• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.809-815
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• 2023

This study was conducted to find out the correlation between meat quality and muscle fat ratio in pork part meat (pork belly and shoulder butt) using CT (computed tomography) imaging technique. After 24 hours from slaughter, pork loin and belly were individually prepared from the left semiconductors of 26 pigs for CT measurement. The image obtained from CT scans was checked through the picture archiving and communications system (PACS). The volume of muscle and fat in the pork belly and shoulder butt of cross-sectional images taken by CT was estimated using Vitrea workstation version 7. This assemblage was further processed through Vitrea post-processing software to automatically calculate the volumes (Fig. 1). The volumes were measured in milliliters (mL). In addition to volume calculation, a three-dimensional reconstruction of the organ under consideration was generated. Pearson's correlation coefficient was analyzed to evaluate the relationship by region (pork belly, pork shoulder butt), and statistical processing was performed using GraphPad Prism 8. The muscle-fat ratios of pork belly taken by CT was 1 : 0.86, while that of pork shoulder butt was 1 : 0.37. As a result of CT analysis of the correlation coefficient between pork belly and shoulder butt compared to the muscle-fat ratio, the correlation coefficient was 0.5679 (R² = 0.3295, p < 0.01). CT imaging provided very good estimates of muscle contents in cuts and in the whole carcass.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2024

This paper proposes an efficient dimension reduction method (DRM) that considers the nonlinearity of the performance functions in reliability-based design optimization (RBDO). The dimension reduction method evaluates the reliability more accurately than the first-order reliability method (FORM) using integration quadrature points and weights. However, its efficiency is hindered as the number of quadrature points increases owing to the need for an additional evaluation of the performance function. In this study, we assessed the nonlinearity of the performance function in RBDO and proposed criteria for determining the number of quadrature points based on the degree of nonlinearity. This approach suggests adjusting the number of quadrature points during each iteration of the RBDO process while maintaining the accuracy of theDRM while improving the computational efficiency. The nonlinearity of the performance function was evaluated using the angle between the vectors used in the maximum probable target point (MPTP) search. Numerical tests were conducted to determine the appropriate number of quadrature points according to the degree of nonlinearity. Through a 2D numerical example, it is confirmed that the proposed method improves the efficiency while maintaining the accuracy of the dimension reduction method or Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS).

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2024

Purpose:The acute hospital accreditation program launched in South Korea has shown positive effects on safety culture and quality of care. However, relative weights have not yet been investigated for accreditation criteria with a hierarchical structure. This study aimed to derive the relative weights of acute-care hospital accreditation criteria. Methods: We conducted an online survey using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique to assess the validity, importance, and urgency of acute hospital accreditation criteria. The AHP online survey link was distributed in November 2022 after obtaining informed consent from 10 experts in hospital accreditation. Results: 'Basic value system' ranked highest, while 'patient care system' ranked second in terms of validity, importance, and urgency. 'Performance management system' had the lowest validity and urgency, while 'organizational management system' carried the lowest importance. Within the 'patient care system' domain, 'surgery and anesthesia sedation management' scored highest in validity and importance, and 'patient care' scored highest in urgency. 'Care delivery system and evaluation' received the lowest scores for all three aspects. In the 'organizational management system' domain, infection control ranked highest in terms of validity, importance, and urgency. The lowest validity was observed for 'management and organizational operation' and the lowest importance and urgency were noted for 'human resource management'. Conclusion: The weights for validity, importance, and urgency, as shown in each domain and chapter, and the number of measurable elements included, are largely inconsistent. This study will contribute to the development of the structure and scientific improvement of accreditation standards.

• 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.83 no.6
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• pp.1286-1297
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• 2022

Purpose To assess the usefulness of various metal artifact reduction (MAR) methods in patients with hip prostheses. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 47 consecutive patients who underwent hip arthroplasty and dual-energy CT. Conventional polyenergetic image (CI), orthopedic-MAR (OMAR), and virtual monoenergetic image (VMI, 50-200 keV) were tested for MAR. Quantitative analysis was performed in seven regions around the prostheses. Qualitative assessments included evaluation of the degree of artifacts and the presence of secondary artifacts. Results The lowest amount of image noise was observed in the O-MAR, followed by the VMI. O-MAR also showed the lowest artifact index, followed by high-keV VMI in the range of 120-200 keV (soft tissue) or 200 keV (bone). O-MAR had the highest contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in regions with severe hypodense artifacts, while VMI had the highest CNR in other regions, including the periprosthetic bone. On assessment of the CI of pelvic soft tissues, VMI showed a higher structural similarity than O-MAR. Upon qualitative analysis, metal artifacts were significantly reduced in O-MAR, followed by that in VMI, while secondary artifacts were the most frequently found in the O-MAR (p < 0.001). Conclusion O-MAR is the best technique for severe MAR, but it can generate secondary artifacts. VMI at high keV can be advantageous for evaluating periprosthetic bone.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.4
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• pp.912-919
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• 2020

