• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.251-259
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• 2018

BACKGROUND: Various culture media have been used for hydroponic cultures of horticultural plants under the smart greenhouses with natural and artificial light types. Management of the culture medium for the control of medium amounts and/or necessary components absorbed by plants during the cultivation period is performed with ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and/or IoT (Internet of Things) in a smart farm system. This study was conducted to develop the cloud-based data analysis system for effective management of culture medium applying to hydroponic culture and plant growth in smart greenhouses. METHODS AND RESULTS: Conventional inorganic Yamazaki and organic media derived from agricultural byproducts such as a immature fruit, leaf, or stem were used for hydroponic culture media. Component changes of the solutions according to the growth stage were monitored and plant growth was observed. Red and green lettuce seedlings (Lactuca sativa L.) which developed 2~3 true leaves were considered as plant materials. The seedlings were hydroponically grown in the smart greenhouse with fluorescent and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) lights of $150{\mu}mol/m^2/s$ light intensity for 35 days. Growth data of the seedlings were classified and stored to develop the relational database in the virtual machine which was generated from an open stack cloud system on the base of growth parameter. Relation of the plant growth and nutrient absorption pattern of 9 inorganic components inside the media during the cultivation period was investigated. The stored data associated with component changes and growth parameters were visualized on the web through the web framework and Node JS. CONCLUSION: Time-series changes of inorganic components in the culture media were observed. The increases of the unfolded leaves or fresh weight of the seedlings were mainly dependent on the macroelements such as a $NO_3-N$, and affected by the different inorganic and organic media. Though the data analysis system was developed, actual measurement data were offered by using the user smart device, and analysis and comparison of the data were visualized graphically in time series based on the cloud database. Agricultural management in data visualization and/or plant growth can be implemented by the data analysis system under whole agricultural sites regardless of various culture environmental changes.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was conducted to better understand the illness experiences and palliative care needs in community-dwelling persons with cardiometabolic diseases. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study was conducted with 11 patients (and three family members) among 28 patients contacted. Interviews were led by the principal investigator in her office or at participants' home depending on their preference. All interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed by a research assistant. The interviews were analyzed by two independent researchers using a conventional method. Results: Participants' ages ranged from 42 to 82 years (nine men and two women). Three themes were identified: (1) same disease, but different illness experiences; (2) I am in charge of my disease(s); (3) preparation for disease progression. Participants were informed of the name of their disease when they were diagnosed, but not provided with explanation of the diagnosis or meant or how to do self-care to delay the disease progression, which increased the feelings of uncertainty, hopelessness and anxiety. Taking medication was considered to be the primary treatment option and self-care a supplemental one. Advanced care plans were considered when they felt the progression of their disease(s) while refraining from sharing it with their family or health care professionals to save their concerns. All participants were willing to withhold life-sustaining treatment without making any preparation in writing. Conclusion: Education on self-care and advanced care planning should be provided to community-dwelling persons with cardiometabolic diseases. A patient-centered education program needs to be developed for this population.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2019

Purpose An examination guide is a useful medium to provide the patient with an overview, pre- and post-test preparation, and precautions of nuclear testing. The design and arrangement of existing written texts and announcements were evaluated to elucidate the comprehension of patients undergoing testing. Materials and Methods Informational material describing bone scanning and $^{201}thallium$ myocardium perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), as a secondary examination, which accounts for the largest portion of gamma imaging at Asan Hospital (Seoul, South Korea), was selected as an improvement target in consultation with a national innovation center. Existing informational material was dispensed to patients scheduled for bone scans from November 2016 to February 2017 and the revised material was issued from March 2017 to May 2017. A survey was conducted of 200 patients who underwent $^{201}thallium$ myocardium perfusion SPECT before and after the revisions (n = 100 each time period) to assess the patients' understanding of the informational material. Results When comparing the use of the conventional vs. revised material, the number of patients who received treatment before bone scanning had decreased from 130 to 60, while the number of those who required additional imaging decreased from 53 to 14. Prior to the revision, 43% of patients underwent testing before preparation and 18% underwent additional testing. The decreased need for additional image acquisition after revision of the informational material resulted in a decrease in acquisition time of about 2 min, from 16.5 to 14.2 min. In the case of $^{201}thallium$ myocardium perfusion SPECT, patient comprehension of all five items surveyed had increased, while the number of patients who had repeatedly asked about various facets of the procedure pre- and post-testing had decreased from 36% to 16% and 31% to 14%, respectively. Conclusion Lower patient comprehension is accompanied by a decrease in image quality due to non-compliance during pre-testing and may lead to repetitive questions from the patient, which may also negatively affect the fatigue and work efficiency of the examiner. Improved readability and visibility of informational material through visualization was correlated with greater patient comprehension as well as improved image quality and acquisition time.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 2019

