• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.232-250
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was designed to define the roles, tasks, and activities of home visiting nurses aimed at enhancing the quality of nursing care under the long-term care insurance regulation for the elderly introduced on July 1, 2008 in Korea. Methods: A review of domestic and foreign literature was used to formulate the proposed roles, tasks, and activities of visiting nurses, which were subsequently modified and complemented by the agreement of home visiting nurse experts and acceptance of 127 nurses. Data was collected from 04 June - 17 September 2008 and analyzed concerning frequency and percentile using SPSS ver. 15.0. Results: The established functions of home visiting nurses were direct nursing service provider, case manager, patient educator, decision maker, care coordinator, and research worker. These functions involved 27 different tasks and 167 activities. Conclusion: The roles, tasks, and activities of visiting nurses, established based upon the guidelines of the Long-term Care Insurance Act for the elderly, were verified for their applicability by nurses involved in home care delivery. These parameters will provide a useful tool in developing an assessment to enhance the quality of home-based care for the elderly in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.115-133
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of research is to explore the factors influencing the intention to adopt altcoin investments, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Through this, it seeks to elucidate the key factors impacting altcoin investment adoption, and provide a comprehensive understanding of the crypto-currency market and investor behavior. Methods: This study analyzed factors affecting altcoin investment intentions using frequency and descriptive analyses, and verified socio-demographic differences with t-tests and ANOVA. Exploratory factor and correlation analyses were conducted for research tool validity and relationship assessment among variables. Hypotheses were tested through regression analysis, integrating control, independent, and moderating variables, along with interaction terms, to establish the model and examine moderating effects. Results: As a result, it is revealed that higher age and experience in crypto-currency investment are associated with intention to invest. Among the independent variables, performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and personal innovativeness have positive effects to investment intention to invest, while effort expectancy had a negative effect. The moderating variable, perceived risk, also negatively affected the intention to invest. Notably, significant moderating effects of perceived risk were observed in the relationships between investment intention and both performance expectancy and personal innovativeness. Conclusion: This study provides empirical verification into consumers' intentions to invest in altcoins, offering insights into investors' behavior and decision-making processes based on a practical understanding of altcoin investment acceptance.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.82-96
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• 2019

This study evaluated the status of watershed health in Geum River Basin by SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) hydrology and water quality. The watershed healthiness from watershed hydrology and stream water quality was calculated using multivariate normal distribution from 0(poor) to 1(good). Before evaluation of watershed healthiness, the SWAT calibration for 11 years(2005~2015) of streamflow(Q) at 5 locations with 0.50~0.77 average Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency and suspended solid (SS), total nitrogen(T-N), and total phosphorus(T-P) at 3 locations with 0.67~0.94, 0.59~0.79, and 0.61~0.79 determination coefficient($R^2$) respectively. For 24 years (1985~2008) the spatiotemporal change of watershed healthiness was analyzed with calibarted SWAT and 5 land use data of 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2008. The 2008 SWAT results showed that the surface runoff increased by 40.6%, soil moisture and baseflow decreased by 6.8% and 3.0% respectively compared to 1985 reference year. The stream water quality of SS, T-N, and T-P increased by 29.2%, 9.3%, and 16.7% respectively by land development and agricultural activity. Based on the 1985 year land use condition. the 2008 watershed healthiness of hydrology and stream water quality decreased from 1 to 0.94 and 0.69 respectively. The results of this study be able to detect changes in watershed environment due to human activity compared to past natural conditions.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.757-767
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• 2006

