• KIPS Transactions on Computer and Communication Systems
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2023

Respiratory infections such as COVID-19 mainly occur within enclosed spaces. The presence or absence of abnormal symptoms of respiratory infectious diseases is judged through initial symptoms such as fever, cough, sneezing and difficulty breathing, and constant monitoring of these early symptoms is required. In this paper, image matching correction was performed for the RGB camera module and the thermal imaging camera module, and the temperature of the thermal imaging camera module for the measurement environment was calibrated using a blackbody. To detection the target recommended by the standard, a deep learning-based object recognition algorithm and the inner canthus recognition model were developed, and the model accuracy was derived by applying a dataset of 100 experimenters. Also, the error according to the measured distance was corrected through the object distance measurement using the Lidar module and the linear regression correction module. To measure the performance of the proposed model, an experimental environment consisting of a motor stage, an infrared thermography temperature screening system and a blackbody was established, and the error accuracy within 0.28℃ was shown as a result of temperature measurement according to a variable distance between 1m and 3.5 m.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.130-137
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• 2022

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, appropriate management of sequelae and treatment of infectious symptoms became increasingly important healthcare issues. Although the practice guidelines and treatment cases based on the East Asian traditional medicine have been reported, there are rare studies on the use of Korean medicine in Korea. Therefore, this study aimed to present the progress of non-contact Korean medical treatment for infected patients at a local public health center using retrospective chart review. A total of 18 patients were prescribed with 5 days of herbal decoction and medicine extract covered by the national health insurance. With the questionnaire form, the progression and improvement of symptoms before and after treatment were evaluated using the numerical rating scale (NRS), and the treatment satisfaction and opinions were obtained. The symptoms such as cough (5.56±2.23 to 2.89±2.14), sputum (6.11±1,75 to 3.28±2.47), sore throat (6.06±2.70 to 1.47±1.62), anorexia (5.56±2.63 to 1.94±2.21), nausea (3.75±1.71 to 1.17±1.11), diarrhea (3.40±2.63 to 1.50±1.51), chest tightness (4.93±2.46 to 2.29±2.30) and fatigue (6.44±1.79 to 2.67±1.88) all improved according to the NRS, and the satisfaction with herbal medicine treatment on a 5-point Likert scale was 4.24±0.90. No side effects and adverse reactions were reported. Thereupon non-contact Korean medical treatment can be concluded that it effectively reduces the COVID-19 infection mild symptoms in restrictive extent. Since the retrospective data does not include a control group, the more confirmative data is needed by multicenter and large-scale controlled clinical study afterwards.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.51-59
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• 2022

In this work, virion concentration and its dose changes by HVAC and air cleaners were estimated in a subway station platform to control airborne infection of SARS-CoV-2. Collection efficiencies with particle size were measured for the air filter equipped in a HVAC in one subway station in Daejeon. Indoor PM_2.5 changes according to outdoor PM_2.5 with time were also measured to estimate air infiltration rate in the subway station platform. When infected persons generate virions by 10⁴, 10⁵, 10⁶, 3 × 10⁶ and 5 × 10⁶ h^-1 in a 2,400 m³ volume platform, the concentration and dose were estimated as 9, 92, 275 and 458 virions/m³ and 4, 43, 130 and 217 virions after 1 hour exposure, respectively. The concentration and dose were reduced by 70%, and 64%, respectively by operations of both HVAC (with a flow rate of 16,000 m³/h, MERV 11) and ten air cleaners(with total CADR 10,740 m³/h) compared to those without operation of both HVAC and air cleaners. However, virion dose in the platform was estimated to be too low at the general conditions due to a large space, a high air infiltration (3 h^-1) and a short residence time (usually < 10 mins) in the platform irrespective of the operations of HVAC or air cleaners. HVAC with filters and air cleaners would be more necessary in the concourse or shopping areas in the subway stations to reduce the infection dose from a few hundred to several tens virions in a hour.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.91-104
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• 2022

