• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.759-772
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• 2019

Objective: To investigate the value of ultrasound (US) microflow assessment in distinguishing malignant from benign solid breast masses as well as the association between US parameters and histologic microvessel density (MVD). Materials and Methods: Ninety-eight breast masses (57 benign and 41 malignant) were examined using Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) and contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) before biopsy. Two radiologists evaluated the quantitative and qualitative vascular parameters on SMI (vascular index, morphology, distribution, and penetration) and CEUS (time-intensity curve analysis and enhancement characteristics). US parameters were compared between benign and malignant masses and the diagnostic performance was compared between SMI and CEUS. Subgroup analysis was performed according to lesion size. The effect of vascular parameters on downgrading Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 4A masses was evaluated. The association between histologic MVD and US parameters was analyzed. Results: Malignant masses were associated with a higher vascular index (15.1 ± 7.3 vs. 5.9 ± 5.6), complex vessel morphology (82.9% vs. 42.1%), central vascularity (95.1% vs. 59.6%), penetrating vessels (80.5% vs. 31.6%) on SMI (all, p < 0.001), as well as higher peak intensity (37.1 ± 25.7 vs. 17.0 ± 15.8, p < 0.001), slope (10.6 ± 11.2 vs. 3.9 ± 4.2, p = 0.001), area (1035.7 ± 726.9 vs. 458.2 ± 410.2, p < 0.001), hyperenhancement (95.1% vs. 70.2%, p = 0.005), centripetal enhancement (70.7% vs. 45.6%, p = 0.023), penetrating vessels (65.9% vs. 22.8%, p < 0.001), and perfusion defects (31.7% vs. 3.5%, p < 0.001) on CEUS (p ≤ 0.023). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of SMI and CEUS were 0.853 and 0.841, respectively (p = 0.803). In 19 masses measuring < 10 mm, central vascularity on SMI was associated with malignancy (100% vs. 38.5%, p = 0.018). Considering all benign SMI parameters on the BI-RADS assessment, unnecessary biopsies could be avoided in 12 category 4A masses with improved AUCs (0.500 vs. 0.605, p < 0.001). US vascular parameters associated with malignancy showed higher MVD (p ≤ 0.016). MVD was higher in malignant masses than in benign masses, and malignant masses negative for estrogen receptor or positive for Ki67 had higher MVD (p < 0.05). Conclusion: US microflow assessment using SMI and CEUS is valuable in distinguishing malignant from benign solid breast masses, and US vascular parameters are associated with histologic MVD.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.719-728
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• 2019

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic validity of coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) in vasospastic angina (VA) and factors associated with discrepant results between invasive coronary angiography with the ergonovine provocation test (iCAG-EPT) and cCTA. Materials and Methods: Of the 1397 patients diagnosed with VA from 2006 to 2016, 33 patients (75 lesions) with available cCTA data from within 6 months before iCAG-EPT were included. The severity of spasm (% diameter stenosis [%DS]) on iCAGEPT and cCTA was assessed, and the difference in %DS (Δ%DS) was calculated. Δ%DS was compared after classifying the lesions according to pre-cCTA-administered sublingual nitroglycerin (SL-NG) or beta-blockers. The lesions were further categorized with %DS ≥ 50% on iCAG-EPT or cCTA defined as a significant spasm, and the diagnostic performance of cCTA on identifying significant spasm relative to iCAG-EPT was assessed. Results: Compared to lesions without SL-NG treatment, those with SL-NG treatment showed a higher Δ%DS (39.2% vs. 22.1%, p = 0.002). However, there was no difference in Δ%DS with or without beta-blocker treatment (35.1% vs. 32.6%, p = 0.643). The significant difference in Δ%DS associated with SL-NG was more prominent in patients who were aged < 60 years, were male, had body mass index < 25 kg/m², and had no history of hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidemia. Based on iCAG-EPT as the reference, the per-lesion-based sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of cCTA for VA diagnosis were 7.5%, 94.0%, 60.0%, 47.1%, and 48.0%, respectively. Conclusion: For patients with clinically suspected VA, confirmation with iCAG-EPT needs to be considered without completely excluding the diagnosis of VA simply based on cCTA results, although further prospective studies are required for confirmation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.97-130
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• 2024

The current debate in the academic community is on the criteria for predatory journals. Researchers are perplexed about what constitutes a predatory journal. The purpose of this study is to investigate how South Korean researchers discover and evaluate predatory journals. In order to achieve this, we collected 2,484 statements, comprising posts and comments, from Korean researcher communities, namely the Biological Research Information Center (BRIC), Hibrain.net, Phdkim.net, and the Scholarly Ecosystem Against Fake Publication Environment (SAFE). We divided the data into three primary categories-journals, publishers, and researchers-for the topic analysis. For each statement, we assigned 11 in-depth subtopic tags based on these categories. Six main points of contention emerged from the combinations of these sub-topic tags: (1) researchers' confusion about predatory journals and discussions about research performance; (2)(3) researchers' positive and negative perceptions of predatory journals; (4) researchers' evaluation criteria for journal quality and problems associated with the quality of Korean journals; (5) changes in publishing brought about by the introduction of open access (OA) and associated issues; and (6) discussions on broader issues within the academic ecosystem. By using a qualitative approach to examine how South Korean researchers view predatory journals, this study aims to advance basic knowledge of the discourse around them in the communities of domestic researchers.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.27-40
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• 2023

