• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.789-795
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• 2020

Many deaths have been reported due to the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19. In order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, it is necessary to quickly and accurately read images of suspected patients and take appropriate measures. To this end, this paper introduces a deep learning-based COVID-19 chest X-ray reading technique that can assist in image reading by providing medical staff whether a patient is infected. First of all, in order to learn the reading model, a sufficient dataset must be secured, but the currently provided COVID-19 open dataset does not have enough image data to ensure the accuracy of learning. Therefore, we solved the image data number imbalance problem that degrades AI learning performance by using a Stacked Generative Adversarial Network(StackGAN++). Next, the DenseNet-based classification model was trained using the augmented data set to develop the reading model. This classification model is a model for binary classification of normal chest X-ray and COVID-19 chest X-ray, and the performance of the model was evaluated using part of the actual image data as test data. Finally, the reliability of the model was secured by presenting the basis for judging the presence or absence of disease in the input image using Grad-CAM, one of the explainable artificial intelligence called XAI.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.145-152
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• 2009

Novel influenza A virus, subtype H1N1 of swine-lineage, has been transmitted rapidly to many regions of the world. Rapid detection of the virus is essential to instigate appropriate patient care and public health management and for disease surveillance. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus in Korea using reverse-transcription real time polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Novel H1N1 virus was detected in a total of 8,948 nasopharyngeal samples from patients with influenza-like illness throughout Korea from August to September 2009. RNA was extracted from $300{\mu}l$of sample using an RNA extraction kit (Zymo Research, CA, USA). In the present study, Genekam kit (Genekam, Duisburg, Germany) was used to detect novel H1N1 virus. Novel H1N1 virus was found in 1,130 samples from a total of 8,948 samples (12.6%). The highest frequency was found in 10- to 19-year-olds (M: 29.3% vs. F: 16.4%), followed by 20- to 29-year-olds (M: 17.9% vs. F: 15.4%), 40- to 49-year-olds (M: 6.5% vs. F: 8.1%), 50- to 59-year-olds (M: 6.0% vs. F: 5.5%), and 30- to 39-year-olds (M: 4.6% vs. F: 3.8%). The mean positive rate was higher in men than in women (M: 14.7% vs. F: 7.4%). Novel H1N1 virus showed the lowest prevalence in patients over 60 years old. The positive rate increased daily and showed a significant high peak in mid-September 2009. In 19 provinces of Korea, Cheonan (41.1%), Busan (37.3%), Gangneung (33.3%), Jinju (32.1%), Ulsan (24.6%), Deajeon (23.7%) areas showed high frequencies and other provinces were found less than 10% of novel H1N1 virus. Since reverse-transcription real time PCR assay is rapid, accurate, and convenient, it may assist public health laboratories in detecting novel H1N1 virus. Moreover, these data could be useful for the management of patients with influenza-like illness.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.93-114
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• 2021

COVID-19 has been affecting the library, not to mention society as a whole. Especially, there are many changes in the role and service of the university libraries as all the classes of the universities are turned into non-face-to-face and the use of the university libraries is restricted. The changes in users' use of information and communication behavior due to COVID-19 could be an opportunity for new utilization of human and material resources the university libraries have and for the development of services. However, on the contrary, the university libraries could face another crisis if they fail to respond appropriately to current changes. Therefore, it is necessary to grasp, analyze the impact of COVID-19 and plan how to respond. A survey on the effects of COVID-19 and the response of the university libraries and the perceptions of the university libraries found that most university libraries are responding appropriately to COVID-19. However, a survey on the perceptions of the present and future of the university libraries under COVID-19 showed that many survey respondents think COVID-19 would have a negative impact on the university libraries. This means that the changes caused by COVID-19 are causing a crisis and anxiety in the university libraries. Therefore, by working hard together, the university libraries need to present the university libraries' new role, service and direction in the post-COVID-19 era as well as responding to the current situation.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 2021