Purpose This study aimed to compare the brain perfusion status of patients with chronic kidney disease to a normal control group to identify any significant differences. Materials and Methods The perfusion state of the brain was measured by MRI using the arterial spin labeling technique in 36 patients undergoing hemodialysis due to chronic kidney disease and 36 normal controls. Images were then analyzed in a voxel-wise manner to detect brain areas showing significant perfusion differences between the two groups. Results Patients with chronic kidney disease showed increased perfusion in the form of large clusters across the right fronto-parieto-temporal lobe and the left parieto-occipital lobe. In addition, perfusion increased in the bilateral thalami, midbrain, pons, and cerebellum (p < 0.01, familywise error corrected). Conclusion Brain perfusion appears to increase in patients with chronic kidney disease compared to normal controls. Uremic toxicity is thought to be the cause of this increase as it can cause damage to the microscopic blood vessels and their surrounding structures.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2024

Objective: Alveolar bone loss is a common adverse effect of intrusion treatment. Mandibular incisors are prone to dehiscence and fenestrations as they suffer from thinner alveolar bone thickness. Methods: Thirty skeletal class II patients treated with mandibular intrusion arch therapy were included in this study. Lateral cephalograms and cone-beam computed tomography images were taken before treatment (T1) and immediately after intrusion arch removal (T2) to evaluate the tooth displacement and the alveolar bone changes. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation was used to identify risk factors of alveolar bone loss during the intrusion treatment. Results: Deep overbite was successfully corrected (P < 0.05), accompanied by mandibular incisor proclination (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant change in the true incisor intrusion (P > 0.05). The labial and lingual vertical alveolar bone levels showed a significant decrease (P < 0.05). The alveolar bone is thinning in the labial crestal area and lingual apical area (P < 0.05); accompanied by thickening in the labial apical area (P < 0.05). Proclined incisors, non-extraction treatment, and increased A point-nasion-B point (ANB) degree were positively correlated with alveolar bone loss. Conclusions: While the mandibular intrusion arch effectively corrected the deep overbite, it did cause some unwanted incisor labial tipping/flaring. During the intrusion treatment, the alveolar bone underwent corresponding changes, which was thinning in the labial crestal area and thickening in the labial apical area vice versa. And increased axis change of incisors, non-extraction treatment, and increased ANB were identified as risk factors for alveolar bone loss in patients with mandibular intrusion therapy.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.209-223
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• 2024

In the context of the fourth industrial revolution, data-driven decision-making has increasingly become pivotal. However, the integrity of data analysis is compromised if data quality is not adequately ensured, potentially leading to biased interpretations. This is particularly critical for water level data, essential for water resource management, which often encounters quality issues such as missing values, spikes, and noise. This study addresses the challenge of noise-induced data quality deterioration, which complicates trend analysis and may produce anomalous outliers. To mitigate this issue, we propose a noise removal strategy employing Wavelet Transform, a technique renowned for its efficacy in signal processing and noise elimination. The advantage of Wavelet Transform lies in its operational efficiency - it reduces both time and costs as it obviates the need for acquiring the true values of collected data. This study conducted a comparative performance evaluation between our Wavelet Transform-based approach and the Denoising Autoencoder, a prominent machine learning method for noise reduction.. The findings demonstrate that the Coiflets wavelet function outperforms the Denoising Autoencoder across various metrics, including Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), and Mean Squared Error (MSE). The superiority of the Coiflets function suggests that selecting an appropriate wavelet function tailored to the specific application environment can effectively address data quality issues caused by noise. This study underscores the potential of Wavelet Transform as a robust tool for enhancing the quality of water level data, thereby contributing to the reliability of water resource management decisions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.363-384
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• 2024

This study was conducted to examine the user's experiences with the public library in Daejeon using big data analysis, focusing on the text mining technique. To know this, first, the overall evaluation and perception of users about the public library in Daejeon were explored by collecting data on social media. Second, through analysis using online news articles, the pending issues that are being discussed socially were identified. As a result of the analysis, the proportion of users with children was first high. Next, it was found that topics through LDA analysis appeared in four categories: 'cultural event/program', 'data use', 'physical environment and facilities', and 'library service'. Finally, it was confirmed that keywords for the additional construction of libraries and complex cultural spaces and the establishment of a library cooperation system appeared at the core in the news article data. Based on this, it was proposed to build a library in consideration of regional balance and to create a social parenting community network through business agreements with childcare and childcare institutions. This will contribute to identifying the policy and social trends of public libraries in Daejeon and implementing data-based public library operations that reflect local community demands.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.209-222
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• 2024

The Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is widely used for underground tunnel construction for its advantages, such as eliminating the need for additional facilities compared to the slurry shield TBM, which requires Slurry Treatment Plant (STP). During EPB shield TBM excavation, a soil conditioning technique is employed to enhance the physical properties of the excavated soil by injecting additives, thus broadening the range of applicable ground conditions to EPB shield TBMs. This study explored the use of xanthan gum, a type of biopolymer, as an alternative to the commonly used polymer additive. Biopolymers, derived from biological sources, are fully biodegradable. In contrast to traditional polymers such as polyacrylic acid, which contain environmentally harmful components, xanthan gum is gaining attention as an eco-friendly material due to its minimal toxicity and environmental impact. Test conditions with similar workability were established through slump tests, and the rheological characteristics were assessed using a laboratory pressurized vane shear test apparatus. The experiments demonstrated that, despite exhibiting similar workability, the peak strength in the flow curve decreased with increasing the content of xanthan gum. Consequently, a correlation between the xanthan gum content and peak strength was established. Replacing the traditional polymers with xanthan gum could enable stable EPB shield TBM operation by reducing equipment load, in addition to offering environmental benefits.