• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.83-95
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• 2022

Purpose - With the recent spread of COVID-19, U.S. consumers' consumption pattern is changing towards purchasing large-capacity products, as they stay at home longer. Thus, the current research investigates the effects of box shape and component diversity for large-sized products on product evaluation in logistic business. Moreover, this research examines that information-processing fluency mediates the moderating effects of box shape and product components on target evaluations to confirm psychological mechanism for generating this effect. Design/methodology - In order to examine the hypotheses, the current research conducts two online experiments. The 184 participants (Study 1), and 205 participants (Study 2) of U.S. nationality were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. This research analyzes the data by using SPSS 25 and PROCESS macro 4.0. Findings - Study 1 demonstrates that when the height of a box is greater than its width, products with single components promote positive target evaluations, while when the width of box is greater than its height, products with a variety of components lead to positive target evaluations. Study 2 shows that the same results are replicated in other product categories and with different box shape ratios. Moreover, Study 2 also finds that the ease of information processing mediates the interaction effects of box shape and component diversity on U.S. consumers' target evaluations. Originality/value - The current research has originality in that it investigates the effect of box shape and product composition diversity on U.S. consumer product evaluation from the perspective of information-processing theory Moreover, this research has practical implications for global traders who prepare for entering the U.S. market.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.212-220
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• 2023

Objectives: This study compared the epidemiological and clinical manifestations of patients hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at a tertiary care hospital in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Methods: This retrospective observational study utilized data from all cases of laboratory-confirmed RSV infection at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital from January 2016 to December 2021. Differences in the clinical presentation of RSV infection before (2016 to 2019) and during (2020 to 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed and compared. Results: In total, 358 patients hospitalized with RSV infections were reported from January 2016 to December 2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only 74 cases of hospitalized RSV infection were reported. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the clinical presentations of RSV infection showed statistically significant decreases in fever on admission (p=0.004), productive cough (p=0.004), sputum (p=0.003), nausea (p=0.03), cyanosis (p=0.004), pallor (p<0.001), diarrhea (p<0.001), and chest pain (p<0.001). Furthermore, vigilant measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including lockdowns, also interrupted the RSV season in Thailand from 2020 to 2021. Conclusions: The incidence of RSV infection was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, which also changed the clinical presentation and seasonal pattern of RSV infection in children.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.75.2-76
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• 2021

MESSIER is a science satellite project to observe the Low Surface Brightness (LSB) sky at UV and optical wavelengths. The wide-field, optical system of MESSIER is optimized minimizing optical aberrations through the use of a Linear Astigmatism Free - Three Mirror System (LAF-TMS) combined with freeform mirrors. One of the key factors in observations of the LSB is the shape and spatial variability of the Point Spread Function (PSF) produced by scatterings and diffraction effects within the optical system and beyond (baffle). To assess the various factors affecting the PSF in this design, we use PhoSim, the Photon simulator, which is a fast photon Monte Carlo code designed to include all these effects, and also atmospheric effects (for ground-based telescopes) and phenomena occurring inside of the sensor. PhoSim provides very realistic simulations results and is suitable for simulations of very weak signals. Before the application to the MESSIER optics system, PhoSim had not been validated for confocal off-axis reflective optics (LAF-TMS). As a verification study for the LAF-TMS design, we apply Phosim sequentially. First, we use a single parabolic mirror system and compare the PSF results of the central field with the results from Zemax, CODE V, and the theoretical Airy pattern. We then test a confocal off-axis Cassegrain system and check PhoSim through cross-validation with CODE V. At the same time, we describe the shapes of the freeform mirrors with XY and Zernike polynomials. Finally, we will analyze the LAF-TMS design for the MESSIER optical system.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.21-29
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• 2023

This study investigates the transitional aspect of vowel harmony in Korean verbal conjugation. By observing the patterns of harmonic and disharmonic tokens of 42 verbal stems searched for in the National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL) Korean Dialogue Corpus 2020/2021, I found that disharmonic tokens appeared less than 0.1% of time, most of which consisted of an /a/-stem with a monosyllabic sentence-final suffix. It was noted that disharmonic pattern started to spread to other suffixes and possibly to /o/-stems. A simple perception test showed that the disharmonic forms might have originated from vowel reduction or undershoot. These results suggest that the ongoing change is accounted for from both the articulatory and perceptual perspectives.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2022

The importance of prevention of epidemics is increasing due to the serious spread of infectious diseases. For prevention of epidemics, we need to focus on the non-contact industry. Therefore, in this paper, a face recognition door lock that controls access through non-contact is designed and developed. First very simple features are combined to find objects and face recognition is performed using Haar-based cascade algorithm. Then the texture of the image is binarized to find features using LBPH. An non-contact door lock system which composed of Raspberry PI 3B+ board, an ultrasonic sensor, a camera module, a motor, etc. are suggested. To verify actual performance and ascertain the impact of light sources, various experiment were conducted. As experimental results, the maximum value of the recognition rate was about 85.7%.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2022.05a
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• pp.211-211
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• 2022

