• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2024

Thirty-five elementary schools in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do were surveyed on the installation status of plant labels. As a result of a comprehensive evaluation of the installation and condition of the plant labels, 12 out of 35 elementary schools were evaluated as "excellent," 13 as "good," and 8 as "insufficient." In some cases, various types of plant labels were installed on various types of plants and were updated continuously, indicating that the school members recognize the plant labels as an important educational tool. Meanwhile, some schools did not have a single plant label. Although plant labels were installed, instances occurred where they were neglected without continuous maintenance and management. Some plant labels were produced and installed by specialized companies, leading to errors in content or inadequate post-installation management, thereby compromising the school landscape. Therefore, we propose an alternative-allowing schools to independently produce and install plant labels. This approach preserves the school's uniqueness, and the process of producing and installing sustainable plant labels becomes an active educational tool.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.422-430
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• 2020

The Korean Society of Urogenital Radiology (KSUR) aimed to present a consensus statement for patient preparation, standard technique, and pain management in relation to transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) to reduce the variability in TRUS-Bx methodologies and suggest a nationwide guideline. The KSUR guideline development subcommittee constructed questionnaires assessing prebiopsy anticoagulation, the cleansing enema, antimicrobial prophylaxis, local anesthesia methods such as periprostatic neurovascular bundle block (PNB) or intrarectal lidocaine gel application (IRLA), opioid usage, and the number of biopsy cores and length and diameter of the biopsy needle. The survey was conducted using an Internet-based platform, and responses were solicited from the 90 members registered on the KSUR mailing list as of 2018. A comprehensive search of relevant literature from Medline database was conducted. The strength of each recommendation was graded on the basis of the level of evidence. Among the 90 registered members, 29 doctors (32.2%) responded to this online survey. Most KSUR members stopped anticoagulants (100%) and antiplatelets (76%) one week before the procedure. All respondents performed a cleansing enema before TRUS-Bx. Approximately 86% of respondents administered prophylactic antibiotics before TRUS-Bx. The most frequently used antibiotics were third-generation cephalosporins. PNB was the most widely used pain control method, followed by a combination of PNB plus IRLA. Opioids were rarely used (6.8%), and they were used only as an adjunctive pain management approach during TRUS-Bx. The KSUR members mainly chose the 12-core biopsy method (89.7%) and 18G 16-mm or 22-mm (96.5%) needles. The KSUR recommends the 12-core biopsy scheme with PNB with or without IRLA as the standard protocol for TRUS-Bx. Anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents should be discontinued at least 5 days prior to the procedure, and antibiotic prophylaxis is highly recommended to prevent infectious complications. Glycerin cleansing enemas and administration of opioid analogues before the procedure could be helpful in some situations. The choice of biopsy needle is dependent on the practitioners' situation and preferences.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.2
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• pp.259-270
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• 2024

Since 2013, Korea has allocated significant budgets and manpower nationwide to prevent the spread of pine wilt disease and to reduce damage. As a result, the number of damaged trees decreased from 2.18 million in 2014 to 310,000 in 2021. However, the damage has increased again since then. Despite the overall decrease in the number of damaged trees, the scope of the damage continues to expand every year. Previous studies have develope In order to judge the control performance, a quantitative control performance analysis method to objectively evaluate control performance. This method takes into consideration two factors-quantity change and the change in the damage area, which is an area factor. This approach provides a more comprehensive assessment than the control guidelines that only suggest changes in damage grade based on the volume of damaged trees. The expansion of the damage range is also an important factor in analyzing control performance, but previous studies have not reflected this. Therefore, this study calculates the change in the distance of the pine wilt disease boundary area for Gyeongsangbuk-do, where changes in the damage range can easily be observed from year to year. The study then creates application criteria and coefficients and uses them to improves control performance index calculation formula. As a result, it was possible to calculate a quantitative analysis of the control performance, taking into account the changes in the damage range. When the improved formula was applied to 26 cities, counties, and districts in Gyeongsangbuk-do, it slightly decreased or increased compared to the existing calculation formula. This confirmed that the control performance index can change from a positive value (+), indicating increased damage, to a negative value (-), indicating reduced damage.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.552-563
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to investigate the students' perception of the learning support system of Korea Science Academy and to propose improvements to it. The impact of the science learning support system on 129 gifted students in Korea Science Academy (KSA) was estimated by using Likert-type items and the multiple-choice method approach for more comprehensive evaluation. The results of our investigation are as follows: First, the learning support system of KSA appears globally useful to the students. The list of educational usefulness to the students comprises, in the decreasing order of utility, classroom work, Internet, lab activities, reading rooms, library, research meetings and clubs, academic advisors (AA), SAF (Science Academy Fair), e-learning system, and finally colloquia by invited lecturers. Second, what the gifted students hope for in the realm of learning support from KSA are learning guides by subject teachers, presentation skill program, the constructions of on/off-line learning communities, etc. It seems that the results of this study would be helpful in improving the learning support system, and will provide useful information for planning the direction of future science-gifted education programs at the high-school level.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.282-290
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• 2008

