• Land and Housing Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.107-124
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• 2024

Based on Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, this study explores how to mitigate the disappearance of rual areas. The study surveyed 95 young farmers in Muan-gun to assess their farming practices and the challenges they face. We further employ factor analysis and cluster analysis classify young farmers in Muan-gun, facilitating the identification of tailored policies or initiatives aimed at fostering and supporting young farmers. The results are summarized as follows. First, Muan County does not have any ordinances or original projects specifically designed to support young farmers. Second, the succession rate of farmland among young farmers in Muan County is 41.1%, which is comparable to the national rate of 43.7%. This indicates that approximately 40% of young farmers in Korea have inherited farmland, a critical foundation for agricultural activities. Third, despite accumulating farming experience, young farmers have not seen any improvement in local living conditions, and rather their difficulties have intensified. Fourth, this study conducted a factor analysis using 21 variables, resulting in the selection of seven common factors for cluster analysis. Consequently, young farmers in Muan County were categorized into three groups. The multinomial logit analysis revealed that the typology of young farmers is influenced by indicators such as cultivated area, farming experience, demand for smart farms, farm income, and farming type (rice cultivation or other). Therefore, to attract young farmers and prevent the decline of rural areas, policy efforts should focus on minimizing entry barriers to farming infrastructure, such as access to farmland, and improving local settlement conditions.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1006-1016
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• 2023

Objective: Computed tomography (CT) is an established method for the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of multiple myeloma. Here, we investigated the potential of photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) in terms of image quality, diagnostic confidence, and radiation dose compared with energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT). Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, patients with known multiple myeloma underwent clinically indicated whole-body PCD-CT. The image quality of PCD-CT was assessed qualitatively by three independent radiologists for overall image quality, edge sharpness, image noise, lesion conspicuity, and diagnostic confidence using a 5-point Likert scale (5 = excellent), and quantitatively for signal homogeneity using the coefficient of variation (CV) of Hounsfield Units (HU) values and modulation transfer function (MTF) via the full width at half maximum (FWHM) in the frequency space. The results were compared with those of the current clinical standard EID-CT protocols as controls. Additionally, the radiation dose (CTDIvol) was determined. Results: We enrolled 35 patients with multiple myeloma (mean age 69.8 ± 9.1 years; 18 [51%] males). Qualitative image analysis revealed superior scores (median [interquartile range]) for PCD-CT regarding overall image quality (4.0 [4.0-5.0] vs. 4.0 [3.0-4.0]), edge sharpness (4.0 [4.0-5.0] vs. 4.0 [3.0-4.0]), image noise (4.0 [4.0-4.0] vs. 3.0 [3.0-4.0]), lesion conspicuity (4.0 [4.0-5.0] vs. 4.0 [3.0-4.0]), and diagnostic confidence (4.0 [4.0-5.0] vs. 4.0 [3.0-4.0]) compared with EID-CT (P ≤ 0.004). In quantitative image analyses, PCD-CT compared with EID-CT revealed a substantially lower FWHM (2.89 vs. 25.68 cy/pixel) and a significantly more homogeneous signal (mean CV ± standard deviation [SD], 0.99 ± 0.65 vs. 1.66 ± 0.5; P < 0.001) at a significantly lower radiation dose (mean CTDIvol ± SD, 3.33 ± 0.82 vs. 7.19 ± 3.57 mGy; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Whole-body PCD-CT provides significantly higher subjective and objective image quality at significantly reduced radiation doses than the current clinical standard EID-CT protocols, along with readily available multi-spectral data, facilitating the potential for further advanced post-processing.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2019

Mindfulness is the process of actively noticing new things. Today, companies have introduced and run mindfulness programs because the mindfulness has possible applications of productivity and innovation in corporation. However, role of mindfulness has not been clearly investigated in behavior research of Information System. The purpose of this study is to confirm the effects of mindfulness on technology acceptance process. Based on UTAUT Model, we examined how mindfulness in technology acceptance process moderate antecedent factors of acceptance intentions and use behavior. For empirical research, we conducted a survey on acceptance of smart watch of internet of things for employees of companies applying the mindfulness programs. then, we analyzed survey sample in empirical methodologies. Based on the empirical analysis, cognizance of alternative technologies in mindfulness factors increased the impact of performance expectancy on acceptance intention. Novelty seeking in mindfulness factors increased the impact of effort expectancy on acceptance intention. Awareness of local context in mindfulness factors decreased the impact of social influence on acceptance intention. engagement with technology in mindfulness factors increased the impact of facilitating conditions on use behavior. This study suggests academic implications and practical implications based on the results of the research. The implications will help to support and extend the theory of technology acceptance model while providing practical insights for IT acceptance by suggesting ways to utilize mindfulness in corporation.