Purpose DMIDR(Discovery Molecular Imaging Digital Ready, General Electric Healthcare, USA) is a PET/CT scanner designed to allow application of PSF(Point Spread Function), TOF(Time of Flight) and Q.Clear algorithm. Especially, Q.Clear is a reconstruction algorithm which can overcome the limitation of OSEM(Ordered Subset Expectation Maximization) and reduce the image noise based on voxel unit. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance of reconstruction algorithms and optimize the algorithm combination to improve the accurate SUV(Standardized Uptake Value) measurement and lesion detectability. Materials and Methods PET phantom was filled with $^{18}F-FDG$ radioactivity concentration ratio of hot to background was in a ratio of 2:1, 4:1 and 8:1. Scan was performed using the NEMA protocols. Scan data was reconstructed using combination of (1)VPFX(VUE point FX(TOF)), (2)VPHD-S(VUE Point HD+PSF), (3)VPFX-S (TOF+PSF), (4)QCHD-S-400((VUE Point HD+Q.Clear(${\beta}-strength$ 400)+PSF), (5)QCFX-S-400(TOF +Q.Clear(${\beta}-strength$ 400)+PSF), (6)QCHD-S-50(VUE Point HD+Q.Clear(${\beta}-strength$ 50)+PSF) and (7)QCFX-S-50(TOF+Q.Clear(${\beta}-strength$ 50)+PSF). CR(Contrast Recovery) and BV(Background Variability) were compared. Also, SNR(Signal to Noise Ratio) and RC(Recovery Coefficient) of counts and SUV were compared respectively. Results VPFX-S showed the highest CR value in sphere size of 10 and 13 mm, and QCFX-S-50 showed the highest value in spheres greater than 17 mm. In comparison of BV and SNR, QCFX-S-400 and QCHD-S-400 showed good results. The results of SUV measurement were proportional to the H/B ratio. RC for SUV is in inverse proportion to the H/B ratio and QCFX-S-50 showed highest value. In addition, reconstruction algorithm of Q.Clear using 400 of ${\beta}-strength$ showed lower value. Conclusion When higher ${\beta}-strength$ was applied Q.Clear showed better image quality by reducing the noise. On the contrary, lower ${\beta}-strength$ was applied Q.Clear showed that sharpness increase and PVE(Partial Volume Effect) decrease, so it is possible to measure SUV based on high RC comparing to conventional reconstruction conditions. An appropriate choice of these reconstruction algorithm can improve the accuracy and lesion detectability. In this reason, it is necessary to optimize the algorithm parameter according to the purpose.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.30 no.1_2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2018

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical applicability of Co-60 ViewRay treatment plan to increase the skin dose in case of high skin dose is required such as Malignant Fungating Wound By measuring the presence / absence of Bolus application and skin dose by the treatment device and comparing it Materials and Methods : Nine inner measuring points of 2.5 cm lattice arrangement and all 13 measuring points including upper and lower left and right measuring points touching the chest and skin were marked. After CT was taken, each treatment plan was formulated through Eclipse and ViewRay-TPS, and a Fixed beam-IMRT treatment plan was formulated so that the left chest V2Gy=95 % is delivered. Before measurement QED detector was calibrated and the QED detector was positioned at the 13 measurement points displayed on Phantom and surface dose of each treatment planner was measured using 5 mm Bolus application using True-beam and View-ray before and after, measure three times and compare each before applying 5 mm Bolus. Results : The surface dose of the Co-60 ViewRay and the linear accelerator appeared at $76.8%{\pm}5.2%$ vs. $67.3{\pm}%7.5%$ and the surface dose after application of 5 mm Bolus was $87.6%{\pm}8.9%$ vs. $80.3%{\pm}10.2%$ It was measured at 10.2 % (p<0.001). Conclusion : As a result of the surface dose measurement of each treatment instrument, Co-60 ViewRay confirmed that the surface dose reached 95.6 % of 6 MV Linac with conventional 5 mm bolus, despite not using Bolus (p<0.001). Also, by utilizing magnetic resonance images for each treatment, it is possible to observe the change in the treatment site without the problem of exposure, it is easy to formulate an adaptive treatment plan and it is easy to secure the skin dose, so the size In the case of Malignant Fungating Wound patients who need fast skin changes and need high skin doses, Co-60 ViewRay is considered to be more useful than linear accelerators.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2022

