradually improve the search results. Especially, mutation operator prevents GA from falling into the local optima, thus we can find the globally optimal or near-optimal solution using it. GA has popularly been applied to search optimal parameters or feature subset selections of AI techniques including MSVM. With these reasons, we also adopt GA as an optimization tool. To empirically validate the usefulness of GAMSVM, we applied it to a real-world case of credit rating in Korea. Our application is in bond rating, which is the most frequently studied area of credit rating for specific debt issues or other financial obligations. The experimental dataset was collected from a large credit rating company in South Korea. It contained 39 financial ratios of 1,295 companies in the manufacturing industry, and their credit ratings. Using various statistical methods including the one-way ANOVA and the stepwise MDA, we selected 14 financial ratios as the candidate independent variables. The dependent variable, i.e. credit rating, was labeled as four classes: 1(A1); 2(A2); 3(A3); 4(B and C). 80 percent of total data for each class was used for training, and remaining 20 percent was used for validation. And, to overcome small sample size, we applied five-fold cross validation to our dataset. In order to examine the competitiveness of the proposed model, we also experimented several comparative models including MDA, MLOGIT, CBR, ANN and MSVM. In case of MSVM, we adopted One-Against-One (OAO) and DAGSVM (Directed Acyclic Graph SVM) approaches because they are known to be the most accurate approaches among various MSVM approaches. GAMSVM was implemented using LIBSVM-an open-source software, and Evolver 5.5-a commercial software enables GA. Other comparative models were experimented using various statistical and AI packages such as SPSS for Windows, Neuroshell, and Microsoft Excel VBA (Visual Basic for Applications). Experimental results showed that the proposed model-GAMSVM-outperformed all the competitive models. In addition, the model was found to use less independent variables, but to show higher accuracy. In our experiments, five variables such as X7 (total debt), X9 (sales per employee), X13 (years after founded), X15 (accumulated earning to total asset), and X39 (the index related to the cash flows from operating activity) were found to be the most important factors in predicting the corporate credit ratings. However, the values of the finally selected kernel parameters were found to be almost same among the data subsets. To examine whether the predictive performance of GAMSVM was significantly greater than those of other models, we used the McNemar test. As a result, we found that GAMSVM was better than MDA, MLOGIT, CBR, and ANN at the 1% significance level, and better than OAO and DAGSVM at the 5% significance level.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.588-597
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• 2016

In this study, we attempted to improve the biogas production efficiency by varying the mixing ratio of the mixed sludge of organic wastes in the improved single-phase anaerobic digestion process. The types of organic waste used in this study were raw sewage sludge, food wastewater leachate and livestock excretions. The biomethane potential was determined through the BMP test. The results showed that the biomethane potential of the livestock excretions was the highest at $1.55m^3CN4/kgVS$, and that the highest value of the composite sample, containing primary sludge, food waste leachate and livestock excretions at proportions of 50%, 30% and 20% respectively) was $0.43m^3CN4/kgVS$. On the other hand, the optimal mixture ratio of composite sludge in the demonstration plant was 68.5 (raw sludge) : 18.0 (food waste leachate) : 13.5 (livestock excretions), which was a somewhat different result from that obtained in the BMP test. This difference was attributed to the changes in the composite sludge properties and digester operating conditions, such as the retention time. The amount of biogas produced in the single-phase anaerobic digestion process was $2,514m^3/d$ with a methane content of 62.8%. Considering the value of $2,319m^3/d$ of biogas produced as its design capacity, it was considered that this process demonstrated the maximum capacity. Also, through this study, it was shown that, in the case of the anaerobic digestion process, the two-phase digestion process is better in terms of its stable tank operation and high efficiency, whereas the existing single-phase digestion process allows for the improvement of the digestion efficiency and performance.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.278-287
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• 2003

