• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.316-330
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• 2008

During the past two decades or so, science (or scientific or scientific & technological) culture has become one of the main themes not only of policy makers but also of science educators. Although, the idea of science culture has been taken as a desirable goal, there is little agreement about what it means and how to measure it. Particularly in Korea, there has been a rapid growth of science culture projects and programs, either by governmental or non-governmental, but with little systemic monitoring and evaluation for its practice. The purpose of this study is, thus, to explore a model of measuring science culture and develop a comprehensive indicator system for it. We reviewed many literatures on definitions of science culture and the surveys for related terms, particularly, of recent national and international surveys (e.g. US Science and Engineering Indicators, Eurobarometer, Japanese Science and Technology Indicators). Based on this review, a model for science culture is proposed and then used to define the Science Culture Indicators (SCI). This model encompasses two dimensions(i.e. individual and social), which are further divided into two aspects (i.e. potential and practice). Each dimension is expected to represent citizen literacy of and national infrastructure of science culture respectively. Each category in this $2{\times}2$ matrix is further divided into several sub-categories. The discussion concerning how the model and the indicators can be used to check the states of science culture at social as well as individual levels will be given with some concrete examples, such as indicators particularly related to science education.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.282-290
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• 2008

The Research and Education (R&E) program was a year-long, apprenticeship and research-based program that was guided by mentors who are scientists or science teachers. The objective of the R&E program was to help scientifically gifted students in Korea Science Academy (KSA) and Science High Schools (SHS) to enhance abilities in creative thinking, scientific inquiry, problem solving, positive attitude towards scientists, and promoting cooperative research and interests in science and technology. In this study, the impact of the R&E program on the goals of 182 gifted college students in KAIST was evaluated using Likert-type items and multiple-choice method approach that provided a more comprehensive evaluation of the program's impact on science attitudes, creative thinking, scientific inquiry, and interests in science and technology. The results indicated a positive impact on cooperative research, gaining knowledge on the research topic, attitude towards scientists, interest in science and technology, scientific inquiry, and creative thinking in that order. There were rather remarkable and meaningful differences in science inquiry (p<.05), and scientific knowledge (p<.01), between the two groups of KAIST freshmen who came from SHS and KSA in 2006. Implications for science apprenticeship or a research-based mentorship program and their respective evaluations are also discussed.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.157-168
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• 2024

The frequent occurrence of structural failures at building construction sites in Korea has underscored the critical role of rigorous oversight in the inspection and management of construction projects. As mandated by prevailing regulations and standards, onsite supervision by designated supervisors encompasses thorough documentation of construction quality, material standards, and the history of any reconstructions, among other factors. These reports, predominantly consisting of unstructured data, constitute approximately 80% of the data amassed at construction sites and serve as a comprehensive repository of quality-related information. This research introduces the SL-QPA model, which employs text mining techniques to preprocess supervision reports and establish a sentiment dictionary, thereby enabling the quantification of quality performance. The study's findings, demonstrating a statistically significant Pearson correlation between the quality performance scores derived from the SL-QPA model and various legally defined indicators, were substantiated through a one-way analysis of variance of the correlation coefficients. The SL-QPA model, as developed in this study, offers a supplementary approach to evaluating the quality performance of building construction projects. It holds the promise of enhancing quality inspection and management practices by harnessing the wealth of unstructured data generated throughout the lifecycle of construction projects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.2
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• pp.272-289
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• 2020

Current advances in CT techniques allow thorough evaluation of the beating heart. The strengths of cardiac CT relative to echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging are its high availability in most institutions, rapid production of high-quality images, and outstanding delineation of the anatomy. For many normal variants and pathologic conditions, such as thrombi, masses, and congenital abnormalities of the left atrium, CT findings are sufficient to make a presumptive diagnosis. Assessments of the left atrium and left atrial appendage are particularly important for the management of atrial fibrillation, as various catheter-based procedures are aimed at the mechanical and electrical isolation of these structures. CT offers information crucial to a successful catheter-based procedure or surgery. Therefore, a comprehensive review of the geometry (shape, size, and relative position), along with various CT imaging features of pathologic states, should be provided in radiology reports to be of clinical value.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.47-68
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• 2019

