• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.34
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• pp.7-12
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• 2022

Purpose: When it is difficult to secure the skin dose when treating Irregularly Shaped Skin Surface such as the nose where it is difficult to apply a bolus, increase the skin dose with a treatment plan that combines the IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) delivery technique and FFF (Flattening Filter Free), It was tried to find out whether or not through the phantom experiment. Materials & Methods: Based on the 6MV-FF (Flattening Filter) and VMAT (Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy) treatment plans, which are the most commonly used treatment plans for head and neck cancer, A comparison group was created by combining VMAT and IMRT, FF and FFF, and the presence or absence of 5 mm bolus application. A virtual target was created on the Rando Phantom's nose, and a virtual bolus of 5 mm was applied assuming full contact on the Rando Phantom's nose. Five measurement points were determined based on the phantom's nose, and the absorbed dose was measured by irradiating each treatment plan 3 times per treatment plan according to the treatment technique and whether or not the bolus was applied. Result: The difference in skin dose in FF vs FFF increased in the case of FFF in VMAT bolus off, and there was no difference in case of IMRT bolus off. In VMAT bolus 5 mm and IMRT bolus 5 mm, it was confirmed that the skin dose was rather decreased in FFF. The difference in skin dose between VMAT and IMRT increased only in the case of FFF bolus off, and there was no statistical difference in the rest. For the difference in skin dose between bolus off vs bolus 5 mm, it was confirmed that the skin dose increased at bolus 5 mm, except for the case of using IMRT FFF. The treatment plan combining IMRT and FFF did not find any statistically significant difference as a result of analyzing the measured values of the treatment plan skin dose applied with a 5 mm bolus using the commonly used VMAT and FF. Therefore, it is thought that by using IMRT_FFF, it is possible to deliver a skin dose similar to that of applying a 5 mm bolus to VMAT_FF, which can be useful for patients who need a high skin dose but have difficulty applying a bolus. Conclusion: For patients who find it difficult to apply bolus, an increase in skin dose can be expected with a treatment plan that properly combines IMRT and FFF compared to VMAT and FF.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.33-43
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• 2016

Pinellia tripartita(Blume) Schott is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Araceae and distributed on Asia including of Korea, Japan, and China. P. tripartita is often used for gardening but has not been developed mass-breeding methods. In this study, we compared the tuber growth in different combinations of mixed soils used six compositions. Tubers used to study was cultured in vitro and divided into two groups. Type I was diameter more than 1cm and the group of Type II was diameter below than 1cm. Enlargement of tubers and growth of aerial parts were measuring the plant height, number of fresh leaves and dead leaves, number of bullets, tuber size, and fresh / dry weight. The size/weight and numbers of tubers from the mixed soil B (coir 68.0%, peat moss 14.7%, perlite 3.0%, vermiculite 7.0% and zeolite 7.0%) were the best grown up for eight weeks. In case of Type I, GI (Growth index) of tuber size and weight were 45% and 101%, respectively. The difference of growth was doubled compared to the bad growth treatment as the mixed soil E(Coir 14.3%, peat moss 14.3%, perlite 42.9%, vermiculite 14.3%, and zeolite 14.3%). These results could be used as the basic information for the similar experimental design for the P. ternata.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.33-50
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• 2022

