• Journal of Auto-vehicle Safety Association
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2024

With a sustained increase in the number of reported registrations for two-wheeled vehicles and the simultaneous growth of the domestic two-wheeled vehicle market, fueled by the activation of contactless industries and a rising population engaging in recreational two-wheeled vehicles during the COVID-19 era, concerns regarding safety incidents and environmental issues have come to the forefront. While the regular inspection methods and environmental standards for four-wheeled vehicles are becoming more stringent for safety and environmental management, the same cannot be said for two-wheeled vehicles. As the market for two-wheeled vehicles continues to expand, there is a pressing need for improvements in the management and inspection of these vehicles. In this study, we analyze cases of non-compliance from the results of periodic inspections over the past five years, specifically focusing on illegal customizations, exhaust emissions testing, and exhaust noise results. Through this analysis, we elucidate the necessity for enhancing the inspection system for two-wheeled vehicles, drawing parallels with the inspection systems applied to conventional automobiles. The findings of this research contribute to advocating for improvements in the inspection regime for two-wheeled vehicles, addressing the growing concerns related to safety and environmental impact.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Society
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• v.80
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• pp.817-851
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• 2022

Nonthermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) sources operating in atmospheric pressure environments and their characteristics can be used for plasma bioscience, medicine, and hygiene applications, especially for COVID-19 and citizen. This review surveyed the various NBP sources, including a plasma jet, micro-DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) and nanosecond discharged plasma. The electron temperatures and the plasma densities, which are produced using dielectric barrier discharged electrode systems, can be characterized as 0.7 ~ 1.8 eV and (3-5) × 10^14-15 cm^-3, respectively. Herein, we introduce a general schematic view of the plasma ultraviolet photolysis of water molecules for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) generation inside biological cells or living tissues, which would be synergistically important with RONS diffusive propagation into cells or tissues. Of the RONS, the hydroxyl radical [OH] and hydrogen peroxide H₂O₂ species would mainly result in apoptotic cell death with other RONS in plasma bioscience and medicines. The diseased biological protein, cancer, and mutated cells could be treated by using a NBP or plasma activated water (PAW) resulting in their apoptosis for a new paradigm of plasma medicine.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.216-234
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• 2024

Background: Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, is designated as an emergency medical vulnerable area, facing significant challenges in transporting and treating emergency patients. A detailed analysis of the regional emergency medical system is required to identify effective solutions. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from the National Emergency Medical Information System and emergency activity logs with qualitative data from focus group interviews involving 24 stakeholders, including medical staff, paramedics, civil servants, and local residents. Results: Quantitative findings indicated an aging population in Hapcheon-gun, with a growing number of elderly emergency room users. Despite the utilization of local emergency medical institutions, a lack of trust and preference for urban hospitals led even patients with mild conditions to seek care at higher-level facilities. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, transport distances and times for patients using 119 emergency services increased. Qualitative analysis identified several issues: limited capacity of local institutions, challenges in patient transport due to misaligned emergency medical zones, an increase in severely ill patients, and the absence of a coordinated emergency medical consultative body. Recommendations include strengthening local institutions through government support, realignment of emergency zones, legal reforms, the establishment of a continuous consultative body, and enhancing the capacity of medical staff, paramedics, and residents. Conclusion: Improving the emergency medical system in Hapcheon-gun will require targeted efforts in institutional strengthening, legal and administrative support, and capacity-building initiatives.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2024

Purpose: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) usually causes a mild disease in children and the most serious consequence is multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Currently, there are no data about the protective role of vaccination performed by parents on children regarding the development of MIS-C. The aim of our study is to establish whether parental vaccination is related to MIS-C and the protective value of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination performed by parents against the occurrence of MIS-C in their children. Materials and Methods: Our retrospective single center study included 124 patients aged 1 month to 18 years admitted to emergency department from April 2020 to March 2022 for coronavirus disease 2019 disease. Results: Parental vaccination was negatively correlated with the development of MIS-C: 4% of patients with both parents vaccinated developed MIS-C, while patients with no parent vaccinated to have developed MIS-C were 20%. Conclusion: Parental vaccination could be an important factor influencing the course of the disease and reduces the probability that a child would develop MIS-C by 83% if both parents vaccinated.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.352-359
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• 2024