As cloud services and deployment models become diverse, there are a growing number of cloud computing selection options. Therefore, financial companies need a methodology to select the appropriated cloud for each financial computing system. This study adopted the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) framework to classify factors for the introduction of cloud computing in financial companies. Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the evaluation items are layered into the performance perspective and the cloud consideration factor and a comprehensive decision model is proposed. To verify the proposed research model, a system of financial company is divided into three: account, information, and channel system, and the result of decision making by both financial business experts and technology experts from two financial companies were collected. The result shows that some common factors are important in all systems, but most of the factors considered are very different from system to system. We expect that our methodology contributes to the spread of cloud computing adoption.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.1483-1494
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• 2024

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of slaughter age on carcass traits, meat quality, and the relative mRNA levels of lipid metabolism-related genes in different muscles of Taihang black goats. Methods: In this study, the triceps brachii (TB), longissimus dorsi (LD) and gluteus (GL) muscles of 15 grazing Taihang black goats slaughtered at the age of 2, 3, and 4 (designated as 2-year-old, 3-year-old, and 4-year-old, respectively) were collected. The differences in carcass shape, meat quality, amino acid composition and lipid metabolism gene expression among Taihang black goats of different ages and from different plant parts were compared. Results: Compared with goats at other ages, goats slaughtered at the age of 4 had greater live and carcass weights, meat weights, bone weights and skin areas (p<0.05). LD in the 4-years-old had the lowest cooking loss and moisture content. The crude protein content in the LD of 2-year-old was significantly greater than that in the other age group, and at the age of 2, the LD had the highest crude protein content than TB and GL. The highest fat content was in LD, followed by TB, for goats slaughtered at the age of 4. Eight out of 9 essential amino acids had higher content in the TB compared with other muscles, regardless of age. The total essential amino acid content was highest in the 4-year-old and lowest in the GL muscle at the age of 3. The sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) genes were significantly more abundant in the TB muscle than in the other muscles for goats slaughtered at the age of 2. At the age of 4, the ATGL and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) genes were significantly more abundant in the GL than in the LD, while the fatty acid synthase (FAS) genes were significantly less abundant in the GL than in the other muscles. Similarly, compared with those in goats of other ages, the relative mRNA expression levels of the FAS and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) genes in goats slaughtered at the age of 4 were the highest, and the relative mRNA expression of the PPARγ gene was the lowest (p<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of the H-FABP and FAS genes was positively correlated with the intramuscular fat (IMF) content, while the relative mRNA expression levels of the PPARγ and ATGL genes was negatively correlated with the IMF content. Conclusion: Overall, a better nutritional value was obtained for TB from 4-year-old goats, in which the total essential amino acid and fat contents were greater than those of other muscles. The comprehensive action of lipid metabolism genes was consistent with that of the IMF content, among which the FAS, H-FABP, PPARγ, and ATGL genes had positive and negative effects on the process of IMF deposition in Taihang black goats.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.190-198
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• 2024

Introduction: Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a rare neurological disorder marked by symmetric nerve fiber damage, commonly following rapid hyponatremia correction, with no established treatment and a poor prognosis. The condition, often linked to alcoholism, malnutrition, and various diseases, lacks comprehensive studies on its impact on gait. This research aims to quantitatively analyze gait changes in CPM patients receiving both traditional Korean and conventional rehabilitation treatments, addressing a gap in current understanding of CPM management. Case presentation: A 56-year-old male diagnosed with CPM following an initial misdiagnosis underwent combined electoracupuncture and rehabilitative treatment at ○○ university Korean medical center, resulting in significant gait improvements. A treadmill gait analysis system was used to measure changes in key gait parameters at 2-week intervals, and the patient's progress was documented. Conclusions: The quantitative analysis revealed significant gait improvements. Foot rotation decreased from 8.9° to 6.4° (right) and from 11.1° to 7.2° (left); lateral symmetry improved from -7.8 to 0.8; step length increased from 21 cm to 44 cm (right) and from 19 cm to 44 cm (left); and velocity increased from 1.2 m/s to 2.7 m/s. These findings highlight decreased foot rotation and lateral symmetry, along with increased step length and velocity, suggesting a positive outcome of the treatment regimen. Notably, the patient experienced no adverse effects related to the treatments. Despite limitations, including the singe case focus and lack of prior gait-focused CPM research, this case report provides valuable insights into effective CPM management strategies, paving the way for future research in this domain.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.41-58
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• 2023

