• Korean Journal of Ophthalmology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.470-477
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• 2018

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between the progression of visual field (VF) loss and changes in lamina cribrosa depth (LCD) as determined by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) enhanced depth imaging in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: Data from 60 POAG patients (mean follow-up, $3.5{\pm}0.7$ years) were included in this retrospective study. The LCD was measured in the optic disc image using SD-OCT enhanced depth imaging scanning at each visit. Change in the LCD was considered to either 'increase' or 'decrease' when the differences between baseline and the latest two consecutive follow-up visits were greater than the corresponding reproducibility coefficient value ($23.08{\mu}m$, as determined in a preliminary reproducibility study). All participants were divided into three groups: increased LCD (ILCD), decreased LCD (DLCD), and no LCD change (NLCD). The Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial criteria were used to define VF deterioration. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox's proportional hazard models were performed to explore the relationship between VF progression and LCD change. Results: Of the 60 eyes examined, 35.0% (21 eyes), 28.3% (17 eyes), and 36.7% (22 eyes) were classified as the ILCD, DLCD, and NLCD groups, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a greater cumulative probability of VF progression in the ILCD group than in the NLCD (p < 0.001) or DLCD groups (p = 0.018). Increased LCD was identified as the only risk factor for VF progression in the Cox proportional hazard models (hazard ratio, 1.008; 95% confidence interval, 1.000 to 1.015; p = 0.047). Conclusions: Increased LCD was associated with a greater possibility of VF progression. The quantitative measurement of LCD changes, determined by SD-OCT, is a potential biomarker for the prediction of VF deterioration in patients with POAG.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.141-149
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• 2021

The A60 class deck penetration piece is a fire-resistance apparatus installed on the deck compartment to protect lives and to prevent flame diffusion in the case of a fire accident in a ship or offshore plant. In this study, the sensitivity of the fire-resistance performance and approximation characteristics for the A60 class penetration piece was evaluated by conducting a transient heat-transfer analysis and fire test. The transient heat-transfer analysis was conducted to evaluate the fire-resistance design of the A60 class deck penetration piece, and the analysis results were verified via the fire test. The penetration-piece length, diameter, material type, and insulation density were used as the design factors (DFs), and the output responses were the weight, temperature, cost, and productivity. The quantitative effects of each DF on the output responses were evaluated using the design-of-experiments method. Additionally, an optimum design case was identified to minimize the weight of the A60 class deck penetration piece while satisfying the allowable limits of the output responses. According to the design-of-experiments results, various approximate models, e.g., a Kriging model, the response surface method, and a radial basis function-based neural network (RBFN), were generated. The design-of-experiments results were verified by the approximation results. It was concluded that among the approximate models, the RBFN was able to explore the design space of the A60 class deck penetration piece with the highest accuracy.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.149-156
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• 2019

With widespread use of information technologies, information privacy issues have been gaining more attention by not only the public but also researchers. The number of studies on the issues has been increasing exponentially, which makes incomprehensible the whole picture of research outcome. Thus, it is necessary to conduct a systematic examination of past research. This study developed two competing models with four essential constructs in information privacy research and empirically tested the models with data obtained from previous studies. This study employed a quantitative meta-analysis method called TSSEM. It is one of MASEM methods in which structural equation modeling and meta-analysis are integrated. The analysis results indicated that risk-centric model exhibited much better model fits than those of concern-centric model. This study implies that traditional concern-centric model should be questioned it's explanatory power of the model and researchers may consider alternative risk-centric model to explain user's intention to provide privacy information.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.735-743
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• 2018

