• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.812-822
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• 2019

Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of combining diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiating between pathologic and traumatic fractures at extremities from metastasis. Materials and Methods: Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study and informed consent was waived. This study included 49 patients each with pathologic and traumatic fractures at extremities. The patients underwent conventional MRI combined with DWI. For qualitative analysis, two radiologists (R1 and R2) independently reviewed three imaging sets with a crossover design using a 5-point scale and a 3-scale confidence level: DWI plus non-enhanced MRI (NEMR; DW set), NEMR plus contrast-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted imaging (CEFST1; CE set), and DWI plus NEMR plus CEFST1 (combined set). McNemar's test was used to compare the diagnostic performances among three sets and perform subgroup analyses (single vs. multiple bone abnormality, absence/presence of extra-osseous mass, and bone enhancement at fracture margin). Results: Compared to the CE set, the combined set showed improved diagnostic accuracy (R1, 84.7 vs. 95.9%; R2, 91.8 vs. 95.9%, p < 0.05) and specificity (R1, 71.4% vs. 93.9%, p < 0.005; R2, 85.7% vs. 98%, p = 0.07), with no difference in sensitivities (p > 0.05). In cases of absent extra-osseous soft tissue mass and present fracture site enhancement, the combined set showed improved accuracy (R1, 82.9-84.4% vs. 95.6-96.3%, p < 0.05; R2, 90.2-91.1% vs. 95.1-95.6%, p < 0.05) and specificity (R1, 68.3-72.9% vs. 92.7-95.8%, p < 0.005; R2, 83.0-85.4% vs. 97.6-98.0%, p = 0.07). Conclusion: Combining DWI with conventional MRI improved the diagnostic accuracy and specificity while retaining sensitivity for differentiating between pathologic and traumatic fractures from metastasis at extremities.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.399-407
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• 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs in more than 15% of the dogs over 10 years of age and causes irreversible renal function deterioration. Therefore, it is important to diagnose CKD early and treat the disease properly. The purpose of this study aimed to to evaluate the clinical utility of urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) using POC (point-of-care) device as an early detection urinary biomarker in CKD dogs and to confirm the correlation between ACR and other known CKD biomarkers. Urine and serum samples were obtained from 50 healthy dogs and 50 dogs with CKD. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentrations, and urine protein creatinine ratio (UPC) were measured. Urine specific gravity (USG) was evaluated using refractometer, and ACR was measured using an i-SENS A1Care analyzer. The ACR values of dogs with CKD were significantly different from those of healthy dogs (p < 0.001), as with other renal biomarkers. ACR showed significant differences between healthy dogs and dogs with CKD at every IRIS stage (p < 0.005), whereas no significant differences were observed between dogs with CKD IRIS stage I and healthy dogs with UPC. There are significant positive correlation between ACR and BUN (r = 0.611, p < 0.001), creatinine (r = 0.788, p < 0.001), SDMA (r = 0.747, p < 0.001), and UPC (r = 0.784, p < 0.001), and significant negative correlation between ACR and USG (r = -0.700, p < 0.001). In receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.982 (95% CI 0.963-1.000, p < 0.001), with an optimal cut-off value of 64.20 mg/g (94% sensitivity and 94% specificity). Thus, ACR is a useful urinary biomarker for the early diagnosis of proteinuria in CKD and combined use of ACR and other renal biomarkers may be helpful for early diagnosis and prevention of CKD in dogs.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1317-1325
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• 2020

Objective: The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate whether liver stiffness (LS) assessments, obtained by two-dimensional (2D)-shear wave elastography (SWE) with a propagation map, can evaluate liver fibrosis stage using histopathology as the reference standard. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 123 patients who had undergone percutaneous liver biopsy from two tertiary referral hospitals. All patients underwent 2D-SWE examination prior to biopsy, and LS values (kilopascal [kPa]) were obtained. On histopathologic examination, fibrosis stage (F0-F4) and necroinflammatory activity grade (A0-A4) were assessed. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to determine the significant factors affecting the LS value. The diagnostic performance of the LS value for staging fibrosis was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and the optimal cut-off value was determined by the Youden index. Results: Reliable measurements of LS values were obtained in 114 patients (92.7%, 114/123). LS values obtained from 2D-SWE with the propagation map positively correlated with the progression of liver fibrosis reported from histopathology (p < 0.001). According to the multivariate linear regression analysis, fibrosis stage was the only factor significantly associated with LS (p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve of LS from 2D-SWE with the propagation map was 0.773, 0.865, 0.946, and 0.950 for detecting F ≥ 1, F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3, and F = 4, respectively. The optimal cut-off LS values were 5.4, 7.8, 9.4, and 12.2 kPa for F ≥ 1, F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3, and F = 4, respectively. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity of the LS value for detecting cirrhosis were 90.9% and 88.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The LS value obtained from 2D-SWE with a propagation map provides excellent diagnostic performance in evaluating liver fibrosis stage, determined by histopathology.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.27.1-27.12
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• 2024

