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The purpose of this study was to investigate serial outcomes in the early postoperative period in patients who have undergone arthroscopic treatment for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder and to determine prognostic factors affecting outcomes.Our hypothesis was that functional recovery will take more than three months but additional procedures such as rotator cuff repair and subacromial decompression will have a slower recovery and poorer outcomes.We retrospectively reviewed 35 patients with a mean follow-up of 50.6 months. Arthroscopic surgery was performed in all patients. The visual analog scale (VAS) pain score; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score; American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score were evaluated preoperatively; 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery; and at the final follow-up. To evaluate the extent of calcific deposit removal and recurrence of calcification, we conducted plain radiography at each follow-up.Nine patients had complete removal of all calcium deposits, and 26 had partial removal. At the final follow-up, all patients sustained complete resorption without any recurrence. All clinical scores showed improvement significantly in each follow-up period (p0.001). However, VAS pain score decreased to less than 3 points at 6 months after surgery, UCLA and ASES scores also increased more than 75 percent at 6 months. Subacromial decompression was negatively correlated with VAS pain score and rotator cuff repair was negatively correlated with UCLA score, respectively (p=0.041 and p=0.028). On multivariate analysis, rotator cuff repair was negatively correlated with the final UCLA score (p=0.009).This study revealed that all clinical scores were significantly improved from 3 months after arthroscopic treatment for calcific tendinitis of shoulder. However, clinical scores improved slowly, recovery of shoulder function and pain relief required up to 6 months. Subacromial decompression and rotator cuff repair were poor prognostic factors after arthroscopic treatment.IV, Retrospective Case Series.

지난 10 년간 플라스틱 병에 든 생수는 휴대성과 편리성을 성공적으로 갖추었다고 평가되는 반면 동시에 사회적, 문화적, 생태학적으로 논쟁의 여지를 안고 있다. 소비자가 구매한 플라스틱 물병을 재활용하여 유사하거나 새로운 제품으로 재활용하는 폐쇄루프 시스템을 활용한다면 그 해결책이 모색될 것으로 사료되지만, 플라스틱 물병의 재활용 방안 및 제품개발에 대한 연구가 미흡한 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구는 3D 프린팅 기술을 활용한 폐쇄루프 시스템을 중심으로 플라스틱 물병을 재활용한 리빙제품 개발을 연구하였다. 본 연구의 방법과 범위는 첫째, 문헌자료와 인터넷 자료를 통해 플라스틱 물병의 현황과 관련된 문제를 조사하였고, 이 현안들의 해결방법으로 폐쇄루프시스템이 연구되었다. 둘째, 폐플라스틱 물병 재활용 방법으로 3D 프린터용 소재인 필라멘트 전환기술이 제안되었다. 플라스틱 물병을 사용하여 PET(Polyethylene terephthalate) 필라멘트를 제조하고, 3D 프린팅 기술을 활용하여 리빙제품을 제작하였다. 셋째, 3D 프린팅된 리빙제품의 안전성 입증을 위해 프린팅 된 샘플을 SGS(Societe Generale de Surveillance) 기관에서 총 6가지 유해 물질 테스트를 하였다. 본 연구 결과 다음과 같은 결론을 얻을 수 있었다. 첫째, 플라스틱 오염은 인간의 건강과 복지뿐만 아니라 육지와 해양 환경에 영향을 미치는 세계적 문제이나, 모든 사람들이 폐쇄루프 시스템을 통해 변화가 가능하다면 상황이 천천히 개선되고 문제가 해결 될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다. 둘째, 플라스틱 병의 재활용은 핵심 솔루션 중 하나이며, 재활용 플라스틱의 효율적 활용방법은 지역 차원에서의 3D 프린터용 필라멘트 소재로의 재활용임을 알 수 있었다. 또한 3D 프린팅 된 샘플의 유해 물질 테스트 결과 그 안전성이 입증되어 플라스틱 물병을 재활용을 통한 리빙제품 개발이 가능함을 알 수 있었다. 본 연구는 리빙제품 개발을 위한 재료 재활용 폐쇄루프 연구관련 자료로 유용하게 활용될 수 있을 것이라 사료되며, 앞으로 재활용 소재와 관련된 규모의 경제 검토나 제품디자인 및 개발이 이루어져야 할 것이다.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) constitute a large family of molecular chaperones classified by their molecular weights, and they include HSP27, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90. HSPs function in diverse physiological and protective processes to assist in maintaining cellular homeostasis. In particular, HSPs participate in protein folding and maturation processes under diverse stressors such as heat shock, hypoxia, and degradation. Notably, HSPs also play essential roles across cancers as they are implicated in a variety of cancer-related activities such as cell proliferation, metastasis, and anti-cancer drug resistance. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the functions of HSPs in association with cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis and anti-cancer therapy resistance. Moreover, the potential utilization of HSPs to enhance the effects of chemo-, radio-, and immunotherapy is explored. Taken together, HSPs have multiple clinical usages as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis as well as the potential therapeutic targets for anti-cancer treatment.

