• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

Background: Firefighting involves exposure of firefighters to risks related to this activity, serious injuries, and occupational diseases are recorded. There are other consequences such as thermal and emotional stress. This systematic review is proposed in order to analyze the risks and consequences faced by these workers and thus provide elements to improve safety management systems in institutions. Method: A descriptive observational study of systematic literature review on the risks and consequences of exposure to firefighters' activity was proposed, and the information was analyzed and described based on the available data and according to the variables determined. Results: The studies showed data on mechanical, physical, chemical, psychosocial risks, workers' perception and resilience, and epidemiological data. Information related to firefighters' activity on falls and slips, exposure to noise, and high concentrations of carbon monoxide is detailed. In addition, the relationship between burnout, cognitive, and physical fatigue as adverse effects on health and performance is mentioned. Conclusions: Among the preventive measures, the use of personal protective equipment is suggested, incorporation in prevention programs of information on exposure to risk factors, as well as the implementation of models that can predict the perception of workers, additionally, the generation of management systems with safety climate models for fire departments.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2011

Purpose: Missing cervical pathology after injury may lead to disability and influence long-term survival. Controversies continue to evolve concerning the initial screening methods used to predict cervical spine injury. Through a retrospective chart review, we attempted to analyze and propose factors predictive of cervical trauma. Methods: Of all the patients who had visited the Emergency Department of Korea University, from January 2009 to December 2009, a retrospective review of the clinical records of the 217 patients who had undergone cervical spine computed tomography was done. We investigated whether we could predict the need for cervical spine computed tomography shortly after presentation in trauma patients by comparing the group with fractures and group without fractures and by finding risk factors showing significant differences between the two groups that might be used as guides in decision making. Results: Of the 217 subjects who underwent cervical spine computed tomography scans, 33 were identified with fractures of the cervical spine while 184 were not. The most common mechanisms of trauma, in order, for those with fractures were falls, followed by traffic accidents. We found that the injury severity score, multiple injuries, a high-energy injury mechanism, neurologic deficit, and pain and tenderness of the cervical spine showed statistically significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion: Fractures of the cervical spine that are not observed with simple radiography occur with a relatively high frequency in trauma patients. Consideration should be given to the risk factors for cervical spine fracture, and if pertinent, cervical spine computed tomography should be performed with speed for early diagnosis of cervical spine fractures.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2017

The objective of this study is to find the failure factors of venture companies. We analyze 210 troubled venture companies, all of which have been under guarantee from the Korea Technology Finance Corporation over the last three years. Methods of analysis for failure factors are as follows. First, we categorize the failure factors into the four different types based on growth and profitability indicators in the financial statements of targeted venture companies. Then we analyzed the failure factors of the subject companies based on the troubled guarantee reports made by the Korea Technology Finance Corporation. If a venture company under its guarantee program falls into insolvency, the Korea Technology Finance Corporation make the troubled guarantee report to find out the failure factors and evaluate the recovery potentials. We identify 374 failure factors of venture companies through the analysis. The most prominent among them are deteriorating of business environments (79 factors) and decreasing or withdrawing orders from major suppliers (54 factors) due to bankruptcies or change in business plans. They are followed by slowing collection of accounts receivable (31 factors), dropping or frozen product price (24 factors) due to intensifying competition and escalating pressures from major suppliers, rising raw material costs both at home and abroad (21 factors). In addition, the nuclear power plant disaster in Japan, shut-down of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and subsequent lawsuits, delay in technology development projects, high cost-low efficiency management structure, etc., are also revealed as new factors causing trouble for venture companies.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.290-300
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• 2023

This study was understood the risk mechanism of falls in the elderly and reviewed previous research data to see if the principle of Pilates rehabilitation exercise could have a positive effect on balance ability and postural stabilization in the elderly, and the purpose of this study is to present literature-based data on the fall prevention effect of rehabilitation Pilates exercise. First, the rehabilitation Pilates exercise makes it available for strengthening the center of the body to stabilize the spine and pelvis and stimulates the nerve root, thereby having an effect on the balance and the joint stabilization. Second, a proprioceptive sensory impairment and a musculoskeletal degenerative disease due to aging increase the loss of balance ability and the instability in posture maintenance, thereby coming to raise the risk of a fall damage caused by the difficulty in performing motor functions and by the gait disturbance. Third, the rehabilitation Pilates exercise leads to improving the core muscle strength in older adults, resulting in being capable of expecting the betterment in the balance and the reaction time motor function. And there is a positive impact on the improvement in body imbalance and on the stability in movement involved in the fall prevention, resulting in being able to suggest the possibility of likely contributing to a reduction in a fall risk rate. In conclusion, the rehabilitation Pilates as the elderly exercise program showed effects on the improvement in the body's muscular strength, on the upgrade in a sense of balance, and on the stabilization of core. Thus, it was considered to diminish the risk factors for a fall damage caused by musculoskeletal degeneration and to be capable of preventing a serious disorder of activity due to a chronic senile disease.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1101-1112
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was done to suggest directions for developing exercise interventions for fall prevention in the elderly in Korea in the future, Method: Twenty five articles for fall prevention exercises were reviewed and analyzed. Result: $84.0\%$ of subjects were older adults age 65 and older living in the community. The most frequently performed interventions were lower limb strength and balance exercises together $43.3\%$, group exercise $70.0\%$, exercise 3 times/week $60.0\%$, 60 min per session $36.7\%$, duration of 12 weeks and 1 year $23.3\%$ each. The most frequently used outcome variables were static balance $84.0\%$, lower limb muscle strength $72.0\%$, dynamic balance $56.0\%$, and falls $56.0\%$. The effect of exercise interventions on fall prevention was inconclusive. Lower limb strength exercises with resistance were effective for increasing muscle strength. Balance exercises with various movements for balance were effective for increasing balance. Conclusion: Exercise interventions for fall prevention is recommended for older adults with risk factors of falling. The desirable type of exercise intervention is lower limb strength and balance exercise together.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.643-655
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate biomechanical differences between young and old adults during downhill walking on a treadmill in order to understand the mechanisms of elderly falls. Eighteen healthy young females(YG: yrs: 21.17±1.5) and eighteen healthy old females(OG: yrs: 66.67±1.33) participated in this study. They were asked to walk at their preferred speed on a treadmill at level, 7.5° and 15° decline. OG walked more wobbly in the medial and lateral directions than YG(p<.05). As slope got steeper, OG had smaller ROM(range of motion) of ankle and knee joints compared with YG. However, there was no difference in ROM of the hip between OG and YG, but maximum extension angle of OG was smaller compared with YG(p<.05). Smaller extensor moment was generated on OG during downhill walking(p<.05). It was hypothesized that more risk factors would be found on older people compared to young people during downhill. However, older people actually walks with a safer strategy compared to young people during downhill. Finally, current findings about biomechanical characteristics of elderly walking would provide useful fundamental information for a follow-up study regarding the prevention of elderly fall during their daily life.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.87-93
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• 2015

