• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.352-366
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• 2022

Nuclear power plant operations for electricity generation, rare-earth mining, nuclear medical research, and nuclear weapons reprocessing considerably increase radioactive waste, necessitating massive efforts to eradicate radioactive waste from aquatic environments. Cobalt (⁵⁸Co) and strontium (⁹⁰Sr) radioactive elements have been extensively employed in energy generation, nuclear weapon testing, and the manufacture of healthcare products. The erroneous discharge of these elements as pollutants into the aquatic system, radiation emissions, and long-term disposal is extremely detrimental to humans and aquatic biota. Numerous methods for treating radioactive waste-contaminated water have emerged, among which the adsorption process has been promoted for its efficacy in eliminating radioactive waste from aquatic habitats. The current review discusses the adsorptive removal of radioactive waste from aqueous solutions using low-cost adsorbents, such as graphene oxide, metal-organic frameworks, and inorganic metal oxides, as well as their composites. The chemical modification of adsorbents to increase their removal efficiency is also discussed. Finally, the current state of ⁵⁸Co and ⁹⁰Sr removal performances is summarized and the efficiencies of various adsorbents are compared.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.310-317
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• 2023

Small-film-type ion sensors are garnering considerable interest in the fields of wearable healthcare and home-based monitoring systems. The performance of these sensors primarily relies on electrode capacitance, often employing nanocomposite materials composed of nano- and sub-micrometer particles. Traditional techniques for enhancing capacitance involve the creation of nanoparticles on film electrodes, which require cost-intensive and complex chemical synthesis processes, followed by additional coating optimization. In this study, we introduce a simple one-step electrochemical method for fabricating gold nanoparticles on a carbon nanotube (Au NP-CNT) electrode surface through cyclic voltammetry deposition. Furthermore, we assess the improvement in capacitance by distinguishing between the electrical double-layer capacitance and diffusion-controlled capacitance, thereby clarifying the principles underpinning the material design. The Au NP-CNT electrode maintains its stability and sensitivity for up to 50 d, signifying its potential for advanced ion sensing. Additionally, integration with a mobile wireless data system highlights the versatility of the sensor for health applications.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.214-222
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• 2023

Refugees who are persecuted can apply for refugee recognition in the Republic of Korea in accordance with the Refugee Convention and the Refugee Act. They can do so either at the port of entry or during their stay in Korea. After undergoing screening, individuals may be recognized and protected under different categories, such as recognized refugees, humanitarian status holders, refugee applicants, and refugees seeking resettlement. Recognized refugees are entitled to the same social benefits and basic livelihood guarantees as Korean nationals. Humanitarian status holders and refugee applicants may receive support such as minimum living expenses, housing facilities, medical care, and education. In the medical field, refugees and their unmarried minor children are eligible for medical support through the "Medical Service Support Project for Marginalized Populations, Including Foreign Workers." This support is in addition to the national healthcare coverage and medical benefits provided by the government. However, there are pressing concerns regarding the inadequate budget allocated to this project and the excessive cost burden placed on participating medical institutions. It is crucial to secure additional funding and implement administrative improvements. Furthermore, it is essential to develop medical support measures that ensure the minimum right to health for individuals who choose not to undergo the refugee recognition process at the port of entry.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.134-140
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• 2017

Purpose: Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is the most serious form of primary immunodeficiency. Infants with SCID are susceptible to life-threatening infections. To establish newborn screening for SCID in Korea, we performed a screening test for T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) and ${\kappa}$-deleting recombination excision circle (KREC) in neonates and investigated the awareness of SCID among their parents. Methods: Collections of dried blood spots from neonates and parent surveys were performed at the Samsung Medical Center and Cheil General Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center in Korea. The amplification crossing point (Cp) value <37.0 was defined as TREC/KRECpositive based on cutoff values from measuring multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction. A Cp value >39.0 was defined as negative. Results: For TREC/KREC screening, 141 neonates were enrolled; 63 (44.7%) were male. One hundred forty neonates (99.3%) had positive TREC/KREC results at the time of the initial test; 82.3% and 75.9% were positive and 17.0% and 23.4% were weakly positive for TREC and KREC, respectively. In one neonate (0.7%), the initial TREC/KREC test result was negative. However, repeated tests obtained and confirmed a positive result. For an awareness survey, 168 parents were engaged. Only 2% of parents (3/168) knew that the newborn screening test for SCID had been introduced and performed in other countries. Eighty-four percent of parents (141/168) replied that nationwide newborn SCID screening should be performed in Korean newborns. Conclusions: In this study, newborn SCID screening was performed along with assessment of public awareness of the SCID test in Korea. The study results showed that newborn SCID screening can be readily applied for clinical use at a relatively low cost in Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3357-3362
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• 2013

The human skeleton is the most common organ to be affected by metastatic cancer and bone metastases are a major cause of cancer morbidity. The five most frequent cancers in Malaysia among males includes prostate whereas breast cancer is among those in females, both being associated with skeletal lesions. Bone metastases weaken bone structure, causing a range of symptoms and complications thus developing skeletal-related events (SRE). Patients with SRE may require palliative radiotherapy or surgery to bone for pain, having hypercalcaemia, pathologic fractures, and spinal cord compression. These complications contribute to a decline in patient healthrelated quality of life. The multidimensional assessment of health-related quality of life for those patients is important other than considering a beneficial treatment impact on patient survival, since the side effects of treatment and disease symptoms can significantly impact health-related quality of life. Cancer treatment could contribute to significant financial implications for the healthcare system. Therefore, it is essential to assess the health-related quality of life and treatment cost, among prostate and breast cancer patients in countries like Malaysia to rationalized cost-effective way for budget allocation or utilization of health care resources, hence helping in providing more personalized treatment for cancer patients.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.375-385
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• 2015

