• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.75-85
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• 2017

Objectives : The new health technology assessment (nHTA) involves evaluating the safety and efficacy of the new health technology under the Medical Services Act by the New Health Technology Assessment Project Division from 2007. The purpose of this study is to understand the status of applications and recent trends of the results, and suggest strategies for the development of new health technologies in Korean Medicine. Methods : We investigated and analyzed the results of evaluation of new health technology of whole conventional medical and the list of new health technologies in Korean Medicine provided by the New Health Technology Assessment Project Division from 2007 to 2016. Results : The number of applications for new health technology of Korean medicine was low as 41 items in the whole number of 2,013 items. The evaluation method of new health technologies in both, the whole medical and Korean medicine fields was the same, but the tendency in results was very different. Most of the new health technology items in Korean medicine were classified as existing technology (20 items), early stage technology (7 items), and Only 2 items were evaluated as research stage technology. Conclusions : In order to develop new health technology in the Korean medical field, we have made suggestions about the health technology assessment systems, R&D infrastructures, and corporation with conventional medicines.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2013

RADCONS Ver. 1.0 (RADiological CONSequence Assessment Program) was developed for radiological risk assessment in this study. A Gaussian plume model was used to analyze the fate and transport of radionuclides released into the air in case of accidents. Both single meterological data and time series meterological data can be used in RADCONS. To assess the radiological risk of the early phase after an accident, ED (Effective Dose) estimated by both deterministic and probabilistic approaches are presented. These EDs by deterministic and probabilistic will be helpful to efficient decision making for decision makers. External doses from deposited materials by time are presented for quantifying the effects of mid and late phases of an accident. A radiological risk assessment was conducted using RADCONS for an accident scenario of 1 Ci of Cs-137. The maximum of ED for radii of 1,000 meters from the accident point was 8.51E-4 mSv. After Monte-Carlo simulation, considering the uncertainty of the breathing rate and dispersion parameters, the average ED was 8.49E-4, and the 95 percentile was 1.10E-3. A data base of the dose coefficients and a sampling module of the meteorological data will be modified to improve the user's convenience in the next version.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.483-491
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• 2019

In orderto cope with the post-2020 in accordance with the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas (GHG)reduction in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and its contributions to post-2020 were discussed. The 26 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) administered by Geum-River Basin Environmental Office from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed for reviewing GHG mitigation measures. From the case study, it was found that the assessment of GHG emissions reduction and climate change adaptation were not appropriately performed. In this study, the following measures are proposed to improve the inappropriate assessment of 'GHG subject matter' associated with EIA according to post-2020, 1) allotment of enforced charge on GHG emission during the EIA process, 2) addition of the 'GHG subject matter' in 'establishing permissible discharge standards' which is based on "Act on the Integrated Control of Pollutant-discharging Facilities", and 3) the participation of stakeholders in early EIA stage for governance. Also the details on the EIA for the preparedness of post-2020 were discussed here.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.173-179
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• 2021

Background: In Korea, the length of stay and medical expenses incurred by medical aid patients are increasing at a rate faster than the national health insurance. Therefore, there is a need to create a management strategy for each type of hospitalization to manage the length of stay of medical aid patients. Methods: The study used data from the 2019 National Health Insurance Claims. We analyzed the factors that affect the length of stay for 186,576 medical aid patients who were hospitalized for more than 31 days, with a focus on the type of hospitalization in long-term care hospitals. Results: The study found a significant correlation between gender, age, medical aid type, chronic disease ratio, long-term care hospital patient classification, and hospitalization type variables as factors that affect the length of hospital stay. The analysis of the differences in the length of stay for each type of hospitalization showed that the average length of stay is 291.4 days for type 1, 192.9 days for type 2, and 157.0 days for type 3, and that the difference is significant (p<0.0001). When type 3 was 0, type 1 significantly increased by 99.4 days, and type 2 by 36.6 days (p<0.0001). Conclusion: A model that can comprehensively view factors, such as provider factors and institutional factors, needs to be designed. In addition, to reduce long stays for medical aid patients, a mechanism to establish an early discharge plan should be prepared and concerns about underutilization should be simultaneously addressed.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.359-367
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• 2020

