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Comparison of Patients Satisfaction with Direct to Implant versus Latissimus Dorsi Flap with Implant Breast Reconstruction Using Breast-Q

  • Ji Min Kim;Woo Jin Song;Sang Gue Kang
    • Archives of Plastic Surgery
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    • v.49 no.6
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    • pp.710-715
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    • 2022
  • Background The latissimus musculocutaneous flap (LD flap) is a useful option for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. It has the advantage of obtaining sufficient tissue padding and natural shape by using autologous tissue. However, with the emergence of the skin-sparing mastectomy technique and artificial dermis matrix, direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction has become the first choice of surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare the satisfaction levels of patients who underwent DTI and LD flap with implant using patient-reported Breast-Q results. Methods A retrospective study was performed reviewing the records of 49 women who underwent immediate breast reconstruction with DTI or LD flap with implant and responded to the BREAST-Q questionnaire after the operation. The patient-reported breast-Q results were analyzed and correlated to the demographic information and intraoperative information. Results A total of 26 patients who underwent reconstruction with LD flap with implant and 23 patients with DTI were identified and responded to the questionnaire after an average of 32.3 and 10.4 months postoperation, respectively. According to the patient response to the breast-q values, satisfaction with breast was 60.0 and 57.0 points, psychosocial well-being 61.0 and 60.0 points, and sexual well-being 41.0 and 43.0 points in the two groups. Overall, there was no significant difference in the breastQ score between the two groups. Conclusion Patients who underwent DTI breast reconstruction seemed equally satisfied with the appearance and outcome of their breast reconstruction compared with LD flap with implant. Therefore, it appears that DTI is adequately replacing LD with implant.

A Source-Related Approach for Discussion on Using Radionuclide-Contaminated Materials in Post-accident Rehabilitation

  • Kazuji Miwa;Takeshi Iimoto
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.48 no.2
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    • pp.68-76
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    • 2023
  • Background: In the process of discussion on the possibility of using radionuclide-contaminated soil and debris generated by radiation disasters, a strategy for the proper management of radiation exposure protection while considering the source of the contaminated materials is necessary. Materials and Methods: The radiological protection criteria that are likely to be applied to the source-related approach based on the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations and the International Atomic Energy Agency safety standards are summarized. We proposed five interpretations of radiation protection to contribute to the promotion of discussion on the possibility of using a part of low-level-radionuclide-contaminated soil and debris in the post-accident rehabilitation. Interpretations I to III are based on the idea of "using a reference level to protect the public in post-accident rehabilitation," whereas IV and V are based on the idea of "using the dose constraint to protect the public in the post-accident rehabilitation when the sources are handled in a planned activity." The former idea is subdivided into three based on the definition of the source, which is managed by the reference level, and the latter idea is divided into two depending on whether or not additional dose from using contaminated materials is deemed acceptable. Results and Discussion: To confirm the applicability of the five interpretations presented, we suggested the concrete values of protection criteria via two feasible cases. In this case study, we proposed radiation protection by the dose constraint based on the Interpretation IV and chose 1 mSv/yr for the public and 20 mSv/yr for workers dealing with radionuclide-contaminated materials. Conclusion: We concretely and systematically demonstrated how the concept of radiation protection can be applied to the process of discussion on the possibility of using radionuclide-contaminated materials within the framework of an international system of protection. This study's findings can provide necessary information to discuss the possibility of using radionuclide-contaminated materials as an alternative option for recovery and reconstruction after a radiation disaster from the viewpoint of radiation protection.

