• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.33-38
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• 2014

Purpose Auto exposure control (AEC) in SPECT/CT automatically controls the exposure dose (mA) according to patient's shape and size. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of AEC in SPECT/CT on exposure dose reduction and image quality. Materials and Methods The model of SPECT/CT used in this study was Discovery 670 (GE, USA), Smart mA for AEC; and $^{99m}Tc$ as a radioisotope. To compare SPECT and CT images by CT exposure dose variation, we used a standard technique set at 80, 100, 120, 140 kVp, 10, 30, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 mA, and AEC at 80, 100, 120, 140 kVp, 10-250 mA. To evaluate resolution and contrast of SPECT images, triple line phantom and flangeless Esser PET phantom were used. For CT images, noise and uniformity were checked by anthropomrphic chest phantom. For dose evaluation to find DLP value, anthropomorphic chest phantom was used and the CT protocol of torso was applied by standard technique (120 kVp, 100 mA) and AEC (120 kVp, 10-250 mA). Results When standard and AEC were applied, the resolutions at SPECT images with attenuation correction (AC) were the same as FWHM by center 3.65 mm, left 3.48 mm, right 3.61 mm. Contrasts of standard and AEC showed no significant difference: standard 53.5, 29.8, 22.5, 15.8, 6.0, AEC 53.5, 29.6, 22.4, 15.7, 6.1 In CT images, noise values at standard and AEC were 15.4 and 18.5 respectively. The application of AEC increases noise but the value of coefficient variation were 33.8, 24.9 respectively, obtaining uniform noise image. The values of DLP at standard and AEC were 426.78 and 352.09 each, which shows that the application of AEC decreases exposure dose more than standard by approximately 18%. Conclusion The results of our study show that there was no difference of AC in SPECT images based on the CT exposure dose variation at SPECT/CT images. It was found that the increased CT exposure dose leads to the improvement of CT image quality but also increases the exposure dose. Thus, the use of AEC in SPECT/CT contributes to obtaining equal AC SPECT images, and uniform noise in CT images while reducing exposure dose.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.485-496
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• 2022

Modern agriculture is being transformed into smart agriculture to maximize production efficiency along with changes in the 4th industrial revolution. However, rural areas in Korea are facing challenges of aging, low fertility, and population outflow, making it difficult to transition to smart agriculture. Among ICT technologies, simulation allows users to observe or experience the results of their choices through imitation or reproduction of reality. The combination of the three-dimension (3D) model and the greenhouse simulator enable a 3D experience by virtual greenhouse for fruits and vegetable cultivation. At the same time, it is possible to visualize the greenhouse under various cultivation or climate conditions. The objective of this study is to apply the greenhouse climate management model for simulation development that can visually see the state of the greenhouse environment under various micrometeorological properties. The numerical solution with the mathematical model provided a dynamic change in the greenhouse environment for a particular greenhouse design. Light intensity, crop transpiration, heating load, ventilation rate, the optimal amount of CO₂ enrichment, and daily light integral were calculated with the simulation. The results of this study are being built so that users can be linked through a web page, and software will be designed to reflect the characteristics of cladding materials and greenhouses, cultivation types, and the condition of environmental control facilities for customized environmental control. In addition, environmental information obtained from external meteorological data, as well as recommended standards and set points for each growth stage based on experiments and research, will be provided as optimal environmental factors. This simulation can help growers, students, and researchers to understand the ICT technologies and the changes in the greenhouse microclimate according to the growing conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.40-53
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• 2022

This study carried out to provide the methodology and basic status material of using Korean national statistics needed to find the actual state of the landscape architecture industry. The landscape architecture industry was classified into 'Design', 'Construction Management', 'construction', 'Maintenance & Management', 'Materials', 'Research', 'Education', and 'Administration' areas. In each field, business types were systemized and associated in accordance with Korean standard industrial classification and legislations pertinent to construction. Among them, the business types directly defined in the construction related legislations under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport were focused on, and the establishment, association, integration, distribution, duplication, and omission of national statistics were analyzed. As a result, the business types of statistical analysis were selected. In order for commonality of statistical items and minimized error of interpretation, semantic analysis was conducted. Finally, the number of registered business types, the number of workers, and sales were selected. Based on them, the analysis framework applicable to fundamental analysis and evaluation of the actual state of the industry was proposed. Actual national statical data were applied for analysis and evaluation. In 2019, the number of registered business types related to the landscape architecture industry was 12,160, the number of workers by business type was 106,296, and the sales by business type were 8,308.5 billion KRW. The number of registered business types and the number of workers had been on the rise from 2017, whereas the sales had been on the decrease. It is required to come up with a plan for industrial development. This study was conducted with the national statistics established by multiple public institutions, so that there are limitations in securing consistency and reliability. Therefore, it is necessary to establish systematic and consistent national statistics in accordance with 「Landscaping Promotion Act」. In the future, it will planned to research application and development plans of national statistics according to subjects including park and green.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.951-957
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• 2017

