• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.233-246
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• 2023

In terms of understanding the water cycle and efficient water resource management, the importance of soil moisture has been highlighted. However, in Korea, the lack of qualified in-situ soil moisture data results in very limited utility. Even if satellite-based data are applied, the absence of ground reference data makes objective evaluation and correction difficult. The cosmic-ray neutron probe (CRNP) can play a key role in producing data for satellite data calibration. The installation of CRNP is non-invasive, minimizing damage to the soil and vegetation environment, and has the advantage of having a spatial representative for the intermediate scale. These characteristics are advantageous to establish an observation network in Korea which has lots of mountainous areas with dense vegetation. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of the CRNP soil moisture observatory in Korea as part of the establishment of a Korean cOsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System (KOSMOS). The CRNP observation station was installed with the Gunup-ri observation station, considering the ease of securing power and installation sites and the efficient use of other hydro-meteorological factors. In order to evaluate the CRNP soil moisture data, 12 additional in-situ soil moisture sensors were installed, and spatial representativeness was evaluated through a temporal stability analysis. The neutrons generated by CRNP were found to be about 1,087 counts per hour on average, which was lower than that of the Solmacheon observation station, indicating that the Hongcheon observation station has a more humid environment. Soil moisture was estimated through neutron correction and early-stage calibration of the observed neutron data. The CRNP soil moisture data showed a high correlation with r=0.82 and high accuracy with root mean square error=0.02 m³/m³ in validation with in-situ data, even in a short calibration period. It is expected that higher quality soil moisture data production with greater accuracy will be possible after recalibration with the accumulation of annual data reflecting seasonal patterns. These results, together with previous studies that verified the excellence of CRNP soil moisture data, suggest that high-quality soil moisture data can be produced when constructing KOSMOS.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.100-139
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• 2023

This study was intended to identify the distribution and characteristics of plants such as native plants, rare plants, and endemic plants through a flora survey in Sangwangsan Mt. (644m), Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, a group habitat of warm temperate forests in Korea, and use the data for the conservation of plant species diversity and the study of climate and distribution changes in warm-temperate forests. A total of 32 field surveys were conducted from 2018 to 2022. The survey identified 785 taxa, including 8 forms, 53 varieties, 16 subspecies, 708 species, 473 genera, and 132 families. The endangered wild plants designated by the Ministry of Environment included 6 taxa: Woodwardia japonica, Metanarthecium luteoviride, Bulbophyllum inconspicuum, Dendrobium moniliforme, Pelatantheria scolopendrifolia, and Cymbidium macrorhizon. Rare plants designated by the Korea Forest Service were identified as 26 taxa. The red list designated by the Korea National Arboretum was identified as 7 taxa, the red list designated by the Ministry of Environment was identified as 29 taxa, and endemic plants in Korea were identified as 17 taxa. Floristic target species in Korea were identified as 200 taxa, specifically 6 taxa of grade V, 13 taxa of grade IV, 73 taxa of grade III, 29 taxa of grade II, and 79 taxa of grade I. Naturalized plants were identified as 73 taxa, and invasive alien plants were identified as 6 taxa. Target plants adaptable to climate change in Korea were identified as 55 taxa, specifically 8 taxa of endemic plants, 46 taxa of southern plants, and 1 taxon of northern plants.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.151-162
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• 2023