Purpose: The performance of nitroglycerin-challenged Tc-99m-MIBI quantitative gated SPECT for the detection of viable myocardium was compared with rest/24-hour redistribution Tl-201 SPECT Materials and Methods: In 22 patients with coronary artery disease, rest Tl-20l/ dipyridamole stress Tc-99m-MIBI gated/24-hour redistribution Tl-201 SPECT were peformed, and gated SPECT was repeated on-site after sublingual administration of nitroglycerin (0.6 mg). Follow-up gated SPECT was done 3 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. For 20 segments per patient, perfusion at rest and 24-hour redistribution, and wall motion and thickening at baseline and nitroglycerin-challenged state were quantified. Quantitative viability markers were evaluated and compared;(1) rest thallium uptake, (2) thallium uptake on 24-hour redistribution SPECT, (3) systolic wall thickening at baseline, and (4) systolic wall thickening with nitroglycerin-challenge. Results: Among 100 revascularized dysfunctional segments, wall motion improved in 66 segments (66%) on follow-up gated myocardial SPECT after bypass surgery. On receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of rest and 24-hour delayed redistribution Tl-201 SPECT were 79%, 44% and 82%, 44%, respectively, at the optimal cutoff value of 50% of Tl-201 uptake. The sensitivity and specificity of systolic wall thickening at baseline and nitroglycerin-challenge were 49%, 50% and 64%, 65% at the optimal cutoff value of 15% of systolic wall thickening. Area under the ROC curve of nitroglycerin-challenged systolic wall thickening was significantly larger than that of baseline systolic wall thickening (p=0.004). Conclusion: Nitroglycerin-challenged quantitative gated Tc-99m-MIBI SPECT was a useful method for predicting functional recovery of dysfunctional myocardium.

• Journal of KIISE:Computing Practices and Letters
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.192-207
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• 2006

Today, the SSL protocol has been used as core part in various computing environments or security systems. But, the SSL protocol has several problems, because of the rigidity on operating. First, SSL protocol brings considerable burden to the CPU utilization so that performance of the security service in encryption transaction is lowered because it encrypts all data which is transferred between a server and a client. Second, SSL protocol can be vulnerable for cryptanalysis due to the key in fixed algorithm being used. Third, it is difficult to add and use another new cryptography algorithms. Finally. it is difficult for developers to learn use cryptography API(Application Program Interface) for the SSL protocol. Hence, we need to cover these problems, and, at the same time, we need the secure and comfortable method to operate the SSL protocol and to handle the efficient data. In this paper, we propose the SSL component which is designed and implemented using CBD(Component Based Development) concept to satisfy these requirements. The SSL component provides not only data encryption services like the SSL protocol but also convenient APIs for the developer unfamiliar with security. Further, the SSL component can improve the productivity and give reduce development cost. Because the SSL component can be reused. Also, in case of that new algorithms are added or algorithms are changed, it Is compatible and easy to interlock. SSL Component works the SSL protocol service in application layer. First of all, we take out the requirements, and then, we design and implement the SSL Component, confidentiality and integrity component, which support the SSL component, dependently. These all mentioned components are implemented by EJB, it can provide the efficient data handling when data is encrypted/decrypted by choosing the data. Also, it improves the usability by choosing data and mechanism as user intend. In conclusion, as we test and evaluate these component, SSL component is more usable and efficient than existing SSL protocol, because the increase rate of processing time for SSL component is lower that SSL protocol's.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.66-75
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of methanogenic bacteria-activated leachate recirculation method for enhancing waste stabilization and landfill gas production from a solid waste landfill. To simulate a conventional landfill (Lys-A), a landfill recirculated only fresh leachate (Lys-B), and two landfills recirculated leachate after pretreating with ASBR (Lys-C and Lys-D), four lysimeters were operated over a period of 4 years. Lys-D was recirculated two times of pretreated leachate volume than that of Lys-C. In the case of the landfill recirculated only fresh leachate and the landfill recirculated leachate after pretreating with ASBR, methane productions were increased until about 600 days, but there were not effect of leachate recirculation for enhancing methane production after about 600 days. It was assumed that leachate recirculation into fewer biodegradable organic wastes had not effect to enhance landfill gas production. Lys-C and Lys-D showed the highest performance for enhancing cumulative methane yield as well as acceleration waste stabilization. In cumulative methane yield, Lys-C (35.51 mL $CH_4/g$ VS) and Lys-D (36.12 mL $CH_4/g$ VS) were much higher than Lys-A (28.37 mL $CH_4/g$ VS) and Lys-B (30.07 mL $CH_4/g$ VS). In case of between Lys-B and Lys-C with the same recirculation rate, COD concentration in Lys-C was more rapidly decreased compared with that in Lys-B. This was attributed to the presence of methanogenic bacteria as well as dilution of inhibitory substances by the methanogenic bacteria-activated leachate recirculation. Therefore, the landfill recirculated leachate after pretreating with ASBR was found to be the most appropriate operating techniques for enhancing waste stabilization and landfill gas production.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.344-349
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• 2017