The marketization reform from the open-door policy in 1978 was not only booming export-oriented industries with foreign investment but also expanding the role of private actors in the Chinese water sector. Private Sector Participation (PSP) has become an important element in developing urban infrastructure by providing better services with advanced facilities. The rapid development of PSP-driven urban water infrastructure in China has a positive impacted on Chinese economic development, particularly in coastal areas. PPPs in some coastal areas have successfully spread out over China since China applied the first Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mode in the water sector in the early 1990s. The market-oriented water and wastewater, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism in the initial period of China has been transformed into a state-dominated PPP mechanism. The development pattern of the water and wastewater PPPs in China has been divided in four stages: the first period from 1984 to 2002, the second period from 2003 to 2008, the third period from 2009 to 2014, and the last period after 2015. The study aims to investigate the successful process of water and wastewater PPPs in local areas through five socioeconomic elements: export-oriented economic strategy, urbanization, cheap land policy, infrastructure investment, and water issues and climate change. In addition, the study focuses on analyzing the extent to which the Chinese government re-asserted its control over the PPP mechanism by classifying five elements in three different development Phases from early 2000 to 2020. The Jiangsu Province in the estern coastal area has actively invited PPP projects in the water and wastewater sectors. The successful introduction and rapid growth of PPPs in the urban water infrastructure has made the province an attractive area for a foreign investor.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2019

Objective: This study evaluated the feasibility of ultrasound-guided lumbar nerve root block (LNRB) and S1 nerve root block by identifying spread patterns via fluoroscopy in cadavers. Method: A total of 48 ultrasound-guided injections were performed in 4 fresh cadavers from L1 to S1 roots. The target point of LNRB was the midpoint between the lower border of the transverse process and the facet joint at each level. The target point of S1 nerve root block was the S1 foramen, which can be visualized between the median sacral crest and the posterior superior iliac spine, below the L5-S1 facet joint. The injection was performed via an in-plane approach under real-time axial view ultrasound guidance. Fluoroscopic validation was performed after the injection of 2 cc of contrast agent. Results: The needle placements were correct in all injections. Fluoroscopy confirmed an intra-foraminal contrast spreading pattern following 41 of the 48 injections (85.4%). The other 7 injections (14.6%) yielded typical neurograms, but also resulted in extra-foraminal patterns that occurred evenly in each nerve root, including S1. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided injection may be an option for the delivery of injectate into the S1 nerve root, as well as lumbar nerve root area.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.269-278
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• 2023

Antibiotics either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. However, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat with antibiotics. Infections caused by such bacteria often lead to severe diseases. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) can be horizontally transmitted across different bacterial species, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of how ARGs spread across various environments. In this study, we analyzed the plasmid sequences of 33 extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli isolated from pigs, farms, and their owners. We conducted an antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) with aztreonam and seven other antibiotics, as well as whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the strains using MinION. Our results demonstrated that the plasmids that did not harbor ARGs were mostly non-conjugative, whereas the plasmids that harbored ARGs were conjugative. The arrangement of these ARGs exhibited a pattern of organization featuring a series of ARG cassettes, some of which were identical across the isolates collected from different sources. Therefore, this study suggests that the sets of ARG cassettes on plasmids were mostly shared between pigs and their owners. Hence, enhanced surveillance of ARG should be implemented in farm environments to proactively mitigate the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.723-734
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• 2023

Erwinia pyrifoliae, which causes black shoot blight in apple and pear trees, was first identified in Korea in 1995. Extensive measures are typically used to control the disease by eradicating trees in diagnosed orchards, owing to the detrimental impact of the disease on apple and pear production. However, despite governmental efforts, the disease has continuously spread. In this study, we analyzed the current status of the black shoot blight occurrence in apple and pear orchards between 1995 to 2022. Our findings reveal that over the past 28 years, black shoot blight has occurred in 26 cities and districts across five Korean provinces. The affected regions are predominantly concentrated in the northern part of Korea, including the Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces. Furthermore, black shoot blight has gradually expanded to the northern provincial regions of Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Gyeongbuk, which are centrally situated in Korea. Furthermore, the occurrence pattern of black shoot blight differed between apple and pear orchards; in apple orchards, black shoot blight occurred consistently each year, with a sudden increase in cases in 2020; however, in pear orchards, it has considerably decreased since 2007. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive report on the occurrence of black shoot blight in apple and pear trees in 28 years, and the results will provide valuable insights for future disease management strategies.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.268-279
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• 2023

The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh produces a diverse range of antibiotics for human and animal use, however, waste disposal management is inadequate. This results in substantial quantities of antibiotics being discharged into water bodies, which provide suitable environment for the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, capable of spreading resistance genes. This study intended for exploring the bacterial antibiotic resistance profile in adjoining aquatic environmental sources of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh. Seven surface water samples were collected from the vicinity of two pharmaceutical industries located in the Savar area and 51 Escherichia coli isolates were identified using both phenotypic and genotypic methods. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed the highest percentage of resistance against ampicillin, azithromycin, and nalidixic acid (100%) and the lowest resistance against meropenem (1.96%) out of sixteen different antibiotics tested. 100% of the study E. coli isolates were observed with Multidrug resistance phenotypes, with the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) value ranging from 0.6-1.0. Furthermore, 69% of the isolates were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) positive as per the Double Disk Diffusion Synergy Test (DDST). ESBL resistance genes bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M-13, bla_CTX-M-15, and bla_SHV were detected in 70.6% (n = 36), 60.8% (n = 32), 54.9% (n = 28), and 1.96% (n = 1) of the isolates, respectively, by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Additionally, 15.68% (n = 8) of the isolates were positive for E. coli specific virulence genes in PCR. These findings suggest that pharmaceutical wastewater, if not properly treated, could be a formidable source of antibiotic resistance spread in the surrounding aquatic environment. Therefore, continued surveillance for drug resistance among bacterial populations around drug manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh is necessary, along with proper waste disposal management.