• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.5-16
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• 2017

Purpose - The purpose of this research study is to make a comparative analysis between corporate governance guidelines 2016 and 2012 and area of further improvement to ensure better governance, accountability and transparency. Research design, data and methodology - This research study is mainly based on the corporate governance guidelines 2016 and 2012 issued by the regulatory authority known as Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). Results - This study finds that corporate governance guideline 2012 include some new issues such as criteria and qualification of independent director; some additional statements in the directors' report; mandatory requirement of separation of chairman and CEO; constitution of audit committee; chairman of audit committee; role of audit committee, duties of CEO and CFO on financial statements; and collection of compliance certificate from professional accountant or secretary in compare to corporate governance guidelines 2016. Conclusions - This study suggests that the regulatory authority should include more issues such as tax management and reporting, risk management and reporting; individual and overall performance analysis of the board and independent directors; separate nomination and compensation committee; assessment of true independence of the board and its supporting committees to ensure higher quality of corporate governance and transparency.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.345-366
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• 2018

Article 37 of the International Convention on Civil Aviation requires that rules should be adopted to keep in compliance with international standards and recommended practices established by ICAO. As SARPs are revised annually, each ICAO Member State needs to reflect the new content in its national aviation Acts in a timely manner. In recent years, data-driven international standards have been developed because of the important roles of aviation safety data and information-based legislation in accident prevention based on human factors. The Safety Management System and crew Fatigue Risk Management Systems were reviewed as examples of the result of data-driven rulemaking. The safety management system was adopted in 2013 with the introduction of Annex 19 and Chapter 5 of the relevant manual describes safety data collection and analysis systems. Through analysis of safety data and information, decision makers can make informed data-driven decisions. The Republic of Korea introduced Safety Management System in accordance with Article 58 of the Aviation Safety Act for all airlines, maintenance companies, and airport corporations. To support the SMS, both mandatory reporting and voluntary safety reporting systems need to be in place. Up until now, the standard of administrative penal dispensation for violations of the safety management system has been very weak. Various regulations have been developed and implemented in the United States and Europe for the proper legislation of the safety management system. In the wake of the crash of the Colgan aircraft, the US Aviation Safety Committee recommended the US Federal Aviation Administration to establish a system that can identify and manage pilot fatigue hazards. In 2010, a notice of proposed rulemaking was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration and in 2011, the final rule was passed. The legislation was applied to help differentiate risk based on flight according to factors such as the pilot's duty starting time, the availability of the auxiliary crew, and the class of the rest facility. Numerous amounts data and information were analyzed during the rulemaking process, and reflected in the resultant regulations. A cost-benefit analysis, based on the data of the previous 10 year period, was conducted before the final legislation was reached and it was concluded that the cost benefits are positive. The Republic of Korea also currently has a clause on aviation safety legislation related to crew fatigue risk, where an airline can choose either to conform to the traditional flight time limitation standard or fatigue risk management system. In the United States, specifically for the purpose of data-driven rulemaking, the Airline Rulemaking Committee was formed, and operates in this capacity. Considering the advantageous results of the ARC in the US, and the D4S in Europe, this is a system that should definitely be introduced in Korea as well. A cost-benefit analysis is necessary, and can serve to strengthen the resulting legislation. In order to improve the effectiveness of data-based legislation, it is necessary to have reinforcement of experts and through them prepare a more detailed checklist of relevant variables.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1730-1741
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• 2021

Objective: Although thermal ablation is effective in treating low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs), comparison of treatment outcomes between thermal ablation and surgery has not yet been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of thermal ablation and surgery for the treatment of low-risk PTMCs. Materials and Methods: Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies reporting comparisons of treatment results between thermal ablation and surgery for patients with low-risk PTMC published up to April 6, 2020. The analysis evaluated the efficacy (local tumor recurrence, occurrence of new tumor, metastasis, and rescue surgery) and safety (complication rate) of thermal ablation and surgery. Results: This systematic review included four studies with a total of 339 PTMCs in 339 patients who underwent thermal ablation and 320 PTMCs in 314 patients who underwent surgery. There was no local tumor recurrence or distant metastasis in either group. There was no significant difference in the pooled proportion of lymph node metastasis (2.6% with thermal ablation vs. 3.3% with surgery, p = 0.65), occurrence of new tumors (1.4% with thermal ablation vs. 1.3% with surgery, p = 0.85), or rescue surgery (2.6% with thermal ablation vs. 1.6% with surgery, p = 0.62). However, the pooled complication rate was significantly higher in the surgery group than in the ablation group (3.3% with thermal ablation vs. 7.8% with surgery, p = 0.03). Conclusion: Both thermal ablation and surgery are effective and safe options for the management of low-risk PTMCs, with thermal ablation achieving a lower complication rate. Therefore, thermal ablation may be considered as an alternative treatment option for low-risk PTMC in patients who refuse surgery and active surveillance or are ineligible for surgery.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5829-5834
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• 2012

