• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2024

The significance of self-reported voice assessments concerning patients' chief complaints and quality of life has increased. Therefore, readability assessments of questionnaire items are essential. In this study, readability analyses were performed based on text grade and complexity, vocabulary frequency and grade, and lexical diversity of the 11 Korean versions of self-reported voice disorder questionnaires (KVHI, KAVI, KVQOL, K-SVHI, K-VAPP, K-VPPC, TVSQ, K-VDCQ, K-VFI, K-VTDS, and K-VoiSS). Additionally, a comparative readability assessment was conducted on the original versions of these questionnaires to discern the differences between their Korean counterparts and the questionnaires for children. Consequently, it was determined that voice disorder questionnaires could be used without difficulty for populations with lower literacy levels. Evaluators should consider subjects' reading levels when conducting assessments, and future developments and revisions should consider their reading difficulties.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1065-1076
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• 2020

Objective: To determine the prognostic value of MRI-based tumor regression grading (mrTRG) in rectal cancer compared with pathological tumor regression grading (pTRG), and to assess the effect of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) on interobserver agreement for evaluating mrTRG. Materials and Methods: Between 2007 and 2016, we retrospectively enrolled 321 patients (male:female = 208:113; mean age, 60.2 years) with rectal cancer who underwent both pre-chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and post-CRT MRI. Two radiologists independently determined mrTRG using a 5-point grading system with and without DWI in a one-month interval. Two pathologists graded pTRG using a 5-point grading system in consensus. Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox-proportional hazard models were used for survival analysis. Cohen's kappa analysis was used to determine interobserver agreement. Results: According to mrTRG on MRI with DWI, there were 6 mrTRG 1, 48 mrTRG 2, 109 mrTRG 3, 152 mrTRG 4, and 6 mrTRG 5. By pTRG, there were 7 pTRG 1, 59 pTRG 2, 180 pTRG 3, 73 pTRG 4, and 2 pTRG 5. A 5-year overall survival (OS) was significantly different according to the 5-point grading mrTRG (p = 0.024) and pTRG (p = 0.038). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly different among the five mrTRG groups (p = 0.039), but not among the five pTRG groups (p = 0.072). OS and DFS were significantly different according to post-CRT MR variables: extramural venous invasion after CRT (hazard ratio = 2.259 for OS, hazard ratio = 5.011 for DFS) and extramesorectal lymph node (hazard ratio = 2.610 for DFS). For mrTRG, k value between the two radiologists was 0.309 (fair agreement) without DWI and slightly improved to 0.376 with DWI. Conclusion: mrTRG may predict OS and DFS comparably or even better compared to pTRG. The addition of DWI on T2-weighted MRI may improve interobserver agreement on mrTRG.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.85-95
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: The prognostic utility of follow-up transthoracic echocardiography (FU-TTE) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is unclear, specifically in terms of whether changes in echocardiographic parameters in routine FU-TTE parameters are associated with cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: From 2010 to 2017, 162 patients with HCM were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Using echocardiography, HCM was diagnosed based on morphological criteria. Patients with other diseases that cause cardiac hypertrophy were excluded. TTE parameters at baseline and FU were analyzed. FU-TTE was designated as the last recorded value in patients who did not develop any cardiovascular event or the latest exam before event development. Clinical outcomes were acute heart failure, cardiac death, arrhythmia, ischemic stroke, and cardiogenic syncope. RESULTS: Median interval between the baseline TTE and FU-TTE was 3.3 years. Median clinical FU duration was 4.7 years. Septal trans-mitral velocity/mitral annular tissue Doppler velocity (E/e'), tricuspid regurgitation velocity, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left atrial volume index (LAVI) at baseline were recorded. LVEF, LAVI, and E/e' values were associated with poor outcomes. However, no delta values predicted HCM-related cardiovascular outcomes. Logistic regression models incorporating changes in TTE parameters had no significant findings. Baseline LAVI was the best predictor of a poor prognosis. In survival analysis, an already enlarged or increased size LAVI was associated with poorer clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in echocardiographic parameters extracted from TTE did not assist in predicting clinical outcomes. Cross-sectionally evaluated TTE parameters were superior to changes in TTE parameters between baseline and FU at predicting cardiovascular events.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.437-444
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• 2024