Biological assessments are the primary tool for evaluating the biological condition of a water body and makes it possible to understand accumulative and long-term effect of stressors. They also provide reliable biological information for which disturbed systems are to be restored. Sustainable water environment is not enough with attaining only the clean water, but it should sustain healthy and diverse aquatic life. Aquatic organisms are affected by various factors, including not only water quality but also habitat condition and stressors, and thus good condition of both physical and chemical water quality is prerequisite for sustaining healthy organisms. Therefore, biological assessment, along with other physical and chemical assessments, are crucial for evaluating the health of a water body. Overall, sustainability of water environment demands the attainment and maintenance of ecological integrity, which is resulted from the combination of physical, chemical and biological integrity. The biological criteria will play very important role in the water resource management and policy issues, and thus bioassessment program should be fully implemented and supported eventually by the law. To keep ecosystem health of water environment safely from the toxic pollutants and other stressors, the following suggestions need to be considered in environmental quality standards in Korea. For the first step, the biological indicators need to be introduced in evaluating river quality condition; they provide a qualitative description of biological condition of water body. Secondly, the biological water quality standards using biotic indices should be developed and implemented under the consideration of characteristics of Korean river systems. Lastly, the ecological status classification regime (ESCR) should be developed and introduced; it could be used in quality assessment of the water environment in general. In developing ESCR, integration of physico-chemical, biological, and habitat parameters should be taken into account.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.57-64
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• 2013

During the past 10 years, serious game industry has been growing steadily. But the system which could stably and reliably provide metadata information and quality information related to serious game remained unexploited. Existing systems only support the basic management functions of metadata search centered. Therefore, we have developed an integrated system to manage the quality information of serious game as well as to improve the inconvenient details of the existing systems. And we designed quality evaluation elements and quality information supply-methods, and linked up them to the system. Furthermore, we conducted user's satisfaction assessment survey on the use of the system. The advantage of the system is that the system provide a lot of useful information for general users and developers, and support a tool to manage all information related to serious game by easy and convenient method for managers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.293-301
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• 2016

Objectives: This paper presents the current development progress of environmental health indicators (EHIs) in the Republic of Korea and discusses the utilization, limitations and prospects of EHIs. Methods: The development process and assessment criteria of EHIs were established based on the DPSEEA (Driving force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action) framework with reference to that of the World Health Organization-Europe. In order to explore the applicability of EHIs, a case study was performed to compare the atmospheric environmental health status between the Republic of Korea and European region countries using six indicators. Results: Through the development process, 23 indicators in five areas including air quality, indoor air quality, climate change, chemicals, and water quality were developed, mostly using national statistical data. As a result of the case study comparing environmental health indicators in air quality between the Republic of Korea and Europe, it could be useful to understand the different situation of air pollution source, emission, exposure and health effects. Conclusion: In order for EHIs to compare environmental health status and be used as an environmental health policy development tool for vulnerable areas and related factors, it is necessary to develop further indicators for various issues other than air quality and conduct additional research on their interpretation and related implications, such as policy implementation effects.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.143-163
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis designed to investigate effects of psychoeducational intervention for cancer survivors. Methods: Ten databases were searched. Two reviewers independently performed the selection of the studies, data extraction and assessment. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Collaboration's tool. To estimate the effect size, meta-analysis of the studies was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis and RevMan programs. Results: Of 18,781 publications identified, 35 met inclusion criteria, and 25 studies were used to estimate effect size of psychoeducational intervention. Effect sizes (standardized mean difference [SMD]) were heterogeneous and random effects models were used in the analyses. Psychoeducational intervention was effective for quality of life (n=2,410, ES=0.23; 95% CI: 0.09~0.37), coping and self-efficacy (n=179, ES=0.68; 95% CI: 0.26~1.11), anxiety (n=1,786, ES=-0.26; 95% CI: -0.37~-0.15), depression (n=1,910, ES=-0.28; 95% CI: -0.37~-0.18), and psychological distress (n=2,242, ES=-0.31; 95% CI: -0.46~-0.17). Subgroup analysis showed that counseling was the most effective intervention for quality of life, and behavioral therapy was an effective intervention for all positive and negative outcomes. Publication bias was not detected except for psychological distress. Conclusion: Psychoeducational intervention appears to be effective in improving quality of life and coping and self-efficacy, and it is effective in reducing psychological symptoms in cancer survivors. Behavioral therapy, especially, is commonly effective in improving psychosocial outcomes. However, low-quality evidence, variability in the designs of existing studies, and publication bias suggest that additional high-quality trials should be conducted in the future.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2739-2745
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• 2014