Gait and mobility in patients with gait impairment are important in maintaining and improving their physical and psychological health and to return to society. Thus, the aims of the current study were to develop and evaluate a new wearable exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation assistance integrated with a mobility system (RehabWheel) for patients with gait impairment. A wearable exoskeleton was controlled by artificial pneumatic muscles to mimic joint movement; appropriate gait training was then undertaken. In total, 13 healthy males participated in evaluating RehabWheel by comparing joint angle kinematics and muscle activation patterns during walking over ground with RehabWheel and normal gaits. The joint angle kinematics of the hip and knee joints with RehabWheel were similar to those of normal gait despite differences in their magnitude. Additionally, muscle activations in the hip and knee joints were less during RehabWheel gait than normal gait and were associated with joint kinematics. These findings indicate that RehabWheel may have potential for incorporation into gait rehabilitative training assistance combined with a wheelchair platform for movement. This study is valuable for the initial identification of the practical feasibility of this new mobility system with both mobility and gait rehabilitation functions.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to investigate serial outcomes in the early postoperative period in patients who have undergone arthroscopic treatment for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder and to determine prognostic factors affecting outcomes. Hypothesis Our hypothesis was that functional recovery will take more than three months but additional procedures such as rotator cuff repair and subacromial decompression will have a slower recovery and poorer outcomes. Material and methods We retrospectively reviewed 35 patients with a mean follow-up of 50.6 months. Arthroscopic surgery was performed in all patients. The visual analog scale (VAS) pain score; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score; American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score were evaluated preoperatively; 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery; and at the final follow-up. To evaluate the extent of calcific deposit removal and recurrence of calcification, we conducted plain radiography at each follow-up. Results Nine patients had complete removal of all calcium deposits, and 26 had partial removal. At the final follow-up, all patients sustained complete resorption without any recurrence. All clinical scores showed improvement significantly in each follow-up period (p Conclusion This study revealed that all clinical scores were significantly improved from 3 months after arthroscopic treatment for calcific tendinitis of shoulder. However, clinical scores improved slowly, recovery of shoulder function and pain relief required up to 6 months. Subacromial decompression and rotator cuff repair were poor prognostic factors after arthroscopic treatment. Level of evidence IV, retrospective case series.

Data have been increased enormously due to the development of IT technology such as recent smart equipments, social network services and streaming services. To meet these environments the technologies that can treat mass data have received attention, and the typical one is Hadoop. Hadoop is on the basis of open source, and it has been designed to be used at general purpose computers on the basis of Linux. To initial Hadoop nearly no security was introduced, but as the number of users increased data that need security increased and there appeared new version that introduced Kerberos and Token system in 2009. But in this method there was a problem that only one secret key can be used and access permission to blocks cannot be authenticated to each user, and there were weak points that replay attack and spoofing attack were possible. Hence, to supplement these weak points and to maintain efficiency a protocol on the basis of group key, in which users are authenticated in logical group and then this is reflected to token, is proposed in this paper. The result shows that it has solved the weak points and there is no big overhead in terms of efficiency.Keywords:Authentication, Hadoop, HDFS, Kerberos, Group Key

The expensive satellite communication currently accessible from ships is ill equipped to meet the needs of a growing number of seafaring Internet users. In order to provide cheap and high-speed Internet access to ships, the radio coverage of existing broadband networks can be extended through a multi-hop network that provides wireless links between neighboring ships. One of the most important issues in such networks is the appropriate choice of a routing protocol that provides efficient and reliable communication. In this paper, a maritime two-state routing protocol for a multi-hop ship network is proposed that provides efficient and reliable communication with a minimum of overhead. The maritime path loss model considered for simulations and the mobility model used in this paper represent real traffic of ships. In this paper, the proposed routing protocol is compared to the leading alternatives and simulation results are presented to quantify the performance.

