• Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
• /
• v.67
• /
• pp.469-477
• /
• 2018

We describe surgical sutures enabled with the local, sustained delivery of a TGF-${\beta}$ inhibitory drug, tranilast. To fabricate drug-delivery sutures, we separately prepared a tranilast-loaded strand using poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid), which was then physically braided with a surgical suture already in clinical use. By this method, the drug-delivery sutures maintained the mechanical strength and allowed the modulation of drug release profiles by simply altering the tranilast-loaded strand. The drug-delivery sutures herein released tranilast for up to 14 days. When applied to animal models, scarring was indeed reduced with diminished TGF-${\beta}$ expression and fibroblast numbers during the entire 21 day testing period.

• East Asian Economic Review
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.441-468
• /
• 2020

Capital inflows have a strong presence that influences destination countries' development of institutions, which can in turn help resuscitate a stopped economy and re-attract capital that was lost during crises such as the recent public health crisis. While the previous literature emphasizes the mechanism that foreign investors press or even threaten the local government for change, this paper explores empirically whether institutional improvement can be achieved through the channel that host countries voluntarily reform institutions in anticipation of potential investments predicted by the exogenous geographical and cultural characteristics of the recipient countries. Given that countries with better institutional quality can accumulate larger FDI stocks, we still find that the need for more FDI, in contrast to FPI and debt, gives higher incentives to host countries to strategically improve their institutions before seeking capital overseas. Moreover, the predicted FDI exerts more prominent impacts on institutions on constraining elite than those involved in launching a business, enforcing contracts, and protecting properties. The results imply that a long-run plan for upgrading elite constraint institutions is crucial for a post-pandemic FDI reboot.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.259-270
• /
• 2022

This study explores the use of the recently developed "strain-sensing smart skin" (S⁴) method for noncontact strain measurements on cement-based samples. S⁴ sensors are single-wall carbon nanotubes dilutely embedded in thin polymer films. Strains transmitted to the nanotubes cause systematic shifts in their near-infrared fluorescence spectra, which are analyzed to deduce local strain values. It is found that with cement-based materials, this method is hampered by spectral interference from structured near-infrared cement luminescence. However, application of an opaque blocking layer between the specimen surface and the nanotube sensing film enables interference-free strain measurements. Tests were performed on cement, mortar, and concrete specimens with such modified S⁴ coatings. When specimens were subjected to uniaxial compressive stress, the spectral peak separations varied linearly and predictably with induced strain. These results demonstrate that S⁴ is a promising emerging technology for measuring strains down to ca. 30 𝜇𝜀 in concrete structures.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.109-120
• /
• 2022

Purpose: We would like to identify the appropriate size of stores in the commercial district suitable for the era of low growth. In addition, it is intended to present alternatives to prevent gentrification along with measures to revitalize commercial districts according to the selection of appropriate stores. Research design, data and methodology: The importance and commercial district usage patterns were identified through surveys by consumers and sellers. the demand and size of the commercial area were calculated based on the floating population and resident registration population. In addition, based on this, through metric analysis, the importance of the business district activation plan and what important matters can prevent gentrification were analyzed. Result: In this the study, 555 stores are currently operating in the target area, but it is seen as a commercial district with a scale that can operate 136 stores and 938 stores. In addition, it was analyzed that the Commercial Lease Protection Act needs to be strengthened to prevent gentrification. Conclusions: Due to the nature of small and medium-sized cities in Korea, commercial districts that have once lost their resilience must take much effort to find vitality. It is believed that local commercial districts will have resilience when diagnosis and recovery measures are adequately presented.