The Research and Education (R&E) program was a year-long, apprenticeship and research-based program that was guided by mentors who are scientists or science teachers. The objective of the R&E program was to help scientifically gifted students in Korea Science Academy (KSA) and Science High Schools (SHS) to enhance abilities in creative thinking, scientific inquiry, problem solving, positive attitude towards scientists, and promoting cooperative research and interests in science and technology. In this study, the impact of the R&E program on the goals of 182 gifted college students in KAIST was evaluated using Likert-type items and multiple-choice method approach that provided a more comprehensive evaluation of the program's impact on science attitudes, creative thinking, scientific inquiry, and interests in science and technology. The results indicated a positive impact on cooperative research, gaining knowledge on the research topic, attitude towards scientists, interest in science and technology, scientific inquiry, and creative thinking in that order. There were rather remarkable and meaningful differences in science inquiry (p<.05), and scientific knowledge (p<.01), between the two groups of KAIST freshmen who came from SHS and KSA in 2006. Implications for science apprenticeship or a research-based mentorship program and their respective evaluations are also discussed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.271-280
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• 2024

This study examines the European Union (EU)'s policies on managing nitrate contamination in groundwater and provides implications for the future groundwater management in South Korea. Initiated by the 1991 Nitrate Directive, the EU has pursued a multifaceted approach to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution through sustainable ('good') farming practices, regular nitrate level monitoring, and designating Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. Further policy integrations, like the Water Framework Directive and Groundwater Directive, have established comprehensive protection strategies, including the use of pollutant threshold values. Recently, the 2019 Green Deal escalated efforts against nitrates, aligning with broader environmental and climate objectives. This review aims to explore these developments, highlighting key mitigation strategies against nitrate pollution, and providing valuable insights for the future sustainable groundwater nitrate management in South Korea, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures and collaborative efforts to restore and improve groundwater quality.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 2024

In previous Cost-of-Illness (COI) studies, the economic impact of lost leisure time of patients has been mostly underexplored. Furthermore, few studies have focused on chronic or severe diseases, thereby inadequately addressing the segment of self-care patients who do not fall into the categories of inpatients or outpatients. In the present study, we used a comprehensive approach to calculate the annual cost of leisure loss, incorporating factors such as employment status, self-care options, and total period of leisure activity disruption. This required analyzing data from various sources, including health and labor statistics, and applying methods to accurately assess the leisure time lost due to food poisoning. The findings showed that the annual cost of leisure loss for South Korean patients with food poisoning is significant, amounting to approximately 784.5 billion KRW (702.8 million USD, USD/KRW : 1128.34). This study revealed that overlooking self-care patients and not accounting for the affected time in addition to treatment time and employment status significantly underestimated these costs. This study highlights the importance of considering a wider range of factors, including self-care, employment status, as well as the entire affected period, in assessing the societal impact of diseases such as food poisoning. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals to understand the broader economic implications of illness and allocate healthcare resources more effectively.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.157-168
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• 2024

