• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.33-41
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• 2004

Purpose : Film has been the primary tool in coincidence testing between the light field and the radiation field, which constitutes the quality assurance list of a linear accelerator. But there is a great chance of errors being different among the observer when using film. Thus this study set out to use the BIS(Beam Image System) in addition to film in comparing and evaluating coincidence results between the two fields and in searching for the improvement measures. Materials & Methods : Photon beam of 6 and 15MV was exposed to film and the BIS using a linear accelerator. The light and radiation fields were each $50{\times}50,\;100{\times}100,\;and\;200{\times}200mm^2$. The gantry angle was $0^{\circ}$ when using film and $0^{\circ}\;and\;270^{\circ}$ when using the BIS. The devices adopted to test coincidence between the two fields were a ruler and film scanner when using film. With the BIS, the width of the scanned light and radiation fields was measured for errors with setting the X and Y axis. Results : The visual measurements of the observer with film resulted that the radiation field was bigger than the light field and that their maximum error was 1.9mm. The results were the same with the measurements using the film scanner except for the average error, which was less than 1.9mm. On the contrary, the measurements using the BIS showed that the light field was bigger than the radiation field at the gantry angle of $0^{\circ}\;and\;270^{\circ}$. The maximum error was 0.96mm, and the error range was $<{\pm}2mm$ both in the X and Y axis. The average error of ${\Delta}X$, Y was the smallest in the order of the visual film measurements, film scanner measurements, and BIS measurements Conclusion . This requires a careful measurement for accurate quality assurance since errors are much different according to each observer that tests coincidence between visual fields with film. And an observer needs to use another image device or develop a measuring device of his own if it seems necessary for accurate measurements.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.43-62
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• 2010

The notion of customer orientation is now importantly considered in the context of banking industries. Despite customer-oriented organizational cultures, there are few studies addressing the relationship between customer orientation and its outcomes. In particular, this study aims at testing the effect of customer orientation as a key marketing effort designed by a bank. This is because interest rate sensitivity is critical for evaluating banking services after raising the base rate. In so doing, first, this study investigates the relationships among customer orientation, interest rate sensitivity, and customer loyalty. Second, this paper examines how the moderating effects of both deposit interest and loan interest rates influence the linkages of customer orientation-interest rate sensitivity and customer orientation-customer loyalty. To test the proposed model, research data are collected from 304 subjects who use banking services(e.g., Shin-Han, Kookmin, the First Bank, Hana, and Woori banks). Each construct was measured by published items and the psychometric properties of the three constructs, excluding two constructs of the moderators, were evaluated by employing the method of confirmatory factor analysis via the use of AMOS. The model fit was also evaluated using the CFI, TLI, and RMSEA fit indices that are recommended based on their relative stability and insensitivity to sample size. The findings show that the relationship between customer orientation and customer loyalty is significant, whereas the relationships between customer orientation and interest rate sensitivity and between interest rate sensitivity and customer loyalty are not supported. Although customer orientation is highly evaluated, customers' interest rate sensitivity that results in the comparison of interest rates plays an important role in reducing the effect of customer orientation. As a consequence, interest rate sensitivity does not influence customer loyalty. First of all, one of interesting results in this study is that the moderating effect of loan interest rate is quite different from deposit interest rate. In the case of deposit interest rate, the linkages both customer orientation-interest rate sensitivity and customer orientation-customer loyalty are insignificant. In the case of loan interest rate, however, the two proposed linkages are supported. As our proposed relationships are still in its infancy in the context of banking industry, our study contributes to enhance scholars' knowledge of bank services and provides insights for practitioners when their marketing strategies, particularly both deposit and interest rates, have to be established. Finally, this research also illuminates the need for further research that considers the influence of customer orientation on consumer's decision-making and bank profits. More specifically, the results are encouraging and will lead us to further investigate this key outcome of the banking deposit/interest rates.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.5
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• pp.1196-1206
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• 2021