This study analyzes the factors affecting the survival of young start-up companies. A youth start-up company was defined as a company with a founder's age under 39. The study was based on evaluation data from 3,540 companies evaluated by the Technology Guarantee Fund to support youth start-up guarantees during the period from 2012 to 2015. In this study, independent variables were defined as founder characteristics, start-up environment, and start-up strategy, and entrepreneurship, knowledge level, and development capabilities were set as variables for start-up characteristics, competition conditions and comparative advantage with alternatives in the start-up environment, and item novelty, commercialization plan and financing plan were set as variables. For variable measurement, the evaluation index of the youth start-up evaluation model of the Technology Guarantee Fund was used. Management performance was defined as the survival of a company, and the survival of 12, 36, 60, and 84 months was measured based on the occurrence of insolvency registered by the Korea Technology Guarantee Fund. The Cox proportional risk model was used for hypothesis testing. As a result of the analysis, knowledge level and development capability were statistically significant in the characteristics of the founder, and the financing plan in the start-up strategy was statistically significant regardless of the survival period. Among the start-up strategies, the novelty of the item had a positive effect on survival after 36 months. Entrepreneurship was significant only in 12-month survival. The most important order for survival was identified in the order of financing plan, knowledge level, item novelty and development capability, of which the founder's knowledge level in the beginning and the funding plan in the second half had the greatest impact.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.243-252
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• 2024

Among the Foley sound generation models that have recently begun to be studied, a sound generation technique using the Vector Quantized-Variational AutoEncoder (VQ-VAE) structure and generation model such as Pixelsnail are one of the important research subjects. On the other hand, in the field of deep learning-based acoustic signal compression, residual vector quantization technology is reported to be more suitable than the conventional VQ-VAE structure. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to study whether residual vector quantization technology can be effectively applied to the Foley sound generation. In order to tackle the problem, this paper applies the residual vector quantization technique to the conventional VQ-VAE-based Foley sound generation model, and in particular, derives a model that is compatible with the existing models such as Pixelsnail and does not increase computational resource consumption. In order to evaluate the model, an experiment was conducted using DCASE2023 Task7 data. The results show that the proposed model enhances about 0.3 of the Fréchet audio distance. Unfortunately, the performance enhancement was limited, which is believed to be due to the decrease in the resolution of time-frequency domains in order to do not increase consumption of the computational resources.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2024

Forest management is known to beneficially influence stand structure and wood production, yet quantitative understanding as well as an illustrative depiction of the effects of different management approaches on tree growth and stand dynamics are still scarce. Long-term management of beech forests must balance public interests with ecological aspects. Efficient forest management requires the reliable prediction of tree growth change. We aimed to develop a novel hybrid simulation approach, which realistically simulates short- as well as long-term effects of different forest management regimes commonly applied, but not limited, to German low mountain ranges, including near-natural forest management based on single-tree selection harvesting. The model basically consists of three modules for (a) natural seedling regeneration, (b) mortality adjustment, and (c) tree growth simulation. In our approach, an existing validated growth model was used to calculate single year tree growth, and expanded on by including in a newly developed simulation process using calibrated modules based on practical experience in forest management and advice from the local forest. We included the following different beech forest-management scenarios that are representative for German low mountain ranges to our simulation tool: (1) plantation, (2) continuous cover forestry, and (3) reserved forest. The simulation results show a robust consistency with expert knowledge as well as a great comparability with mid-term monitoring data, indicating a strong model performance. We successfully developed a hybrid simulation that realistically reflects different management strategies and tree growth in low mountain range. This study represents a basis for a new model calibration method, which has translational potential for further studies to develop reliable tailor-made models adjusted to local situations in beech forest management.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.77-85
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• 2024

