EFFECT OF SEAT TUBE ANGLE ON THE WORK EFFICIENCY OF LOWER LIMB MUSCLES DURING CYCLING

The effect of seat tube angle (STA) on work efficiency at lower limb muscle was evaluated during a pedal rotation using inverse dynamic model. Since the target is not professional cyclist, the various seat tube angles of 78, 68, 58 and 48 degrees was investigated. Cycling simulation was performed at 250W and 60rpm. The works of individual muscle of lower limb and the total work was estimated. The result shows that the total work of single leg at seat tube angles of 78, 68, 58 and 48 degrees were 168.1(J), 167.9(J), 168.9(J) and 170.8(J) respectively. In conclusion, the exertion of lower limb for delivering same amount of work to the crank is the smallest at around 72 degree of seat tube angle which mean work efficiency of lower limb is the greates

Bronchoesophageal fistula in a patient with Crohn’s disease receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy

Tuberculosis is an adverse event in patients with Crohn’s disease receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. However, tuberculosis presenting as a bronchoesophageal fistula (BEF) is rare. We report a case of tuberculosis and BEF in a patient with Crohn’s disease who received anti-TNF therapy. A 33-year-old Korean woman developed fever and cough 2 months after initiation of anti-TNF therapy. And the symptoms persisted for 1 months, so she visited the emergency room. Chest computed tomography was performed upon visiting the emergency room, which showed BEF with aspiration pneumonia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsy and endobronchial ultrasound with transbronchial needle aspiration confirmed that the cause of BEF was tuberculosis. Anti-tuberculosis medications were administered, and esophageal stent insertion through endoscopy was performed to manage the BEF. However, the patient’s condition did not improve; therefore, fistulectomy with primary closure was performed. After fistulectomy, the anastomosis site healing was delayed due to severe inflammation, a second esophageal stent and gastrostomy tube were inserted. Nine months after the diagnosis, the fistula disappeared without recurrence, and the esophageal stent and gastrostomy tube were removed

Stratifying non-small cell lung cancer patients using an inverse of the treatment decision rules: validation using electronic health records with application to an administrative database

To validate a stratification method using an inverse of treatment decision rules that can classify non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in real-world treatment records. (1) To validate the index classifier against the TNM 7th edition, we analyzed electronic health records of NSCLC patients diagnosed from 2011 to 2015 in a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul, Korea. Predictive accuracy, stage-specific sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, F1 score, and c-statistic were measured. (2) To apply the index classifier in an administrative database, we analyzed NSCLC patients in Korean National Health Insurance Database, 2002–2013. Differential survival rates among the classes were examined with the log-rank test, and class-specific survival rates were compared with the reference survival rates. (1) In the validation study (N = 1375), the overall accuracy was 93.8% (95% CI: 92.5–95.0%). Stage-specific c-statistic was the highest for stage I (0.97, 95% CI: 0.96–0.98) and the lowest for stage III (0.82, 95% CI: 0.77–0.87). (2) In the application study (N = 71,593), the index classifier showed a tendency for differentiating survival probabilities among classes. Compared to the reference TNM survival rates, the index classification under-estimated the survival probability for stages IA, IIIB, and IV, and over-estimated it for stages IIA and IIB. The inverse of the treatment decision rules has a potential to supplement a routinely collected database with information encoded in the treatment decision rules to classify NSCLC patients. It requires further validation and replication in multiple clinical settings

A real-time deflection monitoring system for wind turbine blades using a built-in laser displacement sensor

Renewable energy is considered a good alternative to deal with the issues related to fossil fuel and environmental pollution. Wind energy as one of such renewable energy alternatives has seen a substantial growth. With commercially viable global wind power potential, wind energy penetration is further expected to rise, and so will the related problems. One of the issues is the collision of wind blade and tower during operation. To improve safety during operation, to minimize the risk of sudden failure or total breakdown, and to ensure reliable power generation and reduce wind turbine life cycle costs, a structural health monitoring (SHM) technology is required. This study proposes a single laser displacement sensor (LDS) system, where all of the rotating blades could be evaluated effectively. The system is cost-effective as well, as the system costs only a mere thousand dollars. If the blade bolt loosening occurs, it causes deflection in the affected blade. In a similar manner, nacelle tilt or mass loss damage in the blade will result in change of blade's position and the proposed system can identify such problems with ease. With increased demand of energy, the sizes of wind blades are getting bigger and bigger due to which people are installing wind turbines very high above the ground level or offshore. It is impractical to monitor the deflection through wired connection in these cases and hence can be replaced by a wireless solution. This wireless solution is achieved using Zigbee technology which operates in the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands, typically 2.4 GHz, 915 MHz and 868 MHz. The output from the LDS is fed to the microcontroller which acts as an analog to digital converter which in turn is connected to the Zigbee transceiver module, which transmits the data. At the other end, the Zigbee reads the data and displays on the PC from where user can monitor the condition of wind blades

Bronchial carcinoid tumor arising from an intralobar bronchopulmonary sequestration

We report a rare case of a 38-year-old woman with a bronchial carcinoid tumor arising from an intralobar bronchopulmonary sequestration. The vascular supply to the sequestered left lower lobe originated from the descending thoracic aorta. A left lower lobe lobectomy was performed. The findings of the pathological examination revealed an atypical carcinoid tumor that was immunopositive for chromogranin and synaptophysin. At the 3-year follow-up examination, the patient was healthy. © The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2011