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is a fundamental outcome in oncology patients and quality of life (QOL) assessment requires clinically relevant questionnaires. The purpose of this study was translation and definition of measurement properties and the clinical validity of Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-OG25 module in Persian patients with oesophagus, oesophagogastric junction (OGJ) or gastric cancers. Materials and Methods: The translation procedure followed European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) guidelines. Both EORTC QLQ-OG25 and a core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) were administered to patients with oesophagus (150), OG junction (93) and gastric (32) cancer undergoing multi-modal treatments. Convergent and discriminant validity, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and known-groups comparisons were used to examine reliability and validity. Results: In all, 275 patients (mean age 62 years) completed both questionnaires. Compliance rate was high and the questionnaire module was well accepted. We found good reliability for multi-item subscales of QLQ-OG25 (Cronbach's alpha coefficients 0.76-0.89). About 73% had TNM staging and scales distinguished between clinically distinct groups of patients. However, patients in palliative group experienced compromised functional status and worse treatment-associated symptoms than those in the potentially curative group. Test-retest scores were consistent. Multi-trait scaling analysis demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusions: Overall, the Persian version of QLQ-OG25 demonstrated psychometric and clinical validity that supports its application as a supplement to the original tool (EORTC QLQ-C30) when assessing HRQL in patients with upper-gastrointestinal (GI) cancer both in curative and palliative phases.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.896-907
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• 2020

Imaging technique or computer vision (CV) technology has received huge attention as a rapid and non-destructive technique throughout the world for measuring quality attributes of agricultural products including meat and meat products. This study was conducted to test the ability of CV technology to predict the quality attributes of beef. Images were captured from longissimus dorsi muscle in beef at 24 h post-mortem. Traits evaluated were color value (L*, a*, b*), pH, drip loss, cooking loss, dry matter, moisture, crude protein, fat, ash, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), peroxide value (POV), free fatty acid (FFA), total coliform count (TCC), total viable count (TVC) and total yeast-mould count (TYMC). Images were analyzed using the Matlab software (R2015a). Different reference values were determined by physicochemical, proximate, biochemical and microbiological test. All determination were done in triplicate and the mean value was reported. Data analysis was carried out using the programme Statgraphics Centurion XVI. Calibration and validation model were fitted using the software Unscrambler X version 9.7. A higher correlation found in a* (r=0.65) and moisture (r=0.56) with 'a*' value obtained from image analysis and the highest calibration and prediction accuracy was found in lightness (r²_c=0.73, r²_p=0.69) in beef. Results of this work show that CV technology may be a useful tool for predicting meat quality traits in the laboratory and meat processing industries.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2023

Background: Several previous studies have reported that quality of life (QoL) in hemodialysis patients affects mortality. However, the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, which has been used mainly in previous studies, is complicated in terms of questionnaire composition and interpretation. This study aimed to identify the impact of QoL on mortality in hemodialysis patients using an easier and simpler diagnostic tool. Methods: This retrospective study included 160 hemodialysis patients. QoL was evaluated using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF). Psychosocial factors were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. We also evaluated medical factors, such as dialysis adequacy and laboratory results. Results: The mean hemodialysis vintage was 70.7±38.0 months. The proportion of patients who were elderly was higher in the mortality group than in the surviving group, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index score was also higher in the former group. Of the four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF, the physical health and psychological scores of the mortality group were significantly lower than those of the survival group. When the score in the physical health domain or psychological domain was ≤10, the 10-year mortality rate after hemodialysis initiation increased by approximately 2.3- and 2-fold, respectively. Conclusion: QoL may have a significant effect on mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The WHOQOL-BREF is an instrument that can measure QoL relatively easily and can be used to improve the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing hemodialysis.