The aim of this study was to identify the association between candidiasis and early childhood caries and to investigate whether the experience of candidiasis or oral candidiasis before age 1 can be considered as a risk factor for early childhood caries. The database used in this study was provided by Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Medical records of children born from January 2010 to December 2012 were obtained, and those without dental records were excluded. Subjects were divided into several groups based on the experience of candidiasis or oral candidiasis before age 6: candidiasis group and non-candidiasis group; oral candidiasis group and non-oral candidiasis group. Another categorization was done according to the experience of candidiasis or oral candidiasis before age 1. The incidence rate of early childhood caries in each group were compared. The prevalence of dental caries in children who have been diagnosed with candidiasis or oral candidiasis before age 6 was significantly different from those who have not experienced candidiasis. Similarly, children who have suffered from candidiasis or oral candidiasis before age 1 had significantly different incidence of caries from the children without candidiasis experience.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.449-460
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• 2012

We investigated the differences between the teachers' perception and practice on portfolio assessments in kindergartens and daycare centers, and analyzed their dependence on various underlying factors. The participants of this study include 304 teachers in the kindergartens and daycare centers in J I G cities in Jeollabuk-do. The answers on the questionnaires were analysed by evaluating frequencies, percentage, averages, and standard deviations, and by carrying out paired t-test, ANOVA, and Scheff$\acute{e}$ verification using SPSS 18.0 program. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, teachers' practice fell meaningfully short of their perception in every sub-categories of the method and the effect of the portfolio assessment. Among the various underlying factors, only teachers' educational level played significant role. The difference between the perception and practice was relatively large among the teachers with regular 4-year college diploma as compared to junior-college graduates. Second, as we examine the difficulties in the portfolio assessment, teachers in general found difficulties on the questionnaires in all sub-categories, although the dependence on the underlying factors varies across the sub-categories. For example, teachers with higher level of education or who work at public kindergartens felt relatively more difficulties in the portfolio assessment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.49-62
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• 2019

Environmental changes can affect life-history traits, such as growth rate and reproduction, and organisms adapt on a given environmental condition to maximize ecological fitness. This study shows the effects of water temperature and dissolved oxygen level on early growth and accumulated damage in fish using a dynamic-state-dependent model. I have hypothesized that the level of foraging activity is related to growth and stress and so the optimal level can maximize reproductive success - ultimately, fitness. The critical temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) is also defined as inducing the maximum growth rate at the level. So, the model predicts the highest growth rate at oxygen saturation and lower growth rate at lower or higher level of DO in water. Lower DO (i.e., hypoxia) causes slower growth rate through higher amount of accumulated stress whereas higher DO (i.e., hyperoxia) induces faster growth rate, but smaller body size. In addition, I show that there is lower impact when considering simple or independent environmental factors on environmental assessment. My findings suggest that multiple environmental factors as physiological ecology approach should be considered to improve impact assessment in environmental changes and a further study is needed to develop advanced assessment tools considering multiple environmental factors.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 1999

Purpose: Heart to liver ratio on T1-201 per rectal scintigraphy (shunt index) is known to be useful in the assessment of portal systemic shunt. We assessed T1-201 uptake pattern and early liver/heart uptake rate of T1-201 and correlated with shunt index in patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and liver cirrhosis (LC). Materials and Methods: Fifty eight patients with biopsy-proven chronic liver disease (35 with CAH, 23 with LC) underwent T1-201 per rectum scintigraphy after instillation of 18.5 MBq of T1-201 into the upper rectum. We evaluated hepatic uptake (type 1 : homogeneous, 2: inhomogeneous segmental, 3: inhomogeneous nonsegmental) and extrahepatic uptake of spleen, heart and kidney (grade 0: no uptake, 1: less than liver, 2: equal to liver, 3: greater than liver). We measured the early liver/heart uptake rate (the slope of the liver to heart uptake ratio for 10 min) and shunt index (heart to liver uptake ratio). T1-201 uptake pattern and early liver/heart uptake rate of T1-201 was correlated with the pathologic diagnosis and shunt index. Results: Hepatic uptake patterns of type 1 and 2 were dominant in CAH (CAH: 27/35, LC. 8/23), and type 3 in LC (CAH: 8/35, LC: 15/23)(p<0.005). The grades of extrahepatic uptake were higher in LC than in CAH (spleen: p<0.001, other soft tissue: p<0.005). The early liver/heart uptake rate of CAH ($0.110{\pm}0.111$) was significantly higher than that of LC ($0.014{\pm}0.090$)(p<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the early liver/heart uptake rate were 77.7% and 67.7% in differentiating LC from CAH. There was negative correlation between early liver/heart uptake rate and shunt index (r=-0.3347, p<0.01). Conclusion: Hepatic and extrahepatic uptake pattern and early liver/heart uptake rate on T1-201 per rectum scintigraphy are useful in the assessment of portal systemic shunt in patients with chronic liver disease.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.194-201
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• 2017