The Long Term Evolution (LTE) system is already able to provide a background of variety services for mobile users with multimedia services such as audio, video, and data. In fact, the High Speed Packet Access plus (HSPA+) solution can greatly enhance bit rates on down-link. However, the supporting for multimedia applications with different QoS (Quality of Service) requirements is not devised yet. Hence, in this paper we propose an effective packet scheduling algorithm based on Proportional Fairness (PF) scheduling algorithms for the LTE. In this proposed packet scheduling scheme, we optimized instantaneous user data rates and the traffic class weight which prioritize user`s packets. Finally, we evaluated and showed the performance of the proposed scheduling algorithm through simulations of multimedia traffics being transmitted to users over LTE links in a multi-cell environment.

Treatment of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis with high tibial osteotomy can produce an unintended change in the slope of the tibial plateau in the sagittal plane. The effect of changing posterior tibial slope (PTS) on cruciate ligament forces has not been quantified for knee loading in activities of daily living. The purpose of this study was to determine how changes in PTS affect tibial shear force, anterior tibial translation (ATT), and knee-ligament loading during daily physical activity. We hypothesized that tibial shear force, ATT, and ACL force all increase as PTS increases. A previously validated computer model was used to calculate ATT, tibial shear force, and cruciate-ligament forces for the normal knee during three common load-bearing tasks: standing, squatting, and walking. The model calculations were repeated with PTS altered in 1° increments up to a maximum change in tibial slope of 10°. Tibial shear force and ATT increased as PTS was increased. For standing and walking, ACL force increased as tibial slope was increased; for squatting, PCL force decreased as tibial slope was increased. The effect of changing PTS on ACL force was greatest for walking. The true effect of changing tibial slope on knee-joint biomechanics may only be evident under physiologic loading conditions which include muscle forces.

A thorough understanding of the biomechanics of the hamstrings during sprinting is required to optimise injury rehabilitation and prevention strategies. The main aims of this study were to compare hamstrings load across different modes of locomotion as well as before and after an acute sprinting-related muscle strain injury. Bilateral kinematic and ground reaction force data were captured from a single subject whilst walking, jogging and sprinting prior to and immediately following a significant injury involving the right semitendinosis and biceps femoris long head muscles. Experimental data were input into a three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the body and used, together with optimisation theory, to determine lower-limb muscle forces for each locomotor task. Hamstrings load was found to be greatest during terminal swing for sprinting. The hamstrings contributed the majority of the terminal swing hip extension and knee flexion torques, whilst gluteus maximus contributed most of the stance phase hip extension torque. Gastrocnemius contributed little to the terminal swing knee flexion torque. Peak hamstrings force was also substantially greater during terminal swing compared to stance for sprinting, but not for walking and jogging. Immediately following the muscle strain injury, the hamstrings demonstrated an intolerance to perform an eccentric-type contraction. Whilst peak hamstrings force during terminal swing did not decrease post-injury, both peak hamstrings length and negative work during terminal swing were considerably reduced. These results lend support to the paradigm that the hamstrings are most susceptible to muscle strain injury during the terminal swing phase of sprinting when they are contracting eccentrically.

In this paper, comparisons are presented of the predicted pavement response from three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) and layered elastic programs. The objective was to study effect of different tire types on pavement lives. Authors used available contact pressure measurements on four tires to predict pavement response using a 3D finite element program. The results show that the predicted pavement fatigue life based on horizontal strains at the bottom of asphalt layer is different by tire types and analysis methods while the predicted rutting life based on vertical strains at the top of subgrade layer shows no significant difference.