Purpose To construct a standard dataset of contrast-enhanced CT images of liver tumors to test the performance and safety of artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms for clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). Materials and Methods A consensus group of medical experts in gastrointestinal radiology from four national tertiary institutions discussed the conditions to be included in a standard dataset. Seventy-five cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 75 cases of metastasis, and 30-50 cases of benign lesions were retrieved from each institution, and the final dataset consisted of 300 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 300 cases of metastasis, and 183 cases of benign lesions. Only pathologically confirmed cases of hepatocellular carcinomas and metastases were enrolled. The medical experts retrieved the medical records of the patients and manually labeled the CT images. The CT images were saved as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files. Results The medical experts in gastrointestinal radiology constructed the standard dataset of contrast-enhanced CT images for 783 cases of liver tumors. The performance and safety of the AI algorithm can be evaluated by calculating the sensitivity and specificity for detecting and characterizing the lesions. Conclusion The constructed standard dataset can be utilized for evaluating the machine-learning-based AI algorithm for CDSS.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.205-217
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• 2024

This study evaluated the physical characteristics and quality of volcanic rocks distributed in the Jeju Island-Ulleung Island area as aggregate resources. The main rocks in the Jeju Island area include conglomerate, volcanic rock, and volcanic rock. Conglomerate is composed of yellow-red or gray heterogeneous sedimentary rock, conglomerate, and encapsulated conglomerate in a state between lavas. Volcanic rocks are classified according to their chemical composition into basalt, trachybasalt, basaltic trachytic andesite, trachytic andesite, and trachyte. By stratigraphy, from bottom to top, Seogwipo Formation, trachyte andesite, trachybasalt (I), basalt (I), trachybasalt (II), basalt (II), trachybasalt (III, IV), trachyte, trachybasalt (V, VI), basalt (III), and trachybasalt (VII, VIII). The bedrock of the Ulleung Island is composed of basalt, trachyte, trachytic basalt, and trachytic andesite, and some phonolite and tuffaceous clastic volcanic sedimentary rock. Aggregate quality evaluation factors of these rocks included soundness, resistance to abrasion, absorption rate, absolute dry density and alkali aggregate reactivity. Most volcanic rock quality results in the study area were found to satisfy aggregate quality standards, and differences in physical properties and quality were observed depending on the area. Resistance to abrasion and absolute dry density have similar distribution ranges, but Ulleung Island showed better soundness and Jeju Island showed better absorption rate. Overall, Jeju Island showed better quality as aggregate. In addition, the alkaline aggregate reactivity test results showed that harmless aggregates existed in both area, but Ulleungdo volcanic rock was found to be more advantageous than Jeju Island volcanic rock. Aggregate quality testing is typically performed simply for each gravel, but even similar rocks can vary depending on their geological origin and mineral composition. Therefore, when evaluating and analyzing aggregate resources, it will be possible to use them more efficiently if the petrological-mineralological research is performed together.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2024

Numerous methods have been applied to assess the antibacterial effectiveness of hand hygiene products. However, the different results obtained through various evaluation methods have complicated our understanding of the real efficacy of the products. Few studies have compared test methods for assessing the efficacy of hand hygiene products. In particular, reports on ex vivo pig skin testing are limited. This study aimed to compare and characterize the methodologies applied for evaluating hand hygiene products, involving in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo approaches, applicable to both leave-on sanitizers and wash-off products. Our further aim was to enhance the reliability of ex vivo test protocols by identifying influential factors. We performed an in vitro method (EN1276) and an in vivo test (EN1499 and ASTM2755) with at least 20 participants, against Serratia marcescens or Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. For the ex vivo experiment, we used pig skin squares prepared in the same way as those used in the in vivo test method and determined the optimal treated sample volumes for sanitizers and the amount of water required to wash off the product. The hand sanitizers showed at least a 5-log reduction in bacterial load in the in vitro test, while they showed little antibacterial activity in the in vivo and ex vivo tests, particularly those with a low alcohol content. For the hand wash products, the in vitro test was limited because of bubble formation or the high viscosity of the products and it showed low antibacterial activity of less than a 1-log reduction against E. coli. In contrast, significantly higher log reductions were observed in ex vivo and in vivo tests, consistently demonstrating these results across the two methods. Our findings revealed that the ex vivo and in vivo tests reflect the two different antibacterial mechanisms of leave-on and wash-off products. Our proposed optimized ex vivo test was more rapid and more precise than the in vitro test to evaluate antibacterial results.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.207-224
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• 2006