Objectives: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used in various commercial products, but they are exposed to the environment and can induce toxicity. In this study, we investigated the environmental fate and bioaccumulation of ZnO NPs in a microcosm. Methods: The microcosm was composed of water, soil (Lufa Soil 2.2) and organisms (Oryzias latipes, Neocaridina denticulata, Semisulcospira libertina). Point five and 5 mg/L of ZnO NPs were exposed in the microcosm for 14 days. Total Zn concentrations were measured using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and intracellular NPs were observed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Results: In the initial stages of exposure, the Zn concentrations in water increased in all exposure groups and then decreased, while the Zn concentration in soil increased after three hours for the 5 mg/L solution. Zn concentrations also showed increasing trends in N. denticulata and S. libertina at 0.5 and 5 mg/L, and in O. latipes at 5 mg/L. Accumulation of NPs was found in the livers of O. latipes and hepatopancreas of N. denticulata and S. libertina. Conclusions: In the early stages of exposure, ZnO NPs remained in the water, and then were transported to the soil and test species. Unlike other species, total Zn concentrations in N. denticulata and S. libertina increased for both 0.5 mg/L and 5 mg/L. Therefore, ZnO NPs were more easily accumulated in zoobenthos than in fish.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.125-135
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• 2004

Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) in Korea has been used to improve environmental conservation and decision-making. Since environmental impact statement(EIS) was introduced in 1981 with the promulgation of the Environmental Preservation Act in 1977, which replaced the Pollution Control Act legislated in 1963. With a rapid growth of environmental perception as well as the diversification of development activities, however, it has recently bring about a strong demand for a new assessment process related to the strategic level of policies, plan, programs. Method of this study includes analyses of the situation of local EIA and its problematic issues through survey and analysis of information and data, analysis of the level of environmental awareness of professionals and case studies including analysis of foreign strategic environmental assessment. Accordingly, I have elicited a concept of SEA. In addition, I have studied on costs of environmental assessment, and efficiency of internalization of HIA. The survey was carried between September and November 2003, and 177 professionals were asks to complete a questionnaire. As a result of questionnaire survey of environmental pundits, it revealed that 83.8% of participants were in favor of introduction of strategic assessment. This result demonstrated more or less higher approval rate than those of awareness survey done by the Ministry of Environment, i.e. 86.0% ayes, and 14.0% nays. 22.8% of participants agreed to the opinion; "For introduction of this system, earlier is better," 50% reported having an opinion such as, "Will introduce this system in an earliest possible time after correcting problems," 26.3% reported having an opinion such as, "Let's decide the time for introduction of this system after correcting problems first,' and 0.9% reported having an opinion, "it's too early to introduce this system." Specifically, the ratio of ayes on introduction of the system marked 72.8%, and it revealed that a majority of respondents have an opinion such as, "Will introduce this system in an earliest possible time after correcting problems." As means of solutions for the problem regarding the limits of applications that existed in SEA System, factors, such as collecting a wide variety of opinions, securing experts, and faithful implementation, etc. were reported important, and in addition to these factors, respondents revealed having opinions such as, consistent research and development, reflection of public interest, establishment of professional organization, enforcement of after-management service, expanding investments in large, systemizing reference materials, and encouraging public participation, etc. To improve problems involving with present EIA system, it has been identified through this study that SEA is efficient and useful. In order to have SEA introduced successfully, it has been cleared that internalization of effectiveness of environmental cost together with HIA must be accomplished.