Concomitant renal cell carcinomas (RCC) of both native and allograft kidneys are extremely rare, and only a few cases have been reported in the available English literature. A particularly rare variant within the adult population is the Xp11.2 translocation/transcription factor E3 (TFE3)-rearranged RCC. Although few case reports of TFE3-rearranged RCC have been reported in children who underwent kidney transplantation (KT), no case of adults with TFE3-rearranged RCC following KT has been reported. Herein, we presented the radiological and pathological findings of a rare metachronous papillary RCC in the allograft kidney and TFE3-rearranged RCC in the native kidney. The TFE3-rearranged RCC in the native kidney exhibited slow expansion in size over five years. Radiologically, it appeared as a slightly enhanced, lobulated mass on contrast-enhanced CT. MRI revealed high signal intensity on T1-weighted images and low signal intensity on T2-weighted images.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.253-262
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• 2023

Purpose To assess the clinicoradiological features of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included immunocompetent patients who had been diagnosed with pulmonary cryptococcosis on the histopathologic exam and underwent chest CT between January 2008 and November 2019. Imaging features were divided into major imaging patterns, distributions, and ancillary imaging findings. Univariable analysis was performed to evaluate clinicoradiological features according to the presence of serum cryptococcal antigen. Results Thirty-one patients were evaluated (mean age: 60 years, range: 19-78 years). A single nodular lesion confined to a single lobe was the most common imaging pattern (14/31, 45.2%). Serum cryptococcal antigen tests were performed in 19 patients (19/31, 61.3%). The presence of serum cryptococcal antigen was observed in six patients (6/19, 31.6%), all of whom showed a consolidation-dominant pattern. The presence of serum cryptococcal antigen was significantly associated with the consolidationdominant pattern compared to those associated with a nodule-dominant pattern (p = 0.011). Conclusion A combination of CT findings of consolidation and a positive serum cryptococcal antigen test may be helpful for diagnosing pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.348-357
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• 2024

Maneuvering performance is crucial for fishing vessels, especially under operational conditions that involve frequent course changes and weight variations due to catch. Small vessel accidents account for approximately 60% of maritime incidents as of 2022, mainly attributed to collisions and stranding accidents due to insufficient maneuvering performance. Especially, accidents that occur on small vessels less than 10 tons account for about 65% of all accidents. The absence of international standards presents challenges in accurately evaluating the maneuvering performance of small vessels. In this study, a 4.99-ton small fishing vessel was selected as the target, and a 3d-cad model was created. The commercial numerical analysis program STAR-CCM+ was employed to establish a simulation environment for the vessel's maneuvring motion. Based on this standard loading conditions and weight distribution were considered, 10° / 10°, 20° / 20° zigzag tests and 35° turning test were conducted. The results revealed a tendency for decreased yaw and course-keeping performance and improved turning performance as the hull weight increased. However, in partial arrival and full load departure condition, the manoeuvering performance were relatively poor. Based on this, the need for evaluation of maneuvering and standardized criteria of maneuvering performance for safe navigation of small vessels is presented. Furthermore, it is expected that the evaluation results of maneuvering performance in this study can serve as fundamental data for establishing criteria for evaluating the maneuvering performance of small vessels.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.368-377
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• 2024

