• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2024

Objectives: The unsafe use of pesticides in agriculture represents a major hazard to human health. This study was conducted to investigate the association between pesticide exposure and health symptoms among chili farmers in northeast Thailand. Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study included 141 chili farmers in Sakon Nakhon Province, in northeast Thailand. Data regarding health symptoms were gathered using a self-report questionnaire. A medical technician tested blood cholinesterase activity using an erythrocyte method, and an occupational medicine specialist at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand reviewed the results. Associations between personal characteristics, pesticide exposure factors, and health symptoms were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the 141 chili farmers studied, 66.7% experienced pesticide poisoning, as indicated by below-normal cholinesterase levels. Fatigue was the most frequently reported symptom associated with pesticide exposure, affecting 37.6% of participants. This was followed by nausea and vomiting (31.9%), dizziness (14.9%), and dry throat (14.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors were significantly associated with adverse symptoms: amount of work experience, volume of pesticides used, use of chemical pesticides, use of leaking containers during spraying, direct pesticide exposure while working, contact with pesticide-soaked clothing, consumption of food and drinks in the fields, and blood cholinesterase level indicating risk. Conclusions: This study suggests potential health risks for chili farmers stemming from exposure to and contamination by pesticides used in agricultural practices. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to supply personal protective equipment and to implement educational programs aimed at improving protective behaviors among farmers.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2007

A stress measurement method of structural member using piezoelectric property and electrostatic voltmeter is presented. The electric potentials of the surface of the piezoelectric element, which are proportional to the strain ${\varepsilon}$ on the structural member, are measured by an electrostatic voltmeter during load cycling. The stress ${\sigma}$ is calculated by this strain ${\varepsilon}$. Moreover, a stress distribution measurement tape which can be used for the stress distribution measurement along a specified line on the surface of structural member is developed, and the surface potential was measured by an electric static voltmeter of non-contact type. The applicability of the stress distribution measurement tape is examined through experiments using a notched specimen under cyclic loading. The measured distributions of x, y and xy are compared with those calculated by FEM analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.81-87
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• 2024

Nanomaterial electrodes are used to improve the analytical performances of electrochemical measurements in biological and chemical field. Frequently used methods for fabricating metal nanostructures are solution processing and electrodeposition. In the solution process, it is possible to control the characteristics (e.g., direction) of metal growth by using capping agents, thereby fabricating nanoparticles of specific structures. In the electrodeposition, the electrode surface and the deposited metal atoms are in direct contact. Each process has its own limitation as well, and many studies are conducted to overcome such limitation. In this paper, we report an integration of the two fabrication methods and the characteristics, such as structural and electrochemical properties, of the fabricated electrodes. Lastly, we discuss the possibility of using the fabricated nanostructured electrode as a sensor.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.483-490
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• 2009

The aims of this study were to evaluate the removal efficiency for various pollutants in urban storm runoff by a filtration device, and to determine design parameters depending on filter media properties. Appropriate selection of filter media will affect the size and life time of the filtration device. Sets of column tests were performed in order to evaluate the removal efficiency by perlite and a synthetic resin. An investigation of surface properties including CEC (cation exchange capacity) and zeta-potential suggested that the perlite had a superior adsorption capability for cationic pollutants. TCODcr and turbidity were analyzed to investigate the removal characteristic of particulate pollutant. In both columns, the particles in the collected storm runoff was almost completely capture with a small EBCT (empty bed contact time) of 2.5 minutes. Complete clogging at the EBCT of 2.5 minutes occurred after 630 minutes in the perlite column and 810 minutes in the resin column. The removal efficiency of TCODcr and turbidity at the EBCT of 2.5 minutes decreased to below 70% due to an wall effect. The removal efficiency for dissolved pollutant (SCODcr) was negligible due to the insufficient contact time for adsorption. The removal of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb) was mostly ascribed to the filtration of particles containing metals, since the relationship between CEC and the removal efficiency was not apparent. The result of this study would be valuable for the application of filtration device to control of urban storm runoff.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.647-654
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• 2003

