Suwon Research Institute

In the present study, the limiter component with excellent low insertion loss and leakage power characteristics is used at the beginning of the receiving path, mounted at the rear end of the antenna of the AESA radar system, to protect the low noise amplifier (LNA) from excessive input power. The main components required for the X-band transmit/receive module are designed and manufactured mainly using bare-type components to reduce the module size. In this paper, we develop the limiter component, which is a key component, and verify whether it can secure performance that can be operated from the system perspective by mounting it on the receiving path of the transmit/receive module. The performance results of the limiter component unit obtained insertion loss of less than 0.615 dB at 10 GHz and leakage power of less than +16.8 dBm in the X-band. The main performance of the receiving path in the transmit/receive module unit obtained results of a noise figure of less than 3.2 dB and a gain of more than 37 dB (including two stages of LNA).

VESTAP, a climate decision support tool offered by the South Korean government, supports sector-specific vulnerability assessments for local and regional governments based on the IPCC AR4 framework. As a multi-indicator, spatially based assessment tool, VESTAP conceptualizes vulnerability as a composite of climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, with sub-indicators derived from administrative-unit-level data and aggregated using weighted sums. However, the current assessment of building vulnerability to flooding has limited capacity to reflect the highly localized distribution of key risk factors driving pluvial flooding, which tend to emerge heterogeneously within administrative units. As a result, improvements in spatial discrimination for priority area identification and in the explanatory power of assessment results are required.Effective climate adaptation requires the precise identification of vulnerable areas to support priority setting. Pluvial flooding, the focus of this study, occurs within urban areas due to insufficient drainage capacity and topographic water retention during heavy rainfall, with risk factors often concentrated at highly localized scales. It is widely recognized that administrative-unit-level assessments are insufficient for identifying flood-prone areas under such conditions. Recent studies have addressed this limitation by quantifying the spatial distribution of risk factors at finer spatial units-such as parcels, households, and grids-and by integrating physical models with socio-economic indicators to better capture spatial heterogeneity.This study aims to improve a government-offered vulnerability assessment for Suwon, South Korea, by enhancing spatial resolution and indicator composition to provide actionable information for local adaptation planning. Compared to a baseline setup (S0), five improvement strategies are introduced: (1) region-specific adjustment of indicator weights, (2) incorporation of nationally available spatial explanatory datasets, (3) addition of literature-based key indicators, (4) transition from simple aggregation to an overlapping analytical approach, and (5) integration of municipality-produced datasets. The results of each pilot application are quantitatively compared in terms of changes in the spatial patterns of vulnerable areas, and their validity is evaluated through consistency with observed flood damage records and recovery and prevention investment histories. In addition, interviews with local government officials are conducted to assess practical relevance and usability.By diagnosing the existing vulnerability assessment framework for pluvial flooding in light of theory and prior research, and by comparing pilot application results, this study examines the potential for improving spatial sensitivity and assessment validity. The findings provide more precise and explainable evidence to support priority setting and resource allocation for local climate adaptation planning.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of conventional and minimally invasive approaches to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) by comparing the pain score, range of motion (ROM), and adverse effects. It was hypothesized that minimally invasive approaches would lead to superior outcomes. Randomized control trials comparing various approaches to TKA were identified in various literature databases from conception through December 31, 2022. A network meta-analysis (NMA) of relevant literature was performed to investigate which approaches showed better outcomes. In total, 42 studies were included in this study. The main finding of this NMA was that the minimally invasive midvastus (MMV) approach led to better outcomes in terms of pain score (with a surface under the cumulative ranking curve [SUCRA] value of 80.0 and a mean rank of 2.2). Also, the minimally invasive quadriceps-sparing (MQS) approach led to better outcomes in terms of ROM (with a SUCRA value of 90.0 and a mean rank of 1.6). However, the subvastus (SV) and quadriceps-splitting (Qsplitt) approaches led to better outcomes in terms of reduction in adverse effects (SV: SUCRA value of 80.0 and a mean rank of 2.4; Qsplitt: SUCRA value of 70.0 and a mean rank of 3.1). According to this NMA, minimally invasive approaches of TKA led to better outcomes in terms of pain score and ROM, while conventional approaches of TKA led to better outcomes in terms of safety. Therefore, orthopedic surgeons should consider various factors when choosing the TKA approach. PROSPERO: CRD42024548966