It has been widely known that the seismic piezo-cone penetration test (SCPTu) is one of the most useful techniques for investigating the geotechnical characteristics such as static and dynamic soil properties. As practical applications in Korea, SCPTu was carried out at two sites in Busan and four sites in Incheon, which are mainly composed of alluvial or marine soil deposits. From the SCPTu waveform data obtained from the testing sites, the first arrival times of shear waves and the corresponding time differences with depth were determined using the cross-over method, and the shear wave velocity $(V_S)$ profiles with depth were derived based on the refracted ray path method based on Snell's law. Comparing the determined $V_S$ profile with the cone tip resistance $(q_t)$ profile, both trends of profiles with depth were similar. For the application of the conventional CPTu to earthquake engineering practices, the correlations between $V_S$ and CPTu data were deduced based on the SCPTu results. For the empirical evaluation of $V_S$ for all soils together with clays and sands which are classified unambiguously in this study by the soil behavior type classification index $(I_C)$, the authors suggested the $V_S-CPTu$ data correlations expressed as a function of four parameters, $q_t,\;f_s,\;\sigma'_{v0}$ and $B_q$, determined by multiple statistical regression modeling. Despite the incompatible strain levels of the downhole seismic test during SCPTu and the conventional CPTu, it is shown that the $V_S-CPTu$ data correlations for all soils, clays and sands suggested in this study is applicable to the preliminary estimation of $V_S$ for the soil deposits at a part in Korea and is more reliable than the previous correlations proposed by other researchers.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.405-411
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• 2007

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical applicability of the repeatability criteria recommended by the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) spirometry guidelines and to determine which factors affect the repeatability of spirometry in Korean adults. Methods: We reviewed the spirometry data of 4,663 Korean adults from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Cohort (COPD cohort) and the Community-based Cohort Study VI-Fishing village/Islands (community cohort). We measured the anthropometric factors and differences between the highest and second-highest FVC (dFVC) and $FEV_1$ ($dFEV_1$) from prebronchodilator spirometry. Analyses included the distribution of dFVC and $dFEV_1$, comparison of the values meeting the 1994 ATS repeatability criteria with the values meeting the 2005 ATS/ERS repeatability criteria, and the performance of linear regression for evaluating the influence of subject characteristics and the change of criteria on the spiro-metric variability. Results: About 95% of subjects were able to reproduce FVC and $FEV_1$ within 150 ml. The KNHANES based on the 1994 ATS guidelines showed poorer repeatability than the COPD cohort and community cohort based on the 2005 ATS/ERS guidelines. Demographic and anthropometric factors had little effect on repeatability, explaining only 0.5 to 3%. Conclusion: We conclude that the new spirometry repeatability criteria recommended by the 2005 ATS/ERS guidelines is also applicable to Korean adults. The repeatability of spirometry depends little on individual characteristics when an experienced technician performs testing. Therefore, we suggest that sustained efforts for public awareness of new repeatability criteria, quality control of spirograms, and education of personnel are needed for reliable spirometric results.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.158-167
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• 2016

