• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.134-140
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• 2006

Because shipyard workers are involved with various manufacturing process in shipyard industry, and they are exposed to many kinds of hazardous materials. Especially, painting workers were exposed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). This study was conducted to assess the exposure status of PAH based on job-exposure matrix. We investigated the effect of genetic polymorphism of xenobiotic metabolism enzymes involved in PAH metabolism on levels of urinary metabolite. A total of 93 shipbuilding workers were recruited in this study. Questionnaire variables were age, sex, use of personal protective equipment, smoking, drinking, and work duration. The urinary metabolite was collected in the afternoon and corrected by urinary creatinine concentration. The genotypes of CYP1A1, CYP2E1, GSTM1, GSTT1 and UGT1A6 were investigated by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods with DNA extracted from venous blood. Urinary 1-OHP levels were significantly higher in direct exposured group (spray and touch-up) than indirect exposed group. Urinary 1-OHP, concentration of the high exposure with wild type of UGT1A6 was significantlyhigher than that of the high exposure with other UGT1A6 genotype. In multiple regression analysis of urinary 1-OHP, the regression coefficient of job grade was statistically significant (p<0.05) and UGT1A6 was not significant but a trend (p<0.1). The grade of exposure affected urinary PAH concentration was statistically significant. But genetic polymorphism of xenobiotics metabolism enzymes was not statistically significant. Further investigation of genetic polymorphism with large sample size is needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.381-389
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• 2004

Objective : To compare the efficacy between SKI306X and Diclofenac by using generalized estimating equations (GEE) methodology in the analysis of correlated bivariate binary outcome data in Osteoarthritis (OA) diseases. Methods : A randomized, double-blind, active comparator-controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial was conducted at 5 institutions in Korea with the random assignment of 248 patients aged 35 to 75 years old with OA of the knee and clinical evidence of OA. Patients were enrolled in this study if they had at least moderate pain in the affected knee joint and a score larger than 35mm as assessed by VAS (Visual Analog Scale). The main exposure variable was treatment (SKI 306X vs. Diclofenac) and other covariates were age, sex, BMI, baseline VAS, center, operation history (Yes/No), NSAIDS (Y/N), acupuncture (Y/N), herbal medicine (Y/N), past history of musculoskeletal disease (Y/N), and previous therapy related with OA (Y/N). The main study outcome was the change of VAS pain scores from baseline to the 2nd and 4th weeks after treatment. Pain scores were obtained as baseline, 2nd and 4th weeks after treatment. We applied GEE approach with empirical covariance matrix and independent(or exchangeable) working correlation matrix to evaluate the relation of several risk factors to the change of VAS pain scores with correlated binary bivariate outcomes. Results : While baseline VAS, age, and acupuncture variables had protective effects for reducing the OA pain, its treatment (Joins/Diclofenac) was not statistically significant through GEE methodology (ITT:aOR=1.37, 95% CI=(0.8200, 2.26), PP:aOR=1.47, 95% CI=(0.73, 2.95)). The goodness-of-fit statistic for GEE (6.55, p=0.68) was computed to assess the adequacy of the fitted final model. Conclusions : Both ANCOVA and GEE methods yielded non statistical significance in the evaluation of non-inferiority of the efficacy between SKI306X and Diclofenac. While VAS outcome for each visit was applied in GEE, only VAS outcome for the fourth visit was applied in ANCOVA. So the GEE methodology is more accurate for the analysis of correlated outcomes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.81 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2018