We investigated the effect of transforming growth factor beta 1 ($TGF-{\beta}1$) on equine hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) gene expression and hyaluronan (HA) synthesis in culture models of articular chondrocytes. Equine chondrocytes were treated with $TGF-{\beta}1$ at different concentrations and times in monolayer cultures. In three-dimensional cultures, chondrocyte-seeded gelatin scaffolds were cultured in chondrogenic media containing 10 ng/mL of $TGF-{\beta}1$. The amounts of HA in conditioned media and in scaffolds were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. HAS2 mRNA expression was analyzed by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The uronic acid content and DNA content of the scaffolds were measured by using colorimetric and Hoechst 33258 assays, respectively. Cell proliferation was evaluated by using the alamarBlue assay. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), histology, and immunohistochemistry were used for microscopic analysis of the samples. The upregulation of HAS2 mRNA levels by $TGF-{\beta}1$ stimulation was dose and time dependent. $TGF-{\beta}1$ was shown to enhance HA and uronic acid content in the scaffolds. Cell proliferation and DNA content were significantly lower in $TGF-{\beta}1$ treatments. SEM and histological results revealed the formation of a cartilaginous-like extracellular matrix in the $TGF-{\beta}1$-treated scaffolds. Together, our results suggest that $TGF-{\beta}1$ has a stimulatory effect on equine chondrocytes, enhancing HA synthesis and promoting cartilage matrix generation.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.346-356
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• 2022

The jurisprudential legal rules govern the way Muslims react and interact to daily life. This creates a huge stream of questions, that require highly qualified and well-educated individuals, called Muftis. With Muslims representing almost 25% of the planet population, and the scarcity of qualified Muftis, this creates a demand supply problem calling for Automation solutions. This motivates the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve this problem, which requires a well-designed Question-Answering (QA) system to solve it. In this work, we propose a QA system, based on retrieval augmented generative transformer model for jurisprudential legal question. The main idea in the proposed architecture is the leverage of both state-of-the art transformer models, and the existing knowledge base of legal sources and question-answers. With the sensitivity of the domain in mind, due to its importance in Muslims daily lives, our design balances between exploitation of knowledge bases, and exploration provided by the generative transformer models. We collect a custom data set of 850,000 entries, that includes the question, answer, and category of the question. Our evaluation methodology is based on both quantitative and qualitative methods. We use metrics like BERTScore and METEOR to evaluate the precision and recall of the system. We also provide many qualitative results that show the quality of the generated answers, and how relevant they are to the asked questions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.197-208
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• 2023

Dysregulation of certain long non-coding RNAs may facilitate tumor initiation and progression. However, numerous carcinogenesis-related long noncoding RNAs have not been characterized. The goal of this study was to elucidate the role of LINC00562 in gastric cancer (GC). The expression of LINC00562 was analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting. The proliferative capacity of GC cells was determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony-formation assays. The migration of GC cells were evaluated using wound-healing assays. The apoptosis of GC cells was assessed by measuring the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Bcl-2). Xenograft models in nude mice were constructed for in vivo functional analysis of LINC00562. The binding relationship between miR-4636 and LINC00562 or adaptor protein complex 1 sigma 3 (AP1S3), obtained from public databases, was confirmed using dual-luciferase and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation experiments. LINC00562 was expressed in GC cells at high levels. Knockdown of LINC00562 repressed GC cell growth and migration, promoted apoptosis in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth in nude mouse models. LINC00562 directly targeted miR-4636, and miR-4636 depletion restored the GC cell behavior inhibited by LINC00562 absence. AP1S3, an oncogene, binds to miR-4636. MiR-4636 downregulation increased AP1S3 level, restoring GC cell malignant behaviors inhibited by AP1S3 downregulation. Thus, LINC00562 exerts carcinogenic effects on GC development by targeting miR-4636-mediated AP1S3 signaling.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.76-83
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• 2023