Objectives : The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is a global medical crisis imposing particular burden on public sector employees. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychiatric distress among public sector workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods : We conducted a cross-sectional study with 531 public sector workers in Gwangmyung city who completed Korean versions of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Impact of Event Scale-Revised-Korean (IES-R-K). Results : The results revealed more than moderate levels of stress (85.2%), depressive symptoms (22.2%), and posttraumatic stress symptoms (38.8%). PSS total score was significantly correlated with PHQ-9, IES-R-K total scores as well as IES-R-K subscale scores. Total scores on the PSS, PHQ-9, and IES-R-K were all inversely correlated with age. Conclusions : COVID-19-related workers experience considerable stress and depressive symptoms, with self-rated stress correlating significantly with depression scores. Age may serve as a protective factor against occupational stress and burnout. These findings highlight the need for adequate psychiatric screening and intervention for public sector workers.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.195-205
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• 2021

As Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a pandemic, most nursing departments in Korea implemented online non-face-to-face practices rather than the existing practice method. This study was a qualitative study that analyzed the reflection diaries written by participants to understand what they experienced in the online non-face-to-face adult nursing practice process. The online non-face-to-face adult nursing practice was 90 hours for two credits and nine hours per day for a total of 10 days. This online practice consisted of computer-based simulation practice, computer-based nursing skills practice, video and educational material production, real-time online quiz, online lecture video, and discussion. As a result of analyzing the reflection diary, six categories, 13 subcategories, and 33 codes were derived. The six categories were 'Experience of various situations', 'Experience of new study', 'Fulfillment for the clinical practice', 'Building relations with professors', 'Fear of being a pre-nurse', and 'Ambivalence for the non-face-to-face practice'. These results are significant in that in the post-corona era, adult nursing practice was conducted as a non-face-to-face practice rather than a clinical practice institution, and various educational methods were operated. This study is expected to provide important basic data for the development and operation of non-face-to-face adult nursing practice.

• The Journal of Bigdata
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.187-199
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• 2020

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. South Korea recorded 27,000 cases of the coronavirus illness, and more than 50 million coronavirus cases were confirmed all over the world. An epidemiological investigation becomes important once again due to the spread of COVID-19 infections. However, there were a number of confirmed coronavirus cases from Deagu and Gyeongbuk. Limitations of the epidemiological investigation methods were recognized. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency developed the Epidemiological Investigation Support System(EISS) to utilize the smart city data hub technology and utilized the system in the epidemiological investigation. As a part of EISS, The proposed system is big-data bsed epidemiological investigation support system processing mobile network data. The established system is the epidemiological investigation support system based on big data to process mobile carriers' big data. Processing abnormal values of mobile carriers' data which was impossible with existing staff or creating hotspot regions where more than two people were in contact with an infected person were realized. As a result, our system processes outlier of mobile network data in 30 seconds, while processes hotspot around in 10 minutes. as a first time to adapt and support bigdata system into epidemiological investigation, our system proposes the practical utilizability of big-data system into epidemiological investigation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2021

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can manifest in a range of symptoms, including both asymptomatic systems which appear nearly non-existent to the patient, all the way to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Specifically, COVID-19-associated pneumonia develops into ARDS due to the rapid progression of hypoxia, and although arterial blood gas analysis can assist in halting this deterioration, the current environment provided by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to an overall lack of medical resources or equipment, has made it difficult to administer such tests in a widespread manner. As a result, this study was conducted in order to determine whether the levels of oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and the fraction of inhaled oxygen (FiO₂) (SF ratio) can also serve as predictors of ARDS and the patient's risk of mortality. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted from February 2020 to Mary 2020, with the study's subjects consisting of COVID-19 pneumonia patients who had reached a state of deterioration that required the use of oxygen therapy. Of the 100 COVID-19 pneumonia cases, we compared 59 pneumonia patients who required oxygen therapy, divided into ARDS and non-ARDS pneumonia patients who required oxygen, and then investigated the different factors which affected their mortality. Results: At the time of admission, the ratios of SpO₂, FiO₂, and SF for the ARDS group differed significantly from those of the non-ARDS pneumonia support group who required oxygen (p<0.001). With respect to the predicting of the occurrence of ARDS, the SF ratio on admission and the SF ratio at exacerbation had an area under the curve which measured to be around 85.7% and 88.8% (p<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that the SF ratio at exacerbation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.916; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.846-0.991; p=0.029) and National Early Warning Score (NEWS) (HR, 1.277; 95% CI, 1.010-1.615; p=0.041) were significant predictors of mortality. Conclusion: The SF ratio on admission and the SF ratio at exacerbation were strong predictors of the occurrence of ARDS, and the SF ratio at exacerbation and NEWS held a significant effect on mortality.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.522-528
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• 2021