This study investigated the characteristics of fish communities and inhabiting status of the endangered species, Rhodeus pseudosericeus, in the Geumdang Stream in Korea from March to October 2021. A total of 1,698 fish in 5 families and 25 species were collected from 7 survey stations during the survey period. The dominant species was Zacco platypus (relative abundance, 46.5%), and the subdominant species was Squalidus gracilis majimae (16.7%), followed by Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (12.0%), Z. koreanus (5.7%), Pungtungia herzi (3.2%), R. pseudosericeus (2.0%), R. notatus (1.9%), and Acheilognathus rhombeus (1.8%). Nine Korean endemic species (36.0%) were collected, including R. pseudosericeus, R. uyekii, Sarcocheilichthys variegatus wakiyae, Microphysogobio yaluensis, S. gracilis majimae, Z. koreanus, Cobitis nalbanti, Iksookimia koreensis, and Odontobutis interrupta. An exotic species, Micropterus salmoides, designated as an invasive alien species (IAS), was collected downstream. The investigation of the habitat patterns of the endangered species (class II), Rhodeus pseudosericeus, showed a habitat range of about 6 to 7 km in the middle of Geumdang Stream (RP-1 to RP-4), and this species inhabited the edge with water depths of 0.3 through 1.0 m with slow water flow and many aquatic plants. According to the community analysis results, the overall dominance and evenness indexes were low, while diversity and richness indexes were high, and the cluster structure was largely divided into upstream and middle-downstream areas. The river health (fish assessment index) evaluated using fish was assessed as good (3 stations), normal (3 stations), and bad (1 station), and water quality was evaluated as good both upstream and downstream. Compared to previous studies, the number of species was relatively similar, and among the species that appeared in the past, 13 species did not appear in this survey, while 6 species appeared for the first time in this survey. Disturbance factors included river construction, many weirs, and the appearance of the ecosystem-disturbing species, M. salmoides. Since Geumdang Strem has high conservation value because it is home to many species in the Acheilognathinae subfamily, including the endangered species R. pseudosericeus, continuous attention and systematic conservation measures are required.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.142-150
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• 2023

As global warming continues, the time of invasion of Spodoptera frugiperda has been advanced and the inflow rate has been increasing, leading to great increases in damage to crops. In this study, in order to minimize crop damage caused by S. frugiperda, the control period was set for corn fields through control thresholds, and the control effects according to the chemical spraying methods were investigated in forage corn filed. Even under the condition of 4% injury level during the corn silking stage, the damage rate of ear was 70%, showing an aspect of extensive damage. The economic injury level of S. frugiperda second instar larvae was shown to be 0.7 larvae per stalk, and the control threshold level was shown to be 0.6 larvae. The income was calculated by applying the corn wholesale unit price, and according to the result, even under the condition of injury level of 4%, there was a loss of KRW 895,221/10a, and the higher the injury level, the greater the decrease in income. To control S. frugiperda, the insecticidal effects of 10 single formulations registered for S. frugiperda were tested, and according to the results, four types(emamectin benzoate, chlorantraniliprole, indoxacarb, and spinetoram) showed high insecticidal activity not lower than 93.3%, and three types (chloran- traniliprole, spinetoram, and indoxacarb) were considered to be effective in controlling S. frugiperda as they showed high residual effects through insecticidal effect persistence tests. Therefore, conventional control and aerial control were conducted twice at 7-day intervals with indoxacarb SC and chlorantraniliprol WP, which show high activity against S. frugiperda, respectively, prior to the silking of forage corn. As a result, conventional control showed higher control values, 46.3%p in the case of indoxacarb SC and 21.7%p in the case of chlorantraniliprol WP, than aerial control through the primary control. In the secondary control too, higher control values of 26.7%p in the case of indoxacarb SC and 40.4%p in the case of chlorantraniliprol WP were found in conventional control than in aerial control. Therefore, it is considered necessary to prepare measures to improve the control effects in the recent situation where alternative methods for manpower control are widely used.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2024

