• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.356-369
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• 2024

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore healthcare providers' experiences in managing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on healthcare services. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with 34 healthcare professionals across 15 districts in Bangladesh. Among the participants, 24 were health managers or administrators stationed at the district or upazila (sub-district) level, and 10 were clinicians providing care to patients with COVID-19. The telephone interviews were conducted in Bangla, audio-recorded, transcribed, and then translated into English. Data were analyzed thematically. Results: Most interviewees identified a range of issues within the health system. These included unpreparedness, challenges in segregating COVID-19 patients, maintaining isolation and home quarantine, a scarcity of intensive care unit beds, and ensuring continuity of service for non-COVID-19 patients. The limited availability of personal protective equipment, a shortage of human resources, and logistical challenges, such as obtaining COVID-19 tests, were frequently cited as barriers to managing the pandemic. Additionally, changes in the behavior of health service seekers, particularly increased aggression, were reported. The primary motivating factor for healthcare providers was the willingness to continue providing health services, rather than financial incentives. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique set of challenges for health systems, while also providing valuable lessons in managing a public health crisis. To effectively address future health crises, it is crucial to resolve a myriad of issues within the health system, including the inequitable distribution of human resources and logistical challenges.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.306-311
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• 2016

Objective: This study was performed to compare the changes in the blood concentrations of tacrolimus when either itraconazole or voriconazole is together with tacrolimus to prevent or treat invasive aspergillus pneumonia (IAP) in patients with lung transplants. Therefore we can compare the degree of drug-drug interactions between tacrolimus and itraconazole against tacrolimus and voriconazole. Methods: Patients who were admitted and had lung transplants in a territory referral hospital from September 2012 to May 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. The effects of itraconazole and voriconazole on the plasma concentrations of tacrolimus were analyzed. Results: Mean tacrolimus concentrations was $10.49{\pm}2.35ng/mL$ vs. $10.95{\pm}2.98ng/mL$ (p=0.722), and mean concentration of tacrolimus over the dose of tacrolimus per day was $8.510{\pm}5.890(ng/mL)/(mg/d)$ vs. $15.45{\pm}28.47(ng/mL)/(mg/d)$ (p=0.947) in itraconazole vs. voriconazole group each. The ratio of the number of the results out of target tacrolimus concentrations to the total number of tacrolimus concentration results was $18.0{\pm}13.3%$ vs. $24.4{\pm}18.5%$ (p=0.185). Conclusion: There were no significant differences between itraconzaole and voriconazole to have influences on mean concentrations of tacrolimus over tacrolimus dose per weight per day. However voriconazole tended to raise tacrolimus plasma concentrations more than itraconazole. Safer and more effective drug management to prevent and treat fungal infections should be done by therapeutic drug monitoring not only of tacrolimus but of itraconazole and voriconazole in lung transplant patients.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare color correspondence of different sizes of Vita Mark II$^{(R)}$ and TriLuxe$^{(R)}$ Feldspar blocks. Methods: The three commercially available shades(1M2, 2M2, 3M2) of Mark II & TriLuxe blocks for the CEREC$^{(R)}$ CAD/CAM system were examined. For each of three colors, three different sizes were tested, 5 blocks each. The measurements were made using a spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere using the CIE $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$ colorimetric system. Results: The $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$ value of Vita Mark II$^{(R)}$ ceramic block showed significantly higher than TriLuxe$^{(R)}$ ceramic block(p<0.05). In comparing the Vita Mark II$^{(R)}$ specimen of the three different shade, color differences between materials(${\Delta}E^*$) showed the lowest value of 2.09, and the highest was 2.24. ${\Delta}E^*$ values of the materials of Vita Mark II$^{(R)}$ were higher than 2. As the size of ceramic block differed, the color correspondence of Vita Mark II$^{(R)}$ showed statistically significant difference but, this result is clinically acceptable. Conclusion: All the different sizes of the different shades of Vita TriLuxe$^{(R)}$ blocks for the CEREC$^{(R)}$ system showed the high degree of color correspondence necessary in industrially prefabricated CAD/CAM blocks. The results of the present study suggested that it would be necessary to establish the reproducible and constant color specification system for an esthetic restoration.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2006