• Journal of Appropriate Technology
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.8-17
• /
• 2019

Solar pumps, for water lift systems, is becoming popular in rural areas for supplying drinking water in dry seasons when its need is elevated. The development in technology has also made solar pumps readily available and cheap which has increased its demands. So, for scattered settlements having a limited budget for operation and maintenance costs, solar pump is preferred over grid connected electrical pumping systems. This primary objective of the study was to design a solar photovoltaic pumping drinking water supply system for a small health post which is about 45 km east from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. The study also compared and verified the final design with the system's existing design prepared by a development agency. The water source for this study was a confined aquifer 115m below the surface. The water demand was calculated to be 11m³ per day. A 1500 kPa submersible pump attached to a motor was selected and installed. Along with that twelve solar panels, reservoir, transmission main and distribution main was designed. The outcomes conclude solar photovoltaic pumping water supply systems to be cost-effective with an estimated cost of only USD 0.84 million per MLD. Solar pumps require low maintenance and operation costs and its repairs can quickly be done by the local people. The study also shows that solar technology produces no sound, needs no fuel making it environmentally friendly.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 2023

Epidemiological control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is needed to estimate the infection period of confirmed cases and identify potential cases. The present study, targeting confirmed cases for which the time of COVID-19 symptom onset was disclosed, aimed to investigate the relationship between intervals (day) from symptom onset to testing the cycle threshold (CT) values of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Of the COVID-19 confirmed cases, those for which the date of suspected symptom onset in the epidemiological investigation was specifically disclosed were included in this study. Interval was defined as the number of days from symptom onset (as disclosed by the patient) to specimen collection for testing. A locally weighted regression smoothing (LOWESS) curve was applied, with intervals as explanatory variables and CT values (CTR for RdRp gene and CTE for E gene) as outcome variables. After finding its non-linear relationship, a polynomial regression model was applied to estimate the 95% confidence interval values of CTR and CTE by interval. The application of LOWESS in 331 patients identified a U-shaped curve relationship between the CTR and CTE values according to the number of interval days, and both CTR and CTE satisfied the quadratic model for interval days. Active application of these results to epidemiological investigations would minimize the chance of failing to identify individuals who are in contact with COVID-19 confirmed cases, thereby reducing the potential transmission of the virus to local communities.

• Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.13-21
• /
• 2024

Purpose: The purpose is to expand the role of local senior welfare centers as a place for intergenerational integration by analyzing the intergenerational awareness and satisfaction of participants in the intergenerational integration program. Research design, data and methodology: The empirical study conducted a survey on 205 participants (114 seniors, 91 teenagers) of the generation integration program being implemented at a senior welfare center located in Seoul. Results: Regarding the satisfaction of participants in the generation integration program, both the elderly and youth showed that the more contact they had between generations, the higher the satisfaction with participation. In the case of the elderly, the better the subjective health status, the older the respondent, and the lower the educational level, the higher the satisfaction, and the more frequently they met youth, the higher the satisfaction. On the other hand, the longer the youth participated in the program, the weaker their negative emotions toward the elderly, and the higher the degree of visits to grandparents, the higher their satisfaction with participation. Conclusions: The biggest determinant of satisfaction with the generational integration program at senior welfare centers is the intensity and frequency of contact between the elderly and youth generations.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.4
• /
• pp.5-29
• /
• 1995

