• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.445-453
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• 2013

The Uiseong Tapriri Five-Storied Stone Pagoda (National Treasure No. 77) is typical stone cultural heritage in Unified Silla Dynasty, Korea. The pagoda has been occurred black, brown discoloration and microcrack, exfoliation, granularity decomposition with white discoloration because of continuous weathering. As the results of analysis for the contaminants, chemical weatherings are generated that black contaminant by manganese oxide, brown contaminant by iron oxide, white contaminants by gypsum and taranakite. And physical weatherings, such as microcrack, exfoliation, are occurred by salt(gypsum) crystallization. Therefore, these need to remove the contaminants according to the conservation treatment manual, and regular monitoring using P-XRF to preserve long-term the Five-Storied Stone Pagoda at Tapri-ri, Uiseong.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.7-14
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• 2011

This paper is intended to suggest some reference materials for future elderly housing design, especially smart home, in Korea, by reviewing the elements and applications of smart home concept for older adults in USA. Research method includes collecting materials by attending the regular SmartHome$^{(R)}$ part meeting, the navigation of related homepages, and the analysis of collected materials. Current researches in Korea look initial stage and show some general principles without practical concept & technologies of elderly facilities. SeniorSmart$^{(R)}$ Center in USA started on August 2007 with the 3 parts of SmartHOME$^{(R)}$, SmartWHEELS$^{(R)}$ and SmartBRAIN$^{(R)}$. The Center has been doing various multidisciplinary research projects but slowing down the planned processes due to national economic recession. The major researches of SmartHome$^{(R)}$ part can be summarized as follows; CS-PFP( Continuous Scale Physical Function Performance) laboratory is being in operation to help older adults and families make the difficult decision regarding the ability and safety to live independently. Three levels of necessary laboratories from uninhabited space to senior living environment were accommodated for field research. As core technologies of SmartHome$^{(R)}$, predicting & warning system of fall risk on recognizing gait signature patterns to identify any deviation from the normal patterns of the older adults, home monitoring system which will send alerts to a specified relative and/or health care professional when vital signs of the older adults will not be within normal parameters, and Mobility & Research Clinic for evaluating, treating the older adults & multidisciplinary research are under development. SmartHome$^{(R)}$ has made collaborative research agreements for field laboratory with various retirement communities and also is continuing to work for experimental software engineering with the Fraunhofer Institute, Germany.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.37-45
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• 2015

Purpose: The main objective of this paper is, to evaluate the unit design for patient-centered care and to draw lessons-learned for further improvement. Methods: This study conducted a case study of the intensive care unit, designed to fulfill patient-centered care in the US. It evaluated the effectiveness of the unit by incorporating several study methods such as plan analyses, direct observations through nursing tracking and behavior mapping, and focus group interviews. Results: The major design decision made in this patient-centered unit was the use of patient rooms with designated family areas and distributed nursing stations. Both design features appeared to be a success on a variety of research metrics and outcomes. The study identified that the patient rooms ultimately help family members to spent more time with their loved ones, which leads to increased satisfaction of family members and nurses also report that they generally enjoy the distributed nurses' stations, which provide a comfortable environment to complete their regular lines of work such as charting, monitoring patients, and collaborating with their colleagues. Implications: Certain design features in intensive care units such as patient rooms with designated family areas and distributed nursing stations could appropriately support hospitals to fulfill patient-centered care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.206-215
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• 2014

Objectives: The hospital standardized mortality ratio (HSMR) has been widely used because it allows for robust risk adjustment using administrative data and is important for improving the quality of patient care. Methods: All inpatients discharged from hospitals with more than 700 beds (66 hospitals) in 2008 were eligible for inclusion. Using the claims data, 29 most responsible diagnosis (MRDx), accounting for 80% of all inpatient deaths among these hospitals, were identified, and inpatients with those MRDx were selected. The final study population included 703 571 inpatients including 27 718 (3.9% of all inpatients) in-hospital deaths. Using logistic regression, risk-adjusted models for predicting in-hospital mortality were created for each MRDx. The HSMR of individual hospitals was calculated for each MRDx using the model coefficients. The models included age, gender, income level, urgency of admission, diagnosis codes, disease-specific risk factors, and comorbidities. The Elixhauser comorbidity index was used to adjust for comorbidities. Results: For 26 out of 29 MRDx, the c-statistics of these mortality prediction models were higher than 0.8 indicating excellent discriminative power. The HSMR greatly varied across hospitals and disease groups. The academic status of the hospital was the only factor significantly associated with the HSMR. Conclusions: We found a large variation in HSMR among hospitals; therefore, efforts to reduce these variations including continuous monitoring and regular disclosure of the HSMR are required.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.359-368
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• 1998

