• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1055-1066
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• 2022

Objective: The clinical relevance of myosteatosis has not been well evaluated in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), although sarcopenia has been extensively researched. Therefore, we evaluated the prognostic value of muscle quality, including myosteatosis, in patients with resectable PDAC treated surgically. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 347 patients with resectable PDAC who underwent curative surgery (mean age ± standard deviation, 63.6 ± 9.6 years; 202 male). Automatic muscle segmentation was performed on preoperative computed tomography (CT) images using an artificial intelligence program. A single axial image of the portal phase at the inferior endplate level of the L3 vertebra was used for analysis in each patient. Sarcopenia was evaluated using the skeletal muscle index, calculated as the skeletal muscle area (SMA) divided by the height squared. The mean SMA attenuation was used to evaluate myosteatosis. Diagnostic cutoff values for sarcopenia and myosteatosis were devised using the Contal and O'Quigley methods, and patients were classified according to normal (nMT), sarcopenic (sMT), myosteatotic (mMT), or combined (cMT) muscle quality types. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were conducted to assess the effects of muscle type on the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after surgery. Results: Eighty-four (24.2%), 73 (21.0%), 75 (21.6%), and 115 (33.1%) patients were classified as having nMT, sMT, mMT, and cMT, respectively. Compared to nMT, mMT and cMT were significantly associated with poorer OS, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.49 (95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.22) and 1.68 (1.16-2.43), respectively, while sMT was not (HR of 1.40 [0.94-2.10]). Only mMT was significantly associated with poorer RFS, with an HR of 1.59 (1.07-2.35), while sMT and cMT were not. Conclusion: Myosteatosis was associated with poor OS and RFS in patients with resectable PDAC who underwent curative surgery.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.413-425
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• 2022

Objective: We compared appendiceal visualization on 2-mSv CT vs. conventional-dose CT (median 7 mSv) in adolescents and young adults and analyzed the undesirable clinical and diagnostic outcomes that followed appendiceal nonvisualization. Materials and Methods: A total of 3074 patients aged 15-44 years (mean ± standard deviation, 28 ± 9 years; 1672 female) from 20 hospitals were randomized to the 2-mSv CT or conventional-dose CT group (1535 vs. 1539) from December 2013 through August 2016. A total of 161 radiologists from 20 institutions prospectively rated appendiceal visualization (grade 0, not identified; grade 1, unsure or partly visualized; and grade 2, clearly and entirely visualized) and the presence of appendicitis in these patients. The final diagnosis was based on CT imaging and surgical, pathologic, and clinical findings. We analyzed undesirable clinical or diagnostic outcomes, such as negative appendectomy, perforated appendicitis, more extensive than simple appendectomy, delay in patient management, or incorrect CT diagnosis, which followed appendiceal nonvisualization (defined as grade 0 or 1) and compared the outcomes between the two groups. Results: In the 2-mSv CT and conventional-dose CT groups, appendiceal visualization was rated as grade 0 in 41 (2.7%) and 18 (1.2%) patients, respectively; grade 1 in 181 (11.8%) and 81 (5.3%) patients, respectively; and grade 2 in 1304 (85.0%) and 1421 (92.3%) patients, respectively (p < 0.001). Overall, undesirable outcomes were rare in both groups. Compared to the conventional-dose CT group, the 2-mSv CT group had slightly higher rates of perforated appendicitis (1.1% [17] vs. 0.5% [7], p = 0.06) and false-negative diagnoses (0.4% [6] vs. 0.0% [0], p = 0.01) following appendiceal nonvisualization. Otherwise, these two groups were comparable. Conclusion: The use of 2-mSv CT instead of conventional-dose CT impairs appendiceal visualization in more patients. However, appendiceal nonvisualization on 2-mSv CT rarely leads to undesirable clinical or diagnostic outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.322-332
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• 2022