In this dissertation, a we designed and implemented a patrol robot that integrates a thermal imaging camera, speed dome camera, PTZ camera, radar, lidar sensor, and smartphone. This robot has the ability to monitor and respond efficiently even in complex environments, and is especially designed to demonstrate high performance even at night or in low visibility conditions. An orbital movement system was selected for the robot's mobility, and a smartphone-based control system was developed for real-time data processing and decision-making. The combination of various sensors allows the robot to comprehensively perceive the environment and quickly detect hazards. Thermal imaging cameras are used for night surveillance, speed domes and PTZ cameras are used for wide-area monitoring, and radar and LIDAR are used for obstacle detection and avoidance. The smartphone-based control system provides a user-friendly interface. The proposed robot system can be used in various fields such as security, surveillance, and disaster response. Future research should include improving the robot's autonomous patrol algorithm, developing a multi-robot collaboration system, and long-term testing in a real environment. This study is expected to contribute to the development of the field of intelligent surveillance robots.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.35-61
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to examine changes in Korean middle school students' affective attitudes toward mathematics over the past 5 cycles of TIMSS. To this end, we first analyzed the changes in students' affective attitudes towards mathematics in five major countries, and then analyzed the changes in Korean students' affective attitudes toward mathematics by item. As a result of the study, there were positive changes in Korean students' interest, confidence, and value perception of mathematics during the recent 5 cycle of TIMSS. Korean male students' affective attitude toward mathematics is higher than that of female students, and the gender gap has been increasing recently. There was a large difference in the affective attitudes toward mathematics among Korean students, depending on their achievement level, and in particular, the affective attitudes toward mathematics of students at the lower achievement level remained significantly low. Item-level analysis revealed a decrease in Korean students' awareness of the necessity of mathematics in daily life. Based on these results, we discussed the implications for cultivating Korean students' affective attitudes. It is hoped that the results of this study will be meaningfully used as basic data for examining the performance of mathematics education in Korea and contribute to developing measures to foster students' positive attitudes toward mathematics.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.4274-4281
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• 2023

Blanket is of vital importance for engineering application of the fusion reactor. Nuclear heat deposition in materials is the main heat source in blanket structure. In this paper, the three-dimensional method for thermal-hydraulics/neutronics coupling analysis is developed and applied for the full-scale module of the helium-cooled ceramic breeder tritium breeding blanket (HCCB TBB) designed for China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). The explicit coupling scheme is used to support data transfer for coupling analysis based on cell-to-cell mapping method. The coupling algorithm is realized by the user-defined function compiled in Fluent. The three-dimensional model is established, and then the coupling analysis is performed using the paralleled Coupling Analysis of Thermal-hydraulics and Neutronics Interface Code (CATNIC). The results reveal the relatively small influence of the coupling analysis compared to the traditional method using the radial fitting function of internal heat source. However, the coupling analysis method is quite important considering the nonuniform distribution of the neutron wall loading (NWL) along the poloidal direction. Finally, the structure optimization of the blanket is carried out using the coupling method to satisfy the thermal requirement of all materials. The nonlinear effect between thermal-hydraulics and neutronics is found during the blanket structure optimization, and the tritium production performance is slightly reduced after optimization. Such an adverse effect should be thoroughly evaluated in the future work.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.531-550
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• 2023

Purpose: The unique nature of life-and-death healthcare services sets them apart from other service industries. While many studies exist on the relationship between healthcare services and customer satisfaction, most of them focus on mildly ill patients, ignoring the differences between critically ill and non-seriously ill patients. This study discusses the actual quality of healthcare services for patients who are facing life-threatening illnesses and are on life support, as well as their right to protection and dignity. Methods: The survey conducted to 149 patients with the four major illnesses: cancer, heart disease, brain disease and rare and incurable disease, those who have experiences with senior general hospitals. Results: The basic statistics of this study are adequate to represent the four major critical illnesses, and the reliability and validity of this study's hypotheses, which were measured by multiple items, were analyzed, and the internal consistency was judged to be high. In addition, it was found that the convergent validity was good and the discriminant validity was also secured. When examining the goodness of fit of the hypotheses, the SRMR, which is the standardized root mean square of residuals that measures the difference between the covariance matrix of the data variables and the theoretical covariance matrix structure of the model, met the optimal criteria. Conclusion: The academic implications of this study are differentiated from other studies by moving away from evaluating the quality of healthcare services for mildly ill patients and focusing on the rights and dignity of patients with life-threatening illnesses in four senior general hospitals. In terms of academic implications, this study enriches the depth of related studies by demonstrating the right to protection and dignity as a factor of patient-centeredness based on physical environment quality, interaction quality, and outcome quality, which are presented as sub-factors of healthcare quality. We found that the three quality factors classified by Brady and Cronin (2001) are optimized for healthcare quality assessment and management, and that the results of patients' interaction quality assessment can be used to provide a comprehensive quality rating for hospitals. Health and human rights are inextricably linked, so assessing the degree to which rights and dignity are protected can be a superior and more comprehensive measurement tool than traditional health level measures for healthcare organizations. Practical implications: Improving the quality of the physical environment and the quality of outcomes is an important challenge for hospital managers who attract patients with life and death conditions, but given the scale and economics of time, money, and human inputs, improving the quality of interactions and defining them as performance indicators in hospital quality management is an efficient way to create maximum value in the short term.