We found a strong inverse association of 25(OH)D levels with MetS and HTN in this middle-aged Korean population. Having vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk of having MetS and HTN in this demographic group.

Our results identified this sonographic classification as a useful tool in the differentiation of malignant nodules from benign nodules. In view of the high negative predictive value of sonographic classification, a more aggressive approach is recommended only for category 3 nodules.

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Our data show that the circulating OPG-RANKL system is associated with bone metabolism in the male populations. Also, our data suggest that OPG and RANKL may be mediators of the effects of oestradiol in male bone metabolism.

OBJECTIVEThis study was conducted to investigate the association of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) with both arterial stiffness and intima–media thickness (IMT).RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 731 subjects with type 2 diabetes. DPN was diagnosed on the basis of neuropathic symptoms, insensitivity to a 10-g monofilament, abnormal pin-prick sensation, and abnormal current perception threshold. Arterial stiffness was assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), and IMT was assessed by B-mode ultrasonography.RESULTSPatients with DPN had higher CAVI than those without DPN in multivariate-adjusted models, whereas no differences in IMT were observed between patients with and without DPN after adjustment for age and sex. In the multivariate analysis, CAVI was a significant determinant of DPN (odds ratio 1.36 [95% CI 1.13–1.65], P = 0.001).CONCLUSIONSDPN is significantly associated with arterial stiffness without carotid intimal changes in patients with type 2 diabetes.

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HfSe field effect transistors are systematically studied in order to selectively tune their electrical properties by optimizing layer thickness and oxygen plasma treatment. The optimized plasma-treated HfSe field effect transistors showed a high on/off ratio improvement of four orders of magnitude, from 27 to 10, a field effect mobility increase from 2.16 to 3.04 cm V s, a subthreshold swing improvement from 30.6 to 4.8 V dec, and a positive threshold voltage shift between depletion mode and enhancement mode, from -7.02 to 11.5 V. The plasma-treated HfSe photodetector also demonstrates a reasonable photoresponsivity from the visible to the near-infrared region of light.

A transformer performs many functions such as voltage transformation, isolation, and noise decoupling, and it is an indispensable component in electric power distribution systems. However, at low frequencies (60/50 Hz), it is a bulky and expensive component. In this paper, the concept of electronic transformers is further extended and explored for its suitability in power distribution systems. It should be noted that from the input/output behavior, the electronic transformer and the conventional transformer are identical. Possible topologies employing static converters connected on the primary and secondary sides are explored to realize high-frequency operation of the magnetic core. To assist the commutation process, a four-step switching has been developed which does not require the use of snubbers. Reduced size, losses, higher efficiency, and better voltage regulation are some of the advantages of this approach. A 10-kVA design example along with experiment results are discussed. It is shown that a transformer designed with a conventional grainoriented silicon-steel core can process three times the power at 1-kHz operating frequency as compared to 60 Hz. The proposed method is scalable in voltage/current with the currently available insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices connected in series without special snubbers.Index Terms-Electronic transformers, four-step switching, high-frequency switching.