This study aims to identify geographical variations and factors that affect smoking rates. The data are collected from the Community Health Survey conducted between 2009 and 2011 by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government organizations. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the factors influencing smoking rates. For the purpose of investigating regional variations, we employed a decision tree model. The study has found that the significant factors associated with geographical variations in the smoking rates were the rate of hazardous drinking, the completion rate of hypertension education, the experience rate of anti-smoking campaigns, stress awareness rate, hypertension prevalence, health insurance cost, diabetes prevalence, obesity rate, and strength training rate. Convergence-based analysis on geographical variations of the smoking rates is highly important when the regionally customized healthcare programs is implemented. In the future, it is necessary to develop effective program and customized approach for the regions of high smoking rates. Our study is expected to be used as meaningful data for the design of effective health care programs and assessments to lead effective non-smoking program.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.45-49
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• 2016

It may be summarized to four kinds of innovation through global convergence, and the convergence of adjacent areas according to mega-trends in medical services market and actively introduced ICT technologies, public and private partnership. Health care is no longer a local industry, it is becoming Global Convergence. In the case of developed countries, it is increased to income levels, the development of new medical technologies, while the increase in specialized medical services and need of aging population. It increases migration of foreign medical personnel, geographical proximity and choice of the best medical technology, regardless of the cost. The increasing demand for high quality yet relatively low foreign prices of medical services. Hospitals are especially spread of international certification such as the US JCI standards. Hospital exports are being evaluated and opened the way for the export industrialization as ICT convergence hospital that can be exported to the fusion-related technologies more efficiently. Current local hospital has already reached saturation, globalization of Korean hospital is being the time necessary. Thus, unlike a strategy for each country, as well as technology transfer it is also possible, such as total exports provided the building, medical equipment procurement, local medical personnel (doctors and nurses) selection and training, PR and marketing. In the current medical law and need to be revised prospectively maintained for publicity and abroad, there is a need for further legal dragons and actively support a more flexible policy on the application of national law overseas medical services.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.460-469
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• 2015

This study's aim is for reducing big data transfer time of IoT healthcare devices by modulating digital bits into Manchester code including zero-voltage idle as information for secondary compressed binary cluster's compartment after two step compression of compressing binary data into primary and secondary binary compressed clusters for each binary clusters having compression benefit of 1 bit or 2 bits. Also this study proposed that as department information of compressed binary clusters, inserting idle signal into Manchester code will have benefit of reducing transfer time in case of compressing binary cluster into secondary compressed binary cluster by 2 bits, because in spite of cost of 1 clock idle, another 1 bit benefit can play a role of reducing 1 clock transfer time. Idle signal is also never consecutive because the signal is for compartment information between two adjacent secondary compressed binary cluster. Voltage transition on basic rule of Manchester code is remaining while inserting idle signal, so DC balance can be guaranteed. This study's simulation result said that even compressed binary data by another compression algorithms could be transferred faster by as much as about 12.6 percents if using this method.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.427-434
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• 2019

The Medical Residents Act was enacted in December 2016 to protect the rights of residents, and to ensuring the safety of patients, and nurturing good medical human resources. This study analyzed the changes of training conditions according to the enforcement of The Medical Residents Act by comparing the results of two surveys conducted in 2015(1,793 Residents) and 2017(1,768 Residents). As a result, Residents worked over 80 hours per week on average('15=92.4h, '17=87.3h) and they worked twice as many times as 36 hours('15=89.4h, '17=70.1h). Female residents' leave before and after childbirth('15=78.5day, '17=82.2day), Preparation of Standard training contract('15=19.3%, '17=40.8%), Delivery of training contract('15=12.4%, '17=36.1%) did not comply with the regulations. The training conditions of the residents is directly related to the safety of patients and the public's health. National support is needed for the support of substitute workforces, fair training evaluation conditions and incentives based on the evaluation results, labor costs for residents and supervising medical specialists, and the cost of making training programs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2019

Background: Understanding the burden of disease is important to establish cost-effective treatment strategies and to allocate healthcare resources appropriately. However, little reliable information is available regarding the overall economic burden imposed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Korea. Methods: This study is a multicenter observational research on the COPD burden in Korea. Total COPD costs were comprised of three categories: direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs. For direct medical costs, institutional investigation was performed at 13 medical facilities mainly based on the claims data. For direct non-medical and indirect costs, site-based surveys were administered to the COPD patients during routine visits. Total costs were estimated using the COPD population defined in the recent report. Results: The estimated total costs were approximately 1,245 million US dollar (1,408 billion Korean won). Direct medical costs comprised approximately 20% of the total estimated costs. Of these, formal medical costs held more than 80%. As direct non-medical costs, nursing costs made up the largest percentage (39%) of the total estimated costs. Costs for COPD-related loss of productivity formed four fifths of indirect costs, and accounted for up to 33% of the total costs. Conclusion: This study shows for the first time the direct and indirect costs of COPD in Korea. The total costs were enormous, and the costs of nursing and lost productivity comprised approximately 70% of total costs. The results provide insight for an effective allocation of healthcare resources and to inform establishment of strategies to reduce national burden of COPD.