• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.137-150
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• 2010

Traditionally, like many people in mountain region of the Himalaya, the Lwang communities depend on mix of subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and seasonal migrant labor for their livelihoods. These traditional systems are characterized by low productivity, diverse use of available natural resources (largely for home consumption), limited markets, and some aversion for innovation. The potential to generate wealth through commerce has largely been untapped by these mountain residents and thus is undervalued in local and national economies. Introduction of organic tea farming is a part of Lwang community's several initiatives to break the vicious poverty cycle Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) played facilitating roles in all their efforts since beginning. In five years, the tea plantation emerged as a new means for secured a livelihood. This study aims to analyze the current practices in tea farming both in terms of farm management and soil nutrient status(technical) and the prosperity of the tea farmers (social). The technical aspect covers the soil and tea leaf analysis of various nutrients contents in the soil and tea leaf. Originally, the technical aspect of the study was not planned but later during the consultation with the advisor it was taken into consideration which added value to the research study. The sample were collected from different locations and analyzed on the field itself. The other part of the study i.e. the social aspect was done through questionnaire survey and focus group discussion. the tea farming provided them not only a new opportunity but also earned an identity in the region. This initiative was undertaken as a piloting measure. Now that the tea is in production with processing unit established locally, more serious consideration has to be given for better yield and economic prosperity. This research finding will help the community to analyze their efforts and make correction measures in tea garden management and application of fertilizer. It is also expected to fill up the gaps of knowledge and information required to reduce economic stresses and enhance capacity of farmers to make the tea farming a sustainable and beneficial business. The findings are expected to Sustainability of organic tea farming has direct impacts on biodiversity conservation compared to the other traditional farming practices that are more resource intensive. The study will also contribute to identify key action points required for reducing poverty while conserving environment and enhancing livelihoods

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 2023

Objective : This study is to examine the practical use of clinical observational evaluation of sensory integration therapy and the difficulty and importance of measuring results for each sub-item, and through this, to confirm the usefulness of the application of Artificial Intelligence measurement technology in clinical observational measurement and the need for application. Methods : The questionnaire consisted of the actual use of the sensory integration evaluation tool, the difficulty of measurement for each detailed item of clinical observation, the usefulness of AI measurement technology, the importance of evaluation for each detailed item, and the need for developing AI measurement technology. Results : The detailed items that were difficult to measure during clinical observation were the Finger-to-Nose Test and Postural control (71.0%), followed by Eye movement and Protective Extension Test (67.7%). 83.9% of the study subjects answered that it would be useful to apply AI measurement technology when observing images. Postural control (on the ball) (90.3%) was the highest item that answered that AI measurement technology was needed, followed by Eye movement (83.9%), and Prone Extension and Protective Extension Test (77.4%). Conclusion : The results confirmed the desire of therapists that clinical observation is an important evaluation tool in the field of child occupational therapy in Korea.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.79-92
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• 2023

Objective : This study aimed to assess the reliability of a three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis program for measuring the range of motion (ROM) of wrist and finger joints. Methods : The study recruited 50 people who had no restrictions on wrist and finger movements, understood the purpose of this study, and agreed to participate. Using a goniometer and a 3D motion analysis program, a total of 11 wrist and finger ROM were measured once each. To measure the reliability of the 3D motion analysis program, the degree of agreement and inconsistency of the measured values were compared. Results : Analysis of the degree of agreement of the measured values revealed that 38 out of 44 items showed a very high degree of agreement. Regarding analysis of inconsistency in the measured values, inconsistencies were found in three items. Conclusion : The results of this study confirmed that the ROM of the joint could be measured using the 3D motion analysis program applied in this study. In addition, it might be expected that the 3D motion analysis program would be used in various clinical fields owing to the advantages of measurement convenience and accuracy.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.293-301
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• 2023

Unstandardized medical data collection and management are still being conducted manually, and studies are being conducted to classify CT data using deep learning to solve this problem. However, most studies are developing models based only on the axial plane, which is a basic CT slice. Because CT images depict only human structures unlike general images, reconstructing CT scans alone can provide richer physical features. This study seeks to find ways to achieve higher performance through various methods of converting CT scan to 2D as well as axial planes. The training used 1042 CT scans from five body parts and collected 179 test sets and 448 with external datasets for model evaluation. To develop a deep learning model, we used InceptionResNetV2 pre-trained with ImageNet as a backbone and re-trained the entire layer of the model. As a result of the experiment, the reconstruction data model achieved 99.33% in body part classification, 1.12% higher than the axial model, and the axial model was higher only in brain and neck in contrast classification. In conclusion, it was possible to achieve more accurate performance when learning with data that shows better anatomical features than when trained with axial slice alone.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2022

In this study, H&E staining is necessary to distinguish cells. However, dyeing directly requires a lot of money and time. The purpose is to convert the phase image of unstained cells to the amplitude image of stained cells. Image data taken with FPM was created with Phase image and Amplitude image using Matlab's parameters. Through normalization, a visually identifiable image was obtained. Through normalization, a visually distinguishable image was obtained. Using the GAN algorithm, a Fake Amplitude image similar to the Real Amplitude image was created based on the Phase image, and cells were distinguished by objectification using MASK R-CNN with the Fake Amplitude image As a result of the study, D loss max is 3.3e-1, min is 6.8e-2, G loss max is 6.9e-2, min is 2.9e-2, A loss max is 5.8e-1, min is 1.2e-1, Mask R-CNN max is 1.9e0, and min is 3.2e-1.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.152-160
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• 2023