The frequent occurrence of structural failures at building construction sites in Korea has underscored the critical role of rigorous oversight in the inspection and management of construction projects. As mandated by prevailing regulations and standards, onsite supervision by designated supervisors encompasses thorough documentation of construction quality, material standards, and the history of any reconstructions, among other factors. These reports, predominantly consisting of unstructured data, constitute approximately 80% of the data amassed at construction sites and serve as a comprehensive repository of quality-related information. This research introduces the SL-QPA model, which employs text mining techniques to preprocess supervision reports and establish a sentiment dictionary, thereby enabling the quantification of quality performance. The study's findings, demonstrating a statistically significant Pearson correlation between the quality performance scores derived from the SL-QPA model and various legally defined indicators, were substantiated through a one-way analysis of variance of the correlation coefficients. The SL-QPA model, as developed in this study, offers a supplementary approach to evaluating the quality performance of building construction projects. It holds the promise of enhancing quality inspection and management practices by harnessing the wealth of unstructured data generated throughout the lifecycle of construction projects.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.41-58
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• 2023

Objectives: This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of Cheongpebaedok-tang, a traditional Korean herbal medicine, provided via telemedicine to patients with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19 in Korea. Methods: From February to April 2020, a retrospective analysis investigated COVID-19 patients treated via Korean telemedicine. The study involved asymptomatic to mild cases receiving Cheongpebaedok-tang more than three times, along with continuous Korean medicine care in convalescence. Diagnoses and treatment adhered to the telemedicine guidelines of the Association of Korean Medicine, with varied Cheongpebaedok-tang prescriptions based on symptom severity. Symptom evaluation involved a detailed assessment using a 15-item tool at initial and final sessions. Results: The study included 27 patients, with a mean age of 48.7 ± 2.3 years (mean ± standard error). Patients began self-administering oral Cheongpebaedok-tang for an average of 19.4 ± 1.8 days after the date of COVID-19 diagnosis confirmation and continued the medication for 15.8 ± 1.2 days. The reported side effects of the Cheongpebaedok-tang included palpitations (11.1%), insomnia (7.4%), dizziness (3.7%), and diarrhea (3.7%). All side effects disappeared after adjusting the prescription according to standard treatment guidelines. The occurrence of all COVID-19-related adverse symptoms, except fatigue and myalgia, decreased. Fatigue was the most common chronic symptom persisting after 6 months (51.9%), followed by ocular symptoms (37.0%) and sore throat (22.2%). Conclusions: This study implies Cheongpebaedok-tang may offer a potentially safe, symptom-alleviating approach for managing mild COVID-19 cases via telemedicine, although further comprehensive research is warranted.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.173-191
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• 2024

Typhoons are significant meteorological phenomena that cause interactions among the ocean, atmosphere, and land within Earth's system. In particular, wind speed, a key characteristic of typhoons, is influenced by various factors such as central pressure, trajectory, and sea surface temperature. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding based on actual observational data is essential. In the 2015 revised secondary school textbooks, typhoon wind speed is presented through text and illustrations; hence, exploratory activities that promote a deeper understanding of wind speed are necessary. In this study, we developed a data visualization program with a graphical user interface (GUI) to facilitate the understanding of typhoon wind speeds with simple operations during the teaching-learning process. The program utilizes red-green-blue (RGB) image data of Typhoons Mawar, Guchol, and Bolaven -which occurred in 2023- from the Korean geostationary satellite GEO-KOMPSAT-2A (GK-2A) as the input data. The program is designed to calculate typhoon wind speeds by inputting cloud movement coordinates around the typhoon and visualizes the wind speed distribution by inputting parameters such as central pressure, storm radius, and maximum wind speed. The GUI-based program developed in this study can be applied to typhoons observed by GK-2A without errors and enables scientific exploration based on actual observations beyond the limitations of textbooks. This allows students and teachers to collect, process, analyze, and visualize real observational data without needing a paid program or professional coding knowledge. This approach is expected to foster digital literacy, an essential competency for the future.