This paper presents a real-time pedestrian situation detection framework for autonomous mobility platforms. The proposed approach extracts pedestrians from images acquired by a camera mounted on an autonomous mobility system, classifies their postures, tracks their trajectories, and subsequently detects pedestrian situations. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is employed for pedestrian detection and posture classification, where the YOLOv12 model is fine-tuned via transfer learning for this purpose. To improve detection and classification performance, a region of interest (ROI) is defined using camera calibration data, enabling robust detection of small-scale pedestrians over long distances. Using a custom-labeled dataset, the proposed method achieves a precision of 96.6% and a recall of 97.0% for pedestrian detection and posture classification. The detected pedestrians are tracked using the DeepSORT algorithm, and their situations are inferred through a rule-based analysis module. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system operates at an execution speed of 58.11 ms per frame, corresponding to 17.2 fps, thereby satisfying the real-time requirements for autonomous mobility applications. These results confirm that the proposed framework enables reliable real-time pedestrian extraction and situation awareness in real-world autonomous mobility environments.

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in neuroprotection, and we have previously demonstrated BDNF-mediated neuroprotective effects in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). The present study aimed to investigate whether BDNF-overexpressing MSCs enhance the therapeutic efficacy of naïve MSCs in a preclinical model of severe neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). We exposed primary rat neuronal cells to 40 U of thrombin overnight in vitro. Subsequently, the neuronal cells were co-cultured with either naïve MSCs or BDNF-overexpressing MSCs (1×105 cells in 1 mL media) for 24 hours. Next, 300 μL of maternal blood was injected into bilateral ventricles on postnatal day (P)4 to induce severe IVH in newborn Sprague-Dawley male rats. At P6, either naïve MSCs or BDNF-overexpressing MSCs (1×105 cells in 10 μL saline) were transplanted intraventricularly. Behavioral function tests, including passive avoidance, followed by endpoint analyses of brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid were performed at P35. BDNF-overexpressing MSCs enhanced the effects of naïve MSCs against cell death, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress in vitro. Notably, naïve and BDNF-overexpressing MSCs did not attenuate post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation, neuronal cell death, or gliosis. However, BDNF-overexpressing MSCs attenuated microglial activation. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokine (interleukin [IL]-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α) levels and memory function assessed using a passive avoidance test significantly improved in the BDNF-overexpressing MSC transplanted group compared with the naïve MSC transplanted group. Our data suggest that BDNF-overexpressing MSCs may offer superior protective effects to naïve MSCs in a neonatal IVH model.

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects motor and non-motor systems; however, retinal changes and their molecular basis are not well understood. Using a transgenic mouse model overexpressing A53T-mutant human α-synuclein, we examined retinal function, structure, and proteomics at 6- and 16 months. Early retinal dysfunction was detected by a reduction in scotopic oscillatory potential amplitudes on electroretinography. Optical coherence tomography showed early thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer/ganglion cell layer, and photoreceptor layer, accompanied by thickening of the inner plexiform layer. Phosphorylated α-synuclein accumulation, increased glial fibrillary acidic protein, and loss of the ribbon synapse protein CtBP2 were observed. Proteomic profiling revealed stage-dependent alterations involving α-synuclein, oxidative stress markers, and crystallins. Network analysis showed progression from α-synuclein-associated disruption to inflammation and metabolic remodeling. These results highlight retinal alterations as early indicators of PD neurodegeneration and provide mechanistic insights into the molecular events that precede neuronal loss.

