• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.341-351
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• 2017

This study aimed to investigate the medically inclined college students' knowledge, attitude, and compliance on the preventive behaviors of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 251 medically inclined college students in Jeonju Kijeon College from June 8 to 13, 2015, using a scale on the knowledge and attitude toward MERS and a structured questionnaire. The t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. The participants consisted of 46.6% college students majoring in dental hygiene, 30.7% in clinical pathology, and 22.7% in emergency rescue, and 69.7% of them had been educated on MERS prevention. This study revealed that students who received MERS prevention training (t=3.457, p=0.001) and female students (t=-2.945, p=0.005) had more knowledge on MERS, while students from the dental hygiene department (F=8.048, p<0.001) and those in their third year (F=3.978, p=0.020) showed a more positive attitude toward MERS. Regarding the correlation between knowledge, attitude, fear of infection and compliance on the preventive behaviors, students were more knowledgeable (r=0.133, p=0.036), presented a more positive attitude (r=0.158, p=0.012) and had more fear of infection (r=0.312, p<0.001), were more likely to comply with the preventive measures. For an effective prevention of MERS, a newly found infectious disease, we suggest that medically inclined college students must improve their knowledge of and have a positive attitude toward MERS infection management at a medical institution in compliance with the MERS infection preventive behaviors. Furthermore, this study shows that an infection management education program should be developed, so that which students could learn about the causes, dissemination routes, and preventive methods of infectious diseases, including the newly discovered ones, prior to their clinical training at a medical institution.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.59-69
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to provide basic materials on establishing convergence oriented respiratory infection management system in nursing students attending clinical training by analyzing anxiety, knowledge, possibility of infection, possibility of prevention, and compliance level of preventive behavior. Data were collected from 222 nursing students experienced clinical practice from June 15th to 30th in 2015 using questionnaire. Characteristics relative to variables were measured, and analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program. The results are as follows. The anxiety was 42.70(max 80 points), but possibility of infection was 22.55(max 100 points). Also, knowledge(11.73 out of 16 points), possibility of prevention(7.37 out of 10 points), and compliance level of preventive behavior(34.55 out of maximum 48 points) were slightly above average. The influencing factors on compliance of preventive behavior were anxiety and possibility of prevention. It is needed to lead convergence oriented approach on enhancing compliance of preventive behavior through providing information and educating possibility of prevention during MERS outbreak.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.181-190
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• 2016

Improvements in disaster management has become a global necessity because the magnitude of disasters is intensifying in parallel with the increased disaster damage. The disaster risk in Korea is also increasing due to the emergence of new types of disaster; such as the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, the increase of complex disasters, and the heightened probability of a catastrophic event due to climate change. This paper aimed to identify the disaster loss-frequency relationship from 1948 to 2014 in Korea by using four types of variables. In addition, this paper found major disasters that resulted in the reformation of disaster response organizations, and inputted the deaths and economic loss attributed to those disasters into the disaster loss-frequency graph. The research result substantiated that the disaster loss-frequency relationship in Korea follows the Power Law and found the coefficients of each Power Function. Additionally, this paper found that most of the reformations of disaster response organizations happened after major disasters that concentrated societies attention and anger due to the high human and economic impact; such events are labelled as "focusing events." These focusing events, with the characteristics of a low probability and high impact, are located in the long tail of the Power Law Distribution. This paper suggests that the effective public policy for disaster response needs to be developed by paying attention to 'low probability and high impact' focusing events that are located in the long tail of the Power Law Distribution.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.135-141
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• 2020

The first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was reported in Korea in 2015, after a Korean man from Bahrain tested positive for the infection. After first eruption, there were numbers of secondary infectees and whole country were frightened. At the time, isolated ambulances were available but few, and there was no specific way to prevent contamination during transfer. Therefore, Seoul National University Hospital and the University of Seoul developed isolation units and air filters. Four years after the MERS outbreak, this study measured the differential pressure inside and outside the small isolation units based on the differential pressure and air flow derived from simulation and testing, and proposed minimum values for virus leakage and internal sealing. A performance evaluation and testing method for the transfer equipment is proposed. The critical function of the small isolated transport equipment was defined and selected as an evaluation item; performance evaluation was carried out by simulating a real-world case. The results provide the proper pressure configuration of positive and negative pressure inside the segregation feeder; the clear criteria for the HEPA filter; and the performance criteria for the segregation feeder and air purifier.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.334-344
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• 2018