Background: Organizational downsizing may be significantly linked to depressive symptoms, yet research on this impact in Asian contexts is limited. This study investigates the association between downsizing during the COVID-19 pandemic and depressive symptoms across diverse employment statuses. Methods: This study used the data from 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey. Depressive symptoms were measured using WHO-5 well-being index with a cut-off of 50. Downsizing was defined as decrease in the number of employees during last three years. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for socio-demographic and occupational factors was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for depressive symptoms associated with downsizing, including subgroup analyses. Results: Among 26,247 Korean workers (mean age: 43.4, men: 47.5%), the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 29.5% (n = 7,751), and the proportion of downsizing was 15.2% (n = 3,978). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was significantly higher among the downsizing group (36.7%, n = 1,460) than among the no-downsizing group (28.3%, n = 6,291). The result of logistic regression revealed a significant association between downsizing and depressive symptoms (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 1.39 [1.29-1.50]), particularly pronounced among high socioeconomic status workers. Conclusion: This study underscores the significant association between depressive symptoms and organizational downsizing, especially high vulnerability of socioeconomically advantaged and stable workers. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted mental health support and further longitudinal research to clarify the relationship between employment changes and mental health within the Korean workforce.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.179-188
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• 2024

Objectives: The safety of distributed masks has been widely investigated following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Although the unpleasant odor from masks is concerning, research on the toxicity of volatile organic compounds emitted from them is limited. Here, we aimed to quantify the VOCs emitted from masks and explore strategies for safe mask usage. Methods: The VOCs emitted from 15 masks in five categories were measured. Proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS, IONICON, Austria), which can rapidly and sensitively detect complex mixtures, was conducted. The test chamber connected to the equipment was comprised of uninterrupted acrylic and glass. PTR-TOF-MS data were analyzed using Tofware (PTR-MS Viewer 3.3, IONICON, Austria). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS ver. 20 to determine the highest, lowest, and average concentrations of the VOCs (IBM SPSS Inc., USA). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to compare the VOCs emitted from different masks. Results: A total of 25 VOCs were detected among the 15 masks. The peak concentrations of formaldehyde, acrolein, isoprene, and benzene were higher than the exposure standards (Ceiling). The average concentrations of these compounds differed significantly among the mask samples (p < 0.05). The VOC concentration decreased gradually after approximately one hour. Conclusions: Higher concentrations of VOCs were emitted from healthy, printed, and surgical masks compared to industrial masks. Further research is required to determine the factors affecting VOCs, such as mask material, temperature, and humidity. For safety, masks must be ventilated for at least an hour before usage.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.107-152
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• 2020

During the main ruling in 2019, a number of rulings that were of interest or meaningful were handed down, such as just because the complication of medical practice has occurred, there is no presumption of negligence, a case involving a fall accident in which a lot of culpability has recently been made. the death of a well-known singer that caused a sensation, a case about damages caused by MERS in 2015, which is more meaningful in connection with damages caused by COVID-19, an infectious disease that has recently hit the world, including Korea. In preaching the principles of the law, just because there has been a complication caused by medical practice, there is no presumption of negligence, 'The scope of the complication without presumption of negligence' was determined differently by the court, the court was not able to specify the criteria. Specific circumstances were presented to limit the responsibility of the medical institution while acknowledging the malpractice of the medical institution in relation to the fall accident. In relation to the scope of damages, judgment was made on issues related to the calculation of lost profits of medical malpractice; criteria for determining celebrities' daily income, criteria for determining daily income in case of receiving survivor's pension due to medical accident, an incident in which the daily income is denied if the labor capacity is already lost at the time of a medical accident. But, it seems that judgments should be made based on clearer and more reasonable standards. Related to Medical Advertise, specific logic of judgment was presented as to whether it was interpreted as being in accordance with the specific prohibition listed in Article 27 paragraph 3 of the Medical Law, which is the criterion for violation of the Medical Law, or if it constitutes a significant harm to the order of the medical market. In response to the prohibition of operating the multiple medical institutions, the Constitutional Court decided that it was constitutional because it did not violate the regulations on excessive funding, and rationally limited the scope of the prohibited 'redundant operation'. The Supreme Court ruled for the first time that even a medical institution established and operated in violation of the Medical Service Act did not make it impossible to receive all medical care benefits implemented by a medical institution under the National Health Insurance Act. Significant rulings were finalized that recognized the existence of specific protection obligations for the people of the country in the management of infectious diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.29-40
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• 2020

This study quantitatively and qualitatively analyzes the physical environment for health promotion in urban parks by indicators that were selected in consideration of overseas cases and previous studies. To evenly distribute the areas to be evaluated by region, Seodaemun Independence Park, Hongneung Park, Gocheok Park, Sillim Park, Cheongdam Park, Gaepo Park, and Sungin Park were selected among the old neighborhood parks already established in Seoul. The evaluation indicators consist of quantitative indicators (12 factors classified into the three categories of the surrounding environment, the park characteristics, and the park facilities) and qualitative indicators (14 factors classified according to the five categories of accessibility, safety, convenience, activities, and amenities). These indicators were selected after conducting advisory meetings with experts in the field. The physical environment perception factors were evaluated by experts and investigators by field inspections and were rated on a three-point scale (high, medium, low). According to the results of the analysis, first, not only were exercise facilities and trails, but also various factors which support health activities, such as rest areas, leisure spots, and cultural facilities, as well as accessibility, cleanliness, and drinking water facilities are important indicators for health promotion. Second, even if the requirements are met for quantitative factors, several inconveniences hinder the actual implementation or use in the qualitative evaluation. Thus, both quantitative and qualitative evaluations must be simultaneously performed for the proper judging of the physical environment of a park. Third, upon conducting a qualitative evaluation of the physical environmental factors, score differences depended on the evaluated categories in each park. These differences show that indirect indicators, such as accessibility, safety, and facility convenience are insufficiently equipped compared to direct indicators, such as activity, which includes exercise facilities and fitness centers for health promotion. As the utilization rate of parks is increasing due to COVID-19, more efforts should be made to improve park services in the post-corona era. To promote such services, it is necessary to regularly evaluate parks based on both quantitative and qualitative indicators and to contemplate services not only through direct factors but also indirect factors and security measures.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.67-86
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• 2020