Cytomegalovirus is the most common cause of life-threatening viral infection in HIV-infected patients. This study was done prospectively to investigate the incidence of CMV infection according to the decrease of CD4+ T cell count (CD4+) in Korean AIDS patients. Thirty-nine HIV-infected patients diagnosed before 1994 were followed for regular immunological monitoring. We have used urine shell vial method for the CMV detection from 1994 and have also checked clinical findings. Positive urine culture rate definitely depended on the CD4+ as follows; 45%, 22%, 17%, 11% and 0%, CD4+ <50, 50-100, 100-200, 200-500 and >500, respectively. Except culture positive 2 patients with CD4+ of $200{\sim}300/{\mu}l$, all eight culture positive patients with CD4+ less than $200/{\mu}l$ showed CMV related diseases on or before urine culture. But, we could not get a positive culture for a late AIDS patient with vision loss. With ganciclovir therapy, all culture results were at least negative just after or on late of first 14 days-ganciclovir infusion-course. These data suggest that the incidence of CMV disease in Korean AIDS patients is very high, and early diagnosis and treatment for CMV diseases is required for the prevention of life threatening results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2013

Background: We examined perioperative predictors of sustained sinus rhythm (SR) in patients undergoing the Cox maze operation and concomitant cardiac surgery for structural heart disease. Materials and Methods: From October 1999 to December 2008, 90 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) underwent the Cox maze operation and other concomitant cardiac surgery. Eighty-nine patients, all except for one postoperative death, were followed-up with serial electrocardiographic studies, 24-hour Holter monitoring tests, and regular echocardiographic studies. Results: Eighty-nine patients undergoing the maze operation were divided into two groups according to the presence of SR. At the time of last follow-up (mean follow-up period, $51.0{\pm}30.8$ months), 79 patients (88.8%) showed SR (SR group) and 10 patients (11.2%) had recurrent AF (AF group). Factors predictive of sustained SR were the immediate postoperative conversion to SR (odds ratio, 97.2; p=0.001) and the presence of SR at the 6th month postoperatively (odds ratio, 155.7; p=0.002). Duration of AF, mitral valve surgery, number of valves undergoing surgery, left atrial dimension, and perioperative left ventricular dimensions and ejection fractions were not predictors of postoperative maintenance of SR. Conclusion: Immediate postoperative SR conversion and the presence of SR at the 6th postoperative month were independent predictors of sustained SR after the maze operation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1257-1262
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• 2005

Organo-chlorinated pesticides have been seldom measured in Korea because their use was banned for more than two decades. Nevertheless, the environmental persistency of these pesticides requires regular monitoring. Only organo-phosphorus pesticides are currently being monitored in Korea. Simultaneous determination of organo-chlorinated and organo-phosphorus pesticides was attempted using gas chromatography/mass spectrometer detector. Pressurized fluid extraction(PFE) was used in sample preparation. PFE showed equivalent extraction efficiency to traditional soxhlet extraction with less solvent use and less sample preparation time. Average recovery of spiked pesticides to soil and lawn samples was 62% ranging 52 to 154%. Method detection levels(MDLs) for these pesticides ranged from 3.4 to 10.5 ${\mu}g/kg$. Endosulfan, fenitrothion, and diazinon were found in the samples from 5 different golf courses out of 9 courses.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2547-2556
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• 2012