The detection of many synthetic chemicals used in industry that may pose a genetic hazard in our environment is of great concern at present. Since these substances are not limited to the original products, and enter the environment, they have become widespread environmental pollutants, thus leading to a variety of chemicals that possibly threaten the public health. In this respect, to regulate and to evaluate the chemical hazard will be important to environment and human health. The clastogenicity of 11 synthetic chemicals was evaluated in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells in vitro. 1-Chloro-3-bromopropane CAS No. 109-70-6) induced chromosomal aberrations with significance at the concentration of $185.0\;{\mu}g/mL\;and\;1,600\;{\mu}g/mL$ both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation system, respectively. Triphenyl phosphite (CAS No. 101-02-0), which is one of the most cytotoxic chemical among 11 chemicals tested revealed no clastogenicity in the range of $95.0-4.9\;{\mu}g/mL$ both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation system. From the results of chromosomal aberration assay with 11 synthetic chemicals in Chinese hamster lung cells in vitro, 1-chloro-3-bromopropane revealed a positive clastogenic result in this study.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 2014

Background: The development of technology can be beneficial for the life and health of human society. Crowdsourcing refers to drawing upon a large pool of individuals in order to seek services, ideas, or other contributions. With the development of information communication technology, crowdsourcing is able to provide powerful results in environmental health research. Methods: We searched 'crowdsourcing' and 'citizen science' for keywords related to the environmental health field and only selected journal articles and conference proceedings material, such as research reports and WHO reports. Results: This paper reviewed environmental health research using crowdsourcing. Examples of such research based on crowdsourcing included practices in environmental disasters, noise monitoring, global positioning system (GPS) technology, smart phones, attached portable devices and information delivery by web. Crowdsourcing methods can provide notably distinct approaches for future environmental health research. However, it is also important to protect personal information whenever crowdsourcing is applied to data generation and information dissemination. Conclusion: We expect that this review may provide useful information for the development of new environmental health research methods using crowdsourcing and citizen science.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of surface modifications on the bonding characteristics and cytotoxicity of specific titanium porcelain bonded to milling titanium and cast titanium. Milling titanium and cast titanium samples were divided into 8 test groups. These groups are as follow: i) sandblasted with particles of different size of $220{\mu}m\;and\;50{\mu}m$, ii) different sequences of sandblasting treatment and etching treatment, iii) etched with different etching solutions, and iv) preheated or not. The surface characteristics of specimens were characterized by the test of mean roughness of surface and SEM. The bond strength of titanium-ceramic systems was measured by using three-point bending test and SEM. The results show that the mean roughness of surface of sample sandblasted with $220{\mu}m$ aluminum oxide increased and bond strength were higher than sample sandblasted with $50{\mu}m$ aluminum oxide. The mean roughness of surface decreased, but the bond strength increased when the samples sandblasted with $220{\mu}m$ aluminum oxide were preheated. The sample sandblasted with $220{\mu}m$ aluminum oxide after oxidized with occupational corrosive agent I (50% NaOH, 10% $CuSO_4{\cdot}5H_2O$) and II (35% $HNO_3$, 5% HF) showed higher bond strength than sample oxidized with 30% $HNO_3$ after sandblasted with $220{\mu}m$ aluminum oxide. Group NaCuNF220SP (milling Ti: 35.3985 MPa, casting Ti: 37.2306 MPa) which was treated with occupational corrosive agent I (50% NaOH, 10% $CuSO_4{\cdot}5H_2O$) and II (35% $HNO_3$, 5% HF), followed by sandblasting with $220{\mu}m$ aluminum oxide and preheating at $750^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour showed the highest bond strength and significant differences (P<0.05). The method for modifying surface of titanium showed excellent stability of cells.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.5_6
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• pp.439-459
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• 2010

