• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.133-138
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: Production function gives the equation that shows the relationship between the quantities of productive factors used and the amount of product obtained, and can answer a variety of questions. This study was carried out to evaluate the relationship between irrigation water used for rice production and rice productivity by the production function which shows the mathematical relation between input and output. METHODS AND RESULTS: The statistical data on rice production and on the amount of irrigation water were used for the production function analysis. The analysis period was separated for 1966-1981 and 1982-2011, based on goal's change on agriculture from 'increasing food' to 'complex farming'. The relation between irrigation and yield considering production function is a short-term production function both before and after 1982. These results can be expressed by the sigmoid relation. When comparing the graphs of the two analyzed periods, there are differences in quantity between the maximum point and the minimum point during the same analysis period, which can be called an 'Irrigation Effect' by the difference of irrigation, and 'Technical Effect' by the difference by inputs like as fertilizers etc. CONCLUSION: The results could be useful as information for assessing the relationship between agricultural water and the productivity of rice and predicting rice productivity by irrigation water in Korea.

• Journal of Auto-vehicle Safety Association
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2021

In this study, improved path tracking control algorithm based on pure pursuit algorithm is newly proposed by using improved lane detection algorithm through real time post-processing with interpolation methodology. Since the original pure pursuit works well only at speeds below 20 km/h, the look-ahead distance is implemented as a sigmoid function to work well at an average speed of 45 km/h to improve tracking performance. In addition, a smoothing filter was added to reduce the steering angle vibration of the original algorithm, and the stability of the steering angle was improved. The post-processing algorithm presented has implemented more robust lane recognition system using real-time pre/post processing method with deep learning and estimated interpolation. Real time processing is more cost-effective than the method using lots of computing resources and building abundant datasets for improving the performance of deep learning networks. Therefore, this paper also presents improved lane detection performance by using the final results with naive computer vision codes and pre/post processing. Firstly, the pre-processing was newly designed for real-time processing and robust recognition performance of augmentation. Secondly, the post-processing was designed to detect lanes by receiving the segmentation results based on the estimated interpolation in consideration of the properties of the continuous lanes. Consequently, experimental results by utilizing driving guidance line information from processing parts show that the improved lane detection algorithm is effective to minimize the lateral offset error in the diverse maneuvering roads.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.303-309
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• 2021

In this study, we intended to describe an unrecorded species of heterophyid trematode recovered from the small intestine of a Korean raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis, in Korea. A total of 13 small flukes were collected from a deceased Korean raccoon dog which was found in Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, Korea in May 2017. The trematode body were covered with many small spines, rectangular, broader than long, 807-1,103 ㎛ long and 1,270-1,550 ㎛ wide. Oral sucker in the anterior end slightly smaller than acetabulum. Pharynx muscular and well developed. Esophagus relatively long and sigmoid. Acetabulum small and located at median in anterior 2/5 portion. Ceca bifurcated at the anterior of genital pore and acetabulum and terminated at testis level. Testes larger, deeply lobed and located at the near of posterior end of body. Ovary small, triangular and located at the slight left of median and the anterior of left testis. Vitelline follicles dendritic and extend from the middle level of esophagus to the posterior portion of body. Eggs embryonated, operculated, small and 33-35×15-16 ㎛ in size. Based on the morphological characteristics, the small heterophyid flukes recovered from the small intestines of Korean raccoon dog, N. procyonoides koreensis, were identified as Euryhelmis squamula (Digenea: Heterophyidae). Accordingly, this species of heterophyid flukes is to be a new trematode fauna in Korea by this study.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.103-116
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• 2021