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Although different metabolic factors have been implicated in breast cancer development, the relationship between hypertension and breast cancer has not been elucidated. Aim: To evaluate hypertension as a risk factor for breast cancer in Chilean women of low and middle socio-economic status. Methods: We conducted an age-matched (1:1) case-control study in 3 hospitals in Santiago, Chile. Breast cancer cases (n=170) were histopathologically confirmed. Controls had been classified as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System I (negative) or II (benign findings) within 6 months of recruitment. Blood pressure was measured using a mercury sphygmomanometer and standardized procedures. We used 2 hypertension cut-off points: blood pressures of ${\geq}140/90$ mmHg and ${\geq}130/85$ mmHg. Fasting insulin and glucose levels were assessed, and anthropometric, sociodemographic, and behavioral information were collected. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated for the entire sample and restricted to postmenopausal women using multivariable conditional logistic regression models. Results: Hypertension (${\geq}140/90$ mmHg) was significantly higher in cases (37.1%) than controls (17.1%) for the entire sample and in postmenopausal pairs (44.0% compared to 23.8%). In crude and adjusted models, hypertensive women had a 4-fold increased risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio: 4.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.8; 9.6) compared to non-hypertensive women in the entire sample. We found a similar association in the postmenopausal group (adjusted odds ratio: 2.8; 95% confidence interval: 1.1; 7.4). A significant effect was also observed when hypertension was defined as blood pressure of ${\geq}130/85$ mmHg. Conclusion: A significant association was found between hypertension and breast cancer over the entire sample and when restricted to postmenopausal women. Hypertension is highly prevalent in Latin America and may be a modifiable risk factor for breast cancer; therefore, a small association between hypertension and breast cancer may have broad implications.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.484-492
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• 2011

Purpose: The aims of study were; (1) to evaluate the validity and sensitivity of a fall-risk assessment tool, and (2) to establish continuous quality improvement (CQI) methods to monitor the effective use of the risk assessment tool. Methods: A retrospective case-control cohort design was used. Analysis was conducted for 90 admissions as cases and 3,716 as controls during the 2006 and 2007 calendar years was conducted. Fallers were identified from the hospital’s Accident Reporting System, and non-fallers were selected by randomized selection. Accuracy estimates, sensitivity analysis and logistic regression were used. Results: At the lower cutoff score of one, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 82.2%, 19.3%, 0.03%, and 96.9%, respectively. The area under the ROC was 0.60 implying poor prediction. Logistic regression analysis showed that five out of nine constitutional items; age, history of falls, gait problems, and confusion were significantly associated with falls. Based on these results, we suggested a tailored falls CQI process with specific indexes. Conclusion: The fall-risk assessment tool was found to need considerable reviews for its validity and usage problems in practice. It is also necessary to develop protocols for use and identify strategies that reflect changes in patient conditions during hospital stay.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.117-129
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• 2017

Chronic disease rates have become more prevalent in the modern American workforce, which has negative implications for workplace productivity and healthcare costs. Offering workplace health interventions is recognized as an effective strategy to reduce chronic disease progression, absenteeism, and healthcare costs as well as improve population health. This review documents intervention and evaluation strategies used for health promotion programs delivered in workplaces. Using predetermined search terms in five online databases, we identified 1,131 published items from 1995 to 2014. Of these items, 27 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria; reporting data from completed United States-based workplace interventions that recruited at-risk employees based on their disease or disease-related risk factors. A content rubric was developed and used to catalogue these 27 published field studies. Selected workplace interventions targeted obesity (n = 13), cardiovascular diseases (n = 8), and diabetes (n = 6). Intervention strategies included instructional education/counseling (n = 20), workplace environmental change (n = 6), physical activity (n = 10), use of technology (n = 10), and incentives (n = 13). Self-reported data (n = 21), anthropometric measurements (n = 17), and laboratory tests (n = 14) were used most often in studies with outcome evaluation. This is the first literature review to focus on interventions for employees with elevated risk for chronic diseases. The review has the potential to inform future workplace health interventions by presenting strategies related to implementation and evaluation strategies in workplace settings. These strategies can help determine optimal worksite health programs based on the unique characteristics of work settings and the health risk factors of their employee populations.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2069-2079
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• 2012

