• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.204-206
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• 2022

The global economy and the air transport business have been affected since the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. As countries tighten restrictions on international movements, the growing emphasis on air cargo puts pressure on airports to maintain and upgrade their cargo policies, facilities, and operations. Hence, ensuring the competitiveness of cargo airports becomes pivotal for airports survival under the volatile global demand. The study aims to evaluate the importance of the competitiveness factors for cargo airports and identify areas for further improvement. The study applies the Best-Worst Method (BWM) to assess the cargo airports' competitiveness factors: 'Transport Capacity,' 'Airport Operations and Facility Capacity,' 'Economic Growth,' 'Financial Performance,' and 'Airport Brand Value.' The selected airports include Heathrow Airport, Aéroport de Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Hong Kong International Airport, and Incheon International Airport. The results identify 'Transport Capacity' as the most significant competitiveness factor, and Hong Kong International Airport the best performing cargo airport. This research forms a reference framework for evaluating cargo airports' competitive position, which may help identify airports' relative strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, this framework can also serve as a tool facilitating the strategic design of airports that may accommodate both air cargo and passenger demand flexibly under the demand uncertainty.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.117-127
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• 2023

In many training institutions, the major advancement of Information Technology is having a profound impact on the way in which instructors teach and students learn, as well as how the two interact. The training process is continuing with the goal of enhancing the calibre of instruction and engagement. Top colleges and institutions have more recently developed a variety of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) systems centred on the development of new educational offering ways. These have not only captured the interest of students and scholars in the field of higher education, but also that of staff members in the private and public sectors. This study uses a Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to assess the top MOOC providers and pinpoint the key elements influencing learner acceptance of MOOCs in Saudi Arabian training. A total of 382 government trainees in Saudi Arabia participated in an online survey, the results of which underwent analysis using structural equation modelling. This study identifies the key elements influencing Saudi government employee trainees' intentions to use MOOCs, with the findings indicating that the suggested model can account for 86.2% of user behaviour and 88.5% of user intentions.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.18
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• 2024

The implementation of imaging methods that enable sensitive and specific observation of anatomical structures has been a constant in the evolution of endodontic therapy. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) enables 3-dimensional (3D) spatial anatomical navigation in the 3 volumetric planes (sagittal, coronal and axial) which translates into great accuracy for the identification of endodontic pathologies/conditions. CBCT interpretation consists of 2 main components: (i) the generation of specific tasks of the image and (ii) the subsequent interpretation report. A systematic and reproducible method to review CBCT scans can improve the accuracy of the interpretation process, translating into greater precision in terms of diagnosis and planning of endodontic clinical procedures. MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase and Scopus were searched from inception to March 2023. This narrative review addresses the theoretical concepts, elements of interpretation and applications of the CBCT scan in endodontics. In addition, the contents and rationale for reporting 3D endodontic imaging are discussed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.753-761
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• 2024

Introduction: In this study, TLD 600 and TLD 700 pairs were used to measure the neutron dose of Elekta Precise medical linac. To this end, the optimum moderate thickness for the conversion of fast to thermal neutrons were evaluated. Materials and methods: ²⁴¹Am-Be and ²⁵²Cf sources were simulated to calculate the optimum thicknesses of the moderator for the conversion of maximum fast neutrons (FN) into thermal neutrons (TN). Pair TLDs were used to measure F&TN doses for three different field sizes at four depths of the medical linac. Results: The maximum thickness of the moderator was optimized at 6 cm. The measurement results demonstrated that the TN dose increased with the expansion of field size and depth. The FN dose, which was converted TN, exhibits behaviors comparable to the TN due to its nature. Conclusion: This study presents the optimum thickness for the moderator to convert FN into TN and measure F&TN using TLDs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.1425-1430
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• 2024

This study develops superheated emulsion detectors that are both sensitive to fast neutrons, and thermal neutrons owing to the exergonic ⁶₃Li(n, α)³₁H capture reaction caused by the ⁶Li-containing compound dispersed throughout the gel-like medium. The experimental research was conducted on two SEDs. One detector was an ordinary Freon-12 detector and the other was a Freon-12 detector containing 3.4 % (by weight) LiCl. In order to investigate the sensitivity of lithium-containing SEDs to thermal neutrons, two types of SEDs were simultaneously exposed to various flux levels of thermal neutrons from ²⁴¹Am-Be neutron source inside a cylindrical tank filled with water. A Boron-lined proportional counter was used to estimate the thermal neutron flux and the relevant MCNP code was developed for flux and dose calculations in the prepared set-up around ²⁴¹Am-Be source. The results demonstrate that there is a proportional relationship between the variations of SED response and the change in thermal neutron flux and dose. Also, the sensitivity of SED was estimated.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.5.1-5.22
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• 2022