• Atmosphere
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.203-216
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• 2024

The National Institute of Meteorological Sciences in Korea has developed the Weather Modification Hybrid Rocket (WMHR), an advanced system that offers enhanced stability and cost-effectiveness over conventional solid-fuel rockets. Designed for precise operation, the WMHR enables accurate control over the ejection altitude of pyrotechnics by modulating the quantity of oxidizer, facilitating specific cloud seeding at various atmospheric layers. Furthermore, the rate of descent for pyrotechnic devices can be adjusted by modifying parachute sizes, allowing for controlled dispersion time and concentration of seeding agents. The rocket's configuration also supports adjustments in the pyrotechnic device's capacity, permitting tailored seeding agent deployment. This innovation reflects significant technical progression and collaborations with local manufacturers, in addition to efforts to secure testing sites and address hybrid rocket production challenges. Notable outcomes of this project include the creation of a national framework for weather modification technology utilizing hybrid rockets, enhanced cloud seeding methods, and the potential for broader meteorological application of hybrid rockets beyond precipitation augmentation. An illustrative case study confirmed the WMHR's operational effectiveness, although the impact on cloud seeding was limited by unfavorable weather conditions. This experience has provided valuable insights and affirmed the system's potential for varied uses, such as weather modification and deploying high-altitude meteorological sensors. Nevertheless, the expansion of civilian weather rocket experiments in Korea faces challenges due to inadequate infrastructure and regulatory limitations, underscoring the urgent need for advancements in these areas.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1521-1532
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• 2023

This study was done to identify the face-to-face and non-face-to-face student counseling experiences of nursing students during the COVID-19 period. Data were collected through interviews with 10 students at S Women's University in Gyeonggi-do from December 2022 to April 2023. All recorded data were analyzed using an inductive content analysis method. As a result of the study, two themes, four categories, and eight subcategories were found. Themes were 'factors promoting counseling' and 'Non-facilitating factors in counseling'. The first theme category was 'adaptation to new counseling methods' and 'pursuing convenience as the MZ generation', and the second theme category was 'resistance to counselling' and 'discrepancy from the desire for mutual relationships'. Through this study, it was helpful to understand that student counseling is essential for nursing students and what the most appropriate and useful counseling method is. Additionally, this study provided important evidence to lay the foundation for comparative research on face-to-face and non-face-to-face counseling among research participants according to gender and major. Further suggests research to develop a student counseling program for nursing students and confirm its effectiveness.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.47-59
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aims to propose measures for the prevention of fire and explosion accidents within manufacturing facilities by improving the existing classification criteria for hazardous locations based on the leakage patterns of flammable liquids. The objective is to suggest ways to safely manage ignition sources and combustible materials. Method: The hazardous locations were calculated using "KS C IEC 60079-10-1," and the calculated explosion hazard distances were visualized in 3D. Additionally, the formula for the atmospheric dispersion of flammable vapors, as outlined in "P-91-2023," was utilized to calculate the dispersion rates within the hazardous locations represented in 3D. Result: Visualization of hazardous locations in 3D enabled the identification of blind spots in the floor plan, facilitating immediate recognition of ignition sources within these areas. Furthermore, when calculating the time taken for the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) to reach within the volumetric space of the hazardous locations represented in 3D, it was found that the risk level did not correspond identically with the explosion hazard distances. Conclusion: Considering the atmospheric dispersion of flammable liquids, it was concluded that safety management should be conducted. Therefore, a method for calculating the concentration values requiring detection and alert based on realistically achievable ventilation rates within the facility is proposed.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.23-48
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• 2024

Building human-aligned artificial intelligence (AI) for social support remains challenging despite the advancement of Large Language Models. We present a novel method, the Chain of Empathy (CoE) prompting, that utilizes insights from psychotherapy to induce LLMs to reason about human emotional states. This method is inspired by various psychotherapy approaches-Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Person-Centered Therapy (PCT), and Reality Therapy (RT)-each leading to different patterns of interpreting clients' mental states. LLMs without CoE reasoning generated predominantly exploratory responses. However, when LLMs used CoE reasoning, we found a more comprehensive range of empathic responses aligned with each psychotherapy model's different reasoning patterns. For empathic expression classification, the CBT-based CoE resulted in the most balanced classification of empathic expression labels and the text generation of empathic responses. However, regarding emotion reasoning, other approaches like DBT and PCT showed higher performance in emotion reaction classification. We further conducted qualitative analysis and alignment scoring of each prompt-generated output. The findings underscore the importance of understanding the emotional context and how it affects human-AI communication. Our research contributes to understanding how psychotherapy models can be incorporated into LLMs, facilitating the development of context-aware, safe, and empathically responsive AI.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-35
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• 2024