Current demonstrations of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have shown the potential for controlling neuroprostheses under pure motion control. For interaction with objects, however, pure motion control lacks the information required for versatile manipulation. This paper investigates the idea of applying impedance control in a BMI system. An extraction algorithm incorporating a musculoskeletal arm model was developed for this purpose. The new algorithm, called the muscle activation method (MAM), was tested on cortical recordings from a behaving monkey. The MAM was found to predict motion parameters with as much accuracy as a linear filter. Furthermore, it successfully predicted limb interactions with novel force fields, which is a new and significant capability lacking in other algorithms.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the ACL tibial footprint size can be predicted by anthropometric variables including height, weight, leg length, femur length, tibia length, and anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters of proximal tibia. This study included 209 out of the 378 eligible patients. The inclusion criterion was ACL with normal gross appearance. Patients with conditions that could have affected the measurement were excluded: torn ACL, osteophyte formation around the ACL tibial attachment, presence of inflammatory arthritis, or history of knee joint infection. According to the above criteria, 169 patients were excluded from this study; 138 had torn ACL, 24 had osteophyte around the ACL footprint, 5 had history of rheumatoid arthritis, and 2 had history of previous knee joint infection. The ACL tibial footprint was carefully dissected and measured during total knee arthroplasty. Anthropometric variables regarding bone lengths were measured on radiography. The association of the ACL tibial footprint size (length and width) with anthropometric variables was analysed using simple and multiple linear regression analyses. The height, weight, leg length, femur length, tibia length, and the size of proximal tibia were associated with the ACL tibial footprint length and width. The ACL tibial footprint length could be predicted by the equation using tibia length: ACL tibial footprint length = −9.361 + 0.759 * (tibia length in cm) (R 2 = 0.44, P

Maritime communication is internationally protected because closely related to the maritime safety, and it has evolved slower than terrestrial communication technologies. However, with the recent rapid advances in communication technology, maritime communications have become faster and increasingly modernized. A maritime broadband wireless data communication (MariComm) system was developed to make two-way high-speed internet/multimedia services available at a rate of 1 Mbps or more on the sea by extending the communication coverage of terrestrial wireless communications networks to sea areas. The MariComm system uses high-gain directional antennas to extend the transmission range and has multiple directional antennas to cover 360 degrees in azimuth. In this paper, we introduce a directional antenna tracking technique and apparatus using received RF signal and ship location information in the MariComm system.

In this study, we shortly introduce MariComm bridge of MariComm (Maritime Broadband Communication) project to provide broadband internet/multimedia services available at a rate of 1 Mbps or more on the sea. MariComm bridge enables MariStations to form the maritime heterogeneous relay networks. Thanks to this bridge function, MariStation can act as a gateway node or a relay node according to the connection possibility of a terrestiral base station. And finally, marine performance tests of this noble maritime communication system on 4 vessels in the Korean southern sea are introduced.

A simple multi-channel spectrum analyzer using an InGaAs array sensor and a diffraction grating is proposed and developed for high-capacity optical transport networks. With the developed multichannel spectrum analyzer, we could measure signal power, wavelength, and optical signal-to-noise ratio of each channel for multi-channel optical signals with 100 GHz and 50 GHz channel spacing, simultaneously. We could measure each channel power and wavelength with a deviation of less than 0.2 dB and 0.063 nm, respectively. We have obtained optical signal-to-noise ratio with a deviation of less than 1.0 dB compared with conventional optical spectrum analyzer in the wide input power range between -42 dBm and -27 dBm per channel.

Background: Research into the Baumann skin type (BST) has recently expanded, with growing interest in the development of an efficient and effective skin type classification system for better understanding of this skin condition. Objective: We aimed to identify male-specific skin type characteristics with investigation into the distribution of BST by age and region in the Korean male population and to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to skin type. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to collect information about age, region, working behavior, drinking behavior, smoking behavior, usual habit of sun protection, medical history, and the BST which consisted of four parameters; oily (O) or dry (D), sensitive (S) or resistant (R), pigmented (P) or non-pigmented (N), and wrinkled (W) or tight (T). Results: We surveyed 1,000 Korean males aged between 20 and 60 years who were divided equally by age and region. Of the total re- Background: Research into the Baumann skin type (BST) has recently expanded, with growing interest in the development of an efficient and effective skin type classification system for better understanding of this skin condition. Objective: We aimed to identify male-specific skin type characteristics with investigation into the distribution of BST by age and region in the Korean male population and to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to skin type. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to collect information about age, region, working behavior, drinking behavior, smoking behavior, usual habit of sun protection, medical history, and the BST which consisted of four parameters; oily (O) or dry (D), sensitive (S) or resistant (R), pigmented (P) or non-pigmented (N), and wrinkled (W) or tight (T). Results: We surveyed 1,000 Korean males aged between 20 and 60 years who were divided equally by age and region. Of the total respondents, OSNW type accounted for the largest percentage and ORPW type the lowest. In terms of Baumann parameters, O type was 53.5%, S type was 56.1%, N type was 84.4% and W type was 57.5%. Several behavioral factors were found to have various relationships with the skin type. Conclusion: The predominant skin type in the Korean male respondents was OSNW type, and the distribution of skin types with regards to age and region was reported to be distinct. Therefore, skin care should be customized based on detailed skin types considering the various environmental factors. (Ann Dermatol 31(6) 621∼630, 2019)

