• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

The unconfined compression strength (UCS) of soils is commonly used either before or during the construction of geo-structures. In the pre-design stage, UCS as a mechanical property is obtained through a laboratory test that requires cumbersome procedures and high costs from in-situ sampling and sample preparation. As an alternative way, the empirical model established from limited testing cases is used to economically estimate the UCS. However, many parameters affecting the 1D soil compression response hinder employing the traditional statistical analysis. In this study, gene expression programming (GEP) is adopted to develop a prediction model of UCS with common affecting soil properties. A total of 79 undisturbed soil samples are collected, of which 54 samples are utilized for the generation of a predictive model and 25 samples are used to validate the proposed model. Experimental studies are conducted to measure the unconfined compression strength and basic soil index properties. A performance assessment of the prediction model is carried out using statistical checks including the correlation coefficient (R), the root mean square error (RMSE), the mean absolute error (MAE), the relatively squared error (RSE), and external criteria checks. The prediction model has achieved excellent accuracy with values of R, RMSE, MAE, and RSE of 0.98, 10.01, 7.94, and 0.03, respectively for the training data and 0.92, 19.82, 14.56, and 0.15, respectively for the testing data. From the sensitivity analysis and parametric study, the liquid limit and fine content are found to be the most sensitive parameters whereas the sand content is the least critical parameter.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.190-195
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• 2023

Objectives: Pregnancy complications, including pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes (GDM), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), impact long-term health. We compared the frequency of screening documentation for pregnancy complications versus a general medical history at well woman visits between providers in primary care and obstetrics and gynecology. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of subjects with at least 1 prior birth who presented for a well woman visit in 2019-2020. Charts were reviewed for documentation of a general medical history (hypertension, diabetes, and mood disorders) versus screening for comparable obstetric complications (pre-eclampsia, GDM, and PMADs). The results were compared using the McNemar and chi-square tests as appropriate. Results: In total, 472 encounters were identified, and 137 met the inclusion criteria. Across specialties, clinicians were significantly more likely to document general medical conditions than pregnancy complications, including hypertensive disorders (odds ratio [OR], 2.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18 to 5.48), diabetes (OR, 7.67; 95% CI, 3.27 to 22.0), and mood disorders (OR, 10.5; 95% CI, 3.81 to 40.3). Obstetrics and gynecology providers were more likely to document any pregnancy history (OR, 4.50; 95% CI, 1.24 to 16.27); however, they were not significantly more likely to screen for relevant obstetric complications (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 0.90 to 6.89). Overall, the rate of pregnancy complication documentation was low in primary care and obstetrics and gynecology clinics (8.8 and 19.0%, respectively). Conclusions: Obstetrics and gynecology providers more frequently documented a pregnancy history than those in primary care; however, the rate was low across specialties, and providers reported screening for clinically relevant complications less frequently than for general medical conditions.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2023

Purpose : This study was conducted to investigate and analyze the physical health of older Koreans with sarcopenia and locomotive syndrome and identify the related factors. Methods : In this study, the sarcopenia and locomotive syndrome evaluations were applied to 210 elderly people, and the sarcopenia group was 36, the locomotive syndrome group was 164, and the normal group was 10. After group selection, a physical health status survey was conducted. The physical health status was assessed via body composition analysis, physical characteristics survey including measurement of waist and calf circumference, investigation of diseases currently being diagnosed by a doctor, and frailty measurements. The collected data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the Chi-square test. Results : There were significant differences between groups in all elements of physical characteristics including body mass index, waist circumference, and calf circumference. Among them, a consistent result was found that the normal group had the largest amount of muscle mass and the sarcopenia group had the least amount of muscle mass in the factors related to muscle mass. However, the factors relating to fat mass and obesity also showed significant differences between the groups, but the results were not consistent. Considering the group differences in current diseases, a significant difference was only detected for osteoporosis among 12 diseases. Moreover, those in the sarcopenia group had the highest rate of osteoporosis. And there was no significant difference between the groups in the total score of the frailty measurement, but there was a significant difference between the groups in the frailty measurement levels. Conclusion : This study on physical health status confirmed that muscle mass-related factors, osteoporosis, and frailty levels were significantly related to sarcopenia and locomotive syndrome.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.195-211
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship among innovation activities, innovation performance, and management performance of export firms. I first undertake a review of previous studies related to innovation activity, innovation performance, and export firms' innovation. Based on this, I set up a research model and hypotheses. First, The innovation activity is classified into product innovation activity, process innovation activity, and administrative innovation activity. Innovation performance is divided into product quality improvement and cost reduction. And the business performance is regarded as financial performance of export's firms. This study examined whether innovation activity affect innovation performance such as product quality improvement and cost reduction. In addition, I examined whether these innovation performance affects business performance (financial performance). To achieve this, a total of 368 questionnaires are used in this study and PLS (Partial Least Square) was used to analyze structural equation. As a result, this study shows that product innovation activity have a positive effect on product quality improvement, and process innovation activity also have a positive effect on product quality improvement. However, it was found that neither product innovation activity nor process innovation activity had an effect on cost reduction. And it was found that administrative innovation did not affect product quality improvement, but had a positive effect on cost reduction. Also, it was found that quality improvement, which is an innovation performance, did not affect the financial performance of export's firms, and cost reduction, which is an innovation performance, had a positive effect on the financial performance of the export's firms.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.41-50
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aims to identify the distribution of skill evolution for accounting personnel during the health crisis and investigate the impact of accounting skills in developing resilience among accounting personnel. Research design, data, and methodology: A total of 131 respondents of accounting personnel participated in a self-administered survey questionnaire. This data is analysed using the partial least square structural equation modeling. Results: The results show that accounting skills, digital skills, and writing skills have a significant impact on developing accounting personnel's motivation, subsequently leading to resilience. Conclusions: This study adds to the literature on the new requirements and future profiles of Malaysian organisation and the accounting profession. This will be a good reference for the practitioners to identify the relevant skills required for accountants after the pandemic. Furthermore, this study includes encouraging motivation and skills to improve resilience in the Malaysian context further to understand the push factors on skills evolution among the accountants. Higher education institutions with accounting courses would consider the potential future skills of accountants to meet market demands on time when updating the institutions' curricula program. Hence, the relevant skills required can be developed and practiced at the education level, especially secondary and tertiary levels.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1027-1035
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• 2020

