• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1028-1037
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• 2023

Objective: To evaluate the computed tomography (CT) features for diagnosing metastatic cervical lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and validate the CT-based risk stratification system suggested by the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS) guidelines. Materials and Methods: A total of 463 LNs from 399 patients with DTC who underwent preoperative CT staging and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration were included. The following CT features for each LN were evaluated: absence of hilum, cystic changes, calcification, strong enhancement, and heterogeneous enhancement. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent CT features associated with metastatic LNs, and their diagnostic performances were evaluated. LNs were classified into probably benign, indeterminate, and suspicious categories according to the K-TIRADS and the modified LN classification proposed in our study. The diagnostic performance of both classification systems was compared using the exact McNemar and Kosinski tests. Results: The absence of hilum (odds ratio [OR], 4.859; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.593-14.823; P = 0.005), strong enhancement (OR, 28.755; 95% CI, 12.719-65.007; P < 0.001), and cystic changes (OR, 46.157; 95% CI, 5.07-420.234; P = 0.001) were independently associated with metastatic LNs. All LNs showing calcification were diagnosed as metastases. Heterogeneous enhancement did not show a significant independent association with metastatic LNs. Strong enhancement, calcification, and cystic changes showed moderate to high specificity (70.1%-100%) and positive predictive value (PPV) (91.8%-100%). The absence of the hilum showed high sensitivity (97.8%) but low specificity (34.0%). The modified LN classification, which excluded heterogeneous enhancement from the K-TIRADS, demonstrated higher specificity (70.1% vs. 62.9%, P = 0.016) and PPV (92.5% vs. 90.9%, P = 0.011) than the K-TIRADS. Conclusion: Excluding heterogeneous enhancement as a suspicious feature resulted in a higher specificity and PPV for diagnosing metastatic LNs than the K-TIRADS. Our research results may provide a basis for revising the LN classification in future guidelines.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.359-364
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• 2011

The study uses department of the sensitivity and fuzzy reasoning, one of artificial intelligence algorithms, so that develop LED lighting system based on fuzzy reasoning for systematical control of the LED color temperature. In the area of sensitivity engineering, by considering the relation between color and emotion expressed as an adjective word, the corresponding sensitivity word can be determined, By taking into consideration the relation between the brain wave measured from the human brain and the color temperature, the preferred lesson subject can be determined. From the decision of the sensitivity word and the lesson subject, we adjust the color temperature of RGB (Red, Green, Blue) LED. In addition, by using the information of the latitude and the longitude from GPS(Global Positioning System), we can calculate the on-line moving altitude of sun. By using the sensor information of both temperature and humidity, we can calculate the discomfort index. By considering the altitude of sun as well as the value of the discomfort index, the illumination of W(white) LED and the color temperature of RGB LED can be determined. The (LED) sensitivity lighting control system is bulit up by considering the sensitivity word, the lesson subject, the altitude of sun, and the discomfort index The developed sensitivity lighting control system leads to more suitable atmosphere and also the enhancement of the efficiency of lesson subjects as well as business affairs.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.57-65
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• 2015

