• Title/Summary/Keyword: Safety and Health

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Actual Condition of Quality Control of X-ray Imaging System in Primary Care Institution: focused on Gwangju Metropolitan City (1차 의료기관의 엑스선 발생장치 정도관리에 관한 현황조사:광주광역시 지역을 중심으로)

  • Dong, Kyung-Rae;Lee, Seun-Joo;Kweon, Dae-Cheol;Goo, Eun-Hoe;Jung, Jae-Eun;Lee, Kyu-Su
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.35 no.1
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    • pp.34-42
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    • 2010
  • With the expanded use of radiation in modern medical practices, the most important issue in regards to efforts to reduce individual exposure dose is quality assurance. Therefore in order to study the present condition of quality assurance, the Gwangju Metropolitan City area was divided into five districts each containing ten hospitals. Four experiments were conducted: a reproducibility experiment for kVp, mA, and examination time (sec) intensity of illumination; half-value layer (HVL) measurement; and beam perpendicularity test matching experiment. The tube voltage reproducibility experiment for all fifty hospitals resulted in a 95.33% passing rate and mA and examination time both resulted in a 77.0% passing rate. The passing rate for intensity of illumination was 86.0% and 52.0% for HVL, which was the lowest passing rate of all four factors. For the beam perpendicularity test matching experiment, generally the central flux is matched to within $1.5^{\circ}$. Of all fifty hospitals 30.0% were beyond $3^{\circ}$. The results of the survey showed that 58% responded that they knew about quality assurance cycle. All fifty respondents stated that they have not received any training in regards to quality assurance at their current place of employment. Although quality assurance is making relative progress, the most urgent issue is awareness of the importance of quality assurance. Therefore, the implementation of professional training focusing on safety management and accurate quality assurance of radiation will reduce the exposure to radiation for radiologists and patients and higher quality imaging using less dosage will also be possible.

Monitoring of Working Environment Exposed to Particulate Matter in Greenhouse for Cultivating Flower and Fruit (과수 및 화훼 시설하우스 내 작업자의 미세먼지 노출현황 모니터링)

  • Seo, Hyo-Jae;Kim, Hyo-Cher;Seo, Il-Hwan
    • Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.79-89
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    • 2022
  • With the wide use of greenhouses, the working hours have been increasing inside the greenhouse for workers. In the closed ventilated greenhouse, the internal environment has less affected to external weather during making a suitable temperature for crop growth. Greenhouse workers are exposed to organic dust including soil dust, pollen, pesticide residues, microorganisms during tillage process, soil grading, fertilizing, and harvesting operations. Therefore, the health status and working environment exposed to workers should be considered inside the greenhouse. It is necessary to secure basic data on particulate matter (PM) concentrations in order to set up dust reduction and health safety plans. To understand the PM concentration of working environment in greenhouse, the PM concnentrations were monitored in the cut-rose and Hallabong greenhouses in terms of PM size, working type, and working period. Compare to no-work (move) period, a significant increase in PM concentration was found during tillage operation in Hallabong greenhouse by 4.94 times on TSP (total suspended particle), 2.71 times on PM-10 (particle size of 10 ㎛ or larger), and 1.53 times on PM-2.5, respectively. During pruning operation in cut-rose greenhouse, TSP concentration was 7.4 times higher and PM-10 concentration was 3.2 times higher than during no-work period. As a result of analysis of PM contribution ratio by particle sizes, it was shown that PM-10 constitute the largest percentage. There was a significant difference in the PM concentration between work and no-work periods, and the concentration of PM during work was significant higher (p < 0.001). It was found that workers were generally exposed to a high level of dust concentration from 2.5 ㎛ to 35.15 ㎛ during tillage operation.

