• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 2024

Purpose: Tetracycline is not recommended for children under 12 by guideline due to the risk of tooth discoloration. We aimed to assess the incidence of dental discoloration in Korean children prescribed tetracyclines and investigate whether its risk was greater in tetracycline-exposed children than in the general population. Methods: This population-based cohort study using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment service database included children aged 0-12 years exposed to tetracyclines for at least 1 day between January 2008 and December 2020. The primary outcome was the incidence rate of dental discoloration ≥6 months after prescription, and the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was evaluated as secondary outcome. Results: 56,990 children were included-1,735 and 55,255 aged <8 and 8-12 years, respectively. 61% children were prescribed tetracycline for <14 days with mostly second-generation tetracyclines, doxycycline (61%) and minocycline (35%). The 5- and 10-year cumulative incidence rates of dental discoloration were 4.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0-5.7%) and 5.7% (95% CI, 4.1% to 7.8%), respectively, in the 0-7 years age group and 0.8% (95% CI, 0.7% to 0.9%) and 1.3 (95% CI, 1.1% to 1.4%), respectively, in the 8-12 years age group. Tetracycline exposure did not increase such risk compared to that in the general population (SIR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.60). Conclusions: The incidence of dental discoloration was lower than previously suggested. Relieving the age restriction for prescribing tetracyclines may be considered.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.211-221
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• 2024

Background: The public health crisis caused by coronavirus disease 2019 emphasizes the need to expand and strengthen public hospitals. However, the overall perception of public hospitals remains negative. This negative perception can hinder the roles and functions of public hospitals, so this study aims to analyze the factors affecting negative perceptions of public hospitals. Methods: We used data from a survey on the public healthcare of Chungcheongbuk-do residents conducted by the Chungcheongbuk-do Public Health Policy Institute, and 1,916 adults aged 19 or older who responded to the survey were included in the study. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the impact of experiences with public hospitals use and evaluations of public healthcare and public hospital policies on the negative perception of public hospitals. Results: The experience of not using public hospitals (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-2.74) and negative evaluations of public healthcare and public hospital policies were found to significantly impact negative perceptions of public hospitals. In public healthcare policies, negative evaluations of the provision of essential medical care (aOR, 4.14; 95% CI, 2.59-6.62), regional disparities (aOR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.02-2.49), coverage (aOR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.25-3.16), and quality of care (aOR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.50-3.80) were significantly associated with negative perceptions of public hospitals. In public hospital policies, negative evaluations of facilities and equipment (aOR, 3.74, 95% CI, 2.36-5.94), medical specialties and services (aOR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.21-3.01), and quality of medical service (aOR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.72-4.25) were also significantly associated with negative perceptions of public hospitals. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need to improve perceptions of public hospitals by considering the experience with public hospitals use and evaluation of public healthcare and public hospital policies.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.78-95
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• 2024

For the establishment and comparison of environmental plans across various domains, considering climate change and urban issues, it is crucial to build spatial data at the regional scale classified with consistent criteria. This study mapping the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) of Changwon City, where active climate and environmental research is being conducted, using the protocol suggested by the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT). Additionally, to address the fragmentation issue where some grids are classified with different climate characteristics despite being in regions with homogeneous climate traits, a filtering technique was applied, and the LCZ classification characteristics were compared according to the filtering radius. Using satellite images, ground reference data, and the supervised classification machine learning technique Random Forest, classification maps without filtering and with filtering radii of 1, 2, and 3 were produced, and their accuracies were compared. Furthermore, to compare the LCZ classification characteristics according to building types in urban areas, an urban form index used in GIS-based classification methodology was created and compared with the ranges suggested in previous studies. As a result, the overall accuracy was highest when the filtering radius was 1. When comparing the urban form index, the differences between LCZ types were minimal, and most satisfied the ranges of previous studies. However, the study identified a limitation in reflecting the height information of buildings, and it is believed that adding data to complement this would yield results with higher accuracy. The findings of this study can be used as reference material for creating fundamental spatial data for environmental research related to urban climates in South Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.185-195
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• 2024

Background: Disabled people have particularly restricted access to health care. In response to this, the pilot project for the general physician (GP) system for disabled people was implemented in 2018, based on the rights of people with disability to the Health Act in South Korea. However, its participants were 0.2% among the total of those with severe disabilities in 2021. Therefore, this study examined the factors related to registering with a GP and the access level to its services to suggest implications for activating the participation of disabled people. Methods: We analyzed factors affecting the registration with a GP and the number of using the services among the participants of the GP system during May 2018 and December 2021 by conducting hierarchical logistic regression and hierarchical regression. The data were linked with the national health insurance data to examine various predictors, including disability types, socioeconomic status, health status, and GP registration. Results: As a result of analyzing the factors affecting whether or not to register for the pilot project, those with disabilities (physical disabilities, brain lesions, visual, intellectual, mental, and autistic disability) eligible for disability care (odds ratio [OR], 4.157) than other disability, and those living in metropolitan (OR, 4.330) or cities (OR, 3.332) than rural residences were highly likely to enroll the pilot study. Health-related variables also predicted the registration status of the pilot project. The predictors related to GP enrollment types (membership type: general health or disability care, GP's affiliation: clinics or hospitals) significantly influenced levels of access to services. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop the GP project for disabled people by considering the variation in types of disability, residences, and health. Further study will be needed to investigate the impact of GPs on the level of participation among disabled people.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.80-100
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• 2024

