• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.30 no.8C
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• pp.824-831
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• 2005

In the reconstruction of high resolution (HR) images from low resolution (LR) images frames, the error in the estimated motion degrades the reliability of the reconstructed HR image. Some methods were recently proposed where motion estimation and HR reconstruction is performed simultaneously. The estimated motion is still prone to error when it is based on a simple block matching. In this paper, we propose a reconstruction of a HR image by applying POCS and a regularized block matching simultaneously. In this method, a motion vector is obtained from a regularized block matching algorithm since the motion of a pixel in an image is highly correlated with the motion in neighboring regions. Experimental results show that the improved accuracy of the estimated motion vectors results in higher PSNR of the reconstructed HR images.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.33-43
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• 2021

While youth unemployment has recorded the lowest level since the global COVID-19 pandemic, SMEs(small and medium sized enterprises) are still struggling to fill vacancies. It is difficult for SMEs to find good candidates as well as for job seekers to find appropriate job offers due to information mismatch. To overcome information mismatch, this study proposes the fine-turning model for bidirectional HR matching based on a pre-learning language model called BERT(Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers). The proposed model is capable to recommend job openings suitable for the applicant, or applicants appropriate for the job through sufficient pre-learning of terms including technical jargons. The results of the experiment demonstrate the superior performance of our model in terms of precision, recall, and f1-score compared to the existing content-based metric learning model. This study provides insights for developing practical models for job recommendations and offers suggestions for future research.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.141-151
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• 2020

The job mismatch between job seekers and SMEs is becoming more and more intensifying with the serious difficulties in youth employment. In this study, a bi-directional content-based metric learning model is proposed to recommend suitable jobs for job seekers and suitable job seekers for SMEs, respectively. The proposed model not only enables bi-directional recommendation, but also enables HR matching without relearning for new job seekers and new job offers. As a result of the experiment, the proposed model showed superior performance in terms of precision, recall, and f1 than the existing collaborative filtering model named NCF+GMF. The proposed model is also confirmed that it is an evolutionary model that improves performance as training data increases.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.34 no.3C
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• pp.288-296
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• 2009

In POCS (projection onto convex sets)-based reconstruction of HR (high resolution) image, the quality of reconstructed image is gradually improved through iterative motion estimation and image restoration. The amount of computation, however, increases because of the repeated inter-frame motion estimation. In this paper, an HR reconstruction algorithm is proposed where modified ARPS (adaptive rood pattern search) and POCS are simultaneously performed. In the modified ARPS, the motion estimates obtained from phase correlation or from the previous steps in POCS restoration are utilized as the initial reference in the motion estimation. Moreover, estimated motion is regularized with reference to the neighboring blocks' motion to enhance the reliability. Computer simulation results show that, when compared to conventional methods which are composed of full search block matching and POCS restoration, the proposed method is about 30 times faster and yet produces HR images of almost equal or better quality.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2022

Background: While the use of bioprosthetic valves for mitral valve replacement (MVR) is increasing, very few studies have compared bovine pericardial and porcine valves in the mitral position to help guide bioprosthetic selection. Methods: In the present study, patients who underwent MVR using bovine pericardial valves were compared with those who underwent MVR with porcine bioprostheses between January 1996 and July 2018. Those with prior MVR, infective endocarditis, congenital mitral valve disease, or ischemic mitral regurgitation were excluded. The primary outcomes were structural valve deterioration (SVD) and mitral valve reoperation from any cause, and death was regarded as a competing risk. Competing risk analysis and propensity score-matching were used for comparisons. Results: Among the 388 patients enrolled, pericardial and porcine bioprostheses were implanted in 217 (55.9%) and 171 (44.1%), respectively. Propensity score-matching yielded 122 pairs of patients that were well-balanced for all baseline covariates. No significant differences were observed between the groups in unadjusted (p=0.09) and adjusted overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-1.76; p=0.60). Competing risk analysis revealed no significant differences in the risks of mitral reoperation (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.50-2.27; p=0.86) and development of SVD (HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 0.56-4.36; p=0.39) between the groups. Matched population analysis confirmed similar results regarding reoperation (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.40-3.22; p=0.98) and SVD (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.41-4.73; p=0.60). Conclusion: No significant differences in survival or valve durability were observed between bovine pericardial and porcine bioprosthetic MVR. These findings require further validation through studies with larger sample sizes.

• The Journal of Korean Diabetes
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.135-139
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• 2018

The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) is a new anti-hyperglycemic agent that have function to concomitantly inhibit the reabsorption of glucose and sodium in the renal proximal convoluting tubule. Recent two cardiovascular outcome trials showed that a lower risk of cardiovascular events with SGLT2i in people with type 2 diabetes. In addition, prior real-world data demonstrated similar SGLT2i effects, but these studies were limited to the United States and Europe. Thus, the CVD-REAL (Comparative Effectiveness of Cardiovascular Outcomes in New Users of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors) 2 Study was investigated cardiovascular outcomes in those initiated on SGLT2i versus other glucose-lowering drugs (oGLDs) across 6 countries in the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and North American regions. In Korea, 336,644 episodes of initiation in SGLT2i or oGLD group between September 2014 and December 2016 were identified in Korea National Health Insurance database after propensity score matching. SGLT2i users was associated with a lower risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67~0.77), hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82~0.92), all-cause death or HHF (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.78~0.85), myocardial infarction (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.74~0.89), and stroke (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.78~0.86) compared with oGLD users. In conclusion, initiation of SGLT2i had a lower risk of cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes compared with oGLDs.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.228-237
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Long-term use of acid suppressants such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine 2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) has been associated with the risk of osteoporotic fracture. Acid suppressants and muco-protective agents (MPAs) are often used together as anti-ulcer agents. We evaluated the association between the risk of osteoporotic fracture and the combined use of these anti-peptic agents. Methods: A population-based case-control study was conducted by analyzing the Korean National Health Insurance Data from 2014 to 2020. Patients who had been prescribed anti-peptic agents, such as PPI, H2RA, or MPA, were included. Considering the incidence of osteoporotic fractures, the case group (n = 14,704) and control group (n = 58,816) were classified by 1:4 matching based on age and sex. Results: The use of all types of anti-peptic agents was associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures (PPI: hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; H2RA: HR, 1.44; and MPA: HR, 1.33; all p < 0.001). Compared to PPI alone, the combined use of "PPI and H2RA" (HR, 1.58; p = 0.010) as well as "PPI, H2RA, and MPA" (HR, 1.71; p = 0.001) was associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. However, compared with PPI alone, "MPA and PPI or H2RA" was not associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. Conclusions: This study found that the combined use of "PPI and H2RA" was associated with a higher risk of osteoporotic fractures. In cases where deemed necessary, the physicians may initially consider prescribing the combination use of MPA.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.615-624
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• 2022