Body Residue-based Approach as an Alternative of the External Concentration-based Approach for the Ecological Risk Assessment (외부환경농도에 기반한 생태위해성 평가방법의 대안으로서 생체잔류량 접근법)

  • Lee Jong-Hyeon
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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    • v.21 no.2 s.53
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    • pp.185-195
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    • 2006
  • 환경오염물질로부터 수생태계 보호를 위한 표준적인 평가 및 관리 수단인 수질환경기준은 오염물질의 독성작용이 일어나는 표적기관에서의 오염물질의 농도에 대한 대체측정치로서 환경 내 오염물질의 농도를 이용해 왔다. 이러한 '외부환경농도에 기반한 접근방법'은 표적기관에서의 독성물질의 농도가 생물체내 농도에 비례하고, 결국 외부환경농도에도 비례할 것이라고 가정한다. 따라서 환경오염물질의 생물이용도나 생물축적 양상의 차이 때문에 고유 독성치를 비교 평가하는데 한계가 있다. 이와 달리 '생물체내 농도에 기반한 접근방법(이하 생체잔류량 접근법)'은 환경오염물질의 생물이용도나 종 특이적 생물축적 양상과 관련된 불확실성을 제거하고, 환경오염물질 고유의 독성을 비교 평가할 수 있게 해준다. 특히 생체잔류량 접근법을 독성동태학 및 독성역학 모델과 함께 사용하는 경우는 실제 현장에서 일어나는 복잡한 노출조건에서의 독성영향을 예측하는데 활용할 수 있다. '생체잔류량 접근법'은 독성기작별 임계잔류량(Critical Body Residue)을 결정함으로써 생물모니터링의 결과를 해석하는데 적용되고 있다. 또한 생태위해성평가를 위해서 필요한 '무영향예측농도(Predicted No-effect Concentration, PNEC)를 예측하기 위한 방법으로 생체 내 잔류량에 기반해서 농도-시간-반응관계를 기술하고, 예측할 수 있는 새로운 유형의 독성역학 및 독성동태학 모델을 제시하고, 생체내 '무영향농도(No Effect Concentration, NEC)'를 추정하게 해 준다. 특히 생체내 NEC는 '무영향관찰농도(No Observed Effect Concentration, NOEC)'와 '영향농도(Effect Concentration, EC)'처럼 분산분석이나 회귀분석모델과 같은 통계적 모델에 기반해서, 농도-반응관계만을 기술할 뿐인 기존 독성모델을 대체할 대안으로 최근에 OECD와 ISO에 의해서 추천되었다.분석을 시행한 결과 인지기능 장애정도 및 MMSEK 점수 증가에 따른 사망위험도는 어느 모형에서도 인지기능 장애정도가 사망에 미치는 위험도는 통계적으로 유의하지 않았다(표 6, 표 7). 이상 본 연구는 농촌지역 노인들에서 인지기능 장애정도가 사망에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 하였지만, 인지기능 장애정도가 사망에 미치는 영향을 통계적으로 유의하게 고찰하지 못하였다.의한 차이를 보였다. (P<0.05, P<0.001) 5. Excelco로 부식처리된 도재가 5% HF 용액으로 부식처리된 도재보다 부식정도가 더 현저하였다.은 제언을 하고자 한다. 먼저, 학교급식에 대한 식단 작성 시 학생들이 학교에서 제공되기 원하는 식단에 대한 의견을 받고 그 의견에 대한 결과를 게시하여 학생들이 제공되기 원하는 식단을 급식 시 제공하여 학생들이 식단선택에 동참할 수 있는 기회를 주는 것이 바람직하겠다. 또한 영양사는 학급의 반대표와의 정기적인 모임을 가짐으로서 학생들의 불만사항 및 개선 요구사항에대해 서로 의견을 교환하여 설문지조사가 아닌 직접적인 대화를 하여 문제점을 파악하고자 하는 적극적인 자세가 필요하겠다. 특히 아침식사의 결식 빈도가 높았고 이는 급식성과에 부정적인 영향을 줄 뿐 아니라 학교에서 제공하는 음식의 섭취정도에도 영향을 주고 있으므로 학생들에게 학부모와 전담교사 및 학교영양사는 학생들에게 이상적인 아침식사에 대한 교육은 물론이고 아침식사를 실천할 수 있도록 다양한 방안에 대해 함께 연구해야 하겠다. 정부차원에서 학교급식에 아침식사 프로그램을 도입할 수 있는 방안을 연구하고, 아침을 결식하는 학생이 학교에서 수업시작 하기 전에 간단한 식사를 할 수 있는 정책 도입이 필요하다acid의 생성량(生成量)을 측정(測定)하였는데 periodate의 소비량(消費量)은 1.23 mole, formic acid의 생성량(生成量)은 0.78 mole이다.한 경우도 비교적 많이 먹고 있었다(24.3%). 남 여

