• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.11-23
• /
• 2024

Objective: To investigate whether reader training improves the performance and agreement of radiologists in interpreting unenhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Materials and Methods: A study of 96 breasts (35 cancers, 24 benign, and 37 negative) in 48 asymptomatic women was performed between June 2019 and October 2020. High-resolution DWI with b-values of 0, 800, and 1200 sec/mm² was performed using a 3.0-T system. Sixteen breast radiologists independently reviewed the DWI, apparent diffusion coefficient maps, and T1-weighted MRI scans and recorded the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category for each breast. After a 2-h training session and a 5-month washout period, they re-evaluated the BI-RADS categories. A BI-RADS category of 4 (lesions with at least two suspicious criteria) or 5 (more than two suspicious criteria) was considered positive. The per-breast diagnostic performance of each reader was compared between the first and second reviews. Inter-reader agreement was evaluated using a multi-rater κ analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Before training, the mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the 16 readers were 70.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 59.4-79.9), 90.8% (95% CI: 85.6-94.2), and 83.5% (95% CI: 78.6-87.4), respectively. After training, significant improvements in specificity (95.2%; 95% CI: 90.8-97.5; P = 0.001) and accuracy (85.9%; 95% CI: 80.9-89.8; P = 0.01) were observed, but no difference in sensitivity (69.8%; 95% CI: 58.1-79.4; P = 0.58) was observed. Regarding inter-reader agreement, the κ values were 0.57 (95% CI: 0.52-0.63) before training and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.62-0.74) after training, with a difference of 0.11 (95% CI: 0.02-0.18; P = 0.01). The ICC was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.69-0.74) before training and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76-0.80) after training (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Brief reader training improved the performance and agreement of interpretations by breast radiologists using unenhanced MRI with DWI.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.79-89
• /
• 2023

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of dementia is steadily increasing each year, and preceding studies continue to explore the association between dementia and oral health. Dental hygienists require specialized competencies to provide appropriate dental healthcare services, necessitating the development of a tool for the objective measurement of their knowledge levels. This study aimed to develop a knowledge assessment tool for dental hygienists concerning considerations for dental care for patients with dementia. Methods: The study constructed preliminary items based on a literature review and then conducted expert validation, a pilot survey, and the main survey. The main survey was conducted among 220 dental hygienists. Validity and reliability analyses were conducted with the collected data to select the final items, and the correctness rates for each selected item were verified. Results: As a result of the analysis of the collected data, 18 items were eliminated out of a total of 40 preliminary items, leaving a total of 6 factors and 22 items. The Cronbach's α value for the selected items was 0.791. The six factors are as follows: 'Considerations during dental treatment for dementia patients' (5 items), 'medication side effects in dementia patients' (4 items), 'oral care methods for dementia patients' (4 items), 'communication with dementia patients' (4 items), 'psychological reactions of dementia patients' (3 items), and 'guidance for dementia patients' (2 items). The item with the highest correctness rate was item 2 of the 'guidance for dementia patients' category at 98.6%, while the item with the lowest correctness rate was item 2 of the 'psychological reactions of dementia patients' category at 5.9%. Conclusion: This study validated the reliability and validity of the knowledge assessment tool, which lays the foundation for future research on dental hygienists and dementia. It contributes essential data for ongoing education, development of educational programs, and establishing operational guidelines in healthcare institutions.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.68 no.4
• /
• pp.335-342
• /
• 2023

To achieve self-sufficiency in domestic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), an increase in high-quality wheat production is essential. Given Korea's limited land area, the utilization of cropping systems is imperative. Wheat is compatible with a double cropping system along with rice, soybeans, and corn. Data on alterations in wheat quality following summer crop cultivation is required. This study investigated the impact of cultivating preceding crops such as rice, soybeans, and corn in a wheat cropping system. The analysis focused on the influence of these preceding crops on wheat growth, quality, and soil characteristics, elucidating their interrelationships and impacts. While there were no differences in growth timing and quantity during wheat growth, a significant variance was observed in stem length. Protein content, a key quality attribute of wheat, displayed variations based on the intercropped crops, with the highest increase observed in wheat cultivated after soybeans. Soil moisture content also exhibited variations depending on the intercropping system. The wheat-rice intercropping system, which requires soil moisture retention, resulted in greater pore space saturation in comparison to other systems. Moreover, soil chemical properties, specifically phosphorus and calcium levels, were influenced by intercropping. The highest reduction in soil phosphorus content occurred with soybean cultivation. These findings suggest that intercropping wheat with soybeans can potentially enhance wheat quality in domestic varieties.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.1-15
• /
• 2024