Objective: To assess the appropriate follow-up interval, and rate and timepoint of cancer detection in women with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3 lesions on screening ultrasonography (US) according to the type of institution. Materials and Methods: A total of 1451 asymptomatic women who had negative or benign findings on screening mammogram, BI-RADS 3 assessment on screening US, and at least 6 months of follow-up were included. The median follow-up interval was 30.8 months (range, 6.8-52.9 months). The cancer detection rate, cancer detection timepoint, risk factors, and clinicopathological characteristics were compared between the screening and tertiary centers. Nominal variables were compared using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test and continuous variables were compared using the independent t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Results: In 1451 women, 19 cancers (1.3%) were detected; two (0.1%) were diagnosed at 6 months and 17 (1.2%) were diagnosed after 12.3 months. The malignancy rates were both 1.3% in the screening (9 of 699) and tertiary (10 of 752) centers. In the screening center, all nine cancers were invasive cancers and diagnosed after 12.3 months. In the tertiary center, two were ductal carcinomas in situ and eight were invasive cancers. Two of the invasive cancers were diagnosed at 6 months and the remaining eight cancers newly developed after 13.1 months. Conclusion: One-year follow-up rather than 6-month follow-up may be suitable for BI-RADS 3 lesions on screening US found in screening centers. However, more caution is needed regarding similar findings in tertiary centers where 6-month follow-up may be more appropriate.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2024

Purpose: This study explored the factors influencing the health-related life satisfaction of people with disabilities who engaged in physical activity, by age and gender. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted of the 2020 Third Disability and Life Dynamics Panel (2021). The participants were 2,796 people who performed regular physical activity at least once a week. The variables selected were disability-related factors (degree of disability, multiple disabilities, and type of disability), sociodemographic factors (age, gender, living alone, and mean monthly family income), and health-related factors (amount of physical activity, self-esteem, depression, chronic disease, subjective health, and health-related life satisfaction). Descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, the t-test, two-way analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. Results: In total, 58.0% of participants were male, and 42.0% were female. For age groups, 14.4% were children/adolescents (0-19 years), 42.6% were adults (20-59 years), and 43.0% were seniors (≥60 years). The mean score for health-related life satisfaction was 5.0±2.15 out of 10. Adults and seniors whose level of physical activity met or exceeded recommendations had higher subjective health. Moreover, men had better subjective health than women in seniors. Health-related life satisfaction was higher among those who had higher self-esteem, were not depressed, did not have chronic diseases, and had better subjective health. Conclusion: Gender significantly influenced health-related life satisfaction in children/ adolescents and seniors. Disability-related factors were significant in adults, and health-related factors were significant in all age groups. Therefore, these factors should be considered when designing interventions to promote subjective health and health-related life satisfaction of people with disabilities.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.509-523
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• 2016