Objectives: This study was performed to review the impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection during pregnancy and the applicability of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. Methods: We searched 6 data bases on August, 2022 and articles about the impact of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy, TCM treatment of COVID-19 infection, TCM treatment of pregnancy common cold (姙娠 感冒) or cough (姙娠 咳嗽) were reviewed. Results: COVID-19 infection can bring out negative effects both on pregnant women and fetus. In the case of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy, the symptoms and treatment are similar to those of general COVID-19 infection, but the safety of drug intervention has not been completely verified. Herbal medicine treatment can be applied according to the severity, stage and TCM syndrome types of COVID-19 infection, but the prohibited herbs list during pregnancy and its dosage should be checked carefully. Also, when it comes to pregnancy disease, the effect of "Stabilizing Fetus" should be considered in the perspective of TCM treatment strategy. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Scutellariae Radix have been widely used on COVID-19 infection and the safety of them during pregnancy have been verified. In the case of acupuncture treatment, acupoints also can be selected according to the severity, symptoms, and TCM syndrome types of COVID-19, but acupoints with strong Qi sensitivity or acupoints located in lower abdomen should be avoided during pregnancy. Conclusions: TCM treatment can be applied to COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. Clinical studies and systematic reviews of the efficacy and safety of TCM treatment on COVID-19 infection during pregnancy are required.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2021

After initial reports of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in April 2020 in Europe, this disease has been known to occur in children with recent history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and most cases have been reported in Europe and the Unites States of America. We report a case of a 14-year-old girl who was diagnosed with MIS-C with acute myocarditis and successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), methylprednisolone, and anakinra. At initial presentation, she had persistent high fever, generalized rash, generalized swelling, abdominal pain, and low blood pressure. She showed a remarkably elevated level of inflammation and cardiac enzyme markers and had a previous history of COVID-19 5 weeks before the initial presentation. After extensive work up, other infectious and non-infectious causes were excluded. She was diagnosed with MIS-C and initially treated with IVIG and high-dose methylprednisolone; however, despite treatment, her heart function deteriorated and coronary artery dilatation progressed. Therefore, anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, was administered on hospital day 6, after which her cardiac function exhibited improvement. She was discharged on hospital day 19 without any symptoms, and follow-up echocardiography after 1 month revealed fully recovered heart function with normal coronary arteries.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

With the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, non-face-to-face services have grown rapidly, but at the same time, the problem of plastic waste is getting worse. Accordingly, eco-friendly policies such as carbon neutrality and sustainable circular economy are being promoted worldwide. Due to the high demand for eco-friendly products, the packaging industry is trying to develop eco-friendly packaging materials using PLA and PBAT and create new business models. On the other hand, Ulva australis occurs in large quantities in the southern seas of Korea and off the coast of Jeju Island, causing marine environmental problems. In this study, lactic acid was produced through dilute acid pretreatment, enzymatic saccharification, and fermentation processes to utilize Ulva australis as a new alternative energy raw material. In general, seaweeds vary in carbohydrate content and sugar composition depending on the species, harvest location, and time. Seaweed is mainly composed of polysaccharides such as cellulose, alginate, mannan, and xylan, but does not contain lignin. It is difficult to expect high extraction yield of the complex polysaccharide constituting Ulva australis with only one process. However, the fusion process of dilute acid and enzymatic saccharification presented in this study can extract most of the sugars contained in Ulva australis. Therefore, the fusion process is considered to be able to expect high lactic acid production yield when a commercial-scale production process is established.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.68
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• pp.175-216
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• 2021

This essay aims to seek an alternative model of catechesis, as this form of education faces various challenges from the Korean Church especially during COVID-19 pandemic. For a long time, catechesis in the Korean Church narrowly focused on the act of producing Christians who would be loyal to the local church, rather than focusing on nurturing members loyal to Christ, an issue that has been problematized in recent publications on catechesis. Thus, the loss of social trust in the Korean Church and the decline of its public image exemplify how this type of catechesis as disciple-making for local church's benefit, mostly nurtures a vertical dimension of faith. The current teaching and learning method mostly employs a unilateral transfer of doctrine from the teacher to the learner and emphasizes the memorization of doctrine. This type of instruction renders the catechesis as the most lackluster and outdated form of Christian education. This essay aims to reconceptualize the traditional model of catechesis. This essay first critically evaluates current situations of catechesis and presents several alternative meanings on the concept of doctrine. Then it explores the theories of catechesis through different models posed by Christian educators such as John Westerhoff III and Richard Osmer. The final section is devoted to presenting an alternative form of catechesis that focuses on seeking holistic faith.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.379-389
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• 2022