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the 8.5seconds cut-off of the 8-foot up-and-go test as a predictor of falling and a good discriminator of fallers and non-fallers in women in their 60s to 80s. METHODS: The final subjects of this study were 98 elderly women from six senior centers of B metropolitan city. The 8-foot up-and-go test evaluated agility and dynamic balance. The chair-stand test measured the muscle strength for of the lower body. Ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion were measured to assess the ankle mobility of the subjects in this study. RESULTS: The below 8.5seconds group showed significantly low values in age and high values in chair-stand (times/30 s), plantar flexion ($^{\circ}$), and K-MMSE (score) compared to the over 8.5seconds group. This group was significantly faster compared to the over 8.5seconds group. In the below 8.5seconds group, only plantar flexion ($^{\circ}$) of all the items showed significantly higher values among those in their 60s compared to those in their 70s and 80s. CONCLUSION: The 8.5seconds cut-off on the 8-foot up-and-go test as a good discriminator and predictor of falling showed differences among fall risk factors (age, lower extremity strength, cognition, and ankle mobility) in women in their 60s to 80s without having regular exercise and a fall experience over the past ones year.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.91-106
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• 2018

The purpose of this paper is to review vestibulo-ocular reflex and vestibular rehabilitation for balace problem in elderly. Falling is a common problem associated with aging. Falling and the resulting consequences constitutes one of the most common and serious problems. Balance deficits are one of the top risk factors for falling. Three systems(visual, vestibular and somatosensory) need to be integrated and used to coordinate and control balance. During normal ambulation and head movement, the vestibulo-ocular reflex(VOR) stabilizes gaze, and helps to keep the image of the retina. There is a direct association between deficits in VOR and falls. Older adults have a decreased ability to enhance and suppress the VOR. Vestibular rehabilitation(VR) is an exercise-based group of approaches that began with the aim of central nervous system compensation. VR restores VOR gain and reduces error using repetitive movements of the head and eyes. Many researches showd balance and gait tests were superior in the VR group. It is considered this article helps to prevent elderly falling with vestibular rehabilitation.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.243-256
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was to investigate fear of falling and related factors in elderly living alone based on fall experience. Methods: Participants were 404 elderly women(faller=148, non-faller=256) over 65 years who were homebound living alone in Jeollanam-do Province. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using questionnaires from April $23^{th}$ to June $9^{th}$ 2013. The questionnaires consisted of demographic variables, fall experience, Fear of falling questionnaire(FOFQ), Falls Efficacy Scale(FES) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression(CES-D). The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS version 14.0. Results: The fear of falling and the influential factors were different according to fall experience. Regression model for fear of falling in fallers significantly accounted for 46.1%(F=6.71, p<0.001); difficulty of performing activity, depression, fall-efficacy, static balance and assistive devices. Regression model for fear of falling in non-fallers significantly accounted for 55.2%(F=15.16, p<0.001); fall-efficacy, environmental hazards, difficulty of performing activity, risk of nutrition, housing type, dizziness and assistive devices. Conclusion: Results demonstrate that fall is an important health problem for elderly women living alone, and show fall experience for factors influencing fear of falling. These results could be used in the developing fall prevention programs.

• Journal of Korean Society of societal Security
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.61-66
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• 2008

More than 70% of Korea consists of mountainous area and during the construction of roads and railroads many cut-slopes are inevitably formed. A number of environmental factors, such as the rainy season and frost heave during winter/thaw during spring, can result in rock falls and landslides. The failure of slopes is increasing every year and can cause damage to vehicles, personal injury and even fatality. In order to help protect people and property, there is a need for real-time monitoring systems to detect the early stages of slope failures. In this respect, the GMG has been using Translation Rotation Settlement (TRS) sensor units installed on slopes to monitor movement in real-time. However, the data lines of this system are vulnerable and the whole system can be damaged by a single lightning strike. In order to overcome this, GMG have proposed the use of Ubiquitous Sensor Networks (USN). The adoption of a USN system in lieu of data cables can help to minimize the risk of lightning damage and improve the reliability of slope monitoring systems.