The soil prediction can provide quantitative soil information for sustainable mountainous ecosystem management. Visible near infrared spectroscopy, one of soil prediction methods, has been applied to predict several soil properties with effective costs, rapid and nondesctructive analysis, and satisfactory accuracy. Spectral preprocessing is a essential procedure to correct noisy spectra for visible near infrared spectroscopy. However, there are no attempts to evaluate various spectral preprocessing methods. We tested 5 different pretreatments, namely continuum removal, Savitzky-Golay filter, discrete wavelet transform, 1st derivative, and 2nd derivative to predict soil carbon(C) and nitrogen(N). Partial least squares regression was used for the prediction method. The total of 153 soil samples was split into 122 samples for calibration and 31 samples for validation. In the all range, absorption was increased with increasing C contents. Specifically, the visible region (650nm and 700nm) showed high values of the correlation coefficient with soil C and N contents. For spectral preprocessing methods, continuum removal had the highest prediction accuracy(Root Mean Square Error) for C(9.53mg/g) and N(0.79mg/g). Therefore, continuum removal was selected as the best preprocessing method. Additionally, there were no distinct differences between Savitzky-Golay filter and discrete wavelet transform for visual assessment and the methods showed similar validation results. According to the results, we also recommended Savitzky-Golay filter that is a simple pre-treatment with continuum removal.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.447-454
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• 2001

For determining the relative genetic effects of Duroc (D) and Taoyuan (T) breeds on the economic traits of their hybrids, 72 litters of pigs, from four mating types, namely TT (T♂$\times$T♀), DD (D♂$\times$D♀) and D-T hybrids (TD, T♂$\times$D♀ and DT, D♂$\times$T♀) were used in this study. The various crossbreeding parameters were estimated by comparisons among mating types using linear contrasts of least-square analysis. The results of reproductive traits analysis showed that T breed had contributed superior genetic effects on the total number of piglets at birth (TBN) (p<0.10) and number of live piglets at 21 days (LP21) (p<0.05) to the D-T hybrids. Estimates of maternal genetic effects showed that the T females were superior in TBN (p<0.05), but inferior in average birth weight (ABW) and average litter birth weight (LBW) (p<0.01) to the D females. Direct heterosis effects were significant for LBW, LP21 and LWT21 (p<0.01). Least-squares analysis of other economic traits showed that T breed had relative negative effects on all growth traits, withers height (WH), body type index (BTI), average backfat thickness (ABF), carcass length (LENG), loin eye area (longissimus) (LEARA), and lean percentage (LEAN) of D-T hybrids (p<0.05). Estimates of direct genetic effects showed that the D breed was superior to the T breed in all growth and carcass traits except the average backfat (BF). Estimates of maternal genetic effects showed that average body weight at 180 days (WT180) of progenies from T sows were lighter than from D sows. Progenies from D females had larger and leaner carcass than those from T females. Direct heterosis effects were significant for average daily weight gains from 150 to 180 days ($ADG_{150-180}$) (p<0.05) and for average body weights at 150 (WT150), and 180 days (WT180), average daily weight gains from birth to 150 and 180 days ($ADG_{150}$ and $ADG_{180}$, respectively), WH, body length (BL), ABF, BTI, and LENG (p<0.01). The results showed that D-T hybrids tended to have superior TBN and LP21 than D breed, and to be superior in all growth and most conformation and carcass traits to the T breed.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.9 no.8
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• pp.41-50
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• 2018

Purpose - As an important participant in the financial markets, the commercial bank will be impacted by the interest rate marketization. Owing to the special condition of China, this paper tries to explore the impact of operating mechanisms between interest rate marketization and the profitability of the commercial Bank. Research design, data and methodology - This paper applies time series data from 2005 to 2016. Due to the short period of time series, autocorrelation often occurs. Therefore, the fully modified least squares(FMOLS) will be used to conduct an empirical analysis. The reason is that it can move off the autocorrelation between variables and disturbance term. And FMOLS also can make estimated cointegrating parameters closed to normal distribution. More importantly, in order to avoid spurious regressions, the Augmented Dickey-Fuller Test will be used to verify the stationarity of all variables. The total return of asset is treated as the profitability of commercial bank. The net interest spread is treated as a measurement of interest rate marketization. Both are regarded as dependent variables. The non-interest income or gross revenues and impaired loans or gross loans are treated as independent variables. The sixteen representative listed commercial banks are divided into three categories (state-owned, share-holding and city-owned) to conduct an estimation. Results - Via empirical analysis, the findings show that the net interest spread has a positive effect on the profitability of the commercial bank. More specifically, 1% increase in the net interest spread will lead 0.157% increase in the profitability of state-owned commercial bank, 0.269% increase in the profitability of share-holding commercial bank and 0.263% increase in the profitability of city-owned commercial bank. If regarding the sixteen listed commercial city as a whole, 1% increase in the net interest spread will lead 0.267% increase in the profitability of the commercial bank. Conclusions - As the interest rate marketization, the importance of interest rate on the profitability of commercial bank has become more and more significant. The empirical evidences also prove that the net interest spread can bring about the change of the commercial bank's profitability. Therefore, policy-makers of commercial banks should fully understand the operating mechanism between them.