Purpose : This study was done to evaluate the parents' or guardians' compliance of obtaining individual informed consent before vaccination and the possible problems of using informed consent. Methods : One hundred and twelve children were randomly selected among 2,820 children who visited Samsung Cheil Hospital during July 2002. A questionnaire about using informed consent of vaccination was given to all parents or guardians of these children. Results : Most of the responders were mothers(80.4%). As for the places of vaccination, 87(77.7%) persons vaccinated their children at general hospitals. In response to a request for informed consent of vaccination, 73(65.2%) complied well with requests every time. In subscribing to informed consent, 62(55.4%) were pleased, 40(35.7%) stated it was necessary despite in inconveniance. Because of dislike of subscribing to informed consent(55), 33(60%) persons stated that it was difficult to subscribe to informed consent during the inconveniant time of nursing baby. Eighty(71.4%) found it useful to read informed consent for an understanding of potential negative reactions. Being informed of potential negative reactions, 105(93.8%) stated that they would vaccinate their children despite of the potential of a worrisome negative reaction. In dealing with negative reaction, 77(68.8%) said that they would contact a hospital, 32(28.6%) said that they would care for their children at home. Eleven(9.8 %) experienced negative reactions after vaccination. Conclusion : Compliance of parents to informed consent was relatively good. Parents or guardians should receive relevant information and the aim of informed consent also should be adequately understood.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.1619-1637
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• 2000

A review was undertaken to obtain information on the range of beak-trimming methods available or under development. Beak-trimming of commercial layer replacement pullets is a common yet critical management tool that can affect the performance for the life of the flock. The most obvious advantage of beak-trimming is a reduction in cannibalism although the extent of the reduction in cannibalism depends on the strain, season, and type of housing, flock health and other factors. Beak-trimming also improves feed conversion by reducing food wastage. A further advantage of beak-trimming is a reduction in the chronic stress associated with dominance interactions in the flock. Beak-trimming of birds at 7-10 days is favoured by Industry but research over last 10 years has shown that beak-trimming at day-old causes the least stress on birds and efforts are needed to encourage Industry to adopt the practice of beak-trimming birds at day-old. Proper beak-trimming can result in greatly improved layer performance but improper beak-trimming can ruin an other wise good flock of hens. Re-trimming is practiced in most flocks, although there are some flocks that only need one trimming. Given the continuing welfare scrutiny of using a hot blade to cut the beak, attempts have been made to develop more welfare friendly methods of beak-trimming. Despite the developments in design of hot blade beak-trimmers the process has remained largely unchanged. That is, a red-hot blade cuts and cauterises the beak. The variables in the process are blade temperature, cauterisation time, operator ability, severity of trimming, age of trimming, strain of bird and beak length. This method of beak-trimming is still overwhelmingly favoured in Industry and there appears to be no other alternative procedures that are more effective. Sharp secateurs have been used trim the upper beak of both layers and turkeys. Bleeding from the upper mandible ceases shortly after the operation, and despite the regrowth of the beak a reduction of cannibalism has been reported. Very few differences have been noted between behaviour and production of the hot blade and cold blade cut chickens. This method has not been used on a large scale in Industry. There are anecdotal reports of cannibalism outbreaks in birds with regrown beaks. A robotic beak-trimming machine was developed in France, which permitted simultaneous, automated beak-trimming and vaccination of day-old chicks of up to 4,500 chickens per hour. Use of the machine was not successful because if the chicks were not loaded correctly they could drop off the line, receive excessive beak-trimming or very light trimming. Robotic beak-trimming was not effective if there was a variation in the weight or size of chickens. Capsaicin can cause degeneration of sensory nerves in mammals and decreases the rate of beak regrowth by its action on the sensory nerves. Capsaicin is a cheap, non-toxic substance that can be readily applied at the time of less severe beak-trimming. It suffers the disadvantage of causing an extreme burning sensation in operators who come in contact with the substance during its application to the bird. Methods of applying the substance to minimise the risk to operators of coming in contact with capsaicin need to be explored. A method was reported which cuts the beaks with a laser beam in day-old chickens. No details were provided on the type of laser used, or the severity of beak-trimming, but by 16 weeks the beaks of laser trimmed birds resembled the untrimmed beaks, but without the bill tip. Feather pecking and cannibalism during the laying period were highest among the laser trimmed hens. Currently laser machines are available that are transportable and research to investigate the effectiveness of beak-trimming using ablasive and coagulative lasers used in human medicine should be explored. Liquid nitrogen was used to declaw emu toes but was not effective. There was regrowth of the claws and the time and cost involved in the procedure limit the potential of using this process to beak-trim birds.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.357-363
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• 2013