Background: Although respiratory tract infection is one of the most important factors triggering acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD), limited data are available to suggest an epidemiologic pattern of microbiology in South Korea. Methods: A multicenter observational study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2018 across 28 hospitals in South Korea. Adult patients with moderate-to-severe acute exacerbations of COPD were eligible to participate in the present study. The participants underwent all conventional tests to identify etiology of microbial pathogenesis. The primary outcome was the percentage of different microbiological pathogens causing AE-COPD. A comparative microbiological analysis of the patients with overlapping asthma-COPD (ACO) and pure COPD was performed. Results: We included 1,186 patients with AE-COPD. Patients with pure COPD constituted 87.9% and those with ACO accounted for 12.1%. Nearly half of the patients used an inhaled corticosteroid-containing regimen and one-fifth used systemic corticosteroids. Respiratory pathogens were found in 55.3% of all such patients. Bacteria and viruses were detected in 33% and 33.2%, respectively. Bacterial and viral coinfections were found in 10.9%. The most frequently detected bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.8%), and the most frequently detected virus was influenza A (10.4%). Multiple bacterial infections were more likely to appear in ACO than in pure COPD (8.3% vs. 3.6%, p=0.016). Conclusion: Distinct microbiological patterns were identified in patients with moderate-to-severe AE-COPD in South Korea. These findings may improve evidence-based management of patients with AE-COPD and represent the basis for further studies investigating infectious pathogens in patients with COPD.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.408-415
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• 2022

In this paper, we propose a 3D point cloud reconstruction technique from 2D images using efficient feature map extraction network. The originality of the method proposed in this paper is as follows. First, we use a new feature map extraction network that is about 27% efficient than existing techniques in terms of memory. The proposed network does not reduce the size to the middle of the deep learning network, so important information required for 3D point cloud reconstruction is not lost. We solved the memory increase problem caused by the non-reduced image size by reducing the number of channels and by efficiently configuring the deep learning network to be shallow. Second, by preserving the high-resolution features of the 2D image, the accuracy can be further improved than that of the conventional technique. The feature map extracted from the non-reduced image contains more detailed information than the existing method, which can further improve the reconstruction accuracy of the 3D point cloud. Third, we use a divergence loss that does not require shooting information. The fact that not only the 2D image but also the shooting angle is required for learning, the dataset must contain detailed information and it is a disadvantage that makes it difficult to construct the dataset. In this paper, the accuracy of the reconstruction of the 3D point cloud can be increased by increasing the diversity of information through randomness without additional shooting information. In order to objectively evaluate the performance of the proposed method, using the ShapeNet dataset and using the same method as in the comparative papers, the CD value of the method proposed in this paper is 5.87, the EMD value is 5.81, and the FLOPs value is 2.9G. It was calculated. On the other hand, the lower the CD and EMD values, the better the accuracy of the reconstructed 3D point cloud approaches the original. In addition, the lower the number of FLOPs, the less memory is required for the deep learning network. Therefore, the CD, EMD, and FLOPs performance evaluation results of the proposed method showed about 27% improvement in memory and 6.3% in terms of accuracy compared to the methods in other papers, demonstrating objective performance.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.405-410
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• 2020