Objective: To compare the therapeutic outcomes of laparoscopic hepatic resection (LHR) and laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (LRFA) for single subcapsular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: We screened 244 consecutive patients who had received either LHR or LRFA between January 2014 and December 2016. The feasibility of LRFA in patients who underwent LHR was retrospectively assessed by two interventional radiologists. Finally, 60 LRFA-feasible patients who had received LHR and 29 patients who had received LRFA as the first treatment for a solitary subcapsular HCC between 1 cm and 3 cm were finally included. We compared the therapeutic outcomes, including local tumor progression (LTP), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) between the two groups before and after propensity score (PS) matching. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was also used to evaluate the difference in OS and RFS between the two groups for all 89 patients. Results: PS matching yielded 23 patients in each group. The cumulative LTP and OS rates were not significantly different between the LHR and LRFA groups after PS matching (p = 0.900 and 0.003, respectively). The 5-year LTP rates were 4.6% and 4.4%, respectively, and OS rates were 100% and 90.7%, respectively. The RFS rate was higher in LHR group without statistical significance (p = 0.070), with 5-year rates of 78.3% and 45.3%, respectively. OS was not significantly different between the LHR (reference) and LRFA groups in multivariable analyses, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.33 (95% confidence interval, 0.12-1.54) (p = 0.818). RFS was higher in LHR (reference) than in LRFA without statistical significance in multivariable analysis, with an HR of 2.01 (0.87-4.66) (p = 0.102). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in therapeutic outcomes between LHR and LRFA for single subcapsular HCCs measuring 1-3 cm. The difference in RFS should be further evaluated in a larger study.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.1-20
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effects of Korean Medicine Hospital Utilization (KMHU) on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and death in hypertensive patients taking antihypertensives. Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort database, this study identified and diagnosed 68,457 hypertensive patients taking antihypertensives between 2003 and 2006. They were divided into KMHU and non-KMHU groups. The follow-up period ended with the diagnosis of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death. After propensity score matching (PSM), there were 18,242 patients each in the non-KMHU and KMHU groups. We calculated the incidence rate, hazard ratio (HR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) for MACE, myocardial infarction, stroke, and death in patients with hypertension using a stratified Cox proportional hazard model. In addition, secondary outcome analyses for stroke and cardiovascular mortality were performed. Results: After PSM, the HRs for MACE (HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.81-0.87), all-cause mortality (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.72-0.79), and myocardial infarction (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.97) were significantly lower in the KMHU group than in the non-KMHU group. Moreover, the HRs for stroke-related mortality, haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke-related mortality, and ischaemic heart disease-related and circulatory system disease-related mortality were significantly lower in the KMHU group than in the non-KMHU group. Conclusions: On long-term follow-up observation, this study supported the effect of KMHU for managing hypertension and reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.623-631
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) is the most common operation in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). There is controversy regarding the best bioprosthesis. We compare the performance of stented bioprosthetic valves (the Mosaic [Medtronic^TM] porcine pericardial against Carpentier Perimount Magna Ease [Edwards^TM] bovine) in pulmonary position in patients with CHD. Methods: Between January 1999 and December 2019, all the PVRs were identified from hospital databases in 2 congenital heart centres in Spain. Valve performance was evaluated using clinical and echocardiographic criteria. Propensity score matching was used to balance the 2 treatment groups. Results: Three hundred nineteen patients were retrospectively identified. After statistical adjustment, 79 propensity-matched pairs were available for comparison Freedom from reintervention for the porcine cohort was 98.3%, 96.1%, and 91.9% at 3, 5, and 10 years and 100%, 98%, and 90.8% for the bovine cohort (p=0.88). Freedom from structural valve degeneration (SVD) for the porcine cohort was 96.9%, 92.8% and 88.7% at 3, 5, and 10 years and 100%, 98%, and 79.1% for the bovine cohort (p=0.38). Bovine prosthesis was associated with a reintervention hazard ratio (HR), 1.12; 95% confidence intervals (CIs), 0.24-5.26; p=0.89 and SVD HR, 1.69 (0.52-5.58); p=0.38. In the first 5 years, there was no difference in outcomes. After 5 years, the recipients of the bovine bioprosthesis were at higher risk for SVD (reintervention HR, 2.08 [0.27-16.0]; p=0.49; SVD HR, 6.99 [1.23-39.8]; p=0.03). Conclusions: Both bioprosthesis have similar outcomes up to 5 years, afterwards, porcine bioprosthesis seem to have less SVD.