Purpose: To investigate the visual function with prescription swimming goggles. Methods: 15 university students (mean age: $22{\pm}1.54$ years) participated, with a mean distance refractive error of RE: S-1.67 D/C-0.40 D, LE: S-1.70D/C-0.37 D. Inclusion criteria were no ocular pathology, able to wear soft contact lenses to correct their refractive error to emmetropia and able to swim. Participants were fitted with contact lenses to correct all ametropia. Subjective evaluation for satisfaction of visual acuity, asthenopia and balance were also measured using a questionnaire while wearing swimming goggles with cylinder (C+1.50 D, Ax $90^{\circ}$) compared with plano sphere outside the swimming pool area. Visual acuity was assessed using the same ETDRS chart. The prescription swimming goggles powers were assessed in random order and ranged in power from S+3.00 D to S-3.00 D in 0.50 D steps. Results: Subjective evaluation was significantly worse for the swimming goggles with cylinder than for the plano powered goggles for all 3 questions, visual acuity, asthenopia and balance. Visual acuity were significantly affected by the different power of the swimming goggles (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the in-air in-clinic and underwater in-swimming pool measures (p=0.173). However, visual acuity measured in the clinic was significantly better than underwater for some swimming goggle powers (+3.00, +1.00, +0.50, 0, -1.00 and -2.00 D). Conclusions: Wearing swimming goggles underwater may degrade the visual acuity compared to within air but as the difference is less than 1 line of Snellen acuity, and it is unlikely to result in significant real-life effects. Having an incorrect cylinder correction was found to be detrimental resulting in lower score of satisfaction. Considering slippery floor of swimming pool area, it can be a potential risk factor. Therefore, it is important to correct any refractive error in addition to astigmatism for swimming goggle.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1-22
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• 2007

Customer satisfaction is important in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace. This implies that customer service is a critical factor for many organizations. In service encounter context, customer satisfaction is affected by employees' attitudes and behaviors. Accordingly, service firms have been focusing on selecting high quality of service employees, which resulted the ability to identify and select quality service- or customer- oriented employees to become critical for an organization's success. It was suggested that customer service orientation links to performance and subsequent organizational revenue. Moreover, it was found that service encounter failures were among the major reasons for customers' service switch. Therefore, the selection of customer service oriented employees is a key factor in establishing customer service - a potential source of sustained competitive advantage. However, the measurement of employee service orientation is more confusing than that of definitive answers. The difficulty of measuring service orientation is attributed to the use of broad versus narrow measures of personality. Advocates for the broad perspective prefer using basic personality constructs, such as the Big Five personality traits. On the contrary, the latter prefer a construct-oriented approach of personality research that provides a better measure of job performance because it requires the specification of the relationship of the personality traits with multiple dimensions of job performance. The customer service orientation was defined as "a set of basic individual predispositions and an inclination to provide service, to be courteous and to be helpful in dealing with customers and associates." Similarly, it is a fact that the Big five personality traits are predictors of customer orientation, and employee's self- and supervisor performance. They propose that basic personality traits may be too far removed from focal service behaviors to be able to predict specific service behaviors (customer orientation) and service worker performance. Also, customer orientation is defined as "an employee's tendency or predisposition to meet customer needs in an on-the-job context." This means that people who have job-relevant personality traits such as concern, empathy, and conscientiousness will be more adept at customer service than people who do not possess these traits. However, little attention has been given to the exploration of the service orientation of customer-contact employees who play a key role in creating satisfactory service encounters in the hospitality industry except for Kim, McCahon, & Miller (2003)'s study, especially in family restaurants context. Thus, the purposes of this study are to examine and validate the customer service orientation of customer-contact employees using the instrument developed by Donavan (1999) in Korean family restaurants, because the scale was developed to measure the personality traits related job behaviors. And this study explores the relationships between customer service orientation, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and self service performance using structural equation modeling (SEM). And this study explores the relationships between customer service orientation, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and self service performance using structural equation modeling (SEM). For these purposes the author developed several hypotheses as follows: H1: Employee's service orientation is associated with service performance. H2: Employee's service orientation is positively associated with job satisfaction. H3: Employee's service orientation is positively associated with organizational commitment. H4: Service performance is positively associated with job satisfaction. H5: Service performance is positively associated with organizational commitment. H6: Job satisfaction is negatively associated with organizational commitment. The data were collected from 278 employees in 5 deluxe hotels located in Pusan, Korea. The researcher contacted the manager of the restaurants, and managers consented to administer surveys to their employees. The survey was executed during one month period in the October of 2007. The data were analyzed with structural equation modeling with LISREL 8.7 W. The result of the overall model analysis appeared as follows: $X^2$=122.638 (p = 0.00), df=59, GFI=.936, AGFI=.901, NFI=.948, CFI=.971, RMSEA=.0625. Since the result of the overall model analysis demonstrated a good fit, we could further analyze our data. The findings can be summarized as follows: First, the greater the employee service orientation, the greater the service performance. Second, the greater the employee service orientation, the greater the job satisfaction. Third, the greater the employee service orientation, the greater the organizational commitment. Fourth, the greater the service performance, the greater the job satisfaction. Fifth, the greater the service performance, the greater the organizational commitment. Finally, the greater the job satisfaction, the greater the organizational commitment. Seventh, the greater the customer satisfaction, the greater the customer loyalty.