A Review of the Systemic Analysis Method on Dental Sedation for Children (소아 치과환자에 대한 진정법의 체계적 분석 방법 고찰)

  • An, Soyoun;Lee, Jewoo;Kim, Seungoh;Kim, Jongbin
    • Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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    • v.42 no.4
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    • pp.331-339
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    • 2015
  • The first priority of sedation for incorporative children in pediatric dentistry is a safety. Therefore, evidence-based practices in health care are needed for preventing medical accidents. In accordance with the rise of the evidence based medicine, the interest in Evidence-Based Dentistry is increasing in the field of dentistry. However, systematic research about Evidence-Based sedation in Korea has rarely been done. As such, the purpose of this systematic review is to critically analyze the available scientific literature regarding dental sedation and to seek the next developmental strategies about evidence based pediatric dental sedation. A broad search of the 5 databases of the systematic reviews manual of the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency in Korea were referenced: 1) Core search database- KMbase, KISS; 2) Academic information and portal; 3) the National Assembly Library; 4) DBpia, and 5) RISS. Of a total 470 themes limited to the search term of "dental sedation", in accordance with the PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews of health sciences interventions, a literature selection process, which includes the removal of overlapping down the flow chart, was performed. Of the remaining 31 articles, two authors read through articles independently and added or removed articles using the exclusion criteria. Finally, twenty published papers of acceptable quality were identified and reviewed. This systemic review of Korean pediatric dental sedation practices for the last twenty-five years was based on the objective criteria defined in the GRADE process and identified consistent evidence. The results were evidence of moderate quality. Therefore, more systemically well-designed clinical studies are needed about the safe use of a sedative medicines (drugs).

Improvement and Validation of an Analytical Method for Quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and Isoquercitrin in Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench (오크라 분말의 Quercetin-3-𝑜-Gentiobioside 및 Isoquercitrin의 분석법 개선 및 검증)

  • Han, Xionggao;Choi, Sun-Il;Men, Xiao;Lee, Se-jeong;Jin, Heegu;Oh, Hyun-Ji;Cho, Sehaeng;Lee, Boo-Yong;Lee, Ok-Hwan
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.37 no.2
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    • pp.39-45
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    • 2022
  • This study aimed to investigate the validation and modify the analytical method to determine quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin in Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench for the standardization of ingredients in development of functional health products. The analytical method was validated based on the ICH (International Conference for Harmonization) guidelines to verify the reliability and validity there of on the specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, detection limit and quantification limit. For the HPLC analysis method, the peak retention time of the index component of the standard solution and the peak retention time of the index component of A. esculentus L. Moench powder sample were consistent with the spectra thereof, confirming the specificity. The calibration curves of quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin showed a linearity with a near-one correlation coefficient (0.9999 and 0.9999), indicating the high suitability thereof for the analysis. A. esculentus L. Moench powder sample of a known concentration were prepared with low, medium, and high concentrations of standard substances and were calculated for the precision and accuracy. The precision of quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin was confirmed for intra-day and daily. As a result, the intra-day precision was found to be 0.50-1.48% and 0.77-2.87%, and the daily precision to be 0.07-3.37% and 0.58-1.37%, implying an excellent precision at level below 5%. As a result of accuracy measurement, the intra-day accuracy of quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin was found to be 104.87-109.64% and the daily accuracy thereof was found to be 106.85-109.06%, reflecting high level of accuracy. The detection limits of quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin were 0.24 ㎍/mL and 0.16 ㎍/mL, respectively, whereas the quantitation limits were 0.71 ㎍/mL and 0.49 ㎍/mL, confirming that detection was valid at the low concentrations as well. From the analysis, the established analytical method was proven to be excellent with high level of results from the verification on the specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, detection limit and quantitation limit thereof. In addition, as a result of analyzing the content of A. esculentus L. Moench powder samples using a validated analytical method, quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside was analyzed to contain 1.49±0.01 mg/dry weight g, while isoquercitrin contained 1.39±0.01 mg/dry weight g. The study was conducted to verify that the simultaneous analysis on quercetin-3-𝑜-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin, the indicators of A. esculentus L. Moench, is a scientifically reliable and suitable analytical method.