BackgroundPrior studies have focused on tau spread from the entorhinal cortex along first‐order (short‐range) connections within anatomical brain space (seed‐to‐target). Here, we explore tau spread along long‐range connections within a novel coordinate space called connectome gradients, which is reflective of the brain’s hierarchical organization. Exploring tau spread within this new framework offers insights into long‐range connectivity alterations and network susceptibility in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).MethodWe included 213 participants from TRIAD (103 A‐ CN, 103 A+ CN, and 75 A+ CI) with diffusion‐weighted MRI, resting‐state functional MRI, and 18F‐MK6240 tau‐PET. First, we employed graph theory‐based stepwise connectivity analyses to unveil long‐range connectivity patterns from the entorhinal cortex to the rest of the brain. Differences in connectivity patterns were compared between A+ vs A‐ groups, adjusted for age, sex, and APOE‐ε4. Second, we investigated the stepwise connectivity patterns in relation to tau within a novel coordinate system spanned by the principal functional and structural connectome gradients.ResultIn the preclinical stage (A+ CN) compared to controls (A‐ CN), we observed connectivity increase through functional gradient space (Figure 1A red). In the clinical stage (A+ CI), connectivity reduced from the entorhinal cortex to the transmodal end of the functional gradient (DMN/limbic; Figure 1A blue) and to the posterior end of the structural gradient (temporo‐occipital; Figure 1B blue). Long‐range connections from the entorhinal cortex showed increased connectivity toward the unimodal and anterior ends of the functional and structural gradient, respectively (Figure 1A, B red), potentially initiating new paths for tau spread. Indeed, tau–connectivity correlations shifted spatially within gradient space with disease progression (Figure 2), moving from the highest‐order (DMN/limbic) cognitive system of the functional gradient in A+ CN to the second‐highest order (frontoparietal) system in A+ CI.ConclusionWe employed a novel integration of stepwise connectivity and connectome gradients to enable a better understanding of how connectivity is related to tau spread along the major axes of brain organization. We observed widespread network reorganization in AD and notably that the tau–connectivity correlations shifted between major networks of the functional connectome gradient with disease progression.

Gallium-based liquid metals (LMs) are considered promising electrodes for supercapacitors owing to their metallic conductivity and high deformability. LMs can form nanoparticles via ultrasonication and can be further transformed into rod morphologies via hydrothermal treatment. Remarkably, LM rods exhibit a larger surface area than particles, allowing them to be highly decorated with different metals via galvanic replacement. In this study, a novel electrode is introduced, shape-transformed liquid metal rods decorated with NiCo2O4 nanoneedles anchored on activated carbon. Electrodes with hierarchical structures enhanced the pseudocapacitive performance in an alkaline electrolyte (1.0m KOH), achieving a high specific capacitance of 749.6 F g-1 at 1 A g-1. Owing to the deformability of the LM electrodes as well as the use of LM current collectors, the devices are endowed to be fully soft and exhibited mechanical and electrochemical stability even after cycles of deformation. When assembled into an asymmetric soft supercapacitor with activated carbon as a cathode, the device delivered a specific capacitance of 45 F g-1 at 2 A g-1 and retained 96% of its initial capacitance even after 10 000 galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles and after 1 000 mechanical bending cycles with 50% compression, and stretching cycles with 30% elongation.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the current status of psychiatric therapy and anti-craving prescriptions for patients with alcohol-related diseases and to evaluate the impact of these treatments on the prognosis of alcohol-related diseases for drawing implications.MethodsData were analyzed by combining data extracted from one hospital, data of the National Health Insurance Service, and the National Statistical Office mortality data. The rationale for utilizing an integrated data set was that a single dataset from a single hospital was insufficient for comprehending economic factors, mortality rates, and medical information.ResultsThe analysis yielded two principal conclusions. Firstly, concurrent administration of psychiatric therapy and anti-craving prescriptions was demonstrated to be an effective approach in the management of alcohol-related disorders. Secondly, the economic status of patients was found to influence outcomes of psychiatric pharmacotherapy.ConclusionThe integration of diverse alcohol-related data for management could facilitate the implementation of personalized prescriptions tailored to specific needs of each patient. This approach has the potential to reduce mortality rates and mitigate societal burdens associated with alcohol-related diseases.