This study was conducted to identify the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and compliance regarding infection preventive behaviors among long-term care hospital staff during a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) epidemic. The subjects were 211 staff members of a long-term care hospital in J province evaluated using a structured survey. Data were collected between June 15 and July 15, 2015 and analyzed using SPSS/WIN 24.0 based on an independent t-test, ANOVA, and Welch test, while post-hoc tests were conducted using the Scheffe test and the Grames-Hawell test. The MERS knowledge score of the staff at the long-term care hospital was high for nurses and nurse aids, who had experienced infection management when they received influenza vaccine in the previous year and were provided with easy access to hand sanitizers. Attitude towards MERS was more positive for nurses than nurse aids and caregivers. The degree of execution of infection preventive behaviors in terms of daily activity was high when influenza shots were received in the prior year; in terms of caring for patients, it was high when influenza shots were received in the previous year and they had easy access to hand sanitizers. The relationship between knowledge, attitude, and infection preventive behavior regarding MERS was such that high knowledge and positive attitude led to a higher degree of execution of infection preventive behavior. Therefore, during periods of high prevalence of newly infectious diseases such as MERS, it is important for the long-term care hospitals to conduct infection management education including the characteristics of the MERS disease, its transmission, and its prevention to enhance knowledge regarding MERS and induce positive change in attitude to improve the level of infection preventive behaviors.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.566-573
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• 2022

Purpose: This study attempted to verify the effectiveness of the application of air sterilizers in elementary schools at risk of group infection among vulnerable groups in order to address fears of new infectious diseases that have increased since the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Coronavirus infection-19 (COVID-19). Method: One air sterilizer was installed in each classroom, cafeteria, and bathroom of an elementary school in Seoul, and surface and air samples were collected at a distance of 2m from the air sterilizer, and the bacterial reduction effect was analyzed compared to the uninstalled control group. Result: The sterilization effect on the surface was less than 2log CFU/cm² in both the control group and the test group, and the test group showed 54 to 87% less general bacterial colony formation than the control group. In addition, the sterilization effect in the air differed depending on the location of the air sterilizer, and the wall installation showed a reduction effect of up to 91% compared to the control group, and the central installation showed a reduction effect of up to 93%. Conclusion: As a result of the study, it is expected that the prevention of infectious diseases can be increased by maintaining the current quarantine program in elementary schools that conduct regular disinfection while applying air sterilizers. In addition, it is considered desirable to facilitate the inflow of air into the air sterilizer.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.398-408
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• 2023

This work developed a hood and filter for antibacterial protective clothing for medical powered air purifying respirators (PAPR) that can be used in medical settings and quarantine against infectious diseases such as Zika virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The hood material of the protective clothing was made of polypropylene spunlace nonwoven fabric (SFS) was used for withstand wind pressure and external physcial pressure. Forthermore, in order to reduce the user's risk of infection, phytoncide-based materials were used on the outer-surface of the hood to achieve a 99.9% antibacterial effect, and the inner-surface were treated with hydro-philic materials to improve absorbency by 25%. In addition to evaluating the artificial blood penetration resistance, dry mi-croorganism penetration resistance, wet bacteria penetration resistance, and bacteriophage penetration resistance required for medical protective clothing hoods, it received a passing evaluation of levels 2-6. Meanwhile, as a result of evaluating the performance of the antibacterial treated spunlace high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, excellent antibacterial properties, dust removal rate, and differential pressure effect were confirmed. All performance evaluations were conducted by an accredited certification body in accordance with the medical PAPR certification standards.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 2019

Purpose Nuclear medicine was initially introduced in Korea in 1969 and widely applied to treat hyperthyroidism with $^{131}I$. Also, gamma camera was adopted in 1969 in the first place and its application has been growing continually in many ways. We analyzed long-term trend in nuclear medicine examinations for the last 2 decades. The purpose of this paper is to make predictions and to set both plans and directions on the development of nuclear medicine. Materials and Methods We analyzed the performance of nuclear medicine examinations and therapies performed in Asan Medical Center from 1998 to 2017. Results Results from the last 20 years regarding Bone scan, Renal scan, MUGA scan and $^{18}F$-FPCIT, Bone Mineral Density were on a increase. And Myocardium perfusion SPECT, Thyroid scan, Lung scan were on a decrease while $^{18}F-FDG$ PET maintained on a steady course. Until 2010 there was a positive performance with the therapy but after the excessive medical care in thyroid examination performance is at status quo. Key events such as a medical strike(2000), Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (2015) influenced the overall performance of the therapy. Conclusion In order to promote a long-term growth in nuclear medicine examination and therapy, it is inevitable to respond to the changes in current medical environment. Furthermore, it is strongly suggested to put efforts to maintain and develop new examinations and clinical indicators.