This study proposes a method to assist webtoon artists in the process of webtoon creation by utilizing a pretrained Text-to-Image model to generate webtoon images from text. The proposed approach involves fine-tuning a pretrained Stable Diffusion model using a webtoon dataset transformed into the desired webtoon style. The fine-tuning process, using LoRA technique, completes in a quick training time of approximately 4.5 hours with 30,000 steps. The generated images exhibit the representation of shapes and backgrounds based on the input text, resulting in the creation of webtoon-like images. Furthermore, the quantitative evaluation using the Inception score shows that the proposed method outperforms DCGAN-based Text-to-Image models. If webtoon artists adopt the proposed Text-to-Image model for webtoon creation, it is expected to significantly reduce the time required for the creative process.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.82-103
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• 2023

The Zimbabwean healthcare sector faces huge challenges due to increased demands for improved services for a growing number of patients with fewer resources. The use of information and communications technologies, prevalent in many industries, but lacking in Zimbabwean healthcare, could increase productivity and innovation. The adoption of health management information systems (HMISs) can lead to improved patient safety and high-level patient care. These technologies can change delivery methods to be more patient focused by utilising integrated models and allowing for a continuum of care across healthcare providers. However, implementation of these technologies in the health care sector remains low. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the advantages to be attained by using HMISs in healthcare delivery and to ascertain the factors that influence the uptake of such systems in the public healthcare sector. A conceptual model, extending the technology, organization, and environment framework by means of other adoption models, underpins the study of adoption behavior. A mixed method methodology was used to conduct the study. For the quantitative approach, questionnaires were used to allow for regression analysis. For the qualitative approach, thematic analysis was used to analyse interview data. The results showed that the critical success factors (namely, relative advantage, availability, complexity, compatibility, trialability, observability, management support, information and communication technology expertise, communication processes, government regulation, infrastructure support, organizational readiness, industry and competitive support, external support, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, and intention to use) influenced adoption of HMISs in public hospitals in Zimbabwe.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.53.1-53.12
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• 2023

Background: Mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 (MRV3), which is responsible for gastroenteritis in many mammalian species including pigs, has been isolated from piglets with severe diarrhea. However, the use of pig-derived cells as an infection model for swine-MRV3 has rarely been studied. Objectives: This study aims to establish porcine intestinal organoids (PIOs) and examine their susceptibility as an in vitro model for intestinal MRV3 infection. Methods: PIOs were isolated and established from the jejunum of a miniature pig. Established PIOs were characterized using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunofluorescence assays (IFAs) to confirm the expression of small intestine-specific genes and proteins, such as Lgr5, LYZI, Mucin-2, ChgA, and Villin. The monolayered PIOs and three-dimensional (3D) PIOs, obtained through their distribution to expose the apical surface, were infected with MRV3 for 2 h, washed with Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline, and observed. Viral infection was confirmed using PCR and IFA. We performed quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR to assess changes in viral copy numbers and gene expressions linked to intestinal epithelial genes and antiviral activity. Results: The established PIOs have molecular characteristics of intestinal organoids. Infected PIOs showed delayed proliferation with disruption of structures. In addition, infection with MRV3 altered the gene expression linked to intestinal epithelial cells and antiviral activity, and these effects were observed in both 2D and 3D models. Furthermore, viral copy numbers in the supernatant of both models increased in a time-dependent manner. Conclusions: We suggest that PIOs can be an in vitro model to study the infection mechanism of MRV3 in detail, facilitating pharmaceutical development.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.447-458
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• 2023

In this study, a comparison model considering the stochastic characteristics of the load and member resistance of the shield tunnel segment lining as well as the variability of the boundary condition was selected and reliability analysis was performed, and the adequacy of the limit state design was analyzed by calculating the probability of failure and reviewing the structural safety. For the analysis considering the probability characteristics of these ground constants, the ground spring coefficient was considered as the mean value by calculating the quantitative value by applying the Muirwood formula, and the coefficient of variation was selected based on the existing research data to review the models according to the change of ground boundary conditions. Through the structural analysis of these models and the reliability analysis using MCS technique, the failure probability and reliability index were calculated to examine the changes in the failure probability due to changes in ground boundary conditions.