Occupational health services in Korea have been operated as dual types : one is operated by occupational health care manager and the other is health care agency without their own personnel. The performance of occupational health service should be different due to the variety of characteristics of health care manager and workplace, qualification of health care manager. This study is to analyze performance of occupational health care services with a particular consideration of job performance shape and efficiency, based on comparing those two types of health care management to show on the basic data for the settlement of more qualitative health care management system at workplace. For this study, total 391 places in Seoul and Inchon city area ; 154 places (39.4%) managed by designated health care manager and 237 places (60.6%) by the agency with their commission are selected as research samples. Tools for data collection are questionnares that have been investigated during the period of 20 September 1993-20 December 1993. Those data are compared with percentiles, mean, standard deviation and B/C ratio using SPSS PC program. Conclusions observed from the tests and each comparison could be summerized as follows : 1. Occupational health care have been accomplished at workplaces with designated people than with agencies people, and coverage rate of the occupational health care services has differences, due to management types. The reason of these results is due to visit only one or two times monthly by the agencies, while their own health care manager obsess, at the workplaces all the times. 2. Most of the expense for environmental control of all health care services expenditures shows that there is almost no fundamental improvement because more expenses are needed for procuring personal protective equipment and measuring work environment instead of environmental improvement. 3. It is investigated how much the cost of occupational health care services needs per worker, and calculated how much the cost needs per service hour per worker. The results from this show that the cost of occupational health services at workplaces with their own managers used less than the cost of health care agencies, eventually the former gives better services with less cost than the latter. 4. Benefit/Cost ratio is also produced by total benefit/total cost. The result from the above way reads 4.57 as a whole, while their own manager having workplaces reads 4.82 and the agencies do l.56. Even if their own manager performing workplaces spent more cost, this system produces more benefit than the agencies management. 5. The B/C ratio for medical organization such as local clinic, health care center and pharmacy shows more than or equal to at the workplaces controlled by the agencies. It is inferred that benefit would be much less than the cost used, with so being inefficient. 6. It is assumed that the efficiency ratio of health education is equal to reduction rate of workers medical organization visit. Estimated reduction rate 5%, 10%, 15%, show that the efficiency ratio of health education have an effect on producing benefits. It is estimated that more benefit can be produced if more qualitative education will be provided for enhancing health care efficiency. 7. Results of this study cannot be generalized because there are large scale of deviation in case of workplaces with less than 300 full time workers, but B/C ratio reads 2.69 as a whole and 3.25 at workplaces with their own health care manager are higher than 1.63 at the workplaces manged by the agencies. Finally, all the benefit concerning health care services could not be quantified, measured and shown on the value of money. This is a reason that a considerable part of benefits are so underestimated. This is also thought that measurement tools should be developed for measuring benefits of health care services with a comprehensive quantification. in the future. It is also expected that efficiency of occupational health care services should be investigated using cost-effectiveness analysis.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.61-77
• /
• 2007

Background & Objective, Methods: This study aims to analyze the reason why if university students feel lack of sleep and study how much we know about correct sleeping habits and thus increase attention on correct sleeping habits and prepare plans for applying this into our lives thus 210 male and female students from 2 universities in Daegu were studied during May 10 and 15 of 2006 and the summary and results are as follows. Results: Sleeping is very important since it as much as takes about 1/3 of our lives. However, most of students do not sleep well. Therefore, this study researched the reason for not sleeping well and the status on incorrect sleeping habits subjecting 210 university students. The results of this research showed that average sleeping hours are for $6{\sim}8$ hours and majority of students went to bed before lam and got up before 7am. Majority of students went to bed late to watch TV or doing computers from both male and female students followed by attending various gatherings. It took $10{\sim}20$ minutes to fall asleep and reasons for waking up while sleeping was with no special reason. The most sleepy time was after meals at 39% followed by during class, during daytime, while using transportations. More female students answered to take nap than male students and majority of them answered as taking nap for less than 2 hours. And, 51% answered that they slept well and 49% answered that they did not, and majority of them answered the reason for not sleeping well as being sensitive, or because of dreams and nightmares. Chronic fatigue was the biggest cause for lack of sleeping followed by fall in concentration, skin diseases. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that we need to take plenty of sleep by exercising regularly or sleeping for daily appropriate hours, maintaining peaceful mind before going to bed, avoid taking naps and limiting the time for watching TV and doing computers to develop correct sleeping habits. Also, we hope that it will Provide an opportunity to live healthy and quality lives mentally as well as physically by realizing and practicing the importance and necessity of sleeping.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.11 no.10
• /
• pp.369-376
• /
• 2020

This study was to investigate the predictors of suicidal thoughts in the subjects who received the support for depression drug costs at a local public health center. The subjects were 156 depressed patients aged 18 and over. Data analysis was conducted by descriptive statistics, χ²-test, t-test and logistic regression analysis. The results of the analysis showed that the suicidal thoughts rate of the subjects was 25%, and the subjects showed significant differences in suicidal thoughts as the duration of antidepressant use was longer (t=-2.19, p<.05), the perceived physical health(t=3.03, p<.01) and the perceived mental health (t=5.21, p<.001) were lower, and the depression(x²=41.11, p<.001) were higher. The predictors of suicidal thoughts were perceived mental health(OR=0.97, p<.05) and depression(OR=8.44, p<.001). The regression equation of this study explained 42.4% of the suicidal thoughts of the subjects. Continued assessment and convergent mental health promotion programs are required for depression patients living in the community.