A number of 188 food and dietary supplement samples were collected from 2009 to the first half of 2013 in Korean online and offline stores. A method to identify phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors and their analogues using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was validated. Limit of detection and limit of quantitation of liquid-type and solid-type negative samples ranged from 0.05 to 3.33 ng/mL or ng/g and from 0.15 to 10.00 ng/mL or ng/g, respectively. Recoveries ranged from 83% to 112%. Nineteen PDE-5 inhibitors and their analogues were detected, with tadalafil group compounds being the most frequently observed (53.0%), followed by the sildenafil group (42.5%). Tadalafil concentrations ranged from 0.08 to 138.69 mg/g. Compounds were most frequently detected in capsules (in 40 of 80 adulterated samples). To protect public health and food safety, appropriate monitoring of PDE-5 inhibitors and their analogues in foods and dietary supplements is recommended.

Injuries to the hollow organs of the lower digestive system carry substantial risk of complication due to infection and blood loss, and commonly require invasive abdominal surgery to diagnose and treat. The causes of, and risk factors for, lower abdomen injury in automobile collisions are poorly understood. The goal of this study was to investigate the risk factors and potential mechanisms of hollow-organ, lower abdomen injury in belted automobile occupants in frontal collisions. A field survey data analysis was performed to examine the relationship between various occupant and collision factors and the risk of moderate or greater severity injury (i.e., Abbreviated Injury Scale, AIS 2+) to the small intestine, large intestine, or mesentery among belted occupants involved in frontal collisions. Descriptive and comparative risk factor analyses were performed with data originating from that National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) over the years 2000-2011. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to describe the effects of these factors on hollow-organ injury risk. Potential injury mechanisms were further investigated through in-depth examination of select cases exhibiting hollow-organ injuries from the Crash Investigation Research and Engineering Network (CIREN). The inclusion criteria yielded 25,407 individual cases from NASS-CDS, representing a weighted population of 11,373,358 exposed automobile occupants. Within this dataset, 143 cases (weighted frequency: 7962 occupants) exhibited AIS 2+ injury to hollow abdominal organs. Multivariable regression analysis indicated a statistically significant increased risk of moderate or greater severity injuries to the hollow organs of the abdomen with increased in ΔV (odds ratio (OR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.09) and age (OR: 1.03, 1.01-1.06). Albeit non-statistically significant, a positive association between BMI and injury risk was observed, especially among obese individuals (OR: 3.55, 0.82-15.2). No association was observed for gender or seated location within the vehicle. RESULT: from this study indicate that hollow abdominal organ injury is a universal problem in frontal collisions, not confined to a specific gender or seating location. Examination of CIREN cases suggests these types of injuries are associated with direct loading of the lower abdomen by the lap belt, either through poor initial belt positioning or through a "submarining" type of kinematic where the lap belt slips off of the pelvis and loads into the abdomen. Potential countermeasures against hollow-organ abdominal injury should include measures to improve initial lap belt fit, and to retain engagement of the lap belt on the pelvis throughout the collision event. Language: en

This paper introduces a novel surgical robot for single-incision laparoscopic surgeries. The robot system includes the cone-type remote center-of-motion (RCM) mechanism and two articulated instruments having a flexible linkage-driven elbow. The RCM mechanism, which has two revolute joints and one prismatic joint, is designed to maintain a stationary point at the apex of the cone shape. By placing the stationary point on the incision area, the mechanism allows a surgical instrument to explore the abdominal area through a small incision point. The instruments have six articulated joints, including an elbow pitch joint, which make the triangulation position for the surgery possible inside of the abdominal area. The presented elbow pitch structure is similar to the slider-crank mechanism but the connecting rod is composed of a flexible leaf spring for high payload and small looseness error. We verified the payload of the robot is more than 10 N and described preliminary experiments on peg transfer and suture motion by using the proposed surgical robot.