• Clean Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.245-255
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• 2019

Pressurized oxy-fuel combustion is a promising technology for $CO_2$ capture with a benefit of improving power plant efficiency compared with atmospheric oxy-fuel combustion. Prior to $CO_2$ compression in this process, a flue gas condenser (FGC) is used to remove $H_2O$ while recovering the latent heat. At the same time, the FGC has a potential for high-efficiency removal of $SO_x$ and $NO_x$ by exploiting their good solubility in water. In this study, experiments were carried out in a lab-scale, direct contact FGC under different pressures varying between 1 and 20 bar to evaluate the removal efficiency of $SO_2$ and $NO_x$ for individual gases and their mixture. In the tests for individual gases, 20% and 76% of $NO_x$ was removed at 1 bar and 10 bar, respectively. Even higher removal efficiencies were achieved for $SO_2$, and also these were maintained for longer as the pressure increased. In the tests for $SO_2$ and $NO_x$ mixture, the removal efficiency of $NO_x$ increased from 13% at 1 bar to 56% at 20 bar because of higher solubility at elevated pressures. $SO_2$ in the mixture was initially dissolved almost completely and then increased by 1,219 ppm at 1 bar and by 165 ppm at 20 bar. Overall, the removal efficiency of $SO_2$ and $NO_x$ was increased at elevated pressures, but it was lower in the mixture compared with individual gases at identical conditions because of a lower pH and associated chemical reactions in water.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2022

Recently, the bio-healthcare market is enlarging worldwide due to various reasons such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them, biometric measurement and analysis technology are expected to bring about future technological innovation and socio-economic ripple effect. Existing systems require a large-capacity battery to drive signal processing, wireless transmission part, and an operating system in the process. However, due to the limitation of the battery capacity, it causes a spatio-temporal limitation on the use of the device. This limitation can act as a cause for the disconnection of data required for the user's health care monitoring, so it is one of the major obstacles of the health care device. In this study, we report the concept of a standalone healthcare monitoring module, which is based on both triboelectric effects and electromagnetic effects, by converting biomechanical energy into suitable electric energy. The proposed system can be operated independently without an external power source. In particular, the wireless foot pressure measurement monitoring system, which is rationally designed triboelectric sensor (TES), can recognize the user's walking habits through foot pressure measurement. By applying the triboelectric effects to the contact-separation behavior that occurs during walking, an effective foot pressure sensor was made, the performance of the sensor was verified through an electrical output signal according to the pressure, and its dynamic behavior is measured through a signal processing circuit using a capacitor. In addition, the biomechanical energy dissipated during walking is harvested as electrical energy by using the electromagnetic induction effect to be used as a power source for wireless transmission and signal processing. Therefore, the proposed system has a great potential to reduce the inconvenience of charging caused by limited battery capacity and to overcome the problem of data disconnection.