Inter-device agreement between spectral domain optical coherence tomography, ultrasound biomicroscopy, and gonioscopy in evaluating the iridocorneal angle in normotensive dogs

  • Su An Kim;Jaeho Shim;Seonmi Kang;Kangmoon Seo
    • Journal of Veterinary Science
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.34.1-34.12
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    • 2023
  • Background: There has not been a thoroughly reported study of the comparison between spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with both ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and gonioscopy on the evaluation of the iridocorneal angle (ICA) in dogs. Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic value of SD-OCT for the early detection of narrowing ICA by comparing and assessing inter-device agreement in anterior chamber angle (ACA) measurements obtained by SD-OCT and UBM, and ICA evaluations by gonioscopy. Methods: A total of 28 eyes from 28 client-owned dogs with normal intraocular pressure were included for examination. The ACA and angle opening distance (AOD) were measured from the SD-OCT and UBM images, and gonioscopy images were analyzed using the ICA grade and ZibWest angle index. Results: The mean ACA and AOD for SD-OCT were 28.31° ± 5.37° and 658.42 ± 219.90 ㎛, and for UBM, 28.34° ± 5.82° and 859.29 ± 221.80 ㎛, respectively. The mean difference in ACA between the average values of SD-OCT and UBM measurements was 0.03° with a 95% limit of agreement (LoA) span of 16.2°, indicating positive agreement; that in AOD was 200.85 ㎛ with a 95% LoA span of 1,110.95 ㎛, indicating poor agreement. The Pearson correlation coefficient of the ACA of SD-OCT and ZibWest indices of gonioscopy was 0.624, indicating strong agreement; that of UBM and gonioscopy was 0.43, indicating moderate agreement. Conclusions: SD-OCT is well tolerated by canine patients due to its non-contact method and might be an alternative option for early screening of ICA narrowing in clinical settings.

Comparison of RANS, URANS, SAS and IDDES for the prediction of train crosswind characteristics

  • Xiao-Shuai Huo;Tang-Hong Liu;Zheng-Wei Chen;Wen-Hui Li;Hong-Rui Gao;Bin Xu
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.37 no.4
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    • pp.303-314
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    • 2023
  • In this study, two steady RANS turbulence models (SST k-ω and Realizable k-ε) and four unsteady turbulence models (URANS SST k-ω and Realizable k-ε, SST-SAS, and SST-IDDES) are evaluated with respect to their capacity to predict crosswind characteristics on high-speed trains (HSTs). All of the numerical simulations are compared with the wind tunnel values and LES results to ensure the accuracy of each turbulence model. Specifically, the surface pressure distributions, time-averaged aerodynamic coefficients, flow fields, and computational cost are studied to determine the suitability of different models. Results suggest that the predictions of the pressure distributions and aerodynamic forces obtained from the steady and transient RANS models are almost the same. In particular, both SAS and IDDES exhibits similar predictions with wind tunnel test and LES, therefore, the SAS model is considered an attractive alternative for IDDES or LES in the crosswind study of trains. In addition, if the computational cost needs to be significantly reduced, the RANS SST k-ω model is shown to provide relatively reasonable results for the surface pressures and aerodynamic forces. As a result, the RANS SST k-ω model might be the most appropriate option for the expensive aerodynamic optimizations of trains using machine learning (ML) techniques because it balances solution accuracy and resource consumption.

Study on Risk Assessment Method of Hydrogen Station using FAHP-HAZOP (FAHP-HAZOP을 적용한 수소충전소의 위험성평가 방법 연구)

  • Yeong Gwang Jo;Sien Ho Han
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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    • v.27 no.4
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    • pp.92-101
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    • 2023
  • To solve the problem of climate change, carbon neutrality has now become a necessity rather than an option. Hydrogen is not only a energy storage that can supplement the intermittent production of renewable energy, but is also considered a good alternative in the field of utilization as it does not emit carbon dioxide after reaction. In order to revitalize hydrogen vehicles, one of the fields of hydrogen utilization, the construction of hydrogen station infrastructure must be preceded. Prioritization of risk factors is necessary for efficient operation and risk assessment of hydrogen stations, but due to the short operation period of domestic hydrogen stations, there is a lack of frequency data on accidents and their reliability is low. In this study, we aim to identify the causes and consequences of deviations in hydrogen stations through HAZOP analysis. Additionally, we intend to analyze them using Fuzzy-AHP. Through this, we intend to derive the decision values for the causes of deviations in hydrogen stations and apply them to hydrogen accident cases and risk assessments to confirm the reliability and utility of the data.