Objective: CT plays a central role in determining the resectability of pancreatic cancer, which directs the use of neoadjuvant therapy. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CT in predicting circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement in patients with resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic head cancer. Materials and Methods: Seventy-seven patients who were scheduled for upfront surgery for resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic head cancer were prospectively enrolled, and 75 patients (38 male and 37 female; mean age ± standard deviation, 68 ± 11 years) were finally analyzed. The CRM status was evaluated separately for the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and posterior and superior mesenteric vein/portal vein (SMV/PV) margins. Three independent radiologists reviewed the preoperative CT images and evaluated the resection margin status. The reference standard for CRM status was pathologic examination of pancreaticoduodenectomy specimens in an axial plane perpendicular to the axis of the second portion of the duodenum. The diagnostic accuracy of CT was assessed for overall CRM involvement, defined as involvement of the SMA or posterior margins (per-patient analysis), and involvement of each of the three resection margins (per-margin analysis). The data were pooled using a crossed random effects model. Results: Forty patients had pathologically confirmed overall CRM involvement in pancreatic cancer, while CRM involvement was not seen in 35 patients. For overall CRM involvement, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 15% (95% confidence interval: 7%-49%) and 99% (96%-100%), respectively. For each of the resection margins, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 14% (9%-54%) and 99% (38%-100%) for the SMA margin, 12% (8%-46%) and 99% (97%-100%) for the posterior margin; and 37% (29%-53%) and 96% (31%-100%) for the SMV/PV margin, respectively. Conclusion: CT showed very high specificity but low sensitivity in predicting pathological CRM involvement in pancreatic cancer.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.17-31
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• 2018

In recent years, success of information system projects to possess competitive advantage in business has become very important for stakeholders. Stakeholders who are interested in the success of information system projects typically consist of users who need the system, developers who build it, and project managers who are responsible for project success. However, recently, there has been increasing in the number of business analysts engaged in bridging relationships among these stakeholders in information system projects. So far, there have been many researches on the competence of users, developers or project managers. But, the research on the competencies of business analysts has not been done much. So, in this study, what competencies are needed for business analysts who are engaged in information system projects are researched, and the level and difference of stakeholders' expectations and satisfaction with them are identified, using IPA techniques. The results of this study are expected to contribute greatly to providing basic information on the development of competency models or training programs needed for recruitment, evaluation and training of business analysts who are or will be engaged in information system projects.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.67-74
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• 2024

In this paper, we present a study aimed at analyzing how different rainfall measurement methods affect the performance of reservoir water level predictions. This work is particularly timely given the increasing emphasis on climate change and the sustainable management of water resources. To this end, we have employed rainfall data from ASOS, AWS, and Thiessen Network-based measures provided by the KMA Weather Data Service to train our neural network models for reservoir yield predictions. Our analysis, which encompasses 34 reservoirs in Jeollabuk-do Province, examines how each method contributes to enhancing prediction accuracy. The results reveal that models using rainfall data based on the Thiessen Network's area rainfall ratio yield the highest accuracy. This can be attributed to the method's accounting for precise distances between observation stations, offering a more accurate reflection of the actual rainfall across different regions. These findings underscore the importance of precise regional rainfall data in predicting reservoir yields. Additionally, the paper underscores the significance of meticulous rainfall measurement and data analysis, and discusses the prediction model's potential applications in agriculture, urban planning, and flood management.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.217-225
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• 2024

To foster the core talents of the future, the development of diverse and substantial SW·AI education programs is required, and a systematic system that can assist public education in SW and AI must be established. In this study, we develop and combine SW·AI education modules to construct a SW and AI education program applicable to public education. We also establish a systematic education system and provide sustainable SW·AI education to elementary, middle, and high school students through 'Job's Garage Camp' based on various sharing platforms. By creating a sustainable follow-up educational environment, students are encouraged to continue their self-directed learning of SW and AI. As a result of conducting a pre-post survey of students participating in the 'Job's Garage Camp', the post-survey values improved compared to the pre-survey values in all areas of 'interest', 'understanding and confidence', and 'career aspirations'. Based on these results, it can be confirmed that students had a universal positive perception and influence on SW and AI. Therefore, if the operation case of 'Job's Garage Camp' is improved and expanded, it can be presented as a standard model applicable to other SW and AI education programs in the future.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.89-106
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• 2016