Analysis of runoff is substantial for effective water management in the watershed. Runoff occurs by reaction of a watershed to the rainfall and has non-linearity and uncertainty due to the complex relation of weather and watershed factors. ANN (Artificial Neural Network), which learns from the data, is one of the machine learning technique known as a proper model to interpret non-linear data. The performance of ANN is affected by the ANN's structure, the number of hidden layer nodes, learning rate, and activation function. Especially, the activation function has a role to deliver the information entered and decides the way of making output. Therefore, It is important to apply appropriate activation functions according to the problem to solve. In this paper, ANN models were constructed to estimate runoff with different activation functions and each model was compared and evaluated. Sigmoid, Hyperbolic tangent, ReLU (Rectified Linear Unit), ELU (Exponential Linear Unit) functions were applied to the hidden layer, and Identity, ReLU, Softplus functions applied to the output layer. The statistical parameters including coefficient of determination, NSE (Nash and Sutcliffe Efficiency), NSEln (modified NSE), and PBIAS (Percent BIAS) were utilized to evaluate the ANN models. From the result, applications of Hyperbolic tangent function and ELU function to the hidden layer and Identity function to the output layer show competent performance rather than other functions which demonstrated the function selection in the ANN structure can affect the performance of ANN.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.299-304
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• 2021

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare, progressive, life-threatening condition of thrombotic microangiopathy characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and renal impairment. The mechanisms underlying aHUS remain unclear. Herein, we present the first case in the literature of aHUS after a traumatic injury. A 55-year-old male visited the emergency department after a traumatic injury caused by a tree limb. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a rectal wall defect with significant air density in the perirectal space and preperitoneum, implying rectal perforation. Due to the absence of intraperitoneal intestinal perforation, we performed diverting sigmoid loop colostomy. An additional intermittent simple repair was performed due to perianal and anal injuries. One day postoperatively, his urine output abruptly decreased and serum creatinine level increased. His platelet level decreased, and a spiking fever occurred after 2 days. The patient was diagnosed with acute renal failure secondary to aHUS and was treated with fresh frozen plasma replacement. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) was also started for oliguria and uremic symptoms. The patient received CRRT for 3 days and intermittent hemodialysis thereafter. After hemodialysis and subsequent supportive treatment, his urine output and renal function improved. The hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia also gradually improved. Dialysis was terminated on day 22 of admission and the patient was discharged after recovery. This case suggests that that a traumatic event can trigger aHUS, which should be considered in patients who have thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. Early diagnosis and appropriate management are critical for favorable outcomes.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2022

Background: Despite advances in surgery and intensive perioperative care, fecal peritonitis secondary to colonic perforation is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. This study was performed to review the outcomes of patients who underwent colonic perforation surgery and to evaluate the prognostic factors associated with mortality. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 224 consecutive patients who underwent emergency colonic perforation surgery between January 2008 and May 2019. We divided the patients into survivor and non-survivor groups and compared their surgical outcomes. Results: The most common cause of colon perforation was malignancy in 54 patients (24.1%), followed by iatrogenic perforation in 41 (18.3%), stercoral perforation in 39 (17.4%), and diverticulitis in 37 (16.5%). The sigmoid colon (n=124, 55.4%) was the most common location of perforation, followed by the ascending colon, rectum, and cecum. Forty-five patients (20.1%) died within 1 month after surgery. Comparing the 179 survivors with the 45 non-survivors, the patient characteristics associated with mortality were advanced age, low systolic blood pressure, tachycardia, organ failure, high C-reactive protein, high creatinine, prolonged prothrombin time, and high lactate level. The presence of free or feculent fluid, diffuse peritonitis, and right-sided perforation were associated with mortality. In multivariate analysis, advanced age, organ failure, right-sided perforation, and diffuse peritonitis independently predicted mortality within 1 month after surgery. Conclusion: Age and organ failure were prognostic factors for mortality associated with colon perforation. Furthermore, right-sided perforation and diffuse peritonitis demonstrated a significant association with patient mortality.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.215-218
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• 2022