A fast, sensitive, and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was validated and then the levels of cortisol and cortisone from sera of healthy adults were determined by the LC-MS/MS method. One hundredμL of serum sample was directly extracted by adding 2 mL ethyl acetate, followed by chromatographic separation on a C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of 5 mM ammonium acetate and methanol (25 : 75, v/v). The precision, accuracy, and average recovery of the method were 1.5–5.3%, 95.4–102.5%, and 96.4% for cortisol, and 1.9–6.0%, 89.2–98.8%, and 79.9% for cortisone, respectively. The method was linear from 1.0 to 500.0 ng/mLr2=0.999for cortisol and 2.5 to 100.0 ng/mLr2=0.998for cortisone. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.2 and 1.0 ng/mL for cortisol, and 1.0 and 2.5 ng/mL for cortisone, respectively. The average cortisol concentration (133.9±63.7 ng/mL) of samples collected between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. was higher approximately 4.4 times than that of cortisone (30.5±10.7 ng/mL)P<0.0001. The average cortisone/cortisol ratio was 0.225. Therefore, the LC-MS/MS method may be useful for the diagnosis of some adrenal diseases and the assessment of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) activity in clinical laboratories.

Recently, a significant amount of attention has been focus-ed on renewable energy sources that might help to satisfy in-creasing demand for energy consumption and environmental protection. From this perspective, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are becoming an attractive prospect, owing primarily to their concurrent activities in wastewater treatment and electricity generation using wastewater as a fuel.

Measuring shear force is crucial for investigating the pathology and treatment of pressure ulcers. In this study, we introduced a bi-axial shear transducer based on strain gauges as a new shear sensor. The sensor consisted of aluminum and polyvinyl chloride plates placed between quadrangular aluminum plates. On the middle plate, two strain gauges were placed orthogonal to one another. The shear sensor (54 mm × 54 mm × 4.1 mm), which was validated by using standard weights, displayed high accuracy and precision (measurement range, -50 to 50 N; sensitivity, 0.3N; linear relationship, R(2)=0.9625; crosstalk error, 0.635% ± 0.031%; equipment variation, 4.183). The shear force on the interface between the human body and a stand-up wheelchair was measured during sitting or standing movements, using two mats (44.8 cm × 44.8 cm per mat) that consisted of 24 shear sensors. Shear forces on the sacrum and ischium were almost five times higher (15.5 N at last posture) than those on other sites (3.5 N on average) during experiments periods. In conclusion, the proposed shear sensor may be reliable and useful for measuring the shear force on human-machine interfaces.

In this paper, we introduce a remote center-of-motion (RCM) mechanism with a conical shape for laparoscopic surgeries that involve a single incision. The mechanism, which has two revolute joints and one prismatic joint, is designed to maintain a stationary point at the apex of the conical shape. By aligning the stationary point with the incision area, the mechanism allows a surgical instrument to explore the abdominal area through a small incision point. We have previously analyzed the reachable workspace of this mechanism. Here, we arrange two RCM mechanisms on a single conical structure but separated in space to avoid mutual interference, so as to enable the entire system to manipulate two surgical instruments through a single incision point without colliding. We describe the operational principle of this system, in addition to comparisons of various RCM mechanisms and the kinematics for parameter design and motion control. Finally, we describe preliminary experiments on peg transfer and suture motion by using the proposed RCM mechanism.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to report the short-term outcomes of revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) using tantalum augments in patients with severe acetabular bone defects. Materials and methods We retrospectively analyzed 15 revision THAs performed in 15 patients using tantalum augments between June 2010 and December 2013. Acetabular bone defects were Paprosky type IIIA in 7 hips, type IIIB in 7, and type IV in 1. The causes of revision surgery were aseptic loosening in 12 hips and deep infection in 3. Revisions were first in 1 hip, second in 3, and third in 11. Six patients were male and 9 female with a mean age of 59 years (range, 48-75 years). Mean follow-up was 29 months (range, 24-48 months). Results Mean Harris hip score was improved from 34 points (range, 12-54 points) preoperatively to 84 points (range, 38-90 points) at final follow-up. On the final follow-up radiographs, there were 12 hips (80.0%) with stable fixation of the acetabular cup, 2 (13.3%) with secondary stability after mild acetabular protrusion, and 1 (6.7%) with radiolucency around the acetabular cup without mechanical symptoms. Complications included one patient with acute hematogenous infection managed by surgical debridement and long-term antibiotic therapy. There were no cases with nerve palsy or dislocation during the follow-up period. Conclusion The present study showed satisfactory clinical and radiographic outcomes of revision THA using tantalum augments due to severe acetabular bone defects of Paprosky type III or IV at a minimum follow-up of 2 years.

Transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy results rely on physician ability to target the gland according to the biopsy schema. However, to our knowledge it is unknown how accurately the freehand, transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy cores are placed in the prostate and how the geometric distribution of biopsy cores may affect the prostate cancer detection rate.To determine the geometric distribution of cores, we developed a biopsy simulation system with pelvic mock-ups and an optical tracking system. Mock-ups were biopsied in a freehand manner by 5 urologists and by our transrectal ultrasound robot, which can support and move the transrectal ultrasound probe. We compared 1) targeting errors, 2) the accuracy and precision of repeat biopsies, and 3) the estimated significant prostate cancer (0.5 cm(3) or greater) detection rate using a probability based model.Urologists biopsied cores in clustered patterns and under sampled a significant portion of the prostate. The robot closely followed the predefined biopsy schema. The mean targeting error of the urologists and the robot was 9.0 and 1.0 mm, respectively. Robotic assistance significantly decreased repeat biopsy errors with improved accuracy and precision. The mean significant prostate cancer detection rate of the urologists and the robot was 36% and 43%, respectively (p0.0001).Systematic biopsy with freehand transrectal ultrasound guidance does not closely follow the sextant schema and may result in suboptimal sampling and cancer detection. Repeat freehand biopsy of the same target is challenging. Robotic assistance with optimized biopsy schemas can potentially improve targeting, precision and accuracy. A clinical trial is needed to confirm the additional benefits of robotic assistance.

The Long Term Evolution (LTE) system is already able to provide a various background of media to mobile users, including multimedia services such as audio, video, data. In fact, the High Speed Downlink Access plus (HSPA+) solution within LTE can greatly enhance bit rates on downlinks. However, the supporting for multimedia applications with different QoS requirements is not devised yet. Hence, in this paper we present an effective packet scheduling algorithm based on proportional fairness (PF) scheduling algorithms for LTE. We optimize traffic class weightings and instantaneous user data rates that are central to packet prioritization approach of packet scheduling. Finally, we evaluated and showed the performance of optimized scheduling algorithm through simulation of multimedia traffics being currently transmitted to users the over LTE links in a multi-cell environment.

We present a simple measurement technique of the cross phase modulation in optical fibers. A pump laser generates a new optical component (Stokes wave) in a probe optical wave with the modulation frequency of a pump laser. We investigated optical heterodyning between the probe optical wave and the Stokes wave, which allows one to generate and evaluate a beat signal in the lower frequency range. With the probe optical wave including the Stokes wave, the cross phase modulation signal can be measured in the pump laser modulation frequency to the tens of kHz range.

Masseter muscle hypertrophy has been treated for cosmetic purposes using several modalities, including injection of type A or type B botulinum toxin into the masseter muscle. In this report, we compared the efficacy and safety of abobotulinum toxin A with onabotulinum toxin A treatment for masseteric hypertrophy in 25 Korean patients with a conversion factor of 2.5:1 through a controlled, split-face, and evaluator-blinded study. The mean grade of clinical improvement based on clinical assessment was 2.8 ± 0.9 for abobotulinum toxin A and 2.7 ± 0.8 for onabotulinum toxin A at 8 weeks after the injection. At 12 weeks after the injection, the mean grade of clinical improvement based on clinical assessment was 2.9 ± 0.9 for abobotulinum toxin A and 2.7 ± 0.8 for onabotulinum toxin A. More pronounced improvement was observed with abobotulinum toxin A than onabotulinum toxin A in three (12%) patients at 8 weeks and five (20%) patients at 12 weeks. We believe that our data can be used as an essential reference for determining the dose of type A botulinum toxin in the treatment of masseteric hypertrophy.

