• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.141-155
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to identified the relationship between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, subjective health, and health-related quality of life among the middle-aged and elderly population in Korea. Methods: Adults aged 40 or older were extracted from the total 22,559 respondents to the 2019-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VIII, and secondary analysis was conducted on a total of 6,659 middle-aged and elderly people with no missing values. Logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea risk factors and subjective health as well as quality of life. Results: The subjective health status decline in the high-risk group compared to the non-risk group for obstructive sleep apnea was statistically significantly higher, with an odds ratio of 1.84 (p<0.001). The health-related quality of life was also statistically significantly lower by 0.02 points (β, -0.02; p<0.001). As a result of subgroup analysis on specific variables, the association between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea and subjective health and health-related quality of life was statistically significant depending on gender, sleep time, presence of depression, household income, and number of household members. Based on the obstructive sleep apnea risk group, women had a higher correlation with low subjective health and lower health-related quality of life scores than men. Sleeping time of more than 8 hours or less than 6 hours was more associated with low subjective health and lower health-related quality of life score than sleeping time of 6-8 hours. Patients with depression were more likely to have low subjective health than those without depression. The lower the household income level and the smaller the number of household members, the higher the association with low subjective health and the lower the health-related quality of life score. Conclusion: It is essential to recognize that the risk of obstructive sleep apnea not only directly affects sleep disorders but also impacts individuals' subjective health and quality of life. Consequently, social support and education should be provided to raise awareness of this issue. Particularly, programs for preventing and managing obstructive sleep apnea should target vulnerable groups such as women, individuals in single-person households, low household income, and those with depression, aiming to improve their subjective health and quality of life.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.35-61
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• 2024

Floristic study can help to understand the current status of species diversity, evaluate and predict distribution changes of plants based on the specimens, and record the climate environment and biodiversity of the Korean Peninsula. Boraebong is an area that has plant resources of conservation value, but there is concern about artificial interference through trail and forest road. Therefore, this study aims to report the vascular plants of Boraebong based on voucher specimens and photos and to use them as baseline data to conserve biodiversity of Boraebong. Also, it will be useful to prevent additional influx of invasive species through comparison with previous studies. The investigation was carried out 11 times from April to September in 2022 and confirmed a total of 455 taxa including 87 families, 269 genera, 401 species, 13 subspecies, 35 varieties, 6 forms. In addition, we confirmed the 4 taxa of red list plants (EN 2 taxa, NT 2 taxa), 18 taxa of Korean endemic plants, and 102 taxa of floristic target species (V degree 1 taxon, IV degree 16 taxa, III degree 31 taxa, II degree 31 taxa, I degree 23 taxa). Furthermore, alien plants 17 taxa, invasive species 2 taxa, useful plants 439 taxa were confirmed in Boraebong. As the results of comparison with previous studies, 98 total taxa including 38 families, 76 genera, 86 species, 1 subspecies, 8 varieties, 3 forms were newly identified in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.79-95
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to find the changes in the habitat of wild birds caused by climate change in urban rivers and protected areas that greatly require ecological functions. In the future, this study can be used as a management index to protect the urban river ecosystem and maintain the health of sustainable urban rivers, thereby ensuring biodiversity. The Tancheon Ecological and Landscape Conservation Area, selected as a target site, has been affected by climate change. The four seasons of Korea have a distinct temperate climate, but the average annual temperature in Seoul has risen by 2.4-2.8℃ over the last 40 years. Winter temperatures tended to gradually increase. Precipitation, which was concentrated from June to August, is now changing into localized torrential rain and a uniform precipitation pattern of several months. Climate change causes irregular and unforeseen features. Climate change has been shown to have various effects on urban river ecosystems. The decrease in the area of water surface and sedimentary land impacted river shape change and has led to large-scale terrestrialization. Plants showed disturbance, and the vegetation was simplified. The emergence of national climate change indicator species, the development of foreign herbaceous plants, the change of dry land native herbaceous species, and wet intelligence vegetation were developed. Wild birds appeared in the territory of winter-summer migratory. In addition, species change and the populations of migratory birds also occurred. It was judged that fluctuations in temperature and precipitation and non-predictive characteristics affect the hydrological environment, plant ecology, and wild birds connecting with the river ecosystem. The results of this study were to analyze how climate change affects the habitat of wild birds and to develop a management index for river ecological and landscape conservation areas where environmental and ecological functions in cities operate. This study can serve as a basic study at the level of ecosystem services to improve the health of urban rivers and create a foundation for biodiversity.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.35
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• pp.23-31
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of Non-Treat Functionality Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy(NTF-VMAT) and Treat Functionality VMAT(TF-VMAT) treatment plans in reducing the low-dose area during radiation therapy for patients with multiple metastatic cancers. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on an Arccheck phantom, treatment planning target locations were set in pairs at intervals of 2 cm, 4 cm, and 6 cm on the X, Y, and Z axes. Based on these location settings, the volume of the low-dose area in NTF-VMAT and TF-VMAT was measured and compared. Results: The results of the study showed that, within a prescription dose range of 10% ~ 70%, the difference in low-dose area volumes across each axis was as follows: On the X-axis, there was a maximum difference of -47.6% and a minimum difference of -2.2%. On the Y-axis, there was a maximum difference of -17.5% and a minimum difference of -7.3%. The Z-axis showed a maximum difference of -39.7%, with the smallest difference being -6.8%. Conclusion: In radiation therapy for patients with multiple metastatic cancers, the TF-VMAT treatment plan was able to reduce the low-dose area by 10-40% compared to NTF-VMAT. This suggests that utilizing Treat Functionality, which includes the Island block technique, improves dose distribution and minimizes side effects, making it beneficial for the treatment of patients with multiple metastatic cancers.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.35
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• pp.41-51
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• 2023