Recommender Systems have been huge influence users and business more and more. Recently the importance of E-commerce has been reached rapid growth greatly in world-wide COVID-19 pandemic. Recommender system is the center of E-commerce lively. Top ranked E-commerce managers mentioned that recommender systems have a major influence on customer's purchase such as about 50% of Netflix, Amazon sales from their recommender systems. Most algorithms have been focused on improving accuracy of recommender system regardless of novelty, diversity, serendipity etc. Recommender systems with only high accuracy cannot satisfy business long-term profit because of generating sales polarization. In addition, customers do not experience enjoyment of shopping from only focusing accuracy recommender system because customer's preference is changed constantly. Therefore, recommender systems with various values need to be developed for user's high satisfaction. Reranking is the most useful methodology to realize diversity of recommender system. In this paper, diversity of recommender system is represented through constructing high similarity with users who have different preference using each user's purchased item's category algorithm. It is distinguished from past research approach which is changing the algorithm of recommender system without user's diversity preference level. We tried to discover user's diversity preference level and observed the results how the effect was different according to user's diversity preference level. In addition, graph-based recommender system was used to show diversity through user's network, not collaborative filtering. In this paper, Amazon Grocery and Gourmet Food data was used because the low-involvement product, such as habitual product, foods, low-priced goods etc., had high probability to show customer's diversity. First, a bipartite graph with users and items simultaneously is constructed to make graph-based recommender system. However, each users and items unipartite graph also need to be established to show diversity of recommender system. The weight of each unipartite graph has played crucial role changing Jaccard Distance of item's category. We can observe two important results from the user's unipartite network. First, the user's diversity preference level is observed from the network and second, dissimilar users can be discovered in the user's network. Through the research process, diversity of recommender system is presented highly with small accuracy loss and optimalization for higher accuracy is possible controlling diversity ratio. This paper has three important theoretical points. First, this research expands recommender system research for user's satisfaction with various values. Second, the graph-based recommender system is developed newly. Third, the evaluation indicator of diversity is made for diversity. In addition, recommender systems are useful for corporate profit practically and this paper has contribution on business closely. Above all, business long-term profit can be improved using recommender system with diversity and the recommender system can provide right service according to user's diversity level. Lastly, the corporate selling low-involvement products have great effect based on the results.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.177-191
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• 2021

Due to the development of mobile devices and streaming technology, many changes in consumption patterns have appeared. In addition, social impact is becoming an era of non-face-to-face consumption due to the panthermic environment of COVID-19. Accordingly, in line with the non-face-to-face consumption trend, we focused on the importance of live commerce, which is emerging as a new distribution channel, and tried to investigate the causal relationship that the characteristics of live commerce and show hosts have on purchase intention. The respondents of this study were 235 general adults of live commerce users. Interaction, economics, entertainment as the characteristics of live commerce and attractiveness, professionality, and awareness as the characteristics of show hosts were set as independent variables. Purchase intention was set as the dependent variable, and content flow was set as the mediating variable. As a result of the study, it was found that the characteristics of live commerce such as Interaction, economics, entertainment, and the characteristics of show hosts such as attractiveness, professionality, and awareness all had a positive (+) significant effect on purchase intention. The impact was shown in the following order: entertainment of live commerce, awareness, attractiveness, professionality of show hosts, economics, interaction of live commerce. In addition, the results of the mediating effect of content flow on purchase intention are as follows. Content flow was found to play a mediating role between interaction, entertainment, attractiveness, professionality, awareness and purchase intention. On the other hand, economics was analyzed to have no mediating effect. The implications of this study are as follows. Companies and show hosts that sell products in live commerce should sell products that can inspire consumers rather than simply sell products. In addition, it is considered that content that provides entertainment and attractions gives pleasure to consumers. If not only a well-recognized show host, but also people with high recognition in various fields such as influencers and creators, become show hosts, consumers' content flow and purchase intentions will increase. And vendors must offer interesting content development and reasonable prices. Show hosts need to focus on active communication with consumers.