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure using wireless smart sensor networks (WSSNs) has received significant public attention in recent years. The benefits of WSSNs are that they are low-cost, easy to install, and provide effective data management via on-board computation. This paper reports on the deployment and evaluation of a state-of-the-art WSSN on the new Jindo Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge in South Korea with a 344-m main span and two 70-m side spans. The central components of the WSSN deployment are the Imote2 smart sensor platforms, a custom-designed multimetric sensor boards, base stations, and software provided by the Illinois Structural Health Monitoring Project (ISHMP) Services Toolsuite. In total, 70 sensor nodes and two base stations have been deployed to monitor the bridge using an autonomous SHM application with excessive wind and vibration triggering the system to initiate monitoring. Additionally, the performance of the system is evaluated in terms of hardware durability, software stability, power consumption and energy harvesting capabilities. The Jindo Bridge SHM system constitutes the largest deployment of wireless smart sensors for civil infrastructure monitoring to date. This deployment demonstrates the strong potential of WSSNs for monitoring of large scale civil infrastructure.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.2719-2726
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the scientific basic grounds for the assessment of health and environmental diseases resulting from air pollutants in Pohang. For this study, we investigated pollutants, weather characteristics and concentration distribution of fine particles ($PM_10$) yearly and each season, using data from Air Quality Monitoring Stations. The properties of concentration distribution and seasonal fluctuation of $PM_10$ were studied qualitatively and quantitatively using CALPUFF, air dispersion model. The average concentration of $PM_10$ for each season was spring($75.7{\mu}g/m^3$)>summer($56.8{\mu}g/m^3$)>winter($53.6{\mu}g/m^3$)>fall( $52.7{\mu}g/m^3$). In the case of spring, high concentrations appear due to the Asian dust frequently occurring. The contributions of $PM_10$ classified by the types of pollution source in Pohang were point source 62%>mobile source 33%>area source 5%. An important point is that 97% of emissions were produced from the iron manufacture in steel industry. Therefore, it is necessary to control the emission sources of pollutants and to construct an observation system at Pohang steel industrial complex from now on. It’s time to control the risk factors for health and environmental disease to protect the health of resident in Pohang and its neighboring areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.343-350
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aims to identify whether ventilation conditions and their effectiveness can be significantly improved in an experimental chamber by increasing the mixing factor (K-Factor). Methods: In a chamber with a volume of $1m^3$, air velocity was measured at six different points with four roof fans in the upper part of the chamber being operated in order. The impact of the ventilation conditions was analyzed when the flow rates were increasing and the first inlet of the chamber was either open or closed. Smoke patterns were also observed at four corner points where ventilation was limited. Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were performed to compare air velocities measured in the chamber. Results: The air velocities measured at only the third point increased significantly from $0.03{\pm}0.03m/s$ (door open) and $0.05{\pm}0.06m/s$ (door closed) with two fans, $0.08{\pm}0.08m/s$ with three fans, and $0.09{\pm}0.09m/s$ with four fans operating (p<0.05). However, air velocities at the four corner points did not significantly increase. Smoke patters also showed that the open inlet of the chamber had no effect on improvement of ventilation conditions and effectiveness. Conclusions: In this study, the air velocities at six points in the chamber did not significantly increase despite the increase in the mixing factor and flow rates of ventilation in the controlled environment. Therefore, the inflow of outdoor air throughout an open inlet and installation of a forced ventilation system can potentially increase the indoor air velocity and improve ventilation condition without an increase in the mixing factor.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.473-480
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• 2004

Recently, they are interested in the relation between night's vehicle accidents of drivers and the dynamic visual acuity at home and aboard. So, in this research, we tried to design an optical system of the inspection equipment to measure the dynamic visual acuity. A optotype standard did to Landolt's ring with 45mm of diameter and 9mm of gap to maintain the visual acuity of 1.0 in the 30m distance. An optical structure of the inspection equipment was composed of the sequence of an observer, a plus refraction lens system, a minus refraction lens system, and an optotype that was arranged to have characteristics that the size of the first virtual image of the optotype made by the minus refraction lens system grows bigger gradually according to the optotype movement to near distance from far distance, and also the first virtual image moves to the principle plane from the focal point of the plus refraction lens system as the size of the first virtual image arranged to the inside of focal distance of plus refraction lens system grows bigger gradually. As doing these processes, we completed the optical system of which characteristic is that the position of the final second virtual image moves to 3m from 50m as the size of the second virtual image made by the plus refraction lens system maintains to be regular.