The number of public transportation users has dropped drastically due to COVID-19. In this work, my survey was conducted to uncover the factors that influence citizens' travel patterns. Data were collected and logistic regression analysis on the shifts in transportation was undertaken. Additionally, an importance-performance analysis was carried out to investigate how to effectively operate public transportation systems and improve facilities. The main research findings were as follows: First, the more individuals were concerned about COVID-19 (+) and being infected when using public transportation (+), the greater the tendency to switch to private transportation modes. Secondly, when it came to personal traits, respondents who could drive a car (+) or owned a car (+)or did more online shopping (+) or used public transportation for trips (+) tended to switch over, compared with respondents who could not drive or did not own a caror used public transportation to commute. In addition, respondents who were vaccinated (-) or had more household members tended not to switch transportation modes, compared with those who were not vaccinated or had fewer household members. Third, it is important to continue the following efforts to safeguardhygiene linked to public transportation: wearing masks, disinfecting hands, controlling diseases, and general cleaning. The conclusion was that it is important to put traffic congestion and ventilation issues first, especially in regards public transportation, which was not rated as satisfactory enough compared to its importance. The research findings can provide useful basic data when establishing countermeasures to the current COVID-19 circumstances in the areas of public transportation operation and management and in the event of an infectious disease outbreak in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.66-74
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• 2022

Purpose: This study investigates the characteristics and prognosis of acute poisoning patients visiting nationwide emergency departments before and after the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Data were obtained from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). Methods: This nationwide retrospective observational study included acute poisoning patients who visited the emergency departments between February 1 to December 31, 2020, which has been determined as the pandemic period. The same periods in 2018 and 2019 were designated as the control periods. The primary outcome assessed was the length of stay in emergency departments (EDLOS). The secondary outcomes examined were intensive care unit admission rate and in-hospital mortality rate before and after the pandemic. A subgroup analysis was performed for inpatients and intentional poisoning patients. Results: A total of 163,560 patients were included in the study. During the pandemic, the proportion of women increased from 50.0% in 2018 and 50.3% in 2019 to 52.5% in 2020. Patients aged 20-29 years increased from 13.4% in 2018 and 13.9% in 2019 to 16.6% in 2020. A rise in cases of intentional poisoning was also noted - from 33.9% in 2018 and 34.0% in 2019 to 38.4% in 2020. Evaluating the hospitalized poisoned patients revealed that the EDLOS increased from 3.8 hours in 2018 and 3.7 hours in 2019 to 4.2 hours in 2020. ICU admissions were also markedly increased (2018, 48.2%; 2019, 51.8%; 2020, 53.2%) among hospitalized patients. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of acute poisoning patients visiting nationwide emergency departments in Korea. The proportion of young adults, women, and intentional poisoning patients has increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. Prolonged length of stay at the emergency department and an increased rate of intensive care unit admissions were determined in hospitalized acute poisoning patients.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.446-455
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• 2022

This study investigated work experience of firefighters and risk factors for their depression during COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed data of 53,557 firefighters who participated in the online mental health status survey. Data included experiences of COVID-19 infection, experience of COVID-19 response work, fear of social stigma, and anxiety and depression symptoms. Results showed that 45.76% of participants had experience of COVID-19 response work. Emergency job group had the highest percentage of COVID-19 related work and the greater intensity of the work and fear of social stigma than those of other job groups. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that co-workers' infection, COVID-19 related work intensity and fear of social stigma were significantly associated to the severity of depression. The findings in this study demonstrated COVID-19 related work experience can link to the development of depression in firefighters. Effort to reduce COVID-19 related work intensity and fear of social stigma could help prevent depression among firefighters.