Selection of Plant Species for Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal (As and Cd) Contaminated Soil using Hydroponic Culture (수경재배에 의한 중금속 (As 및 Cd) 오염토양의 식물상 복원공법 적용 식물종 선별)

  • Bumjun Kim;Bumhan Bae;Younghun Kim
    • Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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    • v.29 no.1
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    • pp.28-38
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    • 2024
  • Phytoremediation presents a low-carbon and eco-friendly solution for heavy metal-contaminated soils, which pose great health and environmental risks to humans and ecosystems. A hydroponic culture was used to quantitatively assess the phytoremediation potential of plant species to remediate As or Cd-contaminated soil in field application. This study examined the growth, uptake, and distribution of Cd in the roots and shoots of Phalaris arundinacea and Brassica juncea in hydroponic conditions with Cd concentrations ranging from 0 to 20 mg/L for 10 days. Additionally, Aster koraiensis and Pteris multifida were cultivated in hydroponic conditions containing As concentrations ranging from 0 to 40 mg/L for 10 days. The concentrations of Cd in the above-ground part and root tissues of P. arundinacea and B. juncea reached a maximum of 147.7 and 1926.7 mg/kg-D.W.(Dry Weight), and 351.6 and 11305.5 mg/kg-D.W., respectively. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) for P. arundinacea and B. juncea were 68.9 and 122.3, respectively. Both species exhibited a translocation factor (TF) of less than 0.1, indicating their eligibility for phytostabilization. Aster koraiensis exhibited significant As accumulation of 155.1 and 1306.7 mg/kg D.W. in the above-ground part and root, respectively. However, this accumulation resulted with substantial weight loss and the manifestation of toxic symptoms. P. multifida exhibited higher accumulation of As (345.1 mg/kg-D.W.) in the fronds than in the roots (255.4 mg/kg-D.W.), corresponding to BCF values of 18.6 and 7.6, respectively, and a TF greater than 1.2. A TF value greater than 1.0 indicates that P. multifida is a viable option for phytoextraction.

An Analysis of Heat Transfer Coefficient of Soil Surface in Closed Ecosystems Using CFD (CFD를 이용한 폐쇄생태계 내 토양표면의 열전달계수 분석)

  • Roh, Sang-Mok;Nam, Sang-Woon
    • Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.85-95
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    • 2006
  • A model experiment has been performed to get the heat transfer coefficient on the soil surface in the closed ecosystem. The heat flux on the soil surface was measured and the heat transfer coefficient was derived in the following two cases with 5-stepped control of inside air current speed. One case was that heat flowed from air to soil and the other case was that heat flowed from soil to air. Three dimensional CFD model has been set to simulate thermal environment in the closed ecosystem including soil layers. The standard $k-{\varepsilon}$ model of the CFD program was chosen for turbulence model and heating wire buried in the soil layers was set as heat source option to simulate the case when the temperature of soil surface was higher than that of inside air in the closed ecosystem. Between one case that heat flowed from air to soil and the other case that heat flowed from soil to air, there were big differences in the temperature distribution of soil layers and the heat transfer coefficient of the soil surface. The increasing rate of heat transfer coefficient on each case according to the increase of inside air current speed was similar to each other and it respectively increased linearly. But the heat transfer coefficient on the case that heat flowed from soil to air was much bigger than that of the other case. The model was validated by comparing simulated values of CFD model with measured values of the model experiment. Simulated and measured temperature of inside air and soil layers, and heat transfer coefficient of the soil surface were well accorded and the range of corrected $R^2$ was 0.664 to 0.875. The developed CFD model was well simulated in parts of the temperature of inside air and soil layers, the distribution of the inside air current speed, and heat transfer coefficient of the soil surface were able to be quantitatively analyzed by using this model. Therefore, the model would be applied and used for analysis of heat transfer coefficient between air and surface in various agricultural facilities.