Acute exacerbation(s) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) tend to be critical and debilitating events leading to poorer outcomes in relation to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment modalities, and contribute to a higher and earlier mortality rate in COPD patients. Besides pro-active preventative measures intended to obviate acquisition of AECOPD, early recovery from severe AECOPD is an important issue in determining the long-term prognosis of patients diagnosed with COPD. Updated GOLD guidelines and recently published American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society clinical recommendations emphasize the importance of use of pharmacologic treatment including bronchodilators, systemic steroids and/or antibiotics. As a non-pharmacologic strategy to combat the effects of AECOPD, noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is recommended as the treatment of choice as this therapy is thought to be most effective in reducing intubation risk in patients diagnosed with AECOPD with acute respiratory failure. Recently, a few adjunctive modalities, including NIV with helmet and helium-oxygen mixture, have been tried in cases of AECOPD with respiratory failure. As yet, insufficient documentation exists to permit recommendation of this therapy without qualification. Although there are too few findings, as yet, to allow for regular andr routine application of those modalities in AECOPD, there is anecdotal evidence to indicate both mechanical and physiological benefits connected with this therapy. High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy is another supportive strategy which serves to improve the symptoms of hypoxic respiratory failure. The therapy also produced improvement in ventilatory variables, and it may be successfully applied in cases of hypercapnic respiratory failure. Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal has been successfully attempted in cases of adult respiratory distress syndrome, with protective hypercapnic ventilatory strategy. Nowadays, it is reported that it was also effective in reducing intubation in AECOPD with hypercapnic respiratory failure. Despite the apparent need for more supporting evidence, efforts to improve efficacy of NIV have continued unabated. It is anticipated that these efforts will, over time, serve toprogressively decrease the risk of intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation in cases of AECOPD with acute respiratory failure.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.145-151
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• 2017

Many adolescents in high schools are experiencing school maladjustment by academic stress under the reality of higher-education-oriented schooling. A review of studies of academic stress and school adjustment reveals that ego-optimism is predicted as one of the moderating variables to help adolescents lessen academic stress and increase their school adjustment. The main purpose of this study was to verify the moderating effects of ego-resilience on the relationship between academic stress and school adjustment of adolescents. For this, 496 high school students of tenth and eleventh grade were respectively collected through cluster sampling to be surveyed, and then correlation analysis and moderated regression analysis were conducted. The major findings were as follows. First, there was a negative relationship between academic stress and school adjustment and between academic stress and ego-resilience, but a positive relationship between school adjustment and ego-resilience. Second, the moderating effects of ego-resilience on the relationship between academic stress and school adjustment were not found, although optimism, one of ego-resilience's sub-factors, had a significant moderating effect on them, implying that adolescents' optimism should be enhanced to lessen academic stress and ensure they have a successful school life. The study concludes that optimism is a protective factor for school adjustment caused academic stress and thus schools need to make active efforts to enhance their students' optimism.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.632-643
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine how the level of self-compassion of correctional workers influenced depression and the simple and double mediating effects of job stress and job autonomy. Although correctional officers experience high levels of stress and depression, there are limited strategies to protect their job performance. The total of 210 correctional workers in S. Korea were included in the final analysis using SPSS PROCESS Macro model 6. For the analysis, Korean Self-Compassion Scale (K-SCS), Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS), and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESDS) were used. The results of the study were as follows. First, the correlation analysis showed statistically significant relationships between the variables(p<.01). Second, the simple mediating effect of job autonomy was found in the relationship between the self-compassion and depression as well as the double mediating effect of job stress and job autonomy. The influences of low level of self-compassion on mental health (depression) could be modified by improving the level of work related empowerment (job autonomy) as a protective factor. Based on the results of the study, the further study suggestions and limitations were discussed.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.76-92
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• 2021

The value of personal information is increasing with the digital transformation of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The purpose of this study is to analyze the efficiency of personal information protection efforts of 2,000 private companies. It uses a stochastic frontier approach (SFA), a parametric estimation method that measures the absolute efficiency of protective activities. In particular, the personal information activity index is used as an output variable for efficiency analysis, with the personal information protection budget and number of personnel utilized as input variables. As a result of the analysis, efficiency is found to range from a minimum of 0.466 to a maximum of 0.949, and overall average efficiency is 0.818 (81.8%). The main causes of inefficiency include non-fulfillment of personal information management measures, lack of system for promoting personal information protection education, and non-fulfillment of obligations related to CCTV. Policy support is needed to implement safety measures and perform personal information encryption, especially customized support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2024

This study aims to provide basic data that can reduce middle-aged office workers' sense of mid-life crisis by investigating whether self-esteem moderates the effect of middle-aged office workers' retirement anxiety on their sense of mid-life crisis through gratitude. The survey subjects were 313 middle-aged office workers aged 40 to 65, and the data was analyzed using SPSS Win. Ver. 25 and SPSS PROCESS macro Ver. 4.1. Descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and moderated mediation effect analysis were applied. The research results are as follows. First, retirement anxiety showed a negative correlation with gratitude and self-esteem and a positive correlation with midlife crisis sense. Self-esteem played a moderated mediating role in buffering the effect of retirement anxiety on the midlife crisis sense through gratitude. It was confirmed that the gratitude and self- esteem of middle-aged office workers can be used as important variables that can act as protective factors when retirement anxiety increases the sense of mid-life crisis. Based on these results, when middle-aged office workers' anxiety about retirement hurts their sense of mid-life crisis, this study proposed a plan to prevent the sense of mid-life crisis by utilizing gratitude and self-esteem.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.766-771
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• 2009