Purpose: ¹⁸F-FET, a radiopharmaceutical based on a Tyrosine amino acid derivative using the Sodium-Potassium Pump-independent Transporter (System L) for non-invasive evaluation of primary, recurrent, and metastatic brain tumors, exhibits distinct characteristics. Unlike the widely absorbed ¹⁸F-FDG in both tumor and normal brain tissues, ¹⁸F-FET demonstrates specific uptake only in tumor tissue while almost negligible uptake in normal brain tissue. This study aims to compare and evaluate the usefulness of ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-FET Brain PET/CT quantitative analysis in brain tumor diagnosis. Materials and Methods: In 46 patients diagnosed with brain gliomas (High Grade: 34, Low Grade: 12), Brain PET/CT scans were performed at 40 minutes after ¹⁸F-FDG injection and at 20 minutes (early) and 80 minutes (delay) after ¹⁸F-FET injection. SUV_max and SUV_peak of tumor areas corresponding to MRI images were measured in each scan, and the SUV_max-to-SUV_peak ratio, an indicator of tumor prognosis, was calculated. Differences in SUV_max, SUV_peak, and SUV_max-to-SUV_peak ratio between ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-FET early/delay scans were statistically verified using SPSS (ver.28) package program. Results: SUV_max values were 3.72±1.36 for ¹⁸F-FDG, 4.59±1.55 for ¹⁸F-FET early, and 4.12±1.36 for ¹⁸F-FET delay scans. The highest SUV_max was observed in ¹⁸F-FET early scans, particularly in HG tumors (4.85±1.44), showing a slightly more significant difference (P<0.0001). SUV_peak values were 3.33±1.13 for ¹⁸F-FDG, 3.04±1.11 for ¹⁸F-FET early, and 2.80±0.96 for ¹⁸F-FET delay scans. The highest SUV_peak was in ¹⁸F-FDG scans, while the lowest was in ¹⁸F-FET delay scans, with a more significant difference in HG tumors (P<0.001). SUV_max-to-SUV_peak ratio values were 1.11±0.09 for ¹⁸F-FDG, 1.54±0.22 for ¹⁸F-FET early, and 1.48±0.17 for ¹⁸F-FET delay scans. This ratio was higher in ¹⁸F-FET scans for both HG and LG tumors (P<0.0001), but there was no statistically significant difference between ¹⁸F-FET early and delay scans. Conclusion: This study confirms the usefulness of early and delay scans in ¹⁸F-FET Brain PET/CT examinations, particularly demonstrating the changes in objective quantitative metrics such as SUV_max, SUV_peak, and introducing the SUV_max-to-SUV_peak ratio as a new evaluation metric based on the degree of tumor malignancy. This is expected to further contributions to the quantitative analysis of Brain PET/CT images.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.889-902
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• 2021

Purpose To assess the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for additional MR-detected enhancing lesions and to determine whether or not kinetic pattern results comparable to dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) of the breast can be obtained using the quantitative analysis of CEUS. Materials and Methods In this single-center prospective study, a total of 71 additional MR-detected breast lesions were included. CEUS examination was performed, and lesions were categorized according to the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of CEUS were calculated by comparing the BI-RADS category to the final pathology results. The degree of agreement between CEUS and DCE-MRI kinetic patterns was evaluated using weighted kappa. Results On CEUS, 46 lesions were assigned as BI-RADS category 4B, 4C, or 5, while 25 lesions category 3 or 4A. The diagnostic performance of CEUS for enhancing lesions on DCE-MRI was excellent, with 84.9% sensitivity, 94.4% specificity, and 97.8% positive predictive value. A total of 57/71 (80%) lesions had correlating kinetic patterns and showed good agreement (weighted kappa = 0.66) between CEUS and DCE-MRI. Benign lesions showed excellent agreement (weighted kappa = 0.84), and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) showed good agreement (weighted kappa = 0.69). Conclusion The diagnostic performance of CEUS for additional MR-detected breast lesions was excellent. Accurate kinetic pattern assessment, fairly comparable to DCE-MRI, can be obtained for benign and IDC lesions using CEUS.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.923-935
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• 2021

Purpose We aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for treating hemothorax caused by chest trauma. Materials and Methods Between 2015 and 2019, 68 patients (56 male; mean age, 58.2 years) were transferred to our interventional unit for selective TAE to treat thoracic bleeding. We retrospectively investigated their demographics, angiographic findings, embolization techniques, technical and clinical success rates, and complications. Results Bleeding occurred mostly from the intercostal arteries (50%) and the internal mammary arteries (29.5%). Except one patient, TAE achieved technical success, defined as the immediate cessation of bleeding, in all the other patients. Four patients successfully underwent repeated TAE for delayed bleeding or increasing hematoma after the initial TAE. The clinical success rate, defined as no need for thoracotomy for hemostasis after TAE, was 92.6%. Five patients underwent post-embolization thoracotomy for hemostasis. No patient developed major TAE-related complications, such as cerebral infarction or quadriplegia. Conclusion TAE is a safe, effective and minimally invasive method for controlling thoracic wall and intrathoracic systemic arterial hemorrhage after thoracic trauma. TAE may be considered for patients with hemothorax without other concomitant injuries which require emergency surgery, or those who undergoing emergency TAE for abdominal or pelvic hemostasis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.3
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• pp.654-669
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• 2021