Background: A urethral obstruction (UO) is an emergency commonly observed in male cats, which can result in significant clinical and laboratory alterations, leading to complications and death. Objectives: This study aimed to correlate symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) with the urea, creatinine, potassium, and bicarbonate levels in cats with UO. In addition, the correlation between clinical score and time of obstruction was evaluated. Methods: Thirty male cats were selected and allocated into a control group (CG, n = 13) and an obstruction group (OG, n = 17). The laboratory analyses were conducted before treatment (M0) and at different times after treatment (12 h [M12], 24 h [M24], and 48 h [M48]). Correlations were established between SDMA and creatinine, urea, bicarbonate, potassium, time of obstruction, and the clinical score. Results: A strong correlation (r > 0.6) was observed between SDMA and creatinine, urea, and potassium in the OG. Furthermore, there was substantial agreement (kappa value) between SDMA and creatinine at M24. A higher clinical score was associated with a longer time of obstruction. In the OG, at M48, the SDMA and creatinine levels were 50% and 41.2% higher, respectively. Conclusions: A correlation was observed between SDMA and creatinine in obstructed cats, and significant agreement between these values was observed 24 h after the unblocking treatment. A correlation among SDMA, urea, and potassium was observed. Approximately 9% more cats continued to have elevated SDMA levels after 48 h of treatment compared to creatinine. This suggests a slightly lower sensitivity of the latter biomarker but does not exclude the possibility of congruent and normalized values after a longer evaluation period.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.345-357
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• 2023

Nuclear forensics has been understood as a mendatory component in the international society for nuclear material control and non-proliferation verification. Radiochronometry of nuclear activities for nuclear forensics are decay series characteristics of nuclear materials and the Bateman equation to estimate when nuclear materials were purified and produced. Radiochronometry values have uncertainty of measurement due to the uncertainty factors in the estimation process. These uncertainties should be calculated using appropriate evaluation methods that are representative of the accuracy and reliability. The IAEA, US, and EU have been researched on radiochronometry and uncertainty of measurement, although the uncertainty calculation method using the Bateman equation is limited by the underestimation of the decay constant and the impossibility of estimating the age of more than one generation, so it is necessary to conduct uncertainty calculation research using computer simulation such as Monte Carlo method. This highlights the need for research using computational simulations, such as the Monte Carlo method, to overcome these limitations. In this study, we have analyzed mathematical models and the LHS (Latin Hypercube Sampling) methods to enhance the reliability of radiochronometry which is to develop an uncertainty algorithm for nuclear material radiochronometry using Bateman Equation. We analyzed the LHS method, which can obtain effective statistical results with a small number of samples, and applied it to algorithms that are Monte Carlo methods for uncertainty calculation by computer simulation. This was implemented through the MATLAB computational software. The uncertainty calculation model using mathematical models demonstrated characteristics based on the relationship between sensitivity coefficients and radiative equilibrium. Computational simulation random sampling showed characteristics dependent on random sampling methods, sampling iteration counts, and the probability distribution of uncertainty factors. For validation, we compared models from various international organizations, mathematical models, and the Monte Carlo method. The developed algorithm was found to perform calculations at an equivalent level of accuracy compared to overseas institutions and mathematical model-based methods. To enhance usability, future research and comparisons·validations need to incorporate more complex decay chains and non-homogeneous conditions. The results of this study can serve as foundational technology in the nuclear forensics field, providing tools for the identification of signature nuclides and aiding in the research, development, comparison, and validation of related technologies.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.601-611
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• 2024

The objective of this study was to integrate onion juice into traditional Korean soy sauce and to evaluate the sterilization conditions necessary for commercialization. As the sterilization temperature increased, pH decreased and titratable acidity increased. A reduction in °Brix was observed post-sterilization, from 37.37 °Brix in untreated soy sauce to 36.67-36.77 °Brix. In terms of chromaticity, the L value declined over the storage period while the a and b values increased. The quercetin component exhibited light sensitivity, with no significant difference observed in the sample on the 60th day. Neither Bacillus cereus nor Clostridium perfringens were detected, and the total bacterial count was comparable to that of commercially available soy sauce. This indicates that samples sterilized at 85℃ for 30 minutes fall within a safe quality range. Sensory evaluation revealed that samples sterilized at 85℃ for 30 minutes exhibited consistently high ratings.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.913-923
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• 2024

