• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.5
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• pp.1185-1190
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• 2023

Pseudoaneurysms are among the most serious complications of percutaneous balloon angioplasty. Although pseudoaneurysm rupture rarely happens, when it does, the result can be fatal; thus, early detection and management are crucial. In this report, we disclose the case of a 34-year-old male with end-stage renal disease who presented with a huge symptomatic pseudoaneurysm of the left popliteal artery, following percutaneous balloon angioplasty three months prior. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully excluded using interventional treatment. The patient recovered well, and the follow-up was uneventful, with excellent patency of the covered stent.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.10.1-10.9
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• 2024

Hyperthyroidism, characterized by elevated thyroid hormone levels and thyroid gland hyperplasia or adenoma, is a prevalent endocrinopathy in older cats. Treatment options include antithyroid drugs, surgical thyroidectomy, and radioiodine therapy (RAIT), which is non-invasive treatment option that can achieve complete remission. However, efficacy and safety of RAIT in hyperthyroid cats have not been investigated in South Korea. This study includes 10 hyperthyroid cats with RAIT. Initial assessments comprised history, physical examination, blood analysis, and serum total T4 (tT4) concentration. Thyroid scintigraphy revealed hyperactivity and enlargement of thyroid gland at 24 hours before the RAIT. Radioiodine (RAI) was injected subcutaneously with 2 to 6 mCi, determined by the fixed dose or the scoring system based on severity of clinical signs, tT4 concentration, and thyroid size individually. After RAIT, the concentration of serum tT4 and liver enzymes were significantly decreased at discharge. However, no significant differences were noted in blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, symmetric dimethylarginine, hematocrits, and white blood cell counts pre- and post-treatment. Although 4 cats received RAI twice, clinical signs disappeared and tT4 levels decreased following the RAIT. All 10 cats achieved complete remission after 6 months without critical adverse effect. The safety and the effectiveness of RAIT was confirmed based on protocols reported other countries. Therefore, RAIT could be considered the treatment option and prevent adverse effects from medication or surgery. This preliminary study presents the first evaluation of RAIT for hyperthyroid cats using locally produced RAI in South Korea and provide valuable insight for clinicians and further studies.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 2023

To effectively and safely manage the radiation exposure to nuclear power plant (NPP) workers in accidents, major overseas NPP operators such as the United States, Germany, and France have developed and applied realistic 3D model radiation dose assessment software for workers. Continuous research and development have recently been conducted, such as performing NPP accident management using 3D-VR based on As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) planning tool. In line with this global trend, it is also required to secure technology to manage radiation exposure of workers in Korea efficiently. Therefore, in this paper, it is described the application method and assessment results of radiation exposure scenarios for workers in response to accidents assessment technology, which is one of the fundamental technologies for constructing a realistic platform to be utilized for radiation exposure prediction, diagnosis, management, and training simulations following accidents. First, the post-accident sampling after the Loss of Coolant Accident(LOCA) was selected as the accident and response scenario, and the assessment area related to this work was established. Subsequently, the structures within the assessment area were modeled using MCNP, and the radiation source of the equipment was inputted. Based on this, the radiation dose distribution in the assessment area was assessed. Afterward, considering the three principles of external radiation protection (time, distance, and shielding) detailed work scenarios were developed by varying the number of workers, the presence or absence of a shield, and the location of the shield. The radiation exposure doses received by workers were compared and analyzed for each scenario, and based on the results, the optimal accident response scenario was derived. The results of this study plan to be utilized as a fundamental technology to ensure the safety of workers through simulations targeting various reactor types and accident response scenarios in the future. Furthermore, it is expected to secure the possibility of developing a data-based ALARA decision support system for predicting radiation exposure dose at NPP sites.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.225-232
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• 2008

The object of this paper is to study the flexural strengthening effectiveness on the construction method of bonding of the FRP. The existing FRP flexural strengthening methods were divided into FRP sheet strengthening and FRP plate strengthening according to the FRP condition. For improving the existing construction method, this paper proposed the velcro type anchorage system for temporary bonding material, and flexural strengthening effects were tested. Test variables were bonding methods of the FRP strengthening materials, and total 4 specimens were tested. Following to the test results, it is shown that FRP-plate strengthening method using the velcro can get better workability than existing construction methods, and have excellent strengthening performance including flexural strength, stiffness, ductility and failure aspect.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.829-843
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: Despite remarkable reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, the burden has remained the leading cause of death. Since little research has focused on regional disparity in CVD mortality, this study aims to investigate its spatiotemporal trends in Korea from 1983 to 2019. Methods: Using the causes of death statistics in Korea, we analyzed the geographic variation in deaths from CVDs from 1983 to 2019. The sex and age-standardized mortality rate was calculated according to the 17 administrative regions. The analyses include all diseases of the circulatory system (International Classification of Diseases-10 codes, I00-I99), along with the following 6 subcategories which were not mutually exclusive: total heart disease (I00-I13 and I20-I51), hypertensive heart disease (I10-I13), ischemic heart disease (I20-I25), myocardial infarction (I21-I23), heart failure (I50), and cerebrovascular disease (I60-I69). Results: Overall, heart failure death rate increased across all regions, and other CVD death rates showed a decreasing trend. Regional disparity in mortality was substantial in the early 1980s but converged over time. In all types of cardiovascular mortality, Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam remained the highest, although they showed a downward trend like other regions. Jeju continued to have a relatively low CVD mortality rate. Conclusions: The regional disparity substantially decreased compared to the 1980s. However, the relatively high burden of CVD mortality in the southeastern region has not been fully resolved.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.23-34
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• 2024

