• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.166-176
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• 1993

In order to investingate the renal dysfunction in workers exposed to aromatic organic solvents, 105 male exposed workers and 109 controls were participated in this study. This study was conducted to examine the correlation among the concentration of aromatic organic solvents in air, worker's urinary NAG activity and urinary hippuric acid. The results were as follows : 1. The exposure level of aromatic organic solvent mixture caculated by the equation proposed by ACGIH was ranged from 0.27 to 0.54 and toluene concentration was ranged from 18.3ppm to 48.3ppm. 2. NAG activity in the urine of control and exposed group were $36.1{\pm}14.2nmolMU/mg$ creatinine and $52.4{\pm}26.1nmolMU/mg$ creatinine, respectively. Hippuric acid concentration in the urine of control and exposed group were $191.1{\pm}194.2mg/g$ creatinine and $789.3{\pm}784.1mg/g$ creatinine, respectively. 3. Correlation coefficent between the exposure level of aromatic organic solvent mixture was significantly related to urinary NAG activity(r=0.542) and urinary hippuric acid(r=0.752). 4. Correlation coefficient between NAG activity and hippuric acid concentration was 0.357. This study suggested that urinary NAG activity was a good renal function index for aromatic organic solvents exposure and urinary hippuric acid was an index for the biological monitoring of toluene exposure.

• IE interfaces
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.288-296
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• 2005

Many jobs and activities in our daily lives require squatting postures. The fore part includes housekeepers, farmers, and welders and the latter includes a wide variety of activities such as housekeeping; planting, cultivating and harvesting various agricultural products; grinding, welding, etc. It is speculated that prolonged squatting postures without any supporting stool would gradually cause musculoskeletal injuries to workers. This study is conducted to examine the proper height of stools according to the position of the working materials and to develop wearable stools for workers with squatting posture. Forty male and female subjects participated in the experiment to find the proper height of stools according to the position of the working materials. Subjects were asked to squat and work with 3 different working positions: floor level; ankle level; shank level of 3 different stool height conditions: 10cm height; 15cm height; and 20cm height. After 5 minutes of maintaining a squatting work posture while sitting on the different height stools, Likert summated rating method as well as pairwise ranking test was applied to evaluate the user preferences for provided stools under the conditions of different working positions. The results of statistical analysis show that the subjects preferred 10cm height stool for floor level, 15cm height stool for ankle level, 20cm height stool for knee level. We thus strongly recommend to use appropriate height stools in accordance with the different working positions. Moreover, a prototype wearable stool was designed such that workers with squatting posture do not need to move the stool while they are moving about. The purpose of developing wearable stool was to decrease the physical stress and hence promote worker's health who work with squatting posture.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.241-251
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to identify the difference of stress amount depending on the characteristics of hospital workers and job-stress's influence on the stress-measurement fields. For this purpose, the study surveyed 475 workers in 9 hospitals (2 general hospitals and 7hospitals) in Busan and empirically analyzed the data collected from them. In terms of theory and practice, the result of this study suggests as follows: First, there is significant difference in the stress amount depending on worker'scharacteristics.Second, the stress-measurement field with the largest influence on the job-stress is the job requirement, and the lowest field is the hospital culture. Third, at comparing the job stress amount with those of average Koreans, the stress-requirement field occupies the upper 50% zone for male, and the job-instability forfemale. As the result of this study, it is recognized that the structure management of medical institutions must consider the different stress factors according to the workers characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.719-727
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• 2009