This is an investigative study to identify the degree of post-traumatic stress and anxiety of nurses in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to analyze the relationship with the nurse's belief in behavior and control that affects nursing intentions to determine their impact on the belief in behavior. The subjects of this study were nurses with experience of directly nursing COVID-19 patients at medical institutions located in Gyeonggi-do. The SPSS 22.0 version was used for the descriptive analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression. Post-traumatic stress of the participants in this study was found to be 24.20±20.58, anxiety 48.31±6.61, behavior beliefs -1.00±17.12, and control beliefs 3.41±11.66. According to this study, the belief in conduct is negatively correlated with post-traumatic stress (r=-4.71, p<).001) and showed a significant negative correlation with anxiety (r=-2.248, p<.05). There was no significant correlation with control beliefs (p>.05). Based on the results of this study, it is proposed to develop an appropriate psychological arbitration program for mediating post-traumatic stress in order to promote the nurse's behavior beliefs.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.750-756
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• 2020

Objectives: After coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic, the South Korean government announced guidelines on wearing masks to prevent its spread. The guidelines have changed depending on the severity of the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to identify mask-wearing behaviours to counter the spread of COVID-19 in indoor and outdoor environments. Methods: The type of mask worn and proper wearing were observed in cafés, supermarkets, underground shopping malls, and streets in Seoul. Behavioral assessment was repeated in August at social distancing levels 1 and 2, in October at social distancing level 1, and in November after the mask mandates. Results: In August, 22.1% of subjects in cafés, 90.8% in supermarkets, 91.8% in underground shopping malls, and 83.6% on outdoor streets wore masks properly. In October, the proportion of correct wearers increased in all locations. After masks became mandatory in November, about 97% of users of supermarkets, underground shopping malls, and streets wore masks properly. In cafés, the proportion of proper wearers was 61.5% with both social distancing level 2 in August and the mandate in November. The number of KF-certified mask wearers continued to increase from August to November. Conclusion: This study investigated mask-wearing behaviors to counter COVID-19 through observations in indoor and outdoor places in Seoul. Mask-wearing behavior was different depending on the place and the government guidelines in place. The results could be used for evaluation of the current guidelines for COVID-19.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2021

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to verify the level of ethical consciousness and decision-making of dental hygiene students in pandemic as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This study included 249 college students who were interested in new infectious diseases. They completed a questionnaire on a 5-point scale, and data were analyzed by independent t-test, ANOVA, and correlation. Results: The perception of COVID-19 was moderate at 3.42 points. This was higher among males, first graders, emergency management students, those who received education and experienced self-quarantine. The level of ethical consciousness was moderate (3.89 points), which was higher in sophomores, emergency management students. Ethical decision-making was moderate, with a score of 3.44, and was higher in those with first grade, field practice training, and self-quarantine experience. The level of perception positively correlated with ethical consciousness (α=0.310, p<0.01). In addition, as the degree of ethical consciousness increased, the degree of decision-making also increased (α=0.539, p<0.01). Conclusions: In a crisis, involving the spread of COVID-19, providing prospective dental hygienists accurate information and an experience similar to that faced by patient is necessary for raising the level of ethical consciousness and decision-making.