Purpose: Pedicle screw insertion has been traditionally used as a surgical treatment for degenerative lumbar spine disease. As an alternative, the cortical-bone trajectory screw allows less invasive posterior lumbar fixation and excellent mechanical stability, as reported in several biomechanical studies. This study evaluated the clinical and radiological results of a case of early failure of cortical-bone screw fixation in posterior fixation and union after posterior decompression. Materials and Methods: This study examined 311 patients who underwent surgical treatment from 2013 to 2018 using cortical orbital screws as an alternative to traditional pedicle screw fixation for degenerative spinal stenosis and anterior spine dislocation of the lumbar spine. Early fixation failure after surgery was defined as fixation failure, such as loosening, pull-out, and breakage of the screw on computed tomography (CT) and radiographs at a follow-up of six months. Results: Early fixation failure occurred in 46 out of 311 cases (14.8%), screw loosening in 46 cases (14.8%), pull-out in 12 cases (3.9%), and breakage in four cases (1.3%). An analysis of the site where the fixation failure occurred revealed the following, L1 in seven cases (15.2%), L2 in three cases (6.5%), L3 in four cases (8.7%), L4 in four cases (8.7%), L5 in four cases (8.7%), and S1 in 24 cases (52.2%). Among the distal cortical bone screws, fixation failures such as loosening, pull-out, and breakage occurred mainly in the S1 screws. Conclusion: Cortical-bone trajectory screw fixation may be an alternative with comparable clinical outcomes or fewer complications compared to conventional pedicle screw fixation. On the other hand, in case with osteoporosis and no anterior support structure particularly at L5-S1 fusion sites were observed to have result of premature fixation failures such as relaxation, pull-out, and breakage.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.241-259
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• 2022

In general, the REE were produced by mining conventional deposits, such as the carbonatite or the clay-hosted REE deposits. However, because of the recent demand increase for REE in modern industries, unconventional REE deposits emerged as a necessary research topic. Among the unconventional REE recovery methods, the REE-bearing coal deposits are recently receiving attentions. R-types generally have detrital originations from the bauxite deposits, and show LREE enriched REE patterns. Tuffaceous-types are formed by syngenetic volcanic activities and following input of volcanic ash into the basin. This type shows specific occurrence of the detrital volcanic ash-driven minerals and the authigenic phosphorous minerals focused at narrow horizon between coal seams and tonstein layers. REE patterns of tuffaceous-types show flat shape in general. Hydrothermal-types can be formed by epigenetic inflow of REE originated from granitic intrusions. Occurrence of the authigenic halogen-bearing phosphorous minerals and the water-bearing minerals are the specific characteristics of this type. They generally show HREE enriched REE patterns. Each type of REE-bearing coal deposits may occur by independent genesis, but most of REE-bearing coal deposits with high REE concentrations have multiple genesis. For the case of the US, the rare earth oxides (REO) with high purity has been produced from REE-bearing coals and their byproducts in pilot plants from 2018. Their goal is to supply about 7% of national REE demand. For the coal deposits in Korea, lignite layers found in Gyungju-Yeongil coal fields shows coexistence of tuff layers and coal seams. They are also based in Tertiary basins, and low affection from compaction and coalification might resulted into high-REE tuffaceous-type coal deposits. Thus, detailed geologic researches and explorations for domestic coal deposits are required.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2023

In this study, the sludge formation in the wastewater drain from the advanced packaging process mechanisms are revealed as well as the key factors, materials, and sludge prevention methods using surfactant. Compared with that of conventional packaging process, advanced packaging process employ similar process to the semiconductor fabrication process, and thus many processes may generate wastewater. In specific, a large amount of wastewater may generate during the carrier wafer bonding, photo, development, and carrier wafer debonding processes. In order to identify the key factors for the formation of sludge during the advanced packaging process, six types of chemicals including bonding glue, HMDS, photoresist (PR), PR developer, debonding cleaner, and water are utilized and mixing evaluation is assessed. As a result, it is confirmed that the black solid sludge is formed, which is originated by the sludge seed formation by hydrolysis/dehydration reaction of HMDS and sludge growth via hydrophobic-hydrophobic binding with sludge seed and PR. For the sludge prevention investigation, three surfactants of CTAB, PEG, and shampoo are mixed with the key materials of sludge, and it is confirmed that the sludge formations are successfully suppressed. The underlying mechanism behind the sludge formation is that the carbon tails of the surfactant bind to PR with hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction and inhibit the reaction with HMDS-based slurry seeds to prevent the sludge formation. In this regard, it is expected that various problems like clogging in drains and pipes during the advanced packaging process may effectively solve by the injection of surfactants into the drains.