Electronic packages consist of various materials, and as temperature changes, warpage occurs because of the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion. Shadow $moir{\acute{e}}$ is non-contact, whole field measurement technique for out-of-plane displacement. However, the technique has low sensitivity above $50{\mu}m/fringe$, it is not adequate for the warpage measurement in some circumstance. In this paper, by applying phase shifting process to the traditional shadow $moir{\acute{e}}$, measurement system having enhanced sensitivity of $12.5{\mu}m/fringe$ is constructed. Considering Talbot effect, the measurement is carried out in the half Talbot area. Shadow fringe pattern having four times enhanced sensitivity is obtained by the image process with four shadow fringes. The measurement technique is applied to the fibered package substrate and coreless package substrate for measuring warpages at room temperature and at about $100^{\circ}C$.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.198-205
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The anti-diabetic activity of pear through inhibition of ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ has been demonstrated. However, little has been reported about the effect of pear on insulin signaling pathway in obesity. The aims of this study are to establish pear pomace 50% ethanol extract (PPE)-induced improvement of insulin sensitivity and characterize its action mechanism in 3T3-L1 cells and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: Lipid accumulation, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) secretion and glucose uptake were measure in 3T3-L1 cells. Mice were fed HFD (60% kcal from fat) and orally ingested PPE once daily for 8 weeks and body weight, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and serum lipids were measured. The expression of proteins involved in insulin signaling pathway was evaluated by western blot assay in 3T3-L1 cells and adipose tissue of mice. RESULTS: In 3T3-L1 cells, without affecting cell viability and lipid accumulation, PPE inhibited MCP-1 secretion, improved glucose uptake, and increased protein expression of phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate 1 [p-IRS-1, ($Tyr^{632})$)], p-Akt, and glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4). Additionally, in HFD-fed mice, PPE reduced body weight, HOMA-IR, and serum lipids including triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol. Furthermore, in adipose tissue, PPE up-regulated GLUT4 expression and expression ratio of p-IRS-1 ($Tyr^{632})/IRS$, whereas, down-regulated p-IRS-1 ($Ser^{307})/IRS$. CONCLUSIONS: Our results collectively show that PPE improves glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cells and insulin sensitivity in mice fed a HFD through stimulation of the insulin signaling pathway. Furthermore, PPE-induced improvement of insulin sensitivity was not accompanied with lipid accumulation.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.423-427
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• 2022

A pressure sensor that mimics the sensing ability of human skin has emerged as high-profile technology because it shows remarkable applications in numerous fields such as robotics, human health monitoring, and artificial prosthetics. Whereas recent pressure sensors have achieved high sensitivity similar to that of human skin, they still show limited detection bandwidth. Moreover, once these e-skin are fabricated, their sensitivity and stiffness are fixed; therefore, they can be used for only limited applications. Our study proposes a new adaptive pressure sensor built with uniform gallium microdroplet-elastomer composite. Based on the phase transition of gallium microdroplets, the proposed sensor undergoes mode transformation, enabling it to have a higher sensitivity and wider detection bandwidth compared with those of human skin. In addition, we succeeded in extending a single adaptive pressure sensor to sensor arrays based on its high uniformity, reproducibility, and large-scale manufacturability. Finally, we designed an adaptive e-skin with the sensor array and demonstrated its applications on health monitoring tasks including blood pulse and body weight measurements.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.75-85
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• 2014

Objectives : We investigated whether bee venom(BV) inhibit cell growth through enhancement of death receptor expressions in the human cervix cancer C33A cells. Methods : BV($1{\sim}5{\mu}g/ml$) inhibited the growth of cervix cancer C33A cells by the induction of apoptotic cell death in a dose dependent manner. Results : Consistent with apoptotic cell death, expression of Fas, death receptor(DR) 3, 4, 5 and 6 was increased concentration dependently in the cells. Moreover, Fas, DR3 and DR6 revealed more sensitivity to BV. Thus, We reconfirmed whether they actually play a critical role in anti-proliferation of cervix cancer C33A cells. Consecutively, expression of DR downstream pro-apoptotic proteins including caspase-8, -3, -9 was upregulated and Bax was concomitantly overwhelmed the expression of Bcl-2. NF-${\kappa}B$ were also inhibited by treatment with BV in C33A cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that BV could exert anti-tumor effect through induction of apoptotic cell death in human cervix cancer C33A cells via enhancement of death receptor expression, and that BV could be a promising agent for preventing and treating cervix cancer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2018.06a
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• pp.83-83
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• 2018