Background and Objective: A comprehensive overall review of gastric cancer (GC) risk and protective factors is a high priority, so we conducted the present study. Methods: Systematic searches in common medical electronic databases along with reference tracking were conducted to include all kinds of systematic reviews (SRs) about GC risk and protective factors. Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data, and evaluated the methodological qualities and the quality of evidence using R-AMSTAR and GRADE approaches. Results: Beta-carotene below 20 mg/day, fruit, vegetables, non-fermented soy-foods, whole-grain, and dairy product were GC protective factors, while beta-carotene 20 mg/day or above, pickled vegetables, fermented soy-foods, processed meat 30g/d or above, or salty foods, exposure to alcohol or smoking, occupational exposure to Pb, overweight and obesity, helicobacter pylori infection were GC risk factors. So we suggested screening and treating H. pylori infection, limiting the amount of food containing risk factors (processed meat consumption, beta-carotene, pickled vegetables, fermented soy-foods, salty foods, alcohol), stopping smoking, avoiding excessive weight gain, avoidance of Pb, and increasing the quantity of food containing protective components (fresh fruit and vegetables, non-fermented soy-foods, whole-grain, dairy products). Conclusions: The conclusions and recommendations of our study were limited by including SRs with poor methodological bases and low quality of evidence, so that more research applying checklists about assessing the methodological qualities and reporting are needed for the future.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.107-120
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• 2009

Background : To estimate fall incidence rate and associated factors in inpatients from a general hospital. Method : The data were collected from 104 fall incident reports developed by the patient safety committee in a general hospital in Seoul from 01 January 2007 to 31 December 2008. Information included general characteristics of patients, factors related to fall, types, places, circumstances and outcomes of fall. Result : The incidence rate of fall, which was 4.4 per 1,000 total discharged patients and 0.5 per 1,000 patient-days, was much lower than that of several hospitals in the United States. The difference may reflect the different incidence reporting system of each hospital. Fall-prone patients were, in general, $$\geq_-$$65 years of age, had an alert mental status, were ambulatory with some assistance, and were dependent on and ambulatory device. High incidence of falls was associated with patients with circulatory disease. The majority of fall events usually occurred in bed or at the bedside in the patient's room, and occurred more often during the night than during the day or evening. Risk factors of fall were use of drugs (antihypertensive or neuropsychiatric drugs) and environmental factors (e.g., overly high bed height, surrounding objects, inadequate fitness shoes and slippery floor). Physical injury occurred in 43.3% of fall events, which typically required diagnosis of injury and treatment such as suturing. Risk factors for repeated falls were use of a neuropsychiatric drug (odds ratio=13.9) and gait disturbance (odds ratio=91.2). Risk factors for fall-related injury were alert mental status (odds ratio=3.3 times more likely to fall than those who were drowsy or in a stupor) and general weakness(odds ratio=3.3 times more likely to fall than those who were not generally weak). Conclusion : Medical and nursing staff should be aware of the fall risk factors of hospitalized patients and should intensively pursue preventative strategies. Development of fall prevention education based on these results is recommended.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.288-294
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• 2018

The entertainment system of the aircraft has changed its paradigm in the form of using passenger electronic devices instead of using a fixed monitor. This has simplified the on-board equipment while the risk of safety has increased with the electric charging of portable electronic devices. Unlike personal portable electronic devices that do not have a transmission function, the use of Wi-Fi enabled electronic devices(T-PED) is allowed and the battery is required to be charged in the cabin. In this study, we used the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System to investigate the effects of changes in wireless environment and entertainment service. Based on this, we analyzed the risks of personal electronic devices by sharing event occurrence cases caused by in-flight electronic equipment or passenger portable electronic devices(especially smart phones) from the viewpoint of aircraft safety management. This analysis includes identification of potential hazards and risk assessment, and finally the strategies for risk mitigation for safe use of portable electronic devices are suggested.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.7
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• pp.341-346
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• 2021

Background: The results differ among published studies regarding exposure to meconium and the risk of developing autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Purpose: The present study pooled all of the epidemiologic studies retrieved from broader databases on the association between meconium exposure and risk of developing ASD in children. Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched without language restrictions for articles published between their inception to February 20, 2020, using relevant keywords. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as random-effect estimates of the associations among studies. A subgroup analysis was conducted to explore any potential sources of heterogeneity among studies. Results: The pooled estimate of OR reported a weakly significant association between meconium exposure and ASD development in children (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.24). There was low heterogeneity among the articles reporting risk for ASD among children (I²=19.3%; P=0.259). The results of subgroup analysis based on meconium exposure showed a significant association between a meconium-stained neonate and ASD development (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11-1.24). Couclusion: Meconium exposure was weakly associated with an increased risk of ASD. However, more evidence based on large prospective cohort studies is required to provide conclusive evidence about whether meconium exposure is associated with an increased risk of ASD development.