• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.172-179
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• 2018

Background: Insufficient training in infection control and occupational health among healthcare workers (HCWs) in countries with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) burdens requires attention. We examined the effectiveness of a 1-year Certificate Program in Occupational Health and Infection Control conducted in Free State Province, South Africa in an international partnership to empower HCWs to become change agents to promote workplace-based HIV and TB prevention. Methods: Questionnaires assessing reactions to the program and Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Practices were collected pre-, mid-, and postprogram. Individual interviews, group project evaluations, and participant observation were also conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data were thematically coded and analyzed using the Kirkpatrick framework. Results: Participants recruited (n = 32) were mostly female (81%) and nurses (56%). Pre-to-post-program mean scores improved in knowledge (+12%, p = 0.002) and skills/practices (+14%, p = 0.002). Preprogram attitude scores were high but did not change. Participants felt empowered and demonstrated attitudinal improvements regarding HIV, TB, infection control, and occupational health. Successful projects were indeed implemented. However, participants encountered considerable difficulties in trying to sustain improvement, due largely to lack of pre-existing knowledge and experience, combined with inadequate staffing and insufficient management support. Conclusion: Training is essential to strengthen HCWs' occupational health and infection control knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices, and workplace-based training programs such as this can yield impressive results. However, the considerable mentorship resources required for such programs and the substantial infrastructural supports needed for implementation and sustainability of improvements in settings without pre-existing experience in such endeavors should not be underestimated.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.19 no.1 s.71
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• pp.27-37
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• 2006

A Metropolis genetic algorithm (MGA) is developed and applied for the structural design optimization. In MGA, favorable features of Metropolis criterion of simulated annealing (SA) are incorporated in the reproduction operations of simple genetic algorithm (SGA). This way, the MGA maintains the wide varieties of individuals and preserves the potential genetic information of early generations. Consequently, the proposed MGA alleviates the disadvantages of premature convergence to a local optimum in SGA and time consuming computation for the precise global optimum in SA. Performances and applicability of MGA are compared with those of conventional algorithms such as Holland's SGA, Krishnakumar's micro GA, and Kirkpatrick's SA. Typical numerical examples are used to evaluate the computational performances, the favorable features and applicability of MGA. The effects of population sizes and maximum generations are also evaluated for the performance reliability and robustness of MGA. From the theoretical evaluation and numerical experience, it is concluded that the proposed MGA Is a reliable and efficient tool for structural design optimization.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.250-260
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• 2022

Evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs involves measuring learning processes as well as outcomes. It is essential to study cohorts of students and graduates to evaluate the long-term effects of educational programs with data generated both during education and after graduation. The purpose of this study was to establish cohorts of students and graduates to evaluate their performance, thereby providing a basis for evaluating the social accountability of medical education. In this study, student and graduate cohorts were built for both students currently enrolled and graduates at Inje University College of Medicine (IUCM). A model involving the process of cohort establishment and an evaluation indicator framework was developed. In the process of cohort establishment, the following steps were conducted: defining the goals and objectives of the student and graduate cohorts, organizing a cohort committee, developing regulations, registering cohorts, acquiring consent, and building a database. A framework of evaluation indicators according to the graduate roles of IUCM was developed by adapting Kirkpatrick's evaluation model. Next, items to be collected in student and graduate cohorts were selected, and the current status of existing data was analyzed. Moreover, a preliminary analysis was conducted, including analyses of the evaluation indicators and graduates' performance. This study suggests that it is necessary to include additional evaluation indicators considering students' learning environment and well-being in student cohorts and to develop strategies or methods for graduates to continue participating in data collection for a long-term study.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.277-286
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• 2023

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to develop a systematic tool that can evaluate the effects of interprofessional education (IPE) by applying four core competencies (values/ethics for interprofessional practice, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork) and an educational evaluation model to evaluate the learning, behavior of learners, and results step by step. Methods: Previous studies on IPE evaluation tools were analyzed, and an evaluation tool (draft) was developed by modifying questions suitable for evaluation according to the Kirkpatrick model's stages and core competencies. The evaluation tool was completed by conducting a Delphi survey twice with 4-6 experts. To analyze the Delphi survey, the content validity index (CVI) was calculated, and the reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha coefficient) was used to measure reliability. Results: 29 questions on pre-education, consisting of learning and behavior stages, and 54 questions on post-education, consisting of reaction, learning, behavior, and results stages, were developed. The CVI and Cronbach's alpha coefficient values were >0.8 and >0.6, respectively. Conclusions: The IPE evaluation tool developed in this study is expected to contribute to the evaluation of the educational level of IPE and the identification of points for improvement when applied to various educational settings.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2022

In order to maintain bone homeostasis, it is necessary to balance bone resorption and remodeling through the differentiation of osteoclasts that absorb old bone and osteoblasts that form new bone. However, bone resorption due to excessive osteoclast differentiation is a major cause of osteoporosis and controlling excessive osteoclast differentiation has been known as a treatment strategy for osteoporosis. Therefore, in this study, the effect of an ethanol extract of Sphaerotylus antarcticus Kirkpatrick, 1907 (SAE), polar-derived sponge with unknown biological activity, on the osteoclast differentiation process of RANKL-induced RAW264.7 cells and the generated ROS was evaluated. In the study results, SAE down-regulated the formation and function of RANKL-induced osteoclasts and osteoclast differentiation specific proteins, genes in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, it was possible to confirm the result of restoring the lost antioxidant enzyme along with down-regulation of ROS generated by RANKL. Therefore, in this study, we propose the possibility of SAE as a potential regulator of osteoporosis due to excessive osteoclast differentiation and report the biological value of the diversity of marine-derived natural products by identifying the first biological activity against SAE that is not yet known.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.118-132
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• 1999

To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public health personnel training, we evaluated not only how appropriate the students felt the objectives, contents, methods and multimedia used in the train ing courses, but also how much the students accomplished the objectives and applied skill and knowledge to their own works. We selected 5 courses for the study : Tuberculosis control, Radiological technique, Public health information, Immunization, Mental health management courses used by Kirkpatrick's evaluation model. Reaction evaluation was carried out in final day by questionnaire. The results showed that all of them were very satisfied with educational input and curricula, learn Ing environment. Secondly, we measured the degree of learning achievement on pre and post training by questionaire of specific behavioral objectives. The degree of learning achievement was statistically higher just after training than pre training (paired t-test, p<0.01). Thirdly, evaluation of behavioral change to job was conducted to find out how much students applied skill and knowledge to their own job in 3 months after training by questionnaire. The results of behavioral change evaluation showed that 43.5% of the students who were performing job related with the training courses in 3 months after training applied the learned skill and knowledge to their own job quite well and 37.8% of them applied relatively well, therefore total 81.4% of them applied to their own job. And effectiveness of training for the above mentioned students showed that 41.9 % of them had improved or enforced their jobs after training, 35.5% of them had had no remarkable changes, and 15.7% had newly applied the learned skill and knowledge to their jobs. For evaluating the degree of usefulness of material predistribution in two weeks before training, we compared experimental groups with control groups. The results showed that general reactions are helpful but the degree of learning achievement is no discrepancy.