최근 의료, 보건, 헬스케어 분야에 대한 관심이 증가함에 따라 질병의 조기 진단 연구가 각광 받고 있다. 특히 표면증강 라만 산란 (Surface Enhancement Raman scattering)은 고분자 검출을 위해 가장 유용한 물리 화학적 기법으로 SERS를 활용한 특정물질 검출 기술 개발에 대한 연구가 많이 이루어지고 있다. 나노구조의 국부적 표면 플라즈몬의 공명조건 (Surface Plasmon Resonance, SPR)으로 유도된 전자기장은 우수한 SERS 신호를 나타낸다. 따라서 표면 플라즈몬 공명 효과는 귀금속 나노입자의 종류, 크기 및 형태, 기판의 형상 및 구조 등에 의해서 달라지게 되므로 이들을 조절하여 보다 민감한 SERS 신호를 얻을 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 고감도 SERS-Active 기판을 제작하기 위해 SERS 기판 표면의 나노구조를 최적화 하였다. SERS 기판 표면을 제어하기 위해 공정파워, 공정압력, 기판의 온도 등의 증착공정 변수에 변화를 주어 표면의 나노구조를 형성하였다. 이를 분석하기 위해 SEM 분석을 통해 피라미드형 실리콘 기판 표면의 Au 나노구조 금속 박막을 확인하였고, XRD를 이용하여 결정성 및 결정크기를 확인하였다. Rhodamine 6G를 이용한 라만 분석을 통해 SERS 신호의 강도를 알 수 있었다. 금속 나노구조의 형태, 온도 제어를 통해 SERS 신호강도가 우수한 나노구조 기판을 제조 할 수 있었다.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.81-89
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• 2005

The response surface method is the statistical method which can be applied to the non-sensitivity based optimization. The response surface which is constructed by the least square method contains only the polynomial terms so that the global maximum and minimum points are easily obtained. In this paper, this response surface method is utilized to optimize the crashworthiness of auto-body members. As the first step, the thickness of a simple circular tube is optimized to confirm the application of the response surface method to the crashworthiness. Optimization of the thickness on the front side member is, then, performed with the constructed response surface of the absorbed energy and deformation. Optimization results demonstrate that the absorbed energy and the deformation pattern of the front side member is improved in the viewpoint of enhancement of the crashworthiness.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1151-1158
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• 2011

Proximity magnetic sensor is able to detect the object target accurately in close range and it has been widely used in the underwater guided weapon system because there is no countermeasures from the target. In order to increase the damage of target by shock wave due to explosion of the underwater guided weapon system, the maximum detection range of the proximity magnetic sensor needs to be increased. In this paper, we describe the techniques of the optimum transmitting and receiving coils design using the Finite Element Method for the output power enhancement of the transmitter and the sensitivity improvement of the receiver. Finally, the proposed design techniques of the transmitter and the receiver were verified using a experimental setup and a prototype.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 1998

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether the transvaginal ultrasonographic analysis of endometrial pattern and thickness could predict the stage of menstrual cycle. Endometrial pattern and thickness were observed in those patients receiving infertility work up from April, 1994 to July, 1998 at Seoul National University Hospital. The study group was 185 patients with normal regular menstrual cycles. Among them, 44 patients received endometrial biopsy, and the date of endometrium was compared with the observed endometrial pattern and thickness. The observed endometrial pattern was presence or absence of central cavity echogenicity, triple line sign, endometrial hypoechogenicity, ring sign, endometrial hyperechogenicity and posterior acoustic sonic enhancement. The results were as follows; Central cavity echogenicity was seen throughout menstrual cycle. Triple line sign was observed in 81.1% of patients during early secretory phase. However, in mid to late secretory phase, triple line sign was appeared in only 6.8%. The percentage of positive endometrial hypoechogenicity was highest in early secretory phase. In contrast to hypoechogenicity, positive endometrial hyperechogenicty was highest in mid to late secretory phase. Ring sign was observed in 73.5% of the patients during early secretory phase with peak incidence. Posterior acoustic enhancement was seen in 72.7% of the patients during late secretory phase. The sensitivity and specificity of being a secretory phase if the patients showed hyperechogenic endometrium, were 84.2%, 83.3% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of being a secretory phase if the patients showed posterior acoustic enhancement were 93.8%, 58.3% respectively. Endometrial thickness was not correlated with endometrial dating. In conclusion, transvaginal ultrasonographical delineation of the endometrial pattern might be useful tool in predicting endometrial status during normal menstrual cycle. But, endometrial thickness could not predict the endometrial dating.