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The Effects of Self-regulatory Resources and Construal Levels on the Choices of Zero-cost Products (자아조절자원 및 해석수준이 공짜대안 선택에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Jinyong;Im, Seoung Ah
    • Asia Marketing Journal
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.55-76
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    • 2012
  • Most people prefer to choose zero-cost products they may get without paying any money. The 'zero-cost effect' can be explained with a 'zero-cost model' where consumers attach special values to zero-cost products in a different way from general economic models (Shampanier, Mazar and Ariely 2007). If 2 different products at the regular prices of ₩200 and ₩400 simultaneously offer ₩200 discounts, the prices will be changed to ₩0 and ₩200, respectively. In spite of the same price gap of the two products after the ₩200 discounts, people are much more likely to select the free alternative than the same product at the price of ₩200. Although prior studies have focused on the 'zero-cost effect' in isolation of other factors, this study investigates the moderating effects of a self-regulatory resource and a construal level on the selection of free products. Self-regulatory resources induce people to control or regulate their behavior. However, since self-regulatory resources are limited, they are to be easily depleted when exerted (Muraven, Tice, and Baumeister 1998). Without the resources, consumers tend to become less sensitive to price changes and to spend money more extravagantly (Vohs and Faber 2007). Under this condition, they are also likely to invest less effort on their information processing and to make more intuitive decisions (Pocheptsova, Amir, Dhar, and Baumeister 2009). Therefore, context effects such as price changes and zero cost effects are less likely in the circumstances of resource depletion. In addition, construal levels have profound effects on the ways of information processing (Trope and Liberman 2003, 2010). In a high construal level, people tend to attune their minds to core features and desirability aspects, whereas, in a low construal level, they are more likely to process information based on secondary features and feasibility aspects (Khan, Zhu, and Kalra 2010). A perceived value of a product is more related to desirability whereas a zero cost or a price level is more associated with feasibility. Thus, context effects or reliance on feasibility (for instance, the zero cost effect) will be diminished in a high level construal while those effects may remain in a low level construal. When people make decisions, these 2 factors can influence the magnitude of the 'zero-cost effect'. This study ran two experiments to investigate the effects of self-regulatory resources and construal levels on the selection of a free product. Kisses and Ferrero-Rocher, which were adopted in the prior study (Shampanier et al. 2007) were also used as alternatives in Experiments 1 and 2. We designed Experiment 1 in order to test whether self-regulatory resource depletion will moderate the zero-cost effect. The level of self-regulatory resources was manipulated with two different tasks, a Sudoku task in the depletion condition and a task of drawing diagrams in the non-depletion condition. Upon completion of the manipulation task, subjects were randomly assigned to one of a decision set with a zero-cost option (i.e., Kisses ₩0, and Ferrero-Rocher ₩200) or a set without a zero-cost option (i.e., Kisses ₩200, and Ferrero-Rocher ₩400). A pair of alternatives in the two decision sets have the same price gap of ₩200 between a low-priced Kisses and a high-priced Ferrero-Rocher. Subjects in the no-depletion condition selected Kisses more often (71.88%) over Ferrero-Rocher when Kisses was free than when it was priced at ₩200 (34.88%). However, the zero-cost effect disappeared when people do not have self-regulatory resources. Experiment 2 was conducted to investigate whether constual levels influence the magnitude of the 'zero-cost effect'. To manipulate construal levels, 4 different 'why (in the high construal level condition)' or 'how (in the low construal level condition)' questions about health management were asked. They were presented with 4 boxes connected with downward arrows. In a box at the top, there was one question, 'Why do I maintain good physical health?' or 'How do I maintain good physical health?' Subjects inserted a response to the question of why or how they would maintain good physical health. Similar tasks were repeated for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th responses. After the manipulation task, subjects were randomly assigned either to a decision set with a zero-cost option, or to a set without it, as in Experiment 1. When a low construal level is primed with 'how', subjects chose free Kisses (60.66%) more often over Ferrero-Rocher than they chose ₩200 Kisses (42.19%) over ₩400 FerreroRocher. On contrast, the zero-cost effect could not be observed any longer when a high construal level is primed with 'why'.