Background: Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory disease that leads to airway inflammation, destruction, and airflow limitation, which reflects its severity. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a non-invasive method that uses sound waves to estimate lung function and airway resistance. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of IOS in predicting the severity of bronchiectasis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the IOS parameters and clinical characteristics in 145 patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis between March 2020 and May 2021. Disease severity was evaluated using the FACED score, and patients were divided into mild and moderate/severe groups. Results: Forty-four patients (30.3%) were in the moderate/severe group, and 101 (69.7%) were in the mild group. Patients with moderate/severe bronchiectasis had a higher airway resistance at 5 Hz (R5), a higher difference between the resistance at 5 and 20 Hz (R5-R20), a higher resonant frequency (Fres), and a higher area of reactance (AX) than patients with mild bronchiectasis. R5 ≥0.43, resistance at 20 Hz (R20) ≥0.234, R5-R20 ≥28.3, AX ≥1.02, reactance at 5 Hz (X5) ≤-0.238, and Fres ≥20.88 revealed significant univariable relationships with bronchiectasis severity (p<0.05). Among these, only X5 ≤-0.238 exhibited a significant multivariable relationship with bronchiectasis severity (p=0.039). The receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting moderate-to-severe bronchiectasis of FACED score based on IOS parameters exhibited an area under the curve of 0.809. Conclusion: The IOS assessed by the disease severity of FACED score can effectively reflect airway resistance and elasticity in bronchiectasis patients and serve as valuable tools for predicting bronchiectasis severity.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.97-110
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• 2024

This study investigated 575 cultivated soybean landraces from different provinces in Korea, using 17 key agromorphological traits. The studied soybeans showed wide variations in both qualitative and quantitative traits, signifying the existence of genetic diversity. The standardized Shannon-Weaver index (H') ranged from 0.3 to 1.0, with seed-related traits having an H' value higher than 0.7. Similarly, quantitative traits showed significant variation, with the coefficient of variation ranging from 7.2% for days to maturity (DM) to 62.3% for the number of pods per plant (PPP). In terms of province, the Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do accessions differed from the other accessions, with higher proportions of green and yellow seed coats and lower proportion of black hilums. Gyeongsangnam-do accessions also showed early maturation and flowering but had the lowest average one-hundred seeds weight (HSW). In contrast, Jeollanam-do accessions flowered and matured late but had the highest average seed weight per plant (SWPP). Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the soybeans into 12 clusters, and further statistical analysis showed significant variations in all quantitative traits (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis grouped the accessions based on the clusters. DM, PPP, HSW, and SWPP were identified as major contributors to the observed variance along the axes of the first two principal components. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between maturity and yield-related traits. Based on their relative performance, 37 promising accessions were identified. Overall, this study highlights the diversity of recently cultivated Korean soybean landraces and provides opportunities for future metabolomic and genomic studies.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 2024

After the strongest El Niño since 2015 occurred in 2023, there has been a growing interest in understanding its impacts on rice yield in South Korea. We investigated the impact of El Niño during the rice-growing season on rice yield by analyzing the correlation between detrended rice yield data and ONI (Oceanic Niño Index) values exceeding 0.5. The results show a positive correlation between ONI intensities and detrended rice yields. Furthermore, we found that variations in sunshine duration, precipitation, and typhoon activity affect detrended yield values positively and negatively. This pattern was similar to the classification of El Niño into Cold Tongue El Niño and non-Cold Tongue El Niño, which showed positive and negative detrended rice yield values, respectively. This observation suggests that predicting yield based on ONI intensity during Cold Tongue El Niño years may be feasible to some extent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.51-59
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• 2023

Despite countries' efforts to reduce carbon emissions, carbon emissions have increased in recent decades along with energy use, of which building energy uses account for a large proportion. Energy savings are essential as a strategy to reduce carbon emissions in existing buildings. The field experiment on the roof of a building located in Seoul was designed to measure the temperature reduction effect of green roof with rainwater storage tank to reduce cooling energy consumption in summer. The results showed that the mean mean surface temperature under the green roof was 14.77 degrees lower than that of the non-green roof from 13:00 P.M. to 15:00 P.M., which would have a great effect on reducing cooling energy. From 01:00 A.M. to 03:00 A.M., the effect was 3.36 degrees, showing that tropical nights could be improved. The temperature reduction effect due to the rainwater storage system increased by 1.45 degrees during the day and decreased by 0.63 degrees at night. The storage system can be strategically utilized to reduce carbon emissions during the week when cooling energy increases significantly.