To understand the cytotoxic activity of Machilus thunbergii, which has been used as a traditional oriental medicine, the mechanism underlying the cytotoxic effect of its extract on human acute Jurkat T cells was investigated. The methanol extract of roots (3 kg) of M. thunbergii was evaporated, dissolved in, and then extracted by water. The water-extracted active substance was designated MTWE. When Jurkat T cells were treated with MTWE at concentrations of 0, 25, 50, and $100{\mu}g/ml$, the apoptotic phenomenon of cells accompanying several subsequent biochemical reactions, such as mitochondrial cytochrome c release, activation of caspase-3, and ICAD degradation, was detected in the Jurkat T cells. Moverover. the expression of Bcl-xL, which is a suppressor for mitochondrial cytochrome c release pathway, was reduced in the Jurkat T cells. As DUSP6, a growth suppressor of cancer cells, ranged from 0, 25, 50, $100{\mu}g/ml$ of MTWE, the expression level was elevated in the Jurkat T cells. The apoptotic morphological change of the nuclei was observed by DAPI staining. Although the potential involvement of the other factors and DUSP6 is currently being investigated in more detail, these findings support the notion that MTWE is able to achieve the apoptosis of Jurkat T cells, and it seems that MTWE is useful as a method of evaluating a chemotherapeutic agent or tonic materials for human acute leukemia.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.105-110
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• 2014

It is required to improve the efficiency and the reliability of the polymer solar cells (PSCs) as the energy saving optical device for the future application of the smart farm facilities. In this study, we fabricated the bulk hetero junction PSCs with organic passivation film layer for the reliability improvement of the devices. The effects of the passivation layer on the electrical properties of the PSCs were studied. The materials of passivation layer are composed of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and ammonium dichromate, and the passivation films were fabricated by the spin coating method on the P3HT:$PC_{61}BM$/LiF/Al substrate. The prepared structure of the device is the glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:$PC_{61}BM$/LiF/Al/passivation layer. The performances of the PSCs with the organic passivation film showed better electrical properties compared with the PSCs without passivation layers. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) values of passivated PSCs decreased from 3.0 to 1.3% after air exposure for 140 hrs. In contrast, the PCE values for the devices without passivation decreased sharply from 3.5 to 0.1% under the same exposure condition.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.501-511
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• 2009

This study was conducted to develop self-healing ability of concrete so that inspection could be available even in the event of minute cracks without complex works at any time for more economic concrete structure maintenance and longevity. A completely different method has been carried out in comparison with many of similar researches on self-healing concrete. This is a basic study on the development of self-healing concrete using microbial biomineralization. Compounds were generated except for cells by precipitation reaction of CaC$O_3$ during the microbial metabolism and we examined the use as a binder that hardens the surface of sand using biomineralization that Sporosarcina pasteurii precipitates CaC$O_3$. In result, the formation of new mineral and hardening of sand surface could be verified partly, and it was available for cracks to be repaired by calcite with organic (microorganism) and inorganic (CaC$O_3$) complex structure through the basic experiment a little bit. Therefore the use of biomineralization by this sort of microbial metabolism for concrete structure helps to develop absolute repair-concrete like this concrete with microorganism. The effect of microbial application will be one of the most important research tasks having influence on not only repair for concrete structure but also development of new materials able to reduce environmental problems.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.196-205
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• 2017

In recent years, the service design in the medical sector evolves through practical service research and development that can visualize both intangible and intangible service elements in an integrative way and derive innovative solutions to help customers feel the service more important value. With the improvement of personal income, interest in medical welfare and well-being is increasing day by day, and the focus of the medical sector shifts from the concept of treatment of diseases and illness to preventive medicine. In response to this trend, research and development of home health care system, which greatly reduces the time and space constraint of health checkup and health care by combining ubiquitous concept with medical welfare, are being actively conducted, and the needs for improving products and medical environment based on user-centered medical service and user needs in accordance with the Health Care 3.0 Era, it becomes necessary to develop on-site medical diagnostic products that reflect user-centered needs and needs. This study is intended to research and develop a product that sufficiently reflects the needs of users by applying suitable materials and shape for on-site diagnostic product in researching and developing Wireless X-ray Detector.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.216-221
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• 2016