The latest movement in live video streaming service is mobile personal broadcasting (MPB), which refers to consumers accessing the service through social media with mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet PCs. This service is possible through the advancements in mobile video technology and platforms. Features such as enhanced user interaction, personalization, and real-time broadcasting, combined with a greater variety of content, have led to the development of MPB. The increase in MPB users calls for research, including that on the hedonic motivational angle. This study aims to assess MPB users' intrinsic motives through the hedonic-motivation system adoption model (HMSAM) using seven factors: joy, temporal dissociation, escapism, focused immersion, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and intention to watch. Survey data collected from 154 samples were analyzed with statistical techniques, such as structural equation modeling. Results showed that time dissociation, escapism, and perceived ease of use have a positive relationship with heightened enjoyment. Joy significantly affects focused immersion and intention to watch. Escapism also had a statistically significant influence on focused immersion. This study contributes to the advancement of the MPB study under the HMSAM theoretical framework and offers practical suggestions to managers to enhance MPB content viewership.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.21-35
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• 2017

The advancement of IT and the "Fourth Industrial Revolution" blurred the boundary between industries. The importance of strategic cooperation between enterprises is emphasized. IT companies must consider their existing business areas and create new territories to drive changes in the industry. They must also secure their competitive edge and manage economic costs to enable them to compete with their global counterparts. By utilizing their resources effectively, these firms can create value through inter-firm cooperation. This study analyzes the collaborative network of global IT companies using social network analysis and examines the effect of this network on firm performance. Collaborative linkages and betweenness centrality, which represent the bridging position of a firm in a network, significantly affect firm performance. This result highlights the importance of the structural position of a firm in a cooperative network of IT companies. This study also characterizes clusters in a network of IT companies. Most of these clusters comprise a combination of IT companies in diverse IT industries. These clusters suggest that these companies engage in multilateral cooperation without boundaries to maximize their business capabilities. This study offers practical implications for establishing a cooperative strategy and framework that can capture business trends in the IT industry from a macroscopic view. This study also visualizes collaborative networks in a multifaceted way using social network analysis to provide researchers and business practitioners with an informative viewpoint.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.25.1-25.16
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• 2021

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease whose development is shaped by a variety of environmental and genetic factors. While several recent studies suggest that microbial dysbiosis in the gut may promote asthma, little is known about the relationship between the recently discovered lung microbiome and asthma. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have also been shown recently to participate in asthma. To investigate the relationship between the lung microbiome, ILCs, and asthma, we recruited 23 healthy controls (HC), 42 patients with non-severe asthma, and 32 patients with severe asthma. Flow cytometry analysis showed severe asthma associated with fewer natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR)⁺ILC3s in the lung. Similar changes in other ILC subsets, macrophages, and monocytes were not observed. The asthma patients did not differ from the HC in terms of the alpha and beta-diversity of the lung and gut microbiomes. However, lung function correlated positively with both NCR⁺ILC3 frequencies and microbial diversity in the lung. Sputum NCR⁺ILC3 frequencies correlated positively with lung microbiome diversity in the HC, but this relationship was inversed in severe asthma. Together, these data suggest that airway NCR⁺ILC3s may contribute to a healthy commensal diversity and normal lung function.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.26.1-26.28
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• 2021

Asthma exacerbations are a major cause of intractable morbidity, increases in health care costs, and a greater progressive loss of lung function. Asthma exacerbations are most commonly triggered by respiratory viral infections, particularly with human rhinovirus (hRV). Respiratory viral infections are believed to affect the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a limiting enzyme in tryptophan catabolism, which is presumed to alter asthmatic airway inflammation. Here, we explored the detailed role of IDO in the progression of asthma exacerbations using a mouse model for asthma exacerbation caused by hRV infection. Our results reveal that IDO is required to prevent neutrophilic inflammation in the course of asthma exacerbation caused by an hRV infection, as corroborated by markedly enhanced Th17- and Th1-type neutrophilia in the airways of IDO-deficient mice. This neutrophilia was closely associated with disrupted expression of tight junctions and enhanced expression of inflammasome-related molecules and mucin-inducing genes. In addition, IDO ablation enhanced allergen-specific Th17- and Th1-biased CD4⁺ T-cell responses following hRV infection. The role of IDO in attenuating Th17- and Th1-type neutrophilic airway inflammation became more apparent in chronic asthma exacerbations after repeated allergen exposures and hRV infections. Furthermore, IDO enzymatic induction in leukocytes derived from the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) lineage appeared to play a dominant role in attenuating Th17- and Th1-type neutrophilic inflammation in the airway following hRV infection. Therefore, IDO activity in HSC-derived leukocytes is required to regulate Th17- and Th1-type neutrophilic inflammation in the airway during asthma exacerbations caused by hRV infections.