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Leaching Characteristics and Potential Impact Assessment of Pollutants from Field Test Cells with Coal Bottom Ash as Fill Materials for Recycling (석탄 바닥재 메움재 재활용을 위한 Field Test Cells로부터 오염물질 배출 특성 및 잠재적 영향 평가)

  • Jang, Yong-Chul;Lee, Sungwoo;Kang, Heeseok;Lee, Seunghun
    • Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.135-145
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    • 2013
  • The recycling of coal bottom ash generated from coal power plants in Korea has been limited due to heterogenous characteristics of the materials. The most common management option for the ash is disposal in landfills (i.e. ash pond) near ocean. The presence of large coarse and fine materials in the ash has prompted the desire to beneficially use it in an application such as fill materials. Prior to reuse application as fill materials, the potential risks to the environment must be assessed with regard to the impacts. In this study, a total of nine test cells with bottom ash samples collected from pretreated bottom ash piles and coal ash pond in a coal-fired power plant were constructed and operated under the field conditions to evaluate the leachability over a period of 210 days. Leachate samples from the test cells were analyzed for a number of chemical parameters (e.g., pH, salinity, electrical conductance, anions, and metals). The concentrations of chemicals detected in the leachate were compared to appropriate standards (drinking water standard) with dilution attenuation factor, if possible, to assess potential leaching risks to the surrounding area. Based on the leachate analysis, most of the samples showed slightly high pH values for the coal ash contained test cells, and contained several ions such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and nitrate in relatively large quantities. Three elements (aluminum, boron, and barium) were commonly detected above their respective detection limits in a number of leachate samples, especially in the early leaching period of time. The results of the test cell study indicate that the pollutants in the leachate from the coal ash test cells were not of a major concern in terms of leaching risk to surface water and groundwater under field conditions as fill materials. However, care must be taken in extending these results to actual applications because the results presented in this study are based on the limited field test settings and time frame. Structural characteristics and analysis for coal bottom ash may be warranted to apply the materials to actual field conditions.

A Comparison of Usability between the Height Adjustable Keyboard and the Adaptive Touch Keyboard on Smartphones

  • Choi, Jinhae
    • Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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    • v.36 no.2
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    • pp.145-156
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    • 2017
  • Objective: This study aims to compare the usability of the adaptive touch design method with that of the height adjustable design method that are applied to the Korean QWERTY keyboard and Naratgul keyboard on smartphones, examine the results, and present practical implications. Background: Smartphone manufacturers have failed to satisfy every user with their uniform touch keyboard designs that do not consider the high use rates of keypad use. In reality, touch keyboard designing customized for every individual is impossible, but there need to be researches on was to improve usability by having touch areas changed automatically depending on user behaviors or having users adjust the keyboard height depending on their hand size. Method: As for the design methods, an object group was given smartphones with the adaptive touch design method and the other group those with the height adjustable design method. As they entered the same characters in the smartphones, typing error rates and text input speed were measured and the average values were compared. 35 individuals who would frequently use smartphones in daily life participated in the experiment. The group variable was the type of touch keyboards, and the test variables were typing error rates and text input speed, for which a T-test was implemented. Results: As for the QWERTY keyboard, the significant improvement effect was verified as the typing error rate of the adaptive touch design method was 4.21% but that of the height adjustable design method was 3.28% although there was no significant difference in terms of text input speed. As for the Naratgul keyboard, in contrast, the typing error rate of the adaptive touch design method was 2.5% while that of the height adjustable design method was 1.48%, which indicates a measure of improvement, but the effect was not significant. On the other hand, the text input speed per minute was improved as much as 22.2%, which is significant. Conclusion: First, the Korean touch keyboard usability of the adaptive touch design method and that of the height adjustable design method, when applied to Model A of Company L, showed significant difference from each other. Second, the height adjustable design method was applied to the QWERTY keyboard, the typing error rate was improved significantly. This indicates that as the keyboard height was raised, the number of buttons within the range of fingering decreased, decreasing the touch bias was reduced. Third, the height adjustable design method was applied to the Naratgul keyboard, the text input speed was improved. Application: When the QWERTY keyboard was applied to a smartphone as small as 5.5inch or less, it is highly probably that the height adjustable design method decreases the typing error rate. It may be considered to develop additional UX functions to make the keyboard font larger or give users the option to adjust button intervals in utilization of the SW advantages of the height adjustable design method.