Purpose: This study compares and analyzes the image quality of 3D-CBCT(Cone Beam Computed-Tomography) and Gated CBCT according to baseline changes during SBRT(Stereotactic Body RadioTherapy) in lung cancer patients to find a useful CBCT method for correcting movement due to breathing Materials and methods : Insert a solid tumor material with a diameter of 3 cm into the QUASAR^TM phantom. 4-Dimentional Computed-Tomography(4DCT) images were taken with a speed of the phantom at period 3 sec and a maximum amplitude of 20 mm. Using the contouring menu of the computerized treatment planning system Eclipse^TM Gross Tumor Volume was outlined on solid tumor material. Set-up the same as when acquiring a 4DCT image using Truebeam STx^TM, breathing patterns with baseline changes of 1 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm were input into the phantom to obtain 3D-CBCT (Spotlight, Full) and Gated-CBCT (Spotlight, Full) images five times repeatedly. The acquired images were compared with the Signal-to-Noise Ratio(SNR), Contrast-to-Noise Ratio(CNR), Tumor Volume Length, and Motion Blurring Ratio(MBR) based on the 4DCT image. Results: The average Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Contrast-to-Noise Ratio, Tumor Volume Length and Motion Blurring Ratio of Spotlight Gated CBCT images were 13.30±0.10%, 7.78±0.16%, 3.55±0.17%, 1.18±0.06%. As a result, Spotlight Gated-CBCT images according to baseline change showed better values than Spotligtht 3D-CBCT images. Also, the average Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Contrast-to-Noise Ratio, Tumor Volume Length and Motion Blurring Ratio of Full Gated CBCT images were 12.80±0.11%, 7.60±0.11%, 3.54±0.16%, 1.18±0.05%. As a result Full GatedCBCT images according to baseline change showed better values than Full 3D-CBCT images. Conclusion : Compared to 3D-CBCT images, Gated-CBCT images had better image quality according to the baseline change, and the effect of Motion Blurring Artifacts caused by breathing was small. Therefore, it is considered useful to image guided using Gated-CBCT when a baseline change occurs due to difficulty in regular breathing during SBRT that exposes high doses in a short period of time

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.807-820
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• 2023

Objective: To assess whether computed tomography (CT) conversion across different scan parameters and manufacturers using a routable generative adversarial network (RouteGAN) can improve the accuracy and variability in quantifying interstitial lung disease (ILD) using a deep learning-based automated software. Materials and Methods: This study included patients with ILD who underwent thin-section CT. Unmatched CT images obtained using scanners from four manufacturers (vendors A-D), standard- or low-radiation doses, and sharp or medium kernels were classified into groups 1-7 according to acquisition conditions. CT images in groups 2-7 were converted into the target CT style (Group 1: vendor A, standard dose, and sharp kernel) using a RouteGAN. ILD was quantified on original and converted CT images using a deep learning-based software (Aview, Coreline Soft). The accuracy of quantification was analyzed using the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and pixel-wise overlap accuracy metrics against manual quantification by a radiologist. Five radiologists evaluated quantification accuracy using a 10-point visual scoring system. Results: Three hundred and fifty CT slices from 150 patients (mean age: 67.6 ± 10.7 years; 56 females) were included. The overlap accuracies for quantifying total abnormalities in groups 2-7 improved after CT conversion (original vs. converted: 0.63 vs. 0.68 for DSC, 0.66 vs. 0.70 for pixel-wise recall, and 0.68 vs. 0.73 for pixel-wise precision; P < 0.002 for all). The DSCs of fibrosis score, honeycombing, and reticulation significantly increased after CT conversion (0.32 vs. 0.64, 0.19 vs. 0.47, and 0.23 vs. 0.54, P < 0.002 for all), whereas those of ground-glass opacity, consolidation, and emphysema did not change significantly or decreased slightly. The radiologists' scores were significantly higher (P < 0.001) and less variable on converted CT. Conclusion: CT conversion using a RouteGAN can improve the accuracy and variability of CT images obtained using different scan parameters and manufacturers in deep learning-based quantification of ILD.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.91-107
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• 2024