Background: This study investigated a safe and effective bolus dose and lockout time for patient-controlled sedation (PCS) with dexmedetomidine for dental treatments. The depth of sedation, vital signs, and patient satisfaction were investigated to demonstrate safety. Methods: Thirty patients requiring dental scaling were enrolled and randomly divided into three groups based on bolus doses and lockout times: group 1 (low dose group, bolus dose 0.05 ㎍/kg, 1-minute lockout time), group 2 (middle dose group, 0.1 ㎍/kg, 1-minute), and group 3 (high dose group, 0.2 ㎍/kg, 3-minute) (n = 10 each). ECG, pulse, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, end-tidal CO₂, respiratory rate, and bispectral index scores (BIS) were measured and recorded. The study was conducted in two stages: the first involved sedation without dental treatment and the second included sedation with dental scaling. Patients were instructed to press the drug demand button every 10 s, and the process of falling asleep and waking up was repeated 1-5 times. In the second stage, during dental scaling, patients were instructed to press the drug demand button. Loss of responsiveness (LOR) was defined as failure to respond to auditory stimuli six times, determining sleep onset. Patient and dentist satisfaction were assessed before and after experimentation. Results: Thirty patients (22 males) participated in the study. Scaling was performed in 29 patients after excluding one who experienced dizziness during the first stage. The average number of drug administrations until first LOR was significantly lower in group 3 (2.8 times) than groups 1 and 2 (8.0 and 6.5 times, respectively). The time taken to reach the LOR showed no difference between groups. During the second stage, the average time required to reach the LOR during scaling was 583.4 seconds. The effect site concentrations (Ce) was significantly lower in group 1 than groups 2 and 3. In the participant survey on PCS, 8/10 in group 3 reported partial memory loss, whereas 17/20 in groups 1 and 2 recalled the procedure fully or partially. Conclusion: PCS with dexmedetomidine can provide a rapid onset of sedation, safe vital sign management, and minimal side effects, thus facilitating smooth dental sedation.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.103-110
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• 2023

Invasive species are organisms that are introduced into places outside of their natural distribution range. The global pet trade is facilitating the introduction of invasive species into new countries and areas. Among the introduced alien species, turtles are one of the most common animal groups whether lives in wetland ecosystems, such as wetlands or reservoirs. Like other countries around the world, exotic turtles is becoming a growing concern for the wetland ecosystem in South Korea. In this study, we report new reports of subspecies of Painted turtle (Chrysemysspp.): Chrysemys picta marginata, C. p. bellii and C. dorsalis, from the reservoirs in downtown Cheongju and Gwangju, South Korea. We used morphological features, such as the characteristics of the legs, plastron, and carapace, to identify the turtles. It is assumed that all turtles were artificially released into nature. Considering the increasing number of reports on the introduction of alien invasive turtles in Korean wetlands, we recommend the formulation of an immediate and systematic management plan for pet trades and organized continuous monitoring programs.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.91-107
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• 2024

Single-channel seismic exploration has proven effective in delineating subsurface geological structures using small-scale survey systems. The seismic data acquired through zero- or near-offset methods directly capture subsurface features along the vertical axis, facilitating the construction of corresponding seismic sections. However, substantial noise in single-channel seismic data hampers precise interpretation because of the low signal-to-noise ratio. This study introduces a novel approach that integrate noise reduction and signal enhancement via matrix rank optimization to address this issue. Unlike conventional rank-reduction methods, which retain selected singular values to mitigate random noise, our method optimizes the entire singular value spectrum, thus effectively tackling both random and erratic noises commonly found in environments with low signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, to enhance the horizontal continuity of seismic events and mitigate signal loss during noise reduction, we introduced an adaptive weighting factor computed from the eigenimage of the seismic section. To access the robustness of the proposed method, we conducted numerical experiments using single-channel Sparker seismic data from the Chukchi Plateau in the Arctic Ocean. The results demonstrated that the seismic sections had significantly improved signal-to-noise ratios and minimal signal loss. These advancements hold promise for enhancing single-channel and high-resolution seismic surveys and aiding in the identification of marine development and submarine geological hazards in domestic coastal areas.