The approval of immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), adoptive cell therapies and cancer vaccines has revolutionized the way cancer treatment is approached. While immunotherapies have improved clinical outcome in a variety of tumor types, some cancers have proven harder to combat using single agents, underscoring the need for multi-targeted immunotherapy approaches. Efficacy of CPIs and cancer vaccines requires patients to have a competent immune system with adequate cell numbers while the efficacy of adoptive cellular therapy is limited by the expansion and persistence of cells after infusion. A promising strategy to overcome these challenges is combination treatment with common gamma-chain cytokines. Gamma-chain cytokines play a critical role in the survival, proliferation, differentiation and function of multiple immune cell types, including CD8 T-cells and NK cells, which are at the center of the anti-tumor response. While the short halflife of recombinant cytokines initially limited their application in the clinic, advancements in protein engineering have led to the development of several next-generation drug candidates with dramatically increased half-life and bioactivity. When combining these cytokines with other immunotherapies, strong evidence of synergy has been observed in preclinical and clinical cancer settings. This promising data has led to the initiation of 70 ongoing clinical trials including IL-2, IL-7, IL-15 and IL-21. This review summarizes the recent advancements of common gamma-chain cytokines and their potential as a cancer immunotherapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2024

In this study, we estimated the distribution density of giant jellyfish in coastal waters of Korea in 2023 and compared the occurrence of giant jellyfish over four years. In May, the giant jellyfish were mainly distributed in the waters of the Yangtze River outflow, and in July, they were highly distributed in the west of Jeju Island and near the south coast of Korea. In addition, when comparing the distribution densities of giant jellyfish in Korea over four years, both acoustic and sighting surveys showed that the highest density of jellyfish occurred in 2021.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.501-507
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Polyps greater than 30 mm are classified as "giants". Their endoscopic removal represents a technical challenge. The choice of the endoscopic removal technique is important because it provides a resection sample for precise histopathological staging. This is pivotal for diagnostic, prognostic, and management purposes. Methods: From a retrospective analysis, we obtained a sample of 38 giant polyps. Eighteen polypectomies were performed using the epinephrine volume reduction (EVR) method, nine polypectomies utilized endo-looping or clipping methods, and 11 patients underwent surgery. Results: We obtained en bloc resection with the EVR method in all cases; histology confirmed the correct indication for endoscopic resection in all cases. Moreover, no early or delayed complications were observed, and no patient required hospitalization. Using endo-looping or clipping methods, we observed advanced histology in 1/9 (11.1%) cases, while another patient (1/9, 11.1%) had delayed bleeding. Among patients who underwent surgery, 5/11 (45.5%) were deemed overtreated and three had post-surgical complications. Conclusions: We propose EVR as an alternative technique for giant polyp resection due to its safety, effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and the advantage of avoiding the need to postpone polypectomy to a later time. Further prospective studies might help improve this experience and enhance the technique.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.52
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• pp.13.1-13.6
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• 2022

Microscopic structure of skin in two amphibious mudskipper fish; Boleophthalmus dussumieri Valenciennes, 1837 (B. dussumeri) and Periophthalmus waltoni Koumans, 1941 (P. waltoni) were investigated in relation to their lifestyle. The general structure of skin is the same among the two species. Epidermis in B. dussumeri was thicker significantly than P. waltoni. The dermal bulges were only well developed in the skin of B. dussumeri. Mucous cells were absent in the epidermis of P. waltoni but present in B. dussumeri. Both B. dussumeri and P. waltoni have well-developed swollen middle cells as a shared epidermal feature. The thickness of the middle cell layer of the epidermis in B. dussumeri was significantly greater than in P. waltoni. Capillaries in the dorsal and ventral parts of the body are more closely distributed to the epidermal surface in P. waltoni than in B. dussumeri. The diffusion distance in the dorsal epidermis of P. waltoni was less than that in the ventral epidermis of B. dussumeri. A comparative examination of the skin of mudskipper species suggests that, due to the more terrestrial lifestyle adopted by P. waltoni, the skin contributes more to respiration.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.333-336
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• 2012

The study to give electrical conductivity by dispersing carbon nanotubes (CNT) into silicon nitride ($Si_3N_4$) ceramics has been carried out in recent years. However, the density and the strength of $Si_3N_4$ ceramics were degraded and CNTs disappeared after firing at high temperatures because CNTs prevent $Si_3N_4$ from densification and there is a possibility that CNTs react with $Si_3N_4$ or $SiO_2$. In order to suppress the reaction and the disappearance of CNTs, lower temperature densification is needed. In this study, $HfO_2$ and $TiO_2$ was added to $Si_3N_4-Y_2O_3-Al_2O_3$-AlN system to fabricate CNT-dispersed $Si_3N_4$ ceramics at lower temperatures. $HfO_2$ promotes the densification of $Si_3N_4$ and prevents CNT from disappearance. As a result, the sample by adding $HfO_2$ and $TiO_2$ fired at lower temperatures showed higher electrical conductivity and higher bending strength. It was also shown that the mechanical and electrical properties depended on the quantity of the added CNTs.