This study attempted to empirically verify the possibility of K-content for Chinese people who have recently slowed down due to restriction of movement and political and diplomatic conflicts, although it is a very meaningful market for Korea's content industry and tourism industry. As a result of the study, each item of K-content experience, national image, tourism attitude, and visit intention was derived as one factor, and only the national image factor was derived as two factors: 'functional image' and 'cultural image'. As a result of examining the influence relationship between them established based on previous studies focusing on the derived factors, all five research hypotheses were adopted. K-content experience was found to have a significant influence on both factors of the national image. It was found that it had a greater influence on cultural image factors than functional image factors, cultural image factors were found to have a greater influence on tourism attitudes, K-content experiences had a significant effect on tourism attitudes, and tourism attitudes had a significant effect on visit intentions. Based on the results of this study, it was once again confirmed that the national image even comtually bees an important factor for linking to practical tourism behavior, and in this respect, "culture" is an important key factor that can lead to practical tourism and visits. Previous national images indicate that if the functional aspect of the country was more emphasized, it is now necessary to focus more on the importance of culture than on the functional aspect. As the K-content experience has a significant effect on tourism attitude, it can have a positive effect on the formation of a positive tourism attitude that can lead to actual tourism behavior, so various efforts will be needed to form an active tourism attitude using K-content in the future. As the content and target scope of K-content are expanded and diversified, specific strategies for each sub-market using cultural contents in various fields should be established and implemented.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.147-159
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• 2024

Lack of streamflow observations makes model calibration difficult and limits model performance improvement. Satellite-based remote sensing products offer a new alternative as they can be actively utilized to obtain hydrological data. Recently, several studies have shown that artificial intelligence-based solutions are more appropriate than traditional conceptual and physical models. In this study, a data-driven approach combining various recurrent neural networks and decision tree-based algorithms is proposed, and the utilization of satellite remote sensing information for AI training is investigated. The satellite imagery used in this study is from MODIS and SMAP. The proposed approach is validated using publicly available data from 25 watersheds. Inspired by the traditional regionalization approach, a strategy is adopted to learn one data-driven model by integrating data from all basins, and the potential of the proposed approach is evaluated by using a leave-one-out cross-validation regionalization setting to predict streamflow from different basins with one model. The GRU + Light GBM model was found to be a suitable model combination for target basins and showed good streamflow prediction performance in ungauged basins (The average model efficiency coefficient for predicting daily streamflow in 25 ungauged basins is 0.7187) except for the period when streamflow is very small. The influence of satellite remote sensing information was found to be up to 10%, with the additional application of satellite information having a greater impact on streamflow prediction during low or dry seasons than during wet or normal seasons.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2024

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the impact of Ayres' sensory integration (ASI) intervention on motor skills and occupational participation of preschool children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method : Children with ADHD aged between 4 and 6 years who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly recruited through screening tests. The subjects were divided into an experimental group (10 subjects) and a control group (8 subjects). The instruments used were the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency-2 (BOT-2), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), and Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) to evaluate occupational participation. The subjects in the experimental group underwent individual sensory integration therapy according to the ASI principles for 40 minutes twice a week in a total of 16 sessions over eight weeks. The control group did not receive the ASI intervention. Data analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, chi-squared test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Cohen's d test in SPSS 20.0. Results : The ASI experimental group had significantly higher scores in total motor composite, manual coordination, body coordination, strength, and agility in motor function than the control group (p<.05). The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of occupational participation (PEDI), but GAS scores for individual target activities were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (p<.05). Conclusion : This study shows that the ASI intervention has positive effects on motor skills and occupation participation among preschool children with ADHD.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.360-385
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• 2024

This study was carried out to clarify the distribution of vascular plants in Biryongsan Mt. (1,129 m) and Baebawhisan Mt. (967 m) (a.s.l., 36° 55'~37° 06' N, 129° 03'~29° 09' E), Gyeongsangbuk-do. The surveys were conducted 13 times from April 2019 to August 2022. The vascular plants of Biryongsan Mt. and Baebawhisan Mt. was consisted a total of 570 taxa based on the voucher specimens; 108 families, 334 genera, 506 species, 17 subspecies, 44 varieties, 3 forms. Among them, the Korean endemic plants were 12 taxa. The of number of threatened and near threatened plants, as National Red List of Vascular Plants in Korea designated by the Korean National Arboretum, were 8 taxa, comprising 1 endangered (EN), 3 vulnerable (VU), and 4 near threatened (LC) species. The number of floristic target plants designated by the Ministry of Environment was 104 taxa, including 10 of level IV and 28 of level III. The naturalized plants in this area were 42 taxa. Among 570 taxa, there were 403 edible plants, 461 medicinal plants, 221 industrial plants, 306 ornamental plants, and 17 taxa with unknown usefulness respectively.