Protective Effect of Plantago asiatica L. Leaf Ethanolic Extract Against Ferric Nitrilotriacetate-Induced Prostate Oxidative Damage in Rats (랫드에서의 Fe-NTA 유발 산화스트레스에 대한 차전초 에탄올 추출물의 전립선보호 효과)

  • Hong, Seung-Taek;Hong, Chung-Oui;Nam, Mi-Hyun;Ma, Yuan-Yuan;Hong, Yun-Jin;Son, Da-Hee;Chun, Su-Hyun;Lee, Kwang-Won
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.26 no.3
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    • pp.260-265
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    • 2011
  • Plantago asiatica L. (P. asiatica) has been used as one of the popular folk medicines in Asia for human health care practices. Various activities of P. asiatica have been reported, such as anti-oxidant, anti-glycation, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity. Therefore, the potential of P. asiatica to reduce oxidative stress has been studied in several ways for over 20 years, especially at liver and kidney. However no investigation has been reported revealing its protective effect on prostate. Method: Treatment of P. asiatica leaf ethanolic extract (PLE) (1 g/kg body weight (b.w.), 2 g/kg b.w., or 4 g/kg b.w.) were given separately to animals for pretreatment once per day for 7 days, and on the seventh day ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA; 0.24 mmol Fe/kg b.w.), which is known as an oxidative stress-inducer at prostate, was administrated by i.p to negative control group. At the end of the study period, dissection was carried out for detecting the prostate protective effect of PLE. Result: Fe-NTA-treated animals produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in depletion of antioxidant biomaker, such as glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione s-transferase (GST) and increase of lipid peroxidation in prostate. However, PLE pretreatment resulted in an increase in the GSH, GST and GR levels concentration dependent manner and in an significant decrease in the levels of lipid peroxidation. Conclusion: Our data suggest that PLE may be effective in protecting oxidative stress-induced damage of prostate, and PLE may be an chemopreventive agent against Fe-NTA-mediated prostate oxidative damage.

A student on the Nursing Needs and Satisfaction of Primipara During the Early Postpartum Period (산욕기 초산모의 간호요구와 만족도에 관한 연구)

