Survival of lung cancer patients according to screening eligibility using Korean Lung Cancer Registry 2014-2016.

This study assessed survival for lung cancer patients meeting criteria for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program in Korea launched in 2019 and updated guideline reported by the US Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF). We assessed all-cause mortality based on the Korean Lung Cancer Registry (KLCR), including lung cancer patients diagnosed in 2014-2016. We compared survival among lung cancer patients eligible for extended USPSTF criteria (age 50-80 years and ≥ 20 pack-years) and those meeting current criteria (age 54-74 years and ≥ 30 pack-years, current or within the past 15 years).

Design and Optimization of Composite Cathodes for Solid-State Batteries Using Hybrid Carbon Networks with Facile Electronic and Ionic Percolation Pathways.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional liquid electrolyte batteries due to their potential for higher energy density and improved safety. However, achieving high performance in SSBs is difficult because of inadequate contact and interfacial reactions that generate high interfacial resistance, as well as inadequate solid-solid contact between electrodes. These chronic issues are associated with inhomogeneous ion and electron transport networks owing to imperfect solid-solid interfacial contact.

Heat-Induced Agglomeration of Amorphous Silicon Nanoparticles Toward the Formation of Silicon Thin Film.

The thermal behavior of silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) was investigated for the preparation of silicon thin film using a solution process. TEM analysis of Si NPs, synthesized by inductively coupled plasma, revealed that the micro-structure of the Si NPs was amorphous and that the Si NPs had melted and merged at a comparatively low temperature (~750 °C) considering bulk melting temperature of silicon (1414 °C). A silicon ink solution was prepared by dispersing amorphous Si NPs in propylene glycol (PG).

A Modified Oxidative Refinement Process for Removing Boron from Molten Silicon Under Enhanced Electromagnetic Force.

The removal of boron is one of the main challenges in the purification of metallurgical grade silicon destined for low-cost photovoltaic applications. However, boron is very difficult to remove in its elemental form due to its large segregation coefficient in silicon and its low vapor pressure. The removal of boron by slag treatment is today regarded as a highly promising method, but its refining efficiency is relatively low.

Role of Drosophila EDEMs in the degradation of the alpha-1-antitrypsin Z variant.

The synthesis of proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that exceeds the protein folding capacity of this organelle is a frequent cause of cellular dysfunction and disease. An example of such a disease is alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency, caused by destabilizing mutations in this glycoprotein. It is considered that the mutant proteins are recognized in the ER by lectins and are subsequently degraded through the proteasome, leading to a deficiency in this enzyme in the afflicted patients.

SiO(x) nanoparticles synthesized by an evaporation and condensation process using induction melting of silicon and gas injection.

SiO(x) nanoparticles were synthesized using a specially designed induction melting system equipped with a segmented graphite crucible. The graphite crucible with the segmented wall was the key to enhancing the evaporation rate due to the increase of the evaporation area and convection of the silicon melt. Injection of the gas mixture of oxygen (O2) and argon (Ar) on silicon (Si) melt caused the formation of SiO(x) nanoparticles.

Study of the microstructures and lifetime of spin-cast silicon sheets for photovoltaics.

Silicon sheets were fabricated by a new fabricating method, spin casting with various rotation speeds of the graphite mold. The microstructure of spin-cast silicon sheets were investigated using an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and scanning electron microscope/electron backscatter diffraction/orientation image micrograph, and the lifetime of the sheets was mapped using microwave photoconductance decay. The silicon sheets were vertically aligned, with sizes ranging from tens of microns to one hundred microns.

Numerical simulation and fabrication of silicon sheet via spin casting.

A spin-casting process for fabricating polycrystalline silicon sheets for use as solar cell wafers is proposed, and the parameters that control the sheet thickness are investigated. A numerical study of the fluidity of molten silicon indicates that the formation of thin silicon sheets without a mold and via spin casting is feasible. The faster the rotation speed of graphite mold, the thinner the thickness of sheet.

Numerical simulation of solid liquid interface behavior during continuous strip casting process.

A new metal-strip-casting process called continuous strip-casting (CSC) has been developed for making thin metal strips. A numerical simulation model to help understand solid-liquid interface behavior during CSC has been developed and used to identify the solidification morphologies of the strips and to determine the optimum processing conditions. In this study, we used a modified level contour reconstruction method (LCRM) and the sharp interface method to modify interface tracking, and performed a simulation analysis of the CSC process.

Formation of silicon sheet on a rotating substrate.

A spin casting process to fabricate polycrystalline silicon sheets for use as solar cell wafers is presented and the parameters that control the sheet thickness are investigated. The computational model for the spin casting is proposed in order to understand the melt flow and solidification behaviors in the mold. The effect of the rotating speed of the mold and substrate morphology on the silicon sheets is studied via computer simulations, and the simulation results are compared with the experimental results.

Effects of annealing conditions on microstructures of thin film using crystalline silicon nanoparticles for printable electronics.

Silicon thin film was formed by dropping silicon ink on a single-crystalline silicon substrate and further annealing. The effects of the annealing conditions on the microstructures of thin film were investigated in order to obtain a crystalline silicon thin film for application in the field of printable electronics. Silicon ink was prepared by dispersing silicon nanoparticles synthesized using inductive coupled plasma in a solvent, namely, propylene glycol.

Effects of process conditions on the properties of silicon nanoparticles synthesized by gas phase reactions using inductive coupled plasma.

Silicon nanoparticles were synthesized by passing monosilane through a quartz tube wrapped with Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP) coil. Microstructures of synthesized silicon nanoparticles were investigated with various process conditions. To research the effects of process parameters on the properties of nanoparticles, we verified the partial pressure of monosilane, the plasma power and the working pressure.