The ultimate success of commercial applications of body scan data in the apparel industry will be consumers' substantial applications such as automated custom fit, size prediction, virtual try-on, personal shopper services (Loker, S. et al., 2004). In this study, we surveyed fifty consumers and forty-seven apparel industry workers about their recognition and interest in 3D body scanning and virtual try-on. The results are as follows: 55% of the apparel industry workers has recognized 3D body scanning as a convenient technology, but do not know how to use it. To the questions regarding virtual try-on, 53% of the workers give positive answers. The consumers have a more positive view on virtual try-on than the workers do. The workers predict that the application of 3D body scan technology to the apparel industry could offer customers helpful information in their clothing selection by using virtual images of various size and style, and increase mass production of MTM(Made-To-Measure). The answers from the male consumers in their twenties indicate that virtual try-on is useful by 88% on offline shopping and by 100% on online shopping. 53% of the workers and 68% of the consumers gave answers that just by virtual try-on they could judge the quality of the apparel products and purchase them. Absolutely 3D virtual try-on is an effective tool for online shoppers. 85% of the workers anticipate applications of the 3D body scanning also in 'body measurement', 'custom pattern development' as well as 'virtual try-on' in the near future. With the positive reactions and the stimulating interests in virtual try-on, the conditions of contemporary world encourage more active researches and wide usages of the technology in apparel industry.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.89-92
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• 2009

Purpose: The clinical syndrome of unilateral finger ischemia, caused by digital artery occlusions from embolization from the palmar ulnar artery associated with repetitive striking of the palm, has been called the hypothenar hammer syndrome (HHS). We report the case of a man with this unique disease probably caused by manual work. Methods: A 52 - year - old male left - hand dominant manual worker complained of pain and coldness in the left 4,5th finger. On physical examination, there was a tip necrosis and the result of Allen's test was mildly positive(sluggish filling of hand from the ulnar artery). Arteriograms confirmed occlusion of the distal ulnar artery without direct perfusion of the superficial palmar arch and distal digital artery. Surgical bypass with reverse autologous vein grafting was performed between ulnar artery and superficial palmar arch, common digital artery. Results: He had an uneventful postoperative course and has remained asymptomatic for 18 months since discharge. Patency has been confirmed by color doppler with resolution of cold intolerance and successful digital preservation. Conclusion: We introduce very unique pattern of vascular ischemic disease and recommend the arterial bypass with vein interpositional grafting.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.582-589
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• 2019

Objectives: Although active pulmonary tuberculosis(active PTB) is manifested as one of the complications of pneumoconiosis, attacks of active PTB among patients with pneumoconiosis is still unexplored. The objective of the present study was to identify the attack rate of active PTB among workers in dusty environments who were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis. Methods: The study was performed using the results of the Pneumoconiosis Examination Council's assessment from the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service(KCOMWEL) database between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 2017. Pneumoconiosis was defined as Category 1 or more in the radiological findings of pneumoconiosis. Active PTB was defined as a positive result for active PTB in the results of the Pneumoconiosis Examination Council's assessment. Results: A total of 37,946 workers in dusty environments who received a health examination for diagnosing pneumoconiosis between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 2017 were selected as study subjects. The attack rate of active TB among subjects who were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis and those who were diagnosed without pneumoconiosis were 8.5% and 1.4%, respectively. In the multivariate logistic analysis including age, sex, radiological findings, complications, male[odds ratio(OR), 2.0; 95% confidence interval(CI), 1.4-3.1] and pneumoconiosis(OR, 6.5; 95% CI, 5.7-7.4) were associated with an increased risk of developing active PTB. Conclusions: The present study determined that dusty workers who were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis had a high rate of active PTB compared to TB patients and patients who were diagnosed with silicosis. Therefore, in addition to silicosis, it is necessary to include pneumoconiosis among the high-risk groups for TB.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

Present study examines the gender disparity in terms of its beneficiaries or benefit amount of National Pension of South Korea from the perspective of gender sensitivity. National Pension system has been manipulated and developed in order to maximize its universality. However, substantial gender differences are still found in terms of beneficiary number and benefit amount in the program. Benefit condition and benefit structure are determined assuming that male is the primary breadwinner in household and the primary regular full time worker in labor market. Women are only counted as dependents or excluded as unstable workers. As a result, women are fully or partially excluded from the program as they are excluded in other public sector such as labor market. Women's work (such as caring and housekeeping) are not taken into account in National Pension program. Policy suggestions for the National Pension of South Korea are also provided as the last part of this paper.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.72-81
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• 2014