  • Chun, Young-Ja
    • Women's Health Nursing
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.5-27
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    • 1997
  • This study was carried out to identify the difference between nursing needs and levels of satisfaction of primiparae during the early postpartum period. The goal of the study was to obtain data needed to develope maternal education programs and to improve the nursing quality for primipara. The subjects were 111 primiparae who had normal delivery at 2 general hospitals in the Seoul area. The data was gathered using an 81 items questionnaire which was developed by the researcher from Nov. 30, 1995 to Feb. 5, 1996. Results found are as follows : 1. The characteristics of subjects : The majority of subjects were aged 26-30yrs(60.4%), high school graduated(49.5%), jobless(52.3%), had no religion(49.5%), no antenatal(74.5%), and postnatal education on self and infant care(55.9%). A large proportion of primiparae intended to feed breast milk(49.5%) but in fact only 7.2% fed breast milk while in the hospital. Many subjects perceived that they had reasonable self confidence about self care(46.8%), and infant care(36%). 2. The level of nursing needs of overall nursing care was relatively high(Mn 3.98) but the level of satisfaction was of average level(Mn 3.09). Therefore, difference between the level of nursing needs and satisfaction was significant(p=0.0001). 3. The nursing needs by category of nursing care the highest need was on the education of infant care(4.29), the lowest was on physical care(3.80). The level of satisfaction was higher on environmental care(3.40) and physical care(3.32). But the category that showed the lowest satisfaction was education of infant care(2.67). Hence, difference of categories between the level of nursing needs and satisfaction was significant(p=0.0001). 4. Among items of physical care, observation of primiparas' conditions(4.21), accurate medication and treatment(4.18), care of breast engorgement(4.07) and control of postpartal hemorrage(4.01) showed high nursing needs. On the other hand, only the level of satisfaction was higher on accurate medication and treatment(3.82). The rest of items revealed only average level of satisfactions. Difference of items between the level of nursing needs and satisfaction was significant(p=0.0001) except items of dietary care. 5. Among items of psychological care, 8 items of nursing needs were high(3.72-4.29), expecially detailed explanation on which mothers want to know(4.29), treatment and nursing care they receive(4.23), kind and faithful care(4.22), early contacts with their baby(4.20), and adequate draping during the care and treatment(4.18). Among items of psychological care higher satisfactions were shown on items of kind and faithful care(3.80), personal treatment(3.70), and detailed explanation to mothers, but the least satisfied items was early contact with baby(2.13). Difference between the level of nursing needs and satisfaction was significant(p=0.0001). 6. Among items of environmental care, the highest level of need and satisfaction was on the items of neat bedding and pajamas(3.54). The difference was significant (p=0.0001). 7. Among the items of educational needs on self care, all of 22 items revealed higher educational needs(3.50-4.33) but the levels of satisfaction varied with a range of 2.63-3.42. Among the items the satisfactions were high on items of breast care including massages(3.42), perineal care(3.36) and expression of breast milk(3.32). Less satisfied items were drugs not be taken by breast milk feeder(2.63), maintenance of breast figure(2.76) and postpartum exercise(2.80) and so on. The difference was significant(p=0.0001). maintain 8. Among the items of educational needs on infant care, 19 items revealed higher educational needs(3.28-4.54). And the highest need were on the 3 items of normal growth and development of infant, safety and emergency care, symptoms of sick(4.45) and the meaning of crying of the baby(4.52). The level of satisfaction among items of education of infant care ranged from 2.47 to 3.16. Most satisfied items were buriping(3.16), bathing(3.11) and diapering(3.09). The items of which the mother's needs were high revealed the lowest satisfaction level. The difference was significant (p=0.0001). 9. Relationship between nursing needs and levels of satisfaction among primiparae of different characteristics were as follows : 1) Nursing needs of physical and psychological areas were significantly different among different age levels but no relationship was found on other categories regardless of the level of satisfaction. 2) With regard to different levels of education, some relationship was found in nursing needs of psychological area(p=0.007), educational needs on infant care(p=0.04) and environmental care(p=0.01). Also, the difference of satisfaction level was significant. 3) Working mothers had higher nursing needs and were more satisfied on items of physical care(p=0.05), education on self care and infant care. Difference were significant between nursing needs and level of satisfaction. 4) With regards to different religion a moderate relation was found between nursing needs of environmental care infant care education but no relationship was found on levels of satisfaction. 5) With regards to antenatal education, the mothers who have had no antenatal education revealed higher nursing needs on physical care but those who had antenatal education were more satisfied with education on self care and infant care. The difference was significant. (p=0.0001). 6) With regards to postpartum education, the mothers who have had some sort of postpartum education revealed higher nursing needs on physical and self care. And they were more satisfied with nursing of every category except infant care than mothers who had not any postpartum education. Differences was significant between the nursing needs and levels of satisfaction.(p=0.0001). 7) With regards to breast feeding experience during the hospitalization, those who had no experience of breast feeding revealed higher nursing needs on physical care in contrast to breast feeders, who had higher educational needs on infant care. And breast feeder were more satisfied with all categories. Differences was significant(p=0.0001). 8) With regards to perception of self confidence on self care and infant care, no relationship was found on nursing needs and level of satisfaction in every category of nursing.

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Implementation Strategy for the Elderly Care Solution Based on Usage Log Analysis: Focusing on the Case of Hyodol Product (사용자 로그 분석에 기반한 노인 돌봄 솔루션 구축 전략: 효돌 제품의 사례를 중심으로)