While the number of female entrepreneurs has been increasing, and female entrepreneurship has been increasingly perceived as a driving force of sustainable economic development, there is a lack of studies of female entrepreneurship, particularly in the non-Western regions. This study aims to explore current levels of entrepreneurial competences of female college students in four Asian countries (i.e., Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam), differences in the competences between countries, and factors affecting their entrepreneurial competences. Using online surveys, the present study collected data from 516 female Asian college students and examined their entrepreneurial competences in six dimensions-entrepreneurship, sensibility, business management, relationship management, strategic management, and multi-tasking. This study also investigated effects of four variables (i.e., entrepreneurship course taking experiences, on-campus entrepreneurship experiences, off-campus entrepreneurship experiences, and entrepreneurial intentions) on the six aspects of entrepreneurial competences. Data analysis reveals that female Asian college students as a whole group possess quite high levels of entrepreneurial competences while the Filipino students show the biggest competence in all the six dimensions measured. As regards affecting factors, this study finds that, in the total sample, regression equations are significant in all the six dimensions of entrepreneurial competences. On-campus experiences have significantly positive effects on those six dimensions while course taking experiences and entrepreneurial intentions positively affect three different dimensions each. However, out-of-campus experiences turn out to be negative though their effects are insignificant. Meanwhile, in individual samples, different factors affect different dimensions of entrepreneurial competences. Based on these findings, the present study suggests some actions for promoting female entrepreneurship and for conducting future studies.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.147-163
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• 2022

The relocation policy of public Institutions throughout provincial areas that implemented for the purpose of "balanced national development" finished in 2019 with the last relocation of the Korea Institute of Science & Technology Evaluation and Planning, which moved to Chungbuk Innovation City. Electric power public corporations also completed relocation program over eight regions across the nation. This study was conducted empirically to identify the structural relationship between the public service motivation and job attitude. In this, the relationship of organizational change, particularly occurred by the regional relocation, with the psychological state of these organization members (experienced direct changes and got substantial impacts in various aspects such as psychological, economic and living environment, etc.,) was studied. This study aims to seek early organizational stabilization ideas for electric power public corporations after relocation, and to present some implications that can contribute to the secondary relocation of public institutions to local areas. This study shows the statistically significant relationship between the psychological state occurred by relocation and organizational commitment. The result shows that the higher the expectation levels, the higher the degree of organizational commitment, while anxious psychological state has no relation with that. Additionally, expectation level has no significant functional relation with turnover intention. Followings are the major conclusions revealed in this study; The stronger the anxious psychological state, the higher the turnover inducement goes up. The higher the expectation levels, the higher the public service motivation grows, and the higher the anxiety psychological state, the public service motivation lowers. The organizational commitment grows according to the public service motivation proportionally, but the turnover inducement intention is weak. The moderating effect of public service motivation between the expectation of organizational change and turnover intention was not significant, but it was analyzed that the moderating effect of public service motivation formed a significant relationship with other anxiety psychology. The expectation levels of employees of electric power public corporations has grown up after moving to provincial areas. Relationship between the expectation mind and the turnover inducement has decreased after local relocation.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the clinical features and determinants of macrolide-unresponsive Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MUMP) and to assess the differences in the time to fever resolution between doxycycline (DXC), tosufloxacin (TFX) and corticosteroid (CST) as second-line treatment. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients under the age of 18 who were admitted to Nowon Eulji University Hospital between July 2018 and February 2020, diagnosed with mycoplasma pneumonia. Macrolide resistance was confirmed by detecting point mutations in the 23S rRNA gene. MUMP was clinically defined by persistent fever (≥38.0℃) lasting for 72 hours or more after the initiation of macrolide treatment. In cases of MUMP, patients were treated with an addition of CST, or the initial macrolide was replaced either DXC or TFX. Results: Out of 157 cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, 83 cases (52.9%) did not respond to macrolides. Patients with MUMP exhibited significantly higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (3.2±3.0 vs. 2.4±2.2 mg/dL, P=0.047), more frequent lobar/segmental infiltrations or pleural effusions (56.6% vs. 27.0%, P<0.001; 6.0% vs. 0.0%, P=0.032), and a higher prevalence of 23S rRNA gene mutations (96.4% vs. 64.6%, P<0.001) when compared to those with macrolide-susceptible M. pneumoniae pneumonia. In terms of second-line treatment, 15 patients (18.1%) responded to CST, 30 (36.1%) to DXC, and 38 (45.8%) to TFX. The time to defervescence (TTD) after initiation second-line treatment was significantly shorter in the CST group compared to the DXC (10.3±12.7 vs. 19.4±17.2 hours, P=0.003) and TFX groups (10.3±12.7 vs. 25.0±20.1 hours, P=0.043), with no significant difference observed between the DXC and TFX groups (19.4±17.2 vs. 25.0±20.1 hours, P=0.262). Conclusions: High CRP levels, the presence of positive 23S rRNA gene mutation, lobar or segmental lung infiltration, and pleural effusion observed in chest X-ray findings were significant factors associated with macrolide unresponsiveness. In this study, CST demonstrated a shorter TTD compared to DXC or TFX. Further, larger-scale prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal second-line treatment for MUMP.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.46-54
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the periodontal status of end-stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis and referred for intraoral evaluation prior to renal transplantation surgery with those having normal kidney function. Materials and Methods: Patients who had been undergoing dialysis for end-stage renal disease and been referred to the Dental Clinic Center by the Department of Nephrology at University Hospital for intraoral evaluation prior to kidney transplantation surgery. For comparison of periodontal status, subjects without abnormalities in kidney function were matched with the patients by age and gender and selected as healthy controls. The patients' age, gender, comorbidities, type of dialysis received, and duration of dialysis were investigated by reference to their medical records, and data on their periodontal status were analyzed via the relevant periodontal records. Results: A total of 102 patients, including 51 dialyzed patients and 51 healthy control group subjects, participated in this study. In the patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis with periodontal probing depth of 5 mm or more, percentage of sites with clinical attachment level of 4 mm or more, percentage of teeth with bleeding on probing, number of missing teeth, and ratio of moderate to severe periodontitis were all significantly greater than in the healthy controls. Conclusion: The periodontal status of end-stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis and referred for intraoral evaluation prior to kidney transplantation was worse than that of healthy controls.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.149-162
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• 2024