This study was performed to evaluate the bactericidal efficacy of a fumigation disinfectant containing 35% paraformaldehyde against Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). In this study, the efficacy test of a fumigant against S. Typhimurium was carried out according to French standard NF T 72-281. The S. Typhimurium working culture suspension number (N value), all bacteria numbers on the carriers exposed to the fumigant (n1, n2, and n3), the number of bacterial suspensions by the pour plate method (N1), the number of bacterial suspensions by the filter membrane method (N2), and the mean number of bacteria recovered on the control carriers (T value), were obtained from the preliminary test. In addition, the reduction number of S. Typhimurium exposed to the fumigant (d value) was calculated using the T value, the mean number of bacteria in the recovery solution (n'1) and the mean number of bacteria on carriers plated in agar (n'2). The N value was $5.5{\times}10^8$ colony forming units (CFU)/mL, and n1, n2, and n3 were higher than 0.5N1, 0.5N2 and 0.5N1, respectively. Additionally, the T value was $3.5{\times}10^6CFU/carrier$. In terms of the bactericidal effect of the fumigant, the d value was 5.25. According to the French standard for fumigants, the d value for an effective bactericidal fumigant should be greater than 5. The results indicated that the fumigant containing 35% paraformaldehyde had an efficient bactericidal activity against S. Typhimurium, and, therefore, can be used to disinfect food materials and kitchen appliances contaminated with foodborne bacteria.

• Composites Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2017

This research presents studies on an improved method to predict the thermal conductivity of woven fabric composites, the effects of geometric structures of woven fabric composites on thermal conductivity, and structural optimization to improve the thermal conductivity using a genetic algorithm. The geometric structures of woven fabric composites were constructed numerically using the information generated on waviness, thickness, and width of fill and warp tows. Thermal conductivities of the composites were obtained using a thermal-electrical analogy. In the genetic algorithm, the chromosome string consisted of thickness and width of the fill and warp tows, and the objective function was the maximum thermal conductivity of woven fabric composites. The results confirmed that an improved method to predict the thermal conductivity was built successfully, and the inter-tow gap effect on the composite's thermal conductivity was analyzed suggesting that thermal conductivity of woven fabric composites was reduced as the gap between tows increased. For structural design, optimized structures for improving the thermal conductivity were analyzed and proposed. Generally, axial thermal conductivity of the fiber tow contributed more to thermal conductivity of woven fabric composites than transverse thermal conductivity of the tows.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3235-3242
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• 2016

Background: Complementary alternative medicine (CAM) use in children with cancer is widespread. Health-care providers (HCP) need to acknowledge and address this need. This study explored and compared perspectives on CAM of HCP and parents of young patients with cancer in Indonesia. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using semi-structured questionnaires in HCP and parents of childhood cancer patients at an Indonesian academic hospital. Results: A total of 351 respondents participated: 175 HCP (response rate 80%) and 176 parents (response rate 80%). Parents were more likely than HCP to think that chemotherapy can cure cancer (80% compared to 69%, P=0.013). Nearly half of all parents (46%) and HCP (45%) doubted whether CAM can cure cancer. Parents were more likely than HCP to think that CAM can be helpful in childhood cancer treatment (54% compared to 35%, P=0.003). The most recommended CAM by HCP was self-prayer (93%). Reasons for recommending CAM were: hope for improvement of the child's condition (48%), patient wants to stop treatment (42%). Most discouraged CAM by HCP was by old-smart people (70%), the reasons being: lack of evidence for usefulness (77%), lack of CAM knowledge (75%). The proportion thinking that patients were unlikely to raise the CAM topic if they perceived that doctors were skeptical was higher in parents than in HCP (52% versus 1%) (P<0.001). Most HCP (71%) and parents (77%) acknowledged that their knowledge about safety and efficacy of CAM was inadequate (P=ns). The proportion that wanted to learn or read more about CAM was higher among parents than HCP (48% compared to 31%, P=0.002). Conclusions: HCP and parents have different perspectives on CAM use in children with cancer. HCP should enhance their CAM knowledge and encourage open communication about CAM with parents. If doctors' skepticism is perceived, parents are unlikely to raise CAM as a topic.