• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.150-160
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• 2022

Purpose: The current study investigated how clinical microbiology courses are conducted at the undergraduate nursing level in South Korea to identify the perceptions of clinical nurses regarding their knowledge and the clinical importance of microbiology and further assess their educational needs. Methods: Curricula presented on the websites of 202 undergraduate nursing institutions were reviewed. In addition, a survey assessing the knowledge and importance of clinical microbiology perceived by nurses was conducted online. A total of 150 nurses participated in the survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, t-tests, analysis of variance, Borich Needs Assessment Model, and Locus for Focus Model. Results: The results indicated that 90% of undergraduate nursing institutions offer clinical microbiology courses under various subject names. The perceived knowledge and importance of clinical microbiology were correlated; however, knowledge was consistently lower than the perceived importance of clinical biology among nurses. The structure and proliferation of novel viruses ranked highest in the educational needs of nurses based on both the Borich Needs Assessment Model and Locus for Focus Model. Conclusion: Based on the findings, this study suggests educational opportunities for clinical microbiology in hospital settings to reduce discrepancies between knowledge and the importance of clinical microbiology faced by nurses.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.33-42
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• 2023

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a crucial parameter for assessing environmental conditions in aquatic ecosystems. However, commercial in situ dataloggers for oxygen optodes can be relatively expensive and limited in their specifications. In this paper, we present a novel design for a DO datalogger system based on the control boards family with RP2040 MCU chipset. Our design includes two types of dataloggers: a simple logging system and a programmable system for sampling rates via magnetic switches underwater for divers. We provide detailed descriptions of the system, including the MicroPython source code and drawings to aid in construction. We also discuss the various applications of our DO datalogger system in monitoring dissolved oxygen concentration in coastal waters and assessing the benthic metabolism of aquatic ecosystems. Our DO datalogger system provides an affordable and flexible option for researchers to accurately monitor DO concentrations in aquatic environments, and thereby improve our understanding of these complex ecosystems.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.855-862
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• 2022

Environmental stressors considerably influence the health and safety of humans and must thus be continuously monitored to enhance the urban environments and associated safety. Environmental stressors typically act as stimuli and lead to behavioral changes that can be easily identified. These behavioral responses can thus be used as indicators to clarify people's perceptions of environmental stressors. Therefore, in this study, a framework for assessing environmental stressors based on human behavioral responses was developed. A preliminary experiment was conducted to investigate the feasibility of the framework. Human behavioral and physiological data were collected using wearable sensors, and a survey was performed to determine the psychological responses. Humans were noted to consistently exhibit changes in the movement and speed in the presence of physical environmental stressors, as physiological and psychological responses. The results demonstrated the potential of using behavioral responses as indicators of the human perceptions toward environmental stressors. The proposed framework can be used for urban environment monitoring to enhance the quality and safety.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.1
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• pp.69-83
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• 2023

Analytical solutions to problems are crucial because they provide high-quality comparison data for assessing the accuracy of numerical solutions. Benchmark analytical solutions for the vibrations of cracked functionally graded material (FGM) plates are not available in the literature because of the high level of complexity of such solutions. On the basis of first-order shear deformation plate theory (FSDT), this study proposes analytical series solutions for the vibrations of FGM rectangular plates with side or internal cracks parallel to an edge of the plates by using Fourier cosine series and the domain decomposition technique. The distributions of FGM properties along the thickness direction are assumed to follow a simple power law. The proposed analytical series solutions are validated by performing comprehensive convergence studies on the vibration frequencies of cracked square plates with various crack lengths and under various boundary condition combinations and by performing comparisons with published results based on various plate theories and the theory of three-dimensional elasticity. The results reveal that the proposed solutions are in excellent agreement with literature results obtained using the Ritz method on the basis of FSDT. The paper also presents tabulations of the first six nondimensional frequencies of cracked rectangular Al/Al2O3 FGM plates with various aspect ratios, thickness-to-width ratios, crack lengths, and FGM power law indices under six boundary condition combinations, the tabulated frequencies can serve as benchmark data for assessing the accuracy of numerical approaches based on FSDT.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2023

Whilst Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) can provide important insights over time and across contexts among rotation workers whose work periods alternate with leave at home, it can also be challenging to implement in the resources and construction sectors. This review aimed to provide a summary of the methodological characteristics of EMA studies assessing health outcomes and related behaviors in rotation workers. Systematic searches in PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were done to include 23 studies using EMA methods in assessing health-related outcomes and behaviors. EMA designs included daily diary: assessments once per day typically fixed at the end of day (47.8%), within day fixed interval time-based design: assessments on multiple times per day at certain times of day (17.4%) and combination of both designs (34.8%). Studies employed paper and pencil diaries (73.9%) and one or more electronic methods (60.9%): wrist-worn actigraphy device (52.2%) and online-based diaries (26.1%) for data collection. Most of the studies (91.3%) did not report prompting -EMAs by schedule alerts or compliance. Daily diary and within day fixed interval dairies designs are common, with the increasing use of electronic EMA delivery techniques. It is unclear how well participants adhere to assessment schedules, as these are inadequately reported. Researchers should report compliance-related information.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.450-457
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• 2022