Objective: To prospectively compare single-shot (SS) echo-planar imaging (EPI) and field-of-view optimized and constrained undistorted single-shot multiplexed sensitivity-encoding (FOCUS MUSE) for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in evaluating thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Materials and Methods: SS EPI and FOCUS MUSE DWIs were obtained from 39 patients with TAO (18 male; mean ± standard deviation: 48.3 ± 13.3 years) and 26 healthy controls (9 male; mean ± standard deviation: 43.0 ± 18.5 years). Two radiologists scored the visual image quality using a 4-point Likert scale. The image quality score, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of extraocular muscles (EOMs) were compared between the two DWIs. Differences in the ADC of EOMs were also evaluated. The performance of discriminating active from inactive TAO was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves. The correlation between ADC and clinical activity score (CAS) was analyzed using Spearman correlation. Results: Compared with SS EPI DWI, FOCUS MUSE DWI demonstrated significantly higher image quality scores (P < 0.001), a higher SNR and CNR on the lateral rectus muscle (LRM) and medial rectus muscle (MRM) (P < 0.05), and a non-significant difference in the ADC of the LRM and MRM. Active TAO showed higher ADC than inactive TAO and healthy controls with both SS EPI and FOCUS MUSE DWIs (P < 0.001). Inactive TAO and healthy controls did not show a significant ADC difference with both DWIs. Compared with SS EPI DWI, FOCUS MUSE DWI demonstrated better discrimination of active from inactive TAO (AUC: 0.925 vs. 0.779; P = 0.007). The ADC was significantly correlated with CAS in SS EPI DWI (r = 0.391, P < 0.001) and FOCUS MUSE DWI (r = 0.645, P < 0.001). Conclusion: FOCUS MUSE DWI provides better images for evaluating EOMs and better performance in diagnosing active TAO than SS EPI DWI. The application of FOCUS MUSE will facilitate the DWI evaluation of TAO.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.445-452
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• 2024

Through the pandemic, the topography of dining culture is rapidly changing due to the advancement of the food delivery market. Competition in the domestic market is intensifying as Coupang Eats recently surpassed Yogiyo and jumped to second place, and Baedal Minjok(Baemin), the industry's No. 1 company, is also preparing to introduce a subscription system. While the growth of the delivery market is slowing, the use of takeout and pick-up services is increasing due to rising delivery costs and food prices. From Generation Z's perspective, the main factors influencing the active use of app services were identified through prior research as usability and convenience, cost sensitivity, and hedonic motivation. While, they are leading the trend of minimizing spending through 'stepping stone consumption' and delivery pot process instead of choosing a subscription system. Accordingly, we aim to provide customers with a better experience and help strengthen competitiveness by proposing ways to improve and revitalize new delivery apps that reflect the characteristics of Gen.Z. As a result of the expert Delphi survey, we will receive impact evaluation scores in the following order: direct view of accumulated discounts, addition of family benefits, coupon reinforcement, SNS promotion, pick-up walk, in-store promotion, and discount rate display, and review their application to practice. It presents academic and policy implications regarding the food tech market.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.801-806
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• 2024

The number of patients worldwide undergoing diagnostic radiology is steadily increasing, and there is a significant rise in the number of patients in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) undergoing general radiological diagnostics. Newborns admitted to NICUs often have innate health vulnerabilities or are exposed to infections. Because these neonates are highly sensitive to radiation, effective radiation management based on the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle is essential to minimize radiation exposure. This study aimed to assess organ doses received by neonatal patients during radiological examinations using various software tools (PCXMC, MCNP, ALARA-GR, and TLD experiments). Although these software tools allow for easy assessment of organ doses, discrepancies in results present challenges in evaluating their accuracy. Consequently, organ dose assessments were compiled under various conditions, such as the neonate's position inside or outside the incubator during chest or abdominal radiography. Research using ALARA-GR and PCXMC software revealed differences in radiation exposure across various organs during chest and abdominal imaging, with 0-year-old neonates showing higher radiation sensitivity than 1-year-olds. To minimize radiation risks for neonates, it is essential to optimize conditions within the incubator, utilize the canopy appropriately, and conduct targeted imaging rather than unnecessary examinations.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 2017

Objective : This study was to find out the level of sensory process type, adult attachment and interpersonal problems on university students and then to investigate the correlation. Methods : For this study, 169 students who don't know about the evaluation tool in university students of K area in Korea were participated. To execute evaluation, Adolescents/Adults Sensory Profile (AASP) was used for the sensory process type, Short Form of the Korean Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scale (KIIP-SC) was used for interpersonal problems, and Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Revised (ECR-R) was used for the adult attachment. The correlation between sensory process type and interpersonal problems, adult attachment was analyzed by using pearson correlation analysis. Results : Sensory process type of university students appeared that sensory seeking was lower than general people, and the rest of items showed similar results with general people. For interpersonal problems, there was a lot of difficulty in self-sacrificing and overly accommodating, whereas there was a little difficulty in vindictive and domineering / controlling. For adult attachment, attachment avoiding was more stable than attachment anxiety. Also, low registration and sensory sensitivity all showed positive correlation with interpersonal problems and adult attachment. Among interpersonal problems, self-sacrificing and intrusive showed positive correlation with sensory seeking whereas cold, socially inhibited, nonassertive, and overly accommodating showed positive correlation with sensory avoiding. Thus, sensory seeking and sensory avoiding showed different results (p<.05). Conclusion : In occupational therapy clinic, not only the disabled but non-disabled people that experience issue of interpersonal problems and attachment could be helped with managing high quality social activity if they execute intervention according to sensory process type.