Milk, which is often referred to as a healthy beverage, is the first food encountered at birth. During digestion, A1-type milk often leads to digestive disorders due to increased levels of 𝛽-casomorphin-7. It also tends to induce inflammatory responses in the gut immune system by altering the gut microbiota and triggering conditions such as diabetes and respiratory hypersensitivity. In contrast, A2-type milk is gaining attention because of fewer associated problems than A1 milk and its unique functional benefits. However, information on the efficacy of A2 milk relies primarily on limited clinical and animal trial data, and substantiating its efficacy and functional superiority remains a challenge. Therefore, various studies, including research on the distinctive efficacy and functions of A2 milk compared with conventional A1 milk and investigations into the mechanisms underlying its effects on human health following consumption, are necessary in the future.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1726-1748
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• 2024

Trajectory planning is vital for autonomous systems like robotics and UAVs, as it determines optimal, safe paths considering physical limitations, environmental factors, and agent interactions. Recent advancements in trajectory planning and future location prediction stem from rapid progress in machine learning and optimization algorithms. In this paper, we proposed a novel framework for Spatial-temporal transformer-based feed-forward neural networks (STTFFNs). From the traffic flow local area point of view, skip-gram model is trained on trajectory data to generate embeddings that capture the high-level features of different trajectories. These embeddings can then be used as input to a transformer-based trajectory planning model, which can generate trajectories for new objects based on the embeddings of similar trajectories in the training data. In the next step, distant regions, we embedded feedforward network is responsible for generating the distant trajectories by taking as input a set of features that represent the object's current state and historical data. One advantage of using feedforward networks for distant trajectory planning is their ability to capture long-term dependencies in the data. In the final step of forecasting for future locations, the encoder and decoder are crucial parts of the proposed technique. Spatial destinations are encoded utilizing location-based social networks(LBSN) based on visiting semantic locations. The model has been specially trained to forecast future locations using precise longitude and latitude values. Following rigorous testing on two real-world datasets, Porto and Manhattan, it was discovered that the model outperformed a prediction accuracy of 8.7% previous state-of-the-art methods.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.240-247
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• 2022

Background/Aims: Few studies have measured the accuracy of prognostic scores for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) among cancer patients. Thereby, we compared the prognostic scores for predicting major outcomes in cancer patients with UGIB. Secondarily, we developed a new model to detect patients who might require hemostatic care. Methods: A prospective research was performed in a tertiary hospital by enrolling cancer patients admitted with UGIB. Clinical and endoscopic findings were obtained through a prospective database. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to gauge the power of each score. Results: From April 2015 to May 2016, 243 patients met the inclusion criteria. The AIMS65 (area under the curve [AUC] 0.85) best predicted intensive care unit admission, while the Glasgow-Blatchford score best predicted blood transfusion (AUC 0.82) and the low-risk group (AUC 0.92). All scores failed to predict hemostatic therapy and rebleeding. The new score was superior (AUC 0.74) in predicting hemostatic therapy. The AIMS65 (AUC 0.84) best predicted in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: The scoring systems for prognostication were validated in the group of cancer patients with UGIB. A new score was developed to predict hemostatic therapy. Following this result, future prospective research should be performed to validate the new score.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2022

Background/Aims: Multiple outbreaks of multidrug-resistant organisms have been reported worldwide due to contaminated duodenoscopes. In 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration recommended the following supplemental enhanced surveillance and reprocessing techniques (ESRT) to improve duodenoscope disinfection: (1) microbiological culture, (2) ethylene oxide sterilization, (3) liquid chemical sterilant processing system, and (4) double high-level disinfection. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the impact of ESRT on the contamination rates. Methods: A thorough and systematic search was performed across several databases and conference proceedings from inception until January 2021, and all studies reporting the effectiveness of various ESRTs were identified. The pooled contamination rates of post-ESRT duodenoscopes were estimated using the random effects model. Results: A total of seven studies using various ESRTs were incorporated in the analysis, which included a total of 9,084 post-ESRT duodenoscope cultures. The pooled contamination rate of the post-ESRT duodenoscope was 5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.3%-10.8%, inconsistency index [I²]=97.97%). Pooled contamination rates for high-risk organisms were 0.8% (95% CI: 0.2%-2.7%, I²=94.96). Conclusions: While ESRT may improve the disinfection process, a post-ESRT contamination rate of 5% is not negligible. Ongoing efforts to mitigate the rate of contamination by improving disinfection techniques and innovations in duodenoscope design to improve safety are warranted.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.137-155
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• 2024

To achieve the national goal of "2050 Carbon Neutrality" in the era of the climate crisis, it is important to support the decarbonization of ports, which are the vital node of the global supply chain. Following the establishment of the concept of port's decarbonzation, this study reviewed the obstacles and solutions to port decarbonization through literature research. Furthermore, the goals and strategies for decarbonization implementation of world major ports were examined through case analysis, and the level of decarbonization implementation of the five Korean major ports was quantitatively evaluated using a performance-based score measurement method. As a result of the analysis, the level of decarbonization of Korean ports is generally far behind that of advanced countries. In particular, measures for environment-friendly inland transportation, future alternative fuel bunkering facilities, and various market-based incentive policies are needed. As a policy task for the decarbonization of Korean ports, first, the necessity of establishing a emission inventory, monitoring, and reporting system and the disclosure of related information, second, the mixing strategy of various greenhouse gas reduction measures, and third, the increase in the proportion of renewable energy at ports were suggested.