After the recent COVID-19 outbreak, more and more people are paying attention to health care. Many people feel uncomfortable in life due to muscle pain after sports or exercise as a hobby and often take a break from exercise. After exercising for a long time or exercising excessively, pain appears throughout the body within 24 to 48 hours after exercise. This pain is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). In this study, the effectiveness of the pain relief of delayed onset myalgia was verified by using a high-frequency pain therapy device that generates deep heat. EMG was measured before and after pain treatment at ordinary times, RMS values were obtained through analysis, statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS program, and it was judged to be statistically significant. In addition, statistical analysis of the RMS value between normal and after pain treatment was conducted to confirm that there was no significance, and to confirm how much it returned to normal after pain treatment. In addition, since the standards for pain are different for each person even if the size of the same pain is the same, the NRS questionnaire for the size of pain was conducted, and the size of pain felt by the subjects was analyzed using the SPSS program and statistical significance was obtained. Therefore, as a result of this study, the high-frequency pain therapy device generated deep heat in the pain area to raise the temperature, and expanded the arteries and capillaries to increase blood flow, thereby increasing blood circulation and metabolism, and alleviating the pain of delayed onset muscle pain.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.28-37
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• 2022

Pregnancy requires an important interpretation of thyroid function tests. The presence of anti-thyroid antibodies and viral infectious agents affect the health of both the fetus and the mother. Hence, a selective evaluation of thyroid function in pregnancy is required. This study is a retrospective cross-sectional survey to examine the correlation between thyroid hormones and viral infections during pregnancy. The results showed that the triiodothyronine (T3) decreased with increasing age, especially in the hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive group (P<0.01). In addition, although negative for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), thyroxine (FT4) showed a significant increase in near-threshold or twin pregnant women (P<0.05). The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was highly distributed at the age of 30, and there was no statistically significant correlation with other viral infection factors. In addition, as a result of dividing and analyzing the result of TSH by the quantiles, FT4 and T3 showed a positive correlation but showed a negative correlation with TSH (P<0.05). Therefore, the evaluation of prenatal thyroid screening during pregnancy and viral infection factors should reflect the time of pregnancy, exposure to infection, and the quantitative values. Adequate thyroid hormone and viral infections availability is important for an uncomplicated pregnancy and optimal fetal development.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2022

Procalcitonin (PCT) can provide an experimental rationale and a diagnostic lead to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. This study sought to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with high PCT levels, to improve clinical diagnosis, and to determine whether PCT levels were associated with the subsequent development of sepsis in the general population. This was a retrospective observational study conducted on outpatients (N=127) over a year. The general data and laboratory parameters studied were PCT, C-reactive protein (CRP), and complete blood count (CBC). The positive rates of CRP and white blood cells (WBCs) in the elevated PCT group were higher than those of the normal group (P<0.05); the specificity and sensitivity of the PCT levels were obviously higher than those of the CRP and WBC levels at diagnosis (P<0.05). The mean PCT levels in the low group were significantly higher than those in the high or moderate group (P<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation with CRP, total WBCs, and neutrophils (P<.001). The main finding of this study was the significant association between an elevated PCT level and CRP and WBC levels, signifying a high diagnostic value. This has important implications for the diagnosis of bacterial infections and therapeutic implications for the use of antibiotic treatment in specific patients.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2022

This study attempted to provide the basic data for developing a system to identify the role of medical technologists and ensure an efficient response for quick and accurate diagnostic tests in the COVID-19 era. The research method involved using focus group interviews for a survey and analysis of 15 medical institutions. Eleven sample collection institutions, 10.4 medical technologists, 2.1 minutes of collection time, 5.4 hours of test time, 9,670 tests, 6.2 member test workforce size, and 7 screening center operating institutions were surveyed. The results of the focus group interview analysis revealed that there were no standardized guidelines covering working hours, area, and environment to protect sample collectors and testers in relation to the COVID-19 tests. Also, legal protection measures were insufficient in the event of accidental infections and there were no personnel regulations related to COVID-19. In addition, the professional training of sample collectors and molecular diagnostic testers was required for reliable COVID-19 testing. In conclusion, it is necessary to provide professional education through special test short-term training institutions to cope with emergency infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Legal systems should be put in place to protect the workforce and ensure stability.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.27-33
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• 2023

In this study, it was analyzed with the dyeing pattern of Diospyros kaki Thunb (persimmon) and was tried to numerically evaluate how the dyeing pattern in silk fabrics and cells was changed by different mordants. When the dyed silk fabrics were sufficiently dried, the silk fabrics were found to have a pale yellow color. Interestingly, iron II sulfate mordant changed the color change the most, silk fabrics were dyed with a color close to brown or dark purple. For numerical analysis, 19% and 62.5% color changes could be induced by sodium tartrate plus citric acid and copper acetate, respectively. Iron II sulfate induced the greatest difference than that of untreated mordants at 88%. About 5% and 10% of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were stained by sodium tartrate plus citric acid and copper acetate, respectively. The staining effect induced by iron II sulfate was about 2.4 times higher than the staining effect by sodium tartrate plus citric acid. In previous studies, staining results have been visually confirmed. However, this results not only visually confirmed the dyeing, but also quantified the color change. In particular, if numerical results are continuously integrated into big data, any researcher will be able to easily obtain similar results even if the method, time, volume, etc. are changed. In addition, the numerical data of this study is considered to be an important basis for building a database for IoT construction and computer analysis.