Objectives: This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of Cheongpebaedok-tang, a traditional Korean herbal medicine, provided via telemedicine to patients with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19 in Korea. Methods: From February to April 2020, a retrospective analysis investigated COVID-19 patients treated via Korean telemedicine. The study involved asymptomatic to mild cases receiving Cheongpebaedok-tang more than three times, along with continuous Korean medicine care in convalescence. Diagnoses and treatment adhered to the telemedicine guidelines of the Association of Korean Medicine, with varied Cheongpebaedok-tang prescriptions based on symptom severity. Symptom evaluation involved a detailed assessment using a 15-item tool at initial and final sessions. Results: The study included 27 patients, with a mean age of 48.7 ± 2.3 years (mean ± standard error). Patients began self-administering oral Cheongpebaedok-tang for an average of 19.4 ± 1.8 days after the date of COVID-19 diagnosis confirmation and continued the medication for 15.8 ± 1.2 days. The reported side effects of the Cheongpebaedok-tang included palpitations (11.1%), insomnia (7.4%), dizziness (3.7%), and diarrhea (3.7%). All side effects disappeared after adjusting the prescription according to standard treatment guidelines. The occurrence of all COVID-19-related adverse symptoms, except fatigue and myalgia, decreased. Fatigue was the most common chronic symptom persisting after 6 months (51.9%), followed by ocular symptoms (37.0%) and sore throat (22.2%). Conclusions: This study implies Cheongpebaedok-tang may offer a potentially safe, symptom-alleviating approach for managing mild COVID-19 cases via telemedicine, although further comprehensive research is warranted.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.327-344
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• 2024

Parathyroid glands are small endocrine glands that regulate calcium metabolism by producing parathyroid hormone (PTH). These are located at the back of the thyroid gland. Typically, four glands comprise the parathyroid glands, although their numbers may vary among individuals. Parathyroid diseases are related to parathyroid gland dysfunction and can be caused by problems with the parathyroid gland itself or abnormal serum calcium levels arising from renal disease. In recent years, as comprehensive health checkups have become more common, abnormal serum calcium levels are often found incidentally in blood tests, after which several additional tests, including a PTH test, ultrasonography (US), technetium-99m sestamibi parathyroid scan, single-photon-emission CT (SPECT)/CT, four-dimensional CT (4D-CT), and PET/CT, are performed for further evaluation. However, the parathyroid gland remains an organ less familiar to radiologists. Therefore, the normal anatomy, pathophysiology, imaging, and clinical findings of the parathyroid gland and its associated diseases are discussed here.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.341-352
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• 2024

Purpose: Textbook outcome is a comprehensive measure used to assess surgical quality and is increasingly being recognized as a valuable evaluation tool. Delta-shaped anastomosis (DA), an intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy, is a viable option for minimally invasive distal gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer. This study aims to evaluate the surgical outcomes and calculate the textbook outcome of DA. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, the records of 4,902 patients who underwent minimally invasive distal gastrectomy for DA between 2009 and 2020 were reviewed. The data were categorized into three phases to analyze the trends over time. Surgical outcomes, including the operation time, length of post-operative hospital stay, and complication rates, were assessed, and the textbook outcome was calculated. Results: Among 4,505 patients, the textbook outcome is achieved in 3,736 (82.9%). Post-operative complications affect the textbook outcome the most significantly (91.9%). The highest textbook outcome is achieved in phase 2 (85.0%), which surpasses the rates of in phase 1 (81.7%) and phase 3 (82.3%). The post-operative complication rate within 30 d after surgery is 8.7%, and the rate of major complications exceeding the Clavien-Dindo classification grade 3 is 2.4%. Conclusions: Based on the outcomes of a large dataset, DA can be considered safe and feasible for gastric cancer.