Purpose : The objective of this study was to compare the levels of adipocytokines in obesity group with those in control group and examine their correlation with insulin resistance. Methods : We enrolled 36 obese children (male:female [M:F]=17:19; age, $9.3{\pm}1.9yrs$) with ${\geq}95^{th}$ percentile body mass indexes (BMIs) (obesity group) and 35 healthy children (M:F=16:19; age, $9.1{\pm}2.1yrs$) with $25^{th}-75^{th}$ percentile BMIs (control group). We measured the serum leptin, adiponectin, and resistin levels and insulin resistance in both the groups. Results : The weights, heights, BMIs, fasting sugar levels, insulin levels, and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values were higher in the obesity group than in the control group. As compared to the control group, the obesity group showed significantly higher leptin levels and lower adiponectin levels; no significant difference was observed in the resistin levels. The leptin/adiponectin (L/A) ratio was higher in the obesity group than in the control group. In the obesity group, HOMA-IR showed significant positive correlations with weight, height, BMI, and leptin level. However, it was not correlated with age and adiponectin and resistin levels. In the obesity group, leptin level showed significant positive correlations with age, weight, height, and BMI, while adiponectin and resistin levels showed no such correlations with the other variables. Conclusion : We suggest that adiponectin plays an important protective role against weight gain in obese children. Further, L/A ratio can be used as a parameter for predicting the prognosis of obese children.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2003

Objectives : Because shipyard workers are involved with various manufacturing process, they are exposed to many kinds of hazardous materials. Welders especially, are exposed to bisphenol-A (BPA) during the welding and flame cutting of coated steel, This study was conducted to assess the exposure status of the endocrine disrupter based on the job-exposure matrix. The effects of the genetic polymorphism of xenobiotic enzyme metabolisms involved in the metabolism of BPA on the levels of urinary metabolite were investigated. Methods : The study population was recruited from a shipyard company in the f province. A total of 84 shipbuilding workers 47 and 37 in the exposed and control groups, respectively, were recruited for this study. The questionnaire variables included, age, sex, use of personal protective equipment, smoking, drinking and work duration. The urinary metabolite was collected in the afternoon and correction made for the urinary creatinine concentration. The of the CYP1A1, CYP2E1 and UGT1A6 genotypes were investigated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods with the DNA extracted from venous blood. Results : The urinary BPA level in the welders group was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). The urinary BPA concentration with the wild type UGT1A6 was higher than the other UGT1A6 genotypes, but with no statistical significant. From themultiple regression analysis of the urinary BPA, the regression coefficient for job grade was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions : The grade of exposure to BPA affected the urinary BPA concentration was statistically significant. However, the genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotics enzyme metabolism were not statistically significant. Further investigation of the genetic polymorphisms with a larger sample size is needed.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.73-86
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• 2007

Risk-based remediation strategy (RBRS) is a consistent decision-making process for the assessment and response to chemical release based on protecting human health and the environment. The decision-making process described integrates exposure and risk assessment practices with site assessment activities and remedial action selection to ensure that the chosen actions are protective of human health and the environment. The general sequences of events in Tier 1 is as follows: initial site assessment, development of conceptual site model with all exposure pathways, data collection on pollutants and receptors, and identification of risk-based screening level (RBSL). If site conditions do not meet RBSL, it needs further site-specific tier evaluation, Tier 2. In most cases, only limited number of exposure pathways, exposure scenarios, and chemicals of concern are considered the Tier 2 evaluation since many are eliminated from consideration during the Tier 1 evaluation. In spite of uncertainties due to the conservatism applied to risk calculations, limitation in site-specific data collections, and variables affecting the selection of target risk levels and exposure factors, RBRS provides us time- and cost-effectiveness of the remedial action. To ensure reliance of the results, the development team should consider land and resource use, cumulative risks, and additive effects. In addition, it is necessary to develop appropriate site assessment guideline and reliable toxicity assessment method, and to study on site-specific parameters and exposure parameters in Korea.