  • Lee, Junsik;Yoo, In-Jin;Park, Do-Hyung
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.25 no.3
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    • pp.117-140
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    • 2019
  • As the aging phenomenon accelerates and various social problems related to the elderly of the vulnerable are raised, the need for effective elderly care solutions to protect the health and safety of the elderly generation is growing. Recently, more and more people are using Smart Toys equipped with ICT technology for care for elderly. In particular, log data collected through smart toys is highly valuable to be used as a quantitative and objective indicator in areas such as policy-making and service planning. However, research related to smart toys is limited, such as the development of smart toys and the validation of smart toy effectiveness. In other words, there is a dearth of research to derive insights based on log data collected through smart toys and to use them for decision making. This study will analyze log data collected from smart toy and derive effective insights to improve the quality of life for elderly users. Specifically, the user profiling-based analysis and elicitation of a change in quality of life mechanism based on behavior were performed. First, in the user profiling analysis, two important dimensions of classifying the type of elderly group from five factors of elderly user's living management were derived: 'Routine Activities' and 'Work-out Activities'. Based on the dimensions derived, a hierarchical cluster analysis and K-Means clustering were performed to classify the entire elderly user into three groups. Through a profiling analysis, the demographic characteristics of each group of elderlies and the behavior of using smart toy were identified. Second, stepwise regression was performed in eliciting the mechanism of change in quality of life. The effects of interaction, content usage, and indoor activity have been identified on the improvement of depression and lifestyle for the elderly. In addition, it identified the role of user performance evaluation and satisfaction with smart toy as a parameter that mediated the relationship between usage behavior and quality of life change. Specific mechanisms are as follows. First, the interaction between smart toy and elderly was found to have an effect of improving the depression by mediating attitudes to smart toy. The 'Satisfaction toward Smart Toy,' a variable that affects the improvement of the elderly's depression, changes how users evaluate smart toy performance. At this time, it has been identified that it is the interaction with smart toy that has a positive effect on smart toy These results can be interpreted as an elderly with a desire to meet emotional stability interact actively with smart toy, and a positive assessment of smart toy, greatly appreciating the effectiveness of smart toy. Second, the content usage has been confirmed to have a direct effect on improving lifestyle without going through other variables. Elderly who use a lot of the content provided by smart toy have improved their lifestyle. However, this effect has occurred regardless of the attitude the user has toward smart toy. Third, log data show that a high degree of indoor activity improves both the lifestyle and depression of the elderly. The more indoor activity, the better the lifestyle of the elderly, and these effects occur regardless of the user's attitude toward smart toy. In addition, elderly with a high degree of indoor activity are satisfied with smart toys, which cause improvement in the elderly's depression. However, it can be interpreted that elderly who prefer outdoor activities than indoor activities, or those who are less active due to health problems, are hard to satisfied with smart toys, and are not able to get the effects of improving depression. In summary, based on the activities of the elderly, three groups of elderly were identified and the important characteristics of each type were identified. In addition, this study sought to identify the mechanism by which the behavior of the elderly on smart toy affects the lives of the actual elderly, and to derive user needs and insights.

A Study on Industry-specific Sustainability Strategy: Analyzing ESG Reports and News Articles (산업별 지속가능경영 전략 고찰: ESG 보고서와 뉴스 기사를 중심으로)

  • WonHee Kim;YoungOk Kwon
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.29 no.3
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    • pp.287-316
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    • 2023
  • As global energy crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have emerged as social issues, there is a growing demand for companies to move away from profit-centric business models and embrace sustainable management that balances environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. ESG activities of companies vary across industries, and industry-specific weights are applied in ESG evaluations. Therefore, it is important to develop strategic management approaches that reflect the characteristics of each industry and the importance of each ESG factor. Additionally, with the stance of strengthened focus on ESG disclosures, specific guidelines are needed to identify and report on sustainable management activities of domestic companies. To understand corporate sustainability strategies, analyzing ESG reports and news articles by industry can help identify strategic characteristics in specific industries. However, each company has its own unique strategies and report structures, making it difficult to grasp detailed trends or action items. In our study, we analyzed ESG reports (2019-2021) and news articles (2019-2022) of six companies in the 'Finance,' 'Manufacturing,' and 'IT' sectors to examine the sustainability strategies of leading domestic ESG companies. Text mining techniques such as keyword frequency analysis and topic modeling were applied to identify industry-specific, ESG element-specific management strategies and issues. The analysis revealed that in the 'Finance' sector, customer-centric management strategies and efforts to promote an inclusive culture within and outside the company were prominent. Strategies addressing climate change, such as carbon neutrality and expanding green finance, were also emphasized. In the 'Manufacturing' sector, the focus was on creating sustainable communities through occupational health and safety issues, sustainable supply chain management, low-carbon technology development, and eco-friendly investments to achieve carbon neutrality. In the 'IT' sector, there was a tendency to focus on technological innovation and digital responsibility to enhance social value through technology. Furthermore, the key issues identified in the ESG factors were as follows: under the 'Environmental' element, issues such as greenhouse gas and carbon emission management, industry-specific eco-friendly activities, and green partnerships were identified. Under the 'Social' element, key issues included social contribution activities through stakeholder engagement, supporting the growth and coexistence of members and partner companies, and enhancing customer value through stable service provision. Under the 'Governance' element, key issues were identified as strengthening board independence through the appointment of outside directors, risk management and communication for sustainable growth, and establishing transparent governance structures. The exploration of the relationship between ESG disclosures in reports and ESG issues in news articles revealed that the sustainability strategies disclosed in reports were aligned with the issues related to ESG disclosed in news articles. However, there was a tendency to strengthen ESG activities for prevention and improvement after negative media coverage that could have a negative impact on corporate image. Additionally, environmental issues were mentioned more frequently in news articles compared to ESG reports, with environmental-related keywords being emphasized in the 'Finance' sector in the reports. Thus, ESG reports and news articles shared some similarities in content due to the sharing of information sources. However, the impact of media coverage influenced the emphasis on specific sustainability strategies, and the extent of mentioning environmental issues varied across documents. Based on our study, the following contributions were derived. From a practical perspective, companies need to consider their characteristics and establish sustainability strategies that align with their capabilities and situations. From an academic perspective, unlike previous studies on ESG strategies, we present a subdivided methodology through analysis considering the industry-specific characteristics of companies.