Even though two-hands lifting/lowering activity of manual materials handling tasks are prevalent at the industrial site, many manual materials handling tasks which require the worker to perform one-hand lifting/lowering are also very common at the industrial site, forestry, farming, and daily life. The objective of this study was to compare one-hand lowering activity to lifting activity in terms of biomechanical stress for the range of lowering heights from knuckle height to 10cm above floor level with two workload 7.5kg and 15.0kg. Eight male subjects with LMM were asked to perform lifting/lowering tasks using both a one-handed (left-hand and right-hand) as well as a two-handed technique. Spinal loading was estimated through an EMG-assisted free-dynamic biomechanical model. The biomechanical stress of one-hand lowering activity was shown to be 43% lower than that of one-hand lifting activity. It was claimed that the biomechanical stress for one-hand lifting/lowering activity is almost twice (194%) of the one for two-hands lifting/lowering activity. It was also found that biomechanical stress by one-hand lowering/lifting activity with the half workload of two-hands lowering/lifting activity was greater than that of the two-hands lowering/lifting activity. Therefore, it might be a risk to consider the RWL of one-hand lowering/lifting activity to simply be a half of the RWL of two-hands lowering/lifting activity recommended by NIOSH.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.597-603
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• 2011

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare one-hand and two-hands lifting activity in terms of biomechanical stress for the range of lifting heights from 10cm above floor level to knuckle height. Background: Even though two-hands lifting activity of manual materials handling tasks are prevalent at the industrial site, many manual materials handling tasks which require the worker to perform one-hand lifting are also very common at the industrial site and forestry and farming. Method: Eight male subjects were asked to perform lifting tasks using both a one-handed as well as a two-handed lifting technique. Trunk muscle electromyographic activity was recorded while the subjects performed the lifting tasks. This information was used as input to an EMG-assisted free-dynamic biomechanical model that predicted spinal loading in three dimensions. Results: It was shown that for the left-hand lifting tasks, the values of moment, lateral shear force, A-P shear force, and compressive force were increased by the average 43%, as the workload was increased twice from 7.5kg to 15.0kg. For the right-hand lifting task, these were increased by the average 34%. For the two-hands lifting tasks, these were increased by the average 25%. The lateral shear forces at L5/S1 of one-hand lifting tasks, notwithstanding the half of the workload of two-hands lifting tasks, were very high in the 300~317% of the one of two-hands lifting tasks. The moments at L5/S1 of one-hand lifting tasks were 126~166% of the one of two-hands lifting tasks. Conclusion: It is concluded that the effect of workload for one-hand lifting is greater than two-hands lifting. It can also be concluded that asymmetrical effect of one-hand lifting is much greater than workload effect. Application: The results of this study can be used to provide guidelines of recommended safe weights for tasks involved in one-hand lifting activity.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.135-140
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• 2005

This study was conducted to evaluate the health status of staff by medical examination data according to the work classification as professional, office worker and laborer in K University in Seoul, Korea. Two thousand four hundred and eighty-four staff (men : 1154, female: 1330) from the university were studied for this report. The anthropometric (height, weight and BMI) and blood pressure (systolic, diastolic) and biochemical parameters (hemoglobin, glucose, cholesterol, AST, ALT) were measured. All groups were calculated using GLM multivariate analysis for three groups after adjustment for age. The average BMI was significantly higher in laborers than professionals and officers after adjustment for age. In blood pressure, especially in SBP, the significant difference was found in females according to the job classification. Blood glucose levels of female laborers were significantly higher than those of officers and professionals. The level of blood total cholesterol of male professionals was significantly higher than those of laborers. The level of blood total cholesterol of female laborers was significantly higher than officers or professionals. Importantly, significant differences were found in BMI, SBP, blood glucose level and cholesterol level of female staff after adjustment for age. These results showed that there were differences in health subjects of staff according to the work classification. This study would provide basic data to prepare the program of health promotion for the college staff according to work classification. Further research is required to discover factors influencing health promotion of staff in colleges.