The aim of this study was to estimate the mechanical properties (elasticity) of normal and cancer prostate tissues and to develop a tissue elasticity map for the diagnosis and localization of prostate cancer.A total of 735 sites from 35 radical prostatectomy specimens were used in the experiments using a robotic palpation system, and the elasticities of the specimens were estimated by a tissue characterization algorithm. The estimated elasticities from 21 regions were separated into normal and cancer tissues using the pathological information, and a tissue elasticity map was developed using numerical functions and a nonlinear surface-fitting method.The mean elastic moduli of the normal and cancer tissues were 15.25 ± 5.88 and 28.80 ± 11.20 kPa, respectively. The base region had the highest elasticity, followed by the medial and apex regions. These results demonstrated the ability to separate the cancer tissue from the normal tissue based on its elastic modulus. The tissue elasticity mapping was carried out using the estimated elasticity and nonlinear surface fitting. The proposed map showed the elasticity and was used to estimate the elastic modulus of the prostate at any given region.Tissue elasticity may be an important indicator of prostate cancer because the pathologic changes alter the tissue properties, including cell integrity and intercellular matrix. This work provides quantitative and objective information for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. In addition, these results may have implications for the localization of prostate cancers.

Objectives To measure the mechanical property of prostatic tissues using a minimally motorized indenter and to determine whether measurable differences in mechanical property exist between cancerous and noncancerous tissues in an ex vivo experiment. Methods A total of 552 sites from 46 prostate specimens taken during radical prostatectomy underwent an indentation experiment with a minimally motorized indenter, and the elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of the tissue was estimated. Results The mean elastic modulus of the regions containing cancer and noncancer was 24.1 ± 14.5 and 17.0 ± 9.0 kPa, respectively. In the noncancerous regions, the prostate was separated into 5 parts according to the post hoc test for comparing the elastic modulus between the 2 groups: part 1, lateral apex; part 2, medial apex; part 3, lateral-mid; part 4, lateral base; and part 5, medial-mid and medial base. In the regions containing cancer tissue, the prostate was also separated into 5 parts: part 1, lateral apex and medial apex; part 2, lateral-mid; part 3, lateral base; part 4, medial base; and part 5, medial-mid. The elastic modulus was greater in the tissue with a Gleason score of 8 than in the other tissue. The elastic modulus was significantly greater in the tissue with a tumor volume >5 cm 3 than in the other tissue. Conclusions We determined the elastic moduli of prostatic tissue as a quantitative and objective parameter according to the regions of the prostate, the presence of cancerous tissue, the tumor volume, and the Gleason score.

Objectives To estimate the prevalence of ED in electrical injury patients and correlate the results with the electric voltage and the pathway of electric current at the time of injury. Methods Mails and phone surveys had been undertaken to 416 electrical injury patients who had been admitted with electrical injury to our burn care center from November 1998 to December 2003. Patients were given a self-complete questionnaire, including international index of erectile function (IIEF-5). Also, we reviewed the voltage, the pathway of electric current and other disease history such as hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), and neurologic disease. Of 416 subjects, 276 agreed to participate. Of these 276 subjects, 20 were excluded for HTN, DM, and neurologic disease. Results Of the 256 patients, 52.7% had ED. There was no statistically significant difference among the age groups. Of the patients, 58.4% with high-voltage injury had ED, 21.2% low voltage, and 33.3% unknown voltage, which was statistically significant. The prevalence of ED, according to the pathway of electric current, was 100% when the whole body was affected, 70.2% upper-lower body, 44.4% lower-lower body, 31.9% upper-upper body, 15.4% electrical spark burn, and 22.2 % unknown. Conclusions This is the first study of ED in electrical injury patients. High-voltage injures showed the higher prevalence of ED than low voltage. Whole and upper-lower body pathway of the electric current showed a higher prevalence of ED compared with focal/local involvement (electrical spark burn), lower-lower body, and upper-upper body.

The effect of restrictive clothing on functional reach and on balance and gait during obstacle crossing of five normal subjects is presented in this work using motion capture and stability analyses. The study has shown that restrictive clothing has considerably reduced participants' functional reach. It also forced the participants to change their motion strategy when they cross-higher obstacles. When crossing higher obstacles, the participants averted their stance foot, abducted their arms, flexed their torso, used longer stance time, and increased their hip angle in the medial-lateral (Rolling) and vertical (Yawing) directions. The stability analysis of a virtual human skeletal model with 18 links and 25 degrees of freedom has shown that participants' stability has become critical when they wear restrictive clothing and when they cross higher obstacles.