This paper investigated the major history and reality of iconological composition for Jagyeongjeon Hall's flowered wall in Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was controversial in terms of preservation and management of cultural heritage. While analyzing the moment and cause of the flowered wall's renovation as it is now, modified or disappeared patterns were identified, and meaningfully misinterpreted congratulatory phrases were reviewed. The research results can be used as meaningful basic data when discussions are made for the restoration of the wall in the future. Jagyeongjeon Hall's flowered wall has reached the present day with large and small changes, but the inflection point that had a significant impact was the Joseon Expo (朝鮮博覽會) held at Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1929. This is because the wall that remained in the Jagyeongjeon Hall area was demolished to build an exhibition hall while preparing for the expo, and it was restored after the end of the event. It is highly likely that the modification or disappearance of the patterns constituting Jagyeongjeon Hall's flowered wall was also due to the restoration process carried out after the expo. There is a view that was transformed into its current state in the process of repair work carried out after the Korean War, but it is difficult to find any meaningful circumstances and evidence. Currently, character patterns known as 'Seongnidori(聖人道理)' are arranged on the inner wall of the section from Gyeongdomun Gate(擎桃門) to Yeogangmun Gate(如岡門), but considering the design form and example, it can be read as 'Seongjasinson(聖子神孫)'. The inner wall of the section from Yeogangmun Gate to Yeonsumun Gate(燕壽門) was originally made in the form of a flowered wall, and the phrases presumed to be 'Gyegyeseungseung(繼繼繩繩)' and 'Cheonse(千世)' were arranged. In the case of the section from Yeonsumun Gate to Hamgyumun Gate(含奎門), the inner wall where the pattern has disappeared is originally composed of geometric and character patterns, and there were also phrases specified as 'Cheonsu(千壽)' and 'Mansemansu(萬世萬壽)'. On the outer wall of the section from Yeonsumun Gate to Hamgyumun Gate, there is a possibility that the phrase known as 'Nakgangmanse(樂彊萬歲)' can be read as 'Cheonsemanse(千歲萬歲)'. In addition, the current outer wall was composed of one drawing board, but in the past, two drawing boards were composed separately.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.168-177
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• 2008

Trafficablility of a miner and potential environmental impacts due to mining activities should be considered in the selection of a commercial manganese nodule mining site. These two factors can be evaluated comparatively with physical properties and shear strength of sea-bed sediments. For the qualitative comparison of potential minig sites in terms of these two factors, physical properties such as water contents, void ratios, porosities, and grain densities, and shear strengths of surface sediments were determined for the three potential manganese nodule mining sites(KR1, KR2, and KR5) in the Korean manganese nodule contract area, northeast Pacific. For the study, sediment samples were collected from 107 stations from 2004 to 2006. The physical properties of surface sediments showed more significant differences between northern(KR1, KR2) and southern(KR5) blocks than between northern blocks(KR1 vs. KR2). Water content, void ratio, and porosity of sediments from KR5 were relatively higher than those from KR1 and KR2. Grain density of sediments from KR5 was relatively lower than those from KR1 and KR2. Shear strengths of the top 10cm sediments were higher in KR1 and KR2, whereas those of the deeper part were highest in KR5 block. Generally, sediments of high water contents are less suspendible than those of the low water contents by benthic disturbances, thus less disturbance is expected in the sediments of high water content by mining activities. In terms of trafficability, the shear strength of sediment below 10 cm deep is more important than shallower part because miner will disturb at least top 10 cm interval of the surface sediments. Base on these results, we conclude that KR5 area will be the best site for commercial mining among three investigated sites in this study.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.339-350
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• 2024

Purpose: This study analyzes accessibility of 10 hydrogen charging stations in Seoul and identifies areas that were difficult to access. The purpose is to re-analyze accessibility by adding a new location in terms of equity and safety of location placement, and then draw implications by comparing the improvement effects. Method: By applying the location-allocation model and the service area model based on network analysis of the ArcGIS program, areas with weak access were identified. The location selection method applied the 'Minimize Facilities' method in consideration of the need for rapid arrival to insufficient hydrogen charging stations. The limit distance for arrival within a specific time was analyzed by applying the average vehicle traffic speed(23.1km/h, Seoul Open Data Square) in 2022 to three categories: 3,850m(10minutes), 5,775m(15minutes), 7,700m(20minutes). In order to minimize conflicts over the installation of hydrogen charging stations, special standards of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy applied to derive candidate sites for additional installation of hydrogen charging stations among existing gas stations and LPG/CNG charging stations. Result: As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that accessibility was significantly improved by installing 5 new hydrogen charging stations at relatively safe gas stations and LPG/CNG charging stations in areas where access to the existing 10 hydrogen charging stations is weak within 20 minutes. Nevertheless, it was found that there are still areas where access remains difficult. Conclusion: The location allocation model is used to identify areas where access to hydrogen charging stations is difficult and prioritize installation, decision-making to select locations for hydrogen charging stations based on scientific evidence can be supported.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.251-261
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• 2007