Alkaline fuel cells using polymer electrolyte membranes are expected to replace proton exchange membrane fuel cells, which have similar system configurations. In particular, in alkaline fuel cells, a low-cost non-platinium catalyst can be used. In this study, to fabricate high performance and high durability anion exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cell systems, two kinds of supports, polybenzoxazole and polyethylene supports, were impregnated with Fumion FAA ionomer, by which we tried to fabricate the support-impregnated membrane which has higher mechanical strength and higher ion conductivity than the Fumion series. Finally, the Pore-filling membranes were successfully fabricated and ionic conductivity and mechanical properties were different depending on the properties of the supports. In the pore-filling membranes with Fumion ionomer on the PE support, excellent mechanical properties were obtained, but ionic conductivity decreased. On the other hand, when the PBO support was impregnated with Fumion ionomer, high ionic conductivity was shown after impregnation due to high basicity of PBO, but the mechanical strength was relatively low as compared with Fumion-PE membrane. As a result, it was concluded that it is necessary to consider the characteristics of the support according to the operating conditions of the alkaline fuel cell during the preparation of the pore-filling membranes.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.487-494
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• 2005

Nowadays a large amount of wastewater containing metal working fluids and cleaning agents is generated during the cleaning process of parts working in various industries of automobile, machine and metal, and electronics etc. In this study, aqueous or semi-aqueous cleaning wastewater contaminated with soluble or nonsoluble oils was treated using ultrafiltration system. And the membrane permeability flux and performance of oil-water separation (or COD removal efficiency) of the ultrafiltration system employing PAN as its membrane material were measured at various operating conditions with change of membrane pore sizes and soil concentrations of wastewater and examined their suitability for wastewater treatment contaminated with soluble or insoluble oil. As a result, in case of wastewater contaminated with soluble oil and aqueous or semi-aqueous cleaning agent, the membrane permeability increased rapidly even though COD removal efficiency was almost constant as 90 or 95％ as the membrane pore size increased from 10 kDa to 100 kDa. However, in case of the wastewater contaminated with nonsoluble oil and aqueous or semi-aqueous cleaning agent, as the membrane pore size increased from 10 kDa to 100 kDa and the soil concentration of wastewater increased, the membrane permeability was reduced rapidly while COD removal efficiency was almost constant. These phenomena explain that since the membrane material is hydrophilic PAN material, it blocks nonsoluble oil and reduces membrane permeability. Thus, it can be concluded that the aqueous or semi-aqueous cleaning solution contaminated with soluble oil can be treated by ultrafiltration system with the membrane of PAN material and its pore size of 100 kDa. Based on these basic experimental results, a pilot plant facility of ultrafiltration system with PAN material and 100 kDa pore size was designed, installed and operated in order to treat and recycle alkaline cleaning solution contaminated with deep drawing oil. As a result of its field application, the ultrafiltration system was able to separate aqueous cleaning solution and soluble oil effectively, and recycle them. Further more, it can increase life span of aqueous cleaning solution 12 times compared with the previous process.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.245-252
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• 2018

A method of transmitting an alert signal in case of man-overboard (MOB) systems in a small fishing vessel navigating within coastal area is being operated as VHF-DSC equipment via a distress alert button and V-P ass Equipment via alert button or beacon separation. However, a small fishing vessel with a couple of crews on board is an inappropriate way to alert a man-overboard condition. However, internationally, MOB equipment using VHF-DSC, AIS, and Bluetooth technologies is used to transmit alert signals directly to the mother ship and other radio stations. In order to analyze the performance and technology of the MOB equipment operating in foreign countries, it was confirmed that the alarm signal can be received within a maximum of one nautical mile when the MOB device is on the water surface. An MOB device that meets domestic conditions needs to send an alarm signal to a station within the VHF communication range. However, in order to reduce the false alert signal, it is most appropriate to operate the VHF-DSC radio equipment installed on the ship remotely. Analysis of various technologies connecting the MOB and the VHF-DSC revealed that the Bluetooth system has advantages such as device miniaturization. When an emergency signal is transmitted from the MOB device, it can be received by a dedicated receiver and recognized through an external input terminal of the VHF-DSC equipment generating its own alarm. If the emergency situation cannot be processed at the mother ship, a distress alert is sent to all radio stations via VHF-DSC for response under emergencies faced by small fishing vessels.