This study is a longitudinal study of female older adults living alone, one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, to determine how their depression changes over time and what factors affect their depression. At the same time, considering that there is a large difference in age among the same older adults, this study divided the female older adults into the young-old and the old-old to see how the predictors of depression in each group differ from each other. The main findings are as follows First, depression among female older adults living alone appears to have a declining pattern over time. In the conditional model, factors affecting the initial level of the depression trajectory among women living alone were found to be associated with lower initial depression values among those living in metropolitan areas rather than non-metropolitan areas, better subjective health, and those who did not exercise. Next, we examined the factors affecting rate of change (slope) in depression among female living alone older adults and found that the higher the age, the larger the metropolitan area, the better the subjective health, the less socializing, and the more socializing, the greater the decrease in depression level. Finally, there were some differences in the pathways affecting the initial value and slope of depression among female older adults living alone between the early and late older adults. Specifically, the higher the initial level of participation in social activities, the greater the change in depression among the late older adults, while there was no significant relationship among the early older adults. In the early older adults, better initial subjective health was associated with a larger change in depression than in the late older adults. Only in the late older adults did those who regularly exercised in the early years have higher initial depression values than those who did not. Based on the results of the above analyses, suggestions were made to reduce depression among female older adults living alone.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.509-519
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• 2024

A previous study showed that krill oil improved recognition and memory through anti-oxidative effects in an amyloid β model, but the authors noted that further investigations are necessary of alterations to neurotransmitters' states and of serum lipid profile improvements related to serum lipid peroxidation. Accordingly, in this study, ICR mice were pre-treated intraperitoneally with scopolamine prior to induced neurotransmission impairment, and the effects of krill oil provision on their capabilities of cognition were tested by performing a passive avoidance test (PAT), water maze test (WMT), and novel object recognition test. Then, parameters including the acetylcholine (ACh) concentration, acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE), lipid peroxidation, serum lipid levels, and nerve cell proliferation were investigated. The results showed that krill oil improved the mice's abilities in recognition and memory as the times taken to complete the PAT and WMT were reduced compared to the mice in a comparison scopolamine-treated group. Krill oil produced an increased concentration of Ach, and this was accompanied by a decrease in AChE. As shown in a scopolamine-treated SH-SY5Y cell line, krill oil reduced the activity of AChE. Moreover, the suppression of lipid peroxidation-reflected in the finding that malondialdehyde was decreased with krill oil provision-is speculated to affect the recorded serum triglyceride and cholesterol decreases and LDL cholesterol increase. The intake of krill oil was also found to produce an improvement in brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression by stimulating the activation of cyclic AMP response element binding protein in the brain tissue. Overall, the current results imply that the provision of krill oil raises the cognition and memory by elevating neurotransmitters and by improving the serum lipid profile and nerve cell proliferation, which occur as lipid peroxidation is suppressed in the brain tissue.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.6
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• pp.1342-1353
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• 2022