A Study on Relationship between Physical Elements and Tennis/Golf Elbow

  • Choi, Jungmin;Park, Jungwoo;Kim, Hyunseung
    • Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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    • v.36 no.3
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    • pp.183-196
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    • 2017
  • Objective: The purpose of this research was to assess the agreement between job physical risk factor analysis by ergonomists using ergonomic methods and physical examinations made by occupational physicians on the presence of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities. Background: Ergonomics is the systematic application of principles concerned with the design of devices and working conditions for enhancing human capabilities and optimizing working and living conditions. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent injuries and physical and emotional stress. The major types of ergonomic injuries and incidents are cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), acute strains, sprains, and system failures. Minimization of use of excessive force and awkward postures can help to prevent such injuries Method: Initial data were collected as part of a larger study by the University of Utah Ergonomics and Safety program field data collection teams and medical data collection teams from the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (RMCOEH). Subjects included 173 male and female workers, 83 at Beehive Clothing (a clothing plant), 74 at Autoliv (a plant making air bags for vehicles), and 16 at Deseret Meat (a meat-processing plant). Posture and effort levels were analyzed using a software program developed at the University of Utah (Utah Ergonomic Analysis Tool). The Ergonomic Epicondylitis Model (EEM) was developed to assess the risk of epicondylitis from observable job physical factors. The model considers five job risk factors: (1) intensity of exertion, (2) forearm rotation, (3) wrist posture, (4) elbow compression, and (5) speed of work. Qualitative ratings of these physical factors were determined during video analysis. Personal variables were also investigated to study their relationship with epicondylitis. Logistic regression models were used to determine the association between risk factors and symptoms of epicondyle pain. Results: Results of this study indicate that gender, smoking status, and BMI do have an effect on the risk of epicondylitis but there is not a statistically significant relationship between EEM and epicondylitis. Conclusion: This research studied the relationship between an Ergonomic Epicondylitis Model (EEM) and the occurrence of epicondylitis. The model was not predictive for epicondylitis. However, it is clear that epicondylitis was associated with some individual risk factors such as smoking status, gender, and BMI. Based on the results, future research may discover risk factors that seem to increase the risk of epicondylitis. Application: Although this research used a combination of questionnaire, ergonomic job analysis, and medical job analysis to specifically verify risk factors related to epicondylitis, there are limitations. This research did not have a very large sample size because only 173 subjects were available for this study. Also, it was conducted in only 3 facilities, a plant making air bags for vehicles, a meat-processing plant, and a clothing plant in Utah. If working conditions in other kinds of facilities are considered, results may improve. Therefore, future research should perform analysis with additional subjects in different kinds of facilities. Repetition and duration of a task were not considered as risk factors in this research. These two factors could be associated with epicondylitis so it could be important to include these factors in future research. Psychosocial data and workplace conditions (e.g., low temperature) were also noted during data collection, and could be used to further study the prevalence of epicondylitis. Univariate analysis methods could be used for each variable of EEM. This research was performed using multivariate analysis. Therefore, it was difficult to recognize the different effect of each variable. Basically, the difference between univariate and multivariate analysis is that univariate analysis deals with one predictor variable at a time, whereas multivariate analysis deals with multiple predictor variables combined in a predetermined manner. The univariate analysis could show how each variable is associated with epicondyle pain. This may allow more appropriate weighting factors to be determined and therefore improve the performance of the EEM.