The construction industry is demanding, dynamic, and complex making it difficult for workers to recognize hazards. The nature of construction tasks exposes workers to several critical risk factors, such as a high rate of exertion and fatigue. Recent studies suggest that fatigue may impact hazard recognition in the construction industry. However, most studies rely on subjective measures when assessing the relationship between physical fatigue and hazard recognition, limiting such studies' efficacy. Thus, this study examined the relationship between physical fatigue and hazard recognition using a controlled experiment. Worker fatigue levels were captured using physiological data and a subjective exertion scale. The findings confirmed that physical exertion plays a significant role in hazard recognition skills (p < 0.05). This research contributes to theory and practice by providing a process for objectively assessing the influence of physical fatigue on worker safety and providing construction professionals with some critical insight needed to improve workplace safety.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2013.01a
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• pp.308-314
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• 2013

Although global construction spending has experienced slow growth due to consecutive economic crises, global contractors have consistently attempted to expand their overseas market share, leading to more intense competition among contractors in the international construction market. In this market environment, owners, clients and financial institutions require reasonable and systematic criteria to effectively assess the business capabilities of international construction firms. However, the existing evaluation methods for construction firms rarely consider overseas-focused business capabilities. To address this problem, this study proposes a quantitative approach to assessing the overseas business capabilities of international construction firms. The limitations of existing approaches are reviewed, and the capabilities required to perform overseas businesses are analyzed through expert interviews. Finally, 18 evaluation indices are suggested in four categories: technology resources, project management, experience and performance, and sustainability. The relative weight of each index is determined according to the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, and a preliminary investigation of 11 Korean construction firms is conducted. The proposed method is expected that it will provide the rational criteria for international owners, clients, and financial institutions for decision-making and for evaluating international contractors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.57-66
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This research investigated clinical hazardous components and analyzed the proportion of sarcopenia among young Korean women. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 1,236 women aged 20 to 29 years, categorized into two groups according to their skeletal muscle mass index (SMI). Of these, 20 participants were placed in the sarcopenia group, while 1,216 were included in the normal group. The analysis involved hazardous components including body dimensions, clinical indicators, and behavioral trait variables: height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood laboratory tests assessing fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, as well as smoking habits and alcohol consumption. Complex sampling analysis was used to analyze the proportion and hazardous components of sarcopenia. RESULTS: The proportion of sarcopenia was at 1.76% (95% of CI: 1.08-2.83). Anthropometric measurements, such as height, BMI, and WC, exhibited significant differences between the groups (p < .05). However, there was no significant difference in weight (p > .05) between the two groups. Among the clinical indicators, SBP, DBP, FBG, serum triglycerides, and total TC found to be significant hazardous components for sarcopenia within both groups (p < .05). Smoking status as a behavioral trait was significant as well (p < .05), unlike alcohol consumption (p > .05). CONCLUSION: This study discerned both the proportion of sarcopenia and the hazardous components associated with it among community-dwelling women of a young age.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.758-778
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• 2024

This study assessed previous research aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of freeze-thawing on meat quality. Specifically, it focuses on assessing the physicochemical alterations in meat resulting from freezing, freeze-thawing, or technologies to minimize these alterations. Recent studies have focused on conventional freeze-thaw technology applicable across various livestock species and muscle types. However, recent research has indicated the necessity for developing freeze-thaw technology considering the unique characteristics of individual muscles. In this review, we summarize previous studies that have compared alterations in the physicochemical properties of primary muscles owing to freezing or freeze-thawing. Despite the introduction of various technologies to significantly reduce the adverse effects on meat quality resulting from freeze-thawing, it is essential to consider the unique characteristics (proximate composition, pH, and muscle fiber characteristics) of individual muscles or cuts to develop enhanced the freeze-thaw processing technology.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.633-646
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• 2020

We reviewed all studies assessing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between 2009 and 2018 (n = 45). Most studies assessed HRQoL as an outcome, and evaluated or compared the HRQoL of HCC patients depending on the type of treatment or stage of disease. HCC patients had a worse HRQoL than the general population, including in those with early-stage HCC. Patients commonly experienced pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, distress, and lack of appetite, and these symptoms remained problematic even a few years after treatment. TNM classification of malignant tumors stage, tumor stage, presence of cirrhosis, being Asian, being female, living alone, or being unemployed were associated with a poor HRQoL. While recent studies have included a more diverse patient population, various topics, and different study designs, there were limited studies on supportive interventions. Given the increase in HCC cases and HCC survivors, addressing the HRQoL of HCC patients requires more attention.