The rectum is the least frequently injured organ in trauma, with an incidence of about 1% to 3% in trauma cases involving civilians. Most rectal injuries are caused by gunshot wounds, blunt force trauma, and stab wounds. A 46-year-old male patient was crushed between two vehicles while he was working. He was hemodynamically unstable, and the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma showed hemoperitoneum and hemoretroperitoneum; therefore, damage control surgery with pelvic packing was performed. A subsequent whole-body computed tomography scan showed a displaced pelvic bone and sacrum fracture. There was evidence of an anorectal full-thickness laceration and urethral laceration. In second-look surgery performed 48 hours later, the pelvis was stabilized with external fixators, and it was decided to proceed with loop sigmoid colostomy. A tractioned rectal probe with an internal balloon was positioned in order to approach the flaps of the rectal wall laceration. On postoperative day 13, a radiological examination with endoluminal contrast injected from the stoma after removal of the balloon was performed and showed no evidence of extraluminal leak. Rectosigmoidoscopy, rectal manometry, anal sphincter electromyography, and trans-stomic transit examinations showed normal findings, indicating that it was appropriate to proceed with the closure of the colostomy. The postoperative course was uneventful. The optimal management for extraperitoneal penetrating rectal injuries continues to evolve. Primary repair with fecal diversion is the mainstay of treatment, and a conservative approach to rectal lacerations with an internal balloon in a rectal probe could provide a possibility for healing with a lower risk of complications.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.2334-2340
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• 2021

Radioactive particle tracking (RPT) is a minimally invasive nuclear technique that tracks a radioactive particle inside a volume of interest by means of a mathematical location algorithm. During the past decades, many algorithms have been developed including ones based on artificial intelligence techniques. In this study, RPT technique is applied in a simulated test section that employs a simplified mixer filled with concrete, six scintillator detectors and a¹³⁷Cs radioactive particle emitting gamma rays of 662 keV. The test section was developed using MCNPX code, which is a mathematical code based on Monte Carlo simulation, and 3516 different radioactive particle positions (x,y,z) were simulated. Novelty of this paper is the use of a location algorithm based on a deep learning model, more specifically a 6-layers deep rectifier neural network (DRNN), in which hyperparameters were defined using a Bayesian optimization method. DRNN is a type of deep feedforward neural network that substitutes the usual sigmoid based activation functions, traditionally used in vanilla Multilayer Perceptron Networks, for rectified activation functions. Results show the great accuracy of the DRNN in a RPT tracking system. Root mean squared error for x, y and coordinates of the radioactive particle is, respectively, 0.03064, 0.02523 and 0.07653.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.258-265
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• 2021

High levels for noise and a loss of true signal make the quantitative interpretation of nuclear medicine (NM) images difficult. An application of profile optimization using a sigmoidal function in this study was used to acquire the NM images with high quality. And the images were acquired by using three kinds of reconstruction method using each same sinogram: a standard filtered back-projection (FBP), an iterative reconstruction (IR) technique, and the sigmoidal function profile optimization (SFPO). Comparison of image according to reconstruction method was performed to show a superiority of the SFPO for imaging. The images reconstructed by using the SFPO showed an average of 1.49 times and of 1.17 times better in contrast than the results obtained using the standard FBP and the IR technique, respectively. Higher signal to noise ratios were obtained as an average of 12.30 times and of 3.77 times than results obtained using the standard FBP and the IR technique, respectively. This study confirms that reconstruction with SFPO (vs FBP and vs IR) can lead to better lesion detectability and characterization with noise reduction. It can be developed for future reconstruction technique for the NM imaging.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.427-432
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• 2021

Delayed treatment of volar dislocation of the distal radioulnar joint can result in wrist pain, limited rotation of the forearm, and degenerative arthritis that could be managed only by salvage procedures. A 24-year-old male patient presented with wrist pain and a loss of forearm rotation after surgery for a radial shaft fracture. The shaft of the radius was fixed with a plate and screws with a volar angulation of 7°. The ulnar head was dislocated volar to the distal radius, and the bone defect in the ulnar head was impacted into the volar rim of the sigmoid notch of the radius, preventing the head from being reduced in the joint. Corrective osteotomy of the malunited radial shaft and sliding osteotomy of the proximal ulnar head were performed to fill the distal bone defect. Pain and range of the forearm rotation were improved at postoperative 19 months.