Objectives: Smoking among university students represents a formidable and global public health challenge. We assessed the associations between socio-demographic, health and wellbeing variables as independent variables, with daily smoking, attempts to quit smoking, and agreement with smoking ban as dependent variables. Methods: A sample of 3258 undergraduate students from eleven faculties at Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt, completed a general health questionnaire. Results: Overall daily or occasional smoking in last three months prior to the survey was about 9% (8% occasional and 1% daily smokers), and smoking was generally more prevalent among males (male=17%, female=0.6%, P < 0.001). After adjustment for confounders, not having normal BMI and having a mother who completed at least bachelor's degree education was positively associated with daily smoking, and conversely, no history of illicit drug use was a protective factor. About 76% of smokers had attempted to quit smoking within the last 12 months prior to the survey. Although a large proportion of students agreed/strongly agreed with the banning of smoking at university altogether (87%), such agreement was less likely among smokers. Conclusion: There is need for implementation of non-smoking policies on university premises, as well as regular up-to-date information on, and the periodic/yearly monitoring of tobacco use by university students employing standardised data collection instruments and reference periods. In addition, it would be valuable to develop campus-based educational/ awareness campaigns designed to counteract tobacco advertisement directed towards young people in Middle East countries. Otherwise, the danger could be that the current relatively low smoking prevalence among university students may escalate in the future.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7639-7644
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• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in Sri Lanka. Early detection can lead to reduction in morbidity and mortality. The objective here was to identify perceptions of public health midwives (PHMs) on the importance of early detection of breast cancer and deficiencies of and suggestions on improving existing breast cancer early detection services provided through Well Woman Clinics. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study using four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among 38 PHMs in the Gampaha district in Sri Lanka and the meetings were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using constant comparison and identifying themes and categories. Results: All the PHMs had a firm realization on the need of breast cancer early detection. The four FGDs among PHMs revealed non-availability of guidelines, inadequacy of training, lack of skills and material to provide health education, inability to provide privacy during clinical examination, shortage of stationery, lack of community awareness and motivation. The suggestions for the improvements of the programme identified in FGDs were capacity building of PHMs, making availability of guidelines, rescheduling clinics, improving the supervision, strengthening the monitoring, improving coordination between clinical and preventive sectors, and improving community awareness. Conclusions: Results of the FGDs can provide useful information on components to be improved in breast cancer early detection services. Study recommendations were training programmes at basic and post basic levels on a regular basis and supervision for the sustainance of the breast cancer early detection program.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.39-51
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate exposure levels of various chemicals used in wafer fabrication product lines in the semiconductor industry where work-related leukemia has occurred. Methods: The research focused on 9 representative wafer fabrication bays among a total of 25 bays in a semiconductor product line. We monitored the chemical substances categorized as human carcinogens with respect to leukemia as well as harmful chemicals used in the bays and substances with hematologic and reproductive toxicities to evaluate the overall health effect for semiconductor industry workers. With respect to monitoring, active and passive sampling techniques were introduced. Eight-hour long-term and 15-minute short-term sampling was conducted for the area as well as on personal samples. Results: The results of the measurements for each substance showed that benzene, toluene, xylene, n-butyl acetate, 2-methoxy-ethanol, 2-heptanone, ethylene glycol, sulfuric acid, and phosphoric acid were non-detectable (ND) in all samples. Arsine was either "ND" or it existed only in trace form in the bay air. The maximum exposure concentration of fluorides was approximately 0.17% of the Korea occupational exposure limits, with hydrofluoric acid at about 0.2%, hydrochloric acid 0.06%, nitric acid 0.05%, isopropyl alcohol 0.4%, and phosphine at about 2%. The maximum exposure concentration of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA) was 0.0870 ppm, representing only 0.1% or less than the American Industrial Hygiene Association recommended standard (100 ppm). Conclusion: Benzene, a known human carcinogen for leukemia, and arsine, a hematologic toxin, were not detected in wafer fabrication sites in this study. Among reproductive toxic substances, n-butyl acetate was not detected, but fluorides and PGMEA existed in small amounts in the air. This investigation was focused on the air-borne chemical concentrations only in regular working conditions. Unconditional exposures during spills and/or maintenance tasks and by-product chemicals were not included. Supplementary studies might be required.