This study aims to elucidate the characteristics of big tech platform companies' sports content business in an environment of rapid digital transformation. Specifically, this study examines the market structure of big tech platform companies with a focus on Amazon, revealing the role of sports content within this structure through an analysis of Amazon's sports marketing business and provides an outlook on the sports content business of big tech platform companies. Based on two-sided market platform business models, big tech platform companies incorporate sports content as a strategy to enhance the value of their platforms. Therefore, sports content is used as a tool to enhance the value of their platforms and to consolidate their monopoly position by maximizing profits by increasing the synergy of platform ecosystems such as infrastructure. Amazon acquires popular live sports broadcasting rights on a continental or national basis and supplies them to its platforms, which not only increases the number of new customers and purchasing effects, but also provides IT solution services to sports organizations and teams while planning and supplying various promotional contents, thus creates synergy across Amazon's platforms including its advertising business. Amazon also expands its business opportunities and increases its overall value by supplying live sports contents to Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime, providing technical services to various stakeholders through Amazon Web Services, and offering Amazon Marketing Cloud services for analyzing and predicting advertisers' advertising and marketing performance. This gives rise to a new paradigm in the sports marketing business in the digital era, stemming from the difference in market structure between big tech companies based on two-sided market platforms and legacy global companies based on one-sided markets. The core of this new model is a business through the development of various contents based on live sports streaming rights, and sports content marketing will become a major field of sports marketing along with traditional broadcasting rights and sponsorship. Big tech platform global companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Google have the potential to become new global sports marketing companies, and the current sports marketing and advertising companies, as well as teams and leagues, are facing both crises and opportunities.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2024

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the impact of Ayres' sensory integration (ASI) intervention on motor skills and occupational participation of preschool children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method : Children with ADHD aged between 4 and 6 years who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly recruited through screening tests. The subjects were divided into an experimental group (10 subjects) and a control group (8 subjects). The instruments used were the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency-2 (BOT-2), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), and Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) to evaluate occupational participation. The subjects in the experimental group underwent individual sensory integration therapy according to the ASI principles for 40 minutes twice a week in a total of 16 sessions over eight weeks. The control group did not receive the ASI intervention. Data analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, chi-squared test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Cohen's d test in SPSS 20.0. Results : The ASI experimental group had significantly higher scores in total motor composite, manual coordination, body coordination, strength, and agility in motor function than the control group (p<.05). The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of occupational participation (PEDI), but GAS scores for individual target activities were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (p<.05). Conclusion : This study shows that the ASI intervention has positive effects on motor skills and occupation participation among preschool children with ADHD.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.335-341
• /
• 2024

Objectives: Patients with cancer eventually fail to respond to therapy when malignant cells develop effective ways to evade immunosurveillance. Conventional cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, aim to cure the disease or prolong the patient's life. However, the toxicity and side effects of conventional treatments limit their efficacy. Herbal medicine is a typical complementary and integrative form of medicine for cancer treatment in Asia. This protocol evaluates the effectiveness of herbal medicines in improving the immune function of patients with cancer. Methods: The following electronic databases will be searched: MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE via Elsevier, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Korean databases including Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS), National Digital Science Library (NDSL), and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS). Additionally, prospective randomized controlled trials that evaluate the effectiveness of herbal medicines on immune function in patients with cancer will be included in this review. All outcomes related to the immune function of patients with cancer (e.g., CD3, CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 ratio, CD19 (B cells), dendritic cells (CD11), CD56 (NK cells), and macrophages) will be included in this review. Results: This review is expected to provide data on the effectiveness of herbal medicines on improving immune functions in patients with cancers. Conclusion: This systematic review will help patients and clinicians establish new management options for cancer treatment.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.400-412
• /
• 2023

In this study, the biogeochemistry management (BGC-MAN) model was applied to North and South Korea pine and oak forest stands to evaluate the Net Primary Productivity (NPP), an indicator of forest ecosystem productivity. For meteorological information, historical records and East Asian climate scenario data of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) were used. For vegetation information, pine (Pinus densiflora) and oak(Quercus spp.) forest stands were selected at the Gwangneung and Seolmacheon in South Korea and Sariwon, Sohung, Haeju, Jongju, and Wonsan, which are known to have tree nurseries in North Korea. Among the biophysical information, we used the elevation model for topographic data such as longitude, altitude, and slope direction, and the global soil database for soil data. For management factors, we considered the destruction of forests in North and South Korea due to the Korean War in 1950 and the subsequent reforestation process. The overall mean value of simulated NPP from 1991 to 2100 was 5.17 Mg C ha^-1, with a range of 3.30-8.19 Mg C ha^-1. In addition, increased variability in climate scenarios resulted in variations in forest productivity, with a notable decline in the growth of pine forests. The applicability of the BGC-MAN model to the Korean Peninsula was examined at a time when the ecosystem process-based models were becoming increasingly important due to climate change. In this study, the data on the effects of climate change disturbances on forest ecosystems that was analyzed was limited; therefore, future modeling methods should be improved to simulate more precise ecosystem changes across the Korean Peninsula through process-based models.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.123-133
• /
• 2024