The wind-wave interaction around the Kyung-gi Bay, Korea, was studied using the observed data from ocean buoy at DeuckJeuck-Do from Jan. to Dec., 2005, and from waverider data at KeuckYeulBee-Do on Mar. 19-26 and May 23-28, 2005. Wind-driven surface waves and wave-driven wind speed decrease were estimated from the ocean buoy data, and the characteristics of wave spectrum response were also investigated from the waverider data for the wave developing and calm stages of sea surface, including the time series of spectrum pattern change, frequency trend of the maximum energy level and spectrum slope for the equilibrium state range. The wind speed difference between before and after considering the wave effect was about $2ms^{-1}$ (wind stress ${\sim}0.1Nm^{-2}$) for the wind speed range $5-10ms^{-1}$ and about $3ms^{-1}$ (wind stress ${\sim}0.4Nm^{-2}$) for the wind speed range $10-15ms^{-1}$. Correlation coefficient between wind and wave height was increased from 0.71 to 0.75 after the wave effect considered on the observed wind speed. When surface waves were generated by wind, the initial waves were short waves about 4-5 sec in period and become in gradual longer period waves about 9-10 sec. For the developed wave, the frequency of maximum energy was showed a constant value taking 6-7 hours to reach at the state. The spectrum slope for the equilibrium state range varied with an amplitude in the initial stage of wave developing, however it finally became a constant value 4.11. Linear correlation between the frictional velocity and wave spectrum for each frequency showed a trend of higher correlation coefficient at the frequency of the maximum energy level. In average, the correlation coefficients were 0.80 and 0.82 for the frequencies 0.30 Hz and 0.35 Hz, respectively.

• Clean Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.134-144
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• 2024

In this study, the mechanical stability of red mud was improved for its commercial use as a catalyst to effectively decompose HFC-134a, one of the seven major greenhouse gases. Red mud is an industrial waste discharged from aluminum production, but it can be used for the decomposition of HFC-134a. Red mud can be manufactured into a catalyst via the crushing-preparative-compression molding-firing process, and it is possible to improve the catalyst performance and secure mechanical stability through calcination. In order to determine the optimal heat treatment conditions, pellet-shaped compressed red mud samples were calcined at 300, 600, 800 ℃ using a muffle furnace for 5 hours. The mechanical stability was confirmed by the weight loss rate before and after ultra-sonication after the catalyst was immersed in distilled water. The catalyst calcined at 800 ℃ (RM 800) was found to have the best mechanical stability as well as the most catalytic activity. The catalyst performance and durability tests that were performed for 100 hours using the RM 800 catalyst showed thatmore than 99% of 1 mol% HFC-134a was degraded at 650 ℃, and no degradation in catalytic activity was observed. XRD analysis showed tri-calcium aluminate and gehlenite crystalline phases, which enhance mechanical strength and catalytic activity due to the interaction of Ca, Si, and Al after heat treatment at 800 ℃. SEM/EDS analysis of the durability tested catalysts showed no losses in active substances or shape changes due to HFC-134a abasement. Through this research, it is expected that red mud can be commercialized as a catalyst for waste refrigerant treatment due to its high economic feasibility, high decomposition efficiency and mechanical stability.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.48-68
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• 2024

Due to the global pandemic aftermath of the coronavirus, the importance of health care is being emphasized more socially. Due to the influence of these changes, domestic pharmaceutical companies have introduced regular drug delivery services, that is, drug and health functional food subscription services. Currently, this market is continuously growing. However, these regular services are causing new environmental problems in which the number of waste drugs increases due to the presence of unused drugs. Therefore, this study proposes a service that not only promotes health management through regular medication adherence to reduce the amount of pharmaceutical waste but also aims to improve awareness and practices regarding proper medication disposal. As a preliminary survey for service design, a preliminary survey was conducted on 51 adults to confirm their perception of drug use habits and waste drug collection. Based on the Honey Comb model, a guideline for service design was created, and a prototype was produced by specifying the service using the preliminary survey results and service design methodology. In order to verify the effectiveness of the prototype, a first user task survey was conducted to identify the problems of the prototype, and after improving this, a second usability test was conducted on 49 adults to confirm the versatility of the service. Usability verification was conducted using SPSS Mac version 29.0. For the evaluation results of the questionnaire, Spearmann Correlation Analysis was conducted to confirm the relationship between frequency analysis and evaluation items. This study presents specific solutions to the problem of waste drugs due to the spread of drug subscription services.