Purpose To evaluate the accuracy of MRI in predicting the pathological complete response (pCR) and the residual tumor size of breast cancer after neoadjucant chemotherapy (NAC), and to determine the factors affecting the accuarcy. Materials and Methods Eighty-eight breast cancer patients who underwent surgery after NAC at our center between 2010 and 2017 were included in this study. pCR was defined as the absence of invasive cancer on pathological evaluation. The maximum diameter of the residual tumor on post-NAC MRI was compared with the tumor size of the surgical specimen measured pathologically. Statistical analysis was performed to elucidate the factors affecting pCR and the residual tumor size-discrepancy between the MRI and the pathological measurements. Results The pCR rate was 10%. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI and the area under the curve for predicting pCR were 90.91% and 0.8017, respectively. The residual tumor sizes obtained using MRI and pathological measurements showed a strong correlation (r = 0.9, p < 0.001), especially in patients with a single mass lesion (p = 0.047). The size discrepancy between MRI and the pathological measurements was significantly greater in patients with the luminal type (p = 0.023) and multifocal tumors/non-mass enhancement on pre-NAC MRI (p = 0.047). Conclusion MRI is an accurate tool for evaluating pCR and residual tumor size in breast cancer patients who receive NAC. Tumor subtype and initial MRI features affect the accuracy of MRI.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2024

This study utilized the non-invasive MyotonPRO^® device to analyze the stiffness in breast muscles of commercial broilers (Ross 308 and Arbor Acres) and compared these findings with data reported for Ross 708, where Woody Breast (WB) symptoms had been previously documented. The research revealed that Ross 308 and Arbor Acres displayed relatively lower stiffness values compared to Ross 708, suggesting a lack of WB expression. These results indicate differentiation in breast muscle traits across strains and underscore the necessity for further research into factors influencing WB manifestation. The study also measured additional muscle tone characteristics such as Frequency, Decrement, Relaxation, and Creep across various growth stages (2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks), finding significant variations with pronounced severity at weeks 2 and 8. An increase in stiffness was observed as the broilers aged, pointing to potential growth-related or stress-induced changes affecting WB severity. A strong positive correlation was established between increased breast meat weight and WB severity, highlighting that heavier breast meat could exacerbate the condition. This correlation is vital for the poultry industry, suggesting that weight management could help mitigate WB effects. Moreover, the potential for genetic selection and breeding strategies to reduce WB occurrence was emphasized, which could aid in enhancing management practices in commercial poultry production. Collectively, these insights contribute to a deeper understanding of WB in broilers and propose avenues for future research and practical strategies to minimize its impact.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2024

This study was conducted to investigate the early life history by observing the egg development of Ladislavia taczanowskii in endangered fish and to use it as basic data for species conservation research. The broodstork used in the study was secured from the area of the Hongcheon River in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon State. The broodstork, who was being raised in the laboratory, selected mature individuals in May 2021 and induced them to spawn by hormone injection. The size of the maturation egg was 1.50~1.79 (average 1.59±0.08, n=30) mm due to the circular invasive egg. The incubation time took 168 hours at 16.5℃ and 109 hours and 30 minutes at 25.5℃. Newly hatched larvae, the consonants had a total length of 5.55~6.31 mm (6.30±6.93, n=30) mm, and the mouth and anus did not open and had egg yolk. 5 days after hatching, the preflexion larvae had a total length of 9.91~10.8 (10.1±0.27, n=30) mm, and the mouth and anus opened, and feeding activities began. 8 days after hatching, the flexion larvae had a total length of 10.3~11.4 (10.8±0.38, n=30) mm, and the end of the vertebrae at the tail fin tip began to bend upward. 10 day after hatching, the postflexion larvae had a total length of 11.8~13.1 (12.3±0.43, n=30) mm, and the end of the vertebrae at the tail tip was completely bent at 45°. 18 days after hatching, the total length of the juveniles was 18.9~23.4 (20.4±1.69, n=30) mm, and the number of fins in each part was fin rays with 10 dorsal fins, 9 anal fins, 22 caudal fins, and 7 ventral fins. As a result of the study, the postflexion larvae showed differences in morphology from other Gobioninae fishes in the upper part of the tail's hypural, the shape of spots on the dorsal vertebrae, the vertical stripes developed on the head, and the irregularly deposited melanophore throughout the body.