To analyse the relationship between above-ground carbon stocks, species diversity and broadleaved forests structural diversity of South Korean forests, we collected vegetation inventories from environmental impact assessment projects over the past 10 years. The available data were selected and organised including tree species, DBH and area each projects. The data was classified by forest type, aboveground carbon stocks were calculated and compared, and the correlation between aboveground carbon stocks and biodiversity and structural diversity was analysed. The results showed that above-ground carbon stocks were higher in mixed forests and broadleaved forests and lower in needleleaved forests, similar to previous studies. However aboveground carbon stocks of mixed forests were higher in natural forests than in plantations. Aboveground carbon stocks in broadleaved forests were higher in plantations than natural forests, and there was no statistical different of between natural and plantations in needleleaved forest. This could be the result of a variety influences including biological and environmental factors in the study area, and further research is needed to analyse the effects on carbon sequestration. Correlation analysis showed no correlation between biodiversity and above-ground carbon stocks, but a positive correlation between structural diversity and above-ground carbon stocks. This indicates that above-ground carbon stocks in forests are associated with unevenness diameters and the proportion and evenness of tree species by diameter. In addition, it has been analysed that the high succession stages in forest have higher species diversity and structural diversity, and greater efficiency in the utilization of resources required for plant growth, leading to increased plant productivity and storage. Considering that the study sites were young forests with an average DBH of 14.8~23.7 cm, it is expected that carbon stocks will increase as biodiversity and structural diversity increase. Further research is needed to develop techniques to quantitatively assess the relationship of diversity to carbon stocks for policy use in assessing and increasing carbon stocks in forests.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.79-87
• /
• 2024

This study confirmed the effects of seed shape, temperature, and light treatment on the germination of eight species of medicinal crops to produce high-value crops in vertical farms. Eight species of medicinal seeds were selected, and the seed shape, seed length, seed width, seed length/width ratio, and one hundred seed weight were measured. The seed moisture content was confirmed. Eight species of medicinal seeds were sown, and the germination rate, germination energy, mean daily germination, and mean germination time were investigated according to temperature (15, 20, 25, 25/15℃) and light treatment. Each of the eight medicinal seeds showed different seed shapes. The moisture content of the seeds showed a moisture content rate of over 20% in the five medicinal seeds. Medicinal seeds that showed a germination rate of over 50% were Angelica gigas Nakai, Codonopsis lanceolata (Siebold & Zucc.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Trautv., and Achyranthes bidentata Blume var. japonica Miq. seeds. A. gigas seed showed a germination rate of 67.34 ± 4.38% under 25/15℃ light conditions, and C. lanceolata seed showed a germination rate of over 50% under both temperature and light treatment conditions, especially the highest germination rate of 82.67 ± 1.46% under 15℃ dark conditions. Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. seed showed a germination rate of 52.34 ± 1.77% under dark conditions at 20℃, and the highest germination rate was 51.67 ± 3.79% under dark conditions at 15℃. The maximum germination energy was 74.00 ± 4.94% in C. lanceolata seed. The maximum mean daily germination was 14.94 ± 0.15 days in P. japonicum seed. Astragalus penduliflorus Lam. var. dahuricus (DC.) X.Y.Zhu seed showed the highest mean germination time of 34.19 ± 4.71. Through this study, it was determined that A. gigas, C. lanceolata, and A. penduliflours seeds would be suitable for production in vertical farms based on the characteristics of each medicinal seed through analysis of seed germination characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.813-824
• /
• 2024

This study was conducted to evaluate the long-term effects of training on the physical development and exercise performance of adolescent weightlifters, aiming to provide effective training and management strategies for improving competitive performance. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, adolescent weightlifters from middle and high schools in Chungcheongnam-do province [male middle school-aged athletes, n=5; female middle school-aged athletes, n=5; male high school-aged athletes, n=12; female high school-aged athletes, n=8] were examined over approximately 10 months of weightlifting-based training to analyse the changes in body composition, physical fitness (muscular strength, muscular endurance, agility, flexibility, dynamic balance, coordination), and isokinetic muscular function (trunk and lower extremity). As a result, it was found that the physical development of middle and high school-aged athletes underwent physical development primarily characterized by an increase in lean body mass. Additionally, back muscle strength and power, which contribute to rapid and efficient force transmission between the upper and lower body, as well as grip strength necessary for controlling the barbell with a stable grip, are significant factors. These aspects were notably enhanced through specialized training and competitive experience for weightlifting performance at the high school level. On the other hand, changes in factors beyond the primary physical attributes contributing to weightlifting performance were limited, suggesting differences in effectiveness likely stemming from the specific composition of training programs or the athletes' experience and skill levels. Collectively, the findings from this study, which evaluates the physical characteristics and exercise abilities of adolescent weightlifters, are expected to contribute to improved competitive performance of weightlifters.