Purpose We compared the radiation dose and image quality between the 2nd generation and the 3rd generation dual-source single-energy (DSSE) and dual-source dual-energy (DSDE) CT of the abdomen. Materials and Methods We included patients undergoing follow-up abdominal CT after partial or radical nephrectomy in the first 10 months of 2019 (2nd generation DS CT) and the first 10 months of 2020 (3rd generation DS CT). We divided the 320 patients into 4 groups (A, 2nd generation DSSE CT; B, 2nd generation DSDE CT; C, 3rd generation DSSE CT; and D, 3rd generation DSDE CT) (n = 80 each) matched by sex and body mass index. Radiation dose and image quality (objective and subjective qualities) were compared between the groups. Results The mean size-specific dose estimation of 3rd generation DSDE CT group was significantly lower than that of the 2nd generation DSSE CT (42.5%, p = 0.013) and 2nd generation DSDE CT (46.9%, p = 0.015) groups. Interobserver agreement was excellent for the overall image quality (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.8867) and image artifacts (ICC: 0.9423). Conclusion Our results showed a considerable reduction in the radiation dose while maintaining high image quality with 3rd generation DSDE CT as compared to the 2nd generation DSDE CT and 2nd generation DSSE CT.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2024

In this study, two types of biodegradable film prototypes were produced using plastic resin containing rice powder. The application of these biodegradable films in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) fields and their impacts of plant growth, yield, and the soil environment were assessed, in comparison with Polyethylene (PE) film. The light transmittance of the biodegradable film containing 30% of 350 mesh rice powder (BF30-350RP) was 0.8%, which was lower than the 2.0% light transmittance of the biodegradable film containing 40% of 500 mesh rice powder (BF40-500RP) and 2.7% light transmittance of PE film. Surface temperature measurements on clear day indicated that the PE film exhibited the lowest temperature, with the minimal difference observed between BF40-500RP and BF30-350RP. Assessment of the damage ratio resulting from agricultural work revealed a ranking of 0.4% for the PE film, 3.3% for BF500-400RP, and 5.3% for BF350-30RP. Visible decomposition of BF40-500RP and BF30-350RP commenced after 40 and 30 days of outdoor exposure, reaching 62.3% and 70.4% decomposition at 90 days post-exposure, respectively. The decomposition of biodegradable films applied to sweetpotato fields progressed more slowly in BF40-500RP than in BF30-350RP. The BF40-500RP film on the surface of the ridges was decomposed by 5%, 30%, 55%, and 90% after 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after planting sweetpotato cuttings, respectively. Both types of biodegradable films at the ridge and furrow borders were completely decomposed after 75 days of sweetpotato planting. In a field where the surface was sealed by mulching without growing sweetpotatoes, the soil moisture and its deviation were lower in the order of PE film, BF40-500RP, and BF30-350RP, but the differences were not significant. The soil temperature was higher for PE film mulching than for the biodegradable films containing rice powder, but the differences were small. Two months after sweetpotato planting, the daily average soil moisture decreased by 2.5%point for BF30-350RP mulching, 1.5%point for BF40-500RP mulching, and 1.1%point for PE film mulching over seven days. Soil temperature was similar for both biodegradable film mulches, but increased steadily for the PE film mulch, reaching a daily average of 0.1℃ higher than for the biodegradable films. Sweetpotato vine growth and tuber yield were similar for all the mulching films tested.