The requirements for medical laboratories ISO 15189 is examined in organization and a quality management system, stressing the importance of evidence, document control, and control of records and clinical material. Medical services are provided from the areas of resource management, and pre-examination, examination and post-examination processes. The main goal of ISO 15189 accreditation is to improve the quality of laboratory services provided for patients and clinical users not only through compliance with consensually developed and harmonized requirements but also by adopting the philosophy of continual improvement using the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. Laboratory quality should be evaluated and improved in all steps of the testing process as the state-of-the art indicates that the pre- and post-analytical phases are more vulnerable to errors than the intra-analytical phase. The Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS), a national accreditation body, provides medical laboratory accreditations for appropriate approaches to evaluating the competence of a medical laboratory in providing effective services to its customers and clinical users. Adoption of ISO 15189 in 2010s as a government policy has been delayed, and only 5 laboratories have been accredited to date in Korea. The medical laboratories should seek the adoption of ISO 15189 with a positive attitude for quality improvement and strengthening of international competitiveness.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.287-292
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• 2009

Human skin is constantly exposed to environmental irritants such as smoke, chemicals and ultraviolet (UV). Free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by these environmental irritants play critical roles in cellular damage. In this study, to investigate the skin cell protective effect of Ophioglossum vulgatum extract, we investigated its effects on intercellular antioxidative activity and UVA-induced MMP expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). The dried O. vulgatum was extracted in a mixture of ethanol and water (1 : 1) for 24 h at room temperature. The extract was filtered and concentrated in vacuo and lyophilized. For testing intracellular ROS scavenging activity the cultured HDFs were analyzed by increase in DCF fluorescence upon exposure to UVB $20\;mJ/cm^2$. After treatment of O. vulgatum extracts, intracellular ROS levels were measured by luminescence spectrophotometer. Enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA), and RT-PCR techniques were used for evaluating the effects of O. vulgatumon on MMP protein and mRNA expression in UVA irradiated HDFs. O. vulgatum extract was found to have ROS scavenging activity with the $IC_{50}$ values of $18.2\;{\mu}g/mL$ against superoxide radicals in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. After treatment of O. vulgatum extracts, the oxidation of CM-DCFDA was inhibited effectively and O. vulgatum extracts showed a potent free radical scavenging activity by 30.4 % at $100\;{\mu}g/mL$ in UVB-irradiated HDFs. UVA induced MMP protein expression was reduced 37.7 % by treatment with O. vulgatum extract, and MMP-1 mRNA expression was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that O. vulgatum extract prevents the skin cell damage induced by UV irradiation, and implies that O. vulgatum extract may be useful as a new ingredient for anti-aging cosmetics.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.120-129
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• 2023

To evaluate the vertical loads on railway bridges, conventional load tests are typically conducted. However, these tests often entail significant costs and procedural challenges. Railway conditions involve nearly identical load profiles due to standardized rail systems, which may appear straightforward in terms of load conditions. Nevertheless, this study aims to validate load tests conducted under operational train conditions by comparing the results with those obtained from conventional load tests. Additionally, static and dynamic structural behaviors are extracted from the measurement data for evaluation. To ensure the reliability of load testing, this research demonstrates feasibility through comparisons of existing measurement data with sensor attachment locations, train speeds, responses between different rail lines, tendency analysis, selection of impact coefficients, and analysis of natural frequencies. This study applies to the Dongho Railway Bridge and verifies the applicability of the proposed method. Ten operational trains and 44 sensors were deployed on the bridge to measure deformations and deflections during load test intervals, which were then compared with theoretical values. The analysis results indicate good symmetry and overlap of loads, as well as a favorable comparison between static and dynamic load test results. The maximum measured impact coefficient (0.092) was found to be lower than the theoretical impact coefficient (0.327), and the impact influence from live loads was deemed acceptable. The measured natural frequencies approximated the theoretical values, with an average of 2.393Hz compared to the calculated value of 2.415Hz. Based on these results, this paper demonstrates that for evaluating vertical loads, it is possible to measure deformations and deflections of